Hun Sen's Cambodia: review

The author discusses issues in this book in his journalistic professionalism, not in political or economic models. In most parts, he interviewed relevant persons, told stories and most importantly stuck to main points. Through his extensive readings on Cambodia, living and working in Cambodia, he made the book the best one on contemporary Cambodia and its elites. If you must read one book on Cambodia, I suggest this one.

There are two main points I like the most about this book. First, its authority. To summarize core ideas effectively, one needs to read most, if not all, of the relevant previous works and if possible has personal touch on the stories. As a journalist for the Phnom Penh Post, he has just both. Histories of Cambodia before, during and after the Khmer Empire who built Angkor temple, Cambodia's golden age in the 1960s, the Khmer Rouge and the contemporary Cambodia are well documented. His descriptions of contemporary Cambodia's culture, society, population and politics are comprehensive.

Second, its neutrality. Rather that charging leaders who seemingly made mistakes, sometimes horrible ones, he looks at them from all possible angles. Pol Pot was not born evil. Prime Minister Hun Sen was also reported with neutrality, so were his political opponents such as Sam Rainsy.

Players in Cambodia 

1.       Hun Sen

Many Western journalists as well as some U.S Congressmen would just say he is a communist and that’s all. Sebastian gives fair analysis on him: his sacrifice to volunteer to join maquis of Prince Sihanouk against American occupation, his smartness in battle and politics, his leadership among his colleagues and in the end his insufficient ability to lead Cambodia afterward.

PM Hun Sen is said to have hold no strict political belief. He does not believe in communism nor does he believe in democracy. He sees politics as a zero-sum game, thus tries to out-maneuver his political opponents and reduce the number to zero if possible.  Similarly, he sees the international community not as a body to promote democracy, as it did not when it supported to Pol Pot clangs, but a political player promoting their own interests. 

2.       International Community

After Angkor Era, international community has been the main actors to decide Cambodia’s fate. Which king could rule the country was highly decided by its neighbors Vietnam and Thailand until the French came. And then, France, the U.S and China played major roles in shaping Cambodia’s future from the Independence in the 1953, Khmer Republic, and Khmer Rouge until and after the Paris Peace Agreement. Aid, political recognition and wages have been critical to Cambodia after the 1990s. However, recently, international community been comparatively weak, if not useless. Sebastian cites luxuries enjoyed by a significant number of NGOs, thus their reluctance to change the status quo.

“If change comes to Cambodia it will come not from above—from a shape- shifting ‘international community’—but from below, from the Cambodian people themselves.” P. 266 

3.       Sam Rainsy

The author raises his crusades for democracy and anti-corruption in Cambodia as well as the contradiction arisen with his racial discrimination against Vietnamese, which Sam Rainsy denies.  

4.    Cambodian People

Cambodia at this stage, political scientists would say, lies at where the rising of middle class changes the equation of elite politics. Politics in Cambodia had been solely played by elites until Cambodians were given the chance to vote in a secret ballot. This is added by the rise of technology especially Facebook. In addition, the young population, the first-time votes, gives supports to Sam Rainsy as he expected:

“In a typical family, you have the grandfather, who votes for Funcinpec; you have the father, who votes for the CPP; and you have the children, who when they reach voting age will vote for the SRP . . . It will take less time than one might imagine now, because of the progress of technology, information, communication, and education.” P. 123

The Conundrums

Sebastian opines that if change comes, it would have to come from Cambodians themselves. In recent 2013 ballot, Cambodians did express their strong wills to change the status quo, but they do not know how. They do not even know how to drive on the streets. They may kill someone out of anger, so will a teacher punish their students according his will. Will Cambodian people be able to make politicians do the right things if they themselves do not know what the right things are?

Are opposition party main actors especially Sam Rainsy for democratic rule of law, free market or are they simply randomly choosing policies out of contempt, compassion or superficial studies of examples in other countries like France and the U.S? Do they dislike communism out of principles or out of examples?

Is CPP against democracy? It is too early to judge. If the international community firmly believe in democracy, they should have been promoting democracy instead of realpolitik. If the teacher does not even know the answer, how could he set the exam and judge the student?

China may be seen as pro-Communism. But if a democracy brings it benefits, it would not be in a position to block democracy in Cambodia. The U.S may be seen as pro-democracy but it is not. The same as above.  Cambodia would be better off if China and the West deal with it rules instead of random policy. For example, promoting ballot and the rule of law instead of supporting this or that party. Cambodian politicians now seem to see that they should work together despite their previous fatal fights and/or fierce verbal attacks. I am optimistic that Cambodia is starting to move on a sustainable development path now.

