Treading softly in Cambodia

It's hard to believe the incredible number of landmines still around in Cambodia. Vast regions of the countryside - dozens of square kilometres at a time - are still off-limits thanks to the frenetic mine programs of both the Khmer Rouge and the government during the 80s and 90s.

The KR were laying mines right up to 1998, which goggles me, and they really liked using them, really really alot. Firstly, land and personnel mines were a dime a dozen on the arms markets at the time as other nations moved on to laserguided missiles and left the antiquated stuff for the crazy people. Peaceful little Thailand were especially generous with funding land mine dispersal along the mutual border, as it served the dual purpose of helping keep refugees out. And mines were good value for the Khmer Rouge especially, as they had very few soldiers to hand to maintain their occupied areas. But for the government, the mines helped contain the KR to the said occupied areas, so it seemed both sides did nothing but lob literally millions of the things into this country's sad soil.

Cambodia remains the most mined land in the world - according to non-Cambodian sources. The currrent government, you see, has had huge influxes of donations and foreign currency to supposedly fund the military clearing the mines. So they vehemently dispute the figures, and point to successful regions which they have cleared.

Unfortunately for the average prole, these tend to be high-profile or tourist areas. A prime example is the way the military famously cleared a huge farming area on the Thai border, relocated the locals to a non-cleared area, and built a massive casino. It seems the easiest, and cheapest, way for them to clear the mines is simply to let the people desperate for farmland into a region and shrug when the bombs go off.

Everywhere we see limbless people, and far too many limbless kids..Meanwhile, we tread softly, and follow very well-worn paths.