The contrasts to be seen here in Phnom Penh are at once both fascinating and distressing. The new wealth has clearly transformed the lives of, say, twenty per cent of the population. For the rest, life is lived on the streets, from the countless eating places, to shops that spill out their goods onto the pavement down to the destitute who beg and sleep there (of whom there are all too many).
While the default expression is a broad smile, there is plenty of evidence of civil unrest. Even while I have been in the city there have been demonstrations (some violent) outside embassies and ministries. They are about land concessions, the minimum wage and housing. The peace so badly needed here is fragile and there is deep distrust of the neighbours Vietnam and Thailand. There are problems of migrant labourers being exploited and the absence of basic healthcare.
And there is good news, too. The economy is booming, at an average growth of 7% per annum. The challenge is to make sure that the boom improves everyone's lives. The rights of the indigenous are being recognised but, for the moment, the process of recognition is too costly and cumbersome for most groups. There is an awareness of the need to protect the environment but that struggles with the legal demands of the land concessions already granted to multi-nationals and the difficulties of monitoring mineral extraction and deforestation. These are the problems that make up the chorus in just about every country I visit with CAFOD. What gives me hope is that at least these problems are now being recognised, measured, discussed and (to use the jargon) 'addressed'. It will take time but the direction is right.
I had time this morning to go for a walk. The main streets have names but the rest are numbered, not necessarily in sequence! The side streets are bustling and there is a little covered market just a couple of streets away from the hotel. The place was heaving with people and the atmosphere good and friendly. It is difficult to understand the food poverty in a place like this. Being early morning, the Buddhist monks are out in big numbers to collect their daily offerings. It is such a common sight in Cambodia but the people seem to give freely and generously - in my experience thin or underfed monks are never to be seen.
Siem Reap. The very name speaks volumes. It means 'Siem (Thailand) defeated/Vanquished'. The history of Cambodia over the centuries has been caught up in the two neighbors who almost entirely surround its borders. Cambodia has sided with Thailand against Vietnam and with Vietnam against Thailand and all too often been defeated by both. The suspicion remains today. Siem Reap was the ancient capital and is founded on the site of Angkor, the capital city of the great days of empire. The temples are all that remain but they are a wonder of the world.
The city of Siem Reap has the highest average wealth of Cambodian cities but its provincial inhabitants are the poorest. The view from the air was of uncontrolled floods across what is almost entirely a flood plain. All too much is at risk and dependent on the rainy season. But the city is the tourist centre of Cambodia because of the temples and the airport road is packed with new and very luxurious hotels.
Our first call from the airport was made to a CAFOD partner which works in the rural areas for women's education, rights and development. We had a half hour of introduction and explanation of their work in their office before setting out to visit one of the groups. Fortunately, we had to pass by the Angkor Wat temple and it is truly magnificent, both in size and decoration.
We went into the countryside, no more than five or six miles beyond the temple area but it was another world. The poverty was extreme. We stopped first at a large field which a particular group of women had purchased (with help from CAFOD and partner). They farm the land and it is highly productive. One woman in the group has made 160 US Dollars for herself and her family this year - a princely sum. Her husband’s pay is subsistence level so this extra cash makes a world of difference.
These women have been taught simple intense farming methods and crops of vegetables are available three to four times a year. They make their own compost and insecticide. The goods are traded in local markets and the variety of crop is all good for better health. We sat on bamboo mats and heard stories about how their lives are improved.
We then went to the village of one of the women and I was shocked. They barely had roofs over their heads and having experienced the rains in the past few days I can understand that their shelter is completely inadequate. No electricity, sewage or any essential utility. The tiny shacks stand a couple of feet off the floor and the ones I entered had just a mat for sleeping and a few cooking pots.
But the smiles were all there and the sense of gratitude expressed. The people here try to farm if they can acquire land but otherwise they look for work in the temple area, as cleaners or restaurant staff. There is no adhering to the minimum wage here it seems.
The temple area was packed with people, and they were leaving in their thousands as sunset approached. There was a log jam of cars and coaches on the roads. Every non-Cambodian pays per visit. There must be vast sums of money passing hands but there are no accounts published and there are clear views about where the money goes.
