Cambodian Land Mine Museum, Siem Reap.

Beneath all the charm & beautiful temple ruins of Siem Reap, Cambodia has a dark war torn past under the communist regime of Pol Pot. Mr. Aki Ra, the museum's curator, was forcibly conscripted as a child soldier when he was orphaned at 5, where he was taught to make simple bombs and handle firearams under the Khmer Rouge. He later joined the North Vietnamese and after that the National Cambodian Army. In 1995 he began clearing mines. The Land Mine Museum was opened in 1995 through Aki Ra's own private initiative, not the government's.

It is totally self funded from tourists contributions and its own relief fund. So please support with your donations to The Cambodia Land Mine Relief Fund. In fact, Aki Ra said that the government has tried to close it down a number of times, for fear of frightening tourists from coming to Angkor Wat. He has even been accused by the government of selling live arms and ammunitions at one time.

Did u know that Angkor Wat was once peppered with land mines? Yes and Aki Ra cleared it all. Not to worry, the Angkor Archaeological Park is SAFE from landmines and as long as you keep to the well worn paths there shouldn't be any cause for concern unless if you plan on bushwhacking through the jungles of Angkor!

Aki Ra besides being the one man de-mining team and curator of the Landmine Museum, is also the adoptive father of 20 children of landmine victims.

A mock-up of a landmine field behind me.

The majority of Cambodia's land mines are along the Thai border of Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Preah Vihear provinces and Oddar Meanchey. For expeditions to former Khmer Rouge areas of Anlong Veng or the distant temples of Koh Ker and Preah Khan it is best to hire an experienced guide. Anywhere within 50 kilometers of Siem Reap is free from land mines according to Aki Ra.

Imagine wielding a weapon that can cut through flesh & bones makes you shudder!

By Aki Ra's reckoning, it will take another twenty to thirty years before the landmines are cleared to an acceptable level. The official figures from the Landmine Monitor Report 2000 cited 1,019 human casualties in 1999, and 3,047 casualties in 1996, a one-third decrease. There were no break down of figures on the fatalities or how many were maimed.

There is even a village, Phum Chon Pika or literally 'village of disabled people' where 400 families whose members were victims of the landmines stay together. Some of the men worked during the day but many more are beggars and musicians that you would see around the temples. With the contributions made to the relief fund, it is hoped that the children of the landmine victims would have a better future and some would be trained as tour guides.

Picture of museum's curator Mr. Aki Ra in the background with an array of arsenal collected from his de-mining efforts.

Collection of defused landmines.

Landmine inscribed with
"FRONT TOWARD ENEMY".

What looked like missile projectiles.

A foot trap.

When bombs could rip through a steel helmet.