| The Sapphire Mines @ Pailin | |  | | Angkor Wat, Siem Reap | | My first visit to Cambodia was in early 1992 when the UN (UNTAC) took over administration of the country. The UN were there to end the years of civil war which had ravaged Cambodia. There were many parts of the country which opened to the outside world for the first time in decades. There were also parts of the country which remained outside the control of the UN or government forces. These were mostly the regions close to the Thai border, which were under the control of the Khmer Rouge or 'Democratic Kampuchea' as they are known in Cambodia. | | | | Pailin, with it's remote location and rich natural resources, was an ideal base for the Khmer Rouge. The close proximity to the Thai border meant the Khmer Rouge were able to trade and receive supplies, which enabled them to continue their insurgency. | |  | | Apsaras | | | |  | | The Silver Pagoda, Phnom Penh | | In 1994 the government launched an attack to crush the remaining pockets of Khmer Rouge. The government forces eventually over-ran Pailin where they proceeded to loot and pillage. The Khmer Rouge re-grouped in the surrounding hills and in the counter attack, forced the government troops eastwards almost to the outskirts of Battambang. In late 1996 the Khmer Rouge in Pailin, decided to lay down their weapons and in return they would be allowed to run Pailin as an autonomous province. The surrender at Pailin was a catalyst which eventually led to the end of the Khmer Rouge insurgency. | | | In March 2004, I was speaking with Khmer traders in Thailand who told me it was now possible for foreigners to cross the border at Phsa Prum and travel to Pailin. The trip was then arranged and I was accompanied by my friend and colleague Ted Themelis & his son, Angelo.
| | Aug 2011: At present there is still some mining activity taking place in Pailin but these are limited to small scale diggings. There are still beautiful sapphires found but production is small. | | Below are some pictures taken on our 2004 trip.
| | | | Pailin Pics | | | |  | | The Samaki Market is the central point of Pailin. Most of the goods available in the market are imported from neighbouring Thailand. | | | | |  | | The sign outside the Pailin Police Station asking people to hand in their weapons. Cambodia is saturated with weapons of all kinds including land mines which still and maim and kill today. It is sad but not unusual to see people with legs missing hobbling around on crutches. | | | | |  | | This mining operation is to the west of Pailin. There were quite a few people working on this mine. The miners here showed me small parcels of rubies. | | | | | |  | | | | | A row of gem cutters in the Samaki Market. These guys were cutting zircons & garnets. There are also a number of stone dealers in the market with a real mixture of gems, mostly low grade. Some of the stones were obviously imported from Thailand, all being offered as local material. There was also a fair amount of synthetics mixed in some of the parcels. | | | | | |  | | One rather shocking sight in Pailin is the number of mountains & hills which have been left totally bare through the logging carried out by the Khmer Rouge. I also noticed a few furniture factories in Pailin making wooden furniture so the logging continues. | | | | | |  | | | A market trader with her daughter sit outside their stall of imported Thai music. Quite a few people I met could speak Thai as well as their native Khmer. Of all the languages spoken in S.E. Asia, I would have to say Khmer would have to be one of the most difficult to learn. | | | | | |  | | | | | A gem cutter polishing sapphires. Like most things in Pailin, the machinery used for faceting is imported form neighbouring Thailand. The quality of the cutting varied from not bad to others that looked as though they had been cut with an axe. | | | | | |  | | Outside the Samaki Market where most of the activity seems to take place. About half the roads in the town centre are surfaced, the rest is dusty dirt road. | | | | |  | | Outside the Samaki Market where most of the activity seems to take place. About half the roads in the city centre are surfaced, the rest is dusty dirt road. | | | | |  | | On the climb up to Wat Phnom Yat I cam across these two guys who were scouring the ground looking for sapphires. They told me they have found stones there in the past especially after heavy rainfall, when they are joined by sometimes hundreds of other people. | | | | |  | This man was chopping up wood to make a fence. | | | | |  | | A family living on Phnom Yat next to the temple. | | | |  | | The newly renovated Wat Phnom Yat, which overlooks Pailin city & valley. The location on the top of Phnom Yat (Phnom = mountain) meant the temple took a real bashing during the war years. The bullet holes have now been filled and painted over in bright colours & shell casings are used as incense holders. | | | | |  | | This somewhat bizarre scene at Wat Phnom Yat is supposed to represent Hell. There are images of people being tortured in very barbaric ways. You can find similar scenes of torture painted at Tuol Sleng in Phnom Penh, the notorious interrogation centre used by the Khmer Rouge in the 70's. | | | | |  | | When the women of Cambodia are widowed, they traditionally become nuns and take care of the temples. | | | | |  | | The view south west over the Pailin valley. The alluvial sapphire deposits are spread out across the valley floor. | | | | |  | | The view north over the Pailin valley. | | | |  | | The view west looking over Pailin town. | | | |  | | The view north over the Pailin valley. | | | | |  | | | The Chedi at Wat Phnom Yat, which overlooks Pailin in a westerly direction. | | | | |  | | These statues represent the Buddhist legend of Chu Chok Gun Ha Chali. | | | | |  | | As in all parts of Cambodia there is extreme poverty. Pailin has one of the lowest crime rates in the country, which is attributed to the harsh swift 'justice' system of the Khmer Rouge, who would often execute criminals on the spot without trial. | | | | |  | | Open cast mining. The truck loads of gem bearing soil are taken away to jigs to be washed and the sapphires extracted. | | | |  | | A jig used to wash the gem bearing soil. Note the flags and spirit table all there to bring good fortune to the miners. | | | |  | | Miners showing me their parcels of rough sapphires. These particular people were showing me smaller sizes but the stones had excellent blue colour. | | | |  | | The Pailin Good Samaritan's Gem Cutting Training School. | | | | | |  | | | | | There's always a gang of kids who follow you around. | | | | | | |  | | | | | The gems are picked out from the washed soil by hand. | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | Miners breaking for lunch. | | | | | | |
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