PhnomPenhTimes-July 27, 2025
The Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) has expressed its deepest regrets and condemned the deliberate and premeditated invasion and assault on Cambodia by Thai armed forces, especially, their use of cluster munitions, which it described as “humanitarian disaster” for innocent Cambodian civilians. In a July 27 statement, the CMAA observed that in the past 72 hours, lives have been lost, homes reduced to rubble and places of worship scarred by fire and steel. “Our beloved Preah Vihear Temple, a site of universal value to humanity and a world heritage, and a symbol of spiritual peace and national identity, has suffered severe damage because of this attack. The trauma inflicted on our people runs deep, and its echoes will be felt for generations,” it said. “Cluster munitions, whose use has been confirmed by the Thai army, are among the most barbaric tools of war. These are not just weapons of the moment — they are seeds of sorrow sown into our land. When the bombs stop falling, they remain: tiny, deadly killers scattered through rice fields, schoolyards, health centers, pagodas and temple grounds.
“They do not vanish with war — they become war’s cruel shadow, haunting the innocent long after the world has moved on. They maim farmers returning to their land, kill children playing in the grass and paralyze entire communities with fear,” it added. CMAA said that thousands of Cambodian families are fleeing — not from battle, but from the terror of living under cluster bombs. It called on the international community, not just governments, but people of conscience everywhere, to stand with Cambodia, noting that now I not the time for silence. The CMAA pledged to continue its mission to protect lives, assist survivors and clear every remnant of war, but highlighted that it cannot walk this path alone. Read more at: https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/mine-action-authority-warn-of-cruel-shadow-of-thai-cluster-bombs
