Grave Consequences - The Fear Factor of Cambodia

Grave Consequences

 In 1992, the United Nations Transitional Authorities took over the control of all functions of Cambodian government and Cambodian civil society. White trucks clearly marked with black UN insignia dominated the scene throughout Cambodia. It was one of the UN’s largest mission in recent history. Over sixty countries were involved with a budget of over US$2 billion.  In addition, there were massive military hardware, personnel, volunteers and administrative professionals deployed to help rebuild a land known in contemporary history only war, hunger, killings and mass graves.

It was after all Cambodia’s last hope for sustainable peace. The collective undertaking entrusted to the UN workers was to bring three major political factions together to organize a democratic election in hope of a sustainable peace, freedom and prosperity through infrastructure re-construction and skills transfer.

The reconciliation between three political factions was achieved and the first democratic election was held.  Some observers may disagree on the legitimacy of the result; but many countries involved in the efforts seemed to be satisfied with the outcome.  The re-construction efforts had a significant jumpstart due to the sizeable finances and people expertise committed.  Ironically; one tragic thing that is often forgotten that the UN workers left behind was a deadly time bomb (AIDS) that will gradually pierce the hearts and souls of Cambodia and her people.

It is said by the local Cambodians that “It is better to have AIDS than not have any thing at all”. AIDS is often the most feared subject discussed in every day’s life in Cambodia; but given the economic situation, the subject of AIDS is polarized and ignored. Economic survival and livelihood become more imperative over all else.

It was reported by the World Health Organization that Cambodia only had seven cases of AIDS in the entire nation before the UN mission there in 1992. It is with such irony that good deeds and the contrasting mischievous behaviors of those involved could turn out to be so ruinous to the hope and dreams of a nation that had endured human suffering and losses that were beyond imagination.

It is not a blame solely place on the UN and its workers but merely an illustration to show that international efforts with much good intentions failed to predict the worst possible outcome.

Poverty-stricken nation such as Cambodia will always be a haven for sexual predators to prey on the weak and the innocence.  Sexual predators will exploit and germinate sexually transmitted diseases and other diseases because they are simply heartless animals.

Cambodia is gradually becoming one of Southeast Asia’s biggest time bombs because no concrete plans are in place to curtail the problems of HIV/AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases.

Deteriorating family values, economic insufficiency, and lack of jobs forced many Cambodian women from many farming communities around the country to find work in the big cities.

Once in the cities, the young women become sexual prey to the rich locals and foreigners with cash and power who often prey on them purely for sexual pleasure. Many of the women are misled to the promises of good paying jobs. Often times, the harsh economic realities put the women in an extremely tempting situation to make life’s decision that will forever changed them.  Moral values and the definition of right and wrong can easily get muddled up. Once money exchanged hand, human beings are bought and sold like commodities to perform heinous sexual acts.

It is estimated that 150,000 Cambodian women are employed as garment workers. It is typically the passage way to more cruelty than just economic survival. Low monthly  wages coupled with the harsh working conditions lead many young women to look for faster routes to make extra dollars. It is the dirtiest route imaginable, but a woman is able to earn up to $30 dollars in exchange for sexual services per night.  In contrast, factory work pays an equivalent of $30 per month.

Many young women are bought and sold like animals not knowing why, when and how they ever regain their freedom. Once in the brothel, they are easily sold for quick sex at the cost less than a cheeseburger.

Most sexual slaves would be required to serve up to fifty men per day. If refused, they would be gravely punished by foods deprivation, isolation, or extreme form of beating. In many instances when a woman is able to pay off her debt, she would be released and given her freedom. For the unfortunate ones, the compounded debts incurred by family members forced them to forever serve as sexual slaves.

For some that managed to regain their freedom; they are tormented physically and mentally and.  The experiences of degradation will often lead them to believe that they are useless and no longer accepted by the mainstream society. They would normally resort to jobs as promoters for beverage, liquor or cigarette companies. Their survival instinct is to be able to flirt and exert themselves artificially beyond what is considered culturally appropriate. They would learn to drink and smoke in order to be presentable. They learn to put on flirtatious faces and ready for sexual services. The end game ultimately is to strike a sexual date for the night in order to earn the extra income which is normally better than their normal work.

Many women often resort to becoming escort girls in night clubs, karaoke joints, massage parlors catered specifically for the rich locals and foreigners alike whose ultimate aim is to prey them for a night or an hour of sexual entertainment.

In the many encounters that I had with the victims of sexual slavery through out Cambodia; many of them expressed extreme self-doubt because they are forever tainted and frowned upon for being unfit and an ailment to society.

For many unfortunate ones; a point of no return has been reached. Their only hope is to be at their best so that one day that “knight of shining armor” would come and rescue them from the harsh reality of this world. They become overtly promiscuous and display their false sense of confidence in themselves.

