Where Do the Children Play

Sometime in 2008

Cambodia - A Border Crossing

So, I have been asked to submit a photo essay by a European magazine on the subject of Asian cross border trade. No problem. Grab Camera, mount the horse, and head straight for Cambodia.

First, just a little background history for the young (although many of the elders could do with a refresher as Cambodia was one of those significant events that was neatly washed away by the media).

Cambodia was the original centre of the Ankor Kingdom. Most people have heard of Ankor Wat (The Angkor Temple) but few are aware of the vast city which to this day is still discernible "off the tourist path" overrun by jungle. Wikipedia has some very cool information on this place at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor

The significance of this city, its fall and the subsequent total demise of its people is in itself a crime of humanity equivalent at least to the fall of the great Inca empire. Although, as its not in our backyard and they dont speak English, who after all gives a toss? Care to name 3 cities in Cambodia for me?

Lets roll forward to the 60's and 70's of last century. Vietnam. America's war. Too much lost by Americans to be covered in this little blog. Lots gained by the industrial military complex, but thats also another story which has been well covered in depth by many.

So here is little Cambodia. A sleepy little place of rice and elephants, all of a sudden thrust into the view of the "Great" Powers, namely America, Russia and China. Money flows. Excesses abound. All the time the average Cambodians life is not so remarkably different from the days of the Great Khmer empire. The money created great polarities of political "direction". Money begets arms begets tragedy. Cambodia becomes of strategic value, unfortunately that value was considered far greater than the value of Cambodians generally and the resulting civil wars and period of darkness under the 

vicious Khmer Rouge rule are truly a blight on human history and our callous ability to turn a blind eye for some obscure diplomatic reasoning and once again leave the average Cambodian to the sword. Watch the Killing Fields for a reality check, and be aware that this movie was substantially toned down to what the average Cambodian faced.

So having turned our backs on them, when the Vietnamese "intervened" to stop the Khmer Rouge, we were of course "outraged" at the nasty Vietnamese invading another sovereign nation, .... see we told you the dominoes would fall, didnt we?

Vietnam however prevailed, and the ensuing "tragedy" of the Khmer Rouge being holed up on the Thai borders in refugee camps became a charitable cause for many in the west. Save the refugees!!!! The true facts were a little different though. Across the border came teak and gems in quite horrifyingly vast quantities and through the kindness of the various humanitarian oriented regional and world governments came...........land mines. Yes, land mines in similiarly vast and horrifying quantities. We didnt want anymore dominoes to fall did we? Of course not.

Cambodia has one of the highest statistics for laid land mines. If you are a simple rice farmer tending your fields, what do you know? If you are "lucky" you just donate a hand or a leg to the legacy of the Domino Theory. Unlucky? No Dad to keep you fed. Who reads statistics anyway?

So here I stand at the border market. Its shabby and temporary like all regional border markets. I see and photograph smiles and colour. 

But what is it thats really there?

I see kids begging and hauling. I see men without bits they should have. I am both sad and happy for them. They are the lucky ones and against all the odds thrown at Cambodia, they survive. 

My sadness stems from two questions:

1. Why do we allow people to exploit children? Are we not all Human?

2. Why are land mines allowed to exist at all?

Can anyone help me with the answers?

The full photo set titled The Elephant Kingdom can be found here http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikonokuro/sets/72157606959910464/