Corruption: A Wink Is As Good As A Nod

We are all aware that corruption is rampant in many third world countries, and Cambodia is certainly no exception. I was talking with two of my former colleagues from the EPA who were in Siem Reap for an international environmental conference this past week and discussed with them some of the evidence I've heard/read about the Cambodian government's level of corruption. I told them that unfortunately the Ministry of Environment in this country is guilty of corruption, too!

A sand pile in Boeung Kak Lake. The Cambodian
company continues to dump the sand close to
the peoples' homes to pressure them to
move away sooner  rather than later

For one, there is a well known issue in Phnom Penh surrounding the recent award of a 99 year lease from the government to a national Cambodian conglomerate. The lease is of Boeung Kak Lake, a lake that used to be a popular backpacking district, a place for families to run guesthouses, restaurants and bars, and the home of nearly 4,000 families. Not only is this an issue of human rights and internal displacement, but also a failure on behalf of the Ministry of Environment which is allowing the Cambodian company to fill in the lake with sand so that they may build on it. Um, HELLO! Sure, there may be new technology that can make this seemingly irrational construction feat possible, but there are obviously going to be some environmental ramifications in the long-run. Nevertheless, the project has begun and thousands of livelihoods are being destroyed along with the environment.

A beautiful shot of the mangrove
forests on the Tonle Sap Lake

Then there is of course the very new issue that Cambodia has recently found oil in the beautiful Tonle Sap Lake. Oil companies from around the world are currently making their bids, and I'm sure many of them are offers that the Cambodian government cannot refuse. Will the Ministry of Environment do anything to stop them? Will they make their posters, board a boat, and cruise around the lake shouting, "SAVE OUR ENVIRONMENT! GET YOUR OIL ELSEWHERE!"? Very doubtful. So, it will not surprise me when in 2-5 years the fishing industry that takes place in the Tonle Sap Lake is destroyed, yielding nationwide protein deficiency (Cambodians get 30% of their protein intake from the fish in this lake), wreaking havoc on the beautiful UNESCO bird and mangrove protection site, and potentially persuading the centuries old floating fishing communities to buy property on land.

A centuries old Floating Village on Tonle Sap Lake.
The community is nearly self-sufficient

Sacrificing the environment and livelihoods of native populaces on behalf of rapid development, however, is commonplace in Cambodia and many other developing countries around the world. Hollywood can even tell this story well: See AVATAR. Developing countries don't look to history that proves how detrimental environmental degradation can be in the name of development. I sadly cannot say that I totally blame them, as I too would want to have a chance for my country to strike it rich. However, it is discouraging and disheartening to watch the Ministry of Environment not do anything about it. To seemingly not even put up a fight. "Why?" you ask? My answer: 'Because the Minister is undoubtedly a crony to Prime Minister Hun Sen and the big national companies.' This is not speculation, but rather common knowledge here in Cambodia. It is not difficult to get a regulation changed or overlooked to obtain the opportunity for a lucrative development project. Ministers can be bribed, they are human and eager to line their pockets.

Wow, I'm tired from typing all of that. What really fatigues me, however, is not just the prevalent corruption or the environmental negligence, but rather the laundry list of other issues that plague Cambodia. Perhaps this list, which was written in the order of which the topics came to me, will help explain to you all why there are over 2,000 NGOs working here in Cambodia. It is a list that will also help shed some light on all of the nation's woes, and the reasons why so many international development workers will not go hungry for work in Cambodia, even if they grow tired of it:

Khmer people who live in Siem Reap
sifting through the rubbish at the local landfill
 trying to find anything of value 

Internal displacement, sex workers/human trafficking/brothels, orphans, pedophilia, HIV/AIDS, cronyism/corruption/silencing of political opposition, lack of teachers and educational opportunities for children, threat of radical Islam on native Cham Muslims, rural v. urban job opportunities, discovery of oil, growing income disparities, societal rehabilitation and reconciliation post-Khmer Rouge, exploitative Chinese/Japanese joint ventures, lack of maternal health/health education/nutrition, landmines, aesthetic obsession with white skin, children and the poor working/living in unsanitary landfills etc etc etc.