An Open Letter to Anonymous

I received this comment on my previous post. It shows both truth and despair but does not indicate a balanced view of the circumstances and the special situation in which Cambodia finds itself. I thought it worthy of a reply outlining my thoughts.

The comment:

“Don't look back but to learn from mistakes and always look both ways before you proceed. How can a young professional Cambodian work for 300 USD a month and get ahead? How can we ever save to buy a house as houses here cost as much as they do anywhere else in the world? How could we ever afford anything more than a motorbike? When we work for another, our time is not our own, and so there are all sorts of demands and expectations, along with demands and expectations from family, there is now way we will ever get ahead. You explain it to me. You explain what needs to happen for poor Cambodians to own a home, and a nice boat like you have, and what makes you any better than the rest of us? Why is it that you deserve what you have and we have our lot? Yes, post this or don't post it, but aswer it.”

The reply:

Dear Anonymous,

I sense a great frustration in your comment, perhaps even bitterness. First let me explain how I got where I am now; not that my situation in life is such that one would count me among the rich. I would say I am well-to-do. But now I am in my last third, possibly even last quarter, of my life, so everything I have now has been earned over a lifetime, and it was acquired abroad, not in Cambodia, and, most importantly, it was acquired legally, not by theft, fraud, or corruption. It was not earned by speculating or gambling either. I am a very conservative businessman when it comes to these things. I don’t like high risks. These only rob you of your sleep and give you headaches, nightmares, and make for a bad family and social life, possibly lead to high alcohol consumption, or even drug use.

I got a decent education in several fields, both business and technical. After working at several well-paying jobs I opened my own business on a shoestring. According to opinion polls, being independent is more important to young entrepreneurs than making a great deal of money. This applied to me too.

Subsequently, I owned companies in several countries, among them Thailand and Cambodia in SE Asia in the early 1990ies. I do have to say though that my endeavors in Cambodia at that time weren’t overly successful. Although I did well, I left without any profit because of high expenses (guess why?) and shrinking profits as my solitary position as a foreign trading company slowly disappeared with the lifting of the U. S. trade embargo. I resettled in the West and joined another business.

I finally cashed out when I sold that business at a very good price after running and growing it for 14 years. One overriding principle in my life was that I did want to enjoy life while I was still able to – in the years when one is not yet frail and shriveled. My ambitions were, therefore, not  the driving force behind my business activities. A friend of mine proved my point only too well. He started out at the same time as I and worked his butt off his entire life because his career was paramount to him. He is dead already. He made a lot more money than I did. But I am still around to enjoy life. In the end, however, I fall into the same category as most somewhat successful businessmen; I made most of my money after I was 50.

Those stories of the billionaire wunderkinder, such as Mark Zuckerberg, are one in millions. Altogether, the U. S. only has around 3 million millionaires, that is less than one percent of the total population. At the same time the U. S. has about 15% of the population living below the poverty line, in other words, more than 50,000 Americans are poor. And don’t think poverty in the West is any different from poverty here.

Wealth is distributed very unevenly everywhere in the world. A lot people say it is getting ever worse. I personally believe the distribution is clearly out of balance tilting towards the super rich, ever since someone came up with the term ‘shareholder value’. This is just to put things into perspective. Don’t deplore your lot. Recognize what’s available and try to make it work for you.

I only came back to Cambodia to live here as I have a Cambodian wife. I used part of my money to invest  here and to build a nice house, and buy a boat – my major hobby. I don’t see why I should not enjoy the same lifestyle that I had and would have had if I had stayed in the West. I had all these things before I came here. Do I deserve them? You bet I do. I worked hard enough for them. Am I better than you? I think not. I just had better opportunities, grew up in a better economy and generally better era – at least in my mind. It helps if you are halfway intelligent and smart too.

So what can a young Cambodian professional do? First, and I guess you have that, he/she needs to get a good education. That’s easier said than done seeing as the educational system leaves much to be desired, to put it mildly. Nevertheless, there are chances even in the public educational system. If young people make an effort and study hard they can get a head-start on those who just watch videos on You-tube or play mindless video games. Choosing the right course of study at the right school is extremely significant too.

