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Years
of armed conflict and war have taken a heavy toll
on Cambodian People. With thousands displaced
from fleeing the fighting or forced to relocate
to other areas of the country, many families have
been separated for more than 20 years.
The Cambodian Red Cross is working hard to reunite
families torn apart from the war with relatives
living in other parts of the country or abroad
to re-establish or maintain contact. |
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In 1988, the Cambodian Government authorized the Cambodian
Red Cross (CRC) to establish a tracing service with the
aim of helping families dispersed by years of conflict.
In the same year, negotiations were held between ICRC
and CRC regarding active support role of the ICRC in order
to found such a service.
In 2001, The Tracing and Mailing Service was fully integrated
into the structure of the CRC NHQ and provincial level.
The Tracing and Mailing Services is a program operating
through a bilateral agreement between CRC and the ICRC
Regional Office in Bangkok.
It assumes responsibilities as part of the international
network of Red Cross/ Red Crescent tracing services and
ensures the collection/distribution of RC messages and
the treatment of Tracing Requests.
After three years of full integration, the CRC Tracing
and Mailing service continues to ensure effective tracing
and mailing activities for the entire population of Cambodia
and has so far located 672 people (164 cases have been
successfully solved in the last 3 years), with 129 cases
still pending both domestically and abroad.
OBJECTIVES
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The
CRC Tracing Service responds in an effective and
efficient manner from and for family members abroad
with whom contact was lost due to years of conflict
in Cambodia. |
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CRC Tracing
Service organizes reunifications wherever appropriate
and upon request. |
NETWORK
The Tracing and Mailing Service covers all of Cambodia,
with a network of 24 branches set up throughout the country.
In each branch, tracing agents visit different areas or
villages to either locate the persons sought or to deliver
RCM, and also collect RCM/
NTR (?) from the local population, who,
due to financial constraints, could not afford to go back
to their native village or to trace back their family
members.
As well as this, local tracing agents carry out collection
and distribution of RCM from / to prisoners in detention
centers throughout the country. During 2003, more than
19, 082 RCM were exchanged within Cambodia and abroad,
of which, 8 948 were collected / distributed throughout
24 prisons across Cambodia.
CONSTRAINTS
Sitting at the Tracing Office in Phnom Penh,
in October 2004, Mrs Chan Sophan is reuntited
with her son Mr Vicq Jean - Charles after 30 years.
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The
CRC Tracing and Message Service has ensured efficient
and effective tracing and mailing services for
the entire population of Cambodia, including the
population residing in previously inaccessible
areas, as well as prisoners/detainees.
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Although Cambodia has developed in the last few years,
the postage service and the information flow in the community
is still difficult. There are many tracing requests still
open and the number of Red Cross messages is still high,
especially in the Northwest.
There is a need to support the tracing service and the
Red Cross message unit to help recruit families of those
who lost their members during the war and armed conflicts
which governed more than three decades. |
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·
Since starting, 8, 884 cases have been reported and
26, 856 people have been found, with 5, 291 cases successfully
solved.
· In
2003 129 cases were reported.
· In
2003 131 people were found, with 39 cases successfully
solved.
· Difficulties
tracers face include lack of family information including
names, place of birth etc, as many of the enquirers
were often less than 10 years old at the time of separation.
For other cases, the information given regarding the
last known address was as old as 20 years or more.
Tracing Agent delivering a letter to Chhuon Yoda (Koh
Kong Province) from her family in Switzerland.
A loving reunion after 38 years of being seperated.
Cecile Suon Sna Maltere, a French women of Cambodian
origin finally finds her mother.
Tracing agent delivering a message from T5 Prison in
Kompong Cham to a family in Kampot.
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| Related
Links: |
Tracing
Feature Story |
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