Full title: HUN SEN’S CAMBODIA

Author: SEBASTIAN STRANGIO

Publisher: YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS  (November 25, 2014)
My rating: 5/5

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Rich Dad, Poor Dad

I was curious about finance and surfed the web for the best book for laymen like me. The title came up but I did not dig into it. However, when I walked in different libraries in my graduate school of Waseda University, I frequently saw it in both Japanese and English versions, which means it is seemingly popular. So I decided to read it. I put it in my iPhone, printed out some pages and also borrow the English version from my library. 

The book is fun to read, plain, coherent and very insightful. I did not get bored reading any part of the book. In fact, I greatly enjoyed reading it. Not only his writing skill that keeps me reading it till the end but also the issues he is trying to deal with that arouses my curiosity. Below are some main ideas he deals with.

Work for Other or Run Your Own Business? 

If  you were born in a family who owns no business, like my family, you tend to focus on secure job and wage you receive per month. At worst, you even hate businessmen as you were taught, by religion perhaps, that profit is a sin. There is a high chance you were taught that aspiration to acquire wealth is bad and you have to control this kind of sinful ambition.

Even if you were born in a family who owns a (successful) business, perhaps it is not your choice to continue the business. You may like working in a company, for a government or charity organization or run a different business instead of fulfilling your parents' wish to continue their business. 

This book would help you answer this question. Spoiler: the answer of course varies from one person to another. 

Can You Become Rich?

Throughout this book, he teaches readers about financial literacy you may have not learned elsewhere. He teaches not only that you can become rich ( I am not talking about every one being a millionaire), but also that you should want to become rich. Of course not all people aspire to become rich or exceptionally rich. There are also significant number of people who desperately want to be rich. In either case, instead of saying you should become a millionaire, he just wants to share his experience of how you can unlock your potentials to increase your wealth, thus the wealth of the society.

Government or Entrepreneur?

Again, this book touches the debate of how far the government should intervene in private life. What the use of business is in the society?  What is the use of government then? Are you sure you know it? 

Does Smart Mean Rich? 

Of course not, exclaim you. Rich does not imply smart as well. However, it is a sad thing when you are smart when stay poor, or when you are rich but stay dumb. 

Final Words

What the most important concept in this book is that he does not say you have to be an entrepreneur, to work in a government sector, in a private company or else. Ask yourself what you like and do best, and plan for it, but in addition to it business is important. The concept of business can raise your wealth in a great deal. Raising your wealth is not a sin. In stead it means you provide goods or service in return for the wealth. 

I believe this book will change your mindsets, for good, toward education, business, government and society.

Full title: Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
Author:  Robert T. Kiyosaki
Publisher: Plata Publishing; 8.2.2011 edition (August 16, 2011)
My rating : 5/5

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Cambodia promotes motorcycle helmets to halt rise of traffic deaths

In the end of 1990s to 2000s, the largest social ill in Cambodia was the spread of HIV/AID. Recently this is no longer the issue. Most people now understand about the disease and how to prevent it. However, currently the largest social ill is death toll from traffic accidents. Statistics aside, I can see traffic accident one every day in average on my way of commutation from and to workplace. The article is right in that people do not respect laws, including traffic law in Cambodia. 

Why they do not respect laws? Take me as an example in traffic law. At a traffic law, I was not sure if the red light there meant I could not turn right. I did turn right and was stopped by a policeman right a way. He stopped me according to the law but I could pay my way out. That demeans the meaning of law! This is a prime example of laws in Cambodia. Therefore, people do not have the sense of respecting laws or see the need of it. 

What is the main problem here? Requiring drivers to wear a helmet may reduce death tolls but I will not in any way reduce traffic accidents. I find it close to useless. The only solution is requiring a license, meaning people have to know how to drive on the street. From my experience, 99.99 % of Cambodians do not know how to drive on the street. They do not give signals before they turn; When they have to turn, they do not know that those who are going straight in front of them have the priority. 

When they do not even know what the right thing to do, how could they try to protect themselves? 

See the PBS News...

Cambodia promotes motorcycle helmets to halt rise of traffic deaths

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Cha Ret Khmer (Khmer Characteristics)

Summary

It is a rather well-known book by a nationalistic politician name Bun Chan Mol (ប៊ុណ្ណ ចន្ទម៉ុល) who spent his life serving Cambodia under many regimes and at the same time observed the atrocity of committed by Cambodians, the Khmer race, under those many regimes. He witnessed cruel tortures, lawless killings, social ills, and observed many incorrigible deeds that leaders and the led made during his life. Thus, in his conclusion, he said the Khmer race are brutal and violent. The future of Cambodia is doomed and his hope for a better Cambodia is dim. 

