At least 1,012 people were hurt or killed by landmines in 1999, a decrease of
41% from the previous year. There were 417 mine casualties reported in the
first five months of 2000. As areas formerly held by the Khmer Rouge became
accessible, whole villages of disabled people were being discovered. In 1999,
about 11.9 square kilometers of land were cleared. The Land Use Planning Unit
was established in May 1999. Nearly 500,000 people received mine awareness
education in 1999, the most ever in a single year. A scandal over financial
mismanagement resulted in the Cambodian Mine Action Center making some important
reforms.
Cambodia ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on 28 July 1999. It entered into force
for Cambodia on 1 January 2000. Treaty implementation legislation took effect
28 May 1999; the new law created the National Demining Regulatory Authority to
coordinate activities related to the mine problem. Cambodia has served as
co-chair of the Standing Committee of Experts on Technologies for Mine
Clearance. More than 5,000 stockpiled mines were collected and destroyed. No
new mines were reported laid.
Mine Ban Policy
Cambodia signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December
1997 and deposited its ratification document at the United Nations on 28 July
1999. The treaty entered into force in Cambodia on 1 January 2000.
Cambodia’s transparency report required by Article 7 of the Mine Ban
Treaty was due on 28 June 2000.
“The Law to Prohibit the Use of Anti-Personnel Mines” is the
domestic legislation of the Royal Government of Cambodia to implement the Mine
Ban Treaty. The law was adopted by the National Assembly on 28 April 1999, and
entered into force when King Norodom Sihanouk signed it on 28 May 1999. The law
bans the production, use, possession, transfer, trade, sale, import and export
of antipersonnel mines. It provides for criminal penalties, including fines and
imprisonment for offences committed by civilians, or members of the police and
the armed forces. It also provides for the destruction of existing antipersonnel
mine stockpiles and the creation of the National Demining Regulatory Authority
to coordinate activities related to the mine problem.
The Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC) has produced a video and television
spots explaining the law. These have been aired on national television. Mine
Awareness teams from CMAC and at least one NGO have played the video in village
settings to educate people on the implications of the law. Songs, traditional
chants, plays and village discussions have also been used. In some places the
village people are aware of the law and are afraid to either keep or sell mines.
In other places, the storing of mines so they can be traded across the border is
observed. To date, there are no known instances of trial or punishment for
breaking the antipersonnel mine ban law.
Cambodia voted in favor of the December 1999 UNGA resolution promoting the
Mine Ban Treaty. At the 54th Session of the United Nations General Assembly,
Deputy Permanent Representative of Cambodia to the United Nations Sun Suon,
said, “As one of the victim countries of landmines, Cambodia supports all
initiatives leading to the total ban of the production, use, stockpiling, export
or transfer of landmines and to their destruction forever. It is in this spirit
Cambodia was one of the first countries to sign the Ottawa Convention in 1997.
This year...it became one of the States Parties.... Now we realize that the
emphasis should be placed on the full and speedy implementation of the Ottawa
Convention in the worldwide
context.”[1]
Cambodia participated in the First Meeting of States Parties in Mozambique.
The Cambodian Representative made a statement in which he expressed his
Government’s deep concern about landmines, inside and outside the country,
it’s concrete commitment to eradication of landmines around the world, and
recalled CMAC’s official focal position within the eradication process
inside Cambodia.[2] At the
meeting, Cambodia agreed to serve as the co-chair of one of the five newly
created Intersessional Standing Committees of Experts (SCEs) – the SCE on
Technologies for Mine Clearance.
Aside from the Technologies SCE, the government has also actively
participated in most of the other SCE meetings, on Victim Assistance, Mine
Clearance, and Stockpile Destruction, and in the second the SCE meeting on
General Status of the Convention in May 2000. Representatives of the Cambodia
Campaign to Ban Landmines attended the Victim Assistance SCE meetings and
addressed the September 1999 meeting. The tenor of their message was that the
credibility of the treaty depends on its credibility in the eyes of the
victims.[3]
Cambodia is a state party to Amended Protocol II (Landmines) of the
Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW). It participated in the First Annual
Conference of States Parties to Amended Protocol II in Geneva in December 1999.
Cambodia submitted its report required under Article 13 of the amended protocol.
At the conference Head of Delegation Ieng Mouly said, “Mine action depends
largely on support in terms of funding, human resources and technologies. Many
developed nations hold the keys to resources. Many mine affected countries
belong to the developing world; it is essential therefore to support mine action
with good co-operation. This co-operation reflects also the spirit of
international
solidarity.”[4]
Cambodia has no stated position on negotiating a ban on mine transfers in the
Conference on Disarmament. However, the government is against anything that
dilutes the Mine Ban Treaty and will continue to promote all aspects associated
with this treaty.[5]
Production
While the government of Cambodia has never
mass-produced mines,[6] various
armed forces have manufactured homemade mines (Improvised Explosive Devices).
However, there is no evidence of production of even homemade mines by any
Cambodian group since February 1999.
Transfer
Since the early 1970s, many landmines have crossed
the borders of Cambodia, though it is difficult to know which mines were
imported by the Cambodian government, by opposition forces, and which were
simply brought to Cambodia by foreign
armies.[7] The Cambodian
government is not known to have exported antipersonnel mines in the past.
Since October 1994, Cambodia has maintained a formal position against the
import or export of antipersonnel
landmines.[8] In an interview
on 17 February 1999, the Deputy Commander in Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed
Forces (RCAF) and Chief of Joint Staff Lt. Gen. Pol Saroeun stated that the
government was no longer importing landmines, and that he was unaware of any
such trading in Cambodia.[9]
Informal surveys in February 1999 and April 2000 of a local market notorious for
the sale of weapons found that antipersonnel landmines were no longer
available.[10]
However, Landmine Monitor researchers have been told of three cases of people
storing mines for possible cross border
trade.[11] In one instance, a
demining agency found some villagers reluctant to surrender mines for
destruction because they can sell them across the Thai border for 20 Baht each
(about US$.50).[12]
It is claimed that antipersonnel landmines are clandestinely traded by groups
or individuals through Thailand to the Burma border, and also sold to the Tamil
Tigers in Sri Lanka, but no evidence of such transfers was found in 1999 and
2000.