The big difference comes with the vast disparity between the economies of the Western countries and Cambodia. One must not forget the last 40 years in Cambodia’s history to understand why Cambodia is still so much behind Thailand. But despite its many negatives, the Cambodian economy is catching up. What took Thailand 30 years to accomplish, namely to grow from an underdeveloped country into a threshold country, will take Cambodia only 15 years – on account of the more modern technology available today and the fact that changes happen must faster now. In my opinion, the first 5 years of those 15 have happened already.

Even with the best education it is still hard to find a job that would pay well enough so that people can afford the things that commercials on TV make them believe they need and want.  A good used car easily runs into the $20,000 range, a house in Phnom Penh is even more expensive than in most places in the U. S.; I would say they have reached European standards, where real estate is prohibitively expensive in most places. I would venture to say that most of the real estate, such as condos, duplexes, and villas, are owned by very few people who bought them for speculation or to rent them. Nevertheless, there is a growing middle class in Phnom Penh that can buy into those mush-rooming ‘ ‘Borei New World’ developments.

There is a very simple explanation why comparitive wealth spread to a large part of the population in the West and Japan – it is debt. Banks original purpose was to lend money to businesses and people to acquire things they needed to invest in growth and for individuals to fulfill their needs and other desires. This way they made more money available to average people so they could consume more. More consumption meant more production, more production meant more jobs, more jobs meant higher pay, and so on, and so forth. Almost the entire U. S. economy is based on home consumption.

This economic cycle is in its infancy in Cambodia. But banks do extend loans for purchases of motorcycles, cars, and homes. The collateral  of at least 40% is still rather steep but it is a start.

Another difference to the West is that when people get married there they don’t have kids right away so they can both work and save money for larger items, e.g. cars, homes, etc. In some countries they sometimes hold off having kids for 15 years just so they can afford all the things they believe they need.  Here in most cases the new couple promptly has the first baby almost exactly 9 months after their wedding. So traditional culture is an obstacle to material well-being. This, of course, does not take into account social implications.

But here, even young people can sometimes make it happen. When did most people make most of their money in Cambodia? Right, during the real-estate bubble. I know an at the time rather dumb young man without education. But he grasped the opportunity when it presented itself. He bought a small lot of land that appreciated quickly, so he flipped it and bought another larger one, flipped it, and so on. You didn’t need a lot of money to start with then, prices were so low. He is now in his early 40ies and lives very comfortably in his own house with a wife and two kids.

Another young man acted as a guide to Korean businessmen who came looking for real estate. He watched how they did it and imitated them on a very small scale and then traded his way up. He now owns 3 villas and a night club. Sure enough he also drives a new big Lexus SUV.

That’s all nice and fine, but what how do these examples help you? Keep working hard, look out for opportunities, and grab them if they promise a good return. But don’t make any stupid moves by borrowing money at high interest rates from people in the market, e. g. 120% per year. Don’t play those traditional money lending games like ‘tontin’. There is always a loser in a game. Look for niche products that would be a novelty and where you would be very competitive. The important thing is to get an exclusive because if you don’t others will follow doing exactly the same thing. Cambodians have a way of always doing the same as everybody else. That happened to me several times back in the early days. Look for a field that is a growth sector. How many phone shops, hair and nail salons, restaurants, computer shops, or even car dealers does Cambodia need? Investing in those you will probably be able to make a living, but just barely so. Another tuk-tuk on the streets might not be greatest idea either.

An individual many times does not have enough seed money to start up his/her own business. They way out is a partnership.

A nice mid-range guesthouse is still a good business despite their abundance all over the place. Most of them are run poorly and earn equally poor money. I know a string a very successful mid-range boutique guesthouse which turn a nice profit – but they are all run by foreigners. Because of their business background abroad foreigners have more experience and knowledge so they know how to run things in an efficient way. This knowledge is largely absent in many Cambodian businesses, as is the attention to detail, customer service, or reliability.

But then there is this seemingly insurmountable problem of family or traditional expectations a young man needs to fulfill unless he does not want to risk being estranged from his family. This is an area where I can’t really give advice nor do I want to. It is too tricky and too individual. One thing is for sure, tradition and conservatism hold back development. Just look at the definition of the word ‘conserve’ – to keep it the way it is. Too much progress too fast has not proved to be the right way either, as the recent examples in Arab countries demonstrate. This issue you must address and resolve for yourself.

And finally, this blog is not meant to arouse envy or jealousy in Cambodian readers. It is supposed to provide some insights and experience for other foreigners, overseas Khmer, and whoever is interested in things Cambodian.

