Something wrong with the face of Cambodia's Mother of Morality Squad? - ចិញ្ចើម ម៉ែនី កើតអីហ្នឹង?

During her appearance at the commune election this morning, the so-called Mother of Cambodia's Morality Squad - sometimes known as Bun Rany Hun Xen - appears to display large bumps on her forehead. Could they be bad reactions to Botox or cosmetic surgery turned awry? Don't worry nobody will ever find out the cause of this aberration because nobody would ever dare ask Her Excellency.

Nevertheless, bad wagging tongues in Phnom Penh have circulated rumors that for every hit a CPP cop inflict on a woman or child during forced evictions in Cambodia, our Dear Mother will suffer another bump on her body, starting from her face. After all, they claimed, which Mother wouldn't feel their children's pains? Although these wagging tongues claimed that it should be "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth", they believe "a hit for a bump" is not a square deal (sic!).

A child beaten by violent cops during the forced eviction of Borei Keila

72-year-old Grandma Nget Khun received a big bruise on her head from police violence against Boeung Kak Lake protest

Being mere mortals, we'll leave Lord Buddha or Lord Jesus decide about this corporal punishment, unless of course, you, Dear Readers, would like to venture your opinion on this issue. You are always welcome to do so in the comment section.

Sincerely,

KI-Media team

Sramoal Antaul Tam Pran - "Bad Karma casting its shadow": Poem in Khmer by Kaun Khmer

According to popular belief, "Bad karma" rather than "Hun Sen's curse" is the main cause of death by lightning

More Cambodians die from lightning than landmines

Sep 15, 2008
DPA

Phnom Penh - Often armed with little more than a sprig of mistletoe and some magic words to ward off lightning, superstitious Cambodian farmers annually venture into flat, flooded rice paddies to work, and each year dozens get struck dead, officials said Monday.

The problem is so bad that for the past two years at least, lightning has killed far more Cambodians than landmines, despite it remaining one of the most heavily mined nations in the world.

According to official statistics quoted in the English-language Cambodia Daily Monday, 77 people have died from lightning strikes so far this year compared to nine landmine deaths through to July. In 2007 the paper said lightning killed 45 Cambodians and landmines claimed 26 lives.

Bu Ky, a farmer in central Kampong Thom province, said lightning is a constant fear, but most locals have little knowledge about why it strikes. Victims are often stigmatized as having 'bad karma.'

'More than 60 per cent of farmers here believe a necklace blessed with magic words will protect them,' he said. 'Mistletoe is a very popular lightning charm.' The majority of Cambodia's population of 13.4 million farm.

Director of the Cambodian Meteorology Department, Long Savuth, said a lack of funding and plain ignorance was also a problem.

Last year the department found funds to print a scant 8,000 copies of a leaflet educating farmers about lightning dangers, but then found it lacked the money to distribute them.

By comparison, aggressive landmine awareness campaigns by the government and international aid groups mean few Khmers are ignorant of that danger, but still lack awareness of the natural danger of lightning.

'If someone is struck by lightning, people believe covering them with a white cloth will cure them. Of course CPR would be better, but nobody knows how to do it or even what it is,' Savuth said. 'Everyone thinks about landmines. Few donors think about lightning.'