 |
| Artificial limbs, homemade by victims, hang at the COPE Visitor Centre in Vientiane. (Photo by: AFP) |
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
The Phnom Penh Post
A landmark conference on cluster munitions attended by delegates from Cambodia and dozens of other countries has finished in Laos, with observers hailing it an important first step in the fight against weapons that continue to plague the Kingdom.
Despite having been ravaged by cluster munitions, Cambodia joined only as an observer at what was the inaugural meeting of state parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, a treaty banning the weapons that came into effect in August.
Cambodia has yet to ratify the treaty, citing military and logistical concerns.
“The reason why Cambodian did not sign the cluster bomb treaty ... is because we want to take our time to clearly consider and study it in detail before signing,” said Prum Sopheak Mongkol, the deputy secretary general of the Cambodian Mine Action Authority, who served as the Cambodian representative at the meeting.
The government has also cited security concerns in explaining its reluctance to endorse the treaty, noting that regional rival Thailand has yet to sign.
More than 1,000 government and military officials, NGO workers and bomb victims convened in Vientiane for the first meeting of the 46 states that are party to the convention.
Song Kosal, a youth ambassador for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Bombs, said she was glad the government had joined the meeting, but disappointed that it had yet to ratify the treaty.
“I would like to appeal to the Royal Government of Cambodia to sign and ratify the treaty as soon as possible in order the prevent the suffering of those who could be injured or killed by cluster bombs in the future,” said Song Kosal, a contestant in last year’s controversial Miss Landmine beauty pageant.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AFP AND JAMES O’TOOLE
1 comment:
The damage has been done by both super-power of the USA and China. Therefore both of these countries should be paying the price such as compensation. Instead, they were talking about how much Cambodian owed them. This is so unreal, it is 'I'm big and you are small, I'm right and you are wrong'. They are bullying as and yet no one can do nothing about. They forgot about the righteous will live forever and the wicked will be terminated. I'm sure god is testing every nation on 'how good are we?' and off course no one in this world can get away from god's eye. He is watching with every move we make. So, be a ware on doing the right things guys. Wisdom
Post a Comment