Choosing a Bank

There is not much going on for us jaded Cambodia bloggers to write about right now – at least not for me. Politics in Cambodia is as usual – there is no change in how things are handled or mishandled, and the traffic police hasn’t changed either; they stop people wherever they can to bolster their meager incomes.

So today I will write about the mundane, like choosing a bank, which is a sort of important decision for everybody living in Cambodia, unless you want to deal strictly in cash as the majority still does. Not that I haven’t chosen a bank before since I have participated in Cambodian business life for a long time. Of course, I haven’t had the opportunity to check out all banks so I will just give the pros and cons of the ones I have banked with.

In the early 90ies, there was only one bank to speak of – the Foreign Trade Bank (FTB). One could do international transfers, open letters of credit (L/Cs), receive L/Cs, and they didn’t ask for a lot documents when opening a business account. At that time, I just gave them the name of the company, my passport and that was it. I did register a business here later on, though.

My requirements are pretty simple: I need to be able to make international transfers, possibly do the occasional L/C, although that has become rare, but most importantly, I want to do e-banking. If the bank pays a comparatively good interest rate, so much the better. Getting cash at an ATM is a must these days anyway.

So let me start with the FTB.

Opening an account is easy, whether it is a checking, savings, or fixed term account. A passport with a valid business visa is sufficient.

International transfers are handled at one of their offices. So you need to go there, fill out a form, and voila. Still cumbersome but normally it is handled quickly, smoothly, and efficiently. Funds usually arrive in overseas accounts overnight.

Fixed terms deposits are available but at miserly interest rates.

E-banking is confined to seeing what your account balance is. No other services were offered while I banked there. This is the reason why I closed my account there after 20 years. If need be I want to be able to make a transfer even when I am not in the country.

The fee schedule is normal, that is, not too much for overseas transfers. They offer a VISA credit card for their better customers, meaning you need to have some sizable cash in your account. I never bothered with that. I still use my U. S. issued VISA card and bank account.

They have three branch offices in Phnom Penh and a limited number of ATMs.

Customer service is good. The staff knows what they are doing. There are no wait times when you go to one of the branches due to the fact that they seem to have few customers to begin with.

Living in two places, I need at least an ATM in Sihanoukville. They have one at the port. That’s it. Too meager for me.

ACLEDA

Since I own a rubber plantation in Kompong Cham province, I opened an account at the bank with by far the most branches and ATMs in Cambodia. Sure enough, they have a branch at the small town near my plantation.

International transfers: the same as with the FTB. You need to go to a branch. Service is quick and reliable.

Fixed term deposits: interest rates are pretty good for longer terms.

E-banking is not offered. But you can pay your power bills at ATMs, and power and water bills with your mobile phone. That’s pretty flexible. You can make transfers within the ACLEDA network by email.

You can also send cash by email to somebody who doesn’t have an account with ACLEDA. You email your branch with the details, including the recipient’s ID, and the branch where the person will pick it up and if done before 11 o’clock the recipient will be able to pick up his/her cash in the afternoon. That’s pretty nifty.

They have a lot of branch offices all over Cambodia, a huge number of ATMs, so you can get cash even in more remote towns like Kompong Trach. Kep, unfortunately, does not have an ATM but Kampot does.

The one small downside of that bank is the fact that they charge you fees even when you deposit money in one town and the account is registered in a different town. I guess this is for the communication as not all branches are online.

My account there is in Khmer riel. But I can still get USD from an ATM. That’s another nice plus.

Customers can also get a VISA credit card once they have established their bona fides, e. g. maintaining a good positive balance in their account. I didn’t get one, so I don’t know how much their interest rate is.

Customer service is very good. Being one of the few foreigners banking at my branch, they know me personally and I seem to get preferential treatment and I never really had to wait in line. The staff is knowledgeable about their product, only when you get a trainee or novice there might be the occasional hiccup, but a supervisor is always nearby to help out.

Normally, this bank is pretty busy especially after paydays.

ANZ

I had always heard that ANZ was not too great when it came to personal banking. We once opened an account in SHV because we needed to transfer a larger amount from Phnom Penh to SHV and didn’t want to carry the cash. (That account is still dormant.)

Last year I opened another account there as the company I consulted for preferred to deal with them as the main bank in Australia had a branch in that company’s country. Initially, I strictly used it for my dealings with that company.

