Phnom Penh Post, Issue 16 / 08, April 20 - May 3, 2007
At first glance the gaunt face of Mean Soket, 49, appears full of wisdom. He dispenses advice as he patiently demonstrates to a young apprentice the tools of his mechanical trade. But a closer look into his sombre expression and deep-set eyes provides a window into an untold life.
Soket just spent his last 12 years in prison.
In the time since he was incarcerated in Kampong Cham's Tropaing Plong Prison in 1994, Cambodia became an unfamiliar land to Soket.
While he was inside, HIV/AIDS became a concern, motorbikes began swarming the roadways and cities transformed overnight. Soket emerged in December 2006 into a fast, noisy, urbanized society, without job skills and unable to provide for his wife and children.
To prepare for freedom, Soket joined pre-release classes organized by the Prison Fellowship of Cambodia (PFC). Upon release he continued his education with a six-month mechanic's apprenticeship at Blue Gate House, a reintegration project run by PFC.
"After I was released from prison, I wanted to look after my family and start a business in a legal way, in order to be a good father to my children," Soket said. "My future career will be as a motorbike repairman."
BAD REPUTATION
Often accused in the past of human rights' abuses, the Cambodian prison system is now receiving praise from NGOs with prison-based programs for its cooperation in providing inmates new opportunities.
"The prison system has really opened up to allow groups like us to do some really good work," said Adam Hutchinson, co-project leader of Blue Gate House.
Characterized by a large, dark blue front gate, Blue Gate House is a drop-in center for ex-prisoners seeking assistance during the three months after release. Apprenticeships in mechanics, small business loans, and help reuniting families are some of the services provided by the center. Released prisoner's transportation costs to and from the center are paid for and temporary accommodation is provided.
Although the Prison Fellowship is a faith-based organization, Linda Chisholm, executive director of PFC, says their help is offered indiscriminately.
"Our role is simply to take education in [to the prison] and give the prisoner a chance for reintegration that gives them a chance to work and raise their self esteem," she said.
Education programs run by the PFC include classes in computing, mechanics, English, and sewing. Other aid programs help to meet nutritional and sanitation needs of inmates.
Hutchinson says the key to the success of the reintegration services at Blue Gate House is the support given by the prison authority to conduct meetings that build rapport between the inmates and social workers while they are still serving their sentences.
"Unless we have access before they are released, people often don't know about us. They don't trust us and they don't come here. If we are able to build relationships before they come out, then they are more likely to come to Blue Gate House," Hutchinson said.
The importance of gaining trust from the prisoners is stressed by Chat Sineang, director of the CC2 section at Prey Sar Prison, a block housing only minors and female prisoners with their young children.
Sineang wishes to see a school built nearby the prison for the children of incarcerated mothers, but he sees the mother's lack of confidence in the prison system as an obstacle.
"They think their children will be treated badly," he said.
He said further collaboration is needed with the PFC, which is considering plans to convert a nearby house into a primary school. If they work together, he says, it may be possible to gain the trust of the mothers and explain that their children will be well-provided for.
CHILD PRISONERS
Children below the age of six often live with their mothers in Cambodia's prisons. NGO and prison officials say caring for children is difficult as funding is not provided because they are technically not prisoners.
The Ministry of Interior (MoI) allocates 1,500 riel per prisoner per day - an increase from 1,000 riel in August 2006 - to cover prisons' operational costs, including food, staff salaries, utilities, administration and sanitation, according to local human rights group Licadho. The national poverty line was calculated by the World Bank to be 1,826 riel per person per day in 2004.
Responding to the extra nutrition and development requirements of mothers and their children, Licadho started the Adopt-A-Prison project in 2003. Facilitating support from 13 individuals and organisations, the project provides extra food, toiletries and medical assistance in 10 of Cambodia's 25 prisons, with the next project phase to address a lack of education opportunities for young children.
Seeing the project as a simple, cost-effective way to distribute aid, Jacques Baekart, the minister-counsellor of the embassy of the Order of Malta to Cambodia, often hand delivers food and essentials directly to women and children twice a month in CC2 and Takmau prisons.
"It brings a human touch to the program," Baekart said. "These kids usually have no access to food other than the meager ones given by the prison to the mothers ... and to see the joy on the face of the kids and women is more than enough to justify what we are doing."
Chin Lyda, prison project leader of Licadho, said a lack of prison funding not only inhibits access to sufficient nutrition and medical attention but does not adequately provide for a child's future development beyond the prison walls.
