BBC World News. Broadcast: 18 November 2010. Producer: Stuart Hughes
MAG Chief Executive speaks to BBC World News about the recent accident in north-western Cambodia which killed 13 people when the vehicle they were in detonated an anti-tank mine.
The victims – who included a seven-month-old baby girl and a four-year-old boy – were from six families of chilli farmers, returning home after working in fields in one of the poorest areas of Battambang province.
The road back to their village had been partially washed away by rains, so the driver decided to take another route, thinking it would be safe as many cattle had been seen using the road without any incident.
“Unfortunately, this is something that’s going to start reoccurring now," said Lou. "Many of the mines that were planted over the last 30 years are now surfacing and are going to become a real danger to the population there.”
“Although MAG has been there [in the area] like other organisations for the past 18 years, we’ve cleared the major route areas, but [… ] the population is growing rapidly and unfortunately we cannot keep up with the work.”
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MAG thanks the following current donors to our Cambodia programme: Actiefonds Minjnen Ruimen; Act for Peace; Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Good Gifts; Lutheran World Federation; NVESD; Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, US Department of State; QPSW; The Rowan Charitable Trust; UK Department for International Development (UKAid).
19 November 2010
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