Later I found they did offer e-banking with international transfers so I decided to close my FTB account and transferred my funds to ANZ.

ANZ has a pretty good presence in the major towns in Cambodia, but not nearly as many branch offices as ACLEDA or even ABA.

Fixed term deposits: don’t bother with ANZ; they have nothing to offer other banks don’t do better.

International transfers can be done online but it takes at least a couple or three days, if not longer, for the funds to arrive at their overseas destination.

Customer service sucks. The staff know their stuff but that’s it. For instance, if you make an online transfer you fill out the form and send it off. Don’t be surprised when nothing happens, especially when the transfer is going to Europe.

The form requires a SWIFT/BIC. In the belief you filled in everything correctly you hit the send button. When the recipient asked me after 10 days whether I had done the transfer, I checked my account and to my surprise found out that nothing had happened.

So I called them and was informed that they also require the IBAN, the European bank number. Mind you, they don’t have a field on the form for that number.

Now this happened to me twice; the second time after a longer period; I had already forgotten about that requirement.

I sent them an email and also talked to them on the phone to correct the form so this wouldn’t happen again. Wouldn’t it be appropriate if they sent you an email that they could not process the transaction? After all, they are an international bank. Nothing has changed to this day.

So forget about ANZ.

They also have high transaction fees.

They offer a VISA card if you maintain an account balance of $25,000, for which you earn .75% interest. The account maintenance fee is $25/month. I don’t know how much the credit card interest is as I sure didn’t make use of their generous offer.

The branches are pretty busy, I don’t know why, but then most people don’t need the things I do.

So altogether their reputation is well-earned for personal banking – yes, they are not that great. I don’t require business loans so I have no idea how they would fare in that field.

I still maintain my account there, though. Maybe in time I will close that too.

ABA

I had a rather decent account balance with ANZ for a few months expecting to use at least some of it for a planned investment. That hasn’t materialized so far so I was looking to at least make some money with a fixed term deposit. In my research, I came across ABA which came highly recommended as my closest friend and sometime business partner banks there.

I had originally been a little suspicious of that bank as I know its history. It was a joint venture between a Korean bank and a Cambodian entity with ties to the highest echelons in Cambodia. It was sold to a Kazakhstan group, which promptly fired the Korean president whom I happened to know,  and restructured it into one of the main banks in Cambodia. They seem to have the funds. Kazakhstan is an oil-rich country, so there must be people with money burn and invest in foreign countries. It seems to have worked out. I have not heard anything negative about this bank.

Consequently, I decided to try them out. I opened a savings and  flexible deposit account.

The staff I dealt with so far may need a little more training. But they make up for it with their proverbial Khmer friendliness.

Opening accounts is easy and quick.

They offer internet banking with all the features. International transfers need a transaction number generator which will set you back $25. The extra security is well worth the $25 in my mind.

ABA has a unique account I haven’t seen in my long experience banking in many countries. It’s called ABA flexible deposit. This account earns premium interest if a minimum balance of various amounts, depending on the interest rate, is maintained. You are even allowed to make withdrawals from that account. These interest rates stack up well in comparison to their fixed term deposit accounts.

Their transaction fees are competitive.

All this convinced me to give them a try.

They have a rather wide presence in Phnom Penh but are a little sparsely represented in the rest of Cambodia.

Needless to say, you get an ATM card and with the flexible deposit and  fixed term accounts you automatically get a MASTER card. The credit limit on that card is determined by your deposit.

Customer services is good and wait times are minimal.

I checked out Canadia too, by far the largest bank in Cambodia. Their interest rates are downright stingy, and they have no internet banking, consequently, they clearly are not for me.

I had to deal with a number of banks for potential business loans for the company I worked with. After the financial crisis they are all very cautious in their approach when it comes to larger sums, like in the seven figures. Not one bank was different; they all had very strict requirements. If you are looking for a business loan you will clearly have to do your homework and approach each and every one of them.

Compared to banking in the U. S. and Europe, this industry is still developing in Cambodia but it has made great strides and I am sure it will be up to par in a couple more years. It sure is a far cry from the early days when some really shady people came to open a bank here. One can only surmise for what purposes they were used. Most of them have disappeared again after the government put in some stringent regulations in accordance and compliance with international organizations.

Why Is It That Cambodian Reasoning is So Different?

