4 days in Phnom Penh.

I can only have few impressions of it, clearly not a comprehensive and in-depth understanding.

These are the images of those impressions.

It looks like that the streets of Phnom Penh's reflect Cambodia's past of disarray, present of

emergence yet underdevelopment and the positiveness about the future. I saw a lot of vitality, but

supported by inadequate infrastructures and systems. I experienced social segments as not

homogenous: individual creativity and entrepreneurship seem to make a lot of difference among

peers. It also looks like that the general well-being is a task left mainly to NGOs and international

donors, rather than the Government.

The recent history of Cambodia is dramatic: it was drawn by a coup d'etat in the Vietnam conflict in

the early '70s and carpet-bombed by the US in an effort to destroy North Vietnamese's supply lines;

it was "liberated" by the Khmer Rouge in 1975 who in the pursuit of their utopian agrarian society,

immediately evacuated all cities, forced the population to harsh work on the countryside,

destroyed all industrial equipments, abolished currency, halted schools, defaced Buddhist pagodas,

and tortured and executed, or killed by hard labour and malnutrition, over 1 million people; it was

"liberated" again by the Vietnamese in 1979, then embargoed by the international community

because its vietnamese affiliation and devastated by a civil war up until the Paris peace accord of

1991 and the democratic elections of 1993; in the 90's it suffered from political violence and

threatened by ample criminal activities related to drugs, prostitution and arms.

Today Cambodia is seeing happier times. The country is developing economically , 13% growth in

1995, pushed mainly by the tourist and textile sector. It is developing socially, but not at the

economic pace and little compared with similar countries. Poverty rates in urban area are

decreasing- but not in rural areas. Primary education is expanding - but not on higher levels.

Mortality rates amongst infants are reducing - but there isn't quality health services. Gender

disparity is diminishing - but high domestic violence is high.

THE PAST

14,000 men, women and children, deemed political enemies of Angkar, entered S-21, a school

converted into a prison compound in central Phnom Penh.

beating-cigaretteburns-eletricshock-eatescrement-drinkurine-forcedfeeding-hangingupsidedown jabbedwithneedle-fingernailspulledout-scratching-shoving-suffocation-watertortures.

Once they confessed, all but 7 were exterminated.

Why?

David Chandler explains that "like many authoritarian leaders, Pol Pot and his colleagues believed

that they were surrounded by enemies conspiring to overthrow them. The prisoners of S-21

objectified these fantasies and brought their dreams to life just long enough for the dreamers to

know that their enemies were being subdued."

How?

Discussing the Hutu warriors in Rwanda with Philip Gourevitch in 1996, the psychiatrist Richard

Mollica said "in my opinion, the psychology of young people is not that complicated, and most of the

people who commit most of the atrocities in these situations are young males. Young males are

really the most dangerous people on planet, because they easily respond to authority and they

want approval. They are given the rewards for getting into the hierarchical system, and they are

given to believe they're building heaven on earth". Guards at S-21 had age and backgrounds similar

to the Hutu warriors. Chandler argues that "the temptation must have been overwhelming when

three young men, armed with heavy sticks, whips, electrical current, and other devices were

locked in a room with a helpless, shackled, supposedly treasonous prisoner." Particularly after

they were taught that Angkar's enemies had to be "smashed".

THE PRESENT

They are poor, and they took up Khmer Boxing to make some money and gain prestige, never mind

the physical risk. There isn't much cash: no fighter is professional in Cambodia, and the best purses

for top fighters are just USD 50, not counting illegal betting. Still, this may be a good complement to

their daily job of tuk-tuk drivers, garbage collectors or security personnel; particularly if they work

hard, which means fighting as much as once a month.

THE FUTURE

Despite China's support of the Khmer Rouge, the Chinese Cambodian community suffered greatly

under Democratic Kampuchea as well as from vietnamese persecution after 1979. A large

community of around half a million in 1970, was reduced to 60,000 by 1984. The present days are

better ones and the Chinese Cambodian share the optimism about the future that permeates

Cambodia, particularly today, the first day of the new year of the pig. Thousand of families are

coming up to Phnom Wat to make their offerings and pray for good luck. The atmosphere is chaotic

and full of colors. I am inclined to think that such religious practices are probably more one of the

causes rather then an effect of the chaos and colors of the chinese life.