Intensifying the efforts to achieve the goal of realising mine-free status by 2025, Khmer Times, Malaysian Business Chamber of Cambodia and Wing Bank inked a tripartite agreement on Friday to raise funds for clearing unexploded ordnance (UXO) and landmines in Cambodia.
The MoU was signed between the Khmer Times publisher Mohan Bandam, Han Peng Kwang, Chief Executive Officer of Wing Bank, and Oknha Tan Khee Meng, president of Malaysian Business Chamber of Cambodia in the presence of representatives of Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) at Wing Bank headquarters in Phnom Penh on Friday.
First Vice-President of CMAA, Ly Thuch, Ly Panharith, Secretary-General of CMAA, and Datuk Eldeen Husaini Mohd Hashim, Ambassador of Malaysia to Cambodia also attended the signing ceremony.
The campaign has been named, “One Person – 4000 Riel” as this is the amount that is needed to clear up a five-square metre patch of contaminated land.
.Mohan Bandam pledged $1,000 for the mine-clearing project which will help to clear half a hectare of contaminated land, while MBCC, president Okhna Tan Khee Meng, pledged to donate $1,000 to kick start the “4000 Riel Campaign.”
“I look forward to your generous donations to CMAA, which actually benefits the whole country,” Mohan Bandam said.
“I think it is our commitment and our responsibility to help people smile more and give arable land back to the people,” he added.
Han Peng Kwang, CEO of Wing Bank said, “We are delighted to be bringing together partners from different sectors today, to sign this memorandum of understanding and take part in making this country a safer place.”
“We are committed to spreading the awareness of this project and building collaboration through Wing Back communication channels, as well as people, local and international media partners. We call on the public to attend to this hugely important project,” he said
Okhna Tan of MBCC said that the success of demining efforts in Cambodia relies on securing adequate funding and resources to clear the remaining landmines.
“Through the ‘One Person – 4000 Riels’ campaign, we want to raise awareness about landmine issues in Cambodia. We want to rally the support of all people across the nation. Every single dollar collected will be invested in this campaign towards demining efforts on the ground, and we hope it will help save lives,” the MBCC president said.
“Malaysia has been a long-time friend and brother to Cambodian people. Their mutual brotherhood and bond, built over the last few decades has made the Malaysian community a community within the larger social community in Cambodia, with shared values for humankind, he said.
Malaysian investors overall have been doing very well in Cambodia thanks to the peace and stability of the country over the last three decades, Oknha Tan said.
“I am confident that with the continuous generosity and goodwill from friends near and far, together we can make the vision of a landmine-free Cambodia a reality in the near future. Let’s all play our part to help make Cambodia a mine-free country by 2025,” Oknha Tan said.
Ambassador Datuk Eldeen Husaini in his remarks applauded the Malaysian community for playing an active role in taking part in social and CSR activities which have a lasting positive impact in Cambodia and her people.
“I am proud of what Malaysians have done and their initiatives in various projects and I have witnessed first hand many of these,” he said.
Ly Thuch, First Vice-President of CMAA, said that demining is a crucial effort that will save lives, improve access to land and promote economic development in Cambodia. He said that the government has made significant progress in reducing the number of landmine casualties and has greatly improved access to agricultural lands and encouraged economic development.
In December last year, Prime Minister Hun Sen also created the ‘Mine-Free Cambodia 2025 Fund’ and disbursed $30 million from the national budget to get the ball rolling.
Thanks to the support from the government, we have been able to increase the number of mine-affected communities that have been cleared of landmines (six provinces, 14 districts and 12 communes).
“This has had a significant impact on the lives of the Cambodian people, and it has helped to improve security and stability in affected communities,” Thuch said.
He said that 2,579 of sq kilometres and 1,181,554 of landmines has been cleared to date, but another 563 sq kms of contaminated land remain to be cleared. He added that 356 sq kms of contaminated land are targeted for clearance in 2023.
“At least 30 sq kms of contaminated land are funded through the Samdech Techo Project for Mine Action, 146 sq kms are funded or pledged by development partners and 180 sq kms are funded by the government through the Mine-Free Cambodia 2025 Fund.
“Despite all the efforts achieved already – to actually complete the job by 2025 and reach our target of a mine-free Cambodia we still need $138 million,” Thuch said.
“As one of the largest financial service providers in the country, Wing Bank has played a critical role in promoting financial inclusion and development locally. I would like to express my gratitude to Wing Bank for their support of Mine Action in Cambodia,” he added.
“Their commitment to innovation and technology will help us raise funds for mine clearance more efficiently. Their focus on corporate social responsibility aligns perfectly with our shared vision for a safer and more prosperous Cambodia,” Thuch said.
He also extended his heartfelt appreciation to Khmer Times and Members of MBCC for their partnership and support.
“Your commitment to Mine Action in Cambodia makes a tangible difference in the lives of our people, and we look forward to working together in future.”
So far, 12 provinces of Cambodia have been declared free of mines. Kampong Speu will become the 13th province to be declared mine-free next month.
About 2,579 sq kms of contaminated land was cleared over the past 30 years between 1992 to last year.
All these lands were originally handed over to local communities for a variety of purposes, including crop cultivation, community resettlement,constructions of roads, schools and other social infrastructure, according to CMAA.
The CMAA’s latest report states that from 1979 to April this year, landmines, UXO and cluster bomb explosions have claimed 19,819 human lives and caused persons to lose limbs in Cambodia.