The Heart is racist

I've heard this from several people, including those that have been turned away, the Heart of Darkness, Phnom Penh's most infamous nightclub is barring its doors to black people.

The first account was of a black man who was with a white woman and they asked him to pay a cover charge. The Heart never charges admittance. Needless to say, the couple took their business elsewhere.

The subsequent accounts are of black men and women who were barred from entering altogether. I heard that someone has set up an African bar on street 63 because blacks are facing discrimination in this town.

This is disgusting. I suggest a boycott: don't go to the Heart. Find another place. I hear Q bar is nice. Let's vote with our feet and spend our money in places that do not discriminate based on skin colour. That is totally unacceptable.

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night

It takes a while in any country to get labour organised and Cambodia has done better than some. Remember Coke hiring paramilitaries in Colombia a couple of years ago? In Cambodia, quite a number of trade union activists have ended up dead in 'accidents'. But this story is heartening.

More than 1000 garment factory workers protested Thursday outside New Mingda garment factory... claiming that two workers had been dismissed for involvement with the Free Trade Union (FTU)... The garment factory discriminated against [FTU] representatives... he was protesting to be allowed back to work as well as for working to get paychecks on time. (Cambodia Daily 31/01/2007)

The managers will always find excuses for any action

the factory's head of administration said that the two were fired before management found out they were FTU representatives... they were not hard-working guys... hoped workers would soon go back to work. (Cambodia Daily 31/01/2007)

Of course, claiming ignorance is not exactly original but it can work in a propaganda machine or in a state where the the media is under strict regulation.

Still... Support the strikers! Unionise! Up workers' rights!

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night,

Alive as you and me.

Says I "But Joe, you're ten years dead"

"I never died" said he,

"I never died" said he.

"In Salt Lake, Joe," says I to him,

him standing by my bed,

"They framed you on a murder charge,"

Says Joe, "But I ain't dead,"

Says Joe, "But I ain't dead."

"The Copper Bosses killed you Joe,

they shot you Joe" says I.

"Takes more than guns to kill a man"

Says Joe "I didn't die"

Says Joe "I didn't die"

And standing there as big as life

and smiling with his eyes.

Says Joe "What they can never kill

went on to organize,

went on to organize"

From San Diego up to Maine,

in every mine and mill,

where working-men defend their rights,

it's there you find Joe Hill,

it's there you find Joe Hill!

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night,

alive as you and me.

Says I "But Joe, you're ten years dead"

"I never died" said he,

"I never died" said he.

(I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night by Alfred Hayes)

The workers are standing up for their rights - a beautiful sight - especially considering that the garment factories in Cambodia are exactly what we would call sweatshops back home. If the workers can get better conditions in just one factory, it might give heart to exploited workers all over the world.

Open letter to Cosmo

Dear Ms White,

I stopped reading your magazine a few years ago because I was tired of reading the same article every couple of months about how to please your man. As a feminist, I found it boring and relatively insipid. I would search long and hard for any article that empowered young women to advance their career or that advocated equality in the workplace. Instead I was subjected to "how to have an affair with your boss" and "how to keep the perfect man". I think you do women a grave disservice by pandering to tired stereotypes.

Oh well I would have gladly kept my opinions out of your letter pages if I had not opened up by computer today and seen this vile nasty piece of trash on "grey rape". There is nothing grey about

This one time about nine years ago I got locked out of my house and went home with some vaguely smarmy hair-product using type from my ex-boyfriend's frat... when he, after about a half hour of fooling around, put on a condom I was like, "Whooooah, what are you doing?" But I'd had two forties and I kept drifting in and out of consciousness -- my tolerance, obviously, wasn't what it is today -- and I woke up to find him sticking it in. I'd said 'no' a bunch of times and when I came to I just froze, stopped, turned over and slept. (Cosmo US edition)

This writer claims that this is grey rape; the writer is in denial. She may feel she needs to deny it because she doesn't feel traumatised. Whether or not she is traumatised has no bearing on the fact that it was rape. It's a simple equation, regardless of the force or lack thereof used, no consent = rape.

You are the editor of a global magazine. How responsible do you honestly think this is? You are propagating the idea that, is a women is drunk then it's not really rape; when she says "no", it's not really rape; when she is sleeping it's not really rape. Do you believe that? Don't you think that this is rape is completely unacceptable in every situation? If there is no consent the man is a rapist. It is that simple.

There is no grey rape. Date rape is rape. Marital rape is rape. Why are you seeking to diminish the seriousness of a crime? Your publication would do well to retract that article and print an apology because otherwise you may be responsible for people believing your misinformation. What happens when a man uses the made up term "grey rape" to defend his actions? What happens when some idiot, who actually believed your article, is passing judgement or is on a jury? What happens to women who go to the police and get mocked by the term "grey rape" when they are trying to report a crime?

