Land Mines: Thai government to make Mine Action Centre an NGO

The Thai government has announced it will remove the Thailand Mine Action Centre from the control of the Supreme Command to make it a non-government organisation so that efforts to clear landmines can be intensified.

Speaking after a meeting on landmine clearance, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said the government admitted the state-run centre was working very slowly on mine clearance. The change, which will take place as soon as possible, was needed to speed up the operation, he added.

The Bangkok Post reports the country has an estimated area of 2,500 square kilometres affected by landmines - mostly on the Cambodian birder - but the centre can clear only 1 percent of this, according to the prime minister.

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