Phnom Penh Post Published Project Pineapple Posthumanously

Posthumanously? Well, the riding part of the project is over and I felt like another Pee not to mention the hundreds of thousands if not millions dead from Cluster Bombs

Mark, the Production Editor of the PPP and who took the pic, sent me this link to their story

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2009052125966/Life-Style/Campaign-mobilises-UXO-cleanup.html

Copy and Paste and have a look. Sorry to say a few inaccuracies but hopefully they will publish corrections. If not, read the blog and the website FOR THE REAL STORY.

Lets Go Duch On War Crimes ......

....And Crimes Against Humanity

Lets go Dutch means lets share the responsibility. In Cambodia Duch, not Dutch, is on trial for his part, S21 torture prison, in Khmer Rouge war crimes causing the death of 1.7 million. Read about all that stuff elsewhere. Here the subject is Cluster Bombs.

In The Remnants Museum in Sai Gon was a plaque with the Vietnamese death tally during the American War as they rightfully call it, 3 million. Many of these deaths were caused by Cluster Bombs.

It seems strange that, depending which side you are on or perhaps from which race, war crimes and crimes against humanity are either condemned and token culprits rather than the masterminds are put on trial or a country is lauded for is fight for so called democracy and freedom.

Strange really. The North Vietnamese thought they were fighting for their freedom thus the determination and tenacity behind their ultimate overpowering of the agressor.

But as in Iraq where it is clear now to all that there were no weapons of mass destruction and it was all a ruse to get western hands on the vast three largest known undeveloped oilfields in Southern Iraq so the Viet Nam War was an oil war. Just google 'standard oil, vietnam war' and you can read all about it. It is a little know fact that within the Asian Region Viet Nam is the 3rd largest producer of oil and gas after Indonesia and Malaysia. On a separate issue you may add Burma to this list, producer of oil since 1857, remember Burmah Oil company now through corporate integration, the giant BP.

The patern is similar in most wars over the last 100 years. Look at the Falklands War as the UK just recently pressed its claim to develope its exploration for oil and gas by excerting the 200 mile mineral rights under the International Law of the Sea. Unsurprisingly, Argentina is objecting. Journalists for 27 years, apart from industry technical magasines, have not been reporting the hydrocarbon issue hiding their ignorance behind their arrogance.

So all this war mongering that allows the war machine to do as it wishes and carpet bomb victim countries leaving its trail of destruction and inevitably a 200 year legacy of UXOs, unexploded ordinances, is actually merely a gambit to grab others hydrocarbon resources.

Does the world wish to face up to this reality, will politicians continue to camouflage their intention, does the media largely owned by large corporate business care to distribute this knowledge, must the poor hill farmers in the mountains of Lao, Vietnam, Cambodia and now Iraq and Afghanistan continue to die and lose limbs and eyes from the cluster bomb curse for the west's thirst and greed for oil and gas? Looks like it unless those who are aware stand up and be counted and take up this political task.

So write to your political representative about the Cluster Bomb issue from which ever country you come to persuade those that have not signed the Oslo Treaty against Cluster Munitions to do so. 96 governments have already. Project Pineapple does not stand alone.

From Skeleton to Full Blown Business

As the Manager of a water program in Svey Rieng and Prey Veng for an humanitarian organisation in 1987, there were always less than 100 westerners in Cambodia at any time. The infrastructure was skeletal and basic, comfort zone the same. Roads were awful and local people were very much still in a state of shock.

Returning to Kampuchea after 22 years, as expected, I saw vast changes, another country in fact. Having travelled in Lao in 1988/89 and worked in Vietnam in 1991, I had already seen the transformation from Soviet days to more western style economies in the first 6000 kilometers of the ride.

In those '87 days, one of the few hotels available was the Monorom Hotel, famous in journo circles as the base for most correspondents in those earlier hectic times. I discovered it is now Asia Hotel after 2 changes of ownership and sought it out. During my '87 stay Vietnamese technicians were unravelling the 2 person lift elevator. All the NGO workers were afraind to use it so I have the honour of having been the first westerner to have gone up and down since Pol Pot days. Now redecorated and looking pretty swish, I asked permission to repeat the short journey to the 6th floor now renovated to rooms while previously a rooftop bar.

