For years my only knowledge of Cambodia was that there was a need for landmine removal. In the late 90’s, an uncle of mine was stationed there for landmine removal, and at the time, I thought nothing of it. Cambodia was a country that I never dreamed I’d be visiting. To have that opportunity now, so amazing!Fast forward a decade and half…I’ve learned a lot more! From 1973 to 1997, Cambodia was under the terrorizing rule of the Khmer Rouge. Almost 2 million people died from starvation, exhaustion, lack of medical care, and execution. Between ’75 and ’78 approximately 100,000 people were executed.
People who didn’t conform to the “Peasant Ideal” were systematically executed. That means doctors, professors, lawyers, artists, business men, musicians, etc, etc. all killed. All traces of any unique thought or creativity were erased. Children, young children, were trained as soldiers. The Khmer Rouge was still in power until 1996 when the first elections were held, and weren’t removed until 1998. That said, Cambodia is relatively new to tourism.
Aki Ra and his organization devote all of their donated funds to clearing Cambodia’s rural “low-priority” villages. These villages, populated primarily by poor farmers, do not always receive first dibs for minefield clearance projects because of their remoteness and limited traffic. At times, they’re completely overlooked.from: www.cnn.com
Over 5 million landmines were dispersed all over Cambodia. It is estimated that it will take about 100 years to clear them all. About 1 in 300 people is affected by landmines in Cambodia today. We visited the Cambodian Landmine Museum and spent a bit of time there, just trying to process what we were seeing. The story of Aki Ra was particularly moving. If you have time it is worth watching the video and reading the article.
Speaking to people our age, who had such uplifting, positive personalities was awe-inspiring. Many of our contemporaries are orphans with indelible psychological scars. And yet, Cambodians were some of the happiest, kindest, most welcoming people we’ve ever encountered.
The country is on the way to recovery, and it will be a long road still. A huge emphasis was placed on education and literature. The writing coming forward is a lot of personal accounts of survivors. One that I read on the flight home was a heart-breaking read– First they Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers.
Anthropologists believe that the Khmer Rouge managed to do away with approximately 80 percent of the country’s literature, even using the National Library of Cambodia as a pig stall. Of the few remaining texts, most were saved because copies were stored outside the country, especially in ex-colonialist France, or by refugees who fled the country.From: Granges et al. National Geographic Traveler Cambodia 2010 edition.
If you are in Cambodia, and spend any time in Siem Reap Town, be sure to visit the Landmine Museum. You’re able to donate to the cause at the facility. There’s a wish list of items on the website that you can pick up in any of the markets to deliver when you’re there too!
Please give if you’re able to help,
~j