Hong Kong superstar Jackie Chan went to Cambodia in April as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations. The action hero was in the war-racked country to visit victims of land mines and sufferers of HIV/AIDS.
Jackie Chan was deeply touched by what he saw in Cambodia. To underline the importance of the land mines issue, Chan walked through a minefield, now almost, but not completely, cleared of explosives.
Jackie Chan said, "They have land, but it can't be farmed. They have land, but they can't build homes on it. They have land, but they can't let their children play there. A boy could go out to buy milk and come back without legs. A girl could go to fetch a bucket of water from the well and come back with half a leg missing. Every step is taken in fear. There are over 40 million land mines in Cambodia. And it's not only the adults who are suffering, it's also the children, the next generation."
Although he was only there for three days, the actor was so haunted by the visit that he dreamt about digging up land mines for a whole week after his return.
Jackie Chan said, "When I got back, I decided to take my son Zuming with me next time to see what it's like. The young generation here get so much, so easily that they never cherish what they have."
Chan said he would donate US$30,000 to the children of Cambodia -- and he didn't forget to encourage others to join him. He said, "If all those rich people out there saved a bit of money by giving up another new mobiles or pair of posh shoes, they might have something to give to a better cause. There are six billion people on this earth -- and three billion of them are living in poverty -- if one half helped the other, wouldn't it be wonderful? "
Cambodia's land mine victims are just some of those out there who need our help. As Chan said, we need to do everything we can to make things better.
(CCTV.com May 17, 2004)
