WHAT NEXT?

Just a few months ago I wrote a reminder of things I had said some years ago about the death penalty when Timothy McVeigh was about to be executed in the United States for the Oklahoma bombing.  I have never been in favour of the death penalty under any circumstances and have so often spoken out against the practice.  I am firmly of the opinion that the often quoted "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth" means there should be justice for a crime committed - but not that another life should be taken.

Unfortunately, the United States - though considering itself the leader of the world - is still one of the (thankfully) declining number of countries that practices the use of the death penalty.  Although having said that - many States in the country have stopped the practice.  Texas seems to be one state that seems to revel in the practice because for many years it has had the highest number of executions each year.  Although the "authorities" constantly complain about the number of executions in China and Saudi Arabia - and I am by no means condoning them - one should take notice that America is high on the list of those countries with the most executions.

Last week the U.S. State of Georgia executed a man by the name of Andrew De Young for the murder of his parents and sister in 1993.  The event passed with little attention given to it by the media, but it was a unique and in my opinion, a grim event.

Mr. De Young was to be put to death by a method often used now in the United States - lethal injection while the prisoner is strapped to a gurney-like contraption.   A "cocktail" of three drugs is injected into the person's veins.  The first as a type of anaesthetic, the second to paralyse the person and the third to stop the heart.

In most cases the first drug has been one called sodium thiopental.  However the manufacturer has apparently stopped manufacturing this particular drug so there is a national shortage.  The result is that the U.S. State of Georgia had a new lethal cocktail of drugs made replacing the sodium thiopental with another called pentobarbital.   This is an anaesthetic sometimes used when putting animals to sleep.   It had been used at least once before in an execution, but several comments were made by those present at those events, that it seemed as if the person being executed was not totally sedated and was suffering unnecessary pain.

The Supreme Court of Georgia denied Mr. De Young's motion for the authorities to look again at a lower courts decision to replace sodium thiopental with this pentobarbital.  But the lower court even went further.   At the request of another inmate still on death row, the lower court approved a request by that inmate that Mr. De Young's execution be video taped so people - and in particuar the lawyer of the inmate - can witness and view the reaction of Mr. De Young to this new mix of lethal drugs.  In other words, the lower court approved of Mr. De Young being used as a guinea pig for research.

A couple of thoughts come to my mind over this.  First of all I ask what exactly is what is known as "cruel and unusual punishment"?  Does not someone being used as a guinea pig at the time of their execution not come under that category?  I would think it does.  The Government makes much of the fact that certain drugs that could heal diseases such as cancer and the like must be withheld for complete testing.  Then why does it allow a drug that is not fully tested for use in executions be used for that purpose.  Something hypocritical and wrong here.

Another thought in the same vein.  When Mr. De Youg's motion for the drug re-testing was put before the State Supreme Court, his execution had to be delayed twenty-four hours in order for the Justices to make their decision.  No problem with that.  However, the following day just minutes before the next hour of execution, the authorities again delayed the execution for a further twenty-four hours.  Why?  For the simple and ridiculous reason that they couldn't make up their minds as to the best place to put the video camera!!!!  So Mr. De Young was once more taken back to the waiting cell until the next day.  To me that could also be categorized as "cruel and unusual punishment".    But the media barely gave a mention to all of this and unless you read it a second time you might not even have noticed it.  What did get an entire paragraph though, was what Mr. De Young had for his last meal!!!   Where are people's priorities? 

And one last question.  When Mr. McVeigh was about to be executed a request was made for the execution to be video taped but a judge rightly dismissed the request saying it would in no time be posted all over the internet - and he was right.  So it never happpened.  We are now many years on since then and it is much easier for anyone to post anything on the internet.  How long will it take for that video of Mr. De Young's execution be available for all - young and old alike - to be seen on the internet.  Not very long, I fear.  Society is definitely going "down hill" fast.  The mind boggles at the thought of what will be next if this type of thing is allowed to continue.  I hope others speak out about this also - including those in authority in the Churches.

The authorities of the State of Georgia need to revise their thinking on these matters which currently seems to be back in the Middle Ages and certainly not that of a civilized nation.

"A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE........!

