A small 'mock minefield' next to the museum demonstrates how land mines were used. Although the weaponry is inactive, seeing bombs hanging from trees with trip wires attached, waiting for someone to come walking by, is spooky. One of the orphans Ra has taken under his wing, a 15-year-old land mine victim with one leg, shows me how the mines were packed with explosives and how the small detonator was implanted. He invites me to step on a mine, which I do. It feels very creepy.

The museum had 50 to 100 visitors daily before the local government began efforts to shut it down a few years ago, Ra says. Concerned that Ra's museum would discourage tourism, the authorities have demanded money, threatened closure, and pulled down the museum's signs along the road to Angkor Wat. They have also harassed maverick curator Ra about the licensing and storage of arms on the premises, leading to the removal of weaponry and uniform displays. Ra has even been accused of selling arms and stockpiling weapons for use against the government.

Despite the harassment, Ra's museum continues to attract visitors who still find their way along the dirt road to his compound. 'I want more people to come,' he says.

From Giant Robot (#25), an Asian pop culture magazine that covers everything from martial arts films and anime to Asian candy and soft drink taste tests. Subscriptions: $15/yr. (4 issues) from Box 642053, Los Angeles, CA 90064.