Cambodia still contending with the deadly threat of landmines, a remnant of decades of conflict
Siem Reap, Cambodia — On a dirt road about one hour’s drive outside Siem Reap in northwestern Cambodia is a makeshift camp flying the American flag.
The emblem is also seen on the uniforms of those who work there clearing landmines, and is proudly worn by Bill Morse, founder of Cambodia Self Help DeMining.
“People know the United States clears landmines here,” Morse told CBS News. “…It takes 15 to 30 seconds to bury a landmine. You can see how long it takes to identify a landmine.”
Self Help DeMining is one of eight such organizations operating in Cambodia, one of the most heavily mined nations in the world.
“We have had people die doing this work,” Morse said. “These people are putting their lives on the line every single day to clean up what we left behind.”
Millions of mines, cluster bombs and unexploded ordnance still litter the Cambodian countryside, a direct result of decades of conflict stemming from the Vietnam War, which ended 50 years ago this week.
The U.S. bombing raids in the 1960s and 1970s spilled into neighboring Cambodia, destabilizing the country. This helped lead to the rise of the Khmer Rouge and then a brutal civil war.
Cambodia had hoped to be mine-free by the end of 2025, but that plan is now wishful thinking. There are nearly 700 square miles of known minefields yet to be cleared, and new areas that are constantly being discovered.
In one instance Morse’s team, under a canopy of forest, uncovered a Chinese-made anti-tank mine. The team detonated it using TNT.
While thousands have died from the mines, even more have been maimed, including 37-year-old Poy.
As a young boy playing in the fields, he picked up what he thought was a toy and it blew off his right arm and blinded him in his left eye.
Then, about three years ago, he was assisting in a mine-clearing operation when another mine exploded. The impact of the blast burned his face.
“Everyone else died,” Poy told CBS News of the second blast. “Two times, and I’m still alive. It’s a blessing.”