The shockwaves that were the result of the phone hacking scandal at the "News of the World" newspaper in England have reverberated round the entire globe.

When people first heard about this manner of infiltration into the private lives of people it did little more than raise a few eyebrows.  When - wasn't earlier this year or late last year? - it was learned that members of the Royal Family in England had their phones hacked together with other celebrities, people began to sit up and take notice.  Those hackings certainly were not good, but last month when it was revealed that the phone of a young girl who was eventually found dead had not only been hacked, but that her text messages had been deleted in order to keep the phone active so her family would think she was still alive - things looked bad and from bad they went to worse.

Phones of families whose sons and daughters had been killed while on active duty with the army in Afghanistan had also been hacked.  Now it has been revealed that it is likely the phones of families whose relatives died in the 2001 September 11th attacks in America may also have been targets.    One cannot help but ask is there no end to the lengths people will go to try to make money?  Have all moral principals been thrown out the window in the name of selling papers or whatever other media is involved?  It seems that is the case in this day and age.

However, having said all the of above, there are further questions one has to ask in light of all these revelations.

My grandmother - who was a much respected lady in all areas - often used to say "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing".  It was a favourite quote of hers and I have no idea from where it comes or even if it is quoted correctly.  Nevertheless it is very true.  Grandmother was not fond of what she would call "these new fangled inventions" She said people never looked into how dangerous they could or might be.  She refused to fly not because she was  scared, but because she said it was unnatural.  If God had intended her to fly he would have given her wings and she would be given those soon enough.  It wasn't until she was aged ninety that she agreed to get on a plane and fly from Dublin to London - and only then did she reverse her stance on the matter, because she said, at age ninety she could be dead by the time she got to London by boat and train. She drove a big heavy 1947 Rolls Royce Phantom, with a stick shift gearbox (5 forward gears) and two enormous head lights that stood up like army searchlights.    As the years went by grandmother refuted suggestions that she get rid of that big heavy car and get a modern car with automatic transmission which would be easier to drive.  She said the car did not have a brain, so how could it always know when to change gear.  She would prefer to be in charge of the matter herself.  She continued to drive that big Rolls - and she was a good driver - until she was ninety-eight and only stopped then because she died peacefully in her sleep.  Time to get her own wings!!

If grandmother was alive today I believe she would still be quoting "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing." even more than she did before.  The cell phone is an amazing invention and exactly how it works I don't bother to find out - I just use it.  It can be a serious lifeline for many people.  However, with all these happenings at The News of the World and other places grandmother's quotation comes very much to mind.  Did people who invented it ever think further than the actual production and working of the phones?  Did they ever try to deepen their knowledge and see how it could be misused by those who misuse things for their own profit and benefit?  There are so many questions.

One can go further and look at the nuclear disasters in Japan, Chernobyl, India and other places which I have mentioned in previous posts and wonder did - at the time those facilities were constructed - the powers that be really look into all the possibilities of what would happen if anything could or did go wrong. They just confined their knowledge to the point where it would make money for them without thought of future happenings. 

With news of Committees of Enquiries being set up by the British Government, the FBI and whomever else to look into the phone hacking fiasco, I thought sense was at last prevailing, and people who knew would see that things like this should not and could not happen again.  In some quarters, that doesn't seem to be the case.

The United States is a country that has its security at the forefront of most of its actions.  Yet I was more than surprised to read this week that a new system of communication between the army/service personnel "in the field" and their home base and the Pentagon is now going into use whereby each can communicate with the other in a minimum amount of time by using some touch screen technology.   With my low level of intelligence where these matters are concerned and with the things that are going on today, I am of the simple opinion that there would be very little security in that.  That people would have no problem within a short time of hacking into such a programme seems a given.  The  fact that security is then blown to the wind seems not to have concerned the powers that be who sanction and instal such a system.

Grandmother's quotation is right.  Complete knowledge about these new communication methods, about things like nuclear technology, indeed about every new item, has to be studied and followed through to the absolute end and not just stopped along the way because some person or group of people feel they can make a fast million dollars with the product.

CAMBODIA: LET'S DO IT!

