Female Breast Cancer Victim Denied Access To Treatment By Cambodian Government

Seen above, women kneel behind a barrier with their young children as they await free medical treatment at the world famous Bopha hospital and clinic in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The Bopha clinic treats thousands of children annually and is the largest such hospital in Cambodia.

That's the good news. Now for the bad news.

Yesterday I met a couple from Sydney, Australia who shared a distressing story with me that offers a look into the depressing state of healthcare and human rights in the Kingdom of Cambodia.

It seems the two were in Phnom Penh riding a tuk- tuk when they struck up a conversation with their Khmer/English speaking driver. The general "Where are you from?" and "What do you do?" questions arose and the tuk- tuk driver learned that his female passenger was a nurse. Now this was great news to the driver, a young married man whom according to the visitors, takes care of ten adopted children.

Evidently, the driver's wife has a lump on her breast and he asked his new nurse friend to come to his house to have a look at her. Faithful to the Hippocratic Oath, the nurse obliged. A brief examination revealed that the driver's wife indeed has a golf ball sized growth on her left breast, and after researching the internet, the Australian couple and their new friends decided to visit Sihanouk Hospital Center of Hope in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Among the offices located there is Americares, a charity staffed by internationally trained doctors that offers breast cancer treatment to Cambodian women.

According to the Americares website, "Americares is working with partner Hope Worldwide TO SUPPORT INCREASED ACCESS TO QUALITY
HEALTHCARE IN CAMBODIA."

Now it seems to me that a woman who has breast cancer should be able to walk into AmeriCares, receive a diagnosis, be provided with treatment options, then become healthy and live happily ever after with her husband and ten adopted children. After all, isn't that why people donate to Americares and their partner Hope Worldwide in the first place?

In Cambodia, a different scenario evolves. According to the couple, the quartet waited five hours among others in a holding area before visiting a Cambodian Social Services Department office located on the premises. Once inside the office, the Australian's were witness to a peculiar brand of bedside manner. The first question the Social Services Department representative asked the woman in need of treatment was "What's wrong?" "I have breast cancer," responded the woman.

At this point, it would be customary in most countries that count themselves as members of the civilized world for a staff member to pull out a thermometer or blood pressure cuff to help put the patient at ease. In this instance however, no Cambodian Social Services Department staff member went so far as to even visually confirm what amounted to an impoverished Cambodian woman's self-diagnosis.

Ignorant to the true state of the woman's health the REAL examination began. What type of examination could possibly take place if the Social Services Department never confirmed the woman's self-diagnosis in the first place? A financial assessment.

Now I realize there are only 16 doctors per 100,000 Cambodian citizens but apparently, triage at government administered hospitals in the Kingdom is performed with financial rather that physical criteria in mind. Our friend the tuk-tuk driver is well off by Cambodian standards as he earns about 20,000 riels (4100 riels = 1 USD, April 2009) per day. The World Bank states that 35% of Cambodia's population of around 15 million exists on less than $.50 USD per day. Since it was determined that he made this whopping amount each month, his wife failed to receive the piece of paper required to gain access to the Americares facility.

However, didn't the driver and his wife support ten adopted children as well as themselves? Weren't they already doing their part in easing the Cambodian government's burden of taking care of its own people?

Admittedly, the 900 million USD that will be given to Prime Minister Hun Sen's government by foreign donors this year is a drop in the bucket, necessitating private individuals to pick up the slack and adopt ten children, but shouldn't that count for something in the eyes of the Social Services Department?

In America, people pay income tax based on, among other things, how many dependents they have. Since the diver had 12 people on "the family payroll" including himself, he's allocating about 1700 riels per day to each family member to exist on, putting his family squarely within the group The World Bank identifies.

So just how poor does a person have to be before Cambodia's government will allow Cambodian's to seek medical treatment at a government run facility from a foreign funded NGO? I can't answer that question except to say that in this instance, existing on $ 0.41 USD means people are considered too wealthy.

The point of this story is not to sit here and pontificate but rather, try to save a woman's life. If I have any of the facts wrong in this hastily written article or you would like to verify them, feel free to email Ally, the Australian nurse

at: alice_tweedledee@hotmail.com

Further, if you would like to offer help to the Khmer/English speaking Cambodian tuk- tuk driver and his cancer stricken wife, his email address is:

mancambodian@yahoo.com

I also have his telephone number if you need it. Contact me via email at mmaster 891@hotmail.com. I'll forward it to you and you can speak to the family directly.

A woman none of us know will surely die if WE (that means YOU and me) don't figure out a way for her to get into the Americares office at:

Sihanouk Hospital Center of Hope
Street 134
Phnom Penh, 12253
Cambodia
Phone: 02 3982571

The woman has a name however, and that fact means she is us.

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
My Photoshelter Photography Archive Homepage

Sihanouk, Hospital, Center of Hope, Phnom ,Penh, Americares, NGO, Healthcare, Human rights, Breast Cancer, Victim, Cambodia, Social Services, Health, Poverty, Bopha, Clinic, Women, Hope Worldwide, Asia, Asian, Photojournalist, Photography, Medicine, Medical

Loi Krathong Lantern Festival In Chiang Mai Thailand

Chiang Mai is the gateway to northern Thailand. With a population of over 170,000, it's Thailand's fifth-largest city. Located amidst the rolling foothills of the Himalayan Mountains 700 km north of Bangkok, it could only be reached by an arduous river journey or an elephant back trip until the 1920's, isolation that has helped Chiang Mai retain its distinctive charm. The city rests on a plain at an elevation of 316 meters, and while greener and quieter than the capital of Bangkok, has a cosmopolitan air. Known as the "Rose of the North", its home to a significant number of foreigners.

Founded in 1296 AD, culturally rich Chiang Mai is the longest continuously inhabited settlement from the ancient days of Siam. Chiang Mai's historical center is the walled city (chiang in Thai, hence Chiang Mai - "New Walled City"). Sections of the wall remain at the gates and corners, as well as a moat.

More than 30 Buddhist temples, dating back to the founding of the city, remain inside Chiang Mai's city walls. The temples tempt visitors with a variety of architecture consisting of Burmese, Sri Lankan and Lanna / Thai styles. Beautiful woodcarvings, Naga staircases, leonine and angelic guardians, gilded umbrellas and pagodas laced with gold filigree comprise some of the temples' visual delights. The most famous, Doe Suthep overlooks Chiang Mai from a mountainside 13 km to the west.

Chiang Mai plays host to numerous festivals including Loi Krathong (Lantern festival) seen at left.

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
My Photoshelter Photography Archive Homepage

URGENT Photography And Photojournalism Bulletin: Sign Up Against New Jahreszeitenverlag Contract

The world-renowned award winning photojournalist Kai Wiedenhoefer has asked for help and we should all oblige him for our own good before it's too late.

The following is a slightly edited version of Kai's call to action posted on http://www.lightstalkers.org/

Here is a link to the original post:

http://www.lightstalkers.org/urgent-sign-up-against-new-contract%20/%20top

Sign the petition against the new contract of the Jahreszeitenverlag

The publishing house of the Jahreszeitenverlag (Verlag means publisher in German) handed out a new contract recently and every photographer who works for them is being coerced into signing it.

Jahreszeitenverlag has given photographers two choices:

1. Sign the contract (see terms below) or;
2. Don't sign the contract and not work for them.

The Jahrezeitenverlag is a major player in the German publishing industry with various publications. Their most well-known is the travel magazine “Merian” which also employs foreign photographers.


THE MAJOR POINTS OF THE NEW CONTRACT ARE:

1. ALL photographs produced during an assignment of the publisher must be given to the publisher. The photographs can then ONLY be used and distributed exclusively by Jahrezeitenverlag.


2. Neither the photographer nor photographers agent/agency retain any rights whatsoever to distribute any of the photographs shot during an assignment of the Jahreszeitenverlag.


3. The publishing house can use all photographs taken during an assignment for free and for any purpose in his publications. This applies also to the photographs distributed by the publishing house.

This means photographers lose virtually all ownership of their own work and say farewell to the copyright. The deterioration of working conditions has been going on for some time.

I ask EVERBODY to sign the petition of the German photographer association Freelens (an organization of 1800 photojournalists) against this new contract.

Please click on the following link. Although it is all German, its contents are explained below:


Here are a couple of links that should take you to the petition:


http://blog.freelens.com/2009/04/the-gravediggers-of-photojournalism/

http://blog.freelens.com/appell/petition/


Your email address won't be published.

Afterwards you will find a list of photographers who have signed up already. It hasn't been updated yet but there are more than 400 who have signed thus far.

