Cambodia will

request a 10-year postponement of its commitment to the United Nations

to clear itself of land mines by 2010, Sam Sotha, secretary general of

the Cambodian Mine Action Authority, said Thursday. According to Sam

Sotha, between 1992 and 2008, 500 million square metres of mined

territory have been cleared of some two million unexploded munitions,

including 800,000 mines. Heng Ratana, deputy head of the mine agency,

was confident UN officials would comply with the request, saying that

he has discussed it with them during a conference in Geneva in

November.