At the beginning of this year I wrote in a blog that I hoped 2011 would bring better things than did 2010 - a year that brought upsets and problems for many people.  Well, we are now almost five months into 2011 and it seems as if the main theme of the year across the globe is "negativity".  Such a pity - and why is it I wonder? Without a positive look at life and things around, it is virtually impossible to move forward on anything.

In the United States an untold amount of media coverage is being given to the "wanna-be" politicians who in order to get their names in the public eye for the 2012 elections, are trying to convince people with their negativity that President Obama was not born in the United States.  How stupid can people be when there is positive proof that he was?  And they call themselves good potential leaders?   Crazy! 

In England in the run-up to the wedding of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton, commentators, Talk Show hosts, analysts and myriads of others in the media from around the world are negatively discussing the cost of the wedding without mention of the millions and millions of dollars that will be brought into the country because of the wedding.  They just like to concentrate on the negative side, while at the same time totally ignoring things like the 4-million dollar bonuses being paid to financial moguls in addition to enormous salaries. To me something does not seem right here but maybe it is the trend of the times. I could go on and on with other like examples from around the world.

Since I came to live in Cambodia almost six years ago, I have written and spoken many times - often to the point of boredom, I have been told - about this wonderful country. I have written and spoken about the people of this country who are an amazingly resilient people, the epitome of friendliness and hospitality and a people who are proud - proud to be Cambodian, proud of their country and their heritage and proud of their King.  The younger generation is a determined one here.  One that is determined to work to make sure their country is one that prospers, not just for themselves personally, but for the entire population and is recognized throughout the world.  Those qualities are certainly not found in all countries around the world.


In every country whether it is a developed country or an undeveloped country there are always some negative aspects.  That is norm, but I believe here in this country the positive far out-weighs the negative,  These positive aspects should be shown to the world.

On Saturday, April 23rd a tremendous event took place in the capital city of Phnom Penh.  JCI Cambodia (Junior Chamber International) and AIESEC together with several sponsors organized a project called "Cambodia: Let's do it".   In every developing country, and especially one where education has been somewhat lacking for many years, people are not always aware of the environment and as a result garbage can be a problem - not just visually, but health-wise also.  

Phnom Penh is no exception.  However, the project organized on April 23rd had been planned over many months. It had the support of the city authorities and the Government.  The city was divided into zones and there were teams of people delegated to work in set areas.  By the start of the project over 2,500 young (and some not so young) people had arrived at the National Olympic Stadium to sign up and help.  That is a tremendous achievement in any one's book. A fleet of buses took the various teams from the Stadium to their work areas and brought them back later to the stadium.   His Excellency Khieu Kanarith, the Minister for Information and his wife as well as His Excellency Kep Chutemo, the Governor of Phnom Penh City were also present and addressed the crowd before joining in the clean up.  The young people felt honored that Their Excellencies had come to support them.   

By the end of the day the workers had done a tremendous job.  The enthusiasm of these young people to improve their city should be shown to the world as an example of what can be done with just a little effort when people old or young get together.  I feel proud to have the privilege of living here in this great country and being friends with such a wonderful people.  May their example be an influence to others around the world to work for improvement also rather than concentrating on the negative.

SHUT THE REACTORS!

Growing up in the hills of County Wicklow in Ireland we had no electricity and relied on candles and oil lamps.  To us it seemed to be the norm and was no problem.  Eventually we got a telephone - the type that you wound up and was attached to the wall, but was only working for the six hours a day that the Post Mistress was working in the Post Office.  Our number was Enniskerry 5 - and there were only five telephones in the area.

After some time the Electricity Board announced that they would be bringing the electric to our house which was just over a mile from the nearest neighbour.  My mother who was an actress - and in those days actors in Ireland earned very little - decided that we couldn't afford the cost.  Instead she found someone who would sell what was called a dynamo that could be attached to a windmill thing and that would generate electricity. Mother bought this dynamo and had it fixed at the top of a fir tree complete with a windmill.  This little contraption provided free electricity not only to our house, but it also lit up the cow house, the hen house and the garage.  This was my first introduction to wind power.

