"Failure is not an option" – A story for Cambodian civil rights fighters

"Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate": "Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country."

Contributors: Dr. Gaffar Peang-Meth

Memories, emotions, and inspiration followed my every step as I walked through the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida last month – "a place where dreams do come true," to quote American Astronaut Robert Crippen.

This article is about how Americans have made those dreams come true for their nation. Many lives were lost in training and during space flights. The work that brought America the success in space of which the nation is justifiably proud was undertaken by men and women who worked hard, sacrificed much, took great risks, solved unimaginable technical problems. What astronauts did, and many still do, I find truly remarkable and inspirational.

I am writing this article at a time opposition Cambodian democrats have joined forces and launched their new united "Cambodian Democratic Movement for National Rescue" to "create a true 'people's movement' that caters to all sectors of Cambodian society . . . for change and capability to build a better society."

Democrats' unity is a great step forward. If history is a guide, many problems await the CDMNR, now the National Salvation Party, which must be innovative, creative, and smart. No problem is unmanageable. The future is not preordained. People make the future. The motto of the US space program is one the leaders of the CDMNR may want to post: "Failure is Not an Option!"

To the CDMNR, I dedicate this article.

I remember

I was a small kid from Russey-keo village. I rode an old bike with determination, trying to keep up with an older schoolmate from Phnom Penh riding a shiny bike. As he pedaled, he spoke knowingly of the state radio's broadcast about a Russian satellite, Sputnik, the size of a basketball, that was orbiting the Earth every 98 minutes. It was in October 1957. I was full of curiosity and imagination. I stole nights away from my father's routine nightly lecture on schooling and living to look up into the sky in search of that tiny light that moved amidst the stars.

Never give up! (Dedicated to all handicapped persons in Cambodia)

Dear Readers,

Life never give up! I was really touched by the video below. He has no arm, no leg, but inspire the world. Therefore, Boeung Kak Lake brothers and sisters, please never give up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc4HGQHgeFE

Regards,
Chanroth

Blindness and blown off forearms do not prevent this Poipet handicap man to struggle to earn a living

Kim Heng, a blind handicap man, is seen struggling to haul his merchandise cart (Photo: S. Amatak, Koh Santepheap)

Blind handicap man hauls cart for a living

Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Koh Santepheap newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Banteay Meanchey Province – Handicap takes many forms, but what it boils down to is that it designates someone with physical handicap, and their life is much harder than those who are non-handicap. Furthermore, if different types of physical handicap are compared to one another, the degree of handicap cannot be compared to one another at all. Nevertheless, hunger prevails among everybody, regardless of whether they are handicap or not, that is why we usually see people begging, while others are doing whatever they can to survive.

Among the handicap people we met, there is this middle-age man who is blind on both eyes, with both forearms chopped off, however, he does not beg like others, he uses his own strength to haul merchandise cart across the Poipet international border gate to earn a living and to support his family. Kim Heng is the name of this blind man who lost both forearms. He is 42-year-old and he has 8 children under his charge: 5 boys and 3 girls. They live in the O’Russei Leu village, Poipet commune, O’Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province. Both he and his wife are working as laborers hauling merchandise carts from the Rong Kluea market in Thailand to Cambodia, across the Poipet international border gate to support their meager livelihood.

Kim Heng revealed to Koh Santepheap that he lost both of his eyes and his forearms from a mine explosion during the pre-1993 war, when he was a soldier. Later he was discharged from service. His life has been extremely harsh, he struggles with his cart hauling job to support his family. He told us that he cannot see anything at all and both his forearms were blown off, and when he is hauling the merchandise cart, he depends on his wife or one of children to help him find his way. He said that each day, he earns between 50 to 100 Thai baths, the equivalent of 10,000 riels (~$2.50) only, after he deducts the bribe fees he had to pay the guard at the border gate.

The poor men said that his family is extremely poor, they never have enough to eat because of the large number of children he has, besides that his children are all too young and cannot do any work yet. His cart was a gift by a foreigner who saw how poor he was, and the struggle he has to go through to survive. The foreign Samaritan then decided to buy him this cart, but now the foreigner had already returned back to his country. He complained that his income does not leave him with any saving at all, nor can he provide a decent living for his children. However, without putting effort into his work, he wouldn’t have anything to live on at all, and besides, there is no other job for him either.