Us = Cambodia, Them = Vietnam

It happened when I was out with a Khmer friend for dinner. We were sitting at a street corner discussing the election and my friend was talking about how the Vietnamese controlled the Cambodian government. She had heard that they controlled the Lao government too. As she talked more, I realised that for Cambodians, the Vietnamese were "the other" who were feared.

We form social bonds by creating common identities, and one of the most powerful can be the sense of nation. This identity allows us to claim things for ourselves that we had nothing to do with. For instance, when Mo Farah won the Olympics, I was delighted because "we" had won a gold medal. It even allows us to claim things for ourselves that happened before we were born. "We", being James Watt and every Scottish or possibly British person since, invented the steam engine. We even feel proud of ourselves for this. Well done us. 

The identity of the "we" can be strengthened by not just defining who the "us" are, but also by defining "them", or "the other". We even sometimes give "them" names. In Cambodia, they have given the Vietnamese the name Yuon. The Cambodian opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, has consistently decried the influence of the Yuon in Cambodia during his speeches, which appears to energise his supporters and the public.

Despite various conversations with friends and reading about politics here, I only recently grasped the depth of hate for the Vietnamese that exists within the Cambodian psyche. We were watching a film that included interviews with the late King Father Sihanouk. After Cambodian-Vietnamese forces defeated the Khmer Rouge in 1979, freeing him from their arrest in the process, he sided with the Khmer Rouge against them. He helped persuade countries that the Khmer Rouge should keep Cambodia's seat at the UN, rather than the seat be given to the Vietnamese installed government. For him, there was no other option but to side with the Khmer Rouge even if they had killed some of his children.

Vietnamese sign: "Determined to firmly safeguard national sovereignty"

This intrigued me and made me begin to understand more what people were thinking during the civil war of the1980s, and also now. But I was still not prepared for what the King Father said next. He said that he would rather have died as a prisoner of the Khmer Rouge than his country be saved by the Vietnamese. 

The man who became King, achieved independence for his country, ruled as Prime Minister, saw sons and daughters die, returned as King to a unify a destroyed country, said that he loved his country so much that he would rather that the Khmer Rouge continued its destruction of Cambodia, than Cambodia be saved by Vietnam.  I don't think there could be a clearer sense of "us" and "them" than this.

It is this division that is evident in today's politics and is galvanising opposition to the Prime Minister,  who first became Prime Minister during the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia in the 1980s. Cambodians cite history showing that Vietnam has previously tried to take over territory by movements of people first followed by formal occupation. Cambodians fear this now because of Vietnamese people in Cambodia whilst believing that the people of Vietnam today are closely linked to the people of Vietnam hundreds of years ago; just like I believe that I am linked to a guy who invented the steam engine in 1765.

Hoi An, Viet Nam: These girls sell little lanterns that float on the river.  Who can resist buying one? Depends on what you think about child labour I guess.

Feeding this fear is the real loss of some territory to Vietnam, for instance the island of Phu Quoc, and large Vietnamese companies controlling industries such as rubber and timber. Sam Rainsy has called for immigration controls of Vietnamese people despite only being two years away from Cambodia and Vietnam becoming part of an ASEAN community. This community, like the EU, seeks to forge a new common identity, a new "we". And in this "we", people will be free to live and work in any of the ASEAN countries they wish to.

The driving motive of European integration was (and still is for some) that nations will have more security because countries i.e. France and Germany, are less likely to go to war with each other. Nations are protected not by strengthening separate identities but by retaining them whilst promoting a second common "we" identity. Some would say that it's worked. Peace for Cambodia might come through this route rather than one emphasising difference.

Gordon

Fight corruption? Send volunteers not money

A few years ago, the head of the Kenyan anti-corruption unit was hiding in a dorm in Oxford University, on the run for his life. He had secretly taped Government ministers and officials discussing stealing millions of dollars. A lot of this was aid money.

The Global Health Fund has just released a report alleging that the Cambodian Ministry of Health has potentially misused $12m of $87m aid money. Officials asked contractors to inflate costs to then give kickbacks to the same officials. Transparency International has announced that Cambodia is perceived to be the 17^th most corruption country in the world.

It didn't take long for this guy to count his chickens. He was just sitting there waiting for a bus. With his chicken. 

Understandably, people in donor countries see this corruption and feel that their money is being wasted. I hate seeing this waste too, especially when you can see so clearly the difference the money could make. Some think that because some money is being wasted, donors should stop giving money. However, this is akin to turning off all the lights because the light bulbs lose some light energy through heat.

