Oddar Meanchey Governor Mean Chanyada described Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) personnel as “heroes finding safe places for citizens”. He made the remarks on 14 January while visiting personnel of Demining Unit 1, who are actively carrying out their mission in Oddar Meanchey and have made great sacrifices in serving the country.
According to Mean Chanyada, mine clearance is more than technical work: it involves risking life and limb to turn hazardous land into areas for economic activity, cultivation and new settlements, in strong support of the Royal Government’s poverty-reduction policy.
“CMAC personnel are heroes who dare to face danger every second to remove ordnance buried in the ground from people’s lives. Without them, we would not have safe land on which to build homes and schools or develop agriculture as we do today,” the governor added.
To ensure their own safety during this dangerous mission, the governor instructed all CMAC personnel to adhere to technical standards as strictly as possible and take good care of their health.
Meanwhile, target areas in 145 villages affected by what the account describes as the Thai military’s war of aggression have been surveyed and marked. A total of 824 sites were identified and marked: 57 sites with ordnance above ground, 64 with ordnance underground and 703 blast-crater sites. This information was provided by Net Ratha, head of the CMAC demining unit in Oddar Meanchey.
By: Nget Pisant
