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Cambodia Diary
8 - 14 September, 2003
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My name is Nhean Chumno. I am 38 years old and I was born in Prey Chankar Village, Svay Chrom Commune, Mesay District, Prey Veng Province. I now live in Sdao Village, Sdao Commune, Rattanak Mondul District, Battambang Province. I am married and I have four children.
In 1981 to 1983 I was a soldier of State of Cambodia getting paid 150 Riel per month. I then fled to join KPNLAF at Khmer-Thai border. I married in 1987 at the Site-2 Cambodian refugee camp in Thailand where my family and the other refugees were supported by UNBRO. We repatriated to Cambodia by late 1992. After 1993-election, I joined the Royal Cambodia Armed force getting salary 70,000 Riel a month. I was demobilized last year (2002) and I was given 909,400 Riel, a Motorbike C-100 and kits for using in the house. Since then I have become a simple civilian, working as a labourer on the farm getting paid 50 baht a day. It was a small income and was not enough to support my family. I could not pay for my children to go to school.
My ex-commander told me about The HALO Trust and that they were recruiting demobilized soldiers to be deminers. I was very interested in this and went to the Battambang Ex-soldier Department office for an interview. Out of the 58 people who turned up for recruitment I was one of the 40 who were hired. We were taken to the HALO Trust training centre in K’dep Thmar where we were briefed on the principles and policy and spent three weeks on a deminers training course. After completing the course I became a standby deminer working in the Anlong Veng location for two months. Now I am a full time deminer and have transferred to the Kam Rieng location in Battambang province.
So far I have worked in 6 minefields, my current task is Tasen Village-1 which is being demined by TBS section and I have found two PMN Russian. It was not too scary for me when finding a mine because I had experience with them for many years in the army. However, I always follow HALO SOP’s for demining because this is the safest way.
My life has been much better since working for The HALO Trust that not only helps me supporting my family but also assists the poorest communities in Cambodia by getting mines out of the ground.
Finally, I would like to express my deep thanks for The HALO Trust charity backed by Zero Landmine Campaign (TBS). I hope TBS will continue funding the mineclearance programme until there are no more mines in ground of Cambodia.
Best wishes,
Nhean Chumno
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