Stockpiling and destruction
On 17 February 1999 RCAF Deputy Commander in Chief
Lieutenant General Pol Saroeun formally stated that the RCAF no longer had
stockpiles of antipersonnel landmines. The RCAF reported that between 1994 and
1998, it destroyed 71,991 antipersonnel mines, as well as 3,585 antitank mines,
and 2,302 improvised explosive
devices.[13] These landmines
were destroyed by explosion, individually and in groups, as they were
found.[14]
Landmine Monitor Report 1999 pointed out that the relatively small
number of AP mines destroyed--and reported by the military to be the entire
stockpile--stands in stark contrast to previous estimates of Cambodia's
stockpile of more than one million
mines.[15] RCAF has continued
to maintain that its entire stock has been
destroyed.[16] However,
throughout 1999 and 2000 significant numbers of antipersonnel mines held at
provincial military and police facilities have continued to be turned in and
destroyed. Mines held by villagers, and even the Khmer Rouge, have also been
destroyed.
Article 10 of the domestic mine ban law states, “Whoever possesses any
types of mines, be it ministry or institution, shall report to the Cambodian
Mine Action Center, specifying the types, numbers of mines and other detailed
information related to the mines in their possession no later than 90 days after
the entry into force of this law.” Article 11 of the law states,
“The Cambodian Mine Action Center must destroy all the mines as stipulated
in Article 10 within one year after the entry into force of this law and send a
report to the Royal Government.”
The law also established the National Demining Regulatory Authority to
coordinate activities related to the mine problem, including the registering and
destruction of stockpiles. In 1999, the Regulatory Authority wrote to all
relevant ministries and provincial authorities asking that all stockpiles of
antipersonnel mines held by police, soldiers and village authorities, be handed
over so that the mines could be registered and destroyed.
The Regulatory Authority and CMAC reported that a total of 5,118
antipersonnel mines were handed over and destroyed in 1999, and another 250 in
January 2000. Mr. Sen Samnang of the Authority visited the sites and witnessed
destruction. The Regulatory Authority also reported 1,390 antipersonnel mines
destroyed in 1998 that were not included in the RCAF totals for that
year.[17]
Landmine Monitor obtained from the Regulatory Authority a detailed list of
the places that had turned in
mines.[18] It included police
stations, military garrisons, military courts, “Secretariat of Espionage
Research,” Army Stockpiles in Battambang province, and other locations.
The largest number of mines were turned in by “Police Headquarters for
Rubber Plantations, Kampong Cham province,” with 845 on 18 June 1999 and
another 845 on 18 July 1999.
CMAC reported 789 antipersonnel mines destroyed in Siem Reap, possibly
removed from minefields or handed in by
villagers.[19] CMAC also
reported that in January 2000 it was called by Khmer Rouge military leaders, at
the urging of villagers, to destroy 250 mines held in a former storage house of
the Khmer Rouge in Bung Beng Village, Banteay
Meanchey.[20]
Landmine Monitor researchers were shown a very large abandoned cache of
weapons, including mines, in Anlong Veng province near the Thai border. Many
farmers report finding small “stockpiles” as they dig
gardens.[21]
The Cambodia Mine Action Center has retained less than one thousand
antipersonnel landmines for training. These are kept in the regional
headquarters and the training center in Kampong Chhnang. CMAC usually uses
copies of landmines for training
purposes.[22]
Use
While many mine incidents occur in Cambodia, it is
almost certain they occur because of mines laid in the ground in the past.
There is no concrete evidence that new mines were laid in 1999 or 2000 by any of
the armed groups that now make up the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.
Rumors persist that individuals still use mines to protect or mark off their
plots of land.[23] Domestic
squabbles are sometimes settled with the use of weapons including mines. An
antipersonnel mine was responsible for the death of six people in a private
house in Tuol Kok, Phnom Penh in November
1999.[24] This indicates that
antipersonnel mines are still hidden in private homes.
Non-State Actors
The remaining Khmer Rouge officially rejoined the nation on 25 December 1999,
so officially there are no longer guerrilla groups in Cambodia.
Mine Action Funding
Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC) provided
a comprehensive report of their funding sources and expenditures from 1993
through 1999. A very large proportion of CMAC funds is channeled through the
UNDP Trust Fund.[25]
During 1999 CMAC received US$8,594,941, of which $7,989,086 came from the
UNDP Trust Fund.
Aside from the Trust Fund, other contributors to CMAC in 1999 included the
UNHCR ($336,000), the German Rhino Project ($132,214), the Japan Brush Cutter
Project ($24,623), and the Royal Cambodian Government ($66,238). “Adopt A
Minefield” is a program initiated by the non-governmental United Nations
Association-USA. A UNDP memo dated 18 April 2000 indicates $196,015 is available
to CMAC for “Adopt A Minefield” programs in
Cambodia.[26]
CMAC received a total of $53.7 million through the UNDP Trust Fund during the
period December 1993 to 10 April 2000 (not including in-kind donations or
equipment). The major donors included: Australia ($10.45 million); Netherlands
($9.36 million); Sweden ($8.02 million); and Japan ($7.8 million). Others
contributing included UK, Denmark, Canada, Norway, Belgium, Finland, U.S., New
Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland, and the Holy See.
However, the above list does not give an accurate reflection of total
contributions by individual governments to mine action in Cambodia. Many
governments contribute not just through the UNDP Trust Fund, but also through
bilateral programs, non-governmental organizations, in-kind donations, and
supply of equipment. The United States, for example, has given only $910,000 to
the trust fund, but calculates that it has contributed an additional $19 million
to mine action in Cambodia from 1993-1999.
In terms of in-kind donations and equipment, in 1999 Norwegian People’s
Aid (NPA) contributed technical advisers and a truck to CMAC, and a training
assistant to the Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics. The U.S.
