Away from the insdicrete gaze with butt stark naked
11 March 2010
By Kang Kallyann
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French By Tout Louse Laut Rek
Click here to read the article in French
In rural areas, hygiene and the availability of toilets remain an elusive luxury. The tough living conditions led to human dramas that are both tragic and ridiculous.
The tragedy is taking place in Svay Rieng province, near the Cambodian-Viet border. During a recent coverage on the border dispute [near Koh Kban Kandal village where the Viet encroachment took place], a villager told me this story: four villagers died there in the last few month because they were bitten by snakes while they were relieving themselves in the forest. At first, I had a hard time holding my laughter when I heard about this story.
Nevertheless, the villager insisted: this snake problem caused a lot of trouble in the village and it is far from being resolved. With the lack of decent toilets, the villagers had no choice but to relieve themselves out in the open air, away from the village and away from any indiscrete gaze. To the chagrin of the villagers, their open air toilet is infested with snakes … but the villagers have no other choice, and they are exposing themselves to this danger on a daily basis. What could be viewed as a joke is in fact a tragedy for these villagers. When I discussed this topic with a local official, he prefers not to talk too much about it: of course, “some villagers” died recently “because of the snakes.” For their safety, the youths were asked to learn how to shoo away the reptilian pests. And, that was the end of the story.
So you think this is funny, eh? Now, think about the families of the victims when they learn that a simple toilet could have saved the life of their loved ones. Think also about this young woman who was raped in the forest, or better yet, think about this young man who was killed by strangers when he was relieving himself. Now you can see that these cases are not laughable at all, but that they are in fact ridiculous! Now, let’s see: how can we explain the contrast between these dirt poor provinces and the luxurious roads that filled the capital city of Phnom Penh? Do you think that, in the 21st century Cambodia, it is acceptable for forests surrounding villages to be strewn with human feces?
Some city dwellers have the habit of showing off their disdain to people who live in isolated villages. But, would these city dwellers be at ease if they had to risk exposing their intimacy, their health, or even worst, their life just to be able to relieve themselves? Hygiene is not always within the reach of everybody in Cambodia just yet. Right now, in Phnom Penh, there is countless number of cosmetic stores where costly plastic surgery is being offered to the public, where young women who are so preoccupied by their look can have their skin whitened up, and yet, there are still a large number of Cambodians who live without using any soap at all. Based on these observations, it is clear that what is supposedly ridiculous is not always what we believe it would be at all.
Quite often, the entrance to villages would bear large signs clamoring: “drink and live healthily to protect your health.” Furthermore, several NGOs insist that they are promoting hygiene and that they are building infrastructures to allow access to drinking water, or building toilets. Keep in mind also that the cost of the most basic toilet is about 140,000 riels, i.e. about $35, with all the numbers in mind, I feel less inclined to smile nowadays when I read stories in the newspapers about villagers having to face snakes.
The tragedy is taking place in Svay Rieng province, near the Cambodian-Viet border. During a recent coverage on the border dispute [near Koh Kban Kandal village where the Viet encroachment took place], a villager told me this story: four villagers died there in the last few month because they were bitten by snakes while they were relieving themselves in the forest. At first, I had a hard time holding my laughter when I heard about this story.
Nevertheless, the villager insisted: this snake problem caused a lot of trouble in the village and it is far from being resolved. With the lack of decent toilets, the villagers had no choice but to relieve themselves out in the open air, away from the village and away from any indiscrete gaze. To the chagrin of the villagers, their open air toilet is infested with snakes … but the villagers have no other choice, and they are exposing themselves to this danger on a daily basis. What could be viewed as a joke is in fact a tragedy for these villagers. When I discussed this topic with a local official, he prefers not to talk too much about it: of course, “some villagers” died recently “because of the snakes.” For their safety, the youths were asked to learn how to shoo away the reptilian pests. And, that was the end of the story.
So you think this is funny, eh? Now, think about the families of the victims when they learn that a simple toilet could have saved the life of their loved ones. Think also about this young woman who was raped in the forest, or better yet, think about this young man who was killed by strangers when he was relieving himself. Now you can see that these cases are not laughable at all, but that they are in fact ridiculous! Now, let’s see: how can we explain the contrast between these dirt poor provinces and the luxurious roads that filled the capital city of Phnom Penh? Do you think that, in the 21st century Cambodia, it is acceptable for forests surrounding villages to be strewn with human feces?
Some city dwellers have the habit of showing off their disdain to people who live in isolated villages. But, would these city dwellers be at ease if they had to risk exposing their intimacy, their health, or even worst, their life just to be able to relieve themselves? Hygiene is not always within the reach of everybody in Cambodia just yet. Right now, in Phnom Penh, there is countless number of cosmetic stores where costly plastic surgery is being offered to the public, where young women who are so preoccupied by their look can have their skin whitened up, and yet, there are still a large number of Cambodians who live without using any soap at all. Based on these observations, it is clear that what is supposedly ridiculous is not always what we believe it would be at all.
Quite often, the entrance to villages would bear large signs clamoring: “drink and live healthily to protect your health.” Furthermore, several NGOs insist that they are promoting hygiene and that they are building infrastructures to allow access to drinking water, or building toilets. Keep in mind also that the cost of the most basic toilet is about 140,000 riels, i.e. about $35, with all the numbers in mind, I feel less inclined to smile nowadays when I read stories in the newspapers about villagers having to face snakes.
16 comments:
I can't even imagine, who on earth with in their right mind, would even consider these tragic stories to be laughable! After reading the first paragraph, I was very disturbed by the news! I'm disappointed that the writer stated that he/she "At first, I had a hard time holding my laughter when I heard about this story." There is nothing funny at all about it, these lives can be saved if they only could afford a $35 toilet!
