The ritual burning of 4,110 surplus weapons from the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces'

stockpiles sent a message of peace in Kampong Chhnang on August 31.

Co-Minister of Defense Tea Banh defied his name - which can be translated from Khmer

to "demands to shoot" - by igniting the bonfire as a crowd of 6,000 looked

on.

The on-going "Flame of Peace" ceremonies are a way to highlight the weapons

collection and destruction carried out by the European Union's Assistance on Curbing

Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Kingdom of Cambodia (EU-ASAC). Since 2001, EU-ASAC

has collected 118,000 weapons.

Not far away, in an RCAF camp, a soldier was inspecting properly stored M16 assault

rifles.