3 STORIES OF LANDMINE VICTIMS
The
story of Yan Lay:
I am Yan Lay,
born on July 20, 1963 and live in Tuol Prasat village, Poipet commune, OChrov
district, Banteay Meanchey province, Cambodia, close to the Thai-Cambodian border.
My husband, 52 years old and I have 10 children, 5 boys, 5 girls. I attended the
school up to grade 3.
We earn the living by collecting
firewood with 20-40 bahts a day (less than $ 1). I stepped on a landmine at 9.30
AM on February 25, 2003. After collecting the firewood with my husband and four
other villagers, I was 200 m away from my house. At that time I was three month
pregnant. The blast destroyed my both legs, and tossed my body one meter high
up before falling down on my bottoms. I was brought by motorbike to the district
health center in Poipet for first aid. The health center charged me 300 bahts
($ 8), but we could not afford to pay it because we are so poor. Luckily an international
NGO car passed by and brought me to the provincial hospital in Mongkul Borey,
57 km from Poipet. At 12.00 I arrived at the hospital, but the doctors did not
treat me right away because we could not pay the charge of 5300 bahts ($ 123)
for the amputation.
One and half hour later, they amputated my both legs below knees after my husband promised them to pay the bill. He tried to borrow money from the neighbors, and was able to collect 3300 bahts only ($ 80). I stay in the hospital for 17 days. Even though my wound had not been healed completely, I went home because I was not happy with the treatment. On August 7, 2003, I delivered a healthy boy baby, which my husband gave him a name Nhim Meun.
Despite of the difficulties as a double amputee in taking care of the baby, I am happy to go to Bangkok to participate in the conference by sharing my personal sad story as a landmine victim to other people in the world, and to listen to the other people's story.
In my village there
are 7 landmine victims: 3 double amputees and 4 single amputees, who are from
18 to 49 years old. I hope CMAC (Cambodia Mine Action Center) can help de-mine
the place nearby my village, so that no more people become the mine victims. As
for my better future, I want to study tailoring to help my husband to earn money
for the family.
The Story of Nhan Eum:
I am Mrs. Nhan Eum, born on June 3, 1967, living in Mkak village, Mkak commune, Sereisophon district, Banteay Meanchey province, Cambodia. I am a single parent with two sons (12 and 9 years old). My husband left me for another woman when I was pregnant of my youngest son. I make a living by making banana cake, and earn 30-40 bahts a day (less than $1).
We, my villagers and I, go to the forest with five tractors to collect firewood for selling. One day we in a group rode on the trailer pulled by the tractor to the forest, 25 km away from our village. My tractor driven by my brother-in-law stepped on the anti-tank mine and the blast of it destroyed my both legs instantly and slightly injured the back of my brother-in-law. This mine accident happened to me at 9:00 am on February 2 2002. Imagine the two carts in front of us did pass the same place where the anti-tank mine was! Nothing happened to them, but me and my brother in law. I did not know that the forest was mine affected area because there was no mine sign at all, and I had gone to the forest twice before.
I was brought to the district health center (20 km away) by my fellow villagers to get the first aid, and then the ambulance brought me to the provincial hospital (39 km away) for further treatment. Because my legs were badly injured, they had to be amputated below knees. I stayed in the hospital for 34 days. The whole medical treatment costed 15,000 bahts ($350): 2000 bahts ($46) for surgery, 5400 bahts ($125), and 7600 bahts for other treatment. It was big amount of money for me. To pay the bill, I had no choice but to sell 1,5 ha of my 2,5 ha of rice field given by my parents. The accident costed me a lot: two legs and 1,5 ha of rice field. Life has been so different since then, and much harder.
I want to send my sons to school, and pursue their study as high as possible. I want to raise pigs to finance their study. So far, there are 6 mine victims (5 men, 1 woman) in my village, who are at the age of 30 to 40 years.
I am very happy to be invited to the meeting on mine ban in Bangkok. It is a chance to see another country. Since my amputation, I have practically been confined to my house, with a wheelchair and prosthetic legs. I hope I can meet other handicapped from different countries to share our sad experiences, and to appeal to the world to ban landmines from the earth. I beg the de-mining team to clear the place where I got the accident and in all mine affected areas.
The Story of Duch Sophat:
I am Sophat and 16 years old. I went to the forest with my younger and older brothers to collect wild vegetable to sell.
On the way home, my young brother (12 years old) stepped on a landmine and the blast catapulted a stone that hit my left eye. Surprisingly the blast did not injure my younger brother. We decided to take another way home. We thought it was safer. We walked in row with my elder brother in the middle, and my younger brother in front and I myself was at the back. We just walked for 10m from the place where the first accident took place, and my older brother (18 years old) stepped on a landmine which was bigger than the first one. This accident killed him right away, injured my left leg, and killed my younger brother as well. I was so terrified because my two brothers were both dead. Within an hour I lost my one eye and one foot by two landmine accidents on April 4, 2002.
More info contact CCBL: Ny NHAR / Sr. Denise Coghlan: 23 880 139 E-mail: jrscam@forum.org.kh or camban@online.com.kh