Analysis

Social scientists would immediately disagree with the author. There is no such as thing as racial characteristics. No American were born to love freedom. America would not be born without the ideas of how to build a country disseminated from Britain, and Britain from earlier uncountable heroes/heroines and countries from Roman Empire, Greece and the Enlightenment. You name it.

In this sense, my rating for it is 3/5.

Those who read this book should not feel pessimistic about the Khmer race and/or the future of Cambodia even if they see its dooming situation today, but should instead continue reading other books such as Why Nations Fail, From Dictatorship to Democracy and Free to Choose, to begin with.

The Conundrum

Did I say there is no such thing as racial characteristics? What you eat determine your behaviors and genes as well. Some food, for example, can make you particularly sluggish. So would Sushi makes Japanese race particularly something? Would this change the pyramid of Maslow's human needs?

Final Say

Putting his accomplishment, sacrifice and knowledge aside, he deserved our respect as a Cambodian patriot. One should be reminded as well that being a patriot is not enough, instead far from enough. The knowledge, how to build the country, how to administer a government, how to infiltrate the concept of citizenship among our people etc. are more important.

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Why Nations Fail

You may wonder why Cambodia, among other poor countries, fail to develop. Why we are poor and other are rich? You have answers, of course. You may point to the fact that we had wars, thus no human capital i.e. no knowledgeable persons who know how to develop the country. Some would point to the fact that we are born lazy, i.e. our culture does not induce hard working like Vietnamese culture or Japanese culture. Of course, very few would point to the fact that Cambodia does not have natural resource as we have too many including the sea. So what make us poor? Some would argue that we do not have a good leader. How to have a good leader then? Can another good leaders come and continue to be good after a good leader is dead of old age? In this book, Daron Acemoglu & James Robinson deal comprehensively with these theories. 

Summary

A country fails to grow not because it does not have natural resources. Case study, Japan. 

A country fails to develop not because of culture. Case study South Korea versus North Korea. 

A country does not grow not because of the lack of human capital. Knowledge can be bought these days. Case study, Japan and other countries (Cambodia as well before the France took over the country) bought Western technology and knowledge and even fought with the West like Japan did against Russia. 

A country fails because it does not have an inclusive institution. Rather, it has extractive institution. That is it has a system where growth, or wealth,  is extracted to a group of people from another group of people. A typical example is when a country has a government which taxes their citizens (of course every government lives by money from tax) and provide no or little service in return. The government does not protect the property rights of its citizens, for instance. 

Conundrums

Theories in this book are mostly in direct contrast to those in The Wealth and Poverty of Nations. If you want to dig deeper into this debate, the latter is a good start. In economics, Acemoglu along with other prominent economists such as Douglas North are categorized as institutional economists. They tend to favor institutions as a cause of growths.

In this book, by emphasizing that institutions, i.e. the systems, make a country rich or poor, the authors do know shed lights on how those systems can be made. If you were the United States who imposed system on Japan after WWII, this book is best for you, except you cannot be one. This book is also best for policy makers of aid organizations such as Jica, USAID, AusAid etc. For politicians, especially opposition politicians in a dictatorship countries this book only brings hopelessness. I suggest another book From Dictatorship to Democracy.

I hope you would read the book, republished in 2012, after this review. My rating is 5/5.

Authors: Daron Acemoglu, James Robinson.
Publisher: Crown Business; 1 edition (March 20, 2012)

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Traffic Problems in Cambodia

Its horrible. If you travel every day, it's not an exaggeration to say that you'd say  one traffic accident per day. It varies from a small one to a fatal one. If it's in Phnom Penh, it can make you mad because of the traffic jams, disrespectful behavior on the street and accidents. What cause these?

Firstly, people do not know traffic rules. Both automobile and motorbike riders do not even turn signal on when turn left or right. They do not know how and where to turn in intersections. I can estimate that 99.99 percent of commuters do not know the rules.

Secondly, law enforcement is weak. When a person breaks a rule, money talks. Therefore, sons of powerful persons, gangsters etc. that is those with highest incentives to break loss incentives to obey rules and respect others on the street.

This is one of many crony issues in developing countries. The solutions are clear, and they can save lives in Thailand and Cambodia etc., where death tolls are high from traffic accidents. They will make people feel more respected in their life as well​ when they know how to respect other on the street via  abiding by the traffic law
.

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