T HE US government is to assist demining and road building efforts by the Royal

Cambodian Armed Forces by sending to Cambodia up to 90 military advisors in the

next few months.

The first contingent of 11 officers began arriving from

Cincpac headquarters in Hawaii as the Post went to press.

The initial

team is to assess requirements ahead of a larger detachment of around 60

demining experts, mainly from the US Army, who will be arriving in the next few

weeks, said a spokesman at the US Embassy.

He stressed there was no

offensive military aid or advice involved and it was a humanitarian

project.

The team is to train RCAF personnel to themselves become

instructors in demining and mines awareness and how to deal with mine-inflicted

injuries.

The spokesman said: "They [US officers] will not be doing any

active demining work.

"They will be coming to help prevent more mines

injuries and to rebuild infrastructure which has been run down by 20 years of

civil war."

Another contingent of 20 officers specializing in military

engineering will be arriving in mid-July to instruct RCAF personnel in road

building techniques.

They will be attached to the RCAF Engineering

School near Pochentong Airport and will be bringing 15-20 road-building

vehicles, such as graders and shovels which are surplus to US military

requirements.

The demining instructors are likely to stay in Cambodia for

around four weeks and the engineering experts are likely to stay for several

months.

A further detachment of road building experts are to arrive in

January 1995 along with more equipment donated under the Human Assistance

Program of Excess Property.

The US Embassy spokesman was unable to say

how expensive the project will be but it is likely to run into several million

dollars.

The project was put together after a request for assistance in

demining and road construction by the Royal Government.