Monday, November 28, 2011
Final thoughts: First Day After Cambodia --by Selin
It always surprises me how places -let it be a small room or an entire country- look extremely different the first time we see them. During that very first time, we just see how things look from where we stand, without knowing anything about the other angles. Thus, we have no memories, nothing that allows us to perceive the place emotionally. The first image is therefore more objective, yet at the same time, restricted and incomplete. Similarly, during my tuktuk ride from Phnom Penh International Airport to our hotel near the Independence Monument, I saw the chaos and poverty in Cambodia. However, I had no idea on the underlying causes and complex political relationships that resulted in the current situation. More importantly, I haven’t yet formed an emotional bond with the beautiful people of Cambodia. Therefore it was impossible to foresee then, what I have been feeling since I left: the guilt of being just a visitor, being able to leave at any time and to put a distance between myself and the people whose lives we touched in the past ten days.
When I received the itinerary from UBELONG on our schedule in Cambodia, I realized how much we would learn and experience. Yet, I wasn’t ready for the intensity of this expedition. We were studying the Cambodian genocide, its history and its implications for the future. However, we couldn’t succeed in our search for satisfying answers. Why did it happen? We still don’t know. What strikes me with the Cambodian case is that there is no tangible reason for the mass killings. This is not to say that any form of mass killings in history were logical, of course not. However, in other cases, the reasons that escalated fear and anger and led to the societies’ uncontrollable madness are clearer. In the case of Rwanda, there is the Belgian authorities’ favoring of the Tutsi minority over the Hutu majority. In Bosnia, there are religious and ethnic struggles. Similarly, Post-WWI Germany experienced economic hardships and the Jews were the scapegoats. On the other hand, the Khmer Rouge regime murdered their fellow Khmer. Though statistically they killed more Chams and Vietnamese, numerically, Khmer victims were the majority. As to the reasoning behind these killings, we only have the words of Nuon Chea, from the documentary ‘Enemies of the People’. According to Brother Number Two, the genocide happened because the victims were simply ‘enemies of the people’ that had to be eliminated. As simple, and as confusing as that.
As can be inferred, I left Cambodia with more questions than I initially had. I can’t figure out how a people so calm and peaceful have been through a period during which the ruling regime and its collaborators murdered almost half of their fellow Cambodians. I can’t understand how they can still have such a big smile on their faces despite this violent history and the extreme poverty they need to live with. On our part, I do not know how the international community remained silent for as long as it did. I fail to grasp how the CPP-controlled elections were defined ‘free and fair’ by the international community. This is especially challenging since we met significant opposition figures like Mu Sochua and Theary Seng and observed first-hand how international support allowed the authoritarian CPP to silence its opponents for the past two decades. Regretfully, I am also sorry for the fact that the West remains distant and lacks interest in the situation in Cambodia. It is hard to admit, but when I first decided to join the Expedition, there was a part of me proud of my own willingness to visit an underdeveloped country far away from my own. For some reason, I evaluated my will to go as a good deed or some sort of altruism. Whereas now, the dominant feeling I have is the guilt over how little I have done for these people who changed something in me that I can’t yet properly define. As members of the Expedition team, our responsibility was to get the word out and to draw attention to Cambodia. Despite the growing feeling in me that this is not enough, at least for now, I hope we succeeded in passing the message to interested and responsible individuals who would not turn a blind eye to Cambodians.
When I received the itinerary from UBELONG on our schedule in Cambodia, I realized how much we would learn and experience. Yet, I wasn’t ready for the intensity of this expedition. We were studying the Cambodian genocide, its history and its implications for the future. However, we couldn’t succeed in our search for satisfying answers. Why did it happen? We still don’t know. What strikes me with the Cambodian case is that there is no tangible reason for the mass killings. This is not to say that any form of mass killings in history were logical, of course not. However, in other cases, the reasons that escalated fear and anger and led to the societies’ uncontrollable madness are clearer. In the case of Rwanda, there is the Belgian authorities’ favoring of the Tutsi minority over the Hutu majority. In Bosnia, there are religious and ethnic struggles. Similarly, Post-WWI Germany experienced economic hardships and the Jews were the scapegoats. On the other hand, the Khmer Rouge regime murdered their fellow Khmer. Though statistically they killed more Chams and Vietnamese, numerically, Khmer victims were the majority. As to the reasoning behind these killings, we only have the words of Nuon Chea, from the documentary ‘Enemies of the People’. According to Brother Number Two, the genocide happened because the victims were simply ‘enemies of the people’ that had to be eliminated. As simple, and as confusing as that.
During our time in Cambodia, we had the opportunity to talk to people who have experienced the brutality of the Khmer Rouge regime. Since 80% of Cambodians live in rural areas, we made a visit to the rural province Kampong Speu at Thpong district. There, we met a Khmer Rouge victim and a perpetuator –though the former Khmer Rouge soldier claimed not to have killed anyone, most of us found this quite hard to believe. The victim told us about his days away from home, and the hardships he has been through. Similarly, the former soldier explained how influential Khmer Rouge was in the rural areas. It was striking to me to learn that the Khmer Rouge leader of even a small village had the authority to take people away from their homes or kill them –so long as he wished to do so. Earlier, when we met with the Cambodian activist Theary Seng –also a victim of the Khmer Rouge- she told us about the day her mother was murdered. I still can’t forget the pain in her eyes, and her sudden detachment from the present, as she told us her story. She was in prison with her mother and siblings. One morning, she woke up to realize her mother was no longer there. Neither were the adults they shared the prison room with. She immediately understood. ‘I still remember how I felt that moment, as if it happened just a minute ago, I felt as if my spirit was detached from my body’. Horrifying acts of violence continue to haunt people for the rest of their lives. Hearing their stories shook me hard. What was harder for me was to understand their ways of coping with pain, their distinct cultural and religious background, namely, Buddhism.
