PHNOM PENH: The Ambassador of the Philippines to Cambodia, Amelita Aquino, has requested the Royal Government of Cambodia to continue its cooperation in assisting the mine sector in the Philippines, especially in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in the southern Philippines, which is rich in landmines and explosive remnants of war.
The request comes after Ambassador Amelita Aquino and a mine action delegation from the Philippines, led by Member of Parliament for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (Muslim Mindanao), Hussein Munoz, met with the first deputy head of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), Senior Minister Ly Thuch, on Thursday, 7 April.
For the past 30 years, Cambodia has been active in the field of mine action, and the many successes achieved by the Kingdom can be attributed to the attention and support provided by development partners and allied countries, who have come together to resolve land disputes, ensure mine safety and reduce the risk of mines with the introduction of a strong demining vision and leadership structure at both the national and sub-national levels of the government, under the charge of the CMAA.
Senior Minister Ly Thuch has said that for the past 30 years Cambodia has learned all kinds of lessons from undergoing demining work, and has the ambition to share experiences and extend help to other countries in the region, and in the world, who need assistance with demining work.
The Mindanao region in the Philippines has a history of a four-century Moro struggle against Philippine government forces since the late 1960s. In 2014, ISIS began to gain influence on the island, and in 2017, began besieging the town of Marawi in Lanao Del Sur province, sparking a five-month battle with the Philippine military.
In March 2019, the Philippine government established the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) as an important step towards resolving the conflict between the Philippine government and several regional autonomous groups seeking stability and peace, even as the remnants of the war have not yet been cleared.