While taking my pic with the Minsk outside a nouveau riche Chinese couple shoved me out of the way to get their pic with my bike. Not polite. Reminded me of standing in the lobby one morning way back trying to get out to work when a cerain French videographer also shoved me out of the way to 'get his shot'. Not polite. Nothing seems to have changed no matter what they call this hotel.

Photographers too. The one who got personal sponsorshiop on the back of this project also shoved me out of the way to get the career path under way. Not polite.

While Cambodia was put on the map by Lady Diana regarding the Landmine issue, its problem with Cluster Bombs has been neglected and brains washed so when the subject is raised they ask "you mean landmines?". Thus the point of Project Pinepple, to gain publicity and raise awareness of the issue. Please tell your friends, write to your political representative.

Positive Action, Not Passing The Buck

Ben joined Project Pineapple as the first active participating rider. With many riding trophies to his name in Oz he remains quiet and humble yet deeply concerned about the Cluster Bomb issue. So much so that he wrote to his political representive to voice this concern. A copy of the Australian Government's reply is shown on the picture column.

Ben is the finest example of what an individual can do to maintain political pressure by our governments to persuade the other 100 or so countries that have not signed the Oslo Treaty banning Cluster Munitions to do so. You too could write to your Political representative in which ever country you live.

Coincidently also from Oz, an old Scottish friend who emigrated years ago, Linda, got wind of the Project and set up a Facebook page for donations to Handicap International. Some exerts from her email:

"Hi Robert

Remember me? Linda Campbell from Sydney, from Stirling. Was talking to John Sinclair today and he told me what you are doing. I think it is amazing. Good on ya, mate! (Have to imagine an Aussie accent for that one!)

I hope you don't mind but I have started a cause on Facebook for Project Pineapple

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/285080?m=96aaaf39

I have sent the cause to over 60 people so I hope that they will pass it on to others and that you will get some more awareness through this.

Good luck with everything - you are a very special person to be doing this.

Take care

Linda"

Please have a look.

You see what an individual can do? If each individual was as positively active as Ben and Linda we might even manage to Change The World.

The Death of Hugo Van Es

Hugh's famous picture was often believed to show a helicopter evacuating people from the roof of the US embassy in Saigon . In fact it was an apartment building that housed employees of the CIA.

"Like so many things about the Vietnam war, it's not exactly what it seems," he wrote in the New York Times in 2005.

Van Es was part of what became a famous generation of reporters and photographers who covered the Vietnam war, and many of those colleagues were quick to pay tribute to him on Friday.

"His sunny demeanour endeared him to his colleagues and to the American and Vietnamese soldiers he photographed," Peter Arnett told AFP.

Arnett called him "one of the few Western photographers willing to take the risks of witnessing the war's end."

SPECIAL UPDATE FOR AMERICANS - TIME FOR POSITIVE ACTION

SPECIAL UPDATE FOR AMERICANS

FOR NON AMERICANS PLEASE PASS ON TO YOUR US FRIENDS AND CONTACTS
PLEASE VIEW SITE
http://www.handicap-international.us/our-fight-against-landmines-and-cluster-bombs/in-brief/
AND FIND LINK TO
National Senate Call-In Day to Ban Cluster Bombs MAR 30

but keep up pressure after this date
MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT YOUR SENATOR

The Last 'Leg' of The Ho Chi Minh Trail

The North East Ratanakiri Province of Cambodia is not generally associated wth the Ho Chi Minh Trail although it got it's unfair share of Cluster Bombing too. I headed up the 127 kilometers on what I was hoping would be my last dirt ride of the trip to Ban Lung, soon to be upgraded to blacktop. This is the new provincial town after the original one, Lumphat, got severely bombed in the American War, relocated no doubt due to the widespread threat of unexploded Cluster Bombs and the rest.

I stayed at Ratanakiri Guest House, on the near edge of town. The family's grandmother recalls way back before all the wars when they were only one of five houses located there. Now it's the booming new town near the border crossing with Viet Nam. Mother ponders the Pol Pot era and the subsequent stabalisation period when Vietnamese swarmed all around the region. I did not care to stir too many memories, to see their eyes was enough. The young grand-daughter does not have the older ladies regretful expressions but radiates an optimistic wide smile.

