Balancing risk: village de-mining in Cambodia

Author: Bottomley, Ruth1

Source: Third World Quarterly, Volume 24, Number 5, October 2003 , pp. 823-837(15)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

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Abstract:

Informal mine clearance by villagers in Cambodia has been a controversial subject among mine action practitioners for the past decade. Discussions have centred on the ethical question of whether these villagers should be provided with training in de-mining techniques. This article explores the circumstances under which villagers conduct mine clearance. It suggests that the engagement of villagers in this high-risk activity largely results from a combination of their vulnerability to other risk factors and their ability to conduct basic de-mining. On this basis, it is suggested that the most effective way of addressing village de-mining is not through transferral of expertise or prohibition of such activity, but through a focus on the underlying vulnerabilities that force people intentionally to take risks.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1080/0143659032000132876

Affiliations: 1: Ruth Bottomley is with Norwegian People's Aid in Cambodia, no 4, Corner of Street 278/151, PO Box 2228, Phnom Penh 3, Cambodia. ruth@online.com.kh.

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