Saudi Arabia Is The World's Most Generous Country - Have They Been Duped In Cambodia?
Are these people duping foreign donors?
Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved
"It's a wailing sound track to Dante’s Inferno unfolding in gentle hills of horror into the horizon in every direction, and a home no human should inhabit. Twenty thousand Cambodians live in and around Stung Meanchey."
That passage written by James Rose appeared on newsvine.com and sums up his observations of the Stung Meanchey landfill in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Apparently, the Cambodian government has yet to figure out a way to get the children at least, out of this Hell hole on its own, so it relies on foreign donors to solve the problem.
WHO IS GIVING?
Rose states, "In the grand geopolitical landscape, the Saudis, along with other Arab countries, have been criticized for reserving the vast majority of their giving to other Arab countries and charities. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal published in 2004, the World Food Program (WFP) provided humanitarian aid to 57 million people in countries who are members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Yet, just 2% of those funds came from the richer Islamic countries."
He continues, "The Saudis appear stung by the criticisms and are looking to correct what may loom as a pressing image problem."
According to Special Ambassador for the UN WFP Abdul Aziz Arrukban, “Saudi Arabia has given over $85 billion USD in aid over the past 30 years which amounts to 4% of the GDP, and donates more aid based on GDP per capita than any other country."
In Cambodia, Saudi officials have forked over thousands of metric tons of rice delivered via the WFP and through them, to non-government organizations (NGO) such as Smile of a Child so people such as the ones shown in the photo above get enough to eat.
THE IMAGE PROBLEM
While Saudi Arabian generosity certainly sets a good example the rest of the world can follow, "the Saudis pressing image problem" will be a bit more difficult to overcome in one country. "What county would that be?" you might ask yourself. The answer of course is Cambodia!
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has stated, "NGOs are out of control...they insult the government just to ensure their financial survival" and he "feared terrorists might settle in the kingdom under the guise of NGOs."
Nabil H. Ashri, the Saudis’ Charge d’Affaires in Cambodia, denied there were any political motives at work in the Cambodian aid project. “This is about humanitarian aid” he said. “Everybody is in need, not just Muslim countries.”
However, a new TV comedy aired on Bayon Television, a station reportedly owned by the Prime Minister, portrays NGOs are rich scammers who receive money from international donors for the sole purpose of criticizing the Cambodian government. In addition, scenes of poverty are being staged by wealthy NGOs and journalists to dupe foreign donors.
As for foreign donors such as the Saudis, French, Americans, Japanese and the rest, they are a group of womanizing lushes who never leave their fancy hotel rooms during visits to Cambodia.
Cambodian government spokesperson Cheam Yeap, a Cambodian People's Party (CPP) lawmaker, said the comedians in the TV comedy were portraying the activities of NGOs and foreign donors accurately.
CAMBODIANS VIEW THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY
In an article entitled "A Future in Balance" written by Rod Brazier that appeared in The Phnom Penh Post on May 21, 2009, Brazier, the outgoing country director for the Asia Foundation said, Hun Sen's (CPP) "enjoys widespread support today owing to the stability and economic growth that have occurred in recent years. Outside, it's not well understood that this government is truly very popular."
While Stanford University Professor Joel Brinkley's recent article in The Phnom Penh Post titled "Cambodia's Curse" offers a different view of the nation's political landscape, Brazier is correct when he assesses Hun Sen's far-reaching support and tremendous popularity. Cambodians love the man and if you don't, well that's the way the ball of democracy bounces around within Cambodia's border.
When I show this photograph to Cambodian people (of which there are 15 million), 90% of them laugh. No one else from any other country (which collectively is comprised of nearly 7 BILLION people) who has ever seen it has laughed along with them, including the world's most generous people, the Saudi Arabians. That's democracy too, the world's ball is bigger than Cambodia's ball, and eventually EVERYONE will stop laughing.
John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
My Photoshelter Photography Archive Homepage
Stung Meanchey Landfill Phnom Penh Cambodia Photographs
Are these people duping foreign donors?
Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved
"It's a wailing sound track to Dante’s Inferno unfolding in gentle hills of horror into the horizon in every direction, and a home no human should inhabit. Twenty thousand Cambodians live in and around Stung Meanchey."
That passage written by James Rose appeared on newsvine.com and sums up his observations of the Stung Meanchey landfill in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Apparently, the Cambodian government has yet to figure out a way to get the children at least, out of this Hell hole on its own, so it relies on foreign donors to solve the problem.
WHO IS GIVING?
Rose states, "In the grand geopolitical landscape, the Saudis, along with other Arab countries, have been criticized for reserving the vast majority of their giving to other Arab countries and charities. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal published in 2004, the World Food Program (WFP) provided humanitarian aid to 57 million people in countries who are members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Yet, just 2% of those funds came from the richer Islamic countries."
He continues, "The Saudis appear stung by the criticisms and are looking to correct what may loom as a pressing image problem."
According to Special Ambassador for the UN WFP Abdul Aziz Arrukban, “Saudi Arabia has given over $85 billion USD in aid over the past 30 years which amounts to 4% of the GDP, and donates more aid based on GDP per capita than any other country."
In Cambodia, Saudi officials have forked over thousands of metric tons of rice delivered via the WFP and through them, to non-government organizations (NGO) such as Smile of a Child so people such as the ones shown in the photo above get enough to eat.
THE IMAGE PROBLEM
While Saudi Arabian generosity certainly sets a good example the rest of the world can follow, "the Saudis pressing image problem" will be a bit more difficult to overcome in one country. "What county would that be?" you might ask yourself. The answer of course is Cambodia!
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has stated, "NGOs are out of control...they insult the government just to ensure their financial survival" and he "feared terrorists might settle in the kingdom under the guise of NGOs."
Nabil H. Ashri, the Saudis’ Charge d’Affaires in Cambodia, denied there were any political motives at work in the Cambodian aid project. “This is about humanitarian aid” he said. “Everybody is in need, not just Muslim countries.”
However, a new TV comedy aired on Bayon Television, a station reportedly owned by the Prime Minister, portrays NGOs are rich scammers who receive money from international donors for the sole purpose of criticizing the Cambodian government. In addition, scenes of poverty are being staged by wealthy NGOs and journalists to dupe foreign donors.
As for foreign donors such as the Saudis, French, Americans, Japanese and the rest, they are a group of womanizing lushes who never leave their fancy hotel rooms during visits to Cambodia.
Cambodian government spokesperson Cheam Yeap, a Cambodian People's Party (CPP) lawmaker, said the comedians in the TV comedy were portraying the activities of NGOs and foreign donors accurately.
CAMBODIANS VIEW THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY
In an article entitled "A Future in Balance" written by Rod Brazier that appeared in The Phnom Penh Post on May 21, 2009, Brazier, the outgoing country director for the Asia Foundation said, Hun Sen's (CPP) "enjoys widespread support today owing to the stability and economic growth that have occurred in recent years. Outside, it's not well understood that this government is truly very popular."
While Stanford University Professor Joel Brinkley's recent article in The Phnom Penh Post titled "Cambodia's Curse" offers a different view of the nation's political landscape, Brazier is correct when he assesses Hun Sen's far-reaching support and tremendous popularity. Cambodians love the man and if you don't, well that's the way the ball of democracy bounces around within Cambodia's border.
When I show this photograph to Cambodian people (of which there are 15 million), 90% of them laugh. No one else from any other country (which collectively is comprised of nearly 7 BILLION people) who has ever seen it has laughed along with them, including the world's most generous people, the Saudi Arabians. That's democracy too, the world's ball is bigger than Cambodia's ball, and eventually EVERYONE will stop laughing.
John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
My Photoshelter Photography Archive Homepage
Stung Meanchey Landfill Phnom Penh Cambodia Photographs
No comments:
Post a Comment