The leadership of Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) has requested that Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), a Norwegian civil aid organisation, to help initiate a global campaign against the use of cluster munitions by the Thai military.
The request was made by Ly Thuch, first vice-president of the CMAA, during an August 6 meeting with Hans Risser, NPA country director for Cambodia.
During the meeting, Thuch highlighted that the Thai military employed many types of heavy weapons during the five-day armed conflict between Cambodia and Thailand from July 24 to 28, many of them prohibited by international law. This included cluster munitions, which were fired into Cambodian territory.
“The use of cluster bombs by the Thai military has caused severe and long-lasting consequences to Cambodian civilians, especially young children, and has created generational fear within many communities,” he noted.
On behalf of the Royal Government and people of Cambodia, Thuch called on the NPA to support Cambodia and launch a global campaign to oppose the Thai military’s use of cluster munitions on Cambodian soil.
In addition to the request to the NPA, on July 28, the CMAA sent a letter to Carlos Sorreta, president of the 13th Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, expressing Cambodia’s condemnation of Thailand’s use of cluster bombs along the border.
Sorreta has since responded, commending Cambodia’s efforts to uphold the humanitarian principles outlined in the convention and its work to clear areas contaminated by cluster munitions.
Under its cooperation with Cambodia, the NPA is actively conducting cluster bomb clearance operations in Ratanakkiri province. Recently, the organisation worked with Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) to conduct risk education sessions for internally displaced people in Banteay Ampil district, Oddar Meanchey province.
The NPA emphasised that mine risk education is crucial for displaced people and their families, as it equips them with the knowledge they need to protect their lives. The sessions aim to raise awareness about the dangers of unexploded ordnance as communities prepare to return to their homes. The NPA will continue supporting CMAC’s efforts to reduce risks in local communities.
