Russian Roulette
(22
March 1999, Phnom Penh)
Decades
of armed strife have littered Cambodia with unexploded munitions and ordinance.
Authorities warn citizens not to tamper with the devices.
Three
friends recently spent an evening sharing drinks and exchanging insults at a
local cafe in the south-eastern province of Svay Rieng.
Their
companionable arguing continued for hours, until one man pulled out a
25-year-old unexploded anti-tank mine found in his backyard. He tossed it under
the table, and the three men began playing Russian Roulette, each tossing down a
drink and then stamping on the mine. The other villagers fled in terror. Minutes
later, the explosive detonated with a tremendous boom, killing the three men in
the bar. "There were no remains" Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper reported.
Back
to Darwin List