Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Norwegian organizer of 'Miss Landmine' contest in Cambodia arrives home after safety fears

Tuesday, August 11, 2009
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

OSLO — The Norwegian organizer of a "Miss Landmine" beauty pageant in Cambodia says safety concerns pushed him to return home after government officials shut down the contest.

Morten Traavik says he returned to Oslo on Monday after Cambodian officials made what he described as threats to his safety.

Cambodian officials cancelled the Miss Landmine contest Aug. 3, saying it "would make a mockery of Cambodia's land mine victims."

The Miss Landmine Web site says the pageant aims to empower land mine survivors and raise awareness about the dangers of land mines. Traavik said he plans to continue the contest on the Web site.

The first Miss Landmine pageant, in Angola in 2008, was criticized by international aid organizations for being demeaning.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't understand what is the reason behind this land mine pageant that Hun Zen shut it down. This one-eye man is scare of everything. It means his evil act will end soon. what is the stupid government?

Anonymous said...

Thank you Morten Traavik for all of your effort for the Cambodians. This world is a better place because of people like you. However, what can you do when thugs are still OWNING Cambodia. Best Wishes to you in Norway.

Anonymous said...

There's other ways to raised awareness about landmines. The pageant is not one of them. It is demeaning...

Anonymous said...

they have to respect the khmer gov't request. just because the gov't do not agree with them, doesn't mean we are a dictatorial or something. must respect the host country's request, you know!

Anonymous said...

fear of what? unfound fear? maybe fear of earthquake or avalanche? well, there's no earthquake or avalanche in cambodia. please stop being bias and misleading the public. thank you. "there is no fear but fear itself." J.F. Kennedy echoing president's franklin d. roosevelt. thank you.

Anonymous said...

Dude it's a fucking white guy. They are afraid of anything. The black, jews, Asian. Their past time thing is to fear of anything foreign. So him being in a place like Cambodia is just a fear in itself already. It sounds funny but ask them. I have a friend who wants to visit Cambodia with me but her parents are so scared of Cambodia that they didn't let her go. That is just the white people's mentality, don't you know?

Anonymous said...

CPP (Canceled People Pageant)