silenfores, You hit the nail right on the head when you stated that all Cambodians need is to take out the weeds and sow some seeds and Cambodia will be self sufficient. Comparing to other nations of the world, Cambodians are very lucky to have Cambodia as a place called home to some 14 Millions inhabitants. Cambodia is one of the most productive lands in South East Asia. The destructions of Cambodia and her people in the past few centuries have been manmade. Personal greed have played and continues to play a major role in Cambodia’s destruction. Instead of prudently taking care of the woodland, Cambodian leaders deforest their precious forestry; instead of preserving fishery in Tonle Sap Lake and Rivers, Cambodian rulers allow fishermen to catch them anarchically; instead of helping Cambodian farmers to farm their own productive land, Cambodian authorities sell or lease their fertile territory to foreign countries; Instead of using foreign contributions to help disadvantaged Cambodians, powerful Cambodians pocket millions to indulge their family members; instead of preserving national lakes and waterways, Cambodian leaders choke them up to make rooms for unnecessary skyscrapers, etc… and etc… I believe that if Cambodian government and politicians put the people first, Cambodians would be much better off than they are today. Cambodians cannot afford to have their politicians and government officials continued to play with their head any more. They have to demand full accountability from all sides of political ideology. The initiative of change should start with each Cambodian individual with the guidance of those who have high moral and ethical authority. Political leaders must have the will to take the lead by stopping all the rhetoric and becoming truthful to their members, followers and the entire people of Cambodia. Playing politics to “fill one’s pots” is not going to derail Cambodia from the abyss. Regards, ================= In a message dated 6/11/2009 10:06:47 A.M. Korea Standard Time, [email protected] writes:
Tomo, the leasing of Cambodia’s land to other nations raised by you is an indication that the Cambodia is a place to create and growth. Such actions are unnecessarily and will cause and unwanted effects later on. All they should do is to take out the weeds, sow some seeds, everything will be ready for harvest. The ruling government did not see it, they see short term monetary gain. The natural world is smart and intelligent when left alone. Give it enough time it grows and provides, and never ask for any credit in return. Man of higher position goes in to upset its ecological balance and then ask those below him for credit. Cambodia is a poor state is not because the land is a barren region like some countries in the African continent, but man made. Receiving aid by Cambodia to patch over the top of some places is not good enough for itself and the donors. I cannot imagine what would happen if the aid is to be cut off suddenly. The other nations can not help Cambodia any better than giving some aid. They can not tell the Cambodian government to change the systems of rulings as they do not know its operational function levels, even if they do know and tell them it would still fall on deaf ears, beside it’s none of their business. We have been talking about some of the processes of cause and effect. What’s causing the destructives and creative processes? By understandings the root of it fundamentals problems it will help to give a long term solution to this country. At least there are still some people like you around with healthy mind whose is acting like an agent little by little for a healthier Cambodia. Instead of applying big forces randomly on wrong points and cause unwanted changes, the applying small forces on any right & weak point will definitely cause big changes for the better. On Jun 11, 3:41 am, [email protected] wrote: > Silenfores, > > Land-grabbing is a major problem facing Cambodian small farmers, peasants > and poor. It is horrible to have the feeling that sooner or later your land > and home will be stolen from you and there is nothing you can do to stop > it. I wonder if PM Hun Sen and other officials ever have such a feeling like > that. > > During last year electoral campaign, the issue was raised and put in front > of Cambodian voters. However, most voters didn't think that it > (land-grabbing) would happen to them. Additionally, the reasons why they didn't vote > on this issue because they didn't belief that the oppositions could solve > this issue either. > > Many felt that all politicians are the same and if the oppositions won the > election, they would be more corrupt than the current officials. They > believed that in Cambodian society poor people (if elected) tend to be more > corrupt. Looking back to my experience in dealing with many politicians, I > have to agree with the voters who thought that politicians are more or less > the same. This is not to say that everyone is corrupt, but the majority are. > My messages are always the same-- if you (politicians) are corrupt, you > cannot blame on corruption by others. You just don't have that moral authority. > > Some writers put the blame on the Khmer Rouge era for the today's > corruption and land-grabbing due to the fact that most of land and other documents > were destroyed. We cannot use the Khmer Rouge as the scapegoat for > everything that happens today. Leasing land to the neighboring countries and to the > Gulf States for farming is a new problem and the government of both > countries cannot practice forced evictions in the name of economic development > just to please a few greedy investors (at the expense of poor and powerless > Cambodians.) > > Regards, > > ======== > > In a message dated 6/10/2009 11:50:53 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, > > [email protected] writes: > > Timo, > > Good topic on stealing, I am amazed at your facts and findings. I hope > your friend’s bad experience will not demoralize him in starting a new > venture somewhere else. Stealing like this is likes cancer cells that > are killing their own host in which cells has to die too when the host > die. > > Stealing is so wrong because it’s like owing other people money and > materials. When people steal, it’s mean they show lacking. The > practice of stealing transfer serves the purpose ones temporarily, but > may cause others to loss balance and hope in the course of servings > and creating more which are good for humanity. > > In the practice stealing of lands by the government officials from the > farmers are they throw the farmers off balance. In due course there > will be less food for the country; consequently it increases the > levels of corruptions, poverties and insecurities. > > Lacking is the opposite of the ability to create wealth and materials. > One of the acts of lacking is by stealing. Those who did