Jackie Chan talks about mission to protect children
World film star Jackie Chan is currently touring Southeast Asia as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF to raise social awareness on the safety, rights and protection of children.
The charismatic action film star has been on a busy mission in Cambodia for the past two days and will visit Vietnam on Saturday.
While in Cambodia, Chan, 51, toured former battlefields, met land mine victims and visited a land mine education project in one of the most heavily mined places in the world.
Between 2000 and 2004, nearly 4,200 Cambodians were killed or injured by land mines and unexploded ordnance, with 25 per cent of the victims under the age of 18, UNICEF said.
Chan, who has starred in Hollywood hits such as "Rush Hour", "Rumble in the Bronx" and "Shanghai Noon", sat down with Thanh Nien in Cambodia to talk about his mission.
Q: Hi Jackie, you've had quite a busy working schedule here?
A: Yes, I have. I've been on the move these past few days traveling by bus and airplane.
I recently visited Battambang hospital and attended a land mine awareness program for students. In Cambodia, I am campaigning for a global ban on land mines, and also scouting film sites for a future movie about the efforts.
I arrived by plane in Battambang, a town located 250 kilometers (155 miles) northwest of capital Phnom Penh, to visit children and victims of land mines in the country. I also helped raised social awareness about discrimination of AIDS patients.
Q: What are your feelings from the trip?
A: I feel lucky to have the opportunity to come here and understand things. I also feel lucky to live in Hong Kong where there are no remains of war or natural disaster.
I feel for the many Cambodians who have their lives at risk because of these millions of mines left from the war, which ended almost 10 years ago.
Because of war, people had set up countless numbers of minefields to harm one another, bearing no thought to the later costs of defusing these explosives.
Q: Did you witness the daily life of Cambodians living close to mines?
A: Yes, I did. Mines have made life for people in Cambodia more difficult and miserable. Farming is badly affected by the mines and children can not play freely. It is impossible for children to play football on rice fields.
It seems to me that land mines have become a part of the local people.
Q: What do you think you can do to help them?
A: I want to make places that have been devastated by war and natural disasters major global concerns. I think of ways to perpetually stop war. I want to stop war.I want no more land mines. They hurt so many children.
There should be no more manufacturing of mines. People should live and love one another with their hearts.
Q: Do you think that one or two trips will be enough to improve the situation?
A: I will certainly return to help improve this land of mines in the future.
I will also be visiting Vietnam on Saturday.
Q: Thank you and hope to see you again in Vietnam.
(Reported by Pham Thu Nga Translated by Minh Phat)
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