JS-CAMBODIA

VISITORSs

Japanese university students visited Cambodia along with Vincente Bonet.sj and Chiyo from the Japanese Jesuit Social Centre . Some of the legal students were invited by refugees to listen to their stories. This group of Camboren supports our projects in the rural areas.

EAR SURGERY

Australian surgeon Kevin Holwell and his team of Terry Ryan(audiologist) Barbara(anesthetist) Susie and Sylvie along with our Cambodian team of Sorphany, Samel, Rattana, Bora, Heang, Lo and Pheak were in Battambang last week, working in the Arrupe Center and Emergency Hospital to care for patients with serious hearing problems. When the French team of Manuel and Fremont finish this week, 41 people will have had surgery and many more tested, treated and /or fitted with hearing devices.

A team from Australia, led by Merren Bailey helped land-mine survivors and people in need in mine affected communities with physiotherapy, dental care and medical examinations.

They were Geoff and Carolyn Catton, Robyn and
Wayne Martin and Carmel Holmes from Tasmainia, Brisbane and Sydney. They were welcomed in Banteay Prieb and village Banteay Meanchey and Siem Reap.

SOUN CHREK
We are very sad to announce that team member Suon Chreuk died on Sunday morning. One of the wheelchair workers and a big campaigner against land mines; a man of great courage and integrity and always ready to welcome us all, he lost two legs to a landmine years ago and has been working as part of our team since 1993.

He was one of the four authors of the famous letter of 1994 that went around the world through the JRS network and succeeded in gaining more than a million signatures calling for a ban on landmines.

Only 43 years old he has left behind a wife, two children and others he is rearing. One of them was sold into prostitution and Chreuk went to buy the child back and has provided fatherly care ever since.

For the landmine campaign he travelled to Austria, Geneva, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Australia.

Joaqui took Soun Chrek to hospital in the middle of the night on Saturday 11 February and he died soon after. Chruek had some recurring problems from the landmine injuries and this was complicated apparently by pulmonary and kidney problems.

Please remember our Chreuk with love. The team here is still very shocked by this sudden news and our hearts go out to the family, as they too, are in shocked grief.

We are amputees.
Before we were soldiers, members of different
armies that laid mine that blew the legs and arms
and eyes of one another.

Now we teach and learn together in the
The Centre of the Dove.

We beg the world to stop making mines,
We beg the world to stop laying mines,
We beg for funds for clearing mines
so that we can rebuild our families,
our villages and our country again.

Hem Phang, Klieng Vann, Channareth, Chreuk.