I have gained considerable experience not only in Cambodia but in Thailand and Vietnam as well. In the latter two countries I have not seen this crass disparity between how people think and what we Westerners think makes sense or is logical.

The latest news on the political front is a case in point. Finally the Human Rights Party and the Sam Rainsy Party agreed to merge. Now this makes perfect sense, notwithstanding that the two party delegations had to met in Manila. After all, Sam Rainsy is banned from returning to Cambodia as jail time would be awaiting him once he set foot on Cambodian soil. They named the new party ‘Cambodia Democratic Movement of National Rescue’ – a mouthful – but it will most likely be shortened to the National Rescue Party in common parlance. It makes sense insomuch as combined the parties will be able to pool their resources better as opposed to competing against each other. They hope to garner about 30% of the vote in the next elections, which might not seem so farfetched based on the returns in last month’s commune elections. This would still only give them around 40 seats in the National Assembly, not enough to be meaningful in a parliamentary sense. Now speaking of reasoning, how will Sam Rainsy be able to lead the party? As party leader he is supposed to give impulses, formulate new concepts, and be visible as the leading candidate to the voting public. Barring an unlikely return he won’t be able to be active in the election campaign. After having publicly called Hun Sen a murderer any hope that there is a pardon in the pipeline must prove futile. A CPP spokesman already announced that Sam Rainsy’s political career is over. As a convicted criminal he is not allowed to run for office. Now why did they make him party chairman? Maybe they know more but for all practicable purposes this job should have fallen to someone else, perhaps Kem Sokha or Mu Sochua. Surely, being the president of the largest opposition party would not be enough in his special circumstances?

Another case of weird thinking and missing logic is the case against those ‘secessionists’. One of them, Mam Sonando, the owner of Beehive Radio, was arrested on his return from the Netherlands where he was assisting in putting together a case against Hun Sen and others in the government for crimes against humanity. Beehive Radio apparently had also broadcast several comments critical of Hun Sen. He is also suspected of inciting the secessionist actions in Kratie province. In one of his speeches the Prime Minister called for his arrest. Promptly, his obsequious underlings did just that. Naturally, they couldn’t use the impending action at the International Court of Justice. So they used secession as the reason for arresting him.

How can the people in power even begin to believe that someone would start a secession in a remote village in an equally remote (comparatively) province? The police and the military stormed the village, killing a teenage girl in the process. Who is to believe that? The public doesn’t have all the facts but by sheer logic it would seem suicidal to mount such a campaign in the current political arena. A village of a province in the middle of the country of all places. Cambodia is still one of the poorest countries on earth and dependent on foreign aid for about half its budget. Even the stupidest person would realize that a secession of a rural community would lead to absolute catastrophy. They would be an enclace surrounded by a hostile country that would not allow any goods to enter the enclave. A full blockade would be implemented. The enclave would literally be starved to death. Who would follow them in their secessionisst movement? All these simple questions make it abundantly clear that these charges are so farfetched as to be ludicrous. One is hard-put to understand how the government can expect the world to believe the veracity of those charges.

One thing, though, is remarkable in this whole deplorable saga. Mam Sonando knew he was going to be arrested on his return but returned nonetheless. He holds French and Cambodia citizenships so he could have safely stayed away. But he came home to face the music and to show to the world that he has nothing to hide and that he did nothing illegal.

Some Things I don’t like in Cambodia

Some of the things listed below affect me personally, some of them only peripherally, some of them not directly at all. But living in a host country one will always have some kind of peeves. These are some of mine; maybe there are more but let’s not overdo it, right?

Traffic

Much has been said and written about traffic here. For someone who drives daily in Phnom Penh and frequently overland, this is the most unnerving experience in my life in Cambodia. Especially irksome are the motorbikes when they weave in and out of traffic, not bothering with any rules or regulations, let alone common sense.

Nighttime driving on highways is definitely not recommended. The risk of running someone in dark clothes over walking along the road or ramming into an unlighted vehicle is just too great.

Neighbors’ Dogs

Now this is a really troubling feature of living in Phnom Penh. I live in a duplex in gated community where the houses are spaced about 2 m apart. The lot itself is 8 by 16 or so. Many people keep one or more dogs on the premises as an alarm system. These mutts bark at anything that moves in their vicinity. The guards make their rounds every hour or so. Now just imagine what barking concert this causes at nighttime. People have no idea how to train a dog, and that applies to Westerners as well. Of course, they also seem to forget that by barking at anything that moves by the whole purpose of alarming the owners of intruders is defeated, not to mention that keeping a dog in such a small area borders on animal cruelty, as I don’t see their owners ever walking them for exercise.