5:12, a lots of people in here act like they are smart and you are one of them. They like to read and post some smart azz comments when in fact they are dumb!
the first few paragraphs are introduction to this tragic story. If you know anything about writing it calls "grabbing the reader attention". And in fact it is human nature to laugh when hear such a surreal story as this.
Did you even pass your reading class?
This photo is disturbing! That is scary...... imagine anyone sit on that toilet.
I think the toilet has flaw design for this area. Now we can see, they should change the tolet. Use different model that don't have trim for the snake to say.
Mybe they can use my toilet!
Since now they know the dangerious posibility of the toilet in this territory. They need and must replace with different style so that the snake couldn't hide there.
I can't imagine anyone sit there. Especially when they must go and rushed. This is too dngerous. Someone could be kill if not resolve.
My understanding of the article is not talking about a modern toilet as shown in the picture, rather, it was out in the forest-tall grass open air exposing oneself to human prey and poisonous snakes. I could be wrong, maybe the picture of a snake in the toilet is true also.
This picture will always dramatized me for the rest of my life. thanks you so much for putting such a graphic picture on your web site. Who knows, how many people like me will be dramatized?
I'm not surprised that these poor people who live in the rural areas can't afford the decent toilet. $35 is not much, but for them is hell expensive! Not to mention the hygiene, it's not their first priority!
True, this is a serious issues that poor people are facing right now. For years, these people have cried for help! but there's noting done about it. So sad, so sad, so sad!
I don't get it.
It’s really sorry to read somebody who wants to sell modern Chinese shit pots to the poor peasants.Here’s some doable thing, that anyone can do without running to the forest to shit.
1)Make a small excavation, a pit 5′x5′x10′ or something like that. Away from sources of water, and make sure it won’t be overflown with water during the wet season.
2)Put wooden planks, attach them on some sort of wooden frame so all structure would be stable on the pit and won’t fall into. Cut a small opening 1′ by 2′. I suggest round, for more aesthetic outlook.
3)Make wooden shack over the covered pit. Ready.
That’s so simple and this truly proves, that a lot of education and coercion had to be put into the countries like Cambodia or Vietnam to make it happen. I’ve seen so many times people don’t care about hygiene and just shitting anywhere easy to reach. There’s no progress without education. And there’s no education without coercion.
Increase the mongoose population and don't eat the mongoose. If i'm not mistaken - mongoose eats snakes, maybe just cobra.
Even if one have an outhouse one has to be careful that a poisonous snake is not hanging around the building. Need need snake repellent. One simple solution is to tell people to dig a hole and bury the excretment when done this will solve the hygiene part.
Thank you, the author, so much for your attention to the blighted situations of our substantial portions of Cambodian population's poor livelihood in rural countryside.
We should not be very critical of the author's style of writing as it is about the endless process of more experience and learning but it should be a new discovery for awarness and action from the general public.
For sure, it is about an individual's responsibility to live in hygienic awarness, but it should be reminded that the government itself, on its part, is obliged for promoting the awarness. However, the government's awarness program is not enough. In some countries, the public toilets are a must-to-do action by the governments. They build up a string of public toilets at every public transport stations as well as at focal locations of communities, so every single person can have the easy access to the toilets--safe from any risk.
In Cambodia, we don't see any action from government but it just leave it the sole responsibility of poor people to spend on the cheap kind of toilet. I think it is doable if the government, at least, creates the 50%-50% inititiave like it is done it urban areas, but 50% by more villagers (not by a single villager)and the othe 50% by government or local administration)for a few toilets in one small village.
Thank you, the author, so much for your attention to the blighted situations of our substantial portions of Cambodian population's poor livelihood in rural countryside.
We should not be very critical of the author's style of writing as it is about the endless process of more experience and learning but it should be a new discovery for awarness and action from the general public.
For sure, it is about an individual's responsibility to live in hygienic awarness, but it should be reminded that the government itself, on its part, is obliged for promoting the awarness. However, the government's awarness program is not enough. In some countries, the public toilets are a must-to-do action by the governments. They build up a string of public toilets at every public transport stations as well as at focal locations of communities, so every single person can have the easy access to the toilets--safe from any risk.
In Cambodia, we don't see any action from government but it just leave it the sole responsibility of poor people to spend on the cheap kind of toilet. I think it is doable if the government, at least, creates the 50%-50% inititiave like it is done it urban areas, but 50% by more villagers (not by a single villager)and the othe 50% by government or local administration)for a few toilets in one small village.
9:52
Your statement just shows your own lack of education and class! Anyone that is truly educated would not make such a blanket fold statement or generalization such as this!
" a lots of people in here act like they are smart and you are one of them. They like to read and post some smart azz comments when in fact they are dumb!"
Wow, you are an angry person!
I read the first comment and that reader did not state that he/she is smart! The reader just voiced his/her opinion on the story. There is a saying, those that are unfit to judge, are always the first to judge! Please work on your own grammar and spelling, it needs work!
I guess you must be one of those people who love to laugh and mock about the misfortune of others!
I read this story, and I was a bit turned off with the the author's tone at the beginning. I didn't not think that his lead in was attention grabbing at all, it was a distasteful!
people in cambodia eat crocodiles and snakes! what makes you think they are afraid of any kind of crocs and any kind of snakes? wake up already!
When four people are dead, just from trying to answer nature's call, there is a serious problem! YOu need to wake up 1:28 a.m.. These people need to be afforded the basic necessities that are available to all human beings elsewhere!
9:52 is a really smart ass!
LOL
correction: a lots = a lot
Shits, i think if the snakes is biting your ass while you're trying to take a dump.. That's is one funny shit. which mean snake is attracted to your shifts from miles away and he has to get some of that! LOL
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