Nate Thayer came over to say hi. There were only staff in the FCCT, Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand, no customers. He didn't need to introduce himself by name. This is the man who interviewed Pol Pot after an 18 year absence, the same year he died. He also interviewed Duch, the executioner of thousands in torture camps, found by photographer Nick Dunlop working for ARC, American Refugee Committee. Duch is presently being tried for Crimes Against Humanity, awaiting sentencing. I worked for ARC 1998-1999 on the Cambodian border supplying two refugee camps with water.
It was during the Red Shirt occupation of down town commercial centre of Bangkok in which FCCT is located that we met and hung out for a couple of weeks last month, May. I rode my bike through two Red Shirt check points to an empty car park surrounded by a linked barrier fence. The bike is of course not the Minsk which I sold in Phnom Penh last year but my old faithful Yamaha DT 200. Built for dirt track, it works well in this city riding through the sunken manhole covers and drains, mounting the high kerbs when the traffic jam is too dense to get through. Whizz along the pavements through accommodating pedestrians. Everyone does it, if they've got big wheels.
In pursuit of Pol Pot and other stories, Nate had made a heavily armed elephant ride, a convoy of four, the only way to safely travel through Cambodia's Ratanakiri Province during the Khmer Rouge strife. This is the intersection point. I too had ridden my Minsk along unpaved trails somewhat improved through the same territory only last year in search of a different story, one generation earlier. The Viet Nam story of the Ho Chi Minh Trail and it being carpet bombed with clusters.
"Clusters bombs?" Nate questioned, being more familiar with the widespread use of landmines in the Khmer Rouge war mongering days. "Yes" chipped in Al, "along the Ho Chi Minh trail in the north east and around Phnom Penh too". Al Rockoff is an old Cambodia and Viet Nam hand, a respected photographer. He's the one played by John Malkovich in the Killing Fields. Have a look: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Rockoff
So there you are. Project Pineapple's purpose was to raise awareness of the Cluster Bomb issue. A well worn journalist such as Nate who was focused on the Khmer Rouge problem with Pol Pot and Duch was surprised to learn of their use in Cambodia. Imagine the ignorance remaining in the minds of most who have far less possibility to be aware.
So children in the carpert bombed areas continue to die every month, around 10 'on average'. Now at least one more is aware of this little publicised fact, Nate Thayer.
To read Nate's story go to: http://www.cybercambodia.com/dachs/killing/polpot.html
Among his peers, Nate Thayer is known as "a man with a mission, a mobile, and an AK-47". In his yet to be published book, Sympathy For the Devil, he recounts his search for Pol Pot, Duch and other tales. Nate kindly offered me some sections of the manuscript over which to cast an eye. A good read.
Project Pineapple
Remember, go to Archives for full story at bottom of picture column
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 the pressure after this date
MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT YOUR SENATOR
ALSO for those who wish to make donations to Handicap International, a co-founder of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997, and now widely recognized as a key international lobbyist on weapons of war, please got to:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/285080?m=96aaaf39
Be sure to contact your political representative too wherever you are.
PROJECT PINEAPPLE INITIATED WITH A MOTORCYCLE RIDE THROUGH INDOCHINA TO PUBLICISE THE CLUSTER BOMB ISSUE.
Laos was carpet bombed along the Vietnam border to wipe out the VietCong's supply lines, the multiple trails known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Now, the issue is still being swept under a diplomatic carpet.
The Iraq war opened on 19th March, 2003, with Cluster Bombs being dropped. I was in Laos walking through remote villages on a water well project when I got the news on my short wave radio. Those same villages were carpet bombed 35 years earlier and still living under the threat of 76 million unexploded Cluster Bombs.
Billions of dollars continue to be spent on Iraq but a mere 500 thousand dollars annually on clearing unexploded Cluster Bombs in Laos.
The Vietnam War ended on 30th April 1975 when the last ten marines were choppered out.
I used the Belarusian 125cc Minsk motorcyle to ride from Hanoi, Vietnam, through Laos and Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City between 19th March and 30th April representing respectively the start of Cluster Bombs being dropped on Iraq and the final withdrawal of US marines from Saigon.
Visits were made to various relevant projects and programs both for clearing unexploded bombs and supporting the victims.
Should you be in any of these countries it is worth
finding out what you can about this 'forgotten' problem. Rural children and adults are still dying and being maimed every day.
Please email any comments to : project.pineapple@yahoo.com
Remember to go to Blog Archives at bottom of Picture column for the full story.
See you around
Robert
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 the pressure after this date
MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT YOUR SENATOR
ALSO for those who wish to make donations to Handicap International, a co-founder of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997, and now widely recognized as a key international lobbyist on weapons of war, please got to:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/285080?m=96aaaf39
Be sure to contact your political representative too wherever you are.
PROJECT PINEAPPLE INITIATED WITH A MOTORCYCLE RIDE THROUGH INDOCHINA TO PUBLICISE THE CLUSTER BOMB ISSUE.
Laos was carpet bombed along the Vietnam border to wipe out the VietCong's supply lines, the multiple trails known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Now, the issue is still being swept under a diplomatic carpet.
The Iraq war opened on 19th March, 2003, with Cluster Bombs being dropped. I was in Laos walking through remote villages on a water well project when I got the news on my short wave radio. Those same villages were carpet bombed 35 years earlier and still living under the threat of 76 million unexploded Cluster Bombs.
Billions of dollars continue to be spent on Iraq but a mere 500 thousand dollars annually on clearing unexploded Cluster Bombs in Laos.
The Vietnam War ended on 30th April 1975 when the last ten marines were choppered out.
I used the Belarusian 125cc Minsk motorcyle to ride from Hanoi, Vietnam, through Laos and Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City between 19th March and 30th April representing respectively the start of Cluster Bombs being dropped on Iraq and the final withdrawal of US marines from Saigon.
Visits were made to various relevant projects and programs both for clearing unexploded bombs and supporting the victims.
Should you be in any of these countries it is worth
finding out what you can about this 'forgotten' problem. Rural children and adults are still dying and being maimed every day.
Please email any comments to : project.pineapple@yahoo.com
Remember to go to Blog Archives at bottom of Picture column for the full story.
See you around
Robert
One Reason for the Name Project Pineapple
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
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I've been eagerly awaiting Mr Thayer's book for a few years!
ReplyDeleteComing soon.....ish. The wads of copy are on the move.
ReplyDeleteHave been trying to find my old friend Nate for a few years now...any idea where he is now? Last we spoke his farm was up for sale, then he stopped answering his phone and emails...any word that he is ok would do my heart good...thanks, Karina Fiandaca
ReplyDeleteHi Mia: Nate here. Just ran across this comment that you were trying to locate me. I am at thayernate0007@gmail.com. Hope all is swell with you
ReplyDelete