MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Downer
I was delighted to visit today Ta Peng village in Siem Reap Province, Cambodia.
In the last three months, 50 mines and unexploded ordnances have been destroyed
in Ta Peng, and in Ta Kut village, Battambang Province, as a result of the Australian
Government's Destroy A Minefield Campaign.
Prior to Destroy a Minefield, landmines claimed nine lives in Ta Peng which
has a total population of 660. Many more people were injured or disabled.
Expert Cambodian deminers working with the HALO Trust, have painstakingly cleared
mines from village roads, around schools and in fields, making it safe for local
people to walk to the river to collect water, herd their animals and grow crops.
The Australian Government matches every $2 raised by the community for Destroy
a Minefield with a donation of $1. Funds are channelled through the Mines Advisory
Group and HALO Trust to clear minefields in Cambodia.
The HALO Trust and the Mines Advisory Group, which is clearing the mines around
Ta Kut in Battamban Province, are non-government organisations with extensive
international demining experience.
Landmines remain a major humanitarian tragedy. In Cambodia alone, mines cause
daily injury and loss of life, particularly among children. An estimated 29,000
people have been killed or maimed by landmines to date.
However, there are positive signs. The constructive impact Australia is having
in reducing the number of landmine casualties has recently been recognised in
a Cambodian Red Cross report and Cambodian mine incidents are now showing a
steady downward trend.
The contribution of the Australian community is giving Cambodian children and
families the chance to build a safer future.
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
Media contacts:
James Baker: (Ministerial) 02 6277 7500 / 0419 206 890
Fionna Douglas (AusAID) 02 6206 4967 / 0412 804 489