"If they can at least learn to read they can increase their education and future prospects," he said.
THE LIFE AFTER
Cambodia's prisons have a reputation for harsh conditions, including overcrowding and a lack of food. Regular contact and assistance from poorer families is obstructed by corruption, despite prison procedures stating each prisoner is entitled to at least one weekly visit of one hour.
"It is a big obstacle for the families to visit prisoners," said Lyda.
According to Lyda, poorer families already struggle to pay transportation costs to the prison and buy extra food for the prisoner, then they must bribe prison guards to get inside the prison for visits.
"The guards aren't paid enough, so this way the prisons receive extra funds to be managed," Lyda said. "But there is no law stating that guards can charge money - it is corruption."
In a 2001 prison report, Licadho found that visiting a prisoner costs an average 23,000 riel, about $5.75, in payments to prison staff. Prison guards make an average of $50 a month. In 2004 guards made an average $25 per month.
The isolation from family combined with long sentences can leave NGOs with a formidable task in reuniting families.
"One of the really terrific things they do here is find people, they find mums and dads who burst into tears when they know that their son is alive," said Chisholm about Blue Gate House.
The need for development programs is emphasized by the staggering number of released inmates who approached Blue Gate House. An estimated 20 percent of inmates released in 2005 showed up on Blue Gate's doorstep.
"I was thinking we'd be lucky to reach five percent for such a young organisation," Hutchinson said.
Soket just spent his last 12 years in prison.
In the time since he was incarcerated in Kampong Cham's Tropaing Plong Prison in 1994, Cambodia became an unfamiliar land to Soket.
While he was inside, HIV/AIDS became a concern, motorbikes began swarming the roadways and cities transformed overnight. Soket emerged in December 2006 into a fast, noisy, urbanized society, without job skills and unable to provide for his wife and children.
To prepare for freedom, Soket joined pre-release classes organized by the Prison Fellowship of Cambodia (PFC). Upon release he continued his education with a six-month mechanic's apprenticeship at Blue Gate House, a reintegration project run by PFC.
"After I was released from prison, I wanted to look after my family and start a business in a legal way, in order to be a good father to my children," Soket said. "My future career will be as a motorbike repairman."
BAD REPUTATION
Often accused in the past of human rights' abuses, the Cambodian prison system is now receiving praise from NGOs with prison-based programs for its cooperation in providing inmates new opportunities.
"The prison system has really opened up to allow groups like us to do some really good work," said Adam Hutchinson, co-project leader of Blue Gate House.
Characterized by a large, dark blue front gate, Blue Gate House is a drop-in center for ex-prisoners seeking assistance during the three months after release. Apprenticeships in mechanics, small business loans, and help reuniting families are some of the services provided by the center. Released prisoner's transportation costs to and from the center are paid for and temporary accommodation is provided.
Although the Prison Fellowship is a faith-based organization, Linda Chisholm, executive director of PFC, says their help is offered indiscriminately.
"Our role is simply to take education in [to the prison] and give the prisoner a chance for reintegration that gives them a chance to work and raise their self esteem," she said.
Education programs run by the PFC include classes in computing, mechanics, English, and sewing. Other aid programs help to meet nutritional and sanitation needs of inmates.
Hutchinson says the key to the success of the reintegration services at Blue Gate House is the support given by the prison authority to conduct meetings that build rapport between the inmates and social workers while they are still serving their sentences.
"Unless we have access before they are released, people often don't know about us. They don't trust us and they don't come here. If we are able to build relationships before they come out, then they are more likely to come to Blue Gate House," Hutchinson said.
The importance of gaining trust from the prisoners is stressed by Chat Sineang, director of the CC2 section at Prey Sar Prison, a block housing only minors and female prisoners with their young children.
Sineang wishes to see a school built nearby the prison for the children of incarcerated mothers, but he sees the mother's lack of confidence in the prison system as an obstacle.
"They think their children will be treated badly," he said.
He said further collaboration is needed with the PFC, which is considering plans to convert a nearby house into a primary school. If they work together, he says, it may be possible to gain the trust of the mothers and explain that their children will be well-provided for.
CHILD PRISONERS
Children below the age of six often live with their mothers in Cambodia's prisons. NGO and prison officials say caring for children is difficult as funding is not provided because they are technically not prisoners.
