Victims from US illegal bombing ask for compensation

Tin Sokhavuth

Map of US illegal bombing in Cambodia in the 60s and 70s. Photo: supplied

Victims from US illegal bombing in Korki commune, Svay Rieng province in Cambodia, asked the US Government for compensation for destroying their house and killing and/or injuring members of their family.

Mr. Sar Hun, a victim from the US illegal bombing in Korki commune, on Sunday, told Fresh News, a local online newspaper, that the bombing took place day and night, and almost all houses in his village as well as in other villages nearby were burned to the ground. As the result, many villagers were killed or burned alive by the bombs dropped from the US planes, including members of his family. Many other villagers became cripple if they were lucky to not be killed on the spot by the bombs.

Mr. Hun added that life was really difficult during that illegal bombing campaign, because he and other villagers had to hide in the trench day and night.

According to Mr. Heng Ratana, Director General of the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC), during the illegal bombing of Cambodia in the 60s and 70s, separately, the US Air Force has been using B-52 bombers to carry out 20,517 sorties in order to drop 639,468 bombs on Cambodian villages. This number is only the amount of bombs dropped by B-52 bombers. The US Air Force has also been using other type of airplane to drop bombs on innocent Cambodians. And the number of bombs dropped by B-52 bombers is only one-third of the total bombs dropped by the US Air Force during the entire campaign.

Mr. Ratana mentioned also about one of many mistakes made by American pilots. It was in August 1972, when a B-52 bomber dropped its bombs on the town of Nak Leung killing more than 100 Cambodians and injuring more than 300-400 Cambodians. For this mistake, the B-52 pilots were only forced to pay a fine of $700. As for the Cambodians surviving the bombing, they got only $100 as compensation.

Regarding this issue, an anonymous political analyst said that instead of making a request for compensation verbally, all Cambodian victims from the US illegal bombing in Cambodia should do a formal request for compensation by sending a petition to the US Embassy in Phnom Penh.