Author(s):
Kjell Knudsen <webmaster@icbl.org> .
Phnom Penh,
Wednesday 17 November 2004
On 17 November, over 4,200 people came out to support the release of the Landmine Monitor Report 2004 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, including HRH King Norodom Sihamoni.
The Jesuit Refugee Service and Cambodia Campaign to Ban Landmines welcomed to the event landmine survivors, students, representatives from governments and non-governmental organizations and the American, Australian and Canadian Ambassadors to Cambodia.
ICBL Ambassadors Tun Channareth and Song Kosal greet HRH Norodom Sihamoni at the launch.
Cambodian campaigner Sok Eng served as emcee for the day, with ICBL Ambassador Tun Channareth addressing the crowd and campaigners Sheree Bailey and Nhar Ny presenting the Landmine Monitor Report 2004 to the Cambodian King. A Landmines Dance by children of Samrong village was also presented, along with displays set up by mine clearance and victim assistance organizations, and a press briefing in both English and Khmer.
In his speech, the King said, “Through the Landmine Monitor Report for 2004, people will be increasingly aware of the damage caused by landmines and it is hoped that countries all over the world will stop producing and using landmines of all sorts and work together to get rid of the existing and planted landmines as well as provide assistance to landmine victims." The King added, "I will do my utmost to help people disabled by landmines."
The event garnered much media attention from the Associated Press, Agence France Presse, Voice of America, Cambodia Daily and Cambodia Soir, among others.
To see the press release for this event, click here.
For information on Landmine Monitor Report 2004 release events around the world, click here. Maputo launch and launch with NATO Sec-Gen.