Embassy contributed trucks to CMAC, MAG and Halo Trust in 1999. On 11 May
2000 the Japanese government gave a $3 million in-kind to CMAC for mine
clearance.[27]
Halo Trust’s operations in Cambodia in 1999 cost about $4
million. Its donors included the governments of the United Kingdom, Finland,
Japan, Ireland, and U.S., as well as the European Commission DGIB and ECHO,
UNHCR, UNDP, Swedish Red Cross, Concern Worldwide (Ireland), Community Aid
Abroad (Australia), Association to Aid Refugees-Japan, Fondation Pro Victimis,
and Nagano Olympic
Committee-Japan.[28]
The Mines Advisory Group’s operations in Cambodia in 1999 cost
about $3.9 million. Its donors included the governments of the United Kingdom
(DFID), Australia (AusAID, in partnership with World Vision), United States
(USAID), and Austria, as well as UNHCR, UNICEF, Fin Church Aid, EZE, Church
World Service, Lutheran World Service, Anti-Landmijn Stichting, and
Caritas/Austria.[29]
Norwegian People’s Aid’s operations in Cambodia in 1999
cost about $3.6 million for resettlement, rehabilitation and community
integration in Beng Trakun, Seng, O Bei Choun and Poipet Communes of Banteay
Meanchey.[30] Funding is mainly
from the Norwegian government.
Handicap International spent $2.197 million for its victim assistance
programs in Cambodia in 1999. Funders included Echo, NORAD/NPA, UNICEF, FAO,
Belgian Ag Framephone, Belgian Co-operation, Luxembourg Co-operation, Terre des
Hommes, the Finnish government, and private donors. Programs funded included
National Support to Cambodian Victims of Anti-Personnel Mines and People with
Disability ($710,815); Economic and Social Rehabilitation 8 provinces (PRES)
($294,760); CRC Database ($291,377); Physical Rehabilitation Programme, Phnom
Penh & 11 provinces ($289,644); Regional Rehabilitation Centre for Spinal
Injured Persons ($250,000); Capacity Building of Disabled People in Community
($185,665); and Use of Demined Land in Favor of Vulnerable People
($174,370).
Jesuit Service Cambodia (JS/JRS) spent $815,272 in 1999 on different
aspects of mine action, including farming assistance, housing, wells, hearing
aids, wheelchairs, income generating possibilities and advocacy for survivors,
building schools, roads, health posts, non-formal education in mine affected
communities, vocational training for disabled, wheelchair production and
furniture production by disabled. Additional funds were spent for other rural
development activities. These funds came from private donors of Jesuit Service
and two Catholic fund raising agencies.
Maryknoll reported spending $110,000 on skills training program for
disabled. This was funded largely by Misereor, a Catholic funding agency in
Gemany. Another German foundation funded Maryknoll’s large program for the
blind.
Landmine problem
After 30 years of conflict Cambodia is among the
most mine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) affected countries in the world. In 1999
and 2000, as areas formerly held by the Khmer Rouge became accessible, whole
villages of disabled people were being discovered, as well as small groups of
families living in extreme misery in areas surrounded by mines. Surveys and
mine incidents particularly in the northwest of the country show that mine
contamination is a grave restriction not only to economic development but also
to a sense of freedom and security. The eradication of mines in Cambodia is
still a priority for development.
According to the CMAC database, 644 square kilometers of land is mined, and
another 1,400 square kilometers is suspected to be
mined.[31] About 155 square
kilometers of land has been cleared thus far. The great majority of mined areas
are located in the provinces along the Thai-Cambodia border where most of the
fighting occurred since 1979. The eastern provinces are mostly affected by UXOs
as a result of the Vietnam War, though there are also some mined areas. A 1998
U.S. State Department report estimated the number of mines in Cambodia at 4-6
million,[32] but nobody knows
the real number.
CMAC does not have an exact figure of the number of families affected by
landmines. However, most of the rural communities living along the
Thai-Cambodian border are affected by mines in various ways. Statistics from
the CRC/HI Database reveal that most mine incidents in 1999 occurred in
Battambang (31% of total incidents), Banteay Meanchey (20% of total incidents),
Oddar Meanchey, Siem Reap, Preah Vihear, Pailin and Pursat. The population in
these provinces is 3,795,674, about 33% of the total
population.[33]
Census enumeration could not be held due to conflict in whole districts of
Anlong Veng in Oddar Meanchey, Samlot in Battambang and Veal Veng in Pursat and
O'Bei Choan village of O Chrov district in Banteay Meanchey. The estimated
population of these excluded areas is 45,000. These are very heavily mine
infested areas and the population estimate is probably very conservative.
The main target beneficiaries of humanitarian mine clearance are returning
refugees and Internally Displace Persons (IDPs). These newly settled villagers
living on marginal land close to old military positions struggle to develop
their communities because of the threat of
landmines.[34] In 1998
according to the World Food Program, there were still over 110,000 internally
displaced people, waiting to resettle or just returned to their village of
origin. In many cases these villages are either mined or very close to suspected
areas. There were also 37,000 refugees living in Thai refugee camps who returned
to heavily mine infested areas in Samlot, Samrong and Anlong Veng in
1999.[35]
Surveys and Assessment
There has never been a systematic Level One Survey of the mine problem in
Cambodia, but a great deal of suspected and confirmed areas are registered in
the Cambodia Mine Action Center Database. CMAC has collected and verified
reports of suspected areas, and recorded them in the database since 1992. The
information recorded in the CMAC Database as of May 2000 is as follows:
Surveys
are ongoing commune by commune on the request of the people who live in the
suspected areas, the NGOs who are working there, and the local authorities.
These suspected areas are then classified as reported, verified, marked, or
cleared.
The most recent surveys were finished in April 2000, in Preah Vihear province
and three districts of Oddar Meanchey
province.[37] The Preah Vihear
survey showed an increase of 138% (an additional 18,378 hectares) of mined land
compared to older data. In 1999, two provinces and one town in the southern
part of the country were surveyed (Takeo, Keb, and Kampot). The survey of
Kampot and Keb showed an increase of 86% (8 square kilometers) of mined land
compared to older data.
The Canadian government (through CIDA) has agreed to fund a Level One Survey
costing $2 million in the areas of the country not yet surveyed. Geo-Spatial, a
Canadian company, has been awarded the contract. They will take the original
CMAC survey team, recruit and expand and begin a one-year work plan in August
2000. The training will take place at the Kampong Chhang Training Centre.
Planned surveys will take place in Kompong Chhnang, followed by Pursat,
Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Siem Reap, Anlong Veng, Kompong Thom and later in
the rest of the country.[38]
Mine Clearance
Mine clearance has been carried out in Cambodia by the national demining
organization CMAC, two humanitarian demining NGOs based in the United Kingdom
(MAG and Halo Trust), the military, villagers, and some commercial firms. About
155 square kilometers of land has been cleared thus far. In 1999, 11.86 square
kilometers of land were cleared, and 8,006 antipersonnel mines, 70 antitank
mines, and 91,131 UXO were found and destroyed.
