FAQ

About history

Why does Cambodia have so many landmines?

The first landmines in Cambodia are said to have been laid in 1967, and over the roughly 30 years of civil war that followed, many different forces used landmines. In particular, under the "K5 Plan" from around 1985, huge numbers of mines were laid along the border with Thailand. According to Cambodian government reports, an estimated 4 million mines were laid. In addition, bombs dropped during the Vietnam War era that failed to explode (unexploded ordnance) also remained across the country.

[Source 0101][Source 0104]

About mines & UXO

Are landmines still buried today?

Yes. Years of clearance work have greatly improved the situation, and 14 provinces and the capital Phnom Penh (15 administrative units in total) have so far declared themselves mine-free (clearance complete). Even so, contamination remains, mainly in provinces near the Thai border. For example, Battambang province was reported to still have about 209.8 square kilometers of minefields as of July 1, 2025.

[Source 0084]

What is UXO (unexploded ordnance)?

UXO (unexploded ordnance) means munitions that were fired or dropped but remained without exploding. In Cambodia, unexploded bombs and cluster submunitions from the bombing carried out by US forces during the Vietnam War era remain in large numbers, mainly in the eastern provinces. Like landmines, they can explode when touched.

[Source 0101][Source 0085]

What is the Ottawa Treaty?

Formally called the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, it is an international treaty that bans the use, development, production, stockpiling, and transfer of anti-personnel mines, and requires the destruction of stockpiled mines and the clearance of buried mines. It is known as the "Ottawa Treaty" because signing began in Ottawa, Canada, in 1997. Both Cambodia and Japan are parties to the treaty.

[Source 0054][Source 0008]

When will Cambodia's landmines be gone?

The Cambodian government has set the goal of "zero landmines by 2030," and Japan supports this effort. The clearance deadline under the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention has also been extended to 2030. Fourteen provinces and the capital Phnom Penh (15 administrative units in total) have already declared themselves mine-free, and clearance continues in the remaining provinces.

[Source 0056][Source 0084]

About clearance work

What is CMAC?

CMAC (Cambodian Mine Action Centre) is Cambodia's demining operator, established in 1992. From June 1992 to June 2023, it made about 1,616 square kilometers of land safe and disposed of more than 590,000 landmines and more than 2.5 million items of explosive remnants of war (ERW). Japan has supported CMAC for many years.

[Source 0036][Source 0037]

How are landmines removed?

First, surveys narrow down the areas where mines are likely to be, and then deminers with metal detectors check the ground little by little. Mine detection dogs and rats, which find explosives by smell, and machines that cut brush are also used in combination. Mines that are found are normally destroyed safely on the spot by controlled detonation. It is slow and dangerous work, but through this steady effort, land is gradually being returned to everyday life.

[Source 0066][Source 0067][Source 0068]

About Japan's support

What support does Japan provide?

Since 1998, Japan has continued to support CMAC, Cambodia's demining agency, by providing equipment such as brush cutters and mine detectors, training personnel, supporting research and development, and building facilities. The total grant aid comes to 19.9 billion yen (as of April 2026). JICA also provides technical cooperation, and Cambodia has now become a country that teaches its mine action experience to other countries.

[Source 0051][Source 0059]

About Peace Boat

What is Peace Boat?

Peace Boat is an international NGO established in 1983 that works on international exchange and peace education through round-the-world voyages. Its projects include learning about history by visiting war sites and campaigns to abolish landmines. In 2017, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), for which Peace Boat serves as one of the international steering group organizations, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The operator of this site also visited Cambodia on a Peace Boat voyage.

[Source 0111]

Sources & references

  1. Ref 0101

    Impacts(地雷・不発弾問題の影響)(external site)

    Publisher: Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) / Target year: 2024 / Accessed: 2026-07-11 / Reliability: A

  2. Ref 0104

    Article 5 Extension Request 2019(第2次延長申請・国家地雷対策戦略2018-2025を含む)(external site)

    Publisher: Kingdom of Cambodia / CMAA (対人地雷禁止条約事務局サイト掲載) / Published: 2019 / Target year: 2018-2019 / Accessed: 2026-07-11 / Reliability: A

  3. Ref 0084

    Clearing the Mines 2025: Cambodia(external site)

    Publisher: Mine Action Review (Norwegian People's Aid) / Published: 2025 / Target year: 2024-2025 / Accessed: 2026-07-11 / Reliability: B

  4. Ref 0085

    Clearing Cluster Munition Remnants 2019: Cambodia(external site)

    Publisher: Mine Action Review (Norwegian People's Aid) / Published: 2019 / Target year: 2009-2019 / Accessed: 2026-07-11 / Reliability: B

  5. Ref 0036

    Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) 公式サイト トップページ(external site)

    Publisher: Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) / Accessed: 2026-07-11 / Reliability: A

  6. Ref 0037

    Impacts | Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC)(external site)

    Publisher: Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) / Target year: 1992-2023 / Accessed: 2026-07-11 / Reliability: A

  7. Ref 0066

    Clearance and Disposal(external site)

    Publisher: Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) / Accessed: 2026-07-11 / Reliability: A

  8. Ref 0067

    Dog Centre(external site)

    Publisher: Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) / Accessed: 2026-07-11 / Reliability: A

  9. Ref 0068

    Why HeroRATs?(external site)

    Publisher: APOPO / Accessed: 2026-07-11 / Reliability: B

  10. Ref 0051

    (ODA)我が国のカンボジアに対する地雷対策支援(external site)

    Publisher: 外務省 / Published: 2026-04-07 / Target year: 1998-2026 / Accessed: 2026-07-11 / Reliability: A

  11. Ref 0059

    「支援される国」から「世界の地雷対策リーダー」へ カンボジアと共に目指す地雷ゼロの世界(external site)

    Publisher: JICA(国際協力機構) / Published: 2024-10-01 / Target year: 1992-2024 / Accessed: 2026-07-11 / Reliability: A

  12. Ref 0008

    Cambodia | Membership(external site)

    Publisher: Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention Implementation Support Unit / Accessed: 2026-07-11 / Reliability: A

  13. Ref 0054

    地雷問題・対人地雷禁止条約(オタワ条約)の概要(external site)

    Publisher: 外務省 / Published: 2026-05-21 / Target year: 1997-2024 / Accessed: 2026-07-11 / Reliability: A

  14. Ref 0056
  15. Ref 0111

    ピースボートとは(About ページ)(external site)

    Publisher: ピースボート(Peace Boat) / Accessed: 2026-07-11 / Reliability: B

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