When I tell people about that first electricity that we had and how we got it, they laugh as they think it sounds so primitive.  That is probably because we have apparently progressed so much with technology, a simple little thing like a small dynamo sounds almost prehistoric.  But it worked for many years.

Since then we have come into the atomic age and only now are we beginning to think how much damage this technology is causing around the world.  The horrors of the atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki will never be forgotten.  Those in themselves should have been enough to make the world stop, look and learn from that lesson.  But no.  Tests of atom bombs continued - especially by the French and the Americans - on Christmas Island, in the deserts and wherever else wreaking havoc with the welfare and the health of so many people.

Then came the use of nuclear power to generate electricity in place of the coal fueled generators. It sounded like a good idea at the time.  It was clean unlike the coal burners that spewed out black smoke and polluted the atmosphere.   Nuclear generators were built all over the place with great gusto, but then what happened? Accidents began to happen.  In India, in Chernobyl, and other smaller ones along the way. Now we are dealing with the massive disaster caused by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan where the sum total of the effect of the radiation leaks from there will not be known for some time.   Since then we have been told that seven nuclear reactors generating electricity are built on a fault line just 47 miles north of New York city.  Unbelievable!  Commentators, analysts and "people who know" have been on TV talk shows saying they didn't think there was anything to worry about.  Of course not.  Nobody thought there was anything to worry about at Fukushima, Chernobyl or the plant in India - - that is until it happened!  The mind boggles at what would happen if there was a disaster at any of those New York based reactors.

The German Chancellor - Mrs. Angela Merkel - following the Fukushima disaster put a stop to all nuclear power plants in Germany.  Why have not other leaders followed suit?  Thailand is also considering going no further with its former plans for nuclear energy.  My mother was no scientist or mathematician but she had the brains to know way back then, that the most economic method of providing electric power to our home was by wind power - hence the little dynamo and windmill at the top of the pine tree.  The United States has acknowledged that wind power can provide a huge percentage of the necessary power needed, yet there is so much dithering going on. Congressional Committees galore to "look into it" and then subsequent Senate Committees to investigate the findings of the Congressional Committees. Do these so-called leaders not have the ability to understand the dangers that these nuclear reactors pose to ordinary people.  Wind power is cheap, it is easy and it is always there. 

The powers that be should stop the talk and start shutting down these dangerous nuclear reactors that can cause total havoc around the place as we have seen and begin the task of harnessing the wind.  We all know that these reactors could not be closed in a day. We also know that before they go, the alternative has to be in place otherwise industry and other things will be disrupted.  So stop the talk and start the task.  The argument that it will cost money is not valid, because you cannot put a dollar price on people's lives.  In this case - both the lives and livelihood of all of us are affected.  Let us hear the voices call out for action now before another disaster takes place somewhere.

AND WHAT PRICE A PERSON'S LIFE?

The last couple of weeks have seen an unbelievable upsurge in protests against Governments across the world.  Just a few months ago we would never in our wildest dreams have thought that this would happen.  Two Presidents -Egypt and Tunisia - have already been deposed but in other countries the protests continue.  King Abdullah of Jordan promptly instituted reforms and dismissed his then Government as soon as the protests started.  Since then reforms have continued and although not all of the people's problems there have been resolved - stability seems to be in sight.

In Morocco a few protests were reported, but what wasn't reported is the fact that protests are allowed in Morocco and have happened continually over the years and none have been destructive.  King Mohammad VI who has been on the throne since 1999 and was educated in Belgium  is known as a progressive monarch who has given rights to women.  His wife, H.R.H. Princess Lalla Salma is the first wife of a Moroccan king to be given an official title and position and represents the King at many overseas functions.  His mother - who was never seen before the death of his father, was immediately elevated to the rank of H.R.H. The Princess Mother when the present King ascended the throne.  He has also instituted many reforms to benefit his people in the areas of health and education over the years, yet in spite of these facts, the western media lumps the country with all the other uprisings calling it "another unsettled Arab country".   Generalization and profiling is never good.

Bahrain - while maybe not in league with Morocco - is also trying.  King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa may have been an autocratic ruler but in the last week he has listened to the people, freed prisoners of conscience as requested, withdrawn the army and police from the streets and asked the Crown Prince to start dialogue with all parties.  This is big progress. The King is not a stupid man and hopefully matters will get resolved soon.