The Ministry of Interior (MoI) allocates 1,500 riel per prisoner per day - an increase from 1,000 riel in August 2006 - to cover prisons' operational costs, including food, staff salaries, utilities, administration and sanitation, according to local human rights group Licadho. The national poverty line was calculated by the World Bank to be 1,826 riel per person per day in 2004.
Responding to the extra nutrition and development requirements of mothers and their children, Licadho started the Adopt-A-Prison project in 2003. Facilitating support from 13 individuals and organisations, the project provides extra food, toiletries and medical assistance in 10 of Cambodia's 25 prisons, with the next project phase to address a lack of education opportunities for young children.
Seeing the project as a simple, cost-effective way to distribute aid, Jacques Baekart, the minister-counsellor of the embassy of the Order of Malta to Cambodia, often hand delivers food and essentials directly to women and children twice a month in CC2 and Takmau prisons.
"It brings a human touch to the program," Baekart said. "These kids usually have no access to food other than the meager ones given by the prison to the mothers ... and to see the joy on the face of the kids and women is more than enough to justify what we are doing."
Chin Lyda, prison project leader of Licadho, said a lack of prison funding not only inhibits access to sufficient nutrition and medical attention but does not adequately provide for a child's future development beyond the prison walls.
"If they can at least learn to read they can increase their education and future prospects," he said.
THE LIFE AFTER
Cambodia's prisons have a reputation for harsh conditions, including overcrowding and a lack of food. Regular contact and assistance from poorer families is obstructed by corruption, despite prison procedures stating each prisoner is entitled to at least one weekly visit of one hour.
"It is a big obstacle for the families to visit prisoners," said Lyda.
According to Lyda, poorer families already struggle to pay transportation costs to the prison and buy extra food for the prisoner, then they must bribe prison guards to get inside the prison for visits.
"The guards aren't paid enough, so this way the prisons receive extra funds to be managed," Lyda said. "But there is no law stating that guards can charge money - it is corruption."
In a 2001 prison report, Licadho found that visiting a prisoner costs an average 23,000 riel, about $5.75, in payments to prison staff. Prison guards make an average of $50 a month. In 2004 guards made an average $25 per month.
The isolation from family combined with long sentences can leave NGOs with a formidable task in reuniting families.
"One of the really terrific things they do here is find people, they find mums and dads who burst into tears when they know that their son is alive," said Chisholm about Blue Gate House.
The need for development programs is emphasized by the staggering number of released inmates who approached Blue Gate House. An estimated 20 percent of inmates released in 2005 showed up on Blue Gate's doorstep.
"I was thinking we'd be lucky to reach five percent for such a young organisation," Hutchinson said.
19 comments:
Good job, Prison Fellowship! You are helping those unfortunate fellow Cambodians to exercise their right to self-improvement that Victor Hugo of France had advocated a long time ago:
" Quel qu'il soit, au fond de la plus douloureuse abjection, il conserve le
droit qu'aucune loi ne peut entamer, qu'aucune sentence ne peut retrancher,
le droit qu'on ne peut jamais perdre, le droit de devenir meilleur... " (Whoever he may be, even in the deepest most abject pain, he retains the right that no law can bring about and that no sentence can remove, the right
that we can never lose, the right to self-improvement.)
Please, prison guards, don't break the spirit of prisoners and illtreat them.
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
Hey, come on, Dr. Lao, we are not
French.
Mr.4:30PM
As a Khmer national, I dissociate myself from any racial discrimination.
The right to self-improvement is universal though it was first advocated by French writer Victor Hugo to improve prison conditions in France and to advocate the abolition capital punishment in his times. The Second Kingdom of Cambodia has in fact abolished this punishment.
Even the Americans and the British have turned Hugo's novel Les Miserables into a play which ran for months if not for years. The Amricans have even turned it into a film. They even preserve the French title Les Miserables for the play and the film. And the Americans and the British do not like the French very much. But Hugo's works reflect humanity.
I recommend you read the book and/or the film Les Miserables in English if you cannot read French.
Let's be open-minded.
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
Dr. Lao, why did you think I am
a racist, when I am symply pointing
to the truth to you that we are not
French. In case you've forgotten,
we have lived with the French for
nearly 100 years. If people don't
V. Hugo by then, they aint gonna
want to know it now. As for
prisonners we'll take care of them
after we take of our beggars.
Otherwise, you are inviting our
beggars to commit crimes just to
seek a better opportunity.
As for capital punishment, I will
go along with the US. I aint
embracing no criminal life.
