Phnom penh: The mine clearance project covering more than 41 square kilometres, signed on Oct. 2, 2025, does not involve areas adjacent to or near the Cambodian-Thai border and is entirely aimed at serving the interests of the Cambodian people. The clarification was made by the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) in a press release issued this evening.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the CMAA stated that the mine clearance project, entrusted by the Royal Government to the Army Command, the National Centre for Peacekeeping Forces, Mine and ERW Clearance (NPMEC), and the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC), will be implemented in provinces bordering Thailand. However, all clearance sites are located within Cambodian villages, communes, and districts, not adjacent to and/or near the border area.

The Royal Government has been planning this mine clearance project for many years, and it is not connected to any request from the Thai side or to the border areas currently under dispute between Cambodia and Thailand, as emphasized in the press release.

The CMAA underlined that the project supports the vision of Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet to ensure safe land, restore hope, rebuild communities, and uphold the dignity of the Cambodian people for a better future. The CMAA deeply appreciates and respects the patriotic spirit of the Cambodian people, the press release concluded.

According to CMAA, the project covers the clearance of 41,796,263 square metres of mine-contaminated land, equivalent to 453 minefields, across six provinces: Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey, Siem Reap, Battambang, Preah Vihear, and Pursat, with a total budget of US$5 million.