CAMBODIA is working to convince Vietnam to sign the anti-personnel mine ban convention, said Vice-President of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority Prak Sokhonn yesterday.

Speaking at the Cambodia-hosted regional seminar on the Human Costs of Anti-Personnel Landmines, Prak Sokhonn said he had convinced Vietnam to consider acceding to the convention, and he would be travelling with a Vietnam delegation to another regional anti-personnel mines seminar in Singapore next month. The CMAA recorded 63,922 landmine casualties between 1979 and June 2011, the vast majority civilians, and a high proportion were children. The only regional country with a higher casualty tally was Vietnam.