Adelaide re-visits Cambodia
1 June 2007 By LCDR Brian Chase
To promote friendship between Australia and Cambodia, HMAS Adelaide (II) made a four-day visit to Sihanoukville from 24 to 27 May as part of her current SE Asian deployment. The visit was the second for Adelaide that made her inaugural visit to Sihanoukville in 2005. As only approximately 50 of the 2005 crew remain from that first visit, this is the first time the majority of the crew had visited Cambodia.
Local dignitaries and Australia's Ambassador to Cambodia, Her Excellency Margaret Adamson, met the ship on arrival. These and other national dignitaries, including Cambodia's Deputy Commander in Chief and other nation's ambassadors to Cambodia attended an Official Function that evening.
While maximum opportunity was given to the ship's company to see and explore the country, a number of sporting events, aid to the local community tasks, and visits by a local orphanage made for a hectic schedule.
Adelaide played sport against the regional Cambodian Navy's soccer team and volleyball against the Cambodian national Landmine Survivors side. Both games were played in 'gruelling' heat and despite a valiant effort by Adelaide's top sportsmen, we lost both games. The Soccer 4 goals to 1 in what was a close game (until half time) and the Landmine Survivors volleyball team by 3 sets to nil. Over well-earned refreshments, all teams agreed that it had been a fantastic day of sport.
The ship had a visit from a group of children from a local orphanage, all of who had a great time and were spoilt by members of the ship's company. They were enthralled by the magic tricks of LCDR Mark Kelynack and took great delight when a drill SM-1 missile was loaded to the launcher and it was trained around and bowed to them. Later in the visit, some members of the ship's company visited the orphanage to conduct some repairs and generally 'clean-up' the Orphanage's grounds. Afterwards they presented the children with 120 toys and picture books that the Ship's Company had purchased whilst in Singapore.
The Australian Embassy arranged for three, one-day tours to the capital, Phnom Penh. While we didn't score the police escort for the entire bus trip as we had in 2005, there were still armed escorts with us at all times which opened eyes amongst the 'Up-Top Polywogs'. In Phnom Penh, visits included the Russian Markets, the Royal Palace and the Tuol Sleng genocide museum.
Tuol Sleng was the former Khmer Rouge S-21 prison in which some 19,000 men, women and children from all nationalities, including some Australian and New Zealanders, but mainly Cambodian, were interrogated and tortured before being transported outside Phnom Penh and executed in areas that became known as the 'Killing Fields'. The Khmer Rouge photographed the prisoners at every stage of their incarceration within S-21 and this record of many thousands of prisoners was portrayed in a graphic and unforgettable display. Only seven people are known to have survived the ordeals of S-21. The atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge later became the story behind the 1970s movie 'The Killing Fields'.
The Royal Palace displayed the rich history of Cambodia and it was remarkable to see European, influences, particularly French, among the characteristic Cambodian architecture and culture. The oddest being a classical French, two-storey villa that Napolean III of France had presented to a former King erected within the grounds.
Cambodian markets are unique and offer a huge array of produce and merchandise that includes live-stock, clothing, motor cycle spare parts and computer hardware and software. As with most SE Asian markets bartering for the best price is the norm and soon even the most inexperienced sailors were haggling the price like old hands, each assured that the price they'd negotiated was going to ruin the trader.
The town of Sihanoukville offered many delights of its own. There were restaurants everywhere, many owned by expatriate Australians or Europeans, which offered outstanding seafood at two or three dollars a plate. Being one of Cambodia's tourist areas, although it was the off-season when we visited, there was an abundance of hotels and guest houses, many situated either on or within a few minutes walk of pleasant beaches, with rates that started from as little as two US dollars. At these prices many of the crew took the opportunity to stay ashore for a few nights without any strain being placed on their wallets or purses.
All-in-all Adelaide's visit to Sihanoukville was memorable, and will not readily be forgotten by the Ship's Company.
