Attending meetings in Vientiane this week, Ly Thour, the head of Cambodia's mine action authority, has been busy holding a round of talks focused on a pressing issue: newly discovered Thai cluster munitions along the border. According to the national demining center, numerous M-series bomblets—including the M42, M46, and M85—were left behind during clashes in July and December of last year. These unexploded devices remain highly unstable and pose a severe hazard to farmers working the land and children walking home from school.
Local demining officials report that since the first round of fighting last July, these leftover explosives have already injured several Cambodian civilians. Speaking with international anti-mine organizations in Vientiane, Ly Thour pointed out that the use of such weapons by the Thai military on Cambodian territory violates the spirit of the international Mine Ban Treaty and undermines years of global efforts to rid the world of these dangerous munitions.
Phnom Penh is now actively seeking international support and donor assistance, appealing for both technical expertise and funding to clear the contaminated land. For residents living near the border, every step remains nerve-wracking as communities wait for the deadly hardware to be cleared so life can return to normal.
