Every morning I read the Cambodian Daily and
often an uncomfortable itchy feeling creeps up on me. Just a random impression of today’s topics: Cambodia
accused of human rights abuses and politically motivated convictions of
opposition leader as well as excessive force against protesters. Opposition
leader deleted from voter list for upcoming election. Reporter who investigated corruption murdered. 400.000 families driven off their land
because of state-licensed selling of land to foreign companies. Murder by security
forces on environmental activist not investigated as the government insists
that the murder was an ‘accident’. And so on and on and on.
Call me naïve but before I moved here I
didn’t realise this at all. But now every morning over my cup of cappuccino I
count my democratic blessings. And while I sip my coffee I am thankful for the
low ranking of my country in the Transparency International corruption index. For those interested: in
2012 the Netherlands ranks #7 out of 182 countries where Cambodia barely beats
places like the DRC, Chad and Somalia ranking a disgraceful and sad #164.
Slowly the photogenic and appealing picture
in my head of saffron coloured monks, lotus flowers and moonlight dances and
rosy champagne disappears and brutal reality takes over. The reality of a country where people can not
actually speak out and criticise too loud.
But fortunately there is also many moments
where the profile-picture beauty of the country still proves stronger. Like
this morning when my colleague casually told me that a monkey had stolen her
remote control from her living room. Hands down that story beats any story I
have ever heard standing by a coffee machine in a Dutch office.
