Cambodia approves two new sub-decrees to manage weapon use

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) — The Council of Ministers of Cambodia has approved two related sub-decrees that allow the Ministries of Interior and Defense to manage people’s weapons and evacuate areas deemed dangerous by their proximity to suspected explosives, national media reported Monday.

The sub-decrees are aimed at protecting the public and preventing danger that could harm lives or property, the Cambodia Daily newspaper said, citing a Council of Ministers statement.

The new sub-decree, which allows relevant authorities to evacuate both public and private land, will help provide people with security, Defense Minister Tea Banh was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

“In case of emergency, we will evacuate people, people who are living close to the Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) zone or an old weapons warehouse that could be dangerous,” he said.

Tea Banh said the other sub-decree is aimed at controlling the proliferation of arms within Cambodia.

The Interior and Defense Ministries will jointly spearhead efforts to collect unauthorized arms and register all the weapons in Cambodia, he added.

Editor: Bi Mingxin