Syria most dangerous for journalists

It has been made official by the Comittee to Protect Journalists that Syria is the most dangerous place for journalists in the world at present. 

These statistics come after a Japanese reporter was killed in Apello yesterday and two other journalists have also gone missing in the city.

Last week, CPJ documented the killings of three local journalists and the kidnapping of several others. CPJ research shows that at least 16 other journalists have been killed since November while covering Syria, making it the most dangerous place in the world for journalists. 

SOURCE: CPJ

Choeung Ek – The Killing Fields of Phnom Penh

Situated almost nine miles outside of Phnom Penh’s city centre you will find Choeung Ek, one of the most devastating ‘tourist attractions’ Asia has on offer.

During the communist Pol Pot/ Khmer Rouge regime in the seventies, people were taken from the S-21 prison (see previous blog) after being forced by torture into confessing that they were against the new government. So, the people didn’t really have many options – either be tortured to death, or confess and then be taken away to be killed – THAT, my friends, is a major catch 22 situation. 

It is believed that over 20,000 people were murdered on this site.

The area of genocide is filled with mass graves, many of which have been carefully excavated due to investigation and later Buddhist religion beliefs - the remains taken away to be looked after. Some however still lie untouched. All the graves were shallow, people were thrown in, sometimes still half alive and left to die on top of already dead corpses.

The momumental temple in which thousands of bones of victims are stored. On the back sign
to the right it says: "Would you please kindly show your respect to the many million people
killed under the genocidal Pol.Pot regime."

Today, as you walk around the area, you can still see random pieces of bone and teeth that appear all the time – especially when the ground becomes unearthed during the heavy rainfall in the rainy season.

For a $5 entrance fee, tourists are provided with an audio guide that provides an in-depth guide to all the sights around the Killing Fields with some heart-breaking and disturbing stories about what went on there. One of the most heart wrenching parts are the interviews with the few survivors/ eye witnesses of the crimes committed. You will hear about babies having their heads smashed against trees, people being killed for having soft hands or wearing glasses and about the way in which people were herded up like cattle and made to wait in horrendous conditions to be killed.

Another thing I learnt about during my visit was that the Khmer Rouge didn’t like to waste weapons on killing the victims as they preferred to preserve these for any combat. So, this is the reason for the brutal manner in which they killed people, by beating their heads in, cutting their throats with palm tree leaves (very tough, razor edged leaves) etc.

Skulls on display inside the memorial temple. 

Also, during the time of the killings, they used chemicals in the graves to speed-up the decomposing process as well as to disguise the foul smell from anyone nearby so that they didn’t realise what was going on. I also saw the speaker that was used in the evenings during killing times to disguise the sounds of victims being killed for anyone that was near.

Today most of the bodily remains from the mass graves can be found in the monumental temple that was erected in honour of the victims where they have carefully sorted and placed the bones in different shelves.

Sadly, I have none of my own photos to post from the graves as during my walk around I felt it was inappropriate. I couldn’t believe when I saw some people smoking cigarettes and eating/ drinking around the graves.

Mass grave uncovered, Siem Reap. August 2012
Photo: Phnom Penh Post

I did however take some pictures of the memorial which is situated outside of the main part of the grounds that houses the remains of many of the victims.

Killing Fields and mass graves are not only in Phnom Penh, there are many plotted around different parts of Cambodia. Only last week was another mass grave uncovered near Siem Reap province, read the story by the Phnom Penh Post here… PHNOM PENH POST ARTICLE



A chilling reminder of Cambodia’s retched, and recent history.


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A significant moment of insignificance.

Diary entry: From 8^th August 2012

Tonight I witnessed a motorbike accident in which I saw a young man smeared across a road and killed instantly.

My driver and I had to sit right beside this carnage for five minutes on the back of our moto before the understandable traffic jam started to move. A gushing feeling of emptiness came over me as I watched the aftermath process in a state of shock.

The more I watched, the more I noticed that the people were all too used to this sight – which really got to me. People were standing, looking, smoking, chatting, as if there were critiques at some sort of theatrical spectacle. In the meantime policemen were pushing everyone in sight, and frantically collecting pieces of the victim and soaking up the blood that had escaped onto the road.