[40] In 1998 and 1999 Halo
introduced the One Man One Lane (OMOL) demining procedure to all of its
operational teams in Cambodia.
MAG is operating 22 Mine Action Teams in Battambang, Preah Vihear, Pursat,
Kompong Thom, and Kompong Speu. These multi-skilled Teams conduct data
gathering, community liaison, survey, marking mine clearance, EOD and emergency
tasks in response to identified community needs. From 1993-1999, it cleared 3.74
million square meters of land, including 350,000 square meters in 1999. Since
Spring 2000, MAG has deployed two Tempest Mini-Flail Systems in Battambang. The
Tempest is a remote-controlled mini-flail device, the size of a small car. These
machines are produced by the Demining Technology Workshop (DTW) in Phnom Penh, a
charity initially set up by Warwick University, UK and sponsored by DfID. DTW
employs, like MAG, disabled Khmer staff. The Tempest is armored for minefield
deployment and is designed to thresh an clear undergrowth safely, thus
dramatically speeding up the mine clearance process. MAG believes that the
Tempest will likely achieve a 75% increase in productivity. MAG is also
conducting a 12-month trial of the ‘Survivable Demining Tractor’
also known as the ‘Pearson’ tractor, developed by Pearson
Engineering, with MAG input. MAG is trialing the armoured tractor with 17
attachments that can be utilized to increase the productivity of demining
operations, including brush-cutting, roller and tree extractor. PRior to
clearance, MAG works closely with LUPU and establishes land ownership and
hand-over procedures. MAG is currently planning to create an impact evaluation
unit. - This unit will, among other activities, monitor the impact of MAG's
work, including the use of land post-clearance.
MAG works Teams in several former Khmer Rouge-controlled areas, around
Pailin, Kompong Speu and Preah Vihear. Following the defections and recent
improvements in security, refugees and IDPs have been returning to their homes
in these areas. MAG's mobile Mine Action Teams and the flexiblity of its donors
have enabled rapid responses to the beginnings of emergencies in these
areas.[41]
CMAC reported in 1998 that in addition to clearance by CMAC, Halo and MAG, a
total of 69.78 square kilometers of land has been cleared by village people,
11.5 square kilometers by COFRAS, 3.94 by the Army, 2.11 square kilometers by
UNTAC, .19 square kilometers by CMAC CMM, and 1.18 square kilometers by unknown
(likely commercial firms).
“Adopt a Minefield” is a program initiated by the
non-governmental United Nations Association-USA. It has already funded
clearance of two 35,000 square meter minefields in Battambang (at a cost of
$37,100 each), and another six are planned. CMAC has examined potential
additional sites in Battambang and, according to the Cambodia Campaign to Ban
Landmines, acted responsibly in suspending some sites in which there was a
possibility of land
grabbing.[42] The Cambodian
Campaign has a list of 17 “probable” new sites.
“Destroy a Minefield” is a program sponsored by the Australian
government aid agency (AusAID), with funds being sought from the Australian
public. Initial plans call for one mined area in Ta Peng village in Siem Reap
to be demined by Halo Trust. From 1 December 1999, MAG has cleared one area in
Boeung Sankae, Battambang under the Destroy a Minefield program.
Coordination and Planning of Mine Action
CMAC is the national demining agency. It implements mine clearance and mine
awareness programs on its own, and is also responsible for the coordination of
all mine and UXO clearance activities of all non-governmental organizations and
others operating in
Cambodia.[43] CMAC expenditures
in 1999 were $8,939,406. That included: Salaries $5,255,485; Equipment
$910,109; Equipment Maintenance $1,015,136; Transportation $719,061;
Accommodation $315,837; Support $573,136; Administration $159,733.
Accusations of Corruption and Mismanagement
Accusations about corruption, nepotism and poor financial management in many
Cambodian organizations, including CMAC, received much publicity in the national
and international media in 1999. CMAC donors suspended funding and called for a
proper audit of the entire funds received and demanded new accountability for
the use of funds. A fifty-point list of requirements before funding would be
continued was given to CMAC. The audit, though critical of management practices,
indicated that the disbursement of funds could be accounted for to within a
small proportion of the total funds. This small percentage was mainly related
to funds allocated to CMAC by the Royal Government of Cambodia.
In response to criticisms of the amount of money allocated for expatriate
technical advisers, conscious effort is being directed toward the reduction and
restructuring of international technical support to CMAC.
The past problems of CMAC and UNDP have been well documented. Financial
audits, management audits, and recommendations have been widely distributed to
donors. Sun System accounting procedures have been put in place. A wide
consultation on suggestions for reform was set in place.
Nevertheless the media publicity damaged the image of CMAC and lowered staff
morale. Concern over whether the agency would close and whether they would have
a pay packet and a job the next month was spoken of by many staff. Relationships
between UNDP and CMAC were strained and some instances of public recriminations
appeared in the media. The consequent and probably understandable stop-start
approach to funding hindered planning.
Australia is the biggest cash donor to CMAC. In May 2000, Australian
Ambassador Malcolm Lederer told Landmine Monitor that Australia wants CMAC to
continue as an organization. He noted that CMAC has gone a long way to meet the
criteria for reform set by donors. He said Australia has faith in CMAC and
believes it has the possibility to perform its mine clearance activities even
better. Even though initially Australia was a very harsh critic of the failings
in CMAC, it was also one of the first to restore funding and to give additional
funding in 2000.[44]
Reforms
The “CMAC White Paper 2000” outlines CMAC's reform vision. The
new director general of CMAC Khem Sophoan in the presentation of this strategy
said, “We have a plan that will make CMAC more productive, more responsive
to the needs of Cambodia and will increase the impact of our work. We have a
plan that is consistent with the commitments for reform that we have already
made.”[45] CMAC is to
become a service provider of humanitarian mine action under the Royal
Decree. There is to be clear separation between CMAC as an operational
organization and the CMAC Governing Council, whose functions would include
regulation;
The major changes seen to date in coordination and planning are:
The separation and physical relocation of the Regulatory Authority with a
staff separate from the CMAC Operational Staff.