I called in on CARE who do agricultural and education programs and to my surprise knew little about the 18 million unexploded Cluster Bombs in the region. This is surely in part to do with the Cambodian government's lack of commitment to sign the Oslo Treay against Cluster Bombs. The prominence of the Landmine issue in Cambodia also has been allowed to override the problem. However, now that the region is opening up to trade, tourism and particularly developing agriculture it surely must be time for those who can do something about it to do so. There will be many further accidents. No doubt it will take an injury to a western tourist to highlight the issue.

Like Viet Nam, Cambodia is burying its head in the sand. As usual city people quickly forget about Cluster Bombs, too busy making money, but the poorer rural folks, those who cut and clear the forest are the ones who continue to die and be maimed. They are the ones putting food in the markets and on the table but never get the proper support and representation they deserve. They are today's frontliners.

America continues to disperse Cluster Bombs at will in any country they please. It is time for us with a conscience to apply our will on such callous governments and remind them of the values they are meant to represent, to stop using them and clean up those still lying in wait, unexploded, for the innocent farmer and his children.

GO-O-O-OD MORNIN-N-NG CA-A-M-MBOD-I-A

After circumnavigating 1000 kilometers from south Viet Nam around to the north Laotian gateway, yesterday, a Cambodian nataional holiday, Ploughing Day, I finally made it in to Cambodia.

It was an easy trip dowm from Champasak, just south of Pakse, despite a few monsoonal downpours, where the visit to the 1000 year old Wat Phou had been both stimulating and relaxing. It was my first side trip off Project Pineapple's main theme, to ride the Ho Chi Minh Trail to publicise the Cluster Bomb Issue here in Indochina and indeed where ever they are still being randomly scattered to cause havoc for future generations living on top of them.

In contrast, Wat Phou has a grand elevated location overlooking the flood plains of the Mekong River the 12th longest river in the world. The impact such a civilisation had on the simple folks in the surrounding regions must have been awe inspiring.

I met a Laotian monk with whom I chatted in Lao and English as he escorted the visiting Thai monks back to their minibus.

Thinking positive thoughts and strengthening my inner 'ki', I headed for the border and passed through in a stream of energy unstoppable. An easy ride down to Stung Treng, guest house, change money, Cambodian SIM card, repair riding long pants a couple of Angkor stubbies with a stick barbie and I feel I'm back home.

It was 22 years ago when some young aspiring career minded photographer was still in nappies and still is judging from the apparent petulance that I first came to Kampuchea managing a provincial water program for an NGO. Less than 100 westerners and a similar number of eastern block people at that time. Not a guest house, not even a bus in sight. Gosh. Or should I say w-i-c-k-e-d, but doesn't that look silly in print even worse in speech. I was based in Phnom Penh, in the famous/notorious Monorom Hotel, when the first tour group arrived using rather surprisingly, transport.

Pakse in Pieces

Crossing this border from Viet Nam to Laos was no problem due to their reciprocal vehicle agreement. I get to Attapeu easily to rest after an anxious 2 days ride since replacing engine cylinder and piston. On to Paxse in one run with fine weather, threatening rain clouds disipating.

I pause in Pakse to take stalk of my situation having been turned away from Viet Nam's border with Cambodia at Moc Bai and necessarily making the 1000 kilometer northern loop back into Laos and get ready for next leg. In the mean time I bumped into Dan a British journo based in Bangkok on a project of his own. When going to meet him for a meal after interneting I get to within 10 meters of his hotel and a strange disintegrating sound with loss of drive occurs. Oh no not the engine agin surely. Indeed not, a black snake was following the Minsk, the drive chain had broken and trailed behind.

Parked the Minsk in Madam Muoy's noodle shop for the night. An early morning assistance from my guest house got me to a very fine gentleman and his apprentices who guided me to the correct chain purchase and fitted it carefully.

These breakdowns are mentally exhausting, wearing you might say, the trip being hard enough as it is. To relax a bit, I will make the short trip to Wat Phou, a pre Angkorian temple, to run in my new drive chain.

Long Way Round For A Short Cut

Heading out of Ho Chi Minh City was a whizz despite it's size with a brief stop at the War Remnant Museum. Got to Moc Bai easily in time to cross and get to Svey Rieng in Cambodia, a towm I did some water supply stuff for way back in 1987, when it was lonely, all you conveyor belt planet guide book readers.

