ODDAR MEANCHEY: Between the temporary closure of a high school for demining last week, and the death of a soldier near the Thai border over the weekend, Cambodia’s violent past continues to pose a modern threat as groups continue the tireless work of clearing one of the most heavily mined countries in the world.

The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) General Command said that a deputy officer, Brigadier General Moy Toeum, stepped on a landmine and died while patrolling a site near the Dangrek Mountains in Ta Moan Sen Chey village.

The accident happened at around 6 am on August 19 when Moy Toeum stepped on Soviet K59 mine left over from the war near the Thai border. His body was sent back to nearby Trabek village for a traditional ceremony. National Defence Minister Tea Banh expressed his condolences to the family and sent them 10 million Riels.

While home to such cultural wealth as the Preah Vihear Temple, the Dangrek Mountains have a history of tragedy and genocide. In the 1970’s landmines were scattered throughout the area by Khmer Rouge and Vietnamese forces trying to block the border. Today, the Cambodian Mine Action Council estimates there are at least four to six million mines embedded in Cambodian soil, posing a major threat to border regions.