Also I know about "Notre Dame de
Paris".
Mr. 12.20AM
I did not think or say you were racist. I wrote I dissociate myself from any racial discrimination.
It's up to you whether you go along with the US for capital punishment. But as Khmer national whose country's constitution has abolished it, I prefer to go along with this constitution.
As to beggars and prisoners, I'm helping both for they are all human beings like me and they are my brothers and sisters.
Once neighbours helped caught a thief who broke into my house in Phnom Penh. I quickly asked the police to take him to their station before those neighbours gave that thief more beatings. I am against mob killing of alleged thieves or robbers.
I'm also helping the poor and give charity to beggars. I have once asked a beggar whether he would go and do any skill training which I offered to sponsor. Unfortuanately, he turned down this offer. He got more money begging.
Fortunately, we both have something in common regarding Victor Hugo: "Notre Dame de Paris". Have you read that book? Have you seen the film "The Hunchback of Notre Name."
Let's carry on challenging each other. I like this exercise. It makes me think and challenge myslef too. And also we get to know each othr more, though I don't know your name. But I don't mind communicating with people with no names.
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
Yeah, that is the one thing
(capital punishment) that I
dissagree with our government big
time. While they view it as Buddhist
embracing life, I see it as
embracing criminal life, and allow
criminal to intimidate innocent
people, not to mention denying
people the right to roam their
street at night freely without
concern. We use to have it during
Somdach Euv ruling and I missed it.
Moreover, I envy Singapore because
many young women had told me first
hand that they have no fear walking
their street after midnight, ...,
not to mention Vietnam, Laos, ...
and China.
Accordingly, the best I can do to
make it up is to support our
villagers with their own capital
punishment whenever and wherever
applicable, hehehe. I don't care.
I will not allowed criminal to
deny anyone anything if I can help
it.
As for beggar vs. criminal, it is
true that some people doesn't value
their own PRIDE anymore to make
their own living. When I have time,
I would like to study more about
this. I don't think we can get out
of poverty unless we can restore
this value back into the people.
As for "Notre Dame the Paris", it
as been over 30 years for me. I
believed I read the kiddy version,
hehehe. But I don't remember
anything that a real Khmer would
appreciate from it. Even myself,
I just think it is a sad story.
We (khmer) also have some good
sad and moral story that we can
relate to. I don't believe it is
necessary to bring this from
abroad. Anyhow, many people think
we human are the same and therefore
whatever work for the west should
also work for the east. I am quite
confident that that is not quite
true, unless one is subjected to
the same type of evironment, moral
value, and training... when they
were raised. There are many
unknown regarding our prisonners,
whether westerner's therapy will
work for them. We must not be
careless and allowed innocent
people to get hurt by this.
Youth Tragic News (32 deads, 21 injured):
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,266310,00.html
Mr.3:14PM
Are you sure about being safe walking at night in China, Vietnam and Laos? I'm more sure about China: the picture is not that rosy. I've seen stories of crime reported in the Hong Kong English language almost every day. Perhaps not many of such stories are not much reported in state censorship newspapers in Vietnam and Laos?
I would attribute crimes in Cambodia not to the abolition of capital punishment, but to the ineffectiveness of law enforcement, the legalisation of what old Khmer wisdom called vices such as womanising, drinking and gambling, and to the moral breakdown, not simply moral decline, in our society. Poverty and unemployment are also big causes. "Don't give me poverty, lest I steel" as one saying goes. "The devil has work for idle hands", says a proverb.
Wrong solutions could create more problems!
Regarding great novels, I have long expected that Cambodians living under communism have a lot of personal experiences about humanity and inhumanity. Some of them could turn their experiences in those difficult times into great novels. They could for instance explore why fellow Cambodians who claimed to be Buddhist, became all of a sudden oppressors, killers. Perhaps our Budhist values were and still are just skin-deep? May be we were and still are just hypocrites.
On the other hand, they could write about humanity or human spirit within inhumanity during the communist repressive days. Humanity could include for instance loving kindness(metta), comapssion (karuna), help given to others, or sacrifices for others, all when inhumanity was ruling at that time. I cite an concrete exampple: an older woman seeing a much younger woman with only rags which could not even cover all her body while working in the field, gave her her precious sampot to her so that the younger woman could a more decent piece of clothes to better cover her boday. That was humanity within inhumanity of the communist days.