But a little bit of missing paper would not let my Viet Nam registered bike in and with no time or way to fix it the only boring option was to retrace my wheel tracks to Bo Y about 600 kilometers up north to re-enter Laos who have a reciprocal agreement on vehicles.

Making speedy headway back up the Trail, day 2 saw me pass through Chu Se when about 2 clicks out , c-u-r-l-u-n-k, and a sudden halt. Thought it was that damned primary chain again but getting it down to Kien's workshop and disheartenedly watching the bike being torn to pieces like never before, the mangled piston was extracted with the pistons top roller bearings at fault. It had failed and crunched between piston and cylinder. I could barely believe it and thought all hope of continuing and getting out of Viet Nam with Minsk before expiry of visa in 2 days was lost. Perhaps the end of the road for Project Pineapple.

Eldest son Kien made a few calls, rode up to Plie Ku with the entire engine and bits boxed returning around 3 hours later with more bits than when he left. He'd located a used cylinder and piston.

Chu Se, a small village, had no accommodation so they kindly housed and fed me and local hootched me too. I watched a rerun on TV with father Kien 'The Diary of Dang Thuy Tram - Last Night I Dreamed of Peace'. A poignant moment. Kien, a Party member, now running his motorcycle repair business, showed me a pic of him adressing a Party conference.

6.30 am next day they were up and putting the engine together. One minor hitch sorted, the amazing Minsk started first kick. As Tien whom I met in Mordor several weeks previously said, Minsks never die.

So pouring more 2 stroke oil than would normally be fit to lubricate the refitted parts off I went, cautiously, up to Plie Khan but a handful of clicks from the Lao border the next day.

At this point I would like to thank the 2 westerners on motorcycle taxis for aloufly not stopping to assist for surely I would never had such benevolent assitance and professional service as radiated from the Kien family. Thanks guys.

See you on the other side.

There Is No Excuse For What We Did - Last Night I Dreamed of Peace

Enjoying the comforts of Hotel Continental Saigon included satelite television. Lots of stuff about the American Viet Nam war. Australian Network had an story on an American vet who returns each year as a pilgrimage to visit a family in the zone said "There is no excuse for what we did". "That war puts a great shame on our nation."

Somehow he, Fred, and his brother Ted Whitehouse had the diary of the family's daughter which has been published as 'The Diary of Dang Thuy Tram - Last Night I dreamed of Peace"

Each person you meet has a story. The Communications Manager in the Hotel, his father died in the latter stages of the war when he was nine. "Most Vietnamese people don't care any more" he says "as they live in the cities". Not so for the people in the rural areas who live with the problem daily.

Despite the extant problem, Viet Nam did not sign the Oslo Treaty against Cluster Munitions as they worry about China to the north and maintain stocks.

May Day, May Day, Soft Landing

After the best part of 2 months on the Trail getting saddle sores on the old Minsk, I visited the Hotel Continental Saigon built in the colonial days of 1880. I used it as my base 18 years ago while managing a little independent Scottish oil company, now not so little.

I asked to look around as it was still not fully renovated on my previous visit. Asking the room rates I was offered a 'very special' rate due to Project Pineapple, an offer I could not refuse. Full service and comfort after some bone rattling extreme and exhausting situations. So a sweet treat to myself at the end of the road. A soak in a hot tub, cool air, flat screen TV and fresh dragon fruit.

Security again said "no, no, no, no" when I road my bike to the entrance to unhitch the saddlebags. The parking attendant said "no, no, no, no" when I went to house the Minsk. The most efficient and courteous receptionist smiled when I brought in my spare tyre and called to confirm I was a bone fide guest. "Yes, yes, yes, yes."

With tourism booming and competition on all fronts the management were most considerate with an excellent room overlooking the inner breakfast garden which I recall had singing birds years before and hope to enjoy croissant and cafe in the morning if the forecast heavy rain decides to hold back till later.

Management kindly gave me free internet and while talking withthe Communications Manager he explained that his father died in the last week of the war. City people have forgotten the Cluster Bomb issue he explained with tears welling in his eyes.

A soft landing in Saigon. But the road to Cambodia awaits. Some sections of the Trail were bypassed there due to visa considerations. Those saddle sores will have to get ready for a few more days of aggitation. The last of the Trail beckons. More Cluster Bombed areas to ride through in the last of the Indochina countries.