Cambodia launches ‘March for a Mine-Free World’ at famed Angkor complex

Siem Reap, Nov 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) Hundreds of people, including landmine survivors and deminers, on Sunday joined a 'March for a Mine-Free World' here at the Angkor Archeological Park in northwest Cambodia.

The march began at the cherished Angkor Wat and concluded at the historic Elephant Terrace in the distance of about four kilometres.

Speaking at the event, Ly Thuch, a senior minister and first vice president of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), said the march aimed at calling for a world free from landmines.

"Each step we take together is a step toward safety, toward peace, and toward a future where no one has to worry about hidden dangers beneath their feet," he said.

Siem Reap provincial Deputy Governor Samkol Sochetra said the march was a powerful symbol of shared commitment to a world free from the threat of landmines.

The march was a prelude to the Siem Reap-Angkor Summit on a Mine-Free World, which is scheduled for November 25-29, Xinhua news agency reported.

Cambodia is one of the countries worst affected by landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERWs). An estimated four million to six million landmines and other munitions have been left over from three decades of war and internal conflicts that ended in 1998.

According to a CMAA's report, from 1979 to June 2024, landmine and ERW explosions had claimed 19,830 lives and either injured or amputated 45,242 others.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said in October that more than one million people in the Southeast Asian country still live in areas contaminated by landmines and ERWs.

Source: IANS