Neighbors’ Cooking  – Fish Sauce

I myself find Khmer cooking rather bland and simple compared to Chinese or Thai cuisines. They all have in common that they use generous amounts of fish sauce in preparing their dishes. Fish sauce actually does make for a fine flavor in the finished dish but while it is being prepared one has to endure a satanic smell. Fish sauce while being heated up gives off a nauseating smell. In true fashion, my neighbors use it almost every day so I get a good dose of it on a regular basis. I only hasten to close all windows and doors at that time.

Early Morning Noise

It appears that no matter what their jobs people get up early, that is, around 5:30 to 6 o’clock. Immediately, clattering of dishes, pounding of pestles, conversations held in high volume, children playing soccer on the street, motorbikes coming and going, cars honking, and so on, sets in. School minivans with their windows open playing loud music pick up kids. Some people also give their car a quick wash listening to the radio turned almost all the way up while the car doors or windows are open. And not to mention the above described dogs barking. It’s a pure pleasure.

 Lack of Professionalism in Business and the Public Sector

It seems as though most people here haven’t heard of the economic law of supply and demand. They set a an more or less arbitrary price and expect you to pay it, regardless whether or not there is a glut of the item they are selling and the competition might be more reasonably priced. Sometimes this goes even so far that their prices are higher than if you bought the same item abroad and had it shipped and paid import duty.

People try to sell you something without providing the facts, e. g. size, properties, quality, etc. This problem a lot of times stems from the fact that middlemen are involved in a deal of larger items such as land or cars.

Used car dealers in the West lie through their teeth to sell you a car, hence their reputation. Here they lie and are not even aware of it. They simply don’t know what they are selling. For instance, most of them might know the term ‘ABS’, but they really don’t know what it actually is. So if there is a ‘Limited’, there must also be an ‘Unlimited’?

It becomes really frustrating when you are trying to close a bigger deal. Accounting is a foreign word and concept to many people here. This may be good for them as taxes are based on accounting records but how can someone substantiate that a business really does generate that claimed income?

Cambodian government offices are notorious for being unfriendly, arrogant, and absolutely inefficient. You can be lucky if you see the person who you are looking for on your first attempt. Being a government employee always entails the liberty of being absent for long hours to conduct other business.

This even extends to doctors some of whom work for a government hospital but maintain a private practice part of the day. So just going to the hospital during normal office hours can be like a crap game.

Khmer Relatives

Khmer families usually are close-knit groups. Two or three generations often live together in one house. The extended family, that is, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, etc. are also seen as much closer members than in the Western family. If you enter a Khmer family as a foreigner, they usually embrace you as a full member. In my view, this unfortunately also applies to the extended family. I don’t consider myself related to my wife’s uncle or her aunt, let alone a cousin twice removed.

In this age of mobile phones people sometimes still have a habit of just dropping in for a quick visit without announcing it. They take it for granted that they can crash at your place for a couple of nights if they happen to need it. Needless to say, they think it is normal to be there for the meals as well. After all, they are family, aren’t they? Of course, this would fall under the category of hospitality but they could at least ask whether or not it is convenient. But the annoying and almost insulting attitude is that you have an obligation to help. I mean I am glad to help out in times of need but being expected to help because even more distant 'relatives' believe this to be my duty exceeds my willingness and generosity. It is also still widespread that older relatives expect respect from you just because they are older than yourself. Never mind, that they may be half-illiterate and used to work as a truck driver.

TV Programming – Khmer channels

I hardly watch Khmer TV but what I see from my wife’s watching, Khmer stations have a long way to go in terms of making interesting shows. Normal fare are Philippine soap operas, Khmer comedians with painted on mustaches (why do they always need that?), and shrieking dialogues, Chinese martial arts or ‘historical’ movies, and endless music shows with what to my ear sound like always the same tunes. There is one new channel that broadcasts music shows virtually the entire time – and it’s always the same singers and the same people dancing.

