Phnom Penh: 6 July 2004

EU ASAC is pleased to announce that the 30th Flame of Peace ceremony in Cambodia, at which 4,426 surplus military weapons will be destroyed, is to be held in Kampong Thom at 08.30 hours on Tuesday, 13 July 2004. The Co-Minister of National Defence, General Tea Banh, will preside.

Earlier this year, EU ASAC - in co-operation with the Ministry of National Defence - completed a Weapons Registration and Safe Storage project in Military Region 4. Kampong Thom is one of the provinces comprising this military region and the 4,426 weapons to be destroyed were classified as surplus weapons during the project.

The Royal Government of Cambodia has regularly been destroying surplus weapons that have either been confiscated as illegal weapons from the civilian population or declared surplus weapons by the Ministry of National Defence. After the destruction in Kampong Thom the total number of weapons destroyed in Cambodia since May 1999 will be over 131,000. EU ASAC will have provided financial and technical assistance for the destruction of over 90,000 of these weapons.

EU ASAC has been operating in Cambodia since April 2000 and has completed Weapons Registration & Safe Storage projects in Military Region 2 (Kampong Cham), Military Region 4 (Siem Reap) and Military Region 5 (Battambang). EU ASAC is presently assisting the Ministry of National Defence in implementing similar projects in Military Region 1 (Stung Treng) and Military Region 3 (Kampong Speu)

In addition, in four provinces (Battambang, Pailin, Pursat and Kampong Thom), EU ASAC is assisting the Ministry of the Interior in setting up projects to train Commune Councils to take responsibility for weapons security as part of their regular tasks.

For further information on the work of EU ASAC please consult its website or contact David de Beer, Programme Manager, at (023) 214 805