Bohdan DRAPIATYI: Ukraine will use Cambodia's experience in the field of mine action
The Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine emphasized these points during his working visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia. The delegation also included the Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Ihor Bezkaravainyi, representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. The Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Olexander Haman also took part in the events during the visit. At the invitation of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Ukrainian delegation had the opportunity to learn about the experience of Cambodian colleagues in humanitarian demining.
The Kingdom of Cambodia has been demining its land for over 30 years. To ensure better coordination and more effective results, the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) oversees and coordinates the processes in the country, while the practical phase is the responsibility of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC), the largest national mine action operator.
During the visit to the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, the Ukrainian delegation met with the First Vice President of the CMAA, Ly Thuch, who expressed his support for Ukraine in the ongoing violent war.
«Cambodia used to be known as a country with a bitter history of decades of war that wreaked havoc on people and the country, making it one of the most mine contaminated country in the world. But we managed to achieve peace and national unity and then build a system to quickly restore the country's development capabilities. And mine clearance is the most important stage on this path» said Ly Thuch.
An expanded meeting of delegates from Ukraine, Japan and Cambodia was held at the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC). The practical stage of demining in the country was discussed. According to CMAC’s CEO Hen Ratana, the Centre was established in 1992 during the ongoing hostilities. In 2002, CMAC began cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which supports the capacity of Cambodian deminers in mine action and reconstruction.
For over 30 years of humanitarian demining, Cambodian deminers have cleared more than 3,000 square kilometers of mined territory, removing more than 4 million mines and shells of various types.
«Our sphere of responsibility includes training and professional development of EOD experts, demining of territories, raising awareness among the population, restoration of infrastructure and assistance to victims of explosive ordnance attacks, including prosthetics. We have come a long way to build this system. We started from scratch, developed demining methods ourselves and tested various equipment. And we will be very happy if our experience is useful to you» said Hen Ratana, CEO of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre.
The Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Bohdan Drapiatyi emphasized that as a result of the hostilities, about 156,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian land remain mine-contaminated. In the vast majority of cases, the staff of EOD units of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and the National Police of Ukraine carry out operational demining, working during stabilization measures after the liberation of settlements or responding to requests from citizens.
Ukrainian EOD experts have their own practical experience, but they are constantly improving their skills and learning to work with different types of equipment. In particular, with the support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), EOD experts from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine were trained in Cambodia in winter 2023, and also in summer 2023 Cambodian colleagues conducted a training course for Ukrainian EOD expertson the territory of Poland.
Besides meeting with officials and discussing the demining strategy, members of the Ukrainian delegation got acquainted with the practical work of CMAC specialists.
In Kampong Chhnang province, Ukrainian delegation visited the Technical Institute for Mine Action (TIMA) which was established in 1997. Since then, it has conducted more than 35,000 training and refresher courses for EOD experts. In addition, the Institute has separate training centers for dogs and rats involved in mine clearance.
Underwater demining is an important component of the full-scale clearance of explosive ordnance. EOD divers clear Cambodia's main waterway and one of the world's largest rivers, the Mekong. The underwater demining unit was established in 2013 and currently employs more than 100 people, including 20 divers.
The Cambodian colleagues also demonstrated their experience in demining agricultural land in two regions. In Battambang province, the participants of the delegation from Ukraine saw the practical operation of mechanized demining machines and the use of the latest hand-held devices for detecting explosive objects manufactured and donated by the Japanese side. And in Siem Reap province, a combination of different demining methods, including trained dogs, was demonstrated to fully control and confirm the clearance of the territory.
At the end of the working visit to Cambodia, the parties discussed the results of the meetings and the possibility of implementing the experience gained in Ukraine.
«Supporting mine action for peace is our main goal. JICA understood Cambodia's challenges at the beginning of its reconstruction. And now CMAC is the oldest national operator in the world that continues demining operations. But mine action is not just about the practicalities. Management and the management system are also important. 25 years of our participation in the process of establishing СМАС as a professional authority confirms this. We know what challenges Ukraine is facing now and are ready to deepen our cooperation in the long term» said Eri Komukai, Senior Advisor of the Head Office of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Ihor Bezkaravainyi noted that the many years of hard work by Cambodian EOD experts had achieved the main goal of significantly reducing the number of victims of mine and shell explosions.
«This is a really important achievement that we can be proud of: lives saved, agriculture restored, business development opportunities. We are now going through a similar stage to that of Cambodia at the beginning of its reconstruction. Ukraine is facing one of the biggest challenges in its history. The scale of the problem of land contamination by mines and unexploded ordnance is enormous. But I am convinced that every tragedy is also a lesson and a problem can be turned into an opportunity. So now we have an incredible chance to create these opportunities - of which I believe there are many more. Opportunities to share experience and knowledge in humanitarian demining, create innovative projects, etc. Your effective experience gives us confidence that we will be able to both build a constructive demining management system and clear Ukrainian territories in a relatively short time. We are grateful to the Governments of Japan and Cambodia for their support, assistance and expanded cooperation», said Ihor Bezkaravainyi.
Olexander Haman, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, also noted Cambodia's contribution to accelerating the demining of Ukraine:
«Cambodia is an example for many countries in the Southeast Asian region in upholding the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and condemning russian aggression against Ukraine. I am grateful for everything you are doing for us. It is critically important in the current circumstances. You help save lives in Ukraine and make a great contribution to a peaceful future. Our cooperation should definitely be strengthened».
According to the Cambodian side, the specialists of CMACwill continue to provide training for Ukrainian EOD experts, teaching them how to use modern demining equipment. In addition, they will share their experience in training EOD units and their four-legged assistants.
«The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine is currently working to strengthen the training system for EOD experts. The Interregional Centre for Mine Action is already being relocated from Kharkiv region to a safer region. We have plans to build a new infrastructure for training and professional development of EOD experts. The Minister Ihor Klymenko has identified this as one of the priority area of work of our authority this year. Therefore, the experience of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) with its comprehensive approach is useful for us. The better the specialists are trained, the better they will work. And the most importantly, we will have fewer casualties, both among EOD experts and civilians. I would like to make a special mention of the training center for dogs. The use of animals in demining shows effective results, so we want to develop this area in our country. In Cambodia, both dogs and rats are used for demining. But in Ukraine, we will focus exclusively on dogs. I would like to express my gratitude to the Government and people of Cambodia, I respect your hard work. I am grateful to the Government of Japan and JICA for organizing the visit and strengthening our mine action capabilities. Mine clearance is not an easy process, but with the help of international partners, we will be able to make Ukrainian land safe again», said Bohdan Drapiatyi.
Department of Communication of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
