EVERY school child in Cambodia will have their eyes tested under a bold proposal

by the Rotary club of Phnom Penh.

Second Prime Minister Hun Sen - who has

sight in only one eye - will be asked to be the public face of the

campaign.

Rotary club president Geoffrey Blume said the project was

kicked off recently with the eye-testing of children at a Phnom Penh primary

school.

Two Cambodian doctors had been sent to India to study eye-surgery

techniques, and equipment and training was being purchased for other

doctors.

The eventual aim, likely to take about three years to be

achieved, was to have 80 teams of eye specialists canvassing school children

throughout the Kingdom.

Children who needed eye operations or glasses

would be given them free of charge.

Blume said he intended asking Hun Sen

to take part in promotional activities for the scheme.

"He knows how

valuable it is to have sight...He is the best person to speak and to help our

program."

Blume said Hun Sen's staff had given preliminary approval, but

the Prime Minister would not be asked to take part until the program was up and

running properly.