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Where was the place? On the riverside in Phnom Penh, yes?

It closed because Bert was enraged about something the government said or did, right?

What became of Bert?

Nearly 2 decades now:

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/d ... ts-retreat

One understands the fury BUT the standard of living of well over 95% of the Cambodian people
is far higher now than it was then ...

Anyway, does anyone here remember Bert?

[b] This is the salient part of the PPP report:

Passionate as he is about the shortcomings of Cambodia's elite, Bert is also highly

critical of the so-called "humanitarians" who, he says, have pursued their

own interests to the detriment of effective change.

"The reality is donors have given Cambodia more than $5 billion in the past

five years, and every dollar we've put in has freed up money for Cambodia's elite

to buy more cognac or another Mercedes. We build roads so people can get to market

and...those roads are destroyed by log trucks...

"Is Cambodia now a better place? No it is not - human rights, pluralism, personal

freedoms, that's all just gone down the drain.

"But you know what? Optimism is commensurate with salaries and the sort of colonial

lifestyle Westerners can enjoy here which they could never enjoy at home.

"After the Easter Sunday grenade attack we circulated a petition condemning

the violence. Out of 6,000 foreign workers we got just 700 signatures and 200 of

them were collected here at Bert's Books. I wonder how much of that pathetic protest

was due to fear of losing salaries, fear of losing a lavish lifestyle and fear of

losing careers."[/b]

mammothboy2 wrote:
Anyway, does anyone here remember Bert?

I never knew him, nor his books. Bor's books I remember and miss.

Yes, I knew Bert, even before the bookstore. Bert's was where the riverfront Sundance is now. Bert, who always had rather strong political opinions, became particularly disenchanted after the Bloody Sunday grenade attack, and closed Bert's in mid/late 1997 IIRC and moved back to Alaska with his family. (He took some pretty impressive photos of the aftermath of the attack.) I ran across him once here back in Cambodia 3 or 4 years ago at Hurley's. But I don't think he stayed long. I understand he's had a rough go of it in recent years.

"Always carry a book. You won't look so damn stupid" was the slogan.

I thought it was on the corner of 102, the little shop that the Thai lady ran. I know I bought a few books from Bohs that had a stamp inside the cover from Bert's Books. What about that Ray Zepp LTO? I had a couple of his books and I think they had the Bert's stamp inside.
You must of known him and why was he controversial?

Bert's had the tree in front. That's how I used to idenify where to stop. Later it became Tico Guesthouse, later still, Cali 2.

I haven't seen Ray in a couple few years. Last time I saw him was at the Riverside Balcony in Battambang. He was living up Pailin way I think. I don't know if he is still here. Was Ray controversial? Like Bert he wrote at couple papers on the NGO situation, as well as several travelogues/guides, as you mention. He too had some strong opinions about how to help Cambodia, but I don't know about controversy.

79 Sisowath Quay. Same address as Cali 2.

'Thoughts on Foreign Aid' by Bert Hoak and Ray Zepp
http://www.mekong.net/cambodia/aid_ess.htm

LTO wrote:
79 Sisowath Quay. Same address as Cali 2.

Quick,, someone get some tee shirts printed with CEO Forum on.. In 20 years time, someone might be asking about CEO Forum.