Letter to the Editor
The Cambodia Daily
Almost not a single day passes without media reporting about the violence between youths.
Normally, minor arguments and mistakes, either intentionally or unintentionally, lead to exchanges of abusive words between two sides. A full-blown quarrel takes place and each side often gets injured. Specifically, I have been struck by the frequent reports about the life-and-death squabbles when one person just steps on the other's foot at a dance.
On the second day of the Water Festival, I witnessed a tense confrontation between two groups of young men. It appeared to me that the both groups collided while walking in an opposite direction on the road in front of the Chaktomuk Theater. All of a sudden, they shouted loudly and pointed to each other in a very aggressive way and rushed to attack each other.
Even though the clashes did not result in substantial injuries, it represented the lack of understanding and tolerance at a time when crowds of people were enjoying the festivities.
During my one-year experience of living in the UK, I observed that people always use the culture of saying "sorry" in public places, when they make whatever mistakes such as stepping on the other's foot and colliding with other people. In response, they usually nod, smile, and say: "It's alright."
I would like to commend Cambodian youths who always tackle their problem peacefully. Saying "sorry" for a mistake or "thanks" for other's help means enhancing the culture of respect and peace within our community and the whole country.
Ly Sok Kheang,
Phnom Penh
Normally, minor arguments and mistakes, either intentionally or unintentionally, lead to exchanges of abusive words between two sides. A full-blown quarrel takes place and each side often gets injured. Specifically, I have been struck by the frequent reports about the life-and-death squabbles when one person just steps on the other's foot at a dance.
On the second day of the Water Festival, I witnessed a tense confrontation between two groups of young men. It appeared to me that the both groups collided while walking in an opposite direction on the road in front of the Chaktomuk Theater. All of a sudden, they shouted loudly and pointed to each other in a very aggressive way and rushed to attack each other.
Even though the clashes did not result in substantial injuries, it represented the lack of understanding and tolerance at a time when crowds of people were enjoying the festivities.
During my one-year experience of living in the UK, I observed that people always use the culture of saying "sorry" in public places, when they make whatever mistakes such as stepping on the other's foot and colliding with other people. In response, they usually nod, smile, and say: "It's alright."
I would like to commend Cambodian youths who always tackle their problem peacefully. Saying "sorry" for a mistake or "thanks" for other's help means enhancing the culture of respect and peace within our community and the whole country.
Ly Sok Kheang,
Phnom Penh
1 comment:
It is also noticeable in the western culture that many keep on saying "sorry" even when they do not mean it.
Many Cambodians crave for power they do not have, and one of the easy targets is their fellow men.
SiS
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