The Temple Situation
on So Now It's Cambodia (Cambodia), 10/Feb/2011 08:47, 34 days ago
If you would like to follow the story, this is the paper we read along with the Cambodia Daily.http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2011020946687/National-news/cambodia-thailand-at-war-pm.htmlThe situation is a bit tense here though I have seen nothing out of the ordinary as yet locally. Although we are not directly affected some of the staff Alison works with are very nervous. This is partly because it brings back memories of their childhood. There are even stories of poeple taking cover in holes in the ground just like they did in the Khmer Rouge/Vietnam War days. VSO have been phoning all volunteers to check we're ok and to get feedback on what is happening locally and they have criteria for when evacuation would be necessary (which is apparently anything happening within a 20K radius) - don't worry - we will be at the front of the queue!!!There is a lull in the fighting now but there were stories of tanks preparing for a battle in a village in the temple area. Alison had a surprise the other day when soldiers turned up at her hospital but it was a routine enquiry to see if they were willing to receive wounded soldiers (from both sides!) were it to be necessary. Another volunteer saw tanks going past her hospital.Nevertheless, it is not a pleasant situation for anyone and there is pretty bad behaviour going on around the temple inclcuding damaging the temple and using cluster weapons as it says in the newspaper report above. It is so sad to see people who've been refugees before having to go through all that trauma again.Let's hope they can come to a speedy resolution to this before more people die or are injured and the temple they're fighting over is blown to bits! One fear people have is that if they have to evacuate that their things will be stolen. I have been wondering about the sight of my piano going down the street on the back of a moto!!!