Surrounded by landmines
Story and photograph by Sean Sutton
The residents of Toul Khpos fled in 1989 due to fighting between Vietnamese and Khmer Rouge troops. Fighting continued in the area involving all sides of the conflict until 1996. The village was used as a military base and was repeatedly mined.
People started to return to the village in 2002. Now there are 29 families living in the minefield; their houses surrounded by red mine warning signs. The villagers have found lots of landmines around their homes.
"This is where my grandparents came from," said Huk Linh. "We were fed up with living next to the road, where we had no land, so we came back here. There are mines everywhere and we are scared, but this is my home and I have to grow food. But our home is like a prison because of the mines."
Linh's neighbour, Khon Kheun, added: "Just the other day my dog was scratching around and uncovered a mine close to the house. I told the deminers who came and blew it up. I keep telling my three daughters to stay away from the mines, but I'm so worried - they could be hidden anywhere!"
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| Monks pray in a temporary temple as a MAG deminer works nearby |
In the centre of the village is the site of an old pagoda. Before the war, people came from across the region to worship here. Monks found 30 landmines around a big spiritual bayon tree next to the pagoda.
Two teams (one of them a locality demining team) and a Tempest vegetation cutter have been working here for four weeks. So far they have found 29 landmines and 15 items of unexploded ordnance (UXO). Twelve hectares will be cleared and there will be enough land for thirty five more displaced families to live and farm in the village. When the land has been made safe, MAG's partners CARE will build a bridge, an access road, water wells and a fishpond. This project is funded by the European Commission (DG ECHO) and is expected to take a year to complete. The Tempest team is funded by AusAid.
"I'd say our biggest problem is the mines, then access to water, then medical help and a road and bridge," said Huk Linh. "We are so happy that MAG are clearing the mines. In the past many people were blown up and we were scared every day. Slowly life is getting better."
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