Man's best friend on the menu (Photo: BBC News)August 9, 2006
By Ky Soklim
Cambodge Soir
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy (from Québec)
On Sunday, the authority closed a street in the Tuol Svay Prey II neighborhood, Chamkar Mon district, where six restaurants are serving dog meat. The dirty restaurants were deserted by their usual customers who were stopped by the police roadblock. Only a few dog-meat lovers were able to get their choice plate to go. The irony was the fact the few kilos of dog meat that found a customer, ended up in to-go “doggy bags”– bags used, under more favorable circumstances, to hold leftover food by dog owners to give to the delight of their domestic animal.
The origin of this police raid was the wrath of an American monk who resided in Phnom Penh for the past 10 years, he is also a founder of Buddhist social center. Dr. Vira Avalokita had written twice – once Last November, and on August 2 – to Kep Chuktema, the Phnom Penh governor to complain about the disturbances in his busy neighborhood. He described an unhealthy environment, complained about noises from the karaoke shops, daily dog killings, and the dizzying increase in the number of rats attracted by trashes.
Yun Chhon, the neighborhood chief, confirms that it was following the complaint of the neighborhood monks that the authority intervened. On Monday morning, he summoned all the restaurant owners and an agreement was convened: “They promised to stop selling dog meat and to close the karaoke shops. However, they may still sell dog meat behind the back …,” he prudently said. Vira Avalokita, the American monk, repeats his wrath: “It happens all the time, every day. The karaoke, the thieves, the prostitutes, the smell of dogs… All the neighbors are complaining.” Same verdict from the French monk Emmanuel Olivier, whose Buddhist name is Phra Jottivaro, who recently arrived in Cambodia. “The dogs are kept alive near our place. They do not stop howling. And the rats who leave the restaurants are coming to our place,” he deplored.
The restaurant owners are screaming about the scandal. Prum Thon explains that she lost at least $20 on Sunday, it represented 10 kilos of unsold dog meat. Prum Thoeun, another owner, wants to be able to keep selling: “I am poor, what else can I do?”. The daughter of another restaurant owner who passed by, said: “We can stop the karaoke, but not the dog business!”. While dog meat is consumed a lot in the countryside, it is less in cities, nevertheless dog meat-eating count numerous followers. Var El is one of those dog-meat eater, he couldn’t stop praising the canine specialty dishes: “I eat it every day. Dog meat is excellent and cheap. If you lay a plate of beef and a plate of dog meat on my desk, I will start with the dog. Furthermore, it is a dish for poor people,” he concluded his gastronomic defense.
The origin of this police raid was the wrath of an American monk who resided in Phnom Penh for the past 10 years, he is also a founder of Buddhist social center. Dr. Vira Avalokita had written twice – once Last November, and on August 2 – to Kep Chuktema, the Phnom Penh governor to complain about the disturbances in his busy neighborhood. He described an unhealthy environment, complained about noises from the karaoke shops, daily dog killings, and the dizzying increase in the number of rats attracted by trashes.
Yun Chhon, the neighborhood chief, confirms that it was following the complaint of the neighborhood monks that the authority intervened. On Monday morning, he summoned all the restaurant owners and an agreement was convened: “They promised to stop selling dog meat and to close the karaoke shops. However, they may still sell dog meat behind the back …,” he prudently said. Vira Avalokita, the American monk, repeats his wrath: “It happens all the time, every day. The karaoke, the thieves, the prostitutes, the smell of dogs… All the neighbors are complaining.” Same verdict from the French monk Emmanuel Olivier, whose Buddhist name is Phra Jottivaro, who recently arrived in Cambodia. “The dogs are kept alive near our place. They do not stop howling. And the rats who leave the restaurants are coming to our place,” he deplored.