This article, from what I can read, has just made the world more unsafe for women.

Sincerely

MR

Others have addressed this issue too:
Jezebel
Shakespeare's Sister
Feministing

Nothing says I love you like rape

In Cambodia women are not even allowed to hand an object to a monk because women are impure and might contaminate the holy man. They place the object on the table and only then does the monk pick it up. I'm surprised that they do not have to sterilise it first. That's just a little background info on the sexism is Cambodia before it horrible story that follows.

There is a story today in the Cambodia Daily that is utterly repellent. A monk raped a 13 year old girl, got her pregnant and threatened to kill her if she told anyone. Eventually the girl's father found out because of her pregnancy and reported the monk to the police. And as if all of that wasn't bad enough, the monk says he did it out of love

He did confess to police, that he had raped the girl because he loved her. The victim is now 5 months pregnant. (Cambodia Daily 27/08/2007)

He was a monk. She was 13. He raped her because he loved her. Why did he threaten to kill her? Where is the logic there? Why is rape so acceptable in our society? Where is the outrage? Rape is a violent crime and not one you do to someone you love. Most of the time rape is about power and this girl was utterly powerless. How dare that monk say he loves her?

This makes me sick - what happened, the attitude towards women, the sick excuses and explanations and more importantly the utter acceptance of our rape culture. The more I read I think it was always like this. The media has pushed it out into the light of day, like a monstrous fault on our stained inhumanity. Why are we not shocked and appalled at such violence day after day?

Out of 132, Phnom Penh is 125th

Of the 132 cities surveyed, only nine cities present the worst-case scenario in which most aspects of living quality are severely restricted, reflecting general improvements on a global scale in areas such as education, health care and infrastructure. Four of these are in Asia, mainly South Asia. The other five are in Africa (accounting for three) and the Middle East (accounting for two).

The threat of terrorism and civil unrest is a major contributing factor to the cities that suffer from the worst liveability scores, as are poor development indicators. (Source)

Well I wouldn't be quite that harsh, but Phnom Penh does have elements that are very frustrating: noise, pollution, motos and the hot weather in April that just saps your will to live. If you ignore the racism, sexism and political corruption though, the Penh does have its charms for those who can afford them.

The thing about surveys like this is that they are generally written by people staying at four star hotels and who are being chauffeured everywhere in air conditioned land rovers. Do they eat the 2000 riel noodles or take a moto from one end of the city to another? How can they possibly evaluate a city under such conditions?

Often wrong

Whatever your position in that debate, one unmistakable legacy of Vietnam is that the price of America's withdrawal was paid by millions of innocent citizens, whose agonies would add to our vocabulary new terms like 'boat people,' 're-education camps' and 'killing fields.' (Source)

Wrong again Bush. Honestly does no one fact check your speeches? The term "killing fields" was coined in Cambodia, where admittedly the US bombed illegally and heavily. Some even say it contributed to the rise of the Khmer Rouge. It is one thing to fight a war in Vietnam and quite another to violate international borders to make you killed as many North Vietnamese as possible.

And seriously, hire someone to proof and fact check your speeches.

Death by bandaids

... is s fairly original way to die

Phnom Penh - A Cambodian man died after staging a silent protest against his wife's alleged infidelity by taping his nose and mouth shut with band-aids, local media reported Tuesday.

Chea Songha, 42, of the north-western province of Battambang, became enraged with his wife's repeated absences, and, after consuming a large amount of alcohol on Sunday morning, taped over his nose and mouth in an effort to draw his wife's attention to his distress when she returned, reported Khmer-language newspaper Koh Santepheap.

Although police said he did not embark on his stunt as a deliberate suicide attempt, Songha appeared aware of the risks, instructing his sister before she left him home alone that if it ended badly they should play disco music at his funeral, apparently as a further taunt to his wife. (Source)

The moral of the story kiddies, is that air goes in the lungs. Don't block them off.

As funny as this is, there is something darker beneath the surface. The idiot victim dies essentially because he is extremely angry at not being able to control his wife. His final thoughts are of taunting her. Sounds like a very pleasant fellow. Did no one ever tell him that women are people too? We will go wherever we wish? We have equal rights, at least on paper. No one gets to control another human being. No one should have to put up with threats and intimidation.

If he had been less of a misogynist, he'd probably have been fine, but there's no accounting for stupidity!