The discussion of genocide is extremely sensitive. In the case of Cambodia, there are certain other factors that increase the need to watch your words as a foreigner. First and foremost, there is the unspoken but well-known fact that the international community did not do anything to stop the genocide while it happened. Second, Cambodia is still far from being a democracy, and is ruled by an authoritarian government that includes former Khmer Rouge cadre. Most of the time, it is dangerous for regular Cambodians to criticize the government or take a strong stand against the crimes committed against humanity. But perhaps most importantly, Cambodians have their own way of tackling with their history, and that involves the will to forget rather than the willingness to punish- a tendency common among us Westerners. Though I knew very well that I needed to demonstrate respect for their culture, I found this challenging. According to Buddhist belief, we experience pain and hardships in our current lives due to our wrongdoings in past lives. This allows them to think that they somewhat deserved the treatment of the Khmer Rouge. Moreover, Buddhism motivates them to think that the Khmer Rouge leaders and soldiers will be punished in their next lives. They do not seek revenge because they believe that hatred against another only worsens the situation, and of course, they believe the supernatural forces of the universe will take care of the punishment. No matter how much I forced myself, I failed to appreciate this passive approach of Buddhism. I still feel that forgiving and forgetting, without punishing those responsible, motivates the wrongdoers to manipulate the Cambodian people. Where there is no punishment, no judgment, no willingness to remember, what stops the murderers from doing it all over again?
As can be inferred, I left Cambodia with more questions than I initially had. I can’t figure out how a people so calm and peaceful have been through a period during which the ruling regime and its collaborators murdered almost half of their fellow Cambodians. I can’t understand how they can still have such a big smile on their faces despite this violent history and the extreme poverty they need to live with. On our part, I do not know how the international community remained silent for as long as it did. I fail to grasp how the CPP-controlled elections were defined ‘free and fair’ by the international community. This is especially challenging since we met significant opposition figures like Mu Sochua and Theary Seng and observed first-hand how international support allowed the authoritarian CPP to silence its opponents for the past two decades. Regretfully, I am also sorry for the fact that the West remains distant and lacks interest in the situation in Cambodia. It is hard to admit, but when I first decided to join the Expedition, there was a part of me proud of my own willingness to visit an underdeveloped country far away from my own. For some reason, I evaluated my will to go as a good deed or some sort of altruism. Whereas now, the dominant feeling I have is the guilt over how little I have done for these people who changed something in me that I can’t yet properly define. As members of the Expedition team, our responsibility was to get the word out and to draw attention to Cambodia. Despite the growing feeling in me that this is not enough, at least for now, I hope we succeeded in passing the message to interested and responsible individuals who would not turn a blind eye to Cambodians.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Pictures day 10 --by Selin
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| Beautiful Ankor architecture |
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| Boats on the river |
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| Cheese! |
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| Coming up on Ankor Wat |
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| Friends we made along the way |
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| Just a sample of incredible carvings |
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| Monks at Angkor Wat |
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| Receiving charms |
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| Ruins |
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| Statues at Ankor |
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| What a day! |
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| The team |
Report day 10 --by Jeff
After our first night in Siem Reap, the expedition began to enjoy the touristic aspects of Cambodia. After breakfast at the hotel, the group bused to temple complex that surrounds Angkor Wat. Along for the ride was our tour guide, who'd turn out to be as entertaining as he was informative. Although we only had the better part of one day, it became obvious that someone could spend a week exploring the dozens of temples outside Siem Reap.
Our first stop was Angkor Thom, once a fortified city that still contains several temple structures. One of the good/bad characteristics about visiting historic places in Cambodia is the fact that visitors are generally free to climb and explore everything. So, the group spent several hours climbing around and within the ruins. I wondered whether the access permitted to the tourists (and hawkers) would expedite the erosion and demise of these magnificent buildings, but the free reign afforded a sense of discovery that would not be available in the West.
Our first stop was Angkor Thom, once a fortified city that still contains several temple structures. One of the good/bad characteristics about visiting historic places in Cambodia is the fact that visitors are generally free to climb and explore everything. So, the group spent several hours climbing around and within the ruins. I wondered whether the access permitted to the tourists (and hawkers) would expedite the erosion and demise of these magnificent buildings, but the free reign afforded a sense of discovery that would not be available in the West.
After a great lunch, the team made its way to Angkor Wat, one of the treasures of the ancient world. Massive, imperious walls, moats and buildings remind the visitor that this was once the seat of an ancient empire. Yet the grounds, vegetation, ornate frescoes, and resident monks give the place a peaceful, sublime quality. It is easy to see why Angkor Wat remains the singular emblem of Khmer culture and identity. Although we only had a few hours, we could have spent days wandering around the massive temple.
Sadly, today was the last day that the whole expedition team was together. Van had to catch an afternoon flight back to Ho Chi Minh City, and Raul and Selin left to return to Phnom Penh to make sure they were not late for an early morning flight. Their departures made me realize how quickly strong bonds had been made within the group. After an easy day following our hectic schedule over the previous nine days, the group was beginning to reflect on the richness of the expedition, the shared experiences, and the unique setting.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Pictures day 9 --by Jeff
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| The lush countryside. |
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| Our ride through Cambodia! |
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| Enjoying time together in the van. |
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| The Cambodian countryside as we made our way from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. |
Report day 9 --by Jeff
Today the group was a travel day for the group from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. Although an entire day consumed by travel by bus does not immediately seem like a rich experience, there is value to simply seeing the country side go for hour after hour.
Most of the Cambodian population is centered in the middle of the country surrounding the giant lake, Tonle Sap. Phnom Penh and Siem Reap roughly sit at two end points of this lake. The road we took reminded me of how limited infrastructure is in the developing world. The country's main highway, connecting its two largest cities, is a two-lane road shared by trucks, scooters, and animal carts. Virtually the entire distance between the two cities is populated by farm houses on stilts, road-side restaurants, lush green rice paddies and palm trees, and every-so-often, a glimpse of Lake Tonle Sap.
Two observations were made:
1) Cambodia is an extremely homogenous country. While crossing a significant part of the country, especially its population center, there was very little variation from one part to the next. Homes, hammocks, farms, animals, families on scooters, all seemed to repeat over and over for six hours.
