CMAC: Only $25 million from US Governent to clear US bombs in Cambodia since 25 years

Tin Sokhavuth



Mr. Heng Ratana, Director General of the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC), on Wednesday, wrote on his Facebook page saying that since 25 years, CMAC has received only around $25 million to clear US bombs and unexploded ordnance (UXO) left by the Vietnam War in the eastern part of the country. Meanwhile former US president Barack Obama, last year, promised to provide $100 million to Laos to clear US bombs and UXO within three years (2017-2019). So, it is a huge different between US financial aids for Laos and which for Cambodia.

Mr. Ratana added that comparing to Laos and Vietnam, the US Government has positively responded to the two countries by providing adequate financial aids regarding US bombs and UXO. In other words, the US Government has provided justice to the Vietnamese and Laotian people by showing them a sense of responsibility. But, how about justice and a sense of responsibility for Cambodian people?

However, Mr. Ratana said that for more than ten years, since 2008, CMAC and US counterpart have done a lot of works to clear bombs and UXO in the US drop zone. In addition to these hard works, new US chemical bombs were found for CMAC's officers to risk their life to remove those remnants of war.

Concerning chemical weapons, Mr. Ratana added that the US Government is very sensitive with regard to this issue. In April 2017, President Donald Trump ordered an attack of 59 cruise missiles Tomahawk, launched from two destroyers, to destroy the alleged Syrian stocks of chemical weapons.

According to Mr. Ratana, before the launch of the cruise missiles, Madame Nikki Haley, US Ambassador to the UN, had been making efforts to call on all member states of the UN to stand firm in order to fight against the use of chemical weapons by Assad regime. To Madame Haley, the use of chemical weapons is a crime against humanity, and a grave violation of the international laws.

Regarding this issue, the US Embassy in Phnom Penh, last week, wrote on their Facebook page stating that the US Government is taking full responsibility for their «legacies» or for what they did in the past. To these «legacies», the US Government is ready to respond to any Cambodia's request for assistance.

"We also take seriously our responsibility to address our own legacies, and are always willing to consider sincere requests for assistance," added the statement.

According to the embassy, so far, the US Government has spent over $131 million to help the Kingdom of Cambodia clear landmine and UXO from the Vietnam War, as well as much more deadly mines and UXO from Cambodian civil wars in the western part of the country.