I ask also EVERYBODY to spread this mail to colleges and especially to your AGENCIES, as they will cease to exist once this type of contract becomes common practice.

The best thing for the agencies would be to boycott the publications of the Jahreszeiten and not provide them with any pictures for the time being. Some photographers in Germany have already advised their agencies to do so.

It is essential for the survival of photographers that this contract is stopped because if it succeeds it is more than likely that this very contract will lead the way for other mayor publishing companies such as Gruner & Jahr (Stern, Geo) or Bauer (Focus Magazine) in Germany to offer the same type of contract. After that, these types of contracts will become global.

I know the general financial situation of photographers is dire and the businessmen and lawyers who work on these contracts are well aware of this fact as well.

From an internal source of the Jahrezeitenverlag, I know that about 40 photographers signed the contract. NONETHELESS, the publisher already has problems finding enough photographers & photographs for their publications after May.

By signing this contract only your very short term individual interests will be served. Signing this contract will ruin your career as well as the careers of everyone else.

Kai Wiedenhoefer
Berlin, Germany
April 16th, 2009

Kai Wiedenhoefer is a past W. Eugene Smith grant recipient. The Grant recognizes photographers who have demonstrated a commitment to documenting the human condition, and is one of photography's most important awards. Other past recipients include James Nachtwey, Sebastião Salgado, Eugene Richards Trent Parke, Paolo Pellegrin, Gilles Peress, Donna Ferrato, Pep Bonet and John Vink.

When photographers of this caliber sound this type of alarm for the photography industry, the rest of us should pay special attention to the concerns they are addressing.

If you're a photographer (other than one of the 40 mentioned above who has already signed your livelihood away), please heed Mr. Wiedenhoefer's warning and sign this most important letter of protest against a contract that quite frankly is outrageously unfair to photographers and their agents.
John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
My Photoshelter Photography Archive Homepage

Is Donor Driven NGO Culture Hindering The Growth Of Democracy In Cambodia?

This year, foreign donors will contribute about 900 million USD to the Kingdom of Cambodia. If voluntary charitable man/woman hours put in by numerous foreigners were added, that figure would climb to over one billion USD. What are the ideas behind such generosity?

Article 51 of the Kingdom of Cambodia's constitution states, "Cambodian people are masters of their own country. All powers belong to the people. The people exercise their power through the National Assembly, the Senate, the Royal Government, and the Courts". In other words, Cambodia is a DEMOCRACY!

Well if you are a working stiff in the western world and have been hit up by an institution or foundation whose name resembles a bowl of alphabet soup, you've probably been told your donation will go towards improving the "health, education and welfare" of people who are living in one of the poorest countries in the world and you're helping to build a democracy too. That would be a good thing you may tell yourself. However, as you're about to pull a few crumpled bills from your soon to be empty pockets, you may want to look deeper inside the issue of donor driven cultures.

It's a bit strange when some entities in Cambodia identify themselves NGO's because many of them receive money from governments. Take the case of a now defunct NGO, KTGO (Khmer Ghvith Thmei Organization), that was operating in Kampong Cham, Cambodia before being shut down for corruption. (Please see related story, Corruption Is Not A Crime In Cambodia). KTGO was operating with funds issued by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through Pact. KTGO's motorcycles even wore the stickers to prove it. Where does USAID get their money? If you are living in America, it comes from that other pocket you're now reaching into (aka US tax dollars). Nothing "non-governmental" about that.

While you were reaching into one pocket and Uncle Sam had his hand in the other, what was KTGO supposed to be doing after they shouted, "show me the money"? According to their mission statement, "The organization is dedicated to poverty reduction and to the promotion of good governance and human rights. Its principal areas of program emphasis include training, support for the Volunteer Youths for Development and Peace Network (VYDAPN), and good-governance/anti-corruption.

Now I don't know what the term "good-governance" is supposed to mean but there were many brochures around their office that explained what democracy was all about, you know, the Jeffersonian brand. Apparently, these publications were to be distributed to groups of people who were learning about this form of government as outlined in Article 51 of Cambodia's constitution.

So who is in charge here? Did the USA grant your money to KTGO through Pact because they were supposed to promote the American flavor of democracy? What about the Cambodian government? Shouldn't they have a hand in explaining to their citizens what their concept of democracy is? After all, Cambodians are "masters of their own country."

Would the USA grant your money to a country that had other ideas about how people should be governed or is this just part of a big advertising campaign promoting American/Western ideals?

Let's take education and health care, two social services that according to Article 51 are in the hands of Cambodia's people. The education and health care areas in Cambodia are in shambles. The alphabet soup boys come to NGO Land with your money in their pockets to try to patch things up and now you're eating your own new brand of soup too. You've just become the newest member of The Order Of Empty Pockets (OOEP).

What has happened of course is that the alphabet soup boys have just let one of the most corrupt men in the world, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen and his majority Cambodia People's Party (CPP) off the hook regarding the health and education of its citizens. Why should he allocate money from the nation's treasury to improve the quality of the country's education and health care systems when the NGO boys, funded by your government, are willing to do it for him? Hun Sen is a busy person and he needs time to spend with his family!

Where has 30 billion USD gone during the past 30 years in Cambodia? We know it wasn't flushed down the toilet since 10 million Khmer people (66% of the population) have no toilet facilities and are relegated to defecating in open fields. Let's eat some more soup and get someone in here to dig a few holes. How about Organized People's Potties, (OPP) where have they been? Well that's an easy one.

Large institutions and foundations have set up camp with the money your government has granted them in outposts such as Ghana, the former Yugoslavia, and current NGO Land hotspot Haiti. Batter up! Next stop Afghanistan!

If you live in Canada surf on over to the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and see what projects their money is going towards and where they are getting it. That's what the Professional Money Chasers of Cambodia (PMCC) do. You want to know who's about to dig through your pockets next don't you?

Is the corrupt government ruling Cambodia being properly incentivized to promote democracy and provide basic services for the people of this land if NGO's have usurped government responsibility in the eyes of the people? If you are one of the lucky Khmers who receives honest to goodness help from an honest outfit I suppose you're happy and may not worry too much about how the money that is helping you got here, or why it was donated in the first place. After all, the man in the moon may have sent it along.

What future does Cambodia have if the present day Hun Sen led government fails to inform them? Do Khmers realize that in its failure to educate them (and eliminate bribery in the education sector) and keep them healthy, Hun Sen will be able to plunder Cambodia's human and physical resources all the more?

Hun Sen realizes that it's a bit easier to rule a nation whose citizenry is uneducated, impoverished, weak and tired. Sound familiar? Further, he recognizes that after 30 years, NGO's have failed to take up the slack no matter how well meaning some of their intentions have been.

The private sector may do a better job of educating people in the future as their demand for cheaper labor to manufacture more sophisticated products grows.

Currently, firms such as Australia's British American Tobacco Company (BATC) do a good job producing large quantities of glossy work safety manuals (in Khmer with good illustration and color) and planting trees, but they have a poor record when it comes to sending tobacco picker's children to school and printing school books. After all, who would be left to harvest tobacco tomorrow if suddenly every Khmer school aged kid eventually received a 12th grade education and knew how to read?

Hun Sen could have said to John Nelson of BATC, "Want some tobacco? Build me some new schools and print school books." Nevertheless, Cambodians need to push these types of agendas themselves. The citizenry shouldn't look for NGO's to help because they have their own fish to fry.

Cambodian's fear their "democratic" government because many can see the mask of communism their leaders are wearing. They also glimpse a puppeteer in the background pulling strings and he's wearing an olive green uniform offset by a big red star (as one would see on a Vietnamese flag).

The masked people fear the Khmer citizens more than Cambodian's fear them however as the people adored with the masks grasp that the gap between the haves and the have nots is growing wider each day. In ten or fifteen years, there may be "trouble in river city" say some observers.

So what time is it? It's time for Cambodian's to realize that they are among the most ill treated people in the world. It's time for Cambodian's to understand that THEY are in charge here, not some foreign power pushing an ideology through varied concoctions of alphabet soup. It's time for Cambodian's to hold their government and business titans from within and without accountable for their actions and inaction.

After all, isn't that what democracy and Article 51 is all about?

Elitus Kleptocraticus / n: Only responds to asset freeze. Normal habitat includes lavish property developments, but often also found in spas, banks and casinos in prominent luxury locations such as Zurich, London, Paris, Geneva, Monaco, New York, Singapore, and increasingly, Beijing. Unfortunately, behavioral problems usually ignored by species Donorus pedestriensis - Global Witness

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photographs
My Photoshelter Archive Homepage

Get A Haircut And Go Take Some Photographs!

Get A Haircut And Go Take Some Photographs!