But then there is Libya, which is a totally different story to all the others.  It has been a despotic regime for decades having been party to more than one horrific act of terrorism over the years.  However, it also happens to be one of the largest producers of oil in the world.  That is very important in the eyes of western leaders.  Nevertheless as I write this, people are being massacred by President Gaddafi's thugs.  It is thought some 500-plus have died already and President Gaddafi said on state television yesterday he would use all force possible to stop the protests, and then execute anyone who did protest.  An important fact is that these words were never heard from any of the leaders of the other troubled states, but nevertheless western leaders called for the respective Presidents to stand down from office.  Interesting, because there is not much oil coming from those countries

In a speech yesterday at the White House, President Obama - who, incidentally was one of those who telephoned Mr. Mubarak of Egypt and told him he should step down from the Presidency - called the atrocities being committed in Libya as "outrageous and unacceptable".  Nothing did he say about calling for President Gaddafi to step down.   From comments I have seen on TV this morning, most people in the Arab world and elsewhere thought his speech was "wishy-washy".  He did not go far enough.  The British leaders have not done any better.  Why are they afraid to show their strength?  Why are they afraid to use stronger terminology in the Libyan case where people are being slaughtered left right and center, when in less serious cases they were calling for the immediate departure of the Presidents?

The answer to those questins is simply one word - OIL!

Commentators on all the American and British radio and TV stations have been emphasizing how the price of oil could go up, how the world's supply of oil could be cut, how some businesses would lose millions if not billions, how the DOW stock index has fallen - etcetera, etcetera, etcerera.  But hundreds of innocent people who only want freedom and a chance to live with dignity are dying while the already extra rich moguls of Wall Street and the financial district of London can only think of their own pockets.  Only two big leaders - President Sarkozy of France and Mrs. Angela Merkel of Germany - spoke out and said something stronger must happen immediately to end this massacre.  They have now been joined by Mr. Ban Ki Moon of the United Nations, but not a word further from the other western leaders.

America regards itself as the example of concern and democracy and a leader.  Britain also puts itself in that role, China also has spoken out on occasions such as this, but where are they all now?  Why are they being so cautious and scared?  Is oil more important than people?  Let's hear your voices and see your actions.  Are people's lives not worth anything any more?  What would they be doing if the same things were happening in the U.S.A. or Britain or any other western country?  Not just sitting comfortably and only saying things were "outrageous and unacceptable" I am sure.  And why haven't we heard even from the leaders of our churches either?  Is it not politically correct for them?  After all, the churches preach justice and equality for all - so why don't they speak up?

I know I will get flack from some people for writing what I have here, but I get it all the time, so it doesn't matter.  I got it yesterday from some people (ex-pats) with whom I was talking on this very subject.  What does matter and what is of importance are the lives of innocent people whomever they are and wherever they are.  You cannot put a price on the lives of people - or compare a person to a barrel of oil.   So leaders, church people whomever - do whatever you can and stop these horrific happenings now.

WHAT WILL 2011 BRING FOR THE WORLD?

During the last week of 2010, I wrote to a friend in America and said I was rather glad that 2010 was almost over, as it really wasn't the best of years as far as I was concerned.  Nothing really terrible had happened during the year, but from time to time several unnecessary things turned up.  We were able to deal with them all and they are now history so details aren't necessary, but both my partner and I feel we could well have done without them and the traumatic feelings that came with some, so we were/are looking forward to a better year in 2011.

In the days that followed my writing that letter, I was surprised to learn that many people thought the same way we did.  There were many reasons for these feelings I  learned. The world-wide economic situation played a big part for some, the loss of a job, a home, a family member or maybe illness.  Whatever the reason - 2010 does not seem to have been the best of years for so many.

Now that 2011 is here and firmly entrenched I wonder if it is going any better than 2010.  As far as I am concerned personally, things are fine and going well.  I have no complaints - all is good.  However, having said that I have to look at the wider picture............ the world-wide picture. In this day and age where anyone in any part of the world can see and know what is going on in any other part of the world exactly as it is happening, we cannot isolate ourselves.

