Seen and heard on Ms. Theary C. Seng's Facebook accounts:
Go to these Facebook accounts for complete narratives and captions.
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| Went
to National Library, and was again on the verge of tears... Completely
useless, as empty as the last 2 times I went in 1995 and in 2008. |
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| The
parking lot of this National Library is however full -- a
"commercialized" parking space for the Ministry of Finance and French
school and National University of Management nearby... Starting price of
1,000 riels per car |
 |
| Parking
lot of National Library, the fee-charging space for the cars of
Ministry officials, university students/personnel, and other businesses
in the area |
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| The public reading space end ends where the man at desk in middle is sitting |
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| The
most measly Reference section--there are more dictionaries in other
languages than in Khmer. I have more and a better selection of Khmer
dictionaries than the National Library. |
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| These basically are the only Khmer dictionaries publicly available... I'm choked up just typing this! |
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| ...basically 3 shelves |
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| The bottom shelf is full of reference books dated in the 1970s in English JANE's Weapon System etc. |
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| The
magazine reading section--one is hard-pressed to find Nything in Khmer.
The foreign language materials are in disarray and outdated. |
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| The
nicely bound, untouched volumes on the shelves are Buddhist verses in
Khmer, printed/funded by the Japanese Buddhist Association, 1994 --
these books and a pile of paperback children's books were the only Khmer
publication I saw in the National Library of 3 aisles and the empty
reading space in the front. |
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| Many copies of the The Economist Today, a local publication in the English language. |
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| The
other end perspective of public reading space... The computer section
is in the back against the wall, 3 old unused computers. |
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| Sorry, CORRECTION: 4 unused old computers. |
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| Over
80% of the materials (if not higher) are not in the Khmer language...
And of these foreign-language materials, I have no clue what they
are--for sure not Shakespeare or Socrates! Of the Khmer materials I saw,
children's books and Buddhist texts translated and funded by Japanese
Buddhist Association, dated 1994. |
 |
The
public section of the National Library comprised of these 3 aisles of
foreign, out-dated, irrelevant publications -- used books thrown away
anywhere else in the world, and a measly reference section of no more
than 5 dictionaries in the Khmer language. All foreign language books,
mainly in English, whose titles and authors I've never heard of.
|
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| That's dust on the shelves of these non-Khmer books, not glare of photo. |
DEVASTATING!
18 comments:
After 30 years of development, that's what Khmer get? That shows that education, knowledge are not important. Money, Lexus rule. Children do not need to learn, just buy the education from first grade all the way to doctorate. So embarrass and ashamed.
Theary, you should check out the school of health sciences, medical, dental, pharmacy. You'll be more shocked and outrage. These students know nothing, not even basic science. Lots of corruption from admission all the way up to testing, blah...No word can describe it.
That is a sad reality of Cambodia under Hun Sen!
I throw up every time I hear the title of Bun Rany Hun Sen announced on the news.
This lady has hardly any formal education and has been considered, of course ridiculously, to be very intelligent and knowledgeable to the point holding several (useless and fake) PhDs.
Pissed Off
the people at the top got their education from France, US, Europe, Russia, Germany, etc...they ride in LExus, demand special leather sofa to sit on at meeting, conference. They act like royalty. but they did nothing for the people or the country. these idiots have to be called out for their stupid behaviors. if they don't want to or can't do the work, they should get out and let others do better work the children, for the people for the country.
NO MATTER WHAT WE HAVE TO CHANGE. KILL OR BE KILLED
I firmly believe once Cambodia is free from the CPP, HS and Hanoi manipulated regime; there will be countless services to be offered by expatriates who possess with skills and experiences to CHANGE this doom and gloom library as well as every other areas of education which is the first priority for our nation.
Thank you very much Theary for taking your time to bring the issues to our attention. Your hard working would never be passed without notice. Please keep up the good work.
Yeay Tep
C'est comme ça !
Les riches et HS envoient leurs enfants faire les études à l'étranger.
និយាយមិនបាន
These are translated into money money in the pocket of the ministers...
oh, don't try to say or tell them anything. their attitude is that they know 100 times better than you. they are the kings and queens in their ministry, department or whatever. And the young, the real workers have no opinion. they are just do as told. so sad and frustrated. I talked to many aid workers, from Philippines, India, Europe, US and they said they are disgusted by what CPP telling them and making them pay bribes just to work to help the poor that they are supposed to help. Everybody is frustrated, sad, sick, disgusted by the current people in government and in society.
Long Live VIetNam and Hun Sen,
Hunting Season Start now to CNRP ... run while you can ...
Soon Vietnam will have a new province call Cambodia...
We VietNam and Hun Sen not worry about US,Eu or UN .... you only should worry US as we will kill all of you slowly and make sure you live in a poor life while the rest of your family and childrens and great grand children will be slave to our Vietnam and also Hun Sen family ...
Long Live VietNam and Hun Sen
Theary, I've been to libraries in other countries, what you show us is not a library - it's a haunted building, only ghosts go there. Hun sen is preparing that place as a tomb for his after life.
How many books Hun Sen's Ph.D. Read?
This messages for 5:46 PM,
To me look like hunting season start now to Youn VietNam... ha ha ha ha.
Khmer will be better without this corrupt Government CPP. They is now way for the country to not prosperous! Get ride of all this corruption...Cambodia must run by the Khmer people...that is everyone involved... Hun Gang must go.
HUN SEN LIBRARY!!!
We have the latest technology up to date and the largest selection in Cambodia from computer, ipad, laptop and tons of CD, VCD, DVD and magazines.
I, HUN SEN DEPEND ON MY SPONSOR VIET SAY I HVE TO HAVE THIS OR NOT I RESPOND REAL QUICK IF THEY NOT I M NOT DO IT .I, NO LONGER KHMER I M CITIZEN OF VIETNAM YOU UNDERSTAND PEOPLE,I GOT ENOUGH MONEY TO RUN AWAY WITH MY FAMILY FOR GOOD.
i love that library. i became a member of the lending section in 1968, at the ripe old age of 12, biking there every other day to borrow books. Most of the titles were very old french novels dating back to 1920's or even earlier. The newer ones were 1950's stuff like the collection "fleuve noir" police novels, "angoisse" (ghost stories) and "anticipation" (sci-fi) collections. if you need to borrow more recent textbooks like maths, you have to queue up with other pennyless students. The materials will have been destroyed during Pol Pot's time anyway. It's a pity because there used to be a collection of khmer newspapers there (the staff have a read of them first of course before filing them away). we students used to meet under the kraw-k'ob trees to the sides of the buildings and exchange gossip. By 1973 there were refugee shacks at the back of the library anywhere & everywhere. It's a lost world. Now who needs books when you can google it? or watch youtube for free.
Libraries can be used for other ways of research and study just like how they should exist and use in other great countries.
7:42 PM asked
“How many books does Hun Sen's Ph.D. Read?”
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He reads “Sam Kok” printed in Vietnamese.
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