2) Despite how poor the homes and farms were, poverty in rural Cambodia did not seem as bleak as urban poverty in other parts of the world. This is not to minimize the lack of resources and services that rural Cambodians live with. I mean to only acknowledge that rural Cambodians live in beautiful country with natural abundance.
Most of the Cambodian population is centered in the middle of the country surrounding the giant lake, Tonle Sap. Phnom Penh and Siem Reap roughly sit at two end points of this lake. The road we took reminded me of how limited infrastructure is in the developing world. The country's main highway, connecting its two largest cities, is a two-lane road shared by trucks, scooters, and animal carts. Virtually the entire distance between the two cities is populated by farm houses on stilts, road-side restaurants, lush green rice paddies and palm trees, and every-so-often, a glimpse of Lake Tonle Sap.
Two observations were made:
1) Cambodia is an extremely homogenous country. While crossing a significant part of the country, especially its population center, there was very little variation from one part to the next. Homes, hammocks, farms, animals, families on scooters, all seemed to repeat over and over for six hours.
2) Despite how poor the homes and farms were, poverty in rural Cambodia did not seem as bleak as urban poverty in other parts of the world. This is not to minimize the lack of resources and services that rural Cambodians live with. I mean to only acknowledge that rural Cambodians live in beautiful country with natural abundance.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Pictures day 8 --by Dave
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| The only reason we don't open our hearts and minds to other people is that they trigger confusion in us that we don't feel brave enough or sane enough to deal with. To the degree that we look clearly and compassionately at ourselves, we feel confident and fearless about looking into someone else's eyes. ~ Pema Chodron |
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| Children at the Thpong pagoda where we were graciously hosted. Some of the children had never seen westerners prior to our visit. |
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| Breakfast before work! |
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| Stunning visuals. |
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| The pagoda we stayed at. |
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| Hello! |
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| A local man who worked with us. |
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| A local woman who worked with us. |
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| A moment to relax! |
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| Cementing the inner walls of the catch basin. The sand for the cement was taken from the stream and mixed with concrete mix provided by LWD. |
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| Filtering sand to make cement. |
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| In the Khmer Rouge survivor's home. |
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| Moving stones. |
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| The river near the project. |
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| The UBELONG team and our Cambodian friends working together in the mountains to create a reliable, more accessible source of water for surrounding villages. |
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| Working side by side with locals. |
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| Our host for the afternoon, himself a genocide survivor, shares his story in Thpong District. |
Report day 8 --by Dave
An early Friday morning wakeup call from the roosters, and a delicious breakfast of rice and vegetables sent us on our way to volunteer at a mountainside water collection project. After seeing the large-scale development happening in Phnom Penh, we felt like we had stepped back in time.
The work was hard, hot, and humid. We did our best to keep up with our Cambodian mentors, who showed us how to filter sand using tattered mosquito nets, and then how to find the right consistency of cement to coat the inner walls of the catch basin. Moving huge boulders to make way for pipes was an entirely harrowing proposition as our only equipment was an ancient chain winch! However, our leaders were not concerned, and got the job done.
LWD provided boxed lunches, and we were offered fresh fish right out of the stream.
Our mere three hours was tough, and we marveled at the patient ingenuity of our hosts. We packed back into our van, and were off to meet with a local man who was told to us to be a former Khmer Rouge solider. After working on a project intended to be lasting and useful, it was difficult to frame questions for someone who was involved in such destruction.
We arrived at a tidy home in a small village, and were warmly welcomed inside by a quiet man who offered us tea and a seat out of the sun. To our surprise, he was not an ex-soldier, but rather a survivor who had been kidnapped and taken from his wife and children for a period of four years. He showed us scars from repeated torturing, and spoke of his 27-day walk back to his family upon his fortunate release.
Our host was thankful to be able to share his story with us, and admitted he had been asked many times in the past to speak about what had happened to him. I think we were all surprised to listen to him speak of how he found favor, and perhaps sympathy, from his captors over the course of his imprisonment.
We returned to our host pagoda tired but full of new questions, always a positive sign! After a short break (maybe a welcome nap under the mosquito nets), the team reconvened for a provocative, detailed presentation on democracy and development in Cambodia, led by Selin and Rachel.
There are innumerable questions of what democracy and development actually mean in a country like Cambodia, better known for its track record of corruption and collusion. Selin and Rachel facilitated an engaging discussion that drew on elements of all the meetings from the week, including our dinners with Mu Sochua, Theary Seng, DC-Cambodia, and the UN.
An intense but enormously rewarding day ended at the roadside ‘restaurant’ where we had spent the prior evening. We shared laughs, beers with friends from LWD, and our fearless STAR Kampuchea guides Sebastian and Brem, without whom our trip would have been far less meaningful. Our mosquito nets never looked so inviting as when we arrived back at the pagoda for a final night under the dark clear sky in Thpong.
The work was hard, hot, and humid. We did our best to keep up with our Cambodian mentors, who showed us how to filter sand using tattered mosquito nets, and then how to find the right consistency of cement to coat the inner walls of the catch basin. Moving huge boulders to make way for pipes was an entirely harrowing proposition as our only equipment was an ancient chain winch! However, our leaders were not concerned, and got the job done.
LWD provided boxed lunches, and we were offered fresh fish right out of the stream.
Our mere three hours was tough, and we marveled at the patient ingenuity of our hosts. We packed back into our van, and were off to meet with a local man who was told to us to be a former Khmer Rouge solider. After working on a project intended to be lasting and useful, it was difficult to frame questions for someone who was involved in such destruction.
We arrived at a tidy home in a small village, and were warmly welcomed inside by a quiet man who offered us tea and a seat out of the sun. To our surprise, he was not an ex-soldier, but rather a survivor who had been kidnapped and taken from his wife and children for a period of four years. He showed us scars from repeated torturing, and spoke of his 27-day walk back to his family upon his fortunate release.