I posted this photo today for no particular reason in the hope that it lives up to this blog's subtitle and the phrase "daily life". It's a simple image of a young boy being scalped by a masked barber in Chiang Rai, northern Thailand.

In the "olden days" artists such as Vermeer painted "little Dutch master" scenes of daily life for their own sake. I doubt if Vermeer could have ever imagined that people would trudge to the Frick Museum on 5th Avenue in New York to see his works 200 plus years after he painted them, but his renditions tell us a bit about how people lived "back in the day".

Maybe down the road some of your photographs will be somewhere and people will stop and say, "Look how people lived back then", the same as you may do when browsing through an old Life, National Geographic or Rolling Stone Magazine today.

So if you're out there, take a few photos of something we've all seen a million times. No one may be interested in those shots today except you and I, but let's give it a couple of hundred years and see what happens.

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
My Photoshelter Photography Archive Homepage

World Pulse Highlights Cambodia's Women Through Their Own Eyes

I took this photograph of a girl who was collecting beautiful fabric from a heap of garbage at Stung Meanchey Dump in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I was struck by how clean her shirt was and that she was in search of beauty amongst all that ugliness. It's currently appearing on an e-magazine, published by World Pulse Media.

You can visit this page to read more

World Pulse Media is a nonprofit global media organization that covers world issues through women's eyes. They publish a print magazine, an e-magazine, and produce a social networking newswire called PulseWire, where women worldwide can speak for themselves and connect to solve global problems, including women just coming online in internet cafes and cell phones.

Their current issue focuses on Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge trials, and the many women who are doing stellar work on the ground despite increasing hardships. Thirty years after Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime collapsed, women and girls are enduring intense times.

Last week I spoke with a 16-year-old girl about her future life plan. The youngster has been studying English for 6 years and her mother wanted me to evaluate her skill. Mom works from sunrise to well after dark running a small restaurant and has been faithfully paying for her daughter's $ 7 USD per month ESL tuition all that time.

I was happy to report to mom that her money had been well spent for her daughter had a good grasp of the language. "What do you want to become?" I asked the girl. "A doctor", she replied, "But I think it's impossible!" she continued.

Now Cambodians use this IT'S IMPOSSIBLE statement all the time. So much in fact that I have developed a standard comeback. I go outside, point to the moon, and say, "See that? My country sent a couple of people there to walk around on it 40 years ago….THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!

Does a country need 16-year-old girls dreaming of becoming doctors? Of course it does. One day I visited a field office of the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize winning organization Doctors Without Borders (Medecins sans Frontières / MSF), at the local public hospital here in Kampong Cham. I saw the new HIV wing under construction, financed by America, and I was pleased to see our tax dollars being put to good use. As I wandered around the grounds though, I saw something that left me wondering how women cope.

Sitting outside a ramshackle wooden barracks-like building with a sign affixed that read OB/GYN were at least 30 women and some husbands sitting on the bare ground outside. Most of the women looked as if they were going to give birth soon. I began to wonder how tough it is for the "Average Joe" and his wife to go through the birth process with access to adequate health facilities in such short supply. I then thought of a street dweller who lives on my street that is about to give birth any day. I asked a man familiar with her situation, "Where is she going to have her baby?" "Right there" he said, pointing to her plywood and plastic shack.

Other issues relating to women in Cambodia include addressing a low literacy rate (between 50 and 60%), girls as young as 16 living on their own working in "karaoke bars", the low pay for long hours put in at garment factories throughout the country, and trafficking.

If you are a woman who lives in the bubble of Western prosperity, keep in mind that according to The World Bank, 10 million Khmer (66% of the population) people have no toilet facilities at all and are relegated to defecating in open fields. Further, Cambodia joins more than a billion people in the developing world who don't have access to clean water, and running water is a luxury. Globally, hauling water is a chore primarily undertaken by women and girls and the same is true in Cambodia. Worldwide, 40 billion hours are lost annually to hauling water.

By 2007, Cambodia's maternal mortality rate had actually increased over prior years, rising from 437 deaths of mothers per 100,000 in 2001 to 472 in 2007. Obtaining a legal abortion from qualified healthcare providers has also been problematic.

Here is an excerpt from an article authored by Elayne Clift, a writer from Saxtons River, Vt., USA, that appeared in the May 18th 2006 edition of towardfreedom.com

"Less than a mile from the glitzy hotels there is a state-of-the-art children’s hospital founded by a Swiss physician, an iconoclast whom many believe violates agreed-upon international protocols for primary health care in impoverished countries. They think this because he uses western diagnostic tools like CT scans, an outrageous expenditure some say, in countries where people don’t even know enough to wash their hands. But this doctor, for all his possible eccentricities, maintains the extraordinary belief that even poor children deserve to live, and saving their fragile lives often requires the same technology that rich kids can access. He is a thorn in the side of the Ministry of Health and, he claims, esteemed organizations like UNICEF and the World Health Organization because he treats babies with non-contagious TB when the resources needed to do that could save a lot of kids with infectious disease. It’s not cost-effective, his critics argue. These kids deserve to live too, he tells the critics, experts who stay in the fancy hotels when they come to Siem Reap to advise or evaluate him."

In the political arena, traditionally a man’s domain in Cambodia, women’s rights training is now held in a variety of locales addressing rampant domestic violence throughout the Kingdom. Women are also represented in most levels of government, from communes to the National Parliament.

Well now that you have an idea about women's issues in Cambodia from a man's point of view, why not go over to World Pulse and join the discussion and see what today's Cambodian women are saying. If I were a woman, that's what I'd do!

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
My Photoshelter Photography Archive Homepage
Stung Meanchey Landfill Phnom Penh Cambodia Photographs

Where In The World Is Former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra?

As you can see to the right on this page, the question "Where In The World Is John Brown?" provides a link to my Lightstalkers page. A more important concern for Thailand's sixty-six million citizens a few days ago was; where in the world is deposed former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra? I can't seem to find a listing for him on Lightstalkers anywhere!

According to a Bloomberg news program broadcast earlier this week on cable TV in Cambodia, former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was hiding out somewhere in the world but nobody seemed to know where he was. The Bloomberg newscaster even went so far as to call him a "crazy man."

Apparently, the former Prime Minister has turned up in London and issued a statement, but his passport has been revoked and he's been charged with inciting Bangkok's unrest from abroad. Two people died and one-hundred-twenty-three were injured during clashes that saw Thaksin supporters capture an Army tank.

While I don’t claim to be a political analyst or expert scholar regarding the slow evolution of "democracy" in Thailand, there is one thing I know about Thaksin Shinawatra and that is; he is a NOT crazy. For the most part, crazy men don't become communication company billionaires.

Last year Thaksin assured everyone that he would remain in Thailand to answer various charges relating to his years as Thailand's headman. Fearing incarceration, Thaksin fled the country and has yet to return.

The "man on the street' almost always has a political view in Thailand although one might need to be diplomatic when inquiring about these candid thoughts in less cosmopolitan areas. When an ethnic Lahu man that owned a guest house in the northern Thailand city of Chiang Rai (Thaksin country) was asked if he supported Thaksin he replied, "Oh sure, he gave me enough money to buy this motorcycle." A Mai Sariang schoolteacher also responded favorably when she stated, "Look at all the solar power panels Thaksin has given to villagers in this province!"

Meanwhile, to the south in Bangkok, as Thaksin supporters capture military vehicles, their viewpoints are on full display.

Thaksin also has a large group of detractors that is comprised of some of the country's leading educators, scholars, media and business people. Many of them live in Bangkok. Surprisingly, some of these folks are advocating more appointments to Thailand's government rather than relying on voters to choose their leaders. But then again, if leaders are buying votes with motorcycles and solar panels, that might pose a threat to a democratic way of life too.

Politics and economics are complex intertwined issues in Thailand, counted as one of the "Asian Tiger" countries that have seen explosive economic growth over the past 25 years. By 2002 Thaksin's administration adopted a more active foreign policy in response to a steeper than expected downslide in the economy but policy analysts said the changes were for profit-making rather than political ends.

Currently, Thailand is being hit hard by the aftershock of the US "mortgage meltdown" and exports to its major markets, including the USA and Japan, have slumped. Further, not only has the world's economic downturn drastically affected Thailand's all important visitor industry, where spending is expected to drop by as much as thirty percent this year, it's reputation as a safe destination took a blow due to last year's political protests that forced airport closures in Bangkok.

As for Thailand's stock market, its daily trading volume has plunged by nearly half to just seven billon baht per day and financial advisors worldwide are telling foreign investors to stay away until the political situation has stabilized. Countries such as Singapore are the beneficiaries of this economic chaos.

