PHNOM PENH, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has discovered 34 locations that have been affected by war-left chemical bombs, the country's foreign ministry said in a press statement on Wednesday.
The Southeast Asian country has encountered a number of chemical remnants, including chemical bombs found in northeastern Mondulkiri province in 2012 and recently in southeastern Svay Rieng province, the statement said.
"As of present, there are 34 locations known to contain the same type of devices throughout the country," it said, adding that several victims were also identified in Svay Rieng province.
According to the statement, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn wrote last month a letter to Ahmet Uzumcu, director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), to inform him about the discovery of the chemical remnants and to seek OPCW's assistance in this issue.
"The Kingdom of Cambodia wishes to declare that the country is affected by the chemical remnants of war used during the 1960s and 1970s," Prak Sokhonn said in the letter.
"Facing such grave danger, to ensure safety and well-being of Cambodian people, the Royal Government of Cambodia...wishes to seek OPCW's assistance in the verification process of all devices in the known locations, and assistance to support further national survey on chemical weapons contamination as well as future clearance and destruction," he added.
Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen has publicly spoken on many occasions that the chemical bombs were dropped from U.S. warplanes during the Vietnam War era.
It is estimated that, between 1965 and 1973, the U.S. dropped about 2.7 million tons of explosives on 113,716 locations in Cambodia.