Our host was thankful to be able to share his story with us, and admitted he had been asked many times in the past to speak about what had happened to him. I think we were all surprised to listen to him speak of how he found favor, and perhaps sympathy, from his captors over the course of his imprisonment.
We returned to our host pagoda tired but full of new questions, always a positive sign! After a short break (maybe a welcome nap under the mosquito nets), the team reconvened for a provocative, detailed presentation on democracy and development in Cambodia, led by Selin and Rachel.
There are innumerable questions of what democracy and development actually mean in a country like Cambodia, better known for its track record of corruption and collusion. Selin and Rachel facilitated an engaging discussion that drew on elements of all the meetings from the week, including our dinners with Mu Sochua, Theary Seng, DC-Cambodia, and the UN.
An intense but enormously rewarding day ended at the roadside ‘restaurant’ where we had spent the prior evening. We shared laughs, beers with friends from LWD, and our fearless STAR Kampuchea guides Sebastian and Brem, without whom our trip would have been far less meaningful. Our mosquito nets never looked so inviting as when we arrived back at the pagoda for a final night under the dark clear sky in Thpong.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Op-ed day 7: Cambodia Cohabitation --by Dave
In Cambodia, thirty years after the genocide, perpetrators and victims live together not in a state of collaboration as would be hoped, but one of tolerant cohabitation. Why? The reason is that there is no real incentive for them to work together. Cambodia is one of the most corrupt nations in the world, and collaboration is impossible without a functioning, rational framework that fosters integration, and not simply interaction.
The parts of the narrative are more important than the sum. Genocide is a shared trauma, and on the surface it appears to be so in Cambodia. Or at least that’s how Westerners talk about it. However, dig deeper and it is easier to see the grudges. Not surprising, since the country is less than 20 years out of a protracted civil war that followed one of the darkest human chapters in history, and the blanket pardon offered perpetrators continues to rub salt in painfully fresh wounds.
For example, we visited with a Buddhist monk one evening in rural Thpong District. After just a few minutes, we were unexpectedly joined by a man whom we were informed was a former Khmer Rouge soldier. Seeing him and the monk sit side by side, but not together, in the dark of a late evening on the steps of a rural pagoda, the crux of the problem became clear. Cambodians have compartmentalized their individual histories and stories of suffering. The ex-soldier was there to check us out and make his presence as a local official known. He answered questions, but I sensed no remorse in his story. He had rationalized his involvement with the Khmer Rouge, made easier by the impunity given him years ago. The monk’s long silence while the man spoke told me it was business as usual. This isn’t to place blame on anyone, or to assume that every Cambodian feels the same way. I haven’t walked one step in their shoes. It’s a natural defense mechanism to categorize and box emotional responses, especially over long periods of time, in order to forge ahead. Whether those feelings are processed and dealt with is the difference between collaboration and cohabitation.
Decades of convulsive attempts to rise above a violent past where guilt and shame play central roles have left Cambodians understandably weary and tired, and have left many development professionals scratching their heads. Apathy would be an easy way out of understanding the more complex issues in Cambodia, but it’s not altogether off the mark. Are Cambodians worried that forgiving one another will mean forgetting?
Finally, the remorseless relationship between the government and its people is a pot waiting to boil over, and typifies the divided state Cambodia finds itself in today. Despite many positive changes happening in Cambodia to rebuild through billions in aid and perhaps overly ambitious development goals for a country two steps into a marathon, long-term, peaceful, sustainable development cannot happen until integrative social reconciliation opportunities available to every Cambodian are equally prioritized with maintaining shiny, unrepresentative tourist waterfronts in Phnom Penh.
Op-ed day 7: The Basics Lose in the Government’s Gambling in Cambodia --by Dave
The 1975-1979 Khmer Rouge genocide arguably left Cambodia a country reeling like a person who fell hard, only to awaken years later with no family for support, no ability to eat or speak for itself, nowhere to live, and having been taught next to nothing – a clean slate in the worst way for a country that could otherwise know the relative prosperity of its Asian neighbors. Against those odds, some positive changes have occurred thanks to billions in aid and the arduous work of multilaterals, NGO’s, and INGO’s. For that very reason, it is tough to see a naked, filthy child sitting feet away from the edge of the treacherous main road packed with tourist buses headed to Siem Reap. I am one of those tourists, and I just can’t get the image out of my head.
[1] 2011 World Population Sheet, Population Reference Bureau
[2] Cambodia country context summary, www.un.org.kh, retrieved November 27, 2011.
[3] Ibid, End Poverty by 2015.
[4] Countries per Global Health Observatory reporting 2009, World Health Organization, www.who.int, retrieved November 27, 2011.
[5] Ibid 1.
[6] The World Factbook, www.cia.gov, retrieved November 27, 2011
That child is joined by 33% of Cambodians who are under the age of 15[1], and nearly 50% of the entire population is also under the age of 20[2]. The good news is that reasonable growth and urbanization rates can benefit the flood of young Cambodians looking for work in urban areas, fostering education and the growth of technical sector skills owned by Cambodians themselves. More broadly, the Cambodian government appears to embrace the CMDG framework and is currently on target to achieve at least 3 of the 9 goals by 2015[3].
What troubles me, however, are the CMDG’s not on target to be met, like under-five and maternal mortality rates. The CPP-owned government spends only $119 per capita on health, half the amount Vietnam allocates and a third of what Thailand spends[4]. Infant mortality in Cambodia is also more than 300%[5] higher than its neighbors. Access to clean water is still a major problem, and the risk of malaria, dengue, diarrhea and other diseases remains very high[6]. These are basic problems that could have been resolved years ago were it not for a thinly veiled authoritarian regime meticulously ridding itself of NGO’s interested in helping Cambodian people in Cambodia. What’s more, the problems of childhood survival say nothing of the human rights, gender equality, and freedom of expression issues, among so many others, awaiting 5 million young Cambodians trying to find that future. Thanks to the Khmer Rouge, progress towards a productive civil society was wiped away in 1975, and it has been an uphill battle ever since in a country forced to start from scratch as if it had no memory at all. Cambodia is now riding a wave of relative prosperity and growth, but at what cost? When a third of the population is at risk in order to make that growth happen, it’s a fragile house of cards.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------[1] 2011 World Population Sheet, Population Reference Bureau
[2] Cambodia country context summary, www.un.org.kh, retrieved November 27, 2011.
