"It wasn't until I visited the beach at Sihanoukville that I observed such open and widely accepted behavior that would suggest prostitution was a big industry at the beach."Story Highlights
- Cassie hasn't seen many of the social problems she believes affect Cambodia
- Issues like human trafficking and landmines rarely discussed with foreigners
- Cassie witnessed an odd couple at the beach -- she suspected prostitution
BATTAMBANG, Cambodia (CNN) -- Cassie Phillips is in Battambang, Cambodia, where she will be working with the NGO Homeland.
Homeland is a Cambodian organization that works with local underprivileged children to give them some of the advantages they may have missed out on in their early life.
Cassie will be meeting and helping children from the region who have suffered from a range of afflictions. Keep up with her experiences in her blogs and video diaries.
October 15, 2007
Cambodia is a country afflicted with a number of pressing social issues, including landmines, human trafficking, malnourishment, drugs and poverty. As a resident of Battambang, I have, thankfully, not personally seen or witnessed many of these dangers.
While I do not doubt that they exist, it is difficult to grasp just how widespread or endemic they are. This is partly because I'm not able to effectively communicate with the majority of Khmer and partly because these topics are not always candidly discussed with foreigners.
It wasn't until I visited the beach at Sihanoukville that I observed such open and widely accepted behavior that would suggest prostitution was a big industry at the beach. For the first time I saw many suspect couples, mostly consisting of an older foreign man and a younger Khmer woman.
One morning while taking a stroll along the beach, I noticed a much older white man with long, wispy white hair and a greased up pot belly in neon green swimming trunks sitting next to a Khmer woman, who could have easily been my age. I immediately assumed this woman was a prostitute. Granted, I did not see her engage in sexual activity for money.
Later the same day, as I was sitting on the beach, I saw the very same couple walking on the beach. They were walking at a clip too fast to be considered a leisurely stroll.
The whole scene was uncomfortable to watch, as the man walked slightly in front of the woman. He was holding her by the wrist, her hand falling limp towards the ground exaggerated by her taught arm being pulled along by his brisk pace.
The man didn't appear to be mad, rather his expression seemed bothered. The woman maintained a placid, numb look on her face. It was hardly the picture of a consensual couple walking the beach. Once they reached the rocks, they turned and headed back.
Seeing this made me feel sick to my stomach. Anyone could see how unhappy the woman was, even the old man tugging her along.
I cannot understand why the old man would want to drag the woman up and down the beach for everyone to see. It was as if he felt his actions were perfectly acceptable and would not cause alarm. Aside from my personal discomfort with the scene, I'm not sure he was upsetting anyone.
To be honest, I'm not sure what bothered me more -- seeing the woman demean herself, seeing this foreign man use his money and power to behave in a way that he probably cannot in his own country, or the general lack of social hostility towards the couple.
Whether or not the woman freely chose to accompany this man, I always wonder how powerful economic forces weighed in her decision and if we can then judge that as free will. Prostitution is illegal in Cambodia, but largely goes unchecked.
Homeland is a Cambodian organization that works with local underprivileged children to give them some of the advantages they may have missed out on in their early life.
Cassie will be meeting and helping children from the region who have suffered from a range of afflictions. Keep up with her experiences in her blogs and video diaries.
October 15, 2007
Cambodia is a country afflicted with a number of pressing social issues, including landmines, human trafficking, malnourishment, drugs and poverty. As a resident of Battambang, I have, thankfully, not personally seen or witnessed many of these dangers.
While I do not doubt that they exist, it is difficult to grasp just how widespread or endemic they are. This is partly because I'm not able to effectively communicate with the majority of Khmer and partly because these topics are not always candidly discussed with foreigners.
It wasn't until I visited the beach at Sihanoukville that I observed such open and widely accepted behavior that would suggest prostitution was a big industry at the beach. For the first time I saw many suspect couples, mostly consisting of an older foreign man and a younger Khmer woman.
One morning while taking a stroll along the beach, I noticed a much older white man with long, wispy white hair and a greased up pot belly in neon green swimming trunks sitting next to a Khmer woman, who could have easily been my age. I immediately assumed this woman was a prostitute. Granted, I did not see her engage in sexual activity for money.
Later the same day, as I was sitting on the beach, I saw the very same couple walking on the beach. They were walking at a clip too fast to be considered a leisurely stroll.
The whole scene was uncomfortable to watch, as the man walked slightly in front of the woman. He was holding her by the wrist, her hand falling limp towards the ground exaggerated by her taught arm being pulled along by his brisk pace.
