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Phnom
Penh (Ah!) Travel Tips - Faces & Places
- July 2004
James Loving/National Radio Text Service Friday July 23, 2004 IOM Tackles Human Trafficking - Chris Decherd Returns - Sex Tourist Challenges AIDS - Lucky Markets Cut Pork Price - Love FM Talent - Hun Sen Park Facelift - PP To Bangkok For $14 & Ho Wah Gentng Delivers On Time - NAGA Casino IOM TACKLES HUMAN TRAFFICKING HUMAN TRAFFICKING: "You sell someone against their will to do something they don't want to do. Trafficking is slavery in a nutshell (i.e.) prostitution or labor," said John McGeoghan IOM project coordinator Cambodia. Human trafficking is a major problem in Asia. To help counter its growth in Cambodia IOM (International Organization for Migration) has put together two films and live comedy presentation to tour 18 Cambodian provinces to enlighten Khmers about the subject and what to look out for. IOM will present 90 shows over a nine-month period. The project supported by USAID (United States Agency for International Development) and the Cambodian Ministry of Women's Affairs embarked on its mission last week. Five shows are planned for each province. The films depict young Cambodian girls being lied to or enticed by boyfriends or friends of the family into prostitution under the guise of getting a job in a garment factory or as a waitress. The girls go with parental approval only to be tricked and sold into the flesh industry. For this type of film the films producer Teng Dy does an excellent job. The photography is exceptional. Both films have English subtitles. Dy has previous experience working on UN projects. A five-member comedy troupe featuring Mr. Fuso, a well-known Cambodian comedian, is also touring with the show performing skits about trafficking and problems of debt after each of the films are shown. The comedians interact with the audience stimulating their attention. Why comedy? Its not a funny subject but IOM project coordinator John McGeoghan feels the dark subject will retain the interest of the audience, be accepted and more memorable and get the message across if presented in a live comedy format. "Comedy performances prove to get the message across more." he said. During a test performance in Takhmau the comedians interacted with the audience and stimulated their attention. After the films and comedy skits the audience is invited on stage for a quiz on the films and comedy skits. If they get the right answers they win a T-shirt and a hat. If they don't give the correct answer they receive a hat for participating. The ideas for the content of the show came together after IOM interviewed 2800 females from 300 villages in six provinces regarding human trafficking.
From that information the IOM team then conceived the audience interaction plan that varied the pace of the show. Before the show the audience is informed the quiz will take place and prizes will be given out. McGeoghan explained the rationale for the quiz. "To check the learning of the participants," he noted. IOM plans to follow up researching the audience learning process by returning to the provinces and asking questions to the residents regarding the show. In doing so IOM will be looking for positive results from their efforts. "What we're looking for is a change of attitude against trafficking and subsequently a change of behavior," said McGeoghan. "Why? People will think before trafficking their own children The target audience is 15-25 that is felt to be to main risk group. There is also a plan in the future to visit schools and make the 7-11 year old age group more aware of trafficking. McGeoghan went on to explain how poor people in the provinces are subject to abject poverty. As an example he noted that some people in rural villages live under a tree without cover from the elements. He also said, "Girls are seen as the providers of the family, boys are not." Due to family debts including gambling, often results into a 13 year old daughter being sold into domestic servitude for as little as $100 for a two year period. Girls may work as a maid or waitress. In many cases they are mistreated. "Girls won't run away because they know they have to go back to their family," McGeoghan said. McGeoghan explained how a cycle of poverty could be created. People may have a small piece of land. It's enough land for them to grow a sufficient amount of food to maintain them. They then go into debut. They may then sell their only pig. That may follow by them selling their only cow. When those possessions are gone they resort to selling their daughter. Another poverty situation is a person may sell their land to buy a motorcycle. They then have a hard time affording gas. When the motorcycle needs repair they can't afford to pay. They then sell their motorcycle for half of what they paid for it. After a sixty day run the show will take a break and then visit six more provinces before the end of the year. Another six provinces will be visited during the first quarter of 2005. Related story: A Wounded Life CHRIS DECHERD EMULATES ELVIS OK, OK he may not be Elvis and he left Cambodia and not the building. After a year of talking about it former AP correspondent and Cambodian Daily editor Chris Decherd has returned to the United States. We wish him well. Decherd's plans for Iraq and Afghanistan will have to wait. PHNOM PENH TO BANGKOK FOR $14 Ho Wah Genting has a $14 ticket from Phnom Penh to Bangkok. The expected time of arrival at Bangkok's Khao San Road is 9:30pm. Departure time from Phnom Penh is 6:40am. Who would have thunk it? We tried it and the bus and van connections in Thailand arrived at Khao San road an hour earlyexactly on time. OLYMPIC STADIUM Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium remains empty. At this time no events are scheduled for the facility. The recently refurbished site has sewage elimination problems. No…not constipation but elimination. LOVE