A country still trying to recover

LAND MINES

Three decades of war in Cambodia have left scars in many forms throughout the country. Unfortunately, one of the most lasting legacies of the conflicts continues to claim new victims daily. Land mines, laid by the Khmer Rouge, the Heng Samrin and Hun Sen regimes, the Vietnamese, the KPNLF, and the Sihanoukists litter the countryside. In most cases, even the soldiers who planted the mines did not record where they were placed. Now, Cambodia has the one of the highest rates of physical disability of any country in the world. While census data for Cambodia is sketchy, it is generally accepted that more than 40,000 Cambodians have suffered amputations as a result of mine injuries since 1979. That represents an average of nearly forty victims a week for a period of twenty years. At the current rate of progress, it may take as many as 100 to 150 years to clear all the mines in Cambodia
I was so vigilant and cautious of land mines but I still made a silly mistake walking back through the jungle from the waterfall temple. I did the unthinkable and left the track to duck into the trees to have a leak. Literally 50 meters down the track here were a number of exposed land mines in the ground....I was so lucky that day.

U.S. BOMBING
From 18 March 1969 until 26 May 1970 the United States committed genocide from the air. During this time 2.7 Million tonnes of bombs were dropped on Cambodia which is more than was dropped on Germany and Japan combined during WW2. This intensive carpet bombing was carried out by enourmous B-52s who rained down hundreds of thousands of bombs upon defenceless farmers. The bombs had no specific targets only a vauge objective of disrupting suspected Viet Cong activity.

The results were devastating. 600,000 to 800,000 peasants were wiped out. An unknown amount were wounded or maimed. Once prosperous agricultural land full of rice and water buffalo was made useless. The Cambodian people were devasted and broken which created a climate that allowed the vicious Khmer Rouge to come to power. The Khmer Rouge withs its leader Pol Pot would then go on to commit genocide on a monumental level and murdered another 1.8million men, women, children and even new born babies before the country was liberated by the Vietnamese People's Army.

Out and about in the land of the Khmer

Here is a taste of just some of the amazing things I saw on my travels in Cambodia. Im booked to go back on April 8th to Phnom Penh.

Cambodia's greatest treasure...the people

The real jewel of Cambodia is not the incredible temples or dazzling golden palaces, but it is the people. This country has seen years and years of war, bombings, bloodshed, upheaval and attrocities. Most people have next to nothing and earn a few dollars a day. Yet these Khmer people are the most friendly delightful people anywhere and make travelling in Cambodia a rare treat and real privilege. I found them to be the most beautiful, caring and happy people, that made me reassess my place in the world and they really define what is important in life. Ill let the photos tell the story.