Organisers: European Union Assistance on Curbing Small Arms and Light Weapons in Cambodia (EU ASAC) and the Cambodian Human Rights Task Force (CHRTF)

Large pockets of ex-Khmer Rouge communities still reside in areas such as Ta Ken Koh Sla. These communities voluntarily handed in 473 weapons to the local authorities in exchange for 20 community-owned water wells. At the request of the local people, the weapons were destroyed in a small ceremony at the point of collection, demonstrating both to the
people of Kampot, and to the world that the time for violence and isolation has passed.

Presided over by the first deputy Governor of the province and attended by ex-Khmer Rouge commanders such as Ta Koul, the ceremony drew considerable media attention with local TV station TVK and local multi-media group FIT Media filming the proceedings. Journalists from the Cambodia Daily, Raksmei Kampuchea and Koh Santepheap, Reuters and
Agence France Presse all reported the event. The Flame of Peace made the front pages of the local papers and the event was broadcast on local television on the evening of the 5 June.

This Flame of Peace was intended to act as an incentive for ex-KR communities in surrounding areas such as Chum Kiri, Phnom Voar and Dang Tung, to voluntarily hand in their weapons as part of the EU ASAC 2003 Weapons for Development programme. An EU ASAC team travelled through the surrounding region for the following two days screening footage of the ceremony to assure the local communities that any weapons they would hand in would be permanently removed from circulation.