So Sad That I Couldn't Speak For Several Minutes
Cambodian general on search mission says finding rowers' bodies was devastating
November 28, 2007
By Kor Kian Beng in Cambodia
Electric News (Singapore)
FOR nearly three days, he had only two hours of sleep.
The Cambodian general's main concern: The five Singaporeans who were missing.
General Nhim Vanda, 59, was given full powers by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to oversee search efforts.
The first vice-president of the Cambodian National Disaster Management Committee could have left it to his rescue officers to do the job.
But this was a man who wanted to get involved personally.
The reason: Gratitude.
He told The New Paper that he wanted to do his utmost to locate the Singaporeans and help their families because his country had received aid from Singapore in the past.
He said during the early '90s there was a severe shortage of rice and fuel in Cambodia.
BORROWED RICE, FUEL
Gen Vanda, 59, who lost his left arm in a grenade attack in 1974, visited Singapore several times to try and get help from the business community.
He managed to get a Singapore company to lend Cambodia 5,000 tonnes of rice and 7,000 tonnes of fuel, which was repaid with rubber over two years.
He said: 'The investors from Singapore were kind to me. I appreciate very much the relationship with Singaporeans. That is why I wanted to return the favour.'
He said he also activated all the help possible because he had received direct orders from Mr Hun Sen to accede to whatever requests the Singapore ambassador had.
Ambassador Tan Yee Woan said she was appreciative of the Cambodian authorities' assistance and that they have been accommodating to almost all the demands and requests from her and the affected Singaporean families.
But it has been an extremely gruelling time for the general since the accident on Friday evening.
On Saturday, just after he got into bed for a much needed rest, he had to crawl out again at 2am when his officers called to tell him that a body was found.
He immediately made his way to the scene. It was the body of a Cambodian man, not one of the five Singaporeans.
He was back at the scene hours later, travelling up and down the river in a speedboat to supervise search efforts.
That was why he could remember with pinpoint accuracy the exact location and the time each body was found.
He said around 300 men, comprising policemen, military officers and members of the public, were mobilised for the search and rescue efforts during the 36-hour period.
He said he also wanted to help the families because the victims' profiles reminded him of his oldest son, aged 26.
Gen Vanda has four other children.
He said: 'As a father, I can understand the parents' worries. Fathers are the same everywhere. So are mothers. We all want to know that our children are safe.'
SLEEPLESS FOR TWO NIGHTS
For two nights, he couldn't sleep and even dreamt about the victims being found.
That is why he said he was shocked beyond words when he saw the bodies. He was on the speedboat with the Singapore ambassador when the bodies were found. He said all five were found by boats combing the river with nets underneath them.
He said: 'I was so shocked and saddened that I couldn't speak for several minutes. Seeing their bodies made me feel sympathetic towards their families.'
He also said he is relieved that they managed to find the bodies quickly, so that the families can at least find closure.
Said Gen Vanda: 'We tried our best to find them. We're sad, but we're also relieved to help the families find their beloved ones.'
Moving on, he said they will look into how they can tighten safety measures and prevent similar incidents.
He said: 'It's an expensive lesson we have from this. We will definitely try to improve from now on.'
Cambodian general on search mission says finding rowers' bodies was devastating
November 28, 2007
By Kor Kian Beng in Cambodia
Electric News (Singapore)
FOR nearly three days, he had only two hours of sleep.
The Cambodian general's main concern: The five Singaporeans who were missing.
General Nhim Vanda, 59, was given full powers by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to oversee search efforts.
The first vice-president of the Cambodian National Disaster Management Committee could have left it to his rescue officers to do the job.
But this was a man who wanted to get involved personally.
The reason: Gratitude.
He told The New Paper that he wanted to do his utmost to locate the Singaporeans and help their families because his country had received aid from Singapore in the past.
He said during the early '90s there was a severe shortage of rice and fuel in Cambodia.
BORROWED RICE, FUEL
Gen Vanda, 59, who lost his left arm in a grenade attack in 1974, visited Singapore several times to try and get help from the business community.
He managed to get a Singapore company to lend Cambodia 5,000 tonnes of rice and 7,000 tonnes of fuel, which was repaid with rubber over two years.
He said: 'The investors from Singapore were kind to me. I appreciate very much the relationship with Singaporeans. That is why I wanted to return the favour.'
