PHNOM PENH: Cambodian demining authorities have raised fresh alarm over the scale and enduring danger of cluster munitions contamination along the Cambodia-Thailand border, warning that millions of unexploded submunitions continue to threaten civilian lives and livelihoods.
Speaking on Wednesday (March 25) at the opening of a two-day workshop in Siem Reap, Heng Ratana, director-general of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC), revealed new baseline survey findings showing widespread contamination across multiple provinces.
The workshop, held at the Techo Peace Museum, was co-organised with Norwegian People's Aid and attended by international partners including Golden West Humanitarian Foundation and APOPO.
According to a CMAC survey, cluster munitions have affected 371 villages across six provinces along the border — Koh Kong, Pursat, Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear — as well as parts of Siem Reap province.
In total, approximately 3,600 contaminated locations have been identified, covering an estimated 2,360sq km.
“These cluster munitions were fired into residential villages, farmlands, schools, hospitals and other civilian areas,” Ratana said, underscoring the continued risks faced by communities living in affected zones.
Preliminary technical analysis suggests that between 120,000 and 130,000 artillery rounds of 155mm calibre may have been used, dispersing an estimated six to seven million submunitions, commonly known as bomblets. Many of these remain unexploded, posing long-term hazards.
Ratana cautioned that the figures remain incomplete, as survey work is still ongoing.
Heng Ratana, director-general of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) and Hans Peter Risser, resident representative of NPA in Cambodia, presided over the opening ceremony of a workshop on 'New Type Cluster Munitions: CMR M-Series’ in Siem Reap. CMAC
“We can make an initial conclusion based on technical identification, but baseline survey activities are not yet fully completed,” he said.
The contamination is linked to past border conflicts, with CMAC identifying three main types of M-series cluster munitions — M42, M46 and M85 — found in the affected areas.
Cluster munitions are widely banned under international conventions due to their indiscriminate nature and high failure rates, which leave behind unexploded ordnance that can remain dangerous for decades.
The Siem Reap workshop, titled “New Type Cluster Munitions: CMR M-Series”, brings together 28 CMAC technical experts and partner organisations to exchange expertise on detection, identification and clearance techniques.
Ratana said the initiative reflects growing concern over the long-term humanitarian impact of these weapons.
“Cluster munitions continue to pose serious and prolonged risks to the safety and livelihoods of people in affected areas,” he said.
“CMAC, as the government’s technical arm, will continue its humanitarian mission to ensure that Cambodian territory becomes safe, restoring hope and prosperity for its people,” he added.
Despite decades of mine action progress, Cambodia remains one of the countries most heavily affected by explosive remnants of war.
The latest findings suggest that cluster munitions — often less visible but equally deadly — remain a significant and unresolved threat, particularly in remote border communities where agriculture is the primary source of income.
As clearance efforts continue, officials warn that without sustained technical cooperation and international support, the path to fully securing affected will remain long and complex. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