FM Love FM has been criticized for having DJ's that aren't professional. The reality is most of them are not. Many are students that do it for fun and without pay. The station doesn't have anyone with professional radio experience that can train them how professional radio works A professional knows you don't walk into a studio or interrupt a show when it's on air. Professionals also know the definition of TRT. The station has nobody with previous on air professional radio experience. The DJ's are doing an incredible job purely on their talent and love for music. They have charming voices, a good taste in music and most speak English well. If they were properly trained Cambodia could come up with a top on air talent that could make it Internationally. MORE LOVE FM Under the American station managers watch the station released a CD of pirated songs FOR SALE in CD shops. Could this type of theft factor in WTO agreements? The CD says it's the stations Top Ten requested songs. With an example like this Khmer youth are led to think this is the way to do business. Do the math, logic and GO FIGURE MARTINI'S MOVED TO NEW LOCATION If you didn't know MARTINI'S HAS BEEN DEMOLISHED and moved to a new location!!! May 31st was the clubs last night open at the old site. Owners Charlie and Jackie opened their new Martini's Friday June 11th. The new location is not far from the old. Located off Mao Tse Toung Boulevard near the Chinese Embassy at #110a Street 173. SEX TOURIST INSANITY A sex tourist that has sex without a condom related a story of how he took three of his favorite regular ladies of the trade to the doctor to be checked for AIDS. Two of the three were positive. The ST then had sex WITHOUT A CONDOM with one of the positive girls. Why? He was thrilled with the challenge of facing the danger. His rationale was his sixteen-year-old son said by the time he catches AIDS there would be a cure for it. HUN SEN PARK Hun Sen Park is undergoing a $750,000 facelift. LUCKY MARKET DROPS PORK PRICE Extra, extra read all about it. We came, we saw, we bought. On July 7 Lucky Markets price on minced pork dropped to $3.70 a kilo after reaching a top price of $5.20. What is Lucky up to? GO FIGURE. PHNOM PENH'S RIVERSIDE AMUSEMENTS Three years ago we advised travelers to come to Cambodia within two years before it lost its natural charm and became westernized. . In most areas that time has come to pass. Phnom Penh has been going through development changes and for the good. A place to have fun and an opportunity to forget the problems of the region has emerged in the city. Reclaimed land at the end of Sihanouk Boulevard at the riverfront is now the home of the Naga Casino, the Black & White Gym and an amusement park. The Chaktomuk Garden Amusement Park is attracting large crowds of Khmer families. The amusement park has numerous Ferris wheels, merry-go-rounds, trains, bumping cars, a roller skating rink and other rides for all ages. Naga Casino relocated this past year from the boat they occupied to their own building housing a hotel/casino. The hotel remains under construction. The old Naga boat is moored in the Tonle Sap River directly in front of the Black & White Gym. There are numerous eating-places on the amusement area grounds ranging from food stalls to two indoor restaurants. BARS FALLING LIKE FLYS Last month we reported that the bar business in Phnom Penh is like a Ferris wheel where some bar owners get on while others get off. Word had it that numerous bar/restaurants were up for sale. They included the Riverside, the Gym, the Riverhouse Lounge and K Bar. The K Bar was sold. Word on the street said for $22,000. The bar was only purchased this past year. Who's next? EMPLOYEE RAID What NGO chief is raiding his former employee to hire some of their staff? CREDIBILITY GAP What Asia Foundation funded NGO chief is dodging paying a $30 debt that's been due for 2 ½ years. Other than ducking, hiding, lying and not showing up for arraigned meetings to pay the debut this person is responsible for training and setting an example for his young Khmer employees. The lack of responsibility is heightened when you consider that the individuals bar bill for a week could exceed the $30 owed as he is seldom seen without a beer when at a bar or restaurant. It raises the question doesn't a persons integrity factor into the Asia Foundation's criterion for funding? This is one example of what type of individual that is influencing the thinking and actions of young Khmers. COMPUTER ACCESSORIES PTC has a large stock of computer accessories for some of the best prices in town. They have a huge turnover and the product moves fast. PTC is located across from the Pash Thmei (Central Market) @: 75Eo, 77Eo and 83Eo Street 126. Tel: 023- 723-473. Email: PTC.COMPUTER@bigpond.com.kh RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES One indicator that Phnom Penh/Cambodia is on fast forward catching up to speed with products is finding rechargeable batteries at the Big A supermarket on the second floor. Some camera shops and computer supply shops also carry them. A year ago we couldn't find them in a camera shop or computer accessory store. The price is comparable or less than if purchased in Thailand. DOUBLE DEALING? If surviving in the restaurant/bar business in Cambodia for a foreigner wasn't tough enough check this out. A Khmer restaurant/guesthouse owner was friendly with a foreigner who eventually invested in a bar/restaurant on his property. A great deal of expense was made to improve the site. After spending a great deal of money on advertising and a grand opening the owner presented the new restaurant owner/friend (?) a water bill for $300 and said their customers aren't allowed to use his toilets In Cambodia $300 worth of water can fill the Pacific Ocean (just joking but you get the picture). © 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
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