As I write this we are just beginning the seventh week of the year 2011 and in that short time more things have happened than anyone could have imagined.  Some of them hopefully to bring good, some maybe not.

In what is considered by so many to be the leader of civilized countries, the decidedly uncivilized rhetoric of many of the American politicians and others against one another that continued in January, was - and is - nothing less than a tool to incite bigotry and hatred and has even been cited as a possible cause for the seemingly continuing series of shooting rampages that occur.  When will these people learn to "respect the dignity of every human being"?  Is that not similarly stated in the much-quoted Constitution?  Can that kind of talk really bring happiness and peace?  I doubt it very much.

Moving further afield - this year even within these short seven weeks - we have seen tumultuous happenings throughout the world. Demonstrations against the Government in relatively small numbers appeared in Yemen.  These were followed very closely by huge demonstrations against the Government and President in Tunisia which resulted in President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fleeing the country. Almost immediately after - and just nineteen days ago, demonstrations erupted in Egypt which resulted in the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.  Smaller demonstrations occurred in Jordan and King Abdullah II took quick steps to install a new Government and start reforms and this morning I learn demonstrations are being planned in Algeria

I have no doubt that these events will bring big changes - all for the good, I hope to these countries.  Over the past years, I have visited all of the countries I mentioned above - some of them several times - and I have found their people to be among the kindest, friendliest and most peace-loving.  All they want is not war and turmoil in their countries, but just the ability to live peacefully, have an education, a job, a home and be able to raise their families without a constant struggle fighting poverty and corruption. This is as it should be and this is how I hope 2011 will turn out for them all.

However, having said that - the success of these changes depends greatly on the powerful so-called western countries.  Many of the most powerful western countries are ruled by powerful and wealthy businessmen and politicians who are on the lookout to promote their own personal interests and are only too willing to prop up a dictator willing to give them concessions.  We have seen that all the time.  This must not be allowed to happen again in these countries that have struggled to free themselves from dictators who have milked an untold amount of money and assets from their countries.  For once let the so-called civilized western powers show that they are civilized and that they are really and truly willing and able to help these nations rebuild a society for the good of their people and not just pay lip service and then swell their own bank accounts.

Just as a final thought - I have often wondered what makes these dictators "tick". What goes on in their minds?   Are they not aware of history or if they are, do they not learn from it?   Or do they just hope bad things will not happen to them if they hold the reins tight?   Go back in living memory (and you could go back even much further) to the days of Hitler and Mussolini and you will find that almost every dictator came to what could well be described as a "very sticky end".  One of the very few who didn't was General Franco of Spain, and one reason was because the people knew he was grooming the then Crown Prince Carlos to take the throne once Franco died. That was something the people wanted and it happened.

I have only met personally one dictator in my life and that was one of the worst - President Nicolae Ceausescu of Romania. I was working in London at the time and went on an official visit to Romania..  I had the somewhat dubious distinction of being invited to the Presidential Palace in Bucharest to meet President Ceausescu and his wife. On a one-to-one basis I have to say he was an extremely pleasant man and a gracious host.  His wife, on the other hand I could only describe as a "scary woman" who never smiled even as she greeted us and I felt quite uncomfortable even shaking hands with her.  The interesting thing about that day was that the President when talking to us, continually harped on the fact that he was so adored by the people and he did so much for them so they wanted him to stay for ever.  I never understood whether he was living in "La-La" land and really believed what he said, or whether he was putting on an act for us so that when we returned home we would tell all how much he was loved. (Mr.Mubarak's last speech to the people seemed to be along the same lines, strangely enough).  Whatever the reason, it wasn't too long after that before both President Ceausescu and his wife came to a very unpleasant end.
  

Is there a lesson here?  Yes!  Maybe the powerful should open their eyes and ears more often and listen to the people.

CAMBODIA WILL GRIEVE BUT IT WILL RECOVER.