Complicating matters is the fact that most Thai people look towards King Rama IX for moral leadership. As the world's longest reigning monarch, the Swiss educated American born King is undoubtedly the most widely respected person in the Kingdom, but he is over eighty year of age and his input regarding the political affairs of the country have seemed to diminish over the past few years, despite the nation's penchant for wearing yellow shirts in his honor.

Under Thaksin's direction, Thailand arguably prospered economically during challenging times. Thaksin Shinawatra's personal bank account also benefited from policy initiatives he fashioned, and his opponents say he is corrupt.

A Thai born ethic Karen man residing in Ban Ta Tha Fang, a small rural village near the shores of the Salween River along the Myanmar (Burma) border in northern Thailand was the recipient of a small solar panel provided by Thaksin's administration a few years back. Now that he has light, he can stay up as long as he wants making baskets, and he earns more money. On the other hand, he gets less sleep and works harder. "How do you feel about that?" asked a city dweller. "I'm not sure," responded the man in his sixties.

Deep down perhaps millions of Thai people share his sentiment regarding what should be done to alleviate the currently distressing social and economic ills in Thailand. It's a beautiful country and I wish them all luck.

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
My Photoshelter Photography Archive Homepage

Photography Guest Of The Week Alexey Pivovarov

Just twenty-nine years old, photojournalist Alexey Pivovarov is making quite a name for himself. In fact, he's actually based in two countries, Italy and Russia. Alexey is a native of Chelyabinsk, the capital of the South Ural region of the Soviet Union, and graduated from the Saint Petersburg State University of Culture. In 2004 he began working at Prospekt, an Italian photography agency, and has specialized in photojournalism since.

Not only does Alexey research his subject while capturing images that stand out for their candid portrayals, he writes about what he sees and how he feels with great understanding. Alexey's family is growing with the addition of his new son Ivan but he has found the time to post a couple of great photo stories at Gaia Photos where, like me, he is a member.

If you don't know about Gaia Photos yet, it's a group of photojournalists that is starting to become a great resource for editors from around the world needing to enhance their media products.

Now that you know a little bit about Alexey Pivovarov, surf on over HERE to see a bit of his photography. You can also keep up with Alexey by following his blog just like I do! While you are at it, please have a look at Gaia Photos too!
John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
My Photoshelter Photography Archive Homepage
GAIA Photography and Photojournalism

HAPPY NEW YEAR CAMBODIA!

Another Year Passes Without Justice Being Served

Theary Seng, the author of the book Daughter of the Killing Fields, takes time to reflect at The Killing Fields Museum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The day I met Theary Seng I expressed my condolences to her by offering that I was sorry she had to author her book "This is the story of every Cambodian family, not just my own" she reminded me as she sat on a bench at The Killing Fields just outside Phnom Penh on a clear tropical winter day. Clearly, she is a committed woman.

Her book, documents her family's hardship during the Pol Pot years. When her candor is taken to task, it is the present Cambodian citizenry that must decide who is punished. Cambodia today boasts one of the youngest populations of any country in the world. Seventy percent of the populace is under 35 years of age, meaning they are too young to have vivid memories of this stain on human history. Similar to Hiroshima, Cambodia is comprised of people who never knew, and those who can't forget.

Rummaging through the closet of times gone by can be fraught with complexity in any country. After roughly 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus perished at the hands of genocidal maniacs nearly twenty years ago in Rwanda, it was nine years before the wheels of justice began turning. In Cambodia, it has been over thirty. Producing the spark of a collective will in Khmer society that will ignite bright flames of respect due those held in dark rooms at Tuol Sleng Prison in Phnom Penh or killed at killing fields throughout the country has been difficult.

Former Tuol Sleng Prison boss Kaing Geuk Eav, commonly referred to as Duch, finally went on trial earlier this year, 30 years after the Khmer Rouge Army was toppled. He has offered apologies to his fellow citizens for his role in the past but astonishingly, he is one of just a handful of people presently detained while they wait turns on the witness stand. The trial has been plagued with charges of corruption and the lead Khmer prosecutor, a woman, has been criticized by many for not issuing more indictments. Numerous people believe she is bowing to the pressure of Hun Sen's government, and who could blame her?

Given that Hun Sen controls the elite Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) Brigade 70 and an additional reserve force of 4,000, (known as the "Bodyguard Unit") he has in effect, a personal militia. A former Brigade 70 officer was quoted in a June, 2007 report prepared by Global Witness; "Brigade 70 has also been involved in protecting illegal activities and has committed serious crimes such as killing, smuggling, illegally arresting people and violating people’s personal property.” Also answerable to Hun Sen is the National Military Police (NMP), a paramilitary force of nearly 8,000.

Article 51 of the Kingdom of Cambodia's constitution states, "Cambodian people are masters of their own country. All powers belong to the people. The people exercise their power through the National Assembly, the Senate, the Royal Government, and the Courts".

Transparency International placed Cambodia in 162nd place out of the 179 countries listed in their 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).

Global Witness is a UK-based non-governmental organization (NGO)
which investigates the role of natural resource in funding conflict and corruption around the world. In 2007 they published a report entitled Cambodia's Family Tree regarding corruption and "family matters" in present day Cambodia.

If you would like to read the entire Global Witness Report, GET IT HERE. The full 96-page report is available in Khmer and English.

If you don't make it all the way to the end, here is what the last page says;

Elitus Kleptocraticus / n: Only responds to asset freeze. Normal habitat includes lavish property developments, but often also found in spas, banks and casinos in prominent luxury locations such as Zurich, London, Paris, Geneva, Monaco, New York, Singapore, and increasingly, Beijing. Unfortunately, behavioral problems usually ignored by species Donorus pedestriensis.

If the continual plundering of Cambodia weren't so worrying, this definition would be humorous. Unfortunately, it's no laughing matter.

As for Theary Seng, she is the Executive Director of the Center for Social Development (CSD), a local human rights organization based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia since its inception in June 1995.

Let's hope that this New Year in Cambodia is the last one ever observed without justice never having been served to at least one person responsible for crimes that affected "every Cambodian family." Perhaps it will be the first step in up-rooting Cambodia's family tree.

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
My Photoshelter Photography Archive Homepage
Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Photographs
Stung Meanchey Landfill Phnom Penh Cambodia Photographs

Has LIFE and Photojournalism Changed In 44 Years?

How much has life changed in 44 years? For the type of men depicted in a photograph that graced the April 16th 1965 cover of Life Magazine probably not much. Apart from advanced weaponry, new medical technology and evacuation techniques, a warrior is still a warrior. Although a draft existed in America and today's troops are "all volunteers", they were all sent by the US government to far away places to "defend" the American way of life. In addition, despite the current state of affairs in the US, that way of life is rather good.

What about the people producing the photography? Has life changed for them? Well I suppose you would have to ask one who captured imagery in Vietnam and still covers conflicts today. There aren't' too many of them left to offer us a comparative analysis.

During the war in Indochina, photographers came from all stripes. Some men were already renowned such as Robert Capa who lost his life after stepping on a landmine in Vietnam in 1954, and others never had even one shot published. One, Sean Flynn who disappeared in Cambodia, even had a famous father who knew a bit about film himself.

What Can We Compare?

Photography gear heads will be able to address the technical aspects of digital vs. film etc., but I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about what today's conflict photojournalists can get access to these days. If photojournalism is "about the work", does the work look different to you? To me the imagery from the war in Iraq seems different from the imagery captured in Vietnam, but I'm not sure we get to see it all.

My fellow MONDO Library contributor, Zoriah Miller, was asked to leave Iraq by military commanders after posting photos on his Warshooters blog last year. He was told that the Marine Corps would not allow even the pants or shoes of an injured or killed Marine to be depicted in images.

According to a report filed from Baghdad by Michael Kamber, himself a photojournalist for the New York Times,

"On the morning of June 26, Mr. Miller, 32, was embedded with Company E of the Second Battalion, Third Marine Regiment in Garma, in Anbar Province. The photographer declined a Marine request to attend a city council meeting, and instead accompanied a unit on foot patrol nearby.
When a suicide bomber detonated his vest inside the council meeting, killing 20 people, including 3 marines, Mr. Miller was one of the first to arrive.

His photos show a scene of horror, with body parts littering the ground and heaps of eviscerated corpses. Mr. Miller was able to photograph for less than 10 minutes, he said, before being escorted from the scene.
Mr. Miller said he spent three days on a remote Marine base editing his photos, which he then showed to the Company E marines.

When they said they could not identify the dead marines, he believed he was within embed rules, which forbid showing identifiable soldiers killed in action before their families have been notified. According to records Mr. Miller provided, he posted his photos on his Web site the night of June 30, three days after the families had been notified."

