Village Demining #1

I didn't really want to set the tone for my vblog by starting with these two videos - I don't generally hang out in minefields. But I only have a couple of travel videos, so I'll start with what I have. When I was in Cambodia, I had an offer to go into a minefield, and as a wannabe journalist I felt that I had an obligation to go and tell the story.

One of the guys that took us into the minefield has stepped on 6 landmines. The first landmine blew off his foot. The next landmine took off half his leg. The next 4 blew his prosthetic leg to pieces, and he hopped down to the NGO for a replacement. Yet, he keeps going back into the minefields to illegally cut down trees that he can sell to the Thais for $5 a piece. This is how he feeds his family. And that is the life of a village de-miner.

The video was actually taken by Colin - but I was present at the time it was filmed - and have rights to redistribute the video. It was filmed in a village just outside of Malai along the Thai/Cambodian border.

The first video shows how village deminers search for landmines by roughly scraping away the topsoil with a shovel. The 2nd video shows the disarming of a landmine.

For de-mining photos and a bit more description click here:

http://www.geekeasy.com/travel/galleries/Demining.html

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Cambodia
• landmine
• mine
• village
• demining

[tvobssesed]

Excellent Ideas !!!!

Mine detectors

Specialist teams

SLIGHT PROBLEM !!

That costs MONEY !!!

This is Cambodia, people dont exactly roll in money. They are desparate people !

You can educate away all you want but they are sick and tired of not being able to move freely.

They are not stupid, they know what a mine can do, they have probably seen it.

Ther is a time when a man says : Fcuk it, im going to have a go at fixing this

So save the rhetoric, and pray for his safety !!

[steve531109]

Don't you get it ? Poor people without expensive mine detectors or safety gear have to clear this way or their children and other innocent civilians will be killed or maimed . You posters who only have experience of video games need to educate yourselves as to the realities . This guy does more good in a day than people with a keyboard and blind ignorance will do their whole lives .

[HoneyBunny14th]

this is not bravery not demining

there are BAC ( Battle Area Clearance) and EOD ( Explosive Ordnance Disposal) people to take care of it.. jeeees,isnt all the MRE ( Mine Risk Education) enough.. what the hell is wrong wid people??

[dado500]

this guy in an idiot. he does not have mine detector?

[KhmerSerey1]

That's one brave Cambodian i tell you that boy !! this boy is crazeeeehhh !! he' loco !! you ain't crazy until you are face to face trying to diffused a land mine,this Cambodian is fucking nut !! he will loose his nuts,no joke if that shit goese off by accident.

[KhmerSerey1]

Removing landmine with a shovel !! only Cambodian guy are brave enough to do something like that ;)

[leftyking2000]

E.O.D, WHAT NOT TO DO!!!