Throughout the year, the people of The Kingdom of Cambodia - particularly those from the Provinces - look forward to the Annual Water Festival that takes place in Phnom Penh during the month of November. It is a spectacular event that attracts literally millions of people who come to the city to watch the boat races on the Tonle Sap River.  The city lights up, the Royal Palace becomes even more beautiful when it is outlined with myriads of lights at night and illuminated floats sail up and down the river.  The opening ceremony is presided over by His Majesty The King.  This ceremony signals the beginning of three days of racing that can involve maybe 400 boats and each day is capped off with a magnificent display of fireworks across the Tonle Sap River.  To witness this festival is an incredible experience, but for me personally, having seen it twice I find the crowds too much, so now I leave the city for the few days it takes place.  But by doing that I am not in any way trying to detract from the excitement and fun of the event as well as the many benefits it brings to the country and the people.

During the past year, the "powers-that-be" here have made some tremendous improvements to the city and especially in the area along the banks of the Tonle Sap River - known as Riverside - where the festival is held.  These improvements have included garden and park areas and spaces for people to play, thus allowing so much more space.  Perhaps it was because of these improvements and the added space made available, that so many more people were attracted to the city for this year's Water Festival last week.  But whatever the reason, it has been estimated that up to 4-million people came to Phnom Penh this year against the normal 2-million in previous years.  In anyone's language, that is a whole lot of people and no matter how good and controlled the people are, it will present problems somewhere along the line.  Disasters can and do happen anywhere.


I returned to Phonm Penh around 9.30pm on the last night of the Festival and though the crowds made it almost impossible to move, it was obvious the people were happy and enjoying themselves.  In the little park between my home and the Royal Palace, a stage had been set up and a concert was going strong and thousands and thousands of people were crammed into the park listening and singing along.  It was a joyous occasion.   About thirty minutes later that all changed.  Police and ambulance sirens wailed, the concerts were stopped and the city was stunned.


This year a new suspension bridge was opened to make it easier to get to Diamond Island in the Bassac River just a short way from where the boat races were taking place.   Diamond Island itself has also been developed with many businesses, shopping areas and restaurants, and in addition a concert was arranged on the last night of the Festival.  It was to all of this that many people decided to cross over to the island after the day's racing was finished.  Many of those crossing - (and it is now estimated at the time of writing, that over eight thousand were on the bridge at any one time) - were unaware that suspension bridges are built to sway under stress.  So when the bridge swayed a little, then some believed it was collapsing and panic ensued.  What followed is history. Three hundred and fifty-six young people died and almost four hundred were injured.


When something like this happens in a far off country, there is always shock and sadness for those affected, but if a person is in any way involved, then it becomes very real.


I did not know personally anyone involved in the accident, but the following day I was asked to help locate four teenage brothers who were missing.  Not a pleasant task.  The boys had come from Battambang in the north for the Festival but now they could not be located again.     With their older brother who had come to try to find them, I visited the injured in the hospitals - many of whom were in a dazed state, not realizing quite what had happened.   We visited the place where those who died were placed lying in rows on mats on the floor waiting to be identified.


I have been in several disasters around the world in my time but this was something I had never encountered before and I am not ashamed to say I cried a lot.   Lying side-by-side fully dressed in their jeans and T-shirts or whatever and just looking as if they were sleeping because none had any visible injuries, were maybe 80 young people - boys and girls - and none more than perhaps in their early twenties.  This is a young country population-wise, where 67% of the population is under aged 25 and now these young people were no more. A huge chunk of the future of the Kingdom was gone in a matter of minutes.


Later that night we found the four brothers for whom we had been searching.  They were in a hospital injured, but they will recover in time.   For so many the story did not end the same way.  Speaking about those who died, a Cambodian friend of mine said "We cannot be sad again now for them because they are now happy and will have no more upset. Now we must think of those of their families who are left behind and those who are still recovering."  That is perfectly true. 


The people of this wonderful country are very resilient and I love all of them dearly.  They have been through so much and so many horrors within the last 30-years yet they still keep going and still smile and they will do so this time too.  It is an honour and pleasure to live among them.

However, when something like this happens anywhere, questions will always be asked, lessons will always be learned and changes to some things and ways of doing things will always have to be made.  Cambodia will be no exception and the future festivals here, I am sure will benefit from the lessons learned from this year's happenings.