More than 1,600 former minefields, covering a total area of about 121 square kilometres in Battambang, Banteay Meanchey and Pailin provinces, have been returned to local communities for safe use since 2020 — with nearly 80 per cent of the land now being cultivated for agriculture, according to the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA).
The cleared land was presented from 2020 through 2025 through the Performance Monitoring System (PMS) — a mechanism designed to collect information and socio-economic data on how mine-cleared land is used by beneficiary communities.
The CMAA explained that the data collection was conducted by Provincial Mine Action Planning Units (MAPU) since 2020, in the three target provinces implementing the Clearing for Results Phase IV (CFR-IV) project.
Every year, once the MAPU teams complete data collection, the Department of Socio-Economic Planning and Data Management organises meetings with MAPU working groups and CFR-IV project officers to review and analyse results, assess post-clearance land use and prepare the annual PMS report.
During the 2025 Ukraine Mine Action Conference, held in Tokyo, Japan, from October 22–23, Senior Minister Ly Thuch, first vice-president of the CMAA, noted that Cambodia has become a global leader in mine action, transforming war-torn land into safe ground for habitation and development. He explained that Cambodia has also shared its expertise and experience with countries around the world — including Ukraine — to help promote peace and stability globally.
“Mine action is not just about clearing mines — it is about creating new opportunities for reconstruction, for the agricultural and education sectors, and for sustainable development,” he stated.
He highlighted how Cambodia has suffered severely from landmines and explosive remnants of war, but under the visionary leadership of former Prime Minister Hun Sen, and now Prime Minister Hun Manet, mine clearance has always been considered the ‘core heartbeat’ of national development.
Cambodia’s participation in global mine action efforts, he said, comes from its deep understanding of the pain and suffering caused by landmines and explosive remnants of war — and from a sincere desire to ensure that no other country or people endure such devastation.
He added that Cambodia’s engagement in international mine action is strictly humanitarian, with no political agenda whatsoever.
