Prime Minister Justin Trudeau concluded his first stop on a Southeast Asia tour by announcing nearly one million dollars to help clear unexploded landmines and cluster bombs from the region. He also pledged $990,000 at an event focused on women and their protection as the ASEAN summit neared its end in Cambodia.

The funding will support grassroots and government projects in Cambodia and Laos to remove unexploded ordnance, which originated from civil wars as well as American bombing during the Vietnam War.

Trudeau also said in discussions with local groups focused on women in peacebuilding: "When the land is cleared, it’s not just that people are safer and children can play, but the land can be used for farming and development."

Canada is also pressing regional countries to stop using these types of munitions, and to fund their remediation for decades. The 1997 Ottawa Treaty sought to ban the production of anti-personnel mines and commit to their clearance, a pledge adopted by most countries but not all.

The funds will support the first dedicated national demining team in Laos, and will also support grassroots groups like Self Help Demining in Cambodia. Bill Morse, a former U.S. soldier during the Vietnam War who helped in that group, said Trudeau’s announcement aligns with the trend of people assuming mines are no longer an issue, adding: "Canada’s commitment to continue funding, when we’re almost finished and everyone here cuts their funding, is a huge step in the right direction." He said Cambodia could be mine-free by 2025 if local organizations have enough resources.

Instead, farmers remain maimed by decades-old cluster bombs buried in the ground, while mines meant to target vehicles and tanks remain unexploded until something heavy rolls over them.

In the same regard, Morse said landmines kill nearly 50 people in Cambodia each year, down from thousands in the 1990s. He said: "If we had 50 people blown up across Canada by landmines, we would throw all the money we can into the Canadian military to get out there and clear these things."

The use of mines continues in conflicts worldwide, including by Russian and Ukrainian forces, and Cambodian groups have helped train people in Ukraine to clear lands. Trudeau described this as "a real example of how countries can come together and learn from each other."