Kampot

OK it's been driving me crazy. Any one got the number for the Bodhi Villa in Kampot? The one in the yellow pages isn't working.

Same old show

Because when in doubt its always good to try and get your accusers fired.

Subsequently, the Royal Embassy of Cambodia today once again, urged Global Witness funders...review the credibility and ill-intention of Global Witness Director and discriminatory nature may be ill suited to lead Global Witness in the current situation and the future. It would be disastrous for the credibility and the image of Global Witness Funders: Trusts and foundations-Development organizations- Governments, if no concrete actions and measures would not seriously considered to provide a new guidance and leadership to Global Witness. (Source)

So exposing crimes is now discriminatory? Revealing corruption comes from ill intentions? It's funny how some accuse others of faults they themselves possess. Is the government so angry with Global Witness for revealing the scam that they must retaliate?

Calling the credible of Global Witness into account does nothing to help the governments cause. Does anyone believe that the GW report was fabricated? No. Everybody knows where the truth lies. We've heard the chain saws and we have seen how the gov responds to this type of report many many times and it is always the same - attack the source. A new tack, please. Why not try and work with NGOs to improve?

Cambodian youth

Radio Free Asia is talking about being young in Cambodia and it is not a pretty picture...

One NGO involved with the youth, indicated that 70% of the youth are jobless and are now involved in criminal activities.

During the day commemorating the 8th International Youth Day, Long Khet, the president of the Youth Peace organization, said, on 10 August, that 70% of Cambodian youth ranging in age between 18 and 30-year-old, are facing joblessness and these youth are currently involved in drug use, gangs, delinquency, creating unrest in the society, and are providing bad influence to the younger generations.

Long Khet added that the reason these youth are struggling in the society is because they are very poor and they did not get any education. (Source)

There are no jobs and few role models. In a society that has such an unemployment rate, it is not surprising that people turn to drugs, violence and crime. This is a challenge that the government needs to face. What future can the majority of young people have in such conditions?

Well, good governance, education and job creation would seem to be a start. I have written at length about the governance in this country and so will not do so here. The educational system is full of problems.

Where to begin? Teachers are not paid enough so many impose illegal fees on students. Many students cannot afford $1 a month for education and so miss out on the opportunities that should be available.

The other major problem is cheating in exams and buying good marks.

Multiple choice question # 1: Which of the following explains why rampant exam cheating and bribery are making a mockery of Cambodia's education system?
- (a) teachers are profiting from it
- (b) students see no shame in cheating
- (c) the government says the problem does not exist
Sadly the answer is all of the above.

According to the teacher..., A and B grades have a fixed rate of $2 000 and $1 200 respectively. The cost of a C is negotiable but generally costs $700-800

Socially cheating is just another form of corruption. It's a reflection of the larger context of society.

The schools of the country are its future in miniature. (Source)

With schools like this, students unable to afford an education, and parents willing and able to pay for diplomas, there is and will continue to be a serious lack of trained professionals. It seems that once again corruption is at the root of the issue.

Violence and sex

There is a fundamental lack of understanding in Cambodia as to what rape is. Rape in Cambodia depends on your profession, marital status and public standing. Having talked to underage sex workers, they do not understand the concept of rape. They have no power to say no or escape their fate.

Only 13 percent of young men and women surveyed by the group recognized forced sex with a prostitute as a crime, while women perceived as having broken from Cambodia's conservative social norms are also targeted, Licadho said.

"Gang rape ... is perpetuated by common attitudes and beliefs among young men that promote the myth that any girl who is not considered 'good' is available for sexual intercourse without her consent," the group said.

The trend towards increasing violence is not restricted to sex crimes, according to Licadho.

Despite the passage of domestic violence legislation in 2005, the laws have yet to be widely enforced, and reported crimes like beatings and abandonment have gone up since then.

"Beliefs about the inferiority of Cambodian women make if difficult for domestic violence to be recognized as a serious problem that families, friends and authorities should intervene in," Licadho said. (Source)

The madonna/whore complex is captured perfectly in Licadho's report. Be a good girl or a bad girl; there is no in between. Unfortunately this mentality is ostracising many. The flip side is that it is completely acceptable for men to visit prostitutes. These men make the point that the prostitutes are not Cambodian because no Cambodian girl would so sex work. Of course, such an assertion is far from logical, and the women pay the price.

Poor girls from the countryside are sold to brothels in the city that sell their virginity to the highest bidder. Because of the HIV/AIDS crisis, and the mistaken belief that having sex with a virgin will cure HIV/AIDS, virginity is highly prized. Of course, after the girls lose their virginity they can never get married. They will be vulnerable to violence for the rest of their lives. Not that marriage is a safe haven...