The ongoing meetings of Cambodian Demining Coordination Committee which
includes all mine clearance agencies, some agencies working in the development
of demined communities, the Cambodia Campaign to Ban Landmines, the Royal
Cambodian Army Forces, some donors and UNICEF.
Invitation to the Land Use Planning Unit in Battambang to present their
proposed form of operation.
A renewal of the technical committee to advise on technical aspects of mine
clearance.
Land Use Planning Unit and Provincial Sub-Committee
The Land Use Planning Unit (LUPU)was established in May
1999 in response to a national workshop on Land Use Planning and Management held
in Battambang on 23-24 June
1998.[46] The participants of
the workshop included representatives from the Ministry of Interior, Defense,
Rural Development, demining agencies, NGOs, IOs, UN agencies, district
authorities, military commanders, governor and department offices of Banteay
Meanchey and Battambang provinces. The participants in the workshop agreed there
should be an institution established that has the task of land use planning and
management for development.
In Battambang a Provincial Sub-Committee (PSC) was established to manage the
task of land use planning after mine clearance and to strengthen the management
structures, particularly at the district level, as they relate to mined land.
LUPU is the support unit to the PSC and reports directly to the PSC. The main
tasks of the PSC as related to land use planning in mined areas are to ensure
effective land use and management in mined areas, review demining plans, and
solve conflicts arising in land use management.
The PSC consists of managerial staff from government departments and the
district chiefs. LUPU promotes coordination and discussion with the district
authorities, demining agencies, development agencies and the PSC. LUPU tasks
include: identify mined land, prioritize mined land for clearance, develop
future plans for demining, prepare development plans for mined areas, prepare
documents related to beneficiaries of demined land, organize land allocation
process after demining, identify and address problems with use of land and land
disputes.
Of the 12 districts in Battambang, 9 have landmines; in each of these nine
districts a District Working Group (DWG) and a District LUPU has been
established. The District LUPU reports to the DWG and Provincial LUPU. Many
information sessions and training workshops have been conducted in the
districts. Workshops were conducted in each of the districts to identify the
priorities for demining. Many field visits were made to assess minefields,
collect beneficiary names and obtain approval from village, commune and district
authorities for demining.
Achievements to date include a workshop to finalize minefield selection for
2000 and approve development of a plan for 2000; establishment of a mapping
system containing the minefields to be demined in 2000; some aerial photography
and topographic information. Currently LUPU is collating a database of more than
2000 beneficiaries.
LUPU has received funding from CARERE/UNOPS, World Vision, UNHCR and LWS.
However, due to the extensive structure, the operation costs are still in excess
of the funding. LWS has provided funding for one of the LUPU staff to travel to
Germany and study Land Use Planning for Rural Development at the Food and
Agriculture Development Center. A volunteer is helping to develop the capacity
of the staff, particularly in the areas of the Geographic Information System
(GIS), data collection, database creation and mapping.
Use of demined land, reconstruction and development of cleared areas
The NGO Statement to the 2000 Consultative Group Meeting on Cambodia
recommends that the government urgently address the issue of land titling in a
way that the needs of the poor for land prevail over the wants of the powerful
and the rich. This, the statement declares, is crucial to peaceful development
in mine affected areas.[47]
The Land Reform Group reveals that the poorest half of Cambodia’s
population shares less than a quarter of cultivated land. One family in six has
no land and one rural family in thirty is involved in land disputes, mostly with
the military and public
officials.[48] This puts
disputes over what happens to demined land in perspective. The most highly
publicized dispute of this nature in 1999 was an area of land in Kampot which
came under the control of a former Khmer Rouge commander accused of killing
foreign tourists.
In 1999 and 2000 studies were done by Halo Trust on the use of cleared land
in Cambodia that show by far the biggest proportion of land is used for purposes
that benefit the poor. An extensive study done in the areas cleared by Halo
Trust from 1993-1999 in Banteay Meanchey, Pursat, Siem Reap and Oddar Meanchey
showed that 99% of all the land cleared by HALO was used for humanitarian
purposes.[49] The land cleared
totaled 7.3 square kilometers and the primary uses were agriculture (44%),
Resettlement (19%), and Roads/Bridges (10%). Over 318,696 Cambodians have
directly or indirectly benefited from this land clearance and a further 155,840
benefit every day through roads or bridges built on Halo-cleared land.
There is only one instance of Halo-cleared land being used for an unintended
purpose. In Trapeang Pol village, Samrong commune, Samrong district, Oddar
Meanchey province, Halo was asked to clear the area so that land could be handed
over for more housing and for use as vegetable plots. On completion of
clearance, government military reclaimed the land and have subsequently used it
to house their own families. Local people have so far been too afraid to lodge a
complaint about this action.[50]
The director of CMAC in Siem Reap also said that there were some cases in which,
after the handover of the mine-cleared land to villagers, some powerful people
pressured them to sell their land for another
purpose.[51]
A socio-economic assessment done by CMAC itself in 1999 of 9,977,573 square
meters of land cleared by CMAC reported the use of the land as follows: 50% for
agriculture, 12% for settlement, 3% for roads, 21% for other and 14% as
contentious (and not yet
distributed).[52]
Agencies working in development and reconstruction of mine affected
communities include: CARE. Church World Service, Jesuit Service, Lutheran World
Service, Norwegian People’s Aid, and World Vision. Oxfam Great Britain
does not implement directly but supports partner organizations to conduct their
programs. Oxfam is involved in the NGO/IO Land Law Working Group providing
input into the revision of the Land Law, research into landlessness and
landlessness mitigation, and land-related advocacy
issues.[53]
Mine awareness education
The main providers of mine awareness/mine risk education are CMAC, MAG and
World Vision MATT team. Since 1993 more than 1.6 million people have received
mine awareness education in 4,707 villages and 136 schools. Jesuit Service
provides education that involves advocacy against mines; Church World Service,
the NGO Forum and UNICEF have helped funded advocacy work in 1999. There is a
working group led by CMAC on mine awareness where the agencies involved
collaborate and coordinate their activities at both regional and national
levels. Communities to be provided with mine risk education are selected
according to the mine incident rate per population or upon request from the
community itself.
