From The PPP...

Dear Editor,

I’m a US citizen who arrived in Phnom Penh two and a half years ago to become a teacher. I came here because to teach in my home country would require an additional six to eight years of schooling, resulting in much debt.
Overall, my experiences teaching here have been good and I have found most Cambodian people to be pleasant and peaceful.Of course, Cambodia is still facing some problems, but things have been getting better and the progress I have seen over the past two years has been remarkable. I still to this day pass through many once-dilapidated parts of the city to see that they have been completely and beautifully transformed.
It is nice to see considering most cities in the US are becoming increasingly more dilapidated.

Farce
However, a growing number of Cambodians speak highly of the US. I have always tried to stay neutral on this, but after seeing so many hopeful Cambodians at the US Embassy, I feel it is time for me to speak up.
I’m writing to inform you that the perceived goodness of the US government and the promise of the “American Dream” is a farce.
Growing up, I faced many trials and tribulations. First off, I had to go into debt to enter university. After graduation, I was still considered poor and had to work extra hours to survive.
Essentially feeling like a slave to the banks, I was then wrongfully terminated from a job (deemed so by a judge) making it nearly impossible for me to find other work.

And now, the US embassy will not grant my one-year-old son his registration of birth.
I gave sufficient evidence for my son’s registration according to US Embassy protocols and procedures. Regardless, they did not follow their own procedures and made an unwarranted request for an overseas DNA test with no explanation as to why.
Initially, I was misled to believe the test would have a total cost of up to $530. I was also misled by an embassy official that I could get a cheaper one. But upon calling “approved” testing labs, I discovered the standard price exceeded $900. I simply cannot afford that at this time.
The whole process would have cost over $1,500. About $400 of this money was used printing out pictures, getting translated forms, travel expenses, et cetera.
So, considering they requested a DNA test, which overrides all of the evidence they previously asked for, I could have literally burned that money and it would have had the same effect.
It worked out for the embassy though – they get to hold on to my processing fees of $215 for doing absolutely nothing.
And that’s no exaggeration – I even had to print out my own government forms.

Fortunately, there is some good news. My son’s health has been improving.
We believe our water was not being properly filtered by a company (who shall remain nameless at this time) and due to that he experienced severe diarrhoea. This led to his hospitalisation and a fever of 43 Celsius.
Hopefully, his health will continue to improve and he doesn’t have another near-death experience. Because if he does, I now know the embassy will not care, provide support, or fast-track the process for an emergency passport.
I encourage any American who has a child here – register the birth, have a lot of money and get a passport ASAP. If anything bad happens, the US Embassy will not help you.
They will put up a nice facade via Facebook or Twitter, but deep down they are more concerned with looking virtuous as opposed to acting virtuous.
That’s clearly evident by how they handled my son’s situation. They disregarded their own procedures during that process and recently they disregarded international law by claiming the Cambodian government doesn’t follow international law, interesting . . .

Prime Minister HE’s recent post about how the US created terrible conditions for Cambodia during the Vietnam War should not be controversial. He merely stated historical facts.
Before and under the puppet-regime of Lon Nol, many innocent Cambodians lost their lives due to the illegal military actions of the US, which resulted in the rapid growth of the Khmer Rouge.
Yet US officials will be the first to cite violations of human rights. Perhaps they should practice what they preach first.
To ward off any criticism from other nations, government officials sometimes grandstand on jingoistic platitudes, such as: “The US is a beacon of hope”.
But ask yourself: if the US truly is a “beacon of hope”, why does it have the largest prison population in the world? Why does it still put innocent convicts to death? Why does it send soldiers to bomb hospitals and buses carrying children in other countries?

