ABSTRACT
For a Westerner, a typical vacation visit to Southeast Asia includes an excursion into Cambodia to see the majestic Khmer temple at Angkor, commonly listed among the wonders of the world. Trips of this kind must be made by riverboat or airplane as many of the roads have been destroyed by years of war. En route from Bangkok, the comparatively wealthy Thai countryside gives way to Cambodia’s desolation, still recovering from losing one-third of its population to the ravages of the Khmer Rouge and other conflicts. Here, the immense assuredness of Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples stands in contrast to the seemingly fresh bomb craters, throngs of orphans and amputees, and the Toul Sleng democide museum. Thousands of headless Buddha statues, decapitated by the Khmer Rouge, sit as silent witnesses to the violence, which continues to pulse just below the surface of the earth. In this country the size of Ohio, left-over landmines continue to take hundreds of lives every month. The threat is ever-present. Signs warn people to stay on the road.