Since 1993, MAG has undertaken mine awareness educational activities with
around one million people. During 1999, MAG mine awareness and data gathering
staff numbered 42 MAG staff, 12 Trainers of Teachers from three Provincial
Departments of Education and 4 textbook writers from the Ministry of Education.
MAG Child Mine Risk Education teams trained 3,916 schoolteachers from 1993 to
September 1999. The Child Mine Risk Education Program, conducted in cooperation
with the Ministry of Education, is aimed at ensuring the sustainability of mine
risk education within the primary education system. This program will be handed
over through the year 2000. Future community mine awareness activities will be
integrated within Mine Action Teams - combined multi-disciplinary teams able to
undertake community liaison, survey, marking, clearance, and awareness education
work.[54]
Mine marking is a crucial form of mine awareness. CMAC has two kinds of teams
involved in marking mined areas. Thirteen Mine Marking Teams mark verified mined
areas of high priority. Another 13 community Mine Marking Teams mark priority
areas and do small scale clearance of minefields in remote villages. In
addition, CMAC has produced local printed materials, videos, radio broadcasts,
plays, songs, and posters in efforts to make people aware of the danger of
mines. In 1999 CMAC trained 54 mine awareness educators.
UNICEF is conducting an assessment in 2000 of the level of mine awareness in
Cambodia. Criteria for classifying people as “mine aware” include
knowledge, attitude change, and practices.
Number of People Receiving Mine Awareness
Education[55]
The number of mine casualties in Cambodia continued
to drop in 1999. At least 1,012 people were injured by landmines and UXO in
Cambodia during 1999. Of these 229 died, 311 needed limb amputations, 71 were
blinded, and 34 were made deaf. The 1999 total is a decrease of 703 casualties,
or 41%, compared to 1998. The 1999 total is only one-third the number of mines
casualties recorded in 1996. Latest statistics show an even greater decrease.
In the year from June 1999 to May 2000, there were 797 casualties.
It is important to note that the national database and consequently the
Landmine Monitor Report 1999 had formerly reported 1,249 casualties for
1998. The number now quoted, 1,715, is the result of new data gathered. It is
very possible that the 1999 figure will likewise be revised upward as new
information is received.
Mine/UXO Casualties in Cambodia 1996-2000
Year
Recorded landmine/UXO casualties
Monthly Average
Every Day
1996
3,046
254 people
8 people
1997
1,711
143 people
5 people
1998
1,715
143 people
5 people
1999
1,012
84 people
3 people
2000
(5mths) 417
83 people
3 people
Most new mine incidents occurred in the provinces of Battambang (31%)
followed by Banteay Meanchey (19%), Oddar Meanchey(9%), Krong Pailin(7%), Siem
Reap(7%), Preah Vihear(7%) and Pursat (5%). A month-by-month,
province-by-province breakdown of casualties is available. Of the 1,012 injured
in 1999, 91% were civilians.
The cessation of hostilities is a very significant factor in the decrease of
accidents. The most dramatic decrease in reported casualties occurred in Oddar
Meanchey, home of the last Khmer Rouge fighters. In 1998, 253 casualties were
recorded there, in 1999 the number was 76. At a national level, the total
number of victims in May 1998 was 188 (110 civilian), in May 1999 was 111 (100
civilians), and May 2000 was 75 (67 civilians).
While the overall number of mine casualties is dropping, the percentage of
incidents involving children is increasing: from 16% in 1998, to 26% in 1999, to
30% in the first five months of 2000.
From June 1999 to May 2000, civilian mine incidents occurred while farming
(26%), travelling (25%), collecting wood and food (23%), tampering (14%) and
fishing/herding (5%).
During this period, of the 797 casualties, 33% were children (under 18), 60%
were men and 7% were women.
The first five months of 1999 coincided with the repatriation and
resettlement of the last wave of refugees for the Thai border camps. Generally
speaking, most of the exceptions to the trend of decreasing casualties in 1999
can be attributed to resettlement and land clearance activities during the first
half of the year in the area most affected by repatriation.
It is difficult to estimate accurately the number of mine victims alive today
in Cambodia. However, records show that at least 40,312 people were injured by
mines through the end of 1999. Records also indicate that 13,709 of those
injured died between January 1979 and December 1999, thus there may be
approximately 25,000 mine victims in Cambodia today. The Disability Action
Council, in May 2000, will use pilot studies to try to assess the number of
disabled people in Cambodia, and the cause of their
disability.[57]
A study of disabled people in mine infested areas
of Battambang, Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey and Siem Reap and areas
surrounding Kampong Speu revealed that of 1,663 survivors: 71% did not have a
house that sheltered them; 7% had no house at all; 45% had to travel more than
five minutes to get water for drinking and washing; 89% reported food
insecurity; 32% had no land for housing or gardening; 28% received a government
pension; 50% had a “job”(including rice farming); and the children
of at least 46% did not go to
school[59].
Most support for landmine survivors is provided by non-governmental
organizations. The government provides a small pension to soldiers who become
landmine victims. The pension ranges from 30,000 to 180,000 riels per month
(approximately U.S. $8 to $47).
Health
The national budget for health for 1999 was $21.1
million.[60] Poor citizens are
to receive free medical consultation in public hospitals, infirmaries and
maternities.[61] However,
Medicam reports that the poorest Cambodians spent 28% of household income on
health and 45% of Cambodians borrow money to pay for health
care.[62] Most Cambodian
disabled are among the very poorest in a very poor country. Health costs for
landmine injuries can completely bankrupt the family.
The Cambodian government has developed a health plan with operational
districts, which consist of referral hospitals and health centers. These health
centers are planned to be within ten kilometers or two hours walk of the
population they serve. In the year 2000 surgical facilities are available at the
provincial level for landmine injuries. A special hospital run by the NGO
Emergency provides free professional surgical and post-operative care services
to victims in the Battambang area. Medecins Sans Frontieres assists a hospital
in Oddar Meanchey. In many areas, poverty of both the health care staff and of
the patients is the problem, not the lack of facilities. However in the newly
opened areas, where many landmine victims are located, health infrastructure has
still to be developed. Equal access to quality health care at provincial centers
according to the government plan is the main goal of the Cambodia Health Sector
Reform, but it still has to be realized.
