Challenges to democracy

A tumultuous time to be in this land
Where pride, greed and power move insatiable hands
And lust for vainglory move with painful expedience
And places on good people a mark of obedience

KEP, CAMBODIA

July 27- 28, 2008

The Cambodian national election was on Sunday. What a farce, though. The European Union was in town in Kep to observe and oversee, which I suppose is important, but when your primary tactic of gaining democratic support is fearmongering, there is nothing an outside observer can do in a crisis except turn tail and evacuate.

The CPP has been buying votes, plain and simple. They invite villagers to their rallies, and give them seasoning packets and sarongs -- and in some cases, money -- to convince the villagers to vote for the incumbent party. Nerver mind that little has been done since the previous election. And the opposing parties, who have far less money, are at an incredible disadvantage when it comes to buying votes. What injustice.

So, it begs the question: are there any good parties left in Cambodia? Does anyone care about the Cambodian people? Why are foreigners the ones picking up the pieces, when in fact, there is nothing -- NOTHING -- that would keep us here if our lives were in danger?

And then, in a display of ironic poetry, the Thais have been stirring up trouble at Preah Vihear this election time. There is a threat of war, and fearmongering is being used as a prime tactic to case conflict and division, in bullying a neighbour into giving the Thais what they want.

***

On another, less political note, we helped Doc R take inventory of all the drugs that CIH has yesterday, too. Some are to be donated to Kep Hospital and the health centres, and some to be kept. Either way, it was not a three person affair and I had to listen to Doc R yap the entire time. Plus I had the unbelievably glamourous job of counting 264 little red iron pills, followed by 240 paracetamol and then redistribute them into equal packets of 20 pills for iron, and 15 for paracetamol.

In the evening, we had our last dinner at the local place. Food has been cold the last couple of nights, so it's been a little disappointing. Ah well...on to better things and better gastronomic fare!


On our last day in Kep though, Monday, TH and I were supposed to go with Doc R to do some outreach stuff, which unfortunately fell through. We ended up just visiting the hospital to donate the drugs and Toronto Notes which we had lugged all the way to Cambodia. Here's the water tower at the hospital that I finally got a picture of. It's the same one that Peon 2 and I were slave labour forced into scraping the fungus off. Look so clean!


And then it was our last lunch at our local place, and then, even sadder still, our last grilled bananas (chek ang in Khmer). So sad...