/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/IXQ2MQPBEROHZANAYI3TV2GIRA.jpg "From war to peace: Cambodian goldsmith turns bullet casings into jewelery")
PHNOM PENH, March 30 (Reuters) – Every week, Cambodian goldsmith Thoeun Chantha turns about five kg of brass casings of AK-47 and M-16 bullets into jewelery.
For more than two decades, the 42-year-old, whose father was killed during Cambodia’s years of war, has run a workshop to turn symbols of violence into what he calls wearable pieces of art.
“I’m a victim of the war as a Cambodian who lost family members in it and now the world is at war too,” he said.
[1/5] Jewelry made from bullet shells are displayed at Angkor Bullet Jewelry in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 29, 2023. REUTERS/Cindy Liu
“I make this to show that the world doesn’t want war… we all want peace.”
The bullets are collected from shooting ranges and military training grounds around the capital, Phnom Penh.
Those deemed safe are melted and poured into a cylindrical mold before being cooled in a bucket of water.
The metal is then shaped by hand into intricate bracelets, necklaces, rings and earrings to sell for $ 5 to $ 20 a piece in markets popular with tourists.
Reporting by Chantha Lach and Juarawee Kittisipla; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