Prosthetics
Five international organizations have taken responsibility for the production
and distribution of prosthetics in Cambodia. They include the American Red
Cross, Cambodia Trust, Veterans International, the International Committee of
the Red Cross and Handicap International. There are some fifteen workshops,
located throughout Cambodia. In 1999 the total number of prosthesis produced was
6,215, an average of 518 per month. The Foot Factory is a private business with
technical assistance from HI, which uses local materials to produce vulcanized
rubber, solid ankle, and cushioned-heel prosthetic feet. The ICRC-funded and
operated Components Factory supplies prostheses and orthotics parts to the
majority of the workshops in Cambodia.
The National School of Prosthetics and Orthotics (NSPO) is located in Phnom
Penh, sponsored by American Friends Service Cambodia, American Red Cross,
Cambodia Trust and Veterans International, and operated by Cambodia Trust. The
National School of Prosthetics and Orthotics has the capacity to train 12
students per year in a three-year curriculum course. The course has
international accreditation and is developing a role in the region, as two
students form the Laos joined the program last year. A Regional Rehabilitation
Center for Spinal Injured Persons is sponsored by Handicap International in
Battambang.
The total number of prostheses produced in 1999 include: the American Red
Cross (589), Cambodia Trust (1,230), Handicap International (1,635), Veterans
International (1,208), and the International Committee of the Red Cross
(1,553).
Wheelchairs
Production of wheelchairs is done by three organizations in Cambodia.
Assessment of wheelchair users, training in wheelchair use and follow-up is also
done by these agencies. A national plan for wheelchair distribution was
attempted and is partially successful. ICRC, ARC, HI, CT and various NGOs and
individuals purchase and distribute wheelchairs to the handicapped. There is a
policy amongst wheelchair producers and distributors that wheelchairs made in
Cambodia, for Cambodian conditions, by Cambodians are the most suitable. Import
of wheelchairs from other countries is discouraged. To date very few users are
able to afford the $75 to pay for a wheelchair, however many users have made
small donations towards the cost of wheelchair production in Cambodia.
Organizations producing wheelchairs in Cambodia, and total number of
wheelchairs made in 1999, include: Jesuit Service Cambodia (908), Veterans
International (351), and Association to Aid Refugees-Japan (300).
Vocational Training and Socio-Economic Integration for the Disabled
As the number of disabled in Cambodia is so large, vocational training
centers which discriminate in favor of the disabled have been essential.
Organizations that conduct vocational and skills training centers include:
Association to Aid Refugees-Japan, Cambodian War Amputees Rehabilitation Social,
Jesuit Service Cambodia, Maryknoll, United Committee of Cambodia, Ministry of
Social Affairs, Labor and Veterans Affairs, partnered by World Vision.
In addition to centers, some organizations including International Labour
Organization, Cambodia Disabled Peoples Organization, Veterans International,
World Vision, Thean Thor, Maryknoll, and Jesuit Service have short courses in
different locations or in the village to teach animal raising, community
agriculture and other income generating skills. The National Center for Disabled
Persons, Rehab Craft, Maryknoll, Veterans International, and Jesuit Service
provide outlets for craft production or employment opportunities which
discriminate in favor of landmine victims and other disabled.
Disabled children who have missed the opportunity to begin primary classes at
the normal entry age may study at Lavalla school run by the Manst Mission. Deaf
and blind children can study at Krousa Thmey centers. UNICEF has funded the
Disability Action Council with $101,320 for a study on disabled children and
education. Simple things like wheelchair access to school and the provision of
wheelchairs and tricycles so handicapped children can travel to school are
needed in many parts of Cambodia.
Community Services
Many organizations listed by the Disability Action Council help survivors and
other disabled through self-help groups, community-based assistance, referral
systems, counseling, and outreach. These include Action for Disability,
Cambodian People's Disabled Organisation, American Friends Services Committee,
Handicap International (PRES and CABDIC), Operation Enfants de Battambang,
Servants, Maryknoll, Veterans International, Jesuit Service, Help Age, Social
Services of Cambodia, National Center for Disabled Persons, American Red Cross,
and Thean Thor. Creative ways of helping towards the empowerment of survivors
are being implemented.
Disability Policy and Practice
Cambodia does not yet have separate disability laws, but disability issues
are addressed in Cambodian laws. Article 74 of the Constitution of the Kingdom
of Cambodia says that the state shall help persons with disabilities and their
families. Draft legislation of a proposed disability law has been prepared.
This draft legislation is a basic tool for the promotion and development of
measures to enable individuals and organizations to strengthen management
capabilities to develop and initiate activities on disability prevention and
social problem solving. The law should also contribute to developing a policy
framework and guidelines for inclusion and integration of people with
disabilities into mainstream development of programs (including education,
vocational training, and employment) while recognizing some specialized services
are still needed for specific categories of disabilities. The draft law aims to
ensure the protection of the rights of all people with disabilities and
prohibition of abuse and neglect of these persons and discrimination against
them.
The Ministry of Social Affairs, Labor and Vocational Training, and Youth
Rehabilitation (MOSALVY) has been assigned to undertake the main responsibility
for disability and rehabilitation. Unfortunately, it is a poorly supported and
financed ministry lacking major resources to address critical issues in the
disability and rehabilitation sector. The Ministry of Veterans and Women’s
Affairs is responsible for the pensions for disabled veterans. Currently, the
disabilities and rehabilitation sector has in place the Disability Action
Council (DAC), which is a national coordinating body. The DAC plays a role in
coordinating, facilitating, negotiating, and networking between individuals,
organizations, and institutions working for the well-being of people with
disabilities. A fundamental issue has been the limited representation by people
with disabilities, including women, to take their place and role in society.
[1] H.E. Sun Suon, Deputy Permanent
Representative of Cambodia to the UN, Statement to the UN General Assembly, New
York, 18 November 1999. [2] H.E. Ieng
Mouly, (then) Chairman of the Governing Council of the Cambodian Mine Action
Center, Statement to the First Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty,
Maputo, 3 May 1999. [3] Tun Channareth
and Denise Coghlan, address to ICSE, Geneva, 15 September
1999. [4] H.E. Ieng Mouly, Statement to
the First Annual Conference of States Parties to CCW Amended Protocol II,
Geneva, 15 December 1999. [5] Interview
with Ieng Mouly, Phnom Penh, 1 February
1999. [6] The government manufactured
just one type of mine, the KN-10 Claymore-type mine, in the early 1970s.