it would > automatically attract more of the same lacking to them. Hence, no debt > will go unpaid. The more they steal, the more lacking they will be. > > High ranking government officials fall into this category too. They > might already have a million dollars, but the lacking mind wants more. > Corruptions and stealing go together hand in hand to make good laws > unenforceable. > > Bear in mind, there is nothing worst than seeing small children go > hungry. My heart will always go out to them. > > On Jun 10, 1:27 pm, [email protected] wrote: > > > During my stays in Cambodia, I have met/interviewed with young men and > > women who were HS students and University students about their future. > Most > > of them had minimized their hope just to work in a factory, go overseas > as > > laborer in foreign countries or simply hope for government jobs so they > > might land in "kanleng klanh" or gold mine in the departments in which > you are > > talking about. > > What scares me the most is not only the corruption in the government > > sectors; it is also the corruption in business segments as well as in > the whole > > society. > > A friend of mine used to own a hotel in PP but went out of business due > to > > his employee's dishonesty. They stole everything ranging from kitchen > > utensils, computer chips to bed sheets; that just to name a few. > Sometimes the > > numbers of days of occupancy in certain rooms shrunk (in paper) from one > > week to just 3 days. Workers reported that financial statements were > lost due > > to computer problems. When the Hotel owner checked the computers, no > > chips remained in the CPUs. > > You are not going to find out who is corrupt or not corrupt easily > because > > the bribers and those who receive bribes (bribees?) work together as a > > team. It’s the payers, donors and business owners who usually pay the > price. > > Part of the problems is that most people in Cambodian society accept > that > > bribery is tolerable and it is a part of their life. Government is > still in > > denial that the level of corruption in Cambodia is not bad and that > there is > > corruption in every country hence don't worry about it. > > It is ashamed to say that in politics, too, you will find the level of > > corruption, nepotism and favoritism, etc… in the same proportion in all > > political groups. When clean politicians are corrupt, corrupt > politicians are > > clean then clean equal corrupt. Can you figure out that equation? > Political > > contributions given to politicians to fight corruption, justice and > freedom > > have been used to feed politicians, their family members and friends. > > Who/what is left to fight this monster called corruption? > > Most Cambodians have not learned that when everyone in the household > steal > > from their own family, only their neighbors will get richer. No wonder > why > > Cambodia is shrunk to where it is today. > > ============== > > > In a message dated 6/10/2009 8:29:47 A.M. Korea Standard Time, > > > [email protected] writes: > > > Tim,Absolutely right, it’s not surprised at all. The ruling government > > lives on handout from the donors, what do you expected the millions of > > poor Cambodian to live on. > > > The systems over there are most the corrupted and unproductive. You > > reap what you sow, if they don’t sow anything over there, of course > > they will have nothing to reap. > > > Many people in the cities study real hard just are looking forward to > > get out of the country. The systems are unorganized and offer little > > opportunities for the populations as whole. > > > The corrupted beaurocrates only interested in doing one signature and > > get at least $3,000. Someone I know wanted to help Cambodia so he > > organized to import agriculture products to sell at his shop. All > > those products have to pass about 5 signatures which would get him at > > least $15,000 excluding the cost of buying, containers and shipping. > > Where can he get the profit from? He also has to wait four weeks to > > get right amount he wants. > > > In the end he has no choice but to import from Thailand and Vietnam. > > > Everyone over there only interested in reaping, but not sow. So, I am > > not the least surprised if they are starving. > > > On Jun 10, 2:04 am, [email protected] wrote: > > > > Interesting! > > > > Millions of Cambodians now are at the stage where they just wish to > have > > > enough food to eat, some basic shelters to cover their head, little > > > medication for their illness, peace, justice and freedom to live as > > "frustrated > > > animal." > > > > ======= > > > > In a message dated 6/9/2009 8:12:49 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, > > > > [email protected] writes: > > > > Man is a frustrated animal. For example, the age of 15 years old, he > > > would be most happy if he has $2000 to spend. How happy he would be > if > > > he has $50,000 to spend. Slowly he accumulates it at the age of 30. > > > > Let’s make it to $100,000 for spending spree, and he reaches the age > > > of 40. > > > > No, it’s still not exciting enough; he wants to accumulate it to > > > $600,000. At the age of 60 he makes it, but it’s still not enough, he > > > wants it more. > > > > Finally he reaches his goal and accumulates it to $1,000,000 at the > > > age of 80. By this time at this age he would be too tire to enjoy > life > > > and his money is of little value to him. > > > > You go through prep, kindergarten, primary school, high school, > > > college, and university and the end result can be disappointing . > > > > Man thinks the final end is the most fun, but it’s not true. It’s > the > > > journey along the ways that count. Stop worrying about this and > that. > > > Enjoy life to the full whether you are young or old. > > > > The world will know how to take care and balance itself out. Look at > > > the global recession. Some parts of the world have too much and many > > > parts have too little. > > > > Although the divine do not take away from the rich and give it to the > > > poor, it is reducing the surplus of the rich. If the poor want to be > > > rich they have to be efficient in creating something. > > > > The nature law is: > > > > When it’s efficient it creates and increases. > > > When it’s surplus it reduces. > > > > **************Download the AOL Classifieds Toolbar for local deals at > > your > > > fingertips. > > (http://toolbar.aol.com/aolclassifieds/download.html?ncid=emlcntusdown...) > > > **************Download the AOL Classifieds Toolbar for local deals at > your > > fingertips. > > (http://toolbar.aol.com/aolclassifieds/download.html?ncid=emlcntusdown...) > > **************Download the AOL Classifieds Toolbar for local deals at your > fingertips. ... > > read more » **************Download the AOL Classifieds Toolbar for local deals at your fingertips. 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