Mr. Miller offered a statement:

Please know that my intent is to show the true nature of the horrors of war in hopes that this will deter others from committing or accepting senseless acts of violence.

So what is going on here? Did Larry Burrows have such concerns when he took the Life Magazine photo (above) depicting a wounded US soldier and a mate with a jammed M-60 when he was flying in that helicopter? Are today's photojournalists allowed to "tell it like it is" or does censorship exist on many levels.

When the New York Times showed four American contractors hanging on a bridge in Falluja 5 years ago on its front page it was rather painful but it showed the paper's courage and commitment to the truth regarding the incident. In fact, I felt the impact a bit more personally perhaps since one of the victims hailed from Honokaa, Hawaii, a small town where some of my relatives once lived and I enjoyed visiting. It brought the war in Iraq home to me. It seems to me that few media outlets in America have the bravery to publish such photos today. Photographs of Slumdog Millionaires are more in vogue.

Whatever the case, we all owe those who have risked their lives to tell us the truth with their cameras a debt of gratitude. One-hundred-thirty-five photojournalists lost their lives between 1945 and 1975 in Indochina and the count is still running in Afghanistan, Iraq, Sri Lanka, Philippines and elsewhere.

The question is, does anyone care?

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
My Photoshelter Photography Archive Homepage
Stung Meanchey Landfill Phnom Penh Cambodia Photographs

Keep An Eye Out For Good Food Photography - It's Rare!

Keep An Eye Out For Good Food Photography - It's Rare!

Normally editors like photos of food to look appetizing, flavorful and delicious. What all this means is that good food photography is a real talent and I for one admire those who do it well. A lot of food preparation, lighting technique and set design goes into great food photography but that doesn't mean that you can't keep one eye out for opportunities to shoot food yourself.
The local fare in Cambodia may be a bit different than you are used to back home, but give the local cuisine a chance. Be more adventuresome than a couple I overheard the other day while I was in Phnom Penh……… they were playing it a bit too safe……..

"Oh look how thin the people are here remarked an overweight woman to her equally heavy husband as they peered at passers by through the window of the new Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet in Phnom Phen, Cambodia. "I hadn't noticed," remarked the man as he lit into another drumstick.

In the average U.S. household, 15 % of the budget is spent on food. That percentage changes to over 50% for many people in Cambodia." While this percentage may seem high, contrasted to thirty years ago when Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime nearly starved the country out of existence, today's hungry Cambodians are much better off. Although the World Food Program estimates that 39% of Cambodia's population is malnourished, more than half of the country's 15 million people now enjoy a fairly high measure of food security. About 59% of Cambodia's children are now growing up with enough to eat.

Since 80% of Cambodians have no electricity, hence no refrigeration, their edible food needs to be fresh. Some people carry food on top of their heads while others sit in baskets filled with fruit. Food is sold on streets and sidewalks, live or dead, raw or cooked. Everything from pigs, ducks, chickens, frogs, beef and insects is on the menu. The local variety of red-hot chili peppers can set one on fire for 20 minutes.

Moving In

While Burger World and Lucky Burger have existed for over 5 years as a local answer to fast food outlets, international food franchises are now setting their sights on Cambodia's tourist areas as witnessed by the opening of the new KFC. Not even Colonel Sanders himself would have been surprised to see that new Kentucky Fried Chicken store. Likewise, packaged food high in saturated fat is slowly emerging from the western world and cookies and potato chips now compete for shelf space with dried fish at small neighborhood stores.

Most mid-sized towns sport a convenience store or two and in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's largest city, full-blown western style supermarkets are slowly muscling in. Because no dairies exist in the country, imported items containing high cholesterol such as milk and cheese can only be found at these new grocery outlets. Although these "superstores" cater primarily to comparatively highly paid foreigners that comprise a "parallel economy" working in the country, locals, including Buddhist monks, can be seen cruising the aisles pushing shopping carts.

As an agrarian state, few Cambodians sit at desks all week or consume massive amounts of beer while watching sporting events on weekends. Their ecological footprint is small and their meals consist of fare low on the food chain, including insects and snails. As with most third world countries, Cambodians looking for a quick snack have yet to experience the joy of screaming into metal boxes, "extra fries please!", before rolling up to the takeout window in their cars. When they begin to, they may order fish burgers for fish provides Khmers with 75% of their daily dietary protein.

So when you get to Cambodia, keep an eye out for photography opportunities related to food, and eat some too! Just don't be a pig about it.

Oh, and one more thing:

"While many are worrying about filling their gas tanks, many others around the world are struggling to fill their stomachs." Robert Zoellick, President, The World Bank

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
My Photoshelter Photography Archive Homepage

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! The Need For Newspapers In The Digital Divide Era

Newspapers are going broke. Colorado's Rocky Mountain News was the latest paper of note to close recently and industry pundits say more papers will certainly follow. Is it because the internet has supplanted them as a trusted source of information? Are that many people getting their news on- line these days? Well the answers are yes and no.

Take Cambodia. People wouldn't know an on-line newspaper if they saw one here because of course, most folks haven't. There are 15 million people in Cambodia and some 40,000 use the internet occasionally. Many younger people start blogs but they don't keep them up because internet time at an internet shop costs as much as 75 cents an hour. Broadband costs over $150 per month but 40% of Cambodians exist on less than $.50 (50 cents) per day.

Squeezing youtube out of the internet is virtually impossible on a consistent basis but people still have a vital need for news. Multi-media won't work here as a source of information to the masses and neither will the internet. Since President Hun Sen controls the content seen on TV news, NEWSPAPERS are more important than ever. Given that only 20% of Cambodia's populace has access to power and no power means no internet or TV, well, you can do the math.

All this means is that people read newspapers everyday (those that can read anyway…..50% of the female population here can't). It's much of the same throughout the region. People read newspapers in China everyday as well. About 900 million people living in "modern day" China are still awaiting the effects of the nation's "new found wealth" to trickle down to them. Fifty million people in Myanmar need newspapers that tell them the truth. (The government takes screen captures of your internet screen every two minutes there).

There is a combined population of 150 million people in Thailand and Vietnam. Thailand has had four or five (I have lost count) presidents within the last couple of years and press freedom is low.

The 2007 Worldwide Press Freedom Index reports that Thailand ranked 135th out of 169 countries listed. Other rankings include: Laos, 161 Vietnam, 162, China 163 and Burma (Myanmar) 164. If these nations don't have a need for good newspapers, I don't who does.

It's the same elsewhere. In Iran a couple of years ago, over 100 newspapers were shut down not because people weren't reading them but because THEY WERE READING THEM! The same happens right here in Cambodia.

In fact, in a recent article on The New Republic website, (yea I read news on the net as well as on paper) an interesting point was made:

"The World Bank produces an annual index of political corruption around the world, based on surveys of people who do business in each country. In a
study published in 2003 in The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Alicia Adsera, Carles Boix, and Mark Payne examine the relationship between corruption and "free circulation of daily newspapers per person" (a measure of both news circulation and freedom of the press).

Controlling for economic development, type of legal system, and other
factors, they find a very strong association: the lower the free circulation of newspapers in a country, the higher it stands on the corruption index. Using different measures, they also find a similar relationship across states within the United States: the lower the news circulation, the greater the corruption. Another analysis published in 2006, a historical account by the economists Matthew Gentzkow, Edward L. Glaeser, and Claudia Goldin, suggests that the growth of a more information-oriented press may have been a factor in reducing government corruption in the United States between the
Gilded Age and the Progressive Era."

Cambodia ranked 162nd on Transparency International's 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) out of 179 countries listed. Other rankings: Iran 131, Laos 168, Myanmar 179.

The point of all of his is to state that the death knell for newspapers is vastly overstated. True, models for news distribution are changing in the western world but that world tends to be inward looking,

When these developers decide on new aggregation models they should also think about how recent events could hold them back in the future.

Take the case of Microsoft in China. The Chinese government asked the firm to block certain functionality related to the search terms available to Chinese citizens on the net. Apparently, the government didn't want them to find terms such as "political prisoners in China" etc.

Microsoft stood to loose lots of money if their product was banned in China so they caved in to the government and reconfigured their program to meet Chinese governmental demands. So you see folks, even if developing nations begin to bridge the digital divide, their sources of on-line information may be altered.

Microsoft should treat such requests as mentioned above as others have treated issues of child labor and given China full functionality or walked away from the deal. Walking away would have enabled truth seeking Chinese journalists to strive to develop a free press as a whole. Once these seeds had taken root, Microsoft cold have stepped back in and enjoyed even more demand for their on-line products.

