Former Soldiers Expand their Humanitarian Effort

A small Australian group of Vietnam veterans dedicated to clearing Cambodia of deadly land
mines is giving all Australians an opportunity to be a part of the challenging endeavour.

The Vietnam Veterans Mine Clearing Team (VVMCT) is asking people to sponsor local mine
clearing workers called ‘Deminers’.

VVMCT founding member and Assistant Secretary Robroy Macgregor said the team currently
has a small army of local Deminers who are paid less than $2 an hour risking their lives to
save others.

“Land mines left in the ground by warring regimes in Cambodia have killed thousands of
innocent people and left 40,000 people maimed, a third of those are children,” Mr Macgregor
said.

“We want all Australians to know that for a very small investment they can ‘Adopt a Deminer’
which will help us train more people to clear more mines.

“The Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) estimates that there may still be as many as four
to six million mines and other pieces of unexploded ordnance just lying in the fields in regional
Cambodia.

“The VVMCT has helped clear 2 million square metres of land so far but there is still a lot more
to be done.”

The VVMCT was established by Vietnam Veteran Tony ‘Bomber’ Bower-Miles who has been
involved in demining Cambodia since 2003. He has since written a book ‘Bomber’s Story’ and
has been featured on the ABC’s Australian Story program.

In 2008 Bomber was joined by two other Vietnam Veterans Robroy Macgregor (aka Mac) and
Gerald Lyall OAM (aka Gerry) and launched the Vietnam Veterans Mine Clearing Team
Cambodia Inc. on a shoestring budget.

Clearing Cambodia was already being done by locals headed by Aki Ra, a former Khmer
Rouge conscripted child soldier who now works as a Deminer and museum curator in Siem
Reap, Cambodia.

Mr Macgregor said by organising and formalising a Demining group VVMCT was able to have
the funds to give Aki Ra the first metal detector.

“Mine clearing is a serious and sensitive business and requires specific tools, demands time
and training.

“People can sponsor one of the Deminers for a short time or a year if they like. We have a
flexible scale of sponsor opportunities and adopting a Deminer in this way will go a long way to
helping these people help themselves.

“Knowing that we have already cleared 2 million square metres of land mines means that land
that was quietly killing and maiming people can now be used for producing food. There is
satisfaction in that for us. I’m sure people who Adopt a Deminer will get the same satisfaction.

“We can be found on the web at http://members.optusnet.com.au/glaust/adopt-one.htm or find
us on facebook.
Robroy Macgregor, Gerry Lyall