Do you know of such cases? Perhaps, we could rebuild ourselves spiritually by collecting all those stories of humanity within inhumanity and disseminating them, instead of writing about inhumanity in our past as many have done so far. Wouldn't you think so?
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
Dr. Lao, are you talking about
crimes in Hong Kong or in China?
Crime does varied even among safe
countries to live in. Singapore is
one of the safest because of
combination of tough law and
the good standard of living. China
is less safe compared to singapore
only due to poorer standard of
living, but much safer than the US
by a factor of 4-8 times. And that
goes for Vietnam and Laos. Some
statistic is available on the Net
if you have time to do some
research. I did it about 6 months
ago.
As for state hiding information,
all governments hide some
information from people but with
reason. However, they would not
hide anything that doesnt effect
them. That will be foolish. No one
can't possibly hide everything
without getting caught and lost
credibility with the people.
If a person is to be excecuted,
the public is often informed and
reasons are disclosed. If you
hiding it than it defied its
purpose. Capital punishment is
not a complete solution to crime,
but a deterent.
And sure, Morality is another tool
against crime and evil doing? I
am quite a big fan of it. It is
far more effective than men's made
laws if we know how to administer
it properly. I believe laws should
be the last resort when morality
failed to settle a dispute.
As I said earlier, I am for
mandating our school to teach
good moral to our kids early on,
so that they wont turn evil if
they failed to complete high
education. Plus, it will also
ecourage them to fight hard before
giving up education. There is
not better than a self-motivated
person. You can spend billions
on a person education and not
getting anywhere if he/she is not
motivated. On the other hand, when
a person is selfmotivated, a few
dollars go a long way.
As for religions in communist,
There are many reasons for the
regime to ban it, especially at
the onset of the regime. However,
depending on who in charge there
are always good possibility of
lifting the ban. Thus, not worth
losing blood resisting it. A state
without good moral education will
not go far, rich or poor.
I am out of time, if I missed any
of argument that is important, re
pose the argument, please.
Mr. 2:49AM
I meant China not Hong Kong. In Hong Kong it's safe 24 hours a day. Crimes do exist though.
May I add that the (criminal)behaviour of ordinary people depends very much on the behaviour of their rulers. If their rulers are crooks and killers, those people are crooks and killers too.
One cannot ordinary people to behave any better that their rulers.
So the role model of rulers. Please read the Teaching of Buddha to know more (Section "In Service")
Let's respect the sanctity or sacredness of human life. The birth of a human being should be a joyful event and many celebrate, at times grandiosly, their birthday and get friends and relatives to sing that chritian western song: "Happy Birthay!!!) Our rulers, the new powerful ones, seem to enjoy their birthdays celebrations.
In Buddhism, life is suffering: anicca, anatta, dukkha.
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
LOL, Dr. Lao, there is no such
place as a crime free place.
We are talking relative crime
rate here. Also note that crime
RATE is measured in term of
crimes per 10K population or per
100k population. You can't compare
crime using absolute crimes. China
has 1.3 billions, of course crime
is expected to happen on every
hour, but the rate per population
is lowest in the world. Honk Kong,
on the other hand, got nothing to
see, hehehe.
Let me quote:
The crime rate in China has shown a drastic increase in recent years. Still China remains one of the countries with the lowest crime rate in the world. -- http://www.lectlaw.com/files/int10.htm ,on 7th paragraph
And yes, if the leader is
corrupted, people will certainly
followed their leader. That is if
they observed them as role model.
Personnaly, I don't look up to
politicians as role model. Do you?
Good or bad, I always presume that
they are good. Many people, I know
is also like that. People only
started to become skeptical them
after opposition sounds the siren
and blow wistle.
Damn, Dr Lao, must got lost in
Google looking for Hi Crime Rate
in communist countries, hehehe.
Mr.10:22AM
Since my chilhood, I'm over 60 now, I have heard many people belittling the intelligence and knowledge of our people: "They don't know about, about that...They cannot understand or that...They cannot do this or that...They cannot think of democracy or human rights...They vote for people who give them this or that... Somebody have incited them to do this or that, to protest..." The superiority of the elite!!!
The elite have forgotten this traditional Khmer wisdom: we are learned, but beware, others may be as learned (cheh aeng oy kraeng cheh ke),or ten learned people are not equal to one single skilled person (cheh dop min smoeur ning prosop muoy). Those who are unfortunate not to have attended any school also have intelligence. Those who have attended school are not necessarily intelligent. I have successfully completed all primary, secondary and tertiary education, but I have found the correctness and goodness of this Khmer wisdom, and I have adopted it as part of my philosophy of life.
