The situation in Cambodia...

The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces estimate that 10 million mines are in the ground in Cambodia, said Kwan Siem, Director of Materials for RCAF. CMAC estimates that there are 4 million to 6 million mines.

This number is not universally accepted, in part because in 1997 CMAC was also claiming that 10 million mines were in the ground. "I would be surprised if there were more than 500,000," said Haslop. About 80,000 mines have been cleared over the past 6 years, according to CMAC.

Most deminers shy away from estimating the number of mines, preferring to measure the problem by square meter or square kilometer instead, because minefields are cleared meter by meter. By any measure the extent of the problem is enormous, but many observers are optimistic that the mine problem can eventually be resolved.

"I think in 10 years we can see a big change. Ten years goes very fast," said Sam Sotha, director of CMAC. Haslop noted that demining moves faster each year. "It’s not a story of gloom and doom. It is a story of success," he said.