[3] Ibid, End Poverty by 2015.
[4] Countries per Global Health Observatory reporting 2009, World Health Organization, www.who.int, retrieved November 27, 2011.
[5] Ibid 1.
[6] The World Factbook, www.cia.gov, retrieved November 27, 2011
Op-ed day 7: A Real Grasp on Communities? --by Andrew
Every time I visit an impoverished community, I experience mixed feelings about my role and how my presence is being perceived. I often feel like I am violating the residents’ privacy and turning their situation into more of a sightseeing spectacle than an educational experience. I understand the utility of monitoring and documenting work on community development projects—learning from savvy locals about ways to live a simple and sustainable life—but I can’t help my presence always feels like a violation or disruption. How much is my presence worth?
I experienced the same feeling today as we toured a local village and observed several projects in Thpong Province where a local NGO, Life With Dignity (LWD), is working actively with local residents on community development. The residents of the village that we visited were very welcoming and hospitable. They spoke with pride about their bio fuel project, which uses cow dung to create gas for cooking and heating, and excitedly showed us the brace of ducks that they raise for sale. Although our presence was welcomed, I questioned how much impact our observation will have on our understanding of the village’s specific needs and ways to address them, as well as measurable impact on the work of LWD.
After our tour of the village, we surveyed several dams and even visited a rice field. Walking out uninvited into the field, where two young women were busy harvesting, I couldn’t help but feel that my presence was disruptive. The women were gracious and curious about our visit, but they seemed preoccupied and the other workers quickly walked away and watched us from afar. To them, we were probably little more than a passing interruption in their work schedule.
Despite my own conflicted feelings about these short-term trips, observing community development projects is crucial for gaining a better understanding of how people in isolated, rural communities are putting aid money to use. I would assume that very few international representatives from multilateral institutions actually step foot in such villages during their visits to Cambodia. They are probably confined to meetings in air-conditioned offices and rarely, if ever, leave Phnom Penh during the few days they have to spend discussing developmental aid in the country. This type of visit does not provide any insight into the lives of the people most directly affected by the aid the international community allocates to Cambodia. If one wants a better understanding of where money goes and who benefits from it, it is important to follow the money trail to the beneficiaries and see how it’s put to use.
In the end, the benefits of touring local communities and observing the important projects being done by both local people and organizations outweigh the drawbacks. Being able to see where aid money is going is an important way of understanding what is working in a specific context and what isn’t. When working with people, the personal connection is key and being present and willing to help, even if just observing and documenting the work being done, is a great first step.
During past fieldwork experiences in Rwanda, I met with the country’s indigenous minority population and observed development projects that had been started by a local NGO with long-standing ties to the two villages I visited. I was there with a group of volunteers and we had a very specific purpose—monitoring the progress of the projects and evaluating their effectiveness for documentation in outreach materials that we were producing for local and national donors. Still, the very act of trudging through their villages, staring at their work, and making our own uninformed assessments felt wrong. I had very little prior knowledge of the situations in the respective villages, or past attempts to address crucial areas of need. I did my best to ask pertinent questions and write intelligently about what I had seen, but I always felt that I was not qualified to be making assessments based on a few hours of quiet observation.
I experienced the same feeling today as we toured a local village and observed several projects in Thpong Province where a local NGO, Life With Dignity (LWD), is working actively with local residents on community development. The residents of the village that we visited were very welcoming and hospitable. They spoke with pride about their bio fuel project, which uses cow dung to create gas for cooking and heating, and excitedly showed us the brace of ducks that they raise for sale. Although our presence was welcomed, I questioned how much impact our observation will have on our understanding of the village’s specific needs and ways to address them, as well as measurable impact on the work of LWD.
After our tour of the village, we surveyed several dams and even visited a rice field. Walking out uninvited into the field, where two young women were busy harvesting, I couldn’t help but feel that my presence was disruptive. The women were gracious and curious about our visit, but they seemed preoccupied and the other workers quickly walked away and watched us from afar. To them, we were probably little more than a passing interruption in their work schedule.
Despite my own conflicted feelings about these short-term trips, observing community development projects is crucial for gaining a better understanding of how people in isolated, rural communities are putting aid money to use. I would assume that very few international representatives from multilateral institutions actually step foot in such villages during their visits to Cambodia. They are probably confined to meetings in air-conditioned offices and rarely, if ever, leave Phnom Penh during the few days they have to spend discussing developmental aid in the country. This type of visit does not provide any insight into the lives of the people most directly affected by the aid the international community allocates to Cambodia. If one wants a better understanding of where money goes and who benefits from it, it is important to follow the money trail to the beneficiaries and see how it’s put to use.
In the end, the benefits of touring local communities and observing the important projects being done by both local people and organizations outweigh the drawbacks. Being able to see where aid money is going is an important way of understanding what is working in a specific context and what isn’t. When working with people, the personal connection is key and being present and willing to help, even if just observing and documenting the work being done, is a great first step.
Pictures day 7 --by Dave
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| A local man and Selin |
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| A local woman |
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| A local woman and child |
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| A view from where we stayed |
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| Dave, Raul and Cedric |
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| Our housing at a Budhist pagoda! |
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| Rice drying in the sun |
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| Setting up our beds |
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| Speaking with a local man |
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| Sunset over the country |
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| The team |
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| Views of the countryside |
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| Biofuels making a difference for rural Cambodians |
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| Our 'real' tourguides! |
Report day 7 --by Jeff
Today the expedition narrowed its focus from national issues to specific problems in the country-side. Over the last several days we witnessed an international court try Khmer Rouge leadership, and spoke to the UN Resident Coordinator about Cambodian poverty, as well as the UN's nationwide projects to eradicate it. All relevant, but all abstract. But today, we spoke face to face with a Khmer Rouge foot soldier; walked through the homes of rural Cambodians living below the $1 a day, and reviewed the water and biofuel projects that would elevate them out of poverty.