Constant News on Military and/or Police

Cambodia cannot shed its Communist past, or so it seems. A good segment of the news always covers some definitely insignificant information about the military and/or the police. There you see these high-ranking officers in large numbers busily making notes listening to some general. It also looks like there are no grunts or non-commissioned officers in the Cambodian military. You only see stripes on their epaulets. This type of newscast is typical of Communist countries.

The Role of the Military

This ties in with the previous point. Cambodia is a small country and apart from that dispute with Thailand about Preah Vihear where soldiers were used to uphold Cambodia’s honor it really does not need a military of more than 100,000 men. In case of a real war, Cambodia’s military would be no match with either neighbor. What other threat would there be? The 25% Cambodia is spending on its military could be used much better for different purposes, e. g. education. Of course, on the other hand, the military is a huge job creation program. Poor people who would otherwise be unemployed find a job here. It doesn’t pay much but it feeds and clothes them and gives them shelter too. But everybody who thinks he is somebody needs to be associated with the military; and if it is only through a military license plate. The military altogether enjoys too much presence in Cambodia.

Especially annoying is the power higher ranks believe they have over civilians – at least on the roads. They usurp the roads and streets as if they owned them.

Addiction to Titles and Status

Like many upstarts, Cambodians who have come into money crave to be outwardly recognized as someone special. You can buy titles like Ayadom (Excellency) or Okhna (to which there is no good translation; the Honorable might come closest). So if someone wants to be an advisor to a minister and he has the connections and the money he can call himself advisor to the minister and with it comes the title Ayadom, which greatly impresses more simple-minded people. Ministers and State Secretaries themselves are always referred to as Ayadom in the news, e. g. Minister of Defense Ayadom followed by the name. Businesspeople who acquired the title Okhna are addressed likewise. And again, a general in the military is also automatically an Ayadom and his wife a ‘Lohk Chumteauv. These ladies are then chauffeured around in a large Lexus SUV to do their shopping accompanied by one or two bodyguards who then carry the shopping basket at the Bayon supermarket. Never mind that this ‘lady’ used to be farm girl who can hardly read and write.

The first status symbol is a large car as evidenced by the many full-sized SUVs like the Lexus GX470, its twin the Landcruiser, and for a couple of years now, the Land Rover. Next comes a huge villa in a mixture of traditional Khmer and classical Greek or Roman architecture. Only the real wealthy can afford those, though, because these set you back by a million or more dollars. The ladies have their jewelry to show off. They would rather forego a nice trip abroad to see something of the outside world than not to be able to buy a new piece of jewelry to be admired by her fellow ‘Lohk Chumteauvs’.

Personality Cult Hun Sen and Bun Rany

This cult seems to be perpetrated more by the PM’s sycophantic underlings than by himself. People cannot say anything negative about Hun Sen or his wife Bun Rany for fear of that infamous slander statute. The courts in the U. S. would have been bogged down for years if George Bush had sued all the people who insulted him publicly. Here it seems the PM and his wife are made to be infallible. 

Traveling through the countryside, there is hardly any village without a Hun Sen school. People are led to believe it is Hun Sen who builds all these schools and roads. Just look at some the pictures on TV.

Although former King Sihanouk bestowed the title ‘Samdech’ on Hun Sen, I believe it is used as if he were the king himself. He is always referred to with that honorific. His full title is ‘Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo’, loosely translated as ‘The Great Lord Protector’.

This sounds exaggerated for an elected politician and rather obsequious. I mean this is 2012 and not the the Elizabethan age. Additionally, it surely is a far cry from everybody is equal in former days. The reason he got this title is political but it nevertheless is not appropriate for a democratic leader. He is a plain and ordinary man who made it to the top (not always by democratic means). Couldn’t he be just the PM? He wasn’t highborn or anything, was he? Just the opposite, as he is proud to point out himself. He was a farmer’s boy educated in a Buddhist pagoda. The only thing lacking is huge pictures of the two in public. So far this is thankfully limited to the king’s picture.

Many other things could expand this list but thinking about this I came up with these first, and I must emphasize that my dislike is not in the order shown above. You might be wondering why I don’t include corruption in the list. This is simply because I am not affected by it, or at least I don’t feel I am. The policeman who puts the 10,000 KHR in his pocket doesn’t fall into this category in my mind. He does it because he simply doesn’t get paid enough, and neither does the official who wants $5 or $10 extra for a stamp for the same reason. This problem is cultural and systemic.

Are there things I like about and in Cambodia? Sure. But that is for another post.