Continued from here ...


Politics are, of course, always a hot topic in Cambodia, and right now the biggies in the royalist parties are talking about working together to try to gain some finger-hold through next year's general elections.

With Prince Sisowath Thomico joining Prince Sisowath Siriroath and leaving Prince Norodom Ranariddh, there's not much support any longer.

Gee. I wonder why ...

The Prime Minister is off to India to sign all sorts of agreements on cooperation, technical assistance on oil and gas, prisoner exchange deals and a pact on defense cooperation.

Not a new fair-weather friend, India has been tied to Cambodia for a long time, and when much of the world backed the Khmer Rouge rather than the Vietnamese-backed troops when they took over in 1979, India immediately established a diplomatic relationship with the new government and has been a trusted ally ever since.

Of course, the potential for mega-oil has made the country more popular in some circles. The Chinese are quite fond, now, but they are courting just about anyone with a vote in the UN these days.

That comes in quite handy, especially when Cambodia is so very happy to step up and condemn Taiwan's bid to join the UN.

"According to recent information, the authorities in Taiwan have been stepping up activities to organize a referendum to join the United Nations in the name of 'Taiwan', a move which aims to seek 'de jure Taiwan independence'," the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement.

This hazardous maneuver constitutes an act of provocation against the Chinese Mainland and "triggers an extremely tense and dangerous situation in the Taiwan Straits, thus posing a threat to peace, stability, and security in the region, which engenders a grave concern to the international community," the statement said.

"Cambodia has always considered Taiwan as an integral part of China and supports the peaceful reunification of Taiwan with the Chinese mainland with the formula of 'one country, two systems,'" it said.

"Therefore, Cambodia strongly condemns any dangerous move in all forms and manifestations, which undermines China's unity and territorial integrity and jeopardizes peace and stability in the region," it added.

So there! If anyone thinks Cambodia, or any other developing country, is going to try to extract teeth from their very own gift horse, they have another think coming.

It's a winning hand for the Chinese all the way around ... they get the UN votes and natural resources by the planet-load, and all they have to do is bankroll some projects they'll end up owning and give a compete pass on all issues having anything to do with human rights -- something they have no problem doing at all.

The rewards from the Chinese for loyalty in UN voting patterns, construction contracts and such are many and varied, with one being China Southern Airlines extending their service to Siem Reap.

Yipee. More tourists.

And they're all going to Angkor Wat, which is experiencing a big boost through the World Wonders contest.

It didn't make it to the top seven ... a fact that has some thinking the contest was unfair because so few Cambodians have Internet access, and that's where the voting took place ... but did get a lot of great exposure.

(Just for the record, I was disappointed at the results, too. Angkor Wat, no, but the Taj Mahal and Rio's big Jesus? Those seem like modern building projects in comparison. Impressive, sure, but Wonders of the World? The Great Wall, Petra, Machu Picchu and Chichen Itza, for sure, though.)

The application process for defense lawyers in the Khmer Rouge trials has begun.

The Red Cross sent a group of observers to Cambodia to build support for programs to improve the health of mothers and children. Working in rural communities, volunteers teach health lessons and educate on pregnancy, oral rehydration and such.

And to close ...

Another American celebrity has been spending time in Cambodia, this time former "Seinfeld" sidekick, Michael Richards.

Seems he was there seeking enlightenment on a tour that featured daily spiritual seminars by Nithyananda ... an avowed "enlightened Master and modern mystic" who's referred to by his followers as swamiji ... and frequent visits to the temple complex.

"At first, I was a little bit struck by the poverty, but when I leaned in I could see how open-hearted the Cambodian people are, and I was touched by it," Richards said. "I'd always wanted to take a trip to the Far East. It's a place I'd never been. I knew of Angkor Wat and I'd seen pictures, so we decided, 'Let's go for this.' It's amazing: You can walk around and it's all hands-on in the temples, it's not roped off. Seeing spirituality in stone is inspiring."

Hands on. Those ancient structures would be suffering less damage if people could just manage to keep their hands off. That, of course, won't happen until it's roped off.