Did I stage this scene of poverty in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in order to dupe foreign donors?
Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved
Did you know that NGOs are rich scammers who receive money from international donors for the sole purpose of criticizing the Cambodian government?
Further, did you realize that fake evictions and scenes of poverty are being staged by wealthy NGOs and journalists to dupe foreign donors? And who are these philanthropists from foreign soil?
According to a live television comedy show that hit the airwaves on Bayon TV in Cambodia that has been rebroadcast several times last month, they are a group of womanizing lushes who never leave their fancy hotel rooms during visits to Cambodia.
The Koy comedy troop are the folks serving up this brand of humor and the troop's leader Chuong Chy, aka "Koy" is also a trooper of another sort, serving as a colonel in Hun Sen’s personal body guard unit (p.8. PDF).
Now you, a hard working stiff who has donated some of your hard earned money to an NGO operating in Cambodia know how Cambodians view you and the organizations you donate your take home pay to!
Are you still laughing? According to a May 2008 report issued by Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) entitled Reading Between The Lines: How Politics, Money & Fear Control Cambodia’s Media, Bayon TV openly serves as a mouthpieces of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP).
The report continues that Bayon TV is "Widely reported to be owned by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s family and is currently run by his daughter Hun Mana. For many years, Bayon’s transmission tower was located inside Prime Minister Hun Sen’s guarded compound just outside Phnom Penh."
However, the comedians have denied that the government was in anyway involved in inspiring their sketches. And so what if the government was involved? Everyone has the right to freedom of expression in a democracy.
As for the government, it's important to remember that according to a recent article written by outgoing Asia Foundation director Rod Brazier that appeared in an edition of The Phnom Penh Post entitled "A Future in the Balance", "This government is truly very popular."
What this means is that despite any thoughts you may have regarding the nature of this comedy show, Cambodian's overwhelmingly support the political party that owns the station broadcasting the program. This is Cambodian democracy in action and what Cambodian people fall down laughing at or what they enjoy watching on TV should not concern any of us. After all, everyone could do with a good nightly belly laugh.
According to a report prepared by Global Witness (GW) "Cambodia’s Family Trees", "In private, ministers describe the donors as "dunces" who will continue to bankroll the government no matter how much of their taxpayers’ money is misappropriated." [49]
CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap remarked about the hot new TV comedy show in an article that appeared in the June 16, 2009 edition of The Cambodia Daily, "They play for fun, and sometimes they just try to educate the public. It is their right to play." He added that the comedians portrayed the activities of NGOs accurately.
Cheam Yeap headed up the construction of Cambodia’s new National Assembly building that "might be among the most comprehensively furnished in the world" according to Global Witness. The report claims that exotic luxury grade I and II timber was used for furniture and for other unspecified purposes. Luxury grade timber comes from rare tree species that are protected by law. [31]
Now that you have been offered a glimpse into Cambodian perceptions, do you agree with the signals the show is sending to its fellow citizens and NGOs operating in the country or do you feel that the work you do and the 30 BILLION DOLLARS you have given Cambodia so far has just actually been "playing for fun" and something to be laughed at?
The question isn't when Cambodians will stop laughing at NGOs, that's unimportant. A better question is; When will they all finally realize that this 30 year long 30 BILLION DOLLAR comedy joke is on them and the entities who contribute funding?
Just asking….ROFL!
Appendix from Global Witness
31 Global Witness wrote a letter to Cheam Yeap in February 2007 to ask for his comments on the main issues raised in this report as involve or relate to him. At the time of the report’s publication, Global Witness had not received a response. For information on the content of this letter to Cheam Yeap, please contact Global Witness via mail@globalwitness.org.
49 Comment by a government minister quoted in Steve Heder, "Political Theatre in Cambodia: State, Democracy, Conciliation", unpublished draft, May 2004.
John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved
Did you know that NGOs are rich scammers who receive money from international donors for the sole purpose of criticizing the Cambodian government?
Further, did you realize that fake evictions and scenes of poverty are being staged by wealthy NGOs and journalists to dupe foreign donors? And who are these philanthropists from foreign soil?
According to a live television comedy show that hit the airwaves on Bayon TV in Cambodia that has been rebroadcast several times last month, they are a group of womanizing lushes who never leave their fancy hotel rooms during visits to Cambodia.
The Koy comedy troop are the folks serving up this brand of humor and the troop's leader Chuong Chy, aka "Koy" is also a trooper of another sort, serving as a colonel in Hun Sen’s personal body guard unit (p.8. PDF).
Now you, a hard working stiff who has donated some of your hard earned money to an NGO operating in Cambodia know how Cambodians view you and the organizations you donate your take home pay to!
Are you still laughing? According to a May 2008 report issued by Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) entitled Reading Between The Lines: How Politics, Money & Fear Control Cambodia’s Media, Bayon TV openly serves as a mouthpieces of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP).
The report continues that Bayon TV is "Widely reported to be owned by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s family and is currently run by his daughter Hun Mana. For many years, Bayon’s transmission tower was located inside Prime Minister Hun Sen’s guarded compound just outside Phnom Penh."
However, the comedians have denied that the government was in anyway involved in inspiring their sketches. And so what if the government was involved? Everyone has the right to freedom of expression in a democracy.
As for the government, it's important to remember that according to a recent article written by outgoing Asia Foundation director Rod Brazier that appeared in an edition of The Phnom Penh Post entitled "A Future in the Balance", "This government is truly very popular."
What this means is that despite any thoughts you may have regarding the nature of this comedy show, Cambodian's overwhelmingly support the political party that owns the station broadcasting the program. This is Cambodian democracy in action and what Cambodian people fall down laughing at or what they enjoy watching on TV should not concern any of us. After all, everyone could do with a good nightly belly laugh.
According to a report prepared by Global Witness (GW) "Cambodia’s Family Trees", "In private, ministers describe the donors as "dunces" who will continue to bankroll the government no matter how much of their taxpayers’ money is misappropriated." [49]
CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap remarked about the hot new TV comedy show in an article that appeared in the June 16, 2009 edition of The Cambodia Daily, "They play for fun, and sometimes they just try to educate the public. It is their right to play." He added that the comedians portrayed the activities of NGOs accurately.
Cheam Yeap headed up the construction of Cambodia’s new National Assembly building that "might be among the most comprehensively furnished in the world" according to Global Witness. The report claims that exotic luxury grade I and II timber was used for furniture and for other unspecified purposes. Luxury grade timber comes from rare tree species that are protected by law. [31]
Now that you have been offered a glimpse into Cambodian perceptions, do you agree with the signals the show is sending to its fellow citizens and NGOs operating in the country or do you feel that the work you do and the 30 BILLION DOLLARS you have given Cambodia so far has just actually been "playing for fun" and something to be laughed at?
The question isn't when Cambodians will stop laughing at NGOs, that's unimportant. A better question is; When will they all finally realize that this 30 year long 30 BILLION DOLLAR comedy joke is on them and the entities who contribute funding?
Just asking….ROFL!
Appendix from Global Witness
31 Global Witness wrote a letter to Cheam Yeap in February 2007 to ask for his comments on the main issues raised in this report as involve or relate to him. At the time of the report’s publication, Global Witness had not received a response. For information on the content of this letter to Cheam Yeap, please contact Global Witness via mail@globalwitness.org.
49 Comment by a government minister quoted in Steve Heder, "Political Theatre in Cambodia: State, Democracy, Conciliation", unpublished draft, May 2004.
John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
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