As to crimes in China, it is curious to note from your reference that crimes have drastically ninceased in recents, and this, I may add, regardless of capital punishment. Like Cambodian, China is experiencing more or less same moral breakdown, and crimes are linked to this as well. The Chinese government is promoting morals for many years now.
I would suggest to you to find out the extent of crime committed againt the falong gong in China. Here in Hong Kong falong gong groups are protesting against the Chinese government almost every day.
Mr:4:58PM
I'm very sorry I cannot be of any help to you in your search for crime rates. This is not my field.
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
Dr. Lao, I hate to say this, but
I am ahead of you with Falun Gong.
I have learned about it from their
practioners first hand for the
last few years, on and off. They
have taught me about their master
(Li Hongzhi), their structure, ...
and bible. I found a lot of good
in their believe, but there are
some negative and serious problem
with it also if not controlled.
Their problem is not much different
from the Khmer-Krom monks. They
let their excessive hatred keeping
them from contributing their belief
to society. The funny think is
Falun Gong is not banned in
Vietnam, but banned in China; if
you can solve that equation, you
will know that it is their
excessive hatred that does it to
them. China and Vietnam are
practically cousin. Why one can
accept Falun Dafa and not the
other? The bottom line is they
are taking the wrong path to
negotiate the issue. I remembered
reading about Falun Gong being
banned from one of the Chinese
New Year celebration in San
Fransisco. That is how obvious
their hatred is.
As for Democracy, it is not as
important as you think it is.
Chairman Mao once stated that
you can't teach anyone anything
on an empty stomach. Accordingly,
I propose we all get our economy
up to full speed first before
we attempt to further educate our
people about democracy or human
right. Doesn't that make sense?
Right now you are wasting your
time and energy for nothing.
Continue: Oh I forgot to address
your comment about the crime rate.
The subject is beyond the scope
of this post. And yes, capital
punishment is not a solution to
all crimes as I have stated, but
nonetheless many experts have agree
that it is a deterent. Look, you
don't have to excecute anyone if
you don't want to, but at least
take advantage of the deterent
feature of it.
Mr.5:32AM
I'm glad you have shared your personal experience with the Falong Gong with me. However strange their philosophy and practices might be so long as it does no harm to others, they should not be ill-treated. The fact that Vietnam and other countries have not banned them proves that their pholosphy and practices do not harm others.
The Chinese ban and ill-treatment of them very much remind people of the inquisition across Europe against heretics in the past or Pol Pot's abolition of all religions.
People with empty stomac a should not treated as slaves as Mao seem to have implied. Where is democracy in China's people have their stomachs full now? Obstactles to democracy in Cambodia are not our unfortuate fellow Cambodians whose stomachs are "empty", but mostly those fellow Cambodians whose stomachs are more thasn full like the powerful and the rich. These people have clamourered democracy and human rights. The poor and the not so poor are.
Your dislike of democracy are very much at odd with the ideas of our rulers who had signed the Paris Peace Agreements in 1991 pledging among others thing that cambodia was goinng to be a liberal democracy respecting human rights and gorverned by the rule of law. It runs counter the same rulers and the people of Cambodia who adopted our country's constitution in 1993 which has adopted liberal democracy, human rights and the rule of law as the system of government for Cambodia. I believe all of them, rulers and ruled, were sincere when they so decided. I don't think Samdech Hun Sen, and all other rulers who had signed the Paris Peace Agreements and adopted opur country's constitution were hypocrites or liars. Do you?
Mr.5:48AM
The dramatic increase of crime in China proves that capital punishment is not a deterrent. And the number of crimes in the US should confirm this truth.
Let's respect the sanctity of life or we could end up like Pol Pot or other mass murderers (including suicide bombers?). In Cambodia, our ruler killed dissidents by firing squad at Trapeang Kroloeung for crime of "treason". That was fine and very few people cared. A a young man then, I felt it was horrrible when I saw the movie showing their killing. I could not even bear to look at that part of rice filed where they were killed when I passed by it. But after we had Lon Nol who killed more. After that Pol Pot killed much more, and after that more killings, and in 1997 some more killings (grenade attack; killings during the coup. And over recent years the killing of Piseth Pilikar, Chea Vichea, and who else.
No doubt our rulers who adopted the constitution abolished capital punishment.