He said he also activated all the help possible because he had received direct orders from Mr Hun Sen to accede to whatever requests the Singapore ambassador had.
Ambassador Tan Yee Woan said she was appreciative of the Cambodian authorities' assistance and that they have been accommodating to almost all the demands and requests from her and the affected Singaporean families.
But it has been an extremely gruelling time for the general since the accident on Friday evening.
On Saturday, just after he got into bed for a much needed rest, he had to crawl out again at 2am when his officers called to tell him that a body was found.
He immediately made his way to the scene. It was the body of a Cambodian man, not one of the five Singaporeans.
He was back at the scene hours later, travelling up and down the river in a speedboat to supervise search efforts.
That was why he could remember with pinpoint accuracy the exact location and the time each body was found.
He said around 300 men, comprising policemen, military officers and members of the public, were mobilised for the search and rescue efforts during the 36-hour period.
He said he also wanted to help the families because the victims' profiles reminded him of his oldest son, aged 26.
Gen Vanda has four other children.
He said: 'As a father, I can understand the parents' worries. Fathers are the same everywhere. So are mothers. We all want to know that our children are safe.'
SLEEPLESS FOR TWO NIGHTS
For two nights, he couldn't sleep and even dreamt about the victims being found.
That is why he said he was shocked beyond words when he saw the bodies. He was on the speedboat with the Singapore ambassador when the bodies were found. He said all five were found by boats combing the river with nets underneath them.
He said: 'I was so shocked and saddened that I couldn't speak for several minutes. Seeing their bodies made me feel sympathetic towards their families.'
He also said he is relieved that they managed to find the bodies quickly, so that the families can at least find closure.
Said Gen Vanda: 'We tried our best to find them. We're sad, but we're also relieved to help the families find their beloved ones.'
Moving on, he said they will look into how they can tighten safety measures and prevent similar incidents.
He said: 'It's an expensive lesson we have from this. We will definitely try to improve from now on.'
11 comments:
Pouk Ah khnhom boroteas!
This Cambodian general speaks so lovingly of the Singaporeans. What about the death of the Cambodian boat racer??????? Is a Cambodian life so cheaper than those five Singaporeans???? We almsot didn't anything about the death of the Cambodian, until the author inserted the fact within the Singaporean context. Why do the Cambodians only exist in the context of others?????? It is time for that lowly Cambodian general to pack up and go take refuge in Singapore. Go just get the hell out of Cambodia. Go serve the Singaporeans and pay off your rice and fuel debts, you foreigner slave.
Oh well! This same fool who never speaker about the Singaporean who should wear life jacket and now he feel remorse? Ahahhahhahahh!
His stupidity has killed five Singaporeans and now imagines how many dirt poor Cambodian people have killed under his stupidity for 30 years?
It is such a shame to see this kind of people to be Cambodian leaders!
Bullshit, the swirl current was waiting for Ah Khmer-Yuon's boat. The Singaporean's boat was just unlucky to get caught in it. Maybe this also had something to do with Singapore had been picking out our brother (Burmese) recently.
Oh, and Philippine also suffered a similar tragedy; that is 5 drowned, just in case you don't believed in the Burmese's curse:
http://www.pr-inside.com/die-as-typhoon-mitag-and-r316222.htm
Nhim Vanda didn't speak about the unlucky fate of the drowned khmer.
For him, poor Khmer life is worthless.
He showed gratitude to Singapore for rice and fuel he had borrowed in exchange for the rubber.
I am not surprise that HUN XEN gave our land to imperialist YUON for helping him to stay in power to make our compatriots as YUON slaves.
POUCH AH AT KHOUR
I don't think that is the case. It sounds more like no one knew the khmer was missing.
Nhim Vanda didn't sleep nearly 3 days trying to find missing S'poreans racers ... would he do the same for the missing lonely Khmer racer?
Hell freaking NO. Khmer life is not worthed to those idiots.
Well, that is normal for everyone in every country. Try to file a complain of a missing person at your local police station, and tell us how many people will lost sleep over it.
Here, no one filed any complaint about the missing Khmer person. We only find him by coincidence.
However this is different, I know it sound weird, but the truth is we invited those people over for the game, and we are responsible for there safety. Thus, we have to go beyond the norm to find them. Standard procedure won't do it in this case.
Khmer drowned. It was business as usual. He was discovered by accident. What are your principles?
Our principle is the same as everyone else.
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