Harriet Fitch Little and Vandy Muong

Anlong Veng, Oddar Meanchey

The government plans to turn the former Khmer Rouge stronghold of Anlong Veng into a tourist hub, but no one is quite sure how

Ta Mok, “the butcher”, loved water.

In the Dangrek Mountains along the Thai border where he led the Khmer Rouge following their 1979 defeat, he sunk lakes to help irrigate the crops grown on the remote ridge. Then, having masterminded the recapture of Anlong Veng from the Vietnamese on Christmas day 1989, he dammed the O’Chik lake and flooded the surrounding land, building his headquarters at the water’s edge. He ordered the construction of a bridge to cross the town’s fast-flowing river, and sat on the bank most days, commanding passersby to help the builders.

“He told me he liked nature, and that the water cooled the house,” says Sann Roeung, gazing down at the expanse of water lapping below Ta Mok’s wooden terrace.

read more: http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-weekend/dark-tourism-anlong-veng

The first thing the Gov of Kampooch must do if they want to promote tourism

in Anlong Veng is to somehow come up with a prophylactic against a certain

strain of Malaria found only in this region which is resistant to all known

antimalarials...even the artemesinin based AM's. The only known pseudo

preventative is Doxycycline (aka Vibramycin) & it's not a good idea to be

taking antiB's for any long duration unless fighting a bacterial infection.

Plus the Vibramycin regimen is not 100% effective on the strain in A. Veng.

Secondly the government is gonna have to demine the entire region because

tourista's have a tendency to wander off on their own to have a look.

Speaking of having a look...in Anlong Veng there is nothing to look at save

for a bridge that "THe Butcher" had built. The butcher is Ta mok. Then there's

always the jungle I guess but in there be land mnes. Oh..there's Ta mok's house

...more like a large shed IMO but some touristas may enjoy looking at large

sheds.

Been there, got malaria, saw the Butcher, filmed him & left without incident

...way back in 1994. I'd rather sit on the balcony of my apartment in Phnom

Penh with a G & T watching the Mekong, Sap & Bassac rivers flow....with a fat

blunt in one hand & straight pizza in the other.

Good luck to Kampooch though for trying to make a buck from the nasty days

of old..they really do need the money. I wish them well...seriously.

Edited August 9, 201510 yr by sunshine51

The Cambodian government also needs to get off its arse and let private vehicles cross over from Thailand freely with NO scam money. The Chong Sa Ngom border crossing only 16 km from Along Veng and a prim gateway for Preah Vihear is a no brainer but you have to have brains and no corruption to figure this out.

The first thing the Gov of Kampooch must do if they want to promote tourism

in Anlong Veng is to somehow come up with a prophylactic against a certain

strain of Malaria found only in this region which is resistant to all known

antimalarials...even the artemesinin based AM's. The only known pseudo

preventative is Doxycycline (aka Vibramycin) & it's not a good idea to be

taking antiB's for any long duration unless fighting a bacterial infection.

Plus the Vibramycin regimen is not 100% effective on the strain in A. Veng.

Secondly the government is gonna have to demine the entire region because

tourista's have a tendency to wander off on their own to have a look.

Speaking of having a look...in Anlong Veng there is nothing to look at save

for a bridge that "THe Butcher" had built. The butcher is Ta mok. Then there's

always the jungle I guess but in there be land mnes. Oh..there's Ta mok's house

...more like a large shed IMO but some touristas may enjoy looking at large

sheds.

Been there, got malaria, saw the Butcher, filmed him & left without incident

...way back in 1994. I'd rather sit on the balcony of my apartment in Phnom

Penh with a G & T watching the Mekong, Sap & Bassac rivers flow....with a fat

blunt in one hand & straight pizza in the other.

Good luck to Kampooch though for trying to make a buck from the nasty days

of old..they really do need the money. I wish them well...seriously.

Thank you, most informative; I do hope members take note and pass the message. How do I share your message on Facebook?

The first thing the Gov of Kampooch must do if they want to promote tourism

in Anlong Veng is to somehow come up with a prophylactic against a certain

strain of Malaria found only in this region which is resistant to all known

antimalarials...even the artemesinin based AM's. The only known pseudo

preventative is Doxycycline (aka Vibramycin) & it's not a good idea to be

taking antiB's for any long duration unless fighting a bacterial infection.

Plus the Vibramycin regimen is not 100% effective on the strain in A. Veng.

Secondly the government is gonna have to demine the entire region because

tourista's have a tendency to wander off on their own to have a look.

Speaking of having a look...in Anlong Veng there is nothing to look at save

for a bridge that "THe Butcher" had built. The butcher is Ta mok. Then there's

always the jungle I guess but in there be land mnes. Oh..there's Ta mok's house

...more like a large shed IMO but some touristas may enjoy looking at large

sheds.

Been there, got malaria, saw the Butcher, filmed him & left without incident

...way back in 1994. I'd rather sit on the balcony of my apartment in Phnom

Penh with a G & T watching the Mekong, Sap & Bassac rivers flow....with a fat

blunt in one hand & straight pizza in the other.

Good luck to Kampooch though for trying to make a buck from the nasty days

of old..they really do need the money. I wish them well...seriously.

Thank you, most informative; I do hope members take note and pass the message. How do I share your message on Facebook?

Sorry if this comes as a disappointment but you don't share anything I put here on FB. Seriously.

...a worthwhile add to anyone's bucket list!