Computer makers are getting into the portable music space, selling movies and becoming dominant players in the cell phone arena. The problem is that currently only about 1 billion of the world's inhabitants have the wherewithal to participate. Come on out here and see how many Gameboys you see in a week. There are probably more in your house. As The New Republic article point out, "the falling costs of computers and communication have "placed the material means of information and cultural production in the hands of a significant fraction of the world's population--on the order of a billion people around the globe."

So what about the other 5.7 billion people on the planet? What means of information will they rely on? Well, for those with electricity, TV, radio, and newspapers. And those without electricity? Newspapers are somewhat important, don't you think?

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photographs
My Photoshelter Archive Homepage
GAIA Photojournalism Collective

Hello Everyone - THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT PLEASE READ !!! Laos, Vietnam Troops Slaughter Lao, Hmong: Over 6500 Face Death

The Hmong, as you may know, were totally abandoned by the US after they fought on America's side during the “secret war” during the Vietnam War. They ask me questions such as “Why can’t America buy me a new leg?” I have to explain to them that the US government now considers them outlaw terrorists even though they are fighting for our cause over 30 later. A couple of years ago on a trip to Laos the Lao Peoples Army forces ( LPA )
killed about 35 Hmong a few kilometers from where I was …one man was shot directly in the face and survived. Late in 2007 a Hmong “guerilla” fighter turned in over 150 starving women and children to a village headman about 16 kilometers from the town center of Phonsavan, northeast Laos.


The Hmong are taken to these refuge type detention centers and are malnourished and mistreated according to the last sources from the outside world who actually clandestinely saw one. I have seen the malnourished Hmong in rural Laos about 15 kilometers from Luang Prabang. Normally, a visitor wouldn’t see this since one needs a guide and paperwork signed off on. The Lao government is very particular as to what aspects of their society outsiders can legally see. This latest development could be a mass genocide in the making.

Here is the beginning of the article:

"Lao Hmong civilian and dissident groups in hiding in the Phou Bia mountain area of Laos are under attack by ground forces and artillery units of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam ( SRV ) and Lao Peoples Democratic Republic ( LPDR ) resulting in hundreds of dead and wounded civilians. Over 6,500 Lao Hmong civilians may die in the coming weeks and months as a result of this joint military offensive by Laos and Vietnam that parallels recent high-level LPDR-SRV military and communist party meetings and the announcement of strengthened military cooperation between the two Communist nations.Lao Peoples Army forces ( LPA ) and Vietnam Peoples Army ( VPA; also sometimes known as the PAVN ) ground forces, with significant artillery, mechanized infantry and special forces “hunter-killer” teams., are being deployed to Xieng Khouang Province, Saysambone Closed Military Zone ( also known as Xiasambone Military Zone ), Luang Prabang Province, Vientiane Province and Khammoune Province in the latest joint SRV-LPDR military offensive in March-April, 2009.The rape and disembowelment of Lao Hmong women and children, and other atrocities, are increasingly commonplace among rampaging Lao military and LPDR security forces."

READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE

IMPORTANT LINKS TO THE PLIGHT OF AMERICA'S FRIENDS HERE

http://asiapacific.amnesty.org/aidoc/ai.nsf/Index/ENGASA260042004

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA26/003/2007

http://www.tragicmountains.org/

http://www.betterplace.org/projects/455

Center for Public Policy Analysis


John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photographs
My Photoshelter Archive Homepage
GAIA Photojournalism Collective

Photography Guest Of The Week Morten Svenningsen

Morten Svenningsen is quite a creative young man who I wanted to introduce you all to as this blog's first Guest Photographer of the Week. He is based in Nepal where he lives with his family. Morten enjoys coherent groups of people interacting and to that end founded Gaia Photos, comprised of a group of photojournalists that is rapidly becoming a trusted source for editors from around the world. Morten is also a music lover and a terrific author who writes a blog too. This guy does it all while producing great photography.!

Morton was born in Denmark in 1974. After working a few years as an engineer (microwave electronics) he graduated from Copenhagen Media School in 2004 and has been working as a freelance photojournalist since then. He won the title of Danish travel photographer of the year in 2005 and his writing and photography work has appeared in several magazines, books and newspapers around the world. His main interests are in the socio-political fields, and he primarily focuses on inequality and the transcendence of human suffering. Morten is also the director of Gaia Photos.

Please visit mortensvenningsen.com to get a closer look at his work or visit his blog "Occasional Outbursts From a Photojournalist in Nepal"

While you are at it, please have a look at Gaia Photos too!
John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photographs
My Photoshelter Archive Homepage
GAIA Photojournalism Collective

UN Secretary General Ban Ki- moon Plans To Visit Laos Soon But What Will He See?

As you may already know, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon plans to visit Laos soon. What will he see? Well for the most part, only what the Pathet Lao communists allow him to see of course.

PRESS FREEDOM

In Laos there is only one "legal" full-time photojournalist given "official" permission by Pathet Lao to do photojournalism work there on a daily basis out in the open and he contributes to AFP. Presumably, all his transmissions are reviewed. The rest sneak around and say they are tourists on holiday if asked. Laos ranked 161st out of 169 countries listed in the 2007 Worldwide Press Freedom Index.

Ask photojournalist Thierry Falise. He regularly contributes (text and photos) to magazines and dailies L'Express, Le Point, Paris-Match, Le Figaro Magazine, Marie-Claire, Marie France, VSD, Grands Reportages, Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and many more.

In 2003, along with a French colleague, he was arrested on his way back from a forbidden trip in the Laos jungle to an abandoned Hmong community, former ally of the CIA during the Indochina war. Both reporters were sentenced to 15 years in prison but, thanks to a vast international solidarity campaign, they were released after five weeks.

SPEAKING OF THE HMONG PEOPLE

In Phonsavan in 2007 a Hmong “guerilla” fighter turned over 150 starving women and children to a village headman about 16 kilometers from the town center. The Hmong are taken to refuge type detention centers and are malnourished and mistreated according to the last people from civil society who actually saw one of these facilities. Malnourished Hmong in rural Laos can be observed just 15 kilometers from Luang Prabang. Normally, a visitor wouldn’t observe this as the Pathet Lao government is very particular as to what aspects of their society outsiders can legally see, and it has been less than 10 years since Laos opened its doors to "full-fledged tourism".

In June 2008 over 800 ethnic Hmong were forcibly returned to Laos from Thailand. While former UN Human Rights Commission Louise Arbour issued a statement of concern, Hmong sources told Inner City Press that the UN's Department of Political Affairs, while polite, had declined to participate in meetings by Hmong leaders seeking to avert these forced returns, and that the UN Development Program had declined to meet with Hmong, saying it is outside of the mandate, which involves engaging only with governments, whether in North Korea, Myanmar, Zimbabwe or Laos. Whether UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon will address this topic, well we will have to wait and see.

This is a continuing story.

HEALTHCARE

Organized healthcare in rural Laos is virtually non-existent. Basic medicine such as aspirin is unavailable in the countryside where doctors earn $40-60 USD per month and diagnostic equipment is scarce. Take the case of sixteen-year-old Khenemone Chanmeechai, a resident of the National Rehabilitation Center (NRC) in Vientiane, Laos. She began losing her vision at age nine as a result of conjunctivitis. By the time her parents could afford to get her to a hospital in Vientiane, the damage was irreparable and the doctors told her she would not see the world again. She gradually lost her vision. "It is so hard to live my life but I have to carry on." she laments.

REHABILITATION

The National Rehabilitation Center (NRC) is a one-hundred percent foreign funded institution comprised off roughly ten NGO's that provide a variety of services. According to an NGO official, the facility receives no funding from the Pathet Lao government. Rather than a facility for bed-ridden, chronically ill or terminal patients, it serves as a "half way house" for people fortunate enough to get there. Other than approximately one hundred thirty blind and deaf children living in dormitories and attending classes, there are few permanent residents. At times, it appears to be a ghost town. See for yourself.

EDUCATION

Typically, teachers in Laos earn $20 USD per month while trying to educate student bodies 120-400. Many schools are comprised of main structures containing three or four classrooms along with a detached dirt floored bamboo bungalow reserved for the youngest students. They sit on thin wooden benches wearily resting heads in hands, as textbooks that would offer diversion are unaffordable. The paucity of secondary schools in the Lao countryside as well as the sheer distance between primary schools and high schools is problematic. The biggest boulder along the road of scholarship may be a near total lack of a basic infrastructure. In other words, Laos needs more schools and school supplies, and after that, a way to get to these schools. Here is a look at what I'm talking about.

