The Japan Center for Conflict Prevention launched a new weapons collection and rural development project under the auspices of the JICA Partnership Program in August 2004. On Thursday 23rd September, in Rolea B’ier District in Kampong Chhnang Province (approximately 100km north of Phnom Penh), a weapons collection workshop was held with local leaders, including governors, mayors, and policemen working within the project areas. While the project targeted community leaders initially, it will involve local civilians throughout in order to raise awareness of the dangers of small weapons.

Around 130 people from the Rolea B’ier District participated in the workshop, which started with a traditional Cambodian ceremony of monks. This was followed by the raising of the national flags of Japan and Cambodia, after which came speeches by Mr. Pich Sambath, the Governor of Rolea B’ier District, Mr. Chikaraishi, Resident Representative of the JICA Cambodia Office, and Mr. Tanaka, JCCP Representative in Cambodia. At the end of the workshop, white doves were released into the sky, symbolizing hope for peace, development and progress in Cambodia, as well as for a continued good relationship between Cambodia and Japan.

With the opening of the workshop, JCCP’s project activities got underway, with the invaluable cooperation of JICA, the Cambodian government, and the local people. With this broad base, we will tackle the problem of the large numbers of small arms still evident in the Cambodian countryside, working to drastically reduce the number of weapons in the hands of civilians and from there to support development in the region.

Speech made at the workshop by JCCP Representative Mr. Tsuyoshi Tanaka
"It is my honor and privilege to be here today on the occasion of this weapons collection workshop which forms part of the JCCP-JICA Grassroots Technical Partnership Program. The Japan Center for Conflict Prevention is a Japanese NGO which has been working in Cambodia since we first opened an office in Phnom Penh in 2001. Since then we have been active in the areas of small arms collection and development, building schools and sanitation facilities, literacy projects for ethnic minorities.

As a result of the conflict in Cambodia, many civilians still have small arms, leading to petty disputes and crimes, often with tragic consequences. As part of this project for weapons collection, we hope to improve people’s daily lives by helping people to understand the importance of collecting these small arms, and thereby increasing stability and security in local communities. I would like to thank the government and people for their invaluable cooperation in this project; together we form a team and will work together to make this a better place to be."

(This is an English translation of the speech as the original was given in Khmer).