Cambodian government bans bad-taste beauty contest

The Cambodia News.Net
Monday 3rd August, 2009

The Cambodian government has decided to ban a bad-taste beauty pageant in which landmine victims would have competed to win a prosthetic limb.

The Miss Landmine Cambodia contest was designed to attract competitors from around the country.

An internet voting campaign would have selected the most favoured candidate.

20 candidates had applied to be part of the contest which had been organised by a anti-landmine Norwegian group.

The sponsor said the pageant had only been organised to raise awareness about landmines and empower the disabled.

Cambodia's ministry of social affairs demanded the cancellation to protect the dignity of people with disabilities.

Cambodia remains one of the world's most heavily mined countries, along with Afghanistan and Angola.

Hundreds of people are killed or maimed by the mines every year.

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