The question of Guinness’s responsibility in this is interesting. Their claims of being non political are pretty farcical, as they are clearly happy to carry the water of dictators and get paid for it.
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This is all very cute but it won't do the trick. Having recently returned from an extended trip to Cambodia I was astounded by the anger and resentment of the young people against the govt. Equally astounding was their candor and willingness to criticize the CCP for selling out Cambodia to the Chinese.
A little more serious journalism on the root causes and underlying geopolitics would have been welcome. It's no secret that the CCP is literally converting Cambodia into a Chinese colony and enriching themselves in the process. Cities are being leveled to build Chinese casinos and resorts. Thousands are being displaced. All of it is being done with Chinese labor with no benefit to Cambodians, apart from the CCP and their cronies, and it's only beginning.
A massive Chinese military installation in southern Cambodia is just a matter of time. Longer term look for the Chinese to convert Cambodia into their rice bowl and long-term answer to the persistent drought in western China. Cambodia is largely flat, has unlimited water and everything grows. It's not exaggerating much to say it's the potentially world's largest farm, and the Chinese know it.
I'm amazed and disappointed that this unfolding story hasn't gotten more traction.
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@Dave
Hi Dave: Thanks for your comment. I think you might be interested in this NYT article from March on China's growing role in Cambodia:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/17/world/asia/hun-sen-cambodia-china.html
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“Today we have achieved a giant rice cake and the world will acknowledge that from now on”. Please do not give our “leader” any ideas.
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Actually I'd be pretty happy if our current leader could keep himself busy with creating ever larger sticky rice cakes!
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I'd always prefer a democracy, but as far as authoritarian regimes go, I'd rather have one that throws live concerts, parties and huge cakes rather than one that sends tanks in the streets and death squads to terrorize the population.
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@Andy Oh, they kill people too.
Mr. Hum does not deserve a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for his officially amazing gimmicks. That honor is Trump's by a mile.
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I wonder what drives dictators to try to stay in power for as long as possible. It seems so bizarre to be so blatantly, shamelessly, self-serving. Sure, we all have some kind of attraction to riches, power, glory -- but what about the cost of condemnation from the world at large, condemnation from our consciences? How many "average people", if they were to find themselves in power, would act similarly? Or is this the behavior of a small segment of society's sociopaths? I think (and hope) the latter.
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I've lived here in Cambodia for the past 10 years. It is a lovely country, and the Khmer (as they refer to themselves) people are friendly, kind, hard working and resourceful, as you need to be to survive in the developing world. The government though has increasingly stifled any descent and persecuted opposition parties into irrelevance, but they hold huge outdoor concerts (very near my apartment) and set off half-hour fireworks displays (courtesy of their Chinese patrons) at the least excuse. It seems to be the bread and circuses approach to governing, and, sadly, it often seems to be working.
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