The restaurant owners are screaming about the scandal. Prum Thon explains that she lost at least $20 on Sunday, it represented 10 kilos of unsold dog meat. Prum Thoeun, another owner, wants to be able to keep selling: “I am poor, what else can I do?”. The daughter of another restaurant owner who passed by, said: “We can stop the karaoke, but not the dog business!”. While dog meat is consumed a lot in the countryside, it is less in cities, nevertheless dog meat-eating count numerous followers. Var El is one of those dog-meat eater, he couldn’t stop praising the canine specialty dishes: “I eat it every day. Dog meat is excellent and cheap. If you lay a plate of beef and a plate of dog meat on my desk, I will start with the dog. Furthermore, it is a dish for poor people,” he concluded his gastronomic defense.
7 comments:
Dog meat was recommended to eat by Phnom Penh Mayor Mr. Kep Chuktema in the last few years therefore the city would be clean. Does the closing of dog meat restaurant violate his recommendation? Please think again, sir.
People must be ruled by laws not by leader's emotion and thought in any particular circumstance, otherwise, it looks that authority is a formal and legitimate gang in the name of competeant authority.
Chum Reap Sur,
I can justify that when people are poor they are just about to eat anything to survive - and dog meat probably consider very fortunate for those poor people. Majority of those poor people are ending up at the trash sites scavenging for food to survive. Some are prostitutes not only to survive fro themselves but also to raise their own entire family members. Some would go in extend to do anything even to sell their own body part such as kidney, etc. in exchange for little money to survive.
Consider this - the riches are shooting and running over the innocent people with their cars for fun.
When we are talking about Southeast Asain countries in general, anything goes.
But let turn our attention to the U.S. There are meat dog selling/special dishes in Santa Ana and Westminter, California. I have recently confirmed with one of the person I know that they are selling dog meat to those people they really know and trust only.
The issue is as far as your nose!
In my opinion, serving dog meat in restaurants is really disgusting. I understand that Khmer people are poor, but whoever serves dog meat in restaurants are evil people. A good Khmer heart don't sell dog meat.
KI, I respect your exposure of Cambodia's bad side of things to bring forth the government mistakes, but such report of people eating dog meat should be kept discreet. Cambodia already has enough reputations, the child prositution, AIDS, Khmer beggars on the street of Thailand, officials corruption, and now dog meat restaurants. There are alway a few knuckleheads who needed delicacy in their diet by resorting to eating animal that considered as pets. It is disgusting to even think about it. Thank to them and KI, Cambodia is falling into that stereotypical. This is not anything of Cambodia. Stop ruining Cambodia's culture by exposing such nonsense to the world.
Cham in Long Beach, CA
Chum Reap Sour Ananymous at 8:51pm,
I agree with you regarding the eating of dog meat for survival due to the poverty. However, I am really disturbed by the commercialisation of dog meat in Phnom Penh. Two things need to be considered thouroughly: eating and commercialising.
I am saying so because it is no longer the matter of survival in Cambodia, but it is the matter of maintaining Khmer culture which shows the consumption of dog meat is not the right things. Making excuse to consume dog meat for survival is unreasonable, as the majority of the poor in Cambodia keeps their morale well by not eating dog, who remains a human best friend.
It doesn't mean that that kind of trade was allowed in US, and it has to be also allowed in Cambodia. Of course, America and Cambodia have different cultures.
Hence, the municipality's actions against the dog meat commercialisation are appropriate; and I support them.
Cambodian doesn't eat dog meat. Dog meat are available in our country's restaurants, because of ah Youn customers live in our land.
We Khmere denounce dog meat and people that eat dog meat. Low life and under the ground people!
No wonder Khmers hate Vietnamese.
Trash trum kmean duong ei! Ah Satt dae rechan!
Notice the words " restaurants serving dog meat", the poorest of the poor Khmer DO NOT eat dog meat. The poors cannot afford to eat in the restaurants, therefore, the practice of eating dog meat is only done by certain ethnic immigrants flowing into Cambodia. These fuckers are helping to drag down the culture image of Cambodia. They brought along their bad nasty habits and let them run wild and Cambodia is taking all the punches of the bad publicity.
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