Cambodians have suffered violently from long wars, especially from the atrocities of the Pol Pot regime that could have killed almost 2 million people. The shocking experiences I received at the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum of Phnom Penh were similar to the ones I had visiting the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. I felt the irony that Vietnam, as if it were in retaliation against the American war, ended a few years later invading military Cambodia.

On the other hand, while in Cambodia, infested with land mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO), demining and activities for land mine victims are buoyant, Vietnam that is in a similar situation keeps quiet about the matter. This is surprising and I would like to know what is happening.

More serious than visible wounds are those in the hearts of people resulting from genocide and civil war. In Cambodia civil wars destroyed families and social life, the whole country broke into pieces. In Vietnam the wounds from the fighting between North and South show up from time to time. Although both are dictatorships, Vietnam has a strong government, and yet Cambodia seemed to me a country lacking a real government. In fact, general elections were held in August 2003 but political parties could not agree with the results and in February there was not yet a Cabinet elected.

Distorted Development

I had the opportunity of traveling in the back of a bike to visit a rural development program about 70 km far from Sien Reap. The bike broke down in the way but there was no shop around to fix it. My guide, a staff member of a development organization, told me: " In this village there is just one old bike, and the only telephone available is 20 km far from here."

Prices in urban areas were even higher than those in Vietnam. Drinks, hotels and transportation were 50% higher. Like in Vietnam TV antennas could be seen even in places with no electricity. The free market system is fully active in ways unknown to Vietnam.

International NGOs act freely in Cambodia under the excuse of postwar reconstruction. They exert a big influence. This is in contrast with the attitude of Vietnam's government towards a strong control on all NGO activities.

I could not make a judgment on how free is Cambodian society. After the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) general free elections were held, but people did not know whom to vote. Hum Seng's Cambodia Peoples Party (CPP) claimed victory. I felt a sense of emptiness at all political propaganda of Hum Seng, Channnarith and Samrith exhibited from city slums to most recondite rural areas.

This was my first visit to Cambodia and thus I cannot claim that I know much about the country, but the NGO staff who brought me on the back of his bike around told me, "this is a very poor country, but it is much better now." Cambodia is one more country that worries me.