Discovering the 'real' Cambodia
Trip Start
Nov 15, 2004
1
17
70
Trip End
Nov 10, 2005
Battambang,
Cambodia
Sunday, February 13, 2005
We travelled onto Cambodia's second biggest city, - a town really, for a couple more days of Cambodian culture. The town is peaceful, cheap and relaxed but still displays many of Cambodia's problems - innumerable limbless people from the still widespread land mines, decaying infrastructure, slums and mountains of rubbish. It has remnants of the UN's 1992/93 efforts to bring some peace to this country - great hotels that used to host the UN staff.
While Cambodia has been a great experience it is somewhat comforting to leave, having survived the guns, the haemorrhagic dengue fever epidemic and the volatile political situation (the opposition leader has fled the country after having his parliamentary immunity stripped following criticism of the government, which has never legitimately gained power; only through bribes, threats and violence...) - anyway there are rumours of a impending bloody coup, which would probably be good for the country in the long run given the absolute corruption and ineptitude of the present regime
Battambang river
.To give you a taste of some of the everyday ocurrances in Cambodia that unfortunately seem far too common, here are some extracts from the Cambodian papers that we have read in the short time we have been here (the titles are our own creative license):
Brotherly Love
A motodriver was shot in the head after an argument. Police said that x was shot in the head with a handgun by his brother. His brother, a policeman, was apparently angry that his brother had refused to lend him his moto.
Shoot First
A man was killed after being gunned down by police after riding away from a nightclub on a police motorbike. Police believe the man mistakingly took the motorbike as his own as he was under the influence of alcohol.
Free food... for some
The UN World Food Program has been suspended in Cambodia after it was discovered that millions of tons of food had been illegally taken from the program
Main street Battambang
. Officials believe the fraud was administered throughout all levels of the scheme from the food transporters to the government officials managing the program.Anti-corruption Unit forced to close
The Cambodian Anti-Corruption Unit has been shut down due to widespread corruption.
(need we say more!)
Militant forestry
The military (which consumes 25% of Cambodia's budget) spends most of its time illegally logging forests, particularly National Parks, and poaching rare animals. The situation has been going on for decades and has degenerated to the point of gun battles between Ministry of Environment rangers and the military.
Foreign indulgences
Two British nationals (in seperate provinces) were found naked and dead in their hotel room. They are the fifth and sixth foreign nationals to die from drug overdoses this year (one and a bit months) alone.
Beware the boat trips
A limbless and beaten body of a tourist was found on a remote Sihanoukville beach. The head of tourism advised tourists to tell police if they catch a boat otherwise they may get killed for their possesions.
Avoid the West
The entire town of Pailen in the country's west has been evacuated by the Khmer Rouge (which is still a political force) in preparation for a battle with government forces.