The man didn't appear to be mad, rather his expression seemed bothered. The woman maintained a placid, numb look on her face. It was hardly the picture of a consensual couple walking the beach. Once they reached the rocks, they turned and headed back.
Seeing this made me feel sick to my stomach. Anyone could see how unhappy the woman was, even the old man tugging her along.
I cannot understand why the old man would want to drag the woman up and down the beach for everyone to see. It was as if he felt his actions were perfectly acceptable and would not cause alarm. Aside from my personal discomfort with the scene, I'm not sure he was upsetting anyone.
To be honest, I'm not sure what bothered me more -- seeing the woman demean herself, seeing this foreign man use his money and power to behave in a way that he probably cannot in his own country, or the general lack of social hostility towards the couple.
Whether or not the woman freely chose to accompany this man, I always wonder how powerful economic forces weighed in her decision and if we can then judge that as free will. Prostitution is illegal in Cambodia, but largely goes unchecked.
11 comments:
Well, dear Cassie, Cambodia has unfortunately become a hot-spot for foreigners in search of cheap sex. Cambodia is going down the path of Thailand - plus from what is heard, it is cheaper than in Thailand. Those foreigners are not only from Western countries but mostly from other Asian countries, such as Japan, S. Korea, Taiwan, and mainland Chinese who now have the money to afford those trips. The economic plight of the vast majority of Khmer families force many of their young daughters to turn to prostitution, in many cases not voluntarily.
Yeah, but those Asian perpetrators are westerner trained.
It must be her first time out of her small town?
Let go to New York, Chicago, LA, Miami first before go to Cambodia, or may be Paris first!
economie weight verry strong every where and more in poor country!
well come to the real world! are you in drinking age Casie?
Come on 1:07 I am talking about tricks not pedophiles. And don't tell me there aren't any Asian pedophiles or that that are Western trained. You should read a few history books.
This is why the Communist system exist, but then again who needs those Communist people or government. People choose to live whatever they want to live and those abuser atr no exception. They are animal and may be some poor soul that are so ugly, cann't find anybody to get rid of their problem. So there they are using money to buy sex. Low of the low people. What can you say more?
and what the government of any country should do is to educate people to not going there. Don't just go around and kill people. Fine them or throw them in jail or something, but to shut people up by get everyelse in the whole country to suffer with those few demonds just wasn't right. There are people that are good and fine people!
Good observation Cassie!!! Keep looking and may be you can do something and make a diffrent in our very poor and unfurtunate country. May an Angel be with you and always!
FIRST, foreigner colonize these country in south east asia, THEN they bombed us, AND they also set us up to kill each other. NOW, they come again, to abuse, rape and take our land ( buying ) it really cheap.
THESE big country, have no sense of right and wrong, good or evil.
" no sense " what an injust world we surrounded with. its not the world, its those who does these unjust deeds.
CAMBODIA was all good, full of history, full of natural resource, culture, and tradition.
UNTIL foreigner come to colonize it. NOW, its in total ruin.
Expert predicted atleast another 100 years for recovery.
who is responsible for this ? who else, foreigner !
Prostitution is called the oldest trade for a reason. There has been no epoch without prostitution and there is no country without prostitutes. Though I don't like it, that's a fact.
Lurid 'heart strings' pseudo-journalism like this is reductive and, in my opinion, hinders, not helps, the discussion.
More importantly, 'foriegner bashing' is unhelpful and offensive. As a foriegn national working in Cambodia I find it more than a little offensive. I work in a for profit business, not explioting local people or stealing resources, but performing a service no-one else is able to do for foriegn investors adding to the economy. To blame all Cambodia's problems on 'the forigners' is preposterous, lazy, and ignorant.
How can anyone really say that foriegners taught prostitution and paedophillia? Don't Angkorian bas-reliefs show what could be viewed as prostitutes? Aren't 95% of todays customers Cambodian?
Admittedly, foreign interference has played a part in Cambodia's misfortunes, but so has the feudal culture and rife corruption. Who is responsible for that? Were the Khmer Rouge foriegners too?
As long as Cambodian people continue to pass the buck, Cambodia will remian impoverished and weak.
Blame me. I am guilty . I have white skin . I have worked to hard all my life and I have saved my money so I must be the one responsible for all the poor people in Cambodia. BLAME ME I am a BARANG
Well, we don't want to blame any Ah Barang indidually, nor will we hold them responsible for their ancestor greed. However, we can use all the help from you as we can get. That is if you feel morally right to do so.
8:36
Did you forget that a King Norodom called on the French to help against the Thai rule. You should look up Cambodia in Wikipedia. It's easy. You will learn a lot, my friend. Every nation is responsible for its own destiny.
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