Embezzling money is a type of waste and waste happens in all governments, and all organisations. However, wasted money can still create some benefits as rather than the money simply disappearing, it is being used for other purposes. In Cambodia, for instance, it used to buy Lexus or Range Rover cars, expensive watches and big houses. This is disgusting but it is undeniable that this spending boosts the economy and creates wealth.

By now, you may have gathered that these photos have nothing to do with the blog. But I thought that you might find them interesting. These are coconut sellers with their carts about to spread out and start selling. 50 cents for one. 

Now, obviously this is not the optimal outcome; the money would have greater benefit if used for other purposes and contributed to more equal development. But a lot of the wasted money is being spent in the developing country, injecting millions into the economy and creating jobs. 

Corruption and waste should not be ignored however, as the negative effects on society are clear – just read It’s our turn to eat, which documents the corruption scandals in Kenya mentioned above. Donor and recipient countries should find ways to reduce corruption and waste.

November was the end of the wet season, and there was a lot of flooding, and deaths, this year. I was out for an early morning cycle with the aim of crossing the bridge and coming back down the other side. It was there a few months ago!

I believe that part of the answer is looking at VSO. VSO does not send money, VSO sends people. The aim is not to spend money and build things, but to spend time and build skills. The value is greater and the opportunity for misuse of funds, as there isn’t any, is small. VSO volunteers can also help build systems of working that make it harder for corruption to happen.

VSO can also waste money by having ineffective volunteers but there is not the same damaging effect on society of corrupt officials grabbing huge amounts of wealth. Also, working with a volunteer is hard; taking aid money is easy. Whether they want to work with volunteers is a good indication of whether they are serious about improving working methods and systems or not.

Gordon

How did the Philippines end up in South East Asia?

Before coming to Cambodia, my only impression of Filipinos came from American TV which often portrays them as cleaners, maids or nannies. Living in Cambodia, I realized how highly regarded Filipinos are in Asia for their education levels, mastery of English and their active civil society. There are many Filipinos holding senior positions in international organizations working in South East Asia.

I was slightly surprised at how large a role the Philippines plays in the region. In my head, I would not group the Philippines with other South East Asian countries such as Viet Nam, Malaysia or Thailand. Whilst I would be wrong geographically, I think I am right socially. The Philippines is not like anywhere else I have been in Asia. 

He's feeling lonely

Philippines is predominantly Catholic and visibly so. Huge crosses are on top of buildings and there are bill boards advertising the messages of God or Jesus. At the start of the conference I was attending, all participants were asked to stand and sing a Christian devotion, which I imagine attendees from Cambodia, Viet Nam, Thailand and Nepal may have found a little strange.  

Even the Jeepneys have Christian messages (see the one on our right)

Filipinos are also very expressive people, and one of the most joyous examples of this is the Jeepney. These are like public busses except they are individually painted, usually in bright and bold colours. Every time I saw one of these, it made me smile. And luckily, they are everywhere.

Their jovial skin represents a cheerful, social nature inside. Jeepneys literally bring people together as they are squashed together or hanging from the sides. When it comes to paying, passengers pass their money forward to the driver and the change comes back passing through everyones hands again.

The willingness to express emotions and opinions are not things that I have witnessed or are associated with many Asian countries. The difference in the Philippines may arise from the youthfulness of the country. Countries like Cambodia have a high proportion of the population aged below 30, but it is still a society where age bestows power and authority.

I was in the Philippines at the time of an election and I was struck by how youthful the candidates were and the deputy mayor of the huge urban area of Manilla that I was staying in was about 32. Youthful vigour appears to be a quality respected in the Philippines, which in other Asian countries would be taken for impetuosity. 

As well as the cool Jeepneys, they also have these wonderful things that zip around. It's amazing how many people can be crammed in.

The vigour is also apparent in Filipino civil society, where the benefits of having a public argument are valued. Other Asian countries value consenus and view public argument, even if only in a meeting with more than two people, as something impolite that could cause a loss of face which will be remembered for years to come. This value of discourse and presence of Christianity comes from American and Spanish influence which courses through the culture, including the language. 

Ok, this is just a shop sign, but trust me, you would never see anything like this in Cambodia.  

Walking the streets, I felt that I was in Latin America rather than Asia and it was not just the different architecture. The clothes that people wear are different and the food that people eat, despite the ubiquity of rice, is different too. It is more Spanish with cured meats, stews and paella type things. And startlingly, when I was walking the streets, I was not alone; Filipinos were walking too.  In Cambodia, I was once told by a Cambodian that Cambodians would drive their moto to the toilet to take a poo. 

All is not too different in the Philippines though, they still do some early morning aerobic dancing.

Thanks

Gordon