Land Mines are still a huge problem in Cambodia. The main paved/dirt road
from the Thai/Cambodia border town of Poipet is well marked with signs on
both sides of the road indicating that it is very dangerous to walk off
the road. Over 100 people each month in Cambodia are maimed or killed by
stepping on unexploded land mines. The Land Mine Museum is well worth
visiting - it is sobering, sad and educational at the same time. It is
located not far from Charles De Gaulle Blvd which is the main road leading
to Angkor Wat. The Mine Museum is located close to the Angkor Zoo - The
Angkor Zoo has a sign on the paved Charles DG road - you drive to the Zoo
and then turn right and about 1 mile down this dirt road the Mine Museum
will be on your left. Not very many tourist visit this museum as its
somewhat off the beaten path and the government probably keeps it from
being publicized very much.
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This museum was started several years ago by a Mr. Aki Ra born in
1975. He used to have a banner stretched across the road advertising
his museum but the government raided the museum one day and shut
everything down. Finally he was allowed to reopen the museum but he
had to remove the banner. This is a museum of course, but it is so
much more than that. It is Aki's exhibition and history of a part of
his life that most people would soon want to forget. This part of
his life is on display for all to see - from the stomach wrenching
photographs of war, to thousands |
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of inactive weapons
of war (many of which he deactivated personally), to articles about his
experience in the army. His parents were killed by the Khmer Rouge when he
was five. He was forced to leave his village, work in the fields and then
several years later was drafted into the Vietnamese army. Aki estimates he
laid over 50,000 land mines during his time in the army.
Now he works for the people of Cambodia. He runs this his museum to
further awareness about the tragedy and horror of war, he trains the
Cambodian army in the art of defusing land mines, he personally defuses
many land mines each year, he offers free English classes, and he runs on
site an orphanage for children maimed by land mines. Estimated time to
visit is about 30 to 45 minutes. There are many deactivated grenades and
land mines in the actual museum. Many photos and articles about the museum
from noteworthy publications such as the Washington Post, and the New York
times hand on the wall. There is a "mine field" setup outside
the museum. See how easily it is to step on a land mine or trigger a
"trip" wire. All the weapons of war at this museum are
completely safe - everything has been deactivated.
Aki speaks 4 languages, Khmer, English, Japanese and French. His museum
and orphanage is entirely supported by donations; it is not government
funded. If you can't make it to his museum you can email Aki personally at thailandisfreedom@yahoo.com
or call him at: (885) 012 630 446
or
read more here. |