FUTURE PLANS

Laos is a communist state inhabited by 6 million people, and ranks among the world's poorest nations. The country stands to win big if their hydropower potential is tapped since Laos has 60,400 cubic meters of renewable water resources per capita, more than any other country in Asia. The landlocked country's almost complete lack of basic infrastructure coupled with a poorly educated workforce has precluded the benefits of large-scale foreign investment enjoyed by some of its neighbors, but six large mainstream dams are being proposed.

Is dam construction the best way to provide Laos with sorely needed energy? Not according to Guy Lanza, Director of the Environmental Science Program at the University of Massachusetts (USA). In an email interview that recently appeared in The Cambodia Daily, Lanza, an expert who has studied the region for nearly 40 years remarked, "The most pressing issues related to hydroelectric dam projects include ecological damage and human suffering. Planners tend to view water in terms of quantity rather than quality."

Speaking of planning, virtually all funding for Lao dam construction will come from China through state-owned financial institutions such as the Chinese Export-Import Bank. There is scant information regarding the financial details for these projects available to the public however

RESOURCE ALLOCATION

According to The World Bank, one-half of Laotian citizens are living below the poverty line. Fifty to sixty percent of the populace still lives a subsistence lifestyle, mostly, but not completely, independent from government involvement. In Laos, rice grown by rural farmers in small villages is divided into thirds, the first third going to the communist Pathet Lao government. Instead of being able to sell this rice and keep the profits for themselves, the government procures it and administers the proceeds. Additional thirds go to the village rice collective as well as the growers and their individual families.

Whereas foreign aid has accounted for over 40% of the annual national budget some years, 40% of that amount goes directly to the Pathet Lao government payroll. Determining how important the government views funding of education is difficult at best, for Laos ranked 168th Transparency International's 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) out of 179 countries listed.

Let's see what UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon gets to see while in Laos. My guess is not much.


John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photographs
My Photoshelter Archive Homepage
GAIA Photojournalism Collective

Cambodia's HIV Problem Due To "Foreign Films Portraying Youths Who Are Always Happy And Enjoy Having Sex With Their Friends" States Cambodian NGO

Um Uro (Below)

Career Path

What's your job? That's a common question asked by young university aged students of foreigners residing in Cambodia. It's a normal query that young people ask everywhere perhaps, since they themselves wrestle with their own life plan.

Ask a student in the USA and see how many of them say their life's ambition is to become a NGO worker. You might get an odd stare. New college graduates in Cambodia have a different view of this career path as NGO jobs are relatively well paying and enjoy high status. Billions of dollars have poured into Cambodia over the past 30 years from international aid donors, but that funding has barely made a dent in alleviating the people's needs.

Many of these institutions, foundations and NGO's receive money from various governments around the world. These entities want to stay in business, so many times actual problem solving falls way behind securing even more financing as a top priority. After all, how is a NGO going to ask for more money to throw at a problem if the problem has actually been solved?

With that being the case, one of the best jobs available to a university graduate in Cambodia is that of a "money chaser". Money chasers usually speak passable English, know how to use emaiI and search the web in quest of NGO Land's golden eggs. They can be seen hanging around internet shops and computer outlets striking up conversations with foreigners. Think of a dog sniffing your pant leg.

On The Job

As with any career, successful money chasers gain a reputation and are sought after within the "non-profit" industry. Mr. Um Ero, former deputy director of the now defunct American tax payer funded NGO, Khmer Ghvith Thmei Organization (KTGO) is a money chaser in Kampong Cham Cambodia.

One day Mr. Um Ero, was alerted to the following RFA:

Request for Application (RFA) # 07-A-2 HIV Prevention Interventions with Most at-Risk Population (MARPs)

"Pact Cambodia, under a cooperative award issued by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through Pact Community REACH, is pleased to announce this grant competition to local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), faith-based organizations (FBOs) and community-based organization (CBOs) currently responding or with the capacity to quickly and efficiently respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Cambodia especially in the area of HIV Prevention with Most AT-Risk Populations including men who have sex with men (MSN) and Entertainment Worker."

Um Ero was certainly the right man to be tasked with digging out this money for KTGO as he holds the following certifications:

A certificate of completion in word and excel at Cambodian Rights and Justice Protection.

A certificate of completion in Internet and E-mail course at Kampong Cham Community Information Center (CIC).

A certificate of completion in office administration management at Maharishi Vedic University.

He prepared a response to the RFA touting KTGO's capabilities and requested $66,005.00 USD. Here are some of the unedited details as written:

Part I. Technical Approach

Cambodia is developing so people‘s knowledge are very low as well as they are easy to receive the foreign culture and civilizations through the foreign films especially the youths who are always happy and enjoy having sex with their friends so having sex make them infect HIV/ AIDS. In the past these things always happened among the direct sex workers, indirect sex workers and freelance sex workers but so far AIDS/ HIV spread among the youths particularly garment workers, the youths in secondary schools, high schools, institutes and universities which are near the town or city. The reason that they infect HIV/ AIDS because they are aware of AIDS/ HIV little so it is spreading from one to one day so that they are so quick to develop their love with their partners and they do not know how to use condom, not enough advisory service.

Aim to prevent AIDS/HIV spreading or infection among the youths in the secondary schools, high schools, institutes and universities in order to encourage the youths how to use condom .

Expected result: the youths are aware of AIDS/ HIV infection or spreading and how to use condom when they have sex with their partners to reduce HIV/AIDS infection.

Activity 1: select 60 core volunteers (30 women) in the 10 secondary schools, 60 core volunteers (30 women) in the 5 high schools, 20 core volunteers (10 women) in the 5 universities so the grand total is 140 core volunteers (70 women).

Aim to select the core volunteers in order to disseminate to go on after they receive training course on AIDS/ HIV and assist to advise the youths who wonder on the AIDS/ HIV issues.

Activity 2: conduct training course for core volunteers for four courses per course for five days and per course has 35 trainees.

Aim to conduct training course in order to improve more knowledge on AIDS/ HIV infection and AIDS/ HVI danger and to take knowledge to disseminate friends in schools or in communities that they live.

Activity 3: conducting education or dissemination on AIDS/ HIV in target school and per school disseminate 3 times so whole total is 75 times. Dissemination has to ask question or answer and give a prize to who answer correctly.

Activity 4: Broadcast provincial radio, cooperating with Kampong Cham provincial Health Department to broadcast AIDS/ HIV information one hour per day.

Activity 5: KGTO will monitor and evaluate works of core volunteers to monitor and evaluate project and conduct monthly meeting with core volunteers once a month.

How to monitor and evaluate the project: monitor project of KGTO will conduct once a month through monthly meeting of core volunteers by focusing works that achieved per month. Issue that happens in the project will find the solution to solve it.

A few budget requests (annualized) are listed below:

Administrative staff salary: $11,420 USD

Programatic staff salary $10,200 USD

Other Benefits for Administrative Staff $8,280 USD

Condoms $4,500 USD

T shirts $4,500 USD

Books and pens $2,250 USD

The Question - What's Missing?

There was a lot of language in the proposal commonly used by money chasers including;

Strategic planning, monitoring and evaluating, developing, resolution, advocacy, experience, preparation, training, workshop, session plan and facilitate.

What would all of this evaluation and monitoring be measured against to ensure that all of the activities KGTO proposed in order to secure 66 grand actually worked? Hmm, no one thought of that in this blind quest for good old American cash.

Surprisingly, one of the proposed program positions was that of project manager. The person slated to assume that position was Ms. Ros Poravy who "worked at a hospital as data collecting of HIV/AIDs in Kampong Cham province". It seems to me that people who profess to want to help others should be able to determine whether they are actually changing things for the better or not, yet not one person affiliated with KTGO had gone so far as to benchmark what the HIV infection rates in the communities they proposed to help were.

Simple data to acquire such as statistical information regarding old cases, new cases, deaths, percentage of HIV sufferers using ARV vs. not using the drugs etc., all categorized by age group, gender, sexual orientation, occupation, drug free or user and so forth. I mean hey, if you state in a proposal that the prevalence of HIV in Cambodia was contributed to by "the foreign culture and civilizations through the foreign films especially the youths who are always happy and enjoy having sex" (as stated above) don't you want to know if your efforts for your countrymen are paying off for THEIR SAKE?

The Answers

Pact Cambodia specifically stated NGO's that could "quickly and efficiently respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Cambodia especially in the area of HIV Prevention with Most AT-Risk Populations including men who have sex with men (MSN) and Entertainment Workers" should respond to (RFA) # 07-A-2 HIV Prevention Interventions with Most at-Risk Population (MARPs).

