Ground-Breaking Ceremony

CMAC Community Development Centre (CDC) On the 4th of April eminent representatives of the Royal Government of Cambodia presided over a ground breaking ceremony of CMAC’S Community Development Centre (CDC) in Prey Toteung village, Chhnal Moan Commune, Koas Krolor District, Battambang Province

H.E. Hun Manet praised the decades-long efforts of the CMAC deminers who have worked throughout Cambodia to remove the scourge of landmines and UXO’s which have posed a threat to many rural Cambodians’ lives and livelihoods. The deminers’ service to the these affected communities and the country as a whole has meant a mostly mobile lifestyle, with deminers and sometimes their families moving from location to location in accordance with humanitarian and development mine clearance priorities.

The deminers’ services have often put the safety and well-being of affected communities before their own and their regular movement has made it difficult for many CMAC staff’s families to settle and develop their own land. H.E. Hun Manet hailed the CMAC CDC as an opportunity for the country to repay the deminers’ selfless

service to their fellow Cambodians and to give them equal opportunity to livelihoods as they have given to so many of their fellow Cambodians.

The inauguration of CMAC’s CDC now avails CMAC staff and their families to affordable agricultural land on which to make their own bright futures. There are hopes the construction of a school and hospital will also aid those currently living in the vicinity of the CDC and create an expanded and close community. This will lead to a new found prosperity not only for the hard working CMAC deminers but will also contribute to rural Cambodians living in the district already and will have far reaching benefits that go beyond simply providing a new home.

The aim of this ceremony is to apply to the Vision and Goals of CMAC to enhance the livelihood of CMAC Staff by establishing the CMAC Community Development Centre (CMAC-CDC) to promote resettlement, agricultural production, tourism, cultural and eco-tourism, in a sustainable manner by 2020.

- To develop physical infrastructures for CMAC CDC to support the new

settlement and socioeconomic development. - To increase income of community members through agricultural production by

2015 and tourism by 2017. - To develop the CMAC-CDC to become a Centre for Eco-Tourism, Cultural

Tourism and Agro-tourism & Agricultural Production in a sustainable manner by 2020.

With the inauguration of CMAC’s CDC there is now livable and agricultural land available affordably. There are hopes the construction of a school, health center, pagoda and irrigation systems will also aid those currently living in the vicinity and perhaps expand the community. This event was attended by Mr. Cheam Chan Sophorn, deputy governor of Battambang province, H.E. Heng Ratana, Delegate of Royal Government in charge as CMAC General Director, H.E. General Hun Manet, Deputy Chief of Staff for the Royale Cambodian Army Force, who had precisely represented Samdech Techno Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia, as a keynote speaker. The event was also attended by CMAC management teams, CMAC key staff from all Demining Units, National Police, Army Force, local villagers and students.