Comments on: What do you know about Cambodia?

By: Hank

Hank — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:26:14 +0000

“They brutally (so brutally) killed anyone with an education or conflicting views, and essentially reduced a country that had been running fairly smoothly to the Stone Ages.”

That the Khmer Rouge killed anyone with an education is something often repeated, but has no basis in their policies. The country wasn’t running smoothly at all, it had just gone through a brutal civil war during which 2.5 million tons of bombs were dropped on the countryside, and almost every village wasd destroyed.

By: Keep Cambodia beautiful « Cambodia: Details are Sketchy

Keep Cambodia beautiful « Cambodia: Details are Sketchy — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:19:19 +0000

[...] 16, 2009 Bridget McNulty, an American writer, recently visited the Land of Wonder. Then we arrived in Phnom Penh, the capital city, and quickly escaped north to Kratie, a small [...]

By: I love Cambodia

I love Cambodia — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:24:19 +0000

I had an incredible time in Cambodia. The Angkor temples are a must-see. Phnom Penh was a jol, even if it was decrepit – hit the Heart of Darkness pub for pool and booze. The Mekong was broad and majestic. Cheong Eik was heart-breaking. The boat ride from Phnom Penh to Siem Riep was like being in a movie!
The people were what really made it for me though. The taxi driver who organised our entire trip between the airport and our backpacker, completely for free (to us!), all on a cellphone after asking what we were interested in doing. The women at the Philipines Airlines shack in Siem Riep – they sewed up a hole in my money bag while sorting out a Visa cash transfer. The scooter kids who rode us around – constantly badgering you to help with their English. My dodgy English travel companion even bought a shirt off a Cambodian policeman at Angkor…
I also thought the landscapes through which I passed were beautiful and largely untouched, most notably at the sunset temple where we would go at the end of the day at Angkor. Possibly a matter of perspective, as we came in from the Philipines, via Bangkok, and were used to a far higher level of harassment and chaos than we experienced in Cambodia – I don’t remember any to be honest. This was in 2000, so perhaps things have changes as well.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:15:36 +0000

Everything I know about Cambodia, I learned from Jello Biafra:

IT’S A HOLIDAY IN CAMBODIAAAAH
WHERE PEOPLE DRESS IN BLAAACK

By: Libs

Libs — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:53:31 +0000

“The Khmer Rouge left behind a vastly uneducated and unskilled society; a displaced, diasporic and traumatised nation; a population of 70% women, many widowed from the regime; and a country riddled with landmines … it is a legacy far from over and a legacy that will take generations to heal.”
Well Bridget this sounds like Apartheid South Africa to me – the legacy it has left behind will take generations to heal.

By: MLH

MLH — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:11:40 +0000

“I saw a woman drinking a cooldrink and throwing the can across the road … to nowhere in particular. A guy bought some food from a shop and dropped the plastic bag in the river. Piles of decomposing rubbish piled up..”

Well, Bridget, sounds just like South Africa, to me!

By: yvonne

yvonne — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:25:36 +0000

Afriend of mine (she is british,born in India)lived in Cambodia for many years before the Khmer
Rouge they owned a big slice of the official airline at that time. Well, they had to flee to Thailand. Thousands of Vickys friends were killed
and she was one of the lucky ones, but lost all possessions fled just with her Passport and some money she was able to still withdraw. She has been living in Phuket since.She still talks about the beautiful Cambodia and its people with tears in her eyes. She goes back regularly now working with
orphans and establishing clinics and nursery schools.BUT it is going to be a LONG JOURNEY to even just achieve the basics never mind a proper infrastructure, but she feels the youth but be taught about environmental issues etc NOW so they can become the future generation that will go out and restore Cambodia. The stories she was witness to before being able to get out are so horrifying one just cannot believe there are humans on this earth including Africa, (the hutus etc) that are
capable of such cruelty- They are only human in appearance but upstairs, they are murderers and cannibals. Not to even speak of the supposed to be
educated western paedophiles that flock to such regions they are NO BETTER! But many of them have just been dissapearing lately without any trace!
Retaliation perhaps? They deserve it.There are many jungle areas to dissapear in.

By: old, female, paleface

old, female, paleface — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 06:55:38 +0000

What can you tell your great-grandchildren at your knees – that you witnessed in silence.
Will there be any grandchildren in our most beautiful landscape being raped and pillaged ?
It is time to think ! Maybe act ?

By: old, female, paleface

old, female, paleface — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 06:51:17 +0000

Witness is the accusatory VERB for what I saw and read through the decades.
I witnessed the Holocaust concentration camps and cattle trucks with humans, the smoke from Crematoriums.
I witnessed Chinese Red Revolution Intellectuals and National Treasurers killed.
I witnessed Stalin Regime Gulags and inmates.
I witnessed Africa’s killing fields with Potentate, Cannibals killing their own.
I witnessed Township Necklacing, Police Brutality.
I witnessed Serbia’s xenophobia.
I witnessed the Congo genocide.
PRESENTLY
I witness present Zimbabwe’s youth going on a rampage and torture victims.
I witnessed Township Xenophobia and people on fire.
Read of AmaPondo terrorised in KZN.
YESTERDAY
I witnessed anarchy and fires led and fueled by Youth.

WE WHO WITNESS in silence and acceptance -
……..are complicit to all the barbaric behaviour of ….. Human against Human.
Our country is becoming a typical African Banana Dictatorship that benefits the connected Elite.
How much longer before Tribalism and Racism surface.
There is always a Proponent of Doom – hark Julius Malema !
There is also a Prophet of Doom – hark those who have seen it all and see it coming in the morning mist. (2010 post WC.)

The voiceless Animals that humans torture for Culture – are superior beings to us mis-named human beings – who have not evolved psychically beyond Cave Men.
In my next life I have chosen to be a cat or dog with an old lady.

By: Po

Po — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:38:56 +0000

What I feel is that people there have more to worry about than being eco-friendly and clean?