August 2, 2009 -
The Age
The Cambodian government has urged the cancellation of a beauty pageant in which landmine victims will compete to win a prosthetic leg, organisers say.
In the Miss Landmine Cambodia contest, 20 competitors from around the country are due to appear in a photo exhibition opening on Friday in Phnom Penh, followed by an internet voting campaign to select the best candidate.
But in a letter to organisers, the Ministry of Social Affairs has called on them to cancel the contest - although the Cambodian Mine Action Authority said in 2007 it fully supported the event.
"The ministry asks the people who organise this contest to stop this action ... for protecting ... the honour and dignity of people with disabilities," the letter said in English.
But Norwegian pageant director Morten Traavik said the contest, which offers as the top prize a custom-made prosthetic leg, would increase awareness about the victims of landmines.
"I have asked to meet the Cambodian officials to clear up our misunderstanding, and I hope once they know about our project details, they will welcome this," he said.
He explained that the pageant aimed "to raise awareness of what landmines have done to the people", adding that it would be a "big shame" if people could not see the exhibition.
The first Miss Landmine contest was held in Angola last year, drawing protests from rights activists who viewed it as exploitative and racist.
Cambodia remains one of the world's most heavily mined countries, along with Afghanistan and Angola.
Hundreds of people are killed or maimed every year by the millions of landmines and other unexploded ordnance still littering the countryside after decades of conflict.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen cancelled a Miss Cambodia beauty pageant in 2006, saying he would not allow such a contest until poverty in Cambodia was reduced by more than half.
The Age
The Cambodian government has urged the cancellation of a beauty pageant in which landmine victims will compete to win a prosthetic leg, organisers say.
In the Miss Landmine Cambodia contest, 20 competitors from around the country are due to appear in a photo exhibition opening on Friday in Phnom Penh, followed by an internet voting campaign to select the best candidate.
But in a letter to organisers, the Ministry of Social Affairs has called on them to cancel the contest - although the Cambodian Mine Action Authority said in 2007 it fully supported the event.
"The ministry asks the people who organise this contest to stop this action ... for protecting ... the honour and dignity of people with disabilities," the letter said in English.
But Norwegian pageant director Morten Traavik said the contest, which offers as the top prize a custom-made prosthetic leg, would increase awareness about the victims of landmines.
"I have asked to meet the Cambodian officials to clear up our misunderstanding, and I hope once they know about our project details, they will welcome this," he said.
He explained that the pageant aimed "to raise awareness of what landmines have done to the people", adding that it would be a "big shame" if people could not see the exhibition.
The first Miss Landmine contest was held in Angola last year, drawing protests from rights activists who viewed it as exploitative and racist.
Cambodia remains one of the world's most heavily mined countries, along with Afghanistan and Angola.
Hundreds of people are killed or maimed every year by the millions of landmines and other unexploded ordnance still littering the countryside after decades of conflict.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen cancelled a Miss Cambodia beauty pageant in 2006, saying he would not allow such a contest until poverty in Cambodia was reduced by more than half.
4 comments:
what a disgrace to wounded women!!!!!!. only recieve wooded leg for a winner? i wonder, what are they going to get if they go an extra miles. like poseing naked? probably a free condom and a hand wash. who is this stupid organiser anyway?probaly the one that have a nice leg will win.i bet. i meant the good and natural leg one, not the wooded leg one.I am glad that we banned it. good ridden.
This is not a disgrace, 7:37pm. This is way to promote the awareness of landmine problems. In the West, people treat disabled with dignity. By holding a beauty contest, they are giving these landmine victims a self-worth that they are not being looked down by the society. They are worth something too.
The minister's description the event as a disgrace is an ignorant comment. There is nothig disgraceful about it. In fact the event gives these disabled women a self-worth. It also help to raise the awareness of the danger of landmines.
hay... maybe you should pose naked and carry a dead baby by their leg and take that pictures?.winner will get a baby coffins. promotion with other means and don't call it a beaty peagant contest, please
Your comment is disgraceful and very demeaning to young children. What this beauty pageant has got to do with babies?
There are many ways in which awareness can be promoted. Beauty Pageant is the most successful mean to attract the attention of the world. By seeing these women, those responsible for the production of landmines and the planting of them will have second thought.
These landmine victims need to be recognized as beautiful human being too. The way you and the minister see it is that they are ugly, undeserving to be called beautiful women. They should be treated the same as everybody else, giving them something to be proud of, which is a self-worth.
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