After an early start, and a quick stop by Star Kampuchea, the expedition team headed out to Thpong, a district approximately two hours from Phnom Penh known for its large Khmer Rouge presence. There we were received by Life with Dignity (LWD), the first NGO to enter Cambodia after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. Along with Vichet, the local coordinator for LWD, the district governor and the equivalent of two district sheriffs were present to greet us. We quickly realized that our presence represented quite an event for an area not used to seeing foreigners. The LWD director gave a text-book presentation of their projects and goals; LWD is clearly a sophisticated organization that speaks the language of development professionals and donors. Following the presentation, the team and our Khmer counterparts at LWD enjoyed a homemade lunch at picnic tables outside.
After lunch, LWD volunteers drove the team to a nearby village to inspect some of LWD's projects including an economically sustainable biofuel project that converts manure and human waste to natural gas used for cooking and lighting, a forty meter deep public well that provides water to the entire village, and projects as simple as providing a family ducks to raise. The town, comprised of approximately one hundred families, would be characterized by any organization as living in severe poverty. Despite the discussions all week of poverty in Cambodia, meeting the villagers and seeing how they lived gave the team a better understanding of how scarce available resources are.
Following the town visit, the expedition visited two large dams and reservoirs made for water retention and flood control, built courtesy of the Korean government. One of these dams, still incomplete, will provide electric power to the neighboring villages. While on the levee, the team decided to ask some neighboring farmers about their rice crop. After a brief conversation in their rice paddy, our Star Kampuchea counterpart noted that the farmers were most likely subsistence farmers who did not intend to sell their rice crop. The team could only hope that the dam project would improve the water supply and provide cheap electricity to these farmers.
After another nice dinner by our hosts at LWD, the group headed to a remote pagoda that had never had foreign guests before. Arriving at the pagoda in the dark, the team settled down for the night in two open-air dormitories with only thin mattresses, mosquito netting, and basic bedding.
Prior to turning off the electricity (provided by a generator), the team was greeted by the Buddhist monk in charge of the pagoda and the town director. After formal introductions were made, one of our Khmer counterparts at LWD mentioned that the town director was a former Khmer Rouge soldier who would be willing to speak with us. Surprised at the opportunity to speak to a Khmer Rouge soldier, the group quickly began to ask several questions.
For the next hour and a half the town director described how he had joined the Khmer Rouge in 1973 and remained active until the mid 1990s. From 1975 to 1979, he served as a driver. Although he seemed honest in his basic descriptions of the era, several in the team later thought that his lowly status as a driver did not seem appropriate given his extended involvement. Eventually most of the team headed to bed leaving on a few to carry on the interview.
By the end of the evening, neither the villagers living in poverty, nor the Khmer Rouge were faceless to the team anymore. By heading into the country, the team's conception of development issues had now become tangible and personal.
After an early start, and a quick stop by Star Kampuchea, the expedition team headed out to Thpong, a district approximately two hours from Phnom Penh known for its large Khmer Rouge presence. There we were received by Life with Dignity (LWD), the first NGO to enter Cambodia after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. Along with Vichet, the local coordinator for LWD, the district governor and the equivalent of two district sheriffs were present to greet us. We quickly realized that our presence represented quite an event for an area not used to seeing foreigners. The LWD director gave a text-book presentation of their projects and goals; LWD is clearly a sophisticated organization that speaks the language of development professionals and donors. Following the presentation, the team and our Khmer counterparts at LWD enjoyed a homemade lunch at picnic tables outside.
After lunch, LWD volunteers drove the team to a nearby village to inspect some of LWD's projects including an economically sustainable biofuel project that converts manure and human waste to natural gas used for cooking and lighting, a forty meter deep public well that provides water to the entire village, and projects as simple as providing a family ducks to raise. The town, comprised of approximately one hundred families, would be characterized by any organization as living in severe poverty. Despite the discussions all week of poverty in Cambodia, meeting the villagers and seeing how they lived gave the team a better understanding of how scarce available resources are.
Following the town visit, the expedition visited two large dams and reservoirs made for water retention and flood control, built courtesy of the Korean government. One of these dams, still incomplete, will provide electric power to the neighboring villages. While on the levee, the team decided to ask some neighboring farmers about their rice crop. After a brief conversation in their rice paddy, our Star Kampuchea counterpart noted that the farmers were most likely subsistence farmers who did not intend to sell their rice crop. The team could only hope that the dam project would improve the water supply and provide cheap electricity to these farmers.
After another nice dinner by our hosts at LWD, the group headed to a remote pagoda that had never had foreign guests before. Arriving at the pagoda in the dark, the team settled down for the night in two open-air dormitories with only thin mattresses, mosquito netting, and basic bedding.
Prior to turning off the electricity (provided by a generator), the team was greeted by the Buddhist monk in charge of the pagoda and the town director. After formal introductions were made, one of our Khmer counterparts at LWD mentioned that the town director was a former Khmer Rouge soldier who would be willing to speak with us. Surprised at the opportunity to speak to a Khmer Rouge soldier, the group quickly began to ask several questions.
For the next hour and a half the town director described how he had joined the Khmer Rouge in 1973 and remained active until the mid 1990s. From 1975 to 1979, he served as a driver. Although he seemed honest in his basic descriptions of the era, several in the team later thought that his lowly status as a driver did not seem appropriate given his extended involvement. Eventually most of the team headed to bed leaving on a few to carry on the interview.