I thought about the victim’s family, and the hard times to come for them. I thought about where he was heading to on his moto…and inevitably I thought about if it had have been me. Would I have had such an audience watching me, dead, in the middle of the road while they puffed on their cigg’s and tried to catch the best possible glimpse of me? Would I have been that insignificant too? Would my death just have been another number on the road, something that happens everyday in this city?

As we unsteadily sieved our way through the traffic jam and away from scene of the accident on our moto, I patted my driver on the back to try and evoke some sense of compassion between us for what we had just witnessed.  When finally we began to drive again, I knew that, in whichever language we spoke or religion we followed, we were both thinking the same thing…”That could have been me…Thank God it wasn’t.”

........

Scenes like this are all too common in Cambodia.

• The number of registered vehicles in Cambodia now (as of 2009) exceeds 1,000,000, with motorcycles making up 79% of the motor vehicle population.
• Over the past five years, the number of fatalities caused by crashes has almost doubled.
• With 15.1 deaths per 10,000 vehicles, Cambodia has one of the highest fatality rates among the ASEAN countries.
• RCVIS (Road Crash Victim Information System) reports 77% of road traffic casualties in Cambodia are motorcycle riders and 44% suffer traumatic head injuries

NEWS: Greece - Desperate times, desperate measures?

Today international newswires reported that Greece is to deport 1,600 immigrants, all of whom have already been arrested in Athens.

Nikos Dendias, Public Order Minister, said that this is due to the economic problems facing the country and that they couldn't afford an "invasion of immigrants"

They are worried that there will be an increased number of immigrants trying to illegally enter the country as a result of the current war in Syria. Therefore border security with Turkey has been maxed.

More than 6,000 people were detained in recent days, though most were released.

More than 80% of mingrants enter the EU through Greece, which is currently a country in cronic financial downfall.

But what about the immigrants that have been sent back to where they came from? Those of whom have perhaps escaped social hardships or war in their own countries (88 Pakistan immigrants were sent back on Sunday) What is to await them upon their return...? Is it their own fault?... Is Greece doing right or wrong? 


.....?

Angkor Wat

Report coming soon of my visit to the incredible Ankor Wat...
"8th Wonder of the World"

TRAVEL: One day in Kampot.

A bit of a belated blog update, but three weekends ago I visited Kampot, a province in southern Cambodia.

A short report for a short visit…albeit a much needed one after having already lived for 3 weeks at the NGO.

Afternoon, Kampot.

*click photo's to enlarge*

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KAMPOT is situated a 5 hour journey from Phnom Penh by bus ($3.50)

The town is nothing special, in fact it is quite unattractive. The reason to go here is if you want to relax with some good food and see some nice scenery outside of the city.

The mountain’s around Kampot are beautiful and the sunset is one of the most profound I have seen - a very deep colour of orange.

Sunset in Kampot

This region used to be a huge supplier of pepper, something it’s still famous for – although not produced like it used to be. When the Khmer Rouge communist regime came to power in 1975 they stopped the production of pepper (most of which used to be transported to France) and instead they made the people grow rice.

While I was here, with my friend Amaia, we stayed at Belgian owned Olly’s Place. http://www.ollysplacekampot.com/ - an amazingly well priced accommodation right on the river which offered free water activities such as canoeing, windsurfing, paddle boarding etc. $5 a night. We spent some of the afternoon paddle boarding on the secluded river with the relaxing and stunning sights around us.

Olly's Place, Kampot

Paddle boarding, Kampot.

The next day we had a look around the town, where there is very little to see/ do, and not too many westerners around – we had many communication difficulties, which were actually rather fun. We were in search of a place that gave massages by blind people…a way for them to earn a living as there is not much, if any, support for blind people in Cambodia. 

We had no idea where this place was, so we kept going up to local people in shops/ their houses/ anywhere and asking if they knew. We looked like crazy people as we proceeded to put our hands over our eyes and then rub our shoulders while repeating, very slowly “BLIND MASSAGE”. We got some laughs and strange looks, I can assure you. Finally, a barely English speaking tuk-tuk driver was able to point us in the right direction.

–        And as for the massage, WOW. Those people make up for their lack of sight with the use of their hands. Incredible… painful, but incredible. If you ever visit look out for ‘healing hands massage – massages by the blind’ $4/1hr.

At the bridge, just after sunset.

Besos,

StevieG.x