The KGTO proposal states, "In the past these things always happened among the direct sex workers, indirect sex workers and freelance sex workers" it continued, "AIDS/ HIV spread among the youths particularly garment workers, the youths in secondary schools, high schools, institutes and universities which are near the town or city. The reason that they infect HIV/ AIDS because they are aware of AIDS/ HIV little so it is spreading from one to one day so that they are so quick to develop their love with their partners and they do not know how to use condom, not enough advisory service."

Obviously KTGO missed the point despite claiming in the proposal they had "Years of experience in HIV/AIDS programming, HIV/AIDS broadcast media (radio) expertise, and had worked closely in the past with the Department of Information." If true, KTGO would have known it would have had little trouble procuring free condoms in Cambodia, and might have been able to track down some low cost bananas as well. Whatever the case, these matters make little difference to Cambodia's professional money chasers.

I asked Mr. Um Ero three very specific questions regarding this funding request:

1. Do you know what the current HIV infection rates are in the communities you propose to help?

Answer: "No."

2. Are you going to talk to the prostitutes and the men who visit them over in the wooden shacks by Bangkok temple and if not, why not?

Answer: "No, we would be too embarrassed to be seen there."

3. Is Mr. Thann Thavy, Executive Director of KTGO, interested in lowering the HIV rate thereby saving lives or is he more interested in receiving 66 grand?

Answer: "He is interested in getting the money."

So there you have it folks, a brief look at deceit, incompetence, unbridled greed and indifference. The gold rush is on and nothing will stop the money chasers of Cambodia.

PS: KTGO didn't win this bid before they were shut down for corruption.

Addendum: The following is analysis of the KTGO assumption:

"they are easy to receive the foreign culture and civilizations through the foreign films"

1. 20 % of Cambodians have access to electricity.
2. Having electricity doesn't mean one has a television.
3. Having a television does not mean automatic access to cable.
4. Foreign films are shown on cable, and cable costs $ 15 USD per month.
5. 40% of Cambodia's populace earns $15 USD each per month.
6. 80 % of Cambodians have no access to electricity.
7. No electricity means no television.
8. Few cinemas exist in Cambodia, even in Phnom Penh.
9. Kampong Cham is Cambodia's third most populated city.
10. One cinema exists in Kampong Cham town and shows local films.
11. Not all foreign cultures and civilizations produce films that portray "youths who are always happy and enjoy having sex with their friends".

Now that KTGO's corruption has been exposed, subsequently forcing its closure, maybe some caring and intellectually honest Cambodians will step in to do the real work needed to help the country progress.

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photographs
My Photoshelter Archive Homepage

Corruption Is Not A Crime In Cambodia

"I want to help poor people but I don't know how", said Um Ero (white tank top above) one morning in Kampong Cham, Cambodia. Mr. Um Ero is a self proclaimed "corruption fighter".

The problem is, old Um Ero wouldn't know a good case of corruption when he sees it even if it was growing out of his nose. Or would he?

Mr. Um Ero received a letter from Debra J. Hulse, Chief of Party, LAAR Program, Pact Cambodia dated October 1st, 2007. The following is the complete un-edited transcript.

01 October 2007
Mr. Um Ero
Khmer Ghvith Thmei Organization (KTGO)
# 85, 5 Village, Veal Vong Commune
Kampong Cham district
Kampong Cham Province

Subject: Termination of Sub-agreement SAG-07-003-V0 under the USAID funded LAAR Program

Dear Mr. Um Ero,

Pact hereby notifies Khmer Ghvith Thmei Organization (KTGO) of immediate termination of the sub-agreement SAG-07-003-V0, between KTGO and Pact Cambodia, effective 01 October 2007. This agreement is being terminated for cause as allowable within Article 18, "Suspension or Termination for Cause", of the Sub-Agreement dated 01 March 2007.

Pact/LAAR has determined that KTGO is failing to uphold the terms and conditions of the agreement SAG-07-003-V0 as stated under Article 5, "Special Conditions to the Grant Assignment". The indications of inadequate performance and management within the KTGO organization are:

1. Lack of adequate management for quality program implementation as per the following occurrences:

a. Pact/LAAR received notification in mid-July from the KTGO director (Than Thavy) that he was "busy with another project" and would reduce his time in September 2007. At the meeting between Pact staff and KTGO management on 04 September 2007, Pact learned that the KTGO director started working full time with a different organization (DAI) in August 2007 and did not assign anyone else to be acting director.

b. KTGO financial officer has admitted to falsifying the director's signature on official documents during his absence.

c. Upon request of Pact, KTGO director notified the KTGO Board of Directors at a meeting on September 2007 that he would be leaving KTGO (but he did not specify that he was resigning) in order to work for and gain new experiences from DAI. The Board asked the current part-time deputy director who is also a public school teacher to be acting director, during the absence of the director (Than Thavy). Pact did not receive formal notification of Than Thavey's resignation until 12 September 2007, at least one month after he had started working full-time at DAI.

d. KTGO budgeted, as part of this agreement, only 10% of the time of the Deputy Director. This is not considered to be adequate management coverage with the Director not in the office during the work week.

2. The director was deducting 10% from everyone's salary and putting the money in a special bank account to be used as back-up funds to help pay the rent and share the costs incurred in keeping volunteers. He stated that everyone agreed and volunteered to give this money, but there is nothing in writing. Pact was unaware of this hold-back and was covering the full cost of LAAR staff salaries as per the agreement.

3. During a meeting with KTGO staff on 12 September 2007, some staff demonstrated a lack of understanding about LAAR or their responsibilities in working to meet program objectives.

Pact is an organization committed to prevention of corruption. Under Article 18, "Special Provisions," of agreement SAG-07-003-V0 with KTGO, it is stated that "No offer, payment, consideration, or benefit of any kind, which could be regarded as an illegal or corrupt practice, shall be made, promised, sought or accepted--neither directly or indirectly--as an inducement or reward in relation to activities funded under this agreement. . .Any such practice will be grounds for immediate cancellation of this agreement." In this regard, Pact has discovered the following:

4. A field officer at KTGO (Than Sothy) was hired without any formal recruitment process, as was used for hiring of other staff. Director originally told Pact that Than Sothy was a "distant relative" but later admitted that he is in fact his brother.

5. Pact contacted some alleged participants of LAAR trainings provided by KTGO to confirm and got information that conflicted with records from KTGO. Pact staff confirmed that at least one document was submitted to Pact containing forged participant signatures and indicating that per diems were given, though the participants stated they were not.

6. As noted earlier, the director's signature was forged on official documents.

All assets purchased by KTGO with USAID/Pact/LAAR funds are to be immediately relinquished to Pact staff. Attached is a list o the equipment to be returned.

Pact/LAAR will be available to meet with KTGO management, if further clarification is required on above decision. There are two copies of this letter, one in English and one in Khmer. The English copy takes precedent over the Khmer version.

Sincerely,

Debra J. Hulse
Chief of Party, LAAR Program
Pact Cambodia

cc: KTGO Board of Directors

What a mess huh? It' great for a watchdog like Hulse to step in to end this nonsense, that's for sure. What was this outfit receiving USA tax money for? Well, here was their self described "pubic face".

"The Khmer Ghivith Thmei Organization (KGTO) is a Kampong Cham-based non-partisan, non-profit, non-governmental organization, registered with the Ministry of Interior since October 2003. The organization is dedicated to poverty reduction and to the promotion of good governance and human rights. Its principal areas of program emphasis include training, support for the Volunteer Youths for Development and Peace Network (VYDAPN), and good-governance/anti-corruption. As a partner of Pact Cambodia, KGTO has used Danida funding to promote increased transparency and accountability and to prevent corruption. KGTO has cooperated with rights-promotion organizations including LICADHO and and CSD, and is a regular participant in the national level Decentralization & Deconcentration Working Group (DDWG).

When I asked Than Thavy if these allegations were true he replied, "Yes." When questioned as to whether he feared being punished he simply stated with a chuckle, "Nah. this is Cambodia!"

As for Mr. Um Ero, as mentioned in the letter above, he is a school teacher. According to a survey conducted by Cambodian Social Development (CSD), 50 percent of all bribe money is paid in the education sector. Don't believe me? Go ask a school kid. Does this guy kind of remind you of Kenneth Lay, the former Enron boss who claimed he didn’t know what was going on? Just asking.

Oh, and about that equipment, some nice stuff including:

6 Motorcycles (Honda Dream C125, 2006) @ $1250 USD each ($7500 total)
6 mega pixel digital camera, $300 USD
2 Filing cabinets @ $120 each

The first time I met Than Thavy he asked, "Why don't you a story on me?" Suddenly his thoughts seemed to vanish though and he waked me outside to proclaim, "Hey, look at the motorcycles America bought me!"

At least this time we got them back. Here is your story sir.


John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photographs
My Photoshelter Archive Homepage