By the end of the evening, neither the villagers living in poverty, nor the Khmer Rouge were faceless to the team anymore. By heading into the country, the team's conception of development issues had now become tangible and personal.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Op-ed day 6: Lights. Camera. Trial? --by Selin
For the past week, most people we met preferred to describe the hearings at the ECCC (Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia) as theatrical. Regarding to our question on attending the hearings this week, one of them responded: ‘Why not? I do go to the circus sometimes!’ Though I had an idea of what they meant – how hard it is to try the former Khmer Rouge leaders when there isn’t a clear break from the Khmer Rouge legacy within the Cambodian government- I nevertheless expected more. I thought there would be sound arguments, good lawyers, and an attempt to make sense of the horrifying history of Khmer Rouge. None occurred.
We were seated in an assembly, and the court was right in front of us, surrounded with glass walls and crimson curtains. Following a music resembling those in detective movies, the curtains opened. First came Nuon Chea, who put together a short performance for us, claiming that due to his short breath he would be unable to read his response to the opening statements. Yet, he continued reading when the judges asked him to. Afterwards, he leaned back in his wheelchair, and almost fell asleep in front of the judges. I remember being irritated by his lack of respect. Witnessing the policemen in the Court warning the Cambodians to sit straight didn’t help much.
After Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan took the floor. He started with expressing his ‘sincere respects to all the monks in the audience’. Considering their approach to pagodas and monks during their reign, I found this incredibly strange. We have spoken to monks who were puzzled on Khmer Rouge policies. One of them pointed out his confusion with Pol Pot’s behavior, ‘he was once a monk too, after all’. Nevertheless, Khieu Samphan tried to convince the judges that though it may seem unbelievable now, 36 years ago, communism gave hope to millions around the world. Referring to the USA bombings during the Vietnam War, he asked ‘Do you wonder what my country felt after such killings and bombings? No, I can see that you can’t. (…) But most Cambodians gave their support against Lon Nol and we organized the resistance movement against the oppression’. What I found extremely interesting was how they kept referring to 1975 and the USA bombings. It is certain that USA cost the lives of many Cambodians, and the reasoning is clear on how this caused increased support for the Khmer Rouge. However, I find it very difficult to understand how this relates to the genocide that the Khmer Rouge leaders are responsible for. How is this relevant to mass killings of the Chams, the Vietnamese and their fellow Khmers? I felt they were trying to manipulate these facts in order to point out that the rest of the world is not innocent either.
Even though it was quite interesting to watch Ieng Sary and Khieu Samphan, the real performers were the lawyers. The show began with a Cambodian lawyer, who decided to read the papers he held in a monotonous voice. I was surprised because I expected to see crafty, creative and enthusiastic lawyers. At the very least, I expected their argument to be smart and convincing. Instead, the lawyer spent almost five minutes elaborating on a figure of speech adopted by the prosecutors. Apparently, one of the plaintiff lawyers described the genocide as ‘an ocean of blood’ during the opening speeches. However, the defense lawyer didn’t think this was a suitable definition. He gave the example of Tuol Sleng and discussed that 30,000 deaths would not constitute an ocean of blood. A lake of blood, or a pool of blood might do, but not an ocean of blood. It was indeed very informative to listen to this argument on how many human lives should have been taken to justly mention an ocean of blood. He then went on to compare the Cambodian genocide to hurricane Katrina. I was at awe with the comparison of genocide –where intention plays a critical role- with a natural disaster. The lawyer asked whether it was fair to expect from the Khmer Rouge to have control over the entire country after a civil war, considering how difficult it was even for the US government to deal with chaos in the 21st century. Obviously, the underlying assumption here is that none of the Khmer Rouge leaders ordered mass killings or were aware of their presence. At this point, I was already extremely disappointed. To my surprise, the French defense lawyer managed to disappoint me further. He was crafty and creative and enthusiastic. But defining the evidence as ‘vane’ does not make any sense to me. In the middle of Phnom Penh is the Tuol Sleng museum. A few kilometers later are the Killing Fields, and there are many more such fields in the country. There are the accounts of a 1,000 Khmer Rouge perpetuators at Documentation Center-Cambodia. Yet, the defense attorney can still state that ‘the evidence is vane’. Perhaps this is why the ECCC is perceived as a joke.
Overall, even though I wasn’t expecting much from the ECCC, I was extremely disappointed by the lack of intelligent discussions. The efforts of the former Khmer Rouge leaders to demonstrate their poor health condition in an attempt to gain sympathy from the public bothered me. Even though I respect everyone’s right to a fair trial, I was still disappointed to hear lawyers undermining the pain and suffering millions of Cambodians have been through. After today, when I think of the ECCC, I will remember three old men –responsible for the wildest of crimes- trying to shape public opinion, and doing so with utmost disrespect to the sensitivities of their own victims.
We were seated in an assembly, and the court was right in front of us, surrounded with glass walls and crimson curtains. Following a music resembling those in detective movies, the curtains opened. First came Nuon Chea, who put together a short performance for us, claiming that due to his short breath he would be unable to read his response to the opening statements. Yet, he continued reading when the judges asked him to. Afterwards, he leaned back in his wheelchair, and almost fell asleep in front of the judges. I remember being irritated by his lack of respect. Witnessing the policemen in the Court warning the Cambodians to sit straight didn’t help much.
After Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan took the floor. He started with expressing his ‘sincere respects to all the monks in the audience’. Considering their approach to pagodas and monks during their reign, I found this incredibly strange. We have spoken to monks who were puzzled on Khmer Rouge policies. One of them pointed out his confusion with Pol Pot’s behavior, ‘he was once a monk too, after all’. Nevertheless, Khieu Samphan tried to convince the judges that though it may seem unbelievable now, 36 years ago, communism gave hope to millions around the world. Referring to the USA bombings during the Vietnam War, he asked ‘Do you wonder what my country felt after such killings and bombings? No, I can see that you can’t. (…) But most Cambodians gave their support against Lon Nol and we organized the resistance movement against the oppression’. What I found extremely interesting was how they kept referring to 1975 and the USA bombings. It is certain that USA cost the lives of many Cambodians, and the reasoning is clear on how this caused increased support for the Khmer Rouge. However, I find it very difficult to understand how this relates to the genocide that the Khmer Rouge leaders are responsible for. How is this relevant to mass killings of the Chams, the Vietnamese and their fellow Khmers? I felt they were trying to manipulate these facts in order to point out that the rest of the world is not innocent either.