Women are treated appallingly here. Last year I gave a presentation on sexual harassment to a mixed group of national and international staff. I explained what harassment is and that it is not acceptable. After I opened the floor to questions, a Cambodian man stood up and said that no Cambodian woman would ever report a man harassing her. None of the women in the room contradicted her.

Another story I heard was a man working in women's rights, telling his wife who was suffering from post-natal depression that if she wouldn't have sex with him, he was going to visit prostitutes. How can progress be made if that is the attitude of women's rights activists?

The human rights of women in Cambodia must be protected. More political representation might be a start. One of the major problems, however, is the anger that boils in the country after the KR and the Vietnamese occupation. This anger is coming out as violence, gender based violence and child abuse. Until that is resolved the crimes will continue to increase.

The future

Is this the future for aid/ development workers?

Carnival

Check out Carnival of the feminists #42.

One my my pieces was selected - YAY!

Decline and fall

I am reading Gibbon's Decline and fall of the Roman empire at the moment. It is interesting, intelligently written and full of magnificent quotations. So here are a few on governance...

That public virtue which among the ancients was denominated patriotism, is derived from a strong sense of our own interest in the preservation and prosperity of the free government of which we are members.

But the zeal of fanaticism prevailed over the cold and feeble efforts of policy.

Under a democratical government, the citizens exercise the powers of sovereignty

The principles of a free constitution are irrevocably lost, when the legislative power is nominated by the executive.

Corruption, the most infallible symptom of constitutional liberty.

I think these have relevance in today's political climate.

Ordinary crimes

This happens all too often here. It is not questioned, except by the children's rights NGOs but even they cannot keep up with the sheer number of cases of child molestation and sexual abuse.

A 25 year old man was charged with raping a 6 year old girl by Battambang Provincial Court on Tuesday ... the accused rapist was caught by the victim's mother and neighbours who heard the child cry... Seng Son, chief of the antitrafficking police said ..."she was too young for such an attack" (Source: Cambodia Daily 2/8/2007)

Too young? That, aside from her injuries, is the only comment made by the chief of the antitrafficking police. How about, rape is wrong at any age? How about, violence is unacceptable? How about, we need to reform our thinking because this story happens every week? How about, deploring sexual abuse? How about, we must protect our children? How about, why did this happen?

Why does this happen here? Every week, most days, there is a story in the paper about the rape of children and women. It seems to be very prevalent throughout the country. Sexual violence is a regular and almost normalised occurrence.

Some argue that the same thing happens in Europe, the US, Africa and they are right. Sexual violence is used as a tool in certain wartorn African countries to demoralise and split communities. In Europe and the US sexual violence is increasing and the blame is put squarely on the shoulders of the victims for reasons such as being "provocatively dressed", "expressing an opinion", "being drunk" or having a particular job, to name a few.

Why is sexual violence so accepted? Is it might makes right? Is it misogyny? Is is anger bubbling under the surface of a national psyche; anger that manifests as incest, sexual abuse, rape and domestic violence? These four crimes are in the papers daily throughout the world. What is so wrong with the world that this behaviour is normal and even suitable for jokes?

One of the top ten beaches in Asia...

Allegedly... Ochheuteal, in Sihanoukville, is one of the top ten beaches in Asia. I find this curious, and if correct, then I'm out of here.

8. OCCHEUTEAL, CAMBODIA

Sihanoukville (aka Kompong Som) on Cambodia's pretty south coast is home to five fine beaches, even though the best one, Sokha, is reserved for a private hotel's guests. Sokha's neighbour, Occheuteal Beach, comes a close second with its long stretch of white sand lined with pine trees. Popular with Cambodians and travellers alike, Occheuteal's far northern end has become a backpacker hangout.

People go to Occheuteal because let's face it, there isn't a lot of choice. There first time I went I was not impressed but the Serendipity part of the beach is pleasant enough. It's nice to sit the the shade of a battered umbrella and get your toes tugged every five minutes with "madam you buy one. No she buy from me. No me". Don't worry children, I won't buy from any of you regardless of what you say or story you tell.

What I especially like about Occheuteal is that the water is so polluted that it feels like constantly getting pricked by pins all over your skin. Showering makes you feel better but the shower is in your guest house and far too far to walk for just a shower so you lie in the shade scratching and drinking your diet Coke. You have to down it in one because if you put your can down on the lounger beside you it becomes the property of the can collectors. They pour out the rest of your drink and make off with the can.

Aside from these admittedly minor inconveniences (except for the water - that's a biggie), Occheuteal is pleasant enough but one of the top ten... I think not.