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.
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