AKP Phnom Penh, August 11, 2026 -- Fresh incursions by Thai troops pose new humanitarian threats in previously cleared areas, risking two decades of demining progress, Cambodia’s top mine action official warned Tuesday.

Speaking at a project review for the Clearing for Results Phase V (CfRV) project at the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) headquarters, Senior Minister and CMAA First Vice-President H.E. Dr. Ly Thuch said unexploded ordnance and explosive hazards are re-emerging in border communities that had long been cleared and handed back to residents.

Despite the growing border strains, H.E. Dr. Ly Thuch emphasised that Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet’s administration remains firmly committed to resolving territorial issues peacefully through diplomatic dialogue, international law, and established bilateral and multilateral frameworks, with civilian safety remaining the government's top priority.

Launched in 2006, the multi-phase initiative has cleared roughly 427 square kilometres of land—accounting for 13.5 percent of Cambodia’s total 3,634 square kilometres cleared to date—directly bolstering agricultural productivity and local economies. The newly launched Phase V (2026–2030) integrates mine action with sustainable human development, victim assistance, gender equity, and productive land reuse.

In the first half of 2026 alone, the project safely released 3.77 square kilometres of land, destroyed 58 anti-personnel mines and 1,012 explosive remnants of war (ERW) across 730 disposal operations, provided rehabilitation services to 2,464 persons with disabilities (including 1,746 mine/ERW survivors), and delivered risk education to nearly 10,000 residents.

Urging international donors—including Australia, New Zealand, Luxembourg, Italy, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)—to maintain support, H.E. Dr. Ly Thuch stressed that sustained global assistance is vital to conduct emergency resurveys and achieve Cambodia's National Mine Action Policy 2026-2035 target of eliminating the threat of explosive ordnance nationwide.

By K. Rithy Reak