Landmine Monitor Report 1999, p.
389. [7] Landmine Monitor Report 1999,
pp. 390-394. Landmine Monitor Report 1999 reported that thirty-six different
types of antipersonnel mines from about a dozen countries had been found in
Cambodia. A June 1999 Ministry of Interior report on mines found in the
national police stockpiles indicated the most common were Type 72, POMZ-2 and
OZM-4 antipersonnel mines, as well as TM-62 antitank mines. “Mines in
Police Stockpiles in Provinces,” Ministry of Interior, June
1999. [8] Norodom Sihanouk, Declaration
of King of Cambodia, Beijing, 2 October
1994. [9] Interview with Lt. Gen. Pol
Saroeun, Phnom Penh, 17 February
1999. [10] Market survey conducted by
Kim Phirum, February 1999 and April
2000. [11] Interview, Cambodian Red
Cross, Banteay Meanchey, 21 January
2000. [12] Interview, Halo Trust,
Banteay Meanchey, 21 January 2000. [13]
See Landmine Monitor Report 1999, p. 391, for year-by-year destruction
totals. [14] Royal Cambodian Armed
Forces, Report about demining in Cambodia, 15 February
1999. [15] Landmine Monitor Report 1999,
p. 391. See also, Human Rights Watch, Cambodia at War, 1995, p.
100. [16] This was noted by Ieng Mouly,
Director of the National Demining Regulatory Authority, at a meeting of the
Cambodia Coordination Demining Commission on 7 April 2000. He said obtaining
information about stores of any weapons held by the Defense Ministry was very
difficult. RCAF has not been responsive to inquiries regarding stocks from
either Landmine Monitor or the National Demining Regulatory Authority in
2000. [17] Information provided by
Regulatory Authority, 4 January 2000; CMAC Report to Landmine Monitor meeting,
Banteay Meanchey, 21 January 2000; CMAC PMU Siem Reap report, Cambodian Demining
Commission meeting, 7 April 2000; “Mines in Police Stockpiles in
Provinces,” Ministry of Interior, June
1999. [18] Information provided by
Regulatory Authority, 4 January 2000. See also, “Mines in Police
Stockpiles in Provinces,” Ministry of Interior, June
1999. [19] CMAC PMU Siem Reap report,
Cambodia Demining Commission meeting, 7 April
2000. [20] CMAC Report to Landmine
Monitor meeting, Banteay Meanchey, 21 January
2000. [21] Landmine Monitor field visits
to Anlong Veng and Trapeng Prasat, February
2000. [22] Interview with CMAC Director
General Sam Sotha, Phnom Penh, 16 February
1999. [23] Interview, Cambodian Red
Cross, 21 January 2000. [24] Phnom Penh
Post, November 1999, p. 14. [25]
Financial Report, 12th Steering Committee Meeting, CMAC Trust Fund, Phnom Penh,
25 April 2000. [26] UNDP Memo, Claude
Grahame to Dominique McAdam, Phnom Penh , 18 April
2000. [27] Cambodia Daily, 12 May 2000,
p. 7. [28] Halo Trust,
“Socio-Economic Land Use Report,” October
1999. [29] MAG Briefing Paper, December
1999. [30] NPA Report to Landmine
Monitor, 17 December 1999. [31] CMAC
Database, 3 May 2000. [32] U.S.
Department of State, Hidden Killers, September 1998, p.
64. [33] General Population Census of
Cambodia, 1998, p. 28. Battambang has a population of 791,589 and Banteay
Meanchey 577,300. [34] Halo Trust
report, 1999. [35] UNHCR statistics,
Phnom Penh, May 1999. [36] Interview
with PMU Demining Unit, CMAC, Siem Reap. For details see CMAC Database, 3 May
2000. [37] CMAC Database, 3 May
2000. [38] Interview with CMAC, Mr. Mao
Vanna, 3 May 2000. [39] CMAC Statistical
Profile 1998; Information obtained from CMAC, MAG, and Halo Trust, January
2000. [40] Halo Trust, Socio-Economic
Land Use Report 1992-99, p.120. [41]
Information on MAG activities provided via email by Tim Carstairs, MAG
Communications Director, 28 July
2000. [42] UNDP Memo, Claude Grahame to
Dominique McAdam, UNDP Phnom Penh , 18 April
2000. [43] Law to Prohibit the Use of
Anti-Personnel Mines, Article 5. [44]
Telephone interview with Australian Ambassador Malcolm Lederer, 8 May
2000. [45] CMAC White Paper 2000,
December 1999, p.18. [46] LUPU Report to
Landmine Monitor, March 2000. [47] NGO
Statement to the 2000 Consultative Group Meeting on Cambodia, p.
47. [48] Ibid., p.
50. [49] Halo Trust/AAR, Socio-Economic
Land Use Report, October 1999. [50] Halo
Trust/AAR, Socio-Economic Land Use Report, October 1999. In a 28 July 2000
email to Landmine Monitor, a HALO official noted that “this is the
solitary example from 120 separate cleared
areas.” [51] The Cambodia Campaign
to Ban Landmines has other examples of misuse of cleared
lands. [52] CMAC, Socio-Economic
Assessment on Cleared Mine Fields, 27 April
2000. [53] Moira O’Leary, Oxfam,
letter to Landmine Monitor, 13 December
1999. [54] Information provided to
Landmne Monitor via email by Tim Carstairs, MAG Communications Director, 28 July
2000. [55] Interview with Tan Sung Hao,
CMAC Department of Mine Awareness
Education. [56] The following
information comes from the Cambodia Mine Incident Database, Monthly Report,
March 2000; and, Cambodian Red Cross and Handicap International, “Cambodia
Mine Incident Database Project, Casualty Trend, 1998-2000: Reported mine/UXO
casualties by Month, Reporting Period: January 1998-May 2000,” dated 13
June 2000. [57] Disability Action
Council, “Disability Data Base Study,”
1999. [58] Information in this section
was provided by the named organizations for the purposes of the Landmine
Monitor. [59] Data gathering in Jesuit
Service Disabled Outreach as of 31 March
2000. [60] Ministry of Finance Report, 5
April 2000. [61] Constitution of the
Kingdom of Cambodia, Article 72. [62]
Medicam Statement Human Rights Supplement, Cambodia Daily, April
2000.
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