Cambodia Aims to Clear All Landmines by 2035, End Decades-Long Threat

The Cambodian government has officially launched the "National Mine Action Policy 2026-2035," aiming to clear all known minefields by 2030 and eliminate the impact of cluster munitions and other unexploded ordnance by 2035, ensuring that all communities nationwide are free from explosive threats. Ly Thuch, Senior Minister and First Vice President of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, stated that mine clearance has been integrated into the national development strategy and is closely linked with food security, rural development, poverty reduction, infrastructure construction, and improving people's livelihoods.
In the 1990s, Cambodia saw over 4,000 casualties annually due to landmines and unexploded ordnance, with some communities surrounded by hazardous areas, preventing farmers from cultivating land and children from attending school safely. After more than 30 years of continuous demining efforts, the annual casualty rate has now dropped to below 100. Since 1992, Cambodia has cleared over 360,000 hectares of contaminated land, with about 76% of it used for agriculture, while the rest has been utilized for public facilities such as schools and roads, as well as for investment and development.
Ly Thuch pointed out that the new policy will change the way the effectiveness of demining is measured, focusing not only on the area of land cleared but also on the subsequent use of the land and the actual benefits it brings to the people. Currently, there are nearly 170,000 hectares of suspected contaminated land yet to be cleared in Cambodia, with about 80% of it being agricultural land. This does not include minefields and explosive-contaminated areas that are still under investigation, making the remaining task more complex and challenging.
China has long provided Cambodia with financial, equipment, and personnel training support for humanitarian demining. Data shows that from 2018 to July 2025, Chinese-assisted demining projects in Cambodia have cleared over 160 square kilometers of land contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance, discovering and destroying more than 95,700 various types of mines and explosives, directly benefiting over 2.6 million people. Both China and Cambodia have also expressed their commitment to continuing the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on Demining Cooperation, supporting Cambodia's demining efforts through bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Cambodia has indicated that recent military conflicts on the Cambodia-Thailand border have left cluster munitions and other unexploded ordnance contamination in 349 villages across seven provinces including Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Pursat, Siem Reap, and Koh Kong, further increasing the pressure on demining efforts. Ly Thuch called on donor countries, development partners, the private sector, and all sectors of society to continue providing support to help Cambodia complete the remaining demining tasks, creating conditions for the safety of the people and the peace, stability, and sustainable development of the country.