Cambodia Condemns Cluster Munitions Use, Highlights Humanitarian Impact at International Conference

VIENTIANE, Sept 15, 2026 (KPT) — Cambodia has condemned the use of cluster munitions and urged greater international efforts to address the humanitarian impact of explosive remnants of war, as its delegation joined a global review conference in Laos. Senior Minister Ly Thuch, head of the Cambodian Mine Action Authority (CMAA), delivered the remarks Monday at the Third Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Vientiane. Ly Thuch said Cambodia had spent more than three decades clearing landmines and unexploded ordnance, releasing over 3,500 square kilometers of land and destroying millions of explosive devices. But he warned that hundreds of square kilometers remain contaminated. He alleged the situation worsened during the 2025 border conflict with Thailand, when cluster munitions were used on Cambodian territory, including civilian areas. He said the attacks created nearly 4,000 square kilometers of newly affected land, with almost 3,000 square kilometers contaminated by cluster munitions. Authorities say civilians, particularly farmers, have been killed or injured, while more than 20,000 people remain displaced and unable to return home. “Cambodia has not yet completed clearing the remnants of past wars, yet it is now facing a new humanitarian burden,” Ly Thuch said. He stressed that Cambodia is not a party to the convention but supports its objectives, noting the country has never produced or used cluster munitions. He said Cambodia opposed and condemned their use, and offered to share its experience in clearance, risk education and victim assistance with other countries. Cambodia’s mine authority has extensive experience dealing with landmines and unexploded ordnance left by decades of conflict, making it one of the world’s most affected nations.