Kampuchea Crossings

Bump to baby on the beaten expat track

Cambodia’s Hun Sen v. Thailand

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photo courtesy of mrcmekong.org
Cambodia's PM Hun Sen, courtesy of mrcmekong.org

There were so few opportunities to catch a cnn segment in the past three weeks in the provinces, yet every time I did it was running the boy-trapped-in-the-hot-air-balloon farce. I guess there are so few newsworthy events in the world (shoot me now- and no, i will not pingback to that dumbass non-story OR to cnn).

And then there’s the local buzz. Just this once, Hun Sen actually amuses me:

Our very own PM announced at the ASEAN gathering in Hua Hin, Thailand, that the extradition treaty will not apply to Thaksin should he visit Cambodia. Apparently this displeases Thailand.

Remember the offhand jab at Hun Sen by Thailand’s Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya earlier this year?

And the regular nationalist ploys by royalist yellow shirt PAD at the Preah Vihear border temple, most recently a few weeks ago which diverted attention from the demonstrations in Bangkok?

Why does Thailand insist on needling Cambodia, no matter how insignificant they may regard this country? Seems a bit short-sighted to antagonise neighbor governments when you’re facing impending instability, isn’t it?

Alleyway kitchens

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kitchen in the alley
kitchen in the alley

Extensive mazes of alleys cut through the heart of large city blocks. Outside the doors are these clay planter-type contraptions which are used for cooking. You can place a grill on top or set a pot or wok on it. They’ll make extensive meals with one or two of these.

We have one too but it’s been sitting unused with a small healthy weed in it which needs no apparent nutrients from soil or water, because I coudn’t find an eco-friendly alternative to deforesting Cambodia (they cut the hardwoods down to make charcoal). But I recently found a great NGO, Ceres, which makes char-briquettes from biomass waste. They develop alternative fuels and stove technologies. Three kilograms of these briquettes cost 9000 Riels ($2.25).

Family members (children and women usually) take turns cooking, and meal preparations become social events in these alleys. This is also where I’ll learn a couple of new things in Cambodian cuisine. It’s fun to wander down to see what’s cooking. The neighbors are usually quite generous. They especially like to share the more interesting foods, like prahok, for a reaction. Unfortunately both Keith and I love (most) variations of this pungent dish so they don’t get much of a rise anymore.

websites for civic action on US health financing reform

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For those interested in staying abreast of the developments in the US’ health financing reform, here are a few noteworthy sites for civic action:

  • Side-by-side comparisons of the current bills, including Obama’s principles for what meaningful health care reform should include
  • President Obama’s health care reform website
  • Democrats Abroad there are a sprinkling of useful info and sites posted by overseas Americans. Expatriates in the Asia Pacific region have recently decided to open a google group to facilitate communication
  • Change.gov White House updates on health care reform, with discussion forum
  • Health care for America NOW group blog with civic action tools and contributors eg moveon.org and other civic organisations

Good sources of information:

  • Nate Silver‘s blog. He analyses polling and political data. I find his site useful to triangulate with other info online.
  • Kaiser Health News posts opeds and collects news from around the web regarding HCR
  • Bill Moyers not restricted to HCR but very good intelligent discussions on it
  • Health Care Blog group blog on all things health care
  • Change.org group blog by activists, one of the topic areas covered is Universal Health Care

Find your State representatives and write to them (here’s a sample letter):

24 Hour Comics in the Penh

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The second 24-Hour Comics in Cambodia was held in Java Arts Cafe today, with six participants. This event is a creative challenge conceived by Scott McCloud in 1990. Artists brainstorm a storyline and draw a 24-page comic in 24 hours. The first international event was organised by Nat Gertler on April 24, 2004. Today it’s held annually in many cities on the same day.

See the 2008 highlights of the very best pieces submitted over the years here. And keep an eye on Webbed Feet, Weblog or @john_weeks on Twitter for more updates. [Read more…] about 24 Hour Comics in the Penh

technology and politics

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using alternate operating systems

This year’s 2-day BarCamp Phnom Penh event was held at Paññāsāstra University (South Campus), Phnom Penh. Increasing interest in all things technology shows in the registration and attendance- over 1000 registered with many more walk-ins, compared to last year’s several hundred in total. In the months leading up to this conference the organising group held weekly mini-barcamps, where different ideas, tools and networks were showcased.

Tharum Bun writes in the KI Media: [it] introduces Cambodians a new way, if not a breakthrough, in which learning, collaboration, sharing and networking can take place here in Cambodia.

Such quick uptake of new technologies, as elsewhere, signals a positive development for the country for the potential means to influence direction of change. Politically, Cambodia’s descent to intolerance has invited much condemnation from the world’s leading human rights and development institutions. After several decades in office, the ruling party consolidated its power base through national elections that severely weakened opposition parties in 2008. This was followed by a worrying rash of crackdowns against detractors both inside parliament as well as in civil society. Even the state institution for Buddhism is implicated in the political squabbles, which bodes poorly for the already fragile social fabric that is recovering from the wars.

So it’s refreshing to see, given these political events, an increase in social networking (among other things tech) among the young people here. It gives critics a chance to be heard, no matter how sparse its peers and audience may be at first..

At least they have a small head start, on the heels of widening censorship of internet use across Southeast Asia. As with its neighbors, Cambodia currently lacks the technical capability to police the internet. Or perhaps that’s the strategy behind the poor communications infrastructure despite donor interest in building it up? :-\