Callous
The government’s callous and hypocritical behaviour affects public behaviour as well. Governments that disregard international law regarding war make people indifferent to the seriousness of war.
Take for example my now former friends, who didn’t congratulate me before I left for Cambodia, but rather made jokes about the atrocities that occurred under the Khmer Rouge.
There are some good Americans of course, but they hope and wait in vain, thinking that things will finally turn around; wasting time arguing with each other about their vote four years down the road, instead of questioning whether or not it’s all pointless.
It is virtually impossible for third parties to get nationwide ballot access in the US. However, in your last election, you had 20 choices.
And keep in mind that Hillary Clinton actually won the election against Donald Trump by 3,000,000 votes, but he is now President.
Yet the people at the embassy have the audacity to criticise your democracy. Who knows why – maybe a lot of them just want to believe in the “American Dream”.

So I encourage you to focus on each other, the development of your country and on peace.
The US government will always try to look saintly – but remind yourselves of what they’ve done and what they continue to do.
And always be sceptical of their propaganda.

Phillip Cameron Roth,

Phnom Penh

https://www.phnompenhpost.com/opinion/d ... gCC8Qxq-Po

IraHayes wrote: ↑Tue Feb 26, 2019 6:33 pm TL;DR
Someone didn't get their own way and had a tantrum. And they now hate everything about themselves and their countrymen.

You mena like the japanes on Okinawa who had a referendum and told Uncle Sam to shove his airbase and the Japanes government is still going to move the airbase?
Cambo govt trample sover some villager to make way for a chinese casino the american govt goes mad
japanes govt tramples over villagers to make way for an american base and its guarnateede to shut trump up for a bit.

Complete bloody hypocrisy, but tbf its not just the USA. All the so called democracies are acting like dictatorships at the moment

all i can say is, if America is so bad, why do so many wish to go there?
its still the land many can go and realize their dream

It may not be for me or many here, but for many, its still calls to them

IraHayes wrote: ↑Tue Feb 26, 2019 6:33 pm TL;DR
TEFL'er had baby with a bargirl, didn't get their own way and had a tantrum. And they now hate everything about themselves and their countrymen.

Yep, that about sums it up

Another 6-8 years to be a teacher????? Perhaps if you only made it to the 11th grade in school? Otherwise if you have a degree then its just a matter of getting certified. Only way its 6-8 years after college/university is if you want a PHD.

Had to work extra hours??? Had to borrow money???? The embassy required a DNA test for a child born out of wedlock in a 3rd world country??? Shocking indeed!!!

This is what happens when we replaced a sound education system with liberal nonsense. I bet this guy got lots of participation trophies when he was young.
And while I'm not a great fan of some of what the American embassy does, its laughable that he'd expect them to be involved in paying for his son? Perhaps they could send out a State Department water inspector to check his water every Monday. Unfortunately, it sounds like his son is going to experience many tough life's lessons here in Cambodia as a result of his father expecting the government to hold his hand.

And what is sad is that this individual actually represents a small majority of Americans today. Its always someone else's fault and always the government should be providing.

cry baby liberal who wants to blame every one and every challenge on the man.....shish

anybody who uses okinawa as an example of how the USA bullied some natives must not be aware of how the japanese samurai took the ryukyu islands to begin with from the natives....forbad weapons and the natives developed empty hand fighting techniques and the use of farm implements.....
i love when knuckleheads pontificate about history without any knowledge of the subject...
interesting how countries build walls and fences and refuse exit visas or passports to their people to keep them from leaving...
The USA common sense folks want a security fence to keep the hordes and dope out....and billions would gladly come if they could...
I noticed in many countries i have lived that my friends and housing had a vast array of security fences, steel, walls, window covers, guards...lights..for security...
i sure would not want some cry baby uneducated teacher working at any school.... anywhere..
unfortunately, history is often rewritten and reinterpreted by the liberal uninteligenzia who pass this bullshit on to the next generation of teachers.

What an idiot. The editor of the PPP for publishing such tripe.

And going into debt to get into university is normal for 99% of the plebs, it is called an investment in your future and it's the best damn loan you're ever going to take.

John Bingham wrote: ↑Tue Feb 26, 2019 6:55 pm

I have seen over the past two years has been remarkable. I still to this day pass through many once-dilapidated parts of the city to see that they have been completely and beautifully transformed.

I wonder what areas he means that have been beautifully transformed over the past two years?

Maybe he lives in Sihanoukville and he's a casino lover?