SIEM REAP, Cambodia, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has transformed land that was once minefields into fertile grounds for farming, urbanization, and development, lifting millions out of poverty, Prime Minister Hun Manet said here on Monday.
In his opening speech at the Siem Reap-Angkor Summit on a Mine-Free World, Manet said Cambodia's economy, which grew at an average rate of around 7 percent annually before the COVID-19 pandemic, has thrived on the de-contaminated land.
"About 80 percent of the cleared land is used for agriculture, while the remainder is used for housing and development, including construction of critical infrastructure, to enhance connectivity across our nation, allowing our economy to thrive to this day," he said. "Moreover, it has enabled millions of international tourists, including investors, to visit Cambodia."
Manet recalled that once a land of peace, 54 years ago, Cambodia was drawn into the geopolitical conflicts of the Cold War, and a land that hosted magnificent heritages such as Angkor Wat then saw some of the most heartbreaking tragedies, including a series of carpet bombings, a genocide, and decades of civil wars.
"Millions of Cambodian lives were lost and thousands of square kilometers of Cambodia's land became littered with landmines and other explosive remnants of war," he said.
He said although the kingdom achieved full peace in 1998, the shadow of landmines continued to loom large and posed dire threats to human lives and post-war recovery.
He added that with the unwavering support of the international community, from 1992 to date, Cambodia has cleared over 3,000 square kilometers of landmines, destroying over 1 million anti-personnel mines and 3 million explosive remnants of war.
Casualties have plummeted from an average of over 4,300 per year in 1996 to fewer than 100 annually in the past ten years, he said.
"We have declared 15 of the 25 capital cities and provinces as mine free," Manet said. "Nevertheless, our journey is far from over. We still have over 1,600 square kilometers of contaminated land, which is affecting the lives of approximately 1 million people."
The Cambodian leader said the Southeast Asian country has turned its tragic history into a powerful lesson for the world, advocating against the use of anti-personnel mines and highlighting their long-term consequences.
"Cambodian mine action community has continued to share our best practices, transferring our hard-earned expertise to others facing similar challenges including, among others, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states," he said.■