Even though it was quite interesting to watch Ieng Sary and Khieu Samphan, the real performers were the lawyers. The show began with a Cambodian lawyer, who decided to read the papers he held in a monotonous voice. I was surprised because I expected to see crafty, creative and enthusiastic lawyers. At the very least, I expected their argument to be smart and convincing. Instead, the lawyer spent almost five minutes elaborating on a figure of speech adopted by the prosecutors. Apparently, one of the plaintiff lawyers described the genocide as ‘an ocean of blood’ during the opening speeches. However, the defense lawyer didn’t think this was a suitable definition. He gave the example of Tuol Sleng and discussed that 30,000 deaths would not constitute an ocean of blood. A lake of blood, or a pool of blood might do, but not an ocean of blood. It was indeed very informative to listen to this argument on how many human lives should have been taken to justly mention an ocean of blood. He then went on to compare the Cambodian genocide to hurricane Katrina. I was at awe with the comparison of genocide –where intention plays a critical role- with a natural disaster. The lawyer asked whether it was fair to expect from the Khmer Rouge to have control over the entire country after a civil war, considering how difficult it was even for the US government to deal with chaos in the 21st century. Obviously, the underlying assumption here is that none of the Khmer Rouge leaders ordered mass killings or were aware of their presence. At this point, I was already extremely disappointed. To my surprise, the French defense lawyer managed to disappoint me further. He was crafty and creative and enthusiastic. But defining the evidence as ‘vane’ does not make any sense to me. In the middle of Phnom Penh is the Tuol Sleng museum. A few kilometers later are the Killing Fields, and there are many more such fields in the country. There are the accounts of a 1,000 Khmer Rouge perpetuators at Documentation Center-Cambodia. Yet, the defense attorney can still state that ‘the evidence is vane’. Perhaps this is why the ECCC is perceived as a joke.
Since the arguments of the defense attorneys were so poor, I expected the prosecutors to demonstrate some wit. Again, I was let down. When asked to respond in a few sentences, one of the defense attorneys stated that if the Khmer Rouge leaders decided to use their right to remain silent, this would mean accepting their guilt. This statement goes against everything taught in even a Law 101 class. Obviously, the defense attorneys benefited from the opportunity to challenge this statement. They had every right to do so.
Overall, even though I wasn’t expecting much from the ECCC, I was extremely disappointed by the lack of intelligent discussions. The efforts of the former Khmer Rouge leaders to demonstrate their poor health condition in an attempt to gain sympathy from the public bothered me. Even though I respect everyone’s right to a fair trial, I was still disappointed to hear lawyers undermining the pain and suffering millions of Cambodians have been through. After today, when I think of the ECCC, I will remember three old men –responsible for the wildest of crimes- trying to shape public opinion, and doing so with utmost disrespect to the sensitivities of their own victims.
Op-ed day 6: A Morning to Remember --by Jeff
This morning I had the special opportunity to sit in the Extraordinary Chambers of the Court of Cambodia and watch the trial of Nuon Chea, the top living Khmer Rouge leader. This is the equivalent of watching the war crimes trials of the Nazis.
To explain the chaos the Khmer Rouge had to contend with after they ousted the government, the defense spent probably one minute comparing the chaos that occurred in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to what the Khmer Rouge encountered. I currently live in New Orleans and work on infrastructure recovery efforts. Needless to say, as if this experience wasn't surreal enough, watching a Cambodian attorney defend the actions of the Khmer Rouge using a Katrina comparison has to be one of the most bizarre moments I've ever experienced.
To explain the chaos the Khmer Rouge had to contend with after they ousted the government, the defense spent probably one minute comparing the chaos that occurred in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to what the Khmer Rouge encountered. I currently live in New Orleans and work on infrastructure recovery efforts. Needless to say, as if this experience wasn't surreal enough, watching a Cambodian attorney defend the actions of the Khmer Rouge using a Katrina comparison has to be one of the most bizarre moments I've ever experienced.
Op-ed day 6: Justice at What Cost? --by Gina
As we sat in the viewing room for the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), I felt chills. Watching the courtroom fill and listening to a narrator’s voice describe the crimes of the Khmer Rouge, I was distinctly aware that I was about to witness a pivotal moment in Cambodian history. For me – for many of us in the room, Cambodians and foreigners alike – it was a moment in which we would witness Nuon Chea, Ieng Sery, and Khieu Samphan stand trial for their roles in genocide.
Yet, after the curtain separating the audience from the accused drifted open, this atmosphere of anticipation was quickly dissipated as the arguments of defense lawyers became absurd – comparing the trial to French literature and levels of chaos during the Khmer Rouge regime to post-Katrina looting in New Orleans. The prosecution – while less prominent on this day than the defense – similarly added an air of theatricality to its questions for the opposition.
Throughout these opening statements that were rarely clear or coherent, I felt myself fixating on the brochure in my lap, which listed the amount of money spent each year for the tribunal: an overwhelming total exceeding 143 million dollars as of August 31, 2011.[1] As I listened to these statements, juxtaposed with this incredulous budget, I wondered if it couldn’t be better spent. Rather than funding the system so that five elderly accused may spend their few final years in jail, wouldn’t it be better to contribute to the future of Cambodia through victim reparations and community development? Instead of seeking retributive justice for a few, could that money build reconciliation for many? From the Cambodians with whom we’ve spoken, there is little belief that the ECCC can bring justice for the survivors of the Khmer Rouge or should be the answer to Cambodia’s persistent socioeconomic woes. When we asked one survivor about his feelings of the ECCC and his captors, he answered, “I cannot forgive, but what can I do?” For him and so many others like him, Cambodia needs justice and this court – called an “irredeemable political farce” by Theary Seng – will surely not achieve it.[1] http://www.eccc.gov.kh/sites/default/files/5-ECCC%20Combined%20Contributions%20Table_Updated%20as%20of%20August%202011.pdf
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