For Pisey, a lovely girl whom I came to know and admired for her courage was met with much more wretchedness. She became a very rich and powerful person’s mistress. Living life lavishly and was in the midst of reclaiming her dignity by opening a beauty shop. She told me that owning her own beauty shop was her lifelong dream.

Before she got there, she had been petrified for life. She was sold in to a brothel at age of twelve because her family was poor and needed $230 to reclaim farm land taken by the ruthless military. At the age of sixteen, she was sold to a Malaysian man as his sex slave on board of a cargo ship.

One night, on her eighteenth birthday, she jumped off the ship in an attempt to escape and was rescued by a fishing boat off the coast of Thailand. She was then sold into a nude bar in Bangkok, Thailand for $1,000 dollars. There she met two other Cambodian girls and decided to escape and return to Cambodia.

Pisey returned to Cambodia penniless. She vowed to never return to her family because of what they had done to her.

A friend introduced her to a new karaoke club catered to the rich and famous in Phnom Penh. After an intense competition, she was finally accepted to be one of the many hostesses to provide sexual entertainment to the rich and influential local men and foreigners.

Life for Pisey greatly improved with a nightly tip allowance of about twenty dollars just for sitting down with a couple of guests. During some nights, an extra income would be earned if she decides to go beyond the call of duties.

A relationship with a man three times her age grew into something extraordinary. It was dream come true. He was compassionate and come to appreciate her for who she was and demonstrated to her the first time in her life true love and care. She soon became his casual date, a companion and as an alternative sexual partner for the man in replacement of his ailing wife.

In truth, Pisey was willing to confide with any body  that wanted her. She was very aware that she was sleeping with somebody’s husband, a love triangle. Her conscience could only tell her that it was just a survival scheme.  Pisey’s only aspiration is a better life.

One late afternoon, whilst she was walking down from a snooker center with a couple of friends; all hell broke loose. All Pisey was able to recall was a woman in rage with a gallon of liquid acid in her hand. The woman did not express any thing in words, but in the spur of the moment threw liquid acid straight on to her face and body. Pisey could immediately feel the burning flesh coming loose from her face, body and arms. Her clothes, skin and flesh began to melt as she screamed copiously for help until she finally went into shock then became unconscious.

I immediately rushed to the hospital after I heard about the incidence. Pisey was disfigured beyond recognition. Her beautiful face and smile were now things of the past. Her dreams completely shattered. After many plastic surgeries, Pisey was still disfigured beyond repair. The scars on her face caused by the acid burn were so severe that her total facial structure had to be re-constructed with skin graft from her buttock.

While at the hospital, Pisey also found out from her doctor that she had been infected with HIV/AIDS. She feared going to the hospital because HIV/AIDS was some thing that she dreaded the most. She had seen many of her friends died because of this deadly disease.

Three months after multiple surgeries, she was finally allowed to go home. From time to time, I would run into Pisey at the market. Her only gesture to me was always in tears of regret because she could not be her lovely self any longer. She also expressed ill-will to survive. In her on-going internal struggle, life has become meaningless. She told me that she had tried many times to commit suicide; but never managed to slit herself deep enough. Nine months later, Pisey was found dead from a drug overdosed.

In this true story of one person’s extreme experience; sad and unfortunate as it may seemed, AIDS continues to spread at an alarming rate. Human trafficking, prostitution, sexual slavery, sexual promiscuity, the lack of respect for laws and the lack of accountability remained the many problems facing contemporary Cambodia.

The remnant of the UN will have a lasting impact on Cambodia’s future development. The UN has brought peace, relative stability, and identifiable government; but the trade offs are immeasurable.

As a Cambodian, I feel obligated that these ongoing problems deserve no scapegoat. If Cambodia is to have a lasting peace then she must empower her people to value and respect life, nation, and embrace religion. Cambodians must learn to love themselves and do more to solve their own problems, and build their own nation. The international community must realize this endemic which will plaque not just Cambodia, but the peaceful world. More international efforts on generating awareness and educate people about prevention and intervention measures. More research in finding the cure for HIV/AIDS must be in place to rid this gruesome disease.

In a recent statistics, it is estimated that more than 170,000 Cambodians are infected HIV/AIDS. That is one in every seventy Cambodian. The number will continue to rise if nothing more is done to resolve this immense problem.

HIV/AIDS is a ticking bomb that will eventually cripple and have lasting effect on many nations, including Cambodia. It does not require an Al Queda force or weapon of mass destruction; but this forgotten epidemic will spread endlessly. The sheer speed of its infection on the world population has been faster than any one of us could ever imagine.

The devastating effect has left many people dead. The legacy of the young left orphaned by the diseased parents and loved ones greatly traumatized and forced many of them to live lives of neglect and uncertainties. Their future will become considerably bleaker when they know that nothing is done to help resolve the problem.