Neang Sokchea & Kounila Keo
The Phnom Penh Post
Ever since urban centres were formed in Cambodia, usually around centres of trade and industrythere has been an understanding gap between people living in the rural areas and people who became accustomed to life in the city.
Ethnic groups tended to stay in the rural areas, and because they have been separated from places like Phnom Penh, they are seen, and often see themselves as foreigners in their own country when they come to the capital city.
In order to facilitate a greater sense of understanding and community between rural and urban populations, Khmer Community Development, officially established in 2005, invited 750 youth from 7 minority groups in Cambodia to join each other for a weekend of dialogue, activities and developing relationships.
Ngach Pheaktra, a tenth grader from Mondulkiri province, took part in the camping activity and said that, because this was his first trip to Phnom Penh, he sometimes felt like an outsider.
“I feel strange walking along the buildings and houses here. They are all made of brick, while our houses back in our villages are made of wood,” he said, adding that his home doesn’t have too many mosquitoes and he rarely goes on difficult journeys, but his homeland does have mountains, trees and wild animals.
Ngach Pheaktra says Phnom Penh seems much more dangerous, with all of the vehicles moving around the city. “I do not feel secure at all when I am in Phnom Penh. I heard of robbery and rape,” he said. “Compared to Phnom Penh, my village is much better off and safer,” he added.
For Kham Sopheap, a 17-year-old and twelfth grader from Rattanakiri province who is part of one of the ethic minorities in the area, told Lift that she can hardly breathe in Phnom Penh, unlike here village where there are plenty of trees and therefore lots of fresh ait. As a child, she faced a discrimination from students who asked her why she even came to school when she could not speak any Khmer. By the time she was eight, however, she was able to speak Khmer well enough to converse with her classmates.
“There are some things I like about Phnom Penh and other things I don’t like,” she said. “I like it for its amusement parks and the Royal Palace, but I certainly do not like when Phnom Penh is too crowded.”
Lat Bunart, an eleventh grader from Ratanakiri, said that she feels like Phnom Penh is a place only for wealthy people, whereas her village doesn’t require people to be rich. “People in my village are so friendly and welcome the poor and the rich, but people here seem so busy with their businesses and work,” she said. “In our village we spend the day farming and have much more free time to enjoy life.”
5 comments:
that is so right, people in the city, since even before the war, always look at the people from the province with disdain, scornful, etc, as if they were foreigners from outer space and so on. it is time to better educate everyone not to look down on other just because they happened to live in a different part of our country, really! that's not right, think about it, not only it is evil and cruel, it is ignorant and inhumane, too, really! people should all get proper respect and curiosity, etc, but not look down upon, ok! change that dirty, evil attitude for it serve our country no good, really! wake up, people! give everyone equal chance to blossom in life and we all can contribute to our national reconstruction, development, etc, ok! don't be stupid for too long already! there are more to cambodia than you and i, for real, you know!
Germany and Japan have greate leadershipe model, they are centralize, but Franch are using military general model , I think Sam rainsy got that kind of culture which is rigid, stiff and sturborn . I bet without rainsy Cambodia will live better.. Sam rainsy political ambittouse is for himself not for khmere, We clearly see this street wild Rainsy done sofar, He never looke for solution, he thing he is supperior, I think he crazy madness man.
1:33AM! are you stupid! No one look down on other because of location! only ah Stupid Pol Pot make people to hate other of time differences!
People look down on other because of there finance cial status! The Cambodia Governments never try to improve the life style and the condition of people outside the city!
For exemple " AH Kwac Goverment" right now when the wealth start spilling outside of the city, instead of let it go and improve the next districts or provinces, the Stupid Govrnment of ah Kwack grab land from other provinces and keep those provinces in improve compare to Phnom Penh!
Why don't ah Kwack just let other area of the province next to Phnom Penh developed without taking into Phom Penh!
Is kind of move for next land grabing, motherfucker?
May lightning strike motherfuckers, corruptors!!!
HUN SEN RULED UNTIL 2099!
Prime minister Hun Sen! your lost your land and sea again, next time Cambodian border next to your home, Heng Somrin he lost his entire home village to Viet already but dare to say nothing, Chea Sim is too weak to say anything except prepare himself for judgement day, where is our belove king please get out from closet and give a big slap on Hun Sen face and say louder "why you gave my land and sea to Viet and punish my people hasss!"?, His majesty the king you can not stay in closet for too long, Cambodian are waiting for you to do something, you have no wife no kid must not afraid to die, you will be our hero king forever.
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