Cambodia is still one of the most landmine-affected countries in the world. Over 64,000 landmine and other Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) casualties have been recorded in Cambodia since 1979. With over 25,000 amputees Cambodia has the highest ratio of mine amputees per capita in the world.
A recent Baseline Survey of 12 districts revealed that 1,914,818 m2 of land surface is contaminated by landmines and ERW. In addition, at least 26 million explosive submunitions were dropped on Cambodia during the Vietnam War, mostly in Eastern and North-Eastern areas bordering the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Vietnam. The bombing is estimated to have left between 1.9 million and 5.8 million cluster munitions remnants.
Belgian NGO Apopo, who have been training African giant poached rats in Tanzania, Angolo and Mozambique to detect explosives and tuberculosis, invited me to document their training process as 3 mine detection rat (MDR) handlers drafted from Africa, taught a CMAC demining platoon how to locate landmines and UXO using African giant poached rats. After 6 months training the platoon will be fully operational and demining with the MDR's on one of the most densely mined swathes of land on earth.
The demining project between CMAC and Apopo will be targeting 6 Northwestern districts close to the infamous “K5 belt”.
The K5 is one of the densest concentrations of mines on the planet and causes a significant proportion of Cambodia’s mine casualties. The K5 runs along the entire 750km length of the Cambodia-Thai border. In partnership with CMAC, land is released (through demining and survey) for casualty reduction, agriculture, resettlement and other infrastructure development (roads, wells, ponds and schools).
The release of land allows poor, rural people access to land which was previously contaminated so that they can now safely grow their rice and other crops to feed their families. In addition Mine Risk Education is delivered in communities aimed at reducing the risk of injury and death from mines and other ERW.
CMAC team members learn how to handle mine detection rats. The MDRs sniff out explosive chemicals like TNT in landmines and ignore the scrap metal that metal detectors pick up. This makes them extremely fast landmine detectors. CMAC demining unit 4 headquarters, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. / All rights reserved © George Nickels.
Mao Sophea 25 has been working as a deminer in Cambodia with the Cambodia Mine Action Centre (CMAC) for the last 5 years, she will soon be a fully operation Mine Detection Rat (MDR) handler and relocated to one of cambodia's most heavily mined Northwestern districts in Oddar Meanchey Province, close to the infamous “K5 belt”. CMAC demining unit 4 headquarters, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. / All rights reserved © George Nickels.
The Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) estimates that there may be as many as four to six million mines and other pieces of unexploded ordnance in Cambodia. The social consequences of the landmines in Cambodia are extremely serious. A high percentage of the population has been killed by mines, which affects entire families. "ICRC statistics claim that only 25% of mine victims arrive at hospital within 6 hours of being injured with 15% having to travel for more than 3 days before they reach a hospital. / All rights reserved © George Nickels.
May 21st 2015. CMAC and Apopo members take part in a MDR handling lesson. CMAC demining unit 4 headquarters, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. / All rights reserved © George Nickels.
Sean Veana 40 has been a deminer with the Cambodian Mine Action Centre for the past 20 years. When I questioned him regarding his experiences as a mine technician, he told me of 2 colleagues who had recently been injured, one in Kampong Thom Province had lost both his arms, the other man had been left blind when a mine exploded shattering the visor on his protective helmet. Both men received $2000 compensation. CMAC demining unit 4 headquarters, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. / All rights reserved © George Nickels.
Lawrence Kombani forty year old father of three has been training African giant poached rats or MDR's (Mine detection rats) to locate land mines and UXO for the past fifteen years. He has left his family in Tanzania and moved to Cambodia to teach the CMAC DU4 team handling techniques and prepare them for live munitions. / All rights reserved © George Nickels.
Victoria a African giant poached mine detection rat (MDR), also dubbed a (hero rat) is taken for a walk on her training lead. / All rights reserved © George Nickels.
Every rat has a unique code that fills a database with information relating to their health, weight, location etc. CMAC demining unit 4 headquarters, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. / All rights reserved © George Nickels.
A CMAC team member collects his mine detection rat (MDR) from its cage before going to the minefield. / All rights reserved © George Nickels.
One MDR can search up to 200 square meters in 20 minutes; this would take a technician with a metal detector 1-4 days depending on levels of scrap metal contamination. CMAC demining unit 4 headquarters, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. / All rights reserved © George Nickels.
One MDR can search up to 200 square meters in 20 minutes; this would take a technician with a metal detector 1-4 days depending on levels of scrap metal contamination. CMAC demining unit 4 headquarters, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. / All rights reserved © George Nickels.
So Malen 24 has been working clearing land mines and (UXO) unexploded ordnance from Svey Rieng Province, Cambodia for the last five years. CMAC demining unit 4 headquarters, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. / All rights reserved © George Nickels.
A fragmentation pit in the CMAC camp. Oddar Meanchey Province, Cambodia. / All rights reserved © George Nickels.
The Cambodia Mine/UXO Victim Information System reported at least 64,314 landmine and unexploded ordnance casualties from 1979 to the end of 2013. Of these, 19,684 people were killed and 44,630 injured. Oddar Meanchey Province, Cambodia. / All rights reserved © George Nickels.
Lawrence Kombani forty year old father of three has been training African giant poached rats or MDR's (Mine detection rats) to locate land mines and UXO for the past fifteen years. He has left his family in Tanzania after being transferred on a three month program to Cambodia to teach the CMAC DU4 team handling techniques and prepare them for live munitions. / All rights reserved © George Nickels.
A land owner signs paperwork supplied by CMAC allowing him to safely reclaim his estate after they successfully cleared the area of all forms of explosives and remnants of war. Oddar Meanchey Province, Cambodia. / All rights reserved © George Nickels.
A land owner walks on his land for the first time since the K5 plan began on the 19th July 1984. In practice the K5 fence / belt consisted of a roughly 700 kilometre long, 500 metre wide stretch of land along the border with Thailand, where anti tank and antipersonnel mines were planted to a density of about 3,000 mines per kilometre of frontage. Moments before he signed paperwork supplied by CMAC allowing him to safely reclaim his estate after they successfully cleared the area of all forms of explosives and remnants of war. Oddar Meanchey Province, Cambodia. / All rights reserved © George Nickels.
Apopo team members discuss the dangers of locating and disarming Chinese made AP72 anti personnel land mines that contribute to the estimated four to six million unexploded UXO and mines that still litter the rural landscape throughout Cambodia. / All rights reserved © George Nickels.
Apopo team manager Lordes discusses the problem of anti tank mines that still kill and maim Cambodia's people on a monthly basis. / All rights reserved © George Nickels.