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Cambodia Diary
February 7, 2002
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My name is Hean Morn, I am married with six children. I have four boys and two girls, all of the boys go to school and the girls will go once they are old enough.
I was born in Svay Leu district in Siem Reap Province and my home is still there. Before I joined HALO I was a solider based in northern Siem Reap and as often sent to fight the Khmer Rouge. It is funny, I spent many years fighting the Khmer Rouge and hated them very much, now I work in their former stronghold and my closest friends are former Khmer Rouge soldiers. I often think about all the wasted lives that were lost during the war for nothing, the Khmer Rouge were just like me.
I am currently working in O'Kroch Village 5 which is funded by project "Mine-Free". The people here are very poor. I think most of them are former Khmer Rouge but I don't mind helping them because they are so poor. Some families are living in the minefields and I think this is very dangerous, especially for the children. My Field Officer has given the people of the village mine awareness training but some people do not listen, they still continue to go into the minefield, I think it is because they are so poor they have no choice.
Since I started with HALO I found 33 UXO and 27 mines, I no longer get nervous when I find a signal, I follow the rules that I was taught at the deminer and I know if I follow these I will not get injured. HALO has taught me a lot about how to prevent illnesses and I now follow these principles at home, my family uses mosquito and we boil all our drinking water, this is the principle that HALO has taught me.
The HALO remote camps are very nice to live in, the conditions are better than most of our houses but we all miss our families very much. I often wonder what my children are up to and what they are doing, I really miss them during the cycle.
I know this diary is going to Japan to our donor, the office staff told me that the diary will be on the internet. I don't know what the internet is, but I want to thank the Japanese people for supporting Cambodia and HALO.
Best regards
Hean Horn
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