The “4,000 Riel Campaign” initiated by the Malaysian Business Chamber of Cambodia, Khmer Times, and Wing Bank has produced a great result, as the crowd-funding mission has collected nearly $10,000 from the public to be allocated to mine clearing in Cambodia, thus helping the Kingdom take another step towards eradicating the dangerous impact the buried killers have on people.
The fund was handed over yesterday by the three organisations to the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) in an official ceremony held at the CMAA headquarter in Phnom Penh.
In December 2022, the Malaysian Business Chamber of Cambodia (MBCC), in partnership with Khmer Times and Wing Bank, launched the 4,000 Riel Campaign to engage community participation to help achieve the nation’s target of becoming mine-free.
The idea was proposed by MBCC President Oknha Tan Khee Meng and Khmer Times Publisher Mohan Bandam last year during a visit with the CMAA to the minefields in Srong commune, Kong Pisey district, Kampong Speu province.
The campaign invited everyone to make a small contribution to support the country’s demining efforts. Every Riel and dollar counts towards ridding every square metre of Cambodian land of lethal land mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). Donations amounted to 20 million Riel and $5,000, or a total of $10,000.
People attending the handover ceremony at the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority Headquarters yesterday. KT/Pann Rachana
As part of the fundraising campaign, Wing Bank has waived the service fees for generous individuals who wish to contribute to landmine clearance activities and support public communication efforts.
The public did their share by contributing various amounts and the final tally of $10,000 has been accounted for as all contributions were made online via Wing Bank’s APP direct to accounts at the bank. This amount of money can clear approximately five hectares of land.
In an opening remark yesterday, Wing Bank CEO Han Peng Kwang expressed his sympathy for Cambodians, who have suffered from landmines and other UXOs, while hectares of arable land remain unusable due to landmine contamination.
“We would like to extend gratitude to the public, particularly the Wing Cash Express Agents, Wing Master Agents, Wing Employees, and their families, for their valuable contribution to this valuable cause,” he said. “Your contribution, no matter what amount, bears care and love for our community.”
“We look forward to further cooperation to assist the community and improve social wellbeing for all Cambodians.”
Mohan said the donation will prevent many Cambodian people from death and injury caused by landmines and, at the same time, give them more land to farm and make a living, and this is the core concept of the campaign.
“When I first arrived in Cambodia in 1993, there were skull signs everywhere, but now it is a rare sign thanks to CMAA’s effort,” he said. “Still, there is still news about landmine victims today.”
“Today marks a major milestone for us. The donation will help save lives,” Mohan said, adding that so far, Khmer Times and MBCC’s mine-clearing initiatives have cleared approximately 350,000 square metres of land in Cambodia.
Expressing a similar sentiment, Oknha Tan said it is both an honour and a responsibility of the MBCC to give back to Cambodian society.
“This fund may be modest in the scale of finance, but I want to highlight to you that this crowd-funding campaign has allowed people all over Cambodia, whether foreigners or Cambodians, a chance to contribute to the cause.”
“While you see all the skyscrapers in Phnom Penh, there are still villages suffering from landmines. This is the real meaning of the campaign.”
Khmer Times was the first private company and still the only media outlet in Cambodia to contribute to the mine clearing operations in the Kingdom. In 2022, a total of 53,483 square metres of land in Veal village of Kampong Speu province were cleared at a cost of $15,738, which was funded by Khmer Times, and villagers can now use the two acres for cultivating crops without fear.
This was followed by a Grand Charity Gala Dinner presided over by then Lieutenant General Hun Manet which raised $67,700 and he topped it up with a personal cash donation of $10,000.
The amount went towards clearing 299,255 square metres of mine contaminated land in Sdok commune, Kong Pisey district, comprising several hundred villagers.
Malaysia’s Ambassador Designate to Cambodia, Shaharuddin Onn said that it was gratifying to note Malaysian entities in Cambodia giving back to their adopted country and that he hoped to see the trend being maintained.
During the ceremony yesterday, Ly Thuch, CMAA First Vice-President, said that the handover of the fund is a testament to the compassion to save lives and improve the livelihood of the Cambodian people shown by MBCC, Khmer Times, and Wing Bank, as well as the general public who have donated to the cause through the 4,000 Riel Campaign.
He especially thanked the MBCC, which, despite being an association of foreign businesspeople and investors, has shown a great act of giving back to the society of the Kingdom.
“This contribution is going to save many lives in rural areas,” he said. “We really admire your generosity and compassion.
According to Thuch, 4,000 Riel can allow the deminers to release 4-5 square metres of contaminated land; thus, 40 million Riel will help clear landmines from about five hectares of land, saving many people’s lives and at the same time providing them with arable land to farm.
Cambodia stands as one of the most profoundly impacted nations by landmines, explosive remnants of war (ERW), and cluster munitions worldwide.
With an estimated four to six million landmines and other munitions left behind after more than three decades of conflict, the toll on Cambodia has been staggering. In 2006, the Department of Social and Spatial Inequalities at the University of Sheffield, UK, designated Cambodia as the country most afflicted by landmines, with 69 deaths per million.
Despite thirty years of demining efforts, the Kingdom continues to witness landmine-related accidents, with the first ten months of 2022 alone registering ten deaths and thirty injuries.
However, with the government’s heightened focus on the issue and an influx of donations, Cambodia looks towards achieving landmine-free status.
CMAA requires $78 million for clearance operations in 2024 and 2025.
Notably, 2023 marked a historic milestone, with nearly 360 square kilometres of land contaminated by landmines released, with eighteen provinces slated to attain landmine-free status by year-end. Nevertheless, Cambodia still grapples with over 200 square kilometres of minefields, predominantly along the borders and in remote, inaccessible areas.
Addressing these challenges remains arduous, as conventional methods like machinery or explosive-sniffing animals are impractical in such terrains. Instead, the nation relies on its deminers.
Moreover, Cambodia’s efforts in mine clearance have garnered international recognition. In October, CMAA hosted the third edition of the Victim Assistance Global Conference on the Rights of Survivors of Anti-Personnel Landmines (APL) and Other Explosive Ordnance in the Disability Rights Context.
Furthermore, Cambodia’s appointment as this year’s chair of the Ottawa Convention (also known as the Mine Ban Treaty) underscores its leadership in mine clearance initiatives. The nation is set to host the Siem Reap-Angkor Summit on a Mine-Free World in November 2024, reinforcing its commitment to global efforts towards a safer, mine-free future.