Seeking Siam “Cambodia” (Sept 2019)

Cambodia

By Marla Laine Brown:

I admit we had reservations about visiting Cambodia, a country with a tragic past. The Khmer Rouge 1975-1979 wasn’t that long ago and I felt sorrow with the realization that while I was in high school fretting over my inconsequential adolescence, the Cambodian people were being massacred and an entire culture destroyed.

Our local guide did not or could not dwell on the topic. He had lost family and like many Cambodians is still hopeful that maybe someday he’ll be reunited with loved ones. Our guide then changed the subject and conveyed that the Cambodian people don’t dwell on the past but live in the present and look forward to the future.

The next morning I kept thinking about our conversation. Last night Soh mentioned that he use to be a dancer, but he also indicated that during the conflict he was a machine gunner. Soh is much younger then me and this was just another anguished reminder of the guerrilla warfare that persisted long after the Khmer Rouge.

Astonishingly many younger Cambodians aren’t aware of their history. It’s not taught in school and what they do know is often from movies such as “The Killing Fields” or “First They Killed My Father”. Also Cambodian law discourages political discussions and speaking critically of the government.

Tragically during the Khmer Rouge explosives were used as a way to hold the Cambodian people captive. Many Cambodians suffered mutilation if not death by these explosives and their disfigured bodies in turn were used as a reminder for those trying to flee enslavement of the regime.

To date there are still between 3 to 6 million land mines lying mostly along the borders. During monsoon season the land mines shift as the fields are flooded and every year farmers and children are maimed from these devices.

The Cambodia government is actively trying to locate these devices which are mostly made of plastic making metal detectors useless.

So they’ve created an ingenious method of using rats. No the rats don’t run on the fields and go boom! Instead they are equipped with sensors and are kept in line by using a series of cables. When the rats smell the plastic the sensors locate the position of the explosives. The cost to make each land mine was around $1.50 and now to dig each one up is about $350.

Cambodia is beautiful with its amazing temples. Our guide spoke proudly of his country’s 10th year of peace and improved infrastructure with the help of tourism dollars. Two days wasn’t enough to explore this incredible country.