|
|
|
|
|
|
Phnom
Penh (Ah!)
Travel
Tips
- USA
CELEBRATE
D. J. Ken - National Radio Text Service
Having previously attended the July 4th celebrations in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, Thailand this was a bit different as background checks were done and an advance ticket purchase deadline was applied. When we inquired why an Embassy rep seemed a bit stunned by the question and replied that when you open your door to the public you want to know whose coming.
Thursday July 9, 2009 US EMBASSY PARTY ON Well we didn't hear the Doobie Brothers singing Listen to the Music but we did see over 1000 American 4th of July Carnival party goers at the US Embassy in Phnom Penh listen to the music of the 17th Crush band. The party was the celebration of the Americans Independence Day when in 1776 the Americans declared their freedom from the British and formed a country of their own. The event was loud and the bubbly flowed freely. The food vendors were the Cantina, Coke, Hagar, Java Café, KFC, Pepsi, Swenson's, Tel restaurant and USA Donuts. Having previously attended the July 4th celebrations in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, Thailand this was a bit different as background checks were done and an advance ticket purchase deadline was applied. When we inquired why an Embassy rep seemed a bit stunned by the question and replied, replied "Why do you ask?" He went on to say that when you open your door to the public you want to know whose coming. Foreigners were permitted entry but also had to undergo a background check and provide their passport or identity card. Their deadline was earlier than for American citizens. We did run into a Khmer lady Maly Chea who was previously a waitress at a restaurant that is frequented by many foreigners. She was thrilled by the event and excited about the music and the crowd of people. Her being impressed ranks a positive score for the US of A. The party was presented in a low key way as very little publicity was generated. Those who did attend seemed to have a good time. Also in the house was lawyer Jay Cohen who is involved with the Kelvin Chea Law Partnership which is based in Singapore with offices in Tokyo, Shanghai, Bangkok, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Yangon. Several booths were set up including the Veterans of Foreign War and Democrats Abroad. The organizations chairman Wayne Wrightman was there. Wrightman says he was a high school classmate of US President Barak Obama. The Democrats Abroad deals with issues for foreigners that live abroad. One noteworthy subject is the US citizens cannot use the Medicare insurance in foreign countries. The Democrats Abroad will have a meeting on the subject July 16th at the FCCC (Foreign Correspondents Club of Cambodia). US Ambassador Carol Rodley was in the house. Rodley is not big on stature but is big on words was she has been criticized for her denouncement of the Cambodia government as being corrupt. The lady with a CIA background said that US $500 million was being wasted by the government on corruption YEARLY. If her figures be correct it means that only US $100 million of the US $600 ANAUAL donated money to Cambodia is going towards its intended purpose to rebuild the country. Rodley said the money would be better spent for social services programs in the nation. Should a tourist visit Cambodia it is plain to see what the ambassador means as poor people with children are living on the street. Recently they were subject to being picked up by the police like they were stray dogs and put in jail. An insensitive government rep said about these unfortunate people that they made the city look bad. Rodley has a grasp of what is going on as she previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the American Embassy in Phnom Penh, from 1997 to 2000. MORE RODLEY Rodley's remarks struck the nerve of many Khmers who expressed themselves on a blog. Their English language skills can be improved but their thoughts are clear. We are including some of their thoughts and recommend that you go to the blog and read more. The following is intentionally not edited to retain the purity of the author's thoughts. Anonymous said... Ms. Rodley is right with her speech on May 30th 2009,( i support that speech 100%) i have known one of Cambodian official. i visited him in 2006. He had a big villa in Kandal, another was being built at Jrouy Jank Va and another old house at Kbal Thtal. At one of the villa he has two cooks, Two gardeners, two cars and a driver. I asked him what was his salary to own so many properties? he told me $250.00 per month. So where the money come from??? The money that help Cambodia came from tax payers. we are the people who work really hard. we don't mind to help poor Cambodians, but we don't want to see our money go to those corruptors. It is time to clean them up or stop give them any more money. if want to help poor Cambodian hand money to them directly. Her Excellency Carol Rodley's comments stroke at the heart of this innffectious corrupt pratices regime. So far they have enjoyed the full support of foriegn donnors and the UN in particular. The question we should ask then why should the regime that continue to haunt the poor Cambodian with its totalitarian conduct and caused so much destruction to Cambodian natural resources, continue to receive support? What are Donnors community need to do to avoid being seem as a colaborator to this regime? FOR MORE GO TO THE FOLLOWING BLOG KI Media: Carol Rodley denounced corruption in Cambodia ... and it hurts Hor 5 Bora all the way in London; Now, he tries to lecture the US ambassador ... ki-media.blogspot.com/.../carol-rodley-denounced-corruption-in.html - Cached - Similar MORE -- Phnom Penh - July Part 2 NATIONAL RADIO PUBLISHED IN 5 LANGUAGES We are published in five languages, English, Thai, French, Russian and Khmer (Cambodian language). Any of our foreign language material and our Roman Wanderaugh columns are legally available ONLY on our National Radio site. © Copyright: National Radio. Any use of these materials, whole or in part, is prohibited unless authorized in writing by National Radio. Contact: nationalradio@yahoo.com ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
|
|