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
No, there have been some serious
harm to some practioners, around
1500 before it was banned in 1999.
Some of the things that I learnt
from Falun Gong scared the hell
out of me, especially when they
accept kids as young a 2 years
old, and adult as old as 80+, not
to mention most of their followers
are uneducated from the
countryside. As for Vietnam,
it is too early to tell because
they only open to religion in
the recent years. In Singapore,
you must be liscenced to practice
Falun Gung, in the west it is free
for all. There have been some
incident in the US and Canada, but
much lower in number to cause any
concern for the west, and you know
why, right? In my oppinion, if the
two side cooperate, Falun Gong
could be reinstated in China, but
from what I have seen it will be
decades before that will happened,
hehehe.
As for Mao paraphrase, yes you
can say that, but I think it was
meant to educate people about
communist. I heard some people
quoted Chairman as, "you must feed
the stomach first, before you
can feed the brain."
As for slave, you can't blame it on
the communist system because of
Pol Pot's poor judgement and
miscalculation. you don't think
he's planed to wipe out all Khmers,
do you? Yes, he planned preempted
selfdefense. That is all one can
say. Similarly, we can't also
blame it on democracy system
either because of Lon Nol's poor
judgement. Isn't that right? It is
not the system, but the person who
should be blamed. I know you hated
dictator, totalitarian, or
autocracy, but if you look around,
you will find up to date that they
out performed democracy in Asia.
India is far behind China, about a
factor of 2, and they hadn't even
been through any UN sanction, or
civil war as China had. Japan,
even it looks like a democracy
country, it has only one dominant
party. I think it is called LDP.
This is no different from our CPP
dominant party, and singapore is
really kick democracies asses... .
There are virtual no successful
Asian democracy country, Dr. Lao.
Don't deny that fact. And even
westerners, many of them had got
their economy up to full swing
first before turning democracy. So
why should we think highly of the
stylish democracy? It is not that
important.
And your perception of me hating
democracy is wrong. I just don't
like the way you get there, that
is all. There are no proof of
success for your method.
Okay, it's getting too long. I will
continued in the next post.
I dissagree with your theory about
capital punishment. If you were
to break down the type crimes
considered, you will find that
the crime that increase are not
capital crime. They are something
like pick pocket that recently
happened to a good friend of mine
who went to ShangHai. She got her
purse stolen and not even know
about it until hours later. Luckly,
I told her not to put all the
cashes in one spot. Otherwise, she
could have been stranded, hehehe.
Other crimes are frauds and scams.
Maybe, some arm roberry... . I
don't think murder is increase
much. Anyhow, when they are ready,
the Chinese know how to bring it
back down under control.
In the US, I understand they had
it, once upon a time, then they
banned it, then they reinstated it.
And now I'm certain that it will
stay because it works as a
deterent.
Come on, get a hold of yourself,
Dr. Lao, we are not talking about
horrific crimes but capital
punishment.
Anyway, since you have lived in
Sihanouk era, how many executions
do you remembered? I only
remembered one. But I wasn't sure
if it could be two. Furthermore,
I was too young to know everything
in Sihanouk's ruling.
Mr.6:54PM
I still hold that capital punishment is not a deterrent to crimes. I've learned from Chinese law scholars and lawyers that they have begun to talk about the abolition of capital punishment.
Back to the capital punishment in our country in the past, I remember the follwoing fellow Cambodians who were killed by firing squads at Tropeang Kroleoung: Preap In, Sao Ngoy, Mathura, and Chao Bory. Their killing was filmed and the films were shown to the public. A relative of mine who was close to the royal palace showed the killing of Preap In at his daughter's wedding ceremony for his guests. To intimidate others of course. But the show of those films had the effect of numbing our nerves. Some no longer felt any horror of such scenes anymore. Many fellow Cambodians have almost complete nerve numbness after having scene so many killings in the Khmer Rouge times. About three years ago I showed to a colleague a colour picture of a mulitilated boy of a crime victim on the front page of a Khmer newspaper. I was shocked by her reaction: "So what? I saw more horrible real corpses in the Khmer Rouge times", she said. She had no reaction at all to the picture I showed her.
And these days newspapers do not exercise any restrain in running that kind of horrible picture of victims of murder and their readers seem to enjoy looking at those pictures. Their nerves must be numbed from the Khmer Rouge times and/or from seeing so many of those pictures in the newspapers.
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
Post a Comment