Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Where History Weeps

From 1964 to 1975, the United States dropped almost 3 million tons of ordnance on Cambodia--more than the Allies deployed in WWII. We don't know how many civilians were murdered in Cambodia because the bombings' scope contravened the executive branch's Congressional promises, and criminals don't tend to prioritize paperwork.

“They have got to go in there and I mean really go in... I want everything that can fly to go in there and crack the hell out of them. There is no limitation on mileage, and there is no limitation on budget. Is that clear?” -- USA President Nixon to Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, giving illegal orders to bomb Cambodia (Operation Menu, Operation Freedom Deal)

In 2001, Anthony Bourdain referred to Cambodia as a "de facto dictatorship," "the worst place on earth," and "the heart of darkness." It was, he said, a country "still trying to raise itself up on its one remaining leg," "staked out on an anthill for every predator in the world to do with what he wishes." Twenty-one years later, the predators are still in Phnom Penh, their preferred weapon of Western finance more enduring than cluster bombs. Blood, bones and war are tragedies, but even more tragic is when such sacrifices midwife banality. 

Odd thing about human nature--it begrudgingly accepts pain and violence, but only because we believe they can lead to something greater. Enter Tokyo today, and its skyscrapers and bullet trains soothe memories of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Whatever Vonnegut wrote of Dresden, it is forgotten as one saunters on its pristine sidewalks. Ho Chi Minh City may not be able to claim cleanliness or European modernity--you'd have visit Hà Nội for those--but its strength and independent spirit are undeniable. Amidst the success of its neighbors--including Singapore, which also lacks natural resources--Phnom Penh stands out for its soullessness. Siem Reap, site of a former empire, still astounds tourists who visit Bayon and Angkor Wat, but Phnom Penh seems to have little to offer but neon corporate signs. 

Though most major retailers can be found here--except, incredibly, a McDonald's--their presence has more to do with widespread use of stable American dollars than a desire to engage in the long-term reciprocity rendering capitalism palatable. Such corporate acceptance should not be confused with prosperity--in 2018, more than 20% of Cambodia's budget came from donor assistance. This mishmash of private and public dollars, combined with no ostensible long-term infrastructure plans, has made Phnom Penh unlivable, a result shared by other victims of unrestrained FDI. When I use the word "unlivable," I am reminded of the 1.5 to 1.7 million residents no longer living here and question my language.

"... the miles of lime-green mirrors for the sky that the rice-fields made on either side of the road leading northward, reflecting the images of perfect blue vacancy, broken in some cases by the thin, shrill green shoots of the young rice showing through them, as if the sky were bursting into bud." -- Osbert Sitwell, Escape with Me (1939)

"The county is so fertile that only war or grotesque mismanagement could produce real hunger or poverty." -- Richard West (1968)

"The final U.S. AID report observed that the country faced famine in 1975, with 75 percent of its draft animals destroyed by war, and that rice planting for the next harvest, eight months hence, would have to be done 'by the hard labor of seriously malnourished people.'" -- Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman, Manufacturing Consent (1988)

In 1975, after bombing Cambodia for six years, the American military left. The power vacuum from America's absence allowed the Khmer Rouge--an army of former farmers enraged by indiscriminate bombings--to take revenge on the capital city and its allegedly elitist proclivities. From April 1975 to January 7, 1979--the day Phnom Penh was "liberated" by Vietnamese forces--Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge reduced Phnom Penh from almost two million people to tens of thousands. (Phnom Penh would not re-gain the million population mark until 1997.) 

When the Vietnamese army invaded Cambodia in December 1978 to restore order, the world united not against Pol Pot, but against Vietnam's violation of Cambodia's sovereignty. In September 1979, the United Nations voted overwhelmingly to maintain the ousted Pol Pot as the official representative of Cambodia rather than the active politicians within Cambodia working with Vietnam. In one of the 21st century's most complex subplots, the vote meant Communist China, which had been working with capitalist America, garnered worldwide support in its opposition to the Soviet Union, which supported the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. (The vote and worldwide condemnation are eerily reminiscent of current affairs between Russia and Ukraine.) 

"[C]lose U.S. ally Deng Xiaoping, who emerged as 'party strongman' in China in December 1978... soon implemented his plan to 'punish Vietnam,' and... remained the main supporter of Pol Pot. He [Deng] bitterly opposed attempts to remove the Khmer Rouge from their leading role in the DK coalition in 1984, stating in a rage that 'I do not understand why some people want to remove Pol Pot. It is true that he made some mistakes in the past but now he is leading the fight against the Vietnamese aggressors.' Deng has been backed in this stance by the Reagan administration." -- Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman, Manufacturing Consent, pp. 266 (1988)

As history is written by the victors, and Vietnam won the "War against American Aggression," today you can find the "Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Monument" in Phnom Penh's city center, praising the "sacrifice of Vietnamese Army and People in the liberation of Cambodian people from the genocidal regime of Democratic Kampuchea in the 70s-80s."

Regardless of changing public opinion, one fact is certain: being caught between three different empires robbed Cambodians of their culture. Abused by the Thais, French, then a Chinese-American alliance intended to counter Soviet influence, Cambodia/Cambodge/Kampuchea became an inconvenient sideshow in the 20th century's SE Asian tug-o-war.

Only recently has Cambodia managed to reclaim its stolen artifacts, allowing the country to control its own story. See Parul Pandya Dhar, "Of Stolen Art and Looters' Crafty Craft," December 17, 2022:

"Some of the most heart-wrenching tales of plunder and exploitation come from Cambodia, which beyond colonial loot, also became a veritable minefield of unprotected monumental heritage during the later decades of the 20th century. Its artistic wealth was exploited by a nexus of greedy art collectors, dealers, professionals, and high-profile smugglers in tandem with helpless locals who were struggling to survive the tortures of the Khmer Rouge... One hopes to see more of the looted art returning to source countries in the future." 

Walking Phnom Penh's streets, it takes substantial effort to realize I am standing somewhere once much more than a third-tier Reno, Nevada. National Geographic's Stefan Lovgren described Angkor circa 1100 A.D. as "a vast urban complex with nearly one million inhabitants... the biggest city of the pre-industrial world," stretching from Myanmar to Vietnam.

Luckily, a short trip to Oudong, about 25 miles from Phnom Penh, provides evidence of the Khmers' incredible civilization. I am no geologist, but after walking up the temple's steps, then down to simpler constructs, I realized the Khmers had mastered the problem of freshwater supply.

Located in the humid jungle that characterizes much of SE Asia, they figured out the mountain was a freshwater source, then built cascading waterways that provided sustenance to people located in different and more diverse levels below. (When studying early European migration, I noticed most Europeans would find a river, then settle around that river--no construction or creativity was necessary. The Khmers' genius is even more astounding when you realize Singapore--the most advanced and most affluent SE Asian country today--was unable to survive without freshwater from Malaysia as recently as 1965.) 

When Anthony Bourdain first wrote about Cambodia, he didn't mention museums, natural beauty, or ancient history. Bourdain traveled to Pailin, a northwestern Cambodian town on Thailand's border. He wasn't searching for enlightenment, but adventure. He fired guns at a shooting range, dodged military checkpoints, and did everything he could to avoid the ordinary.

"It's been 10 years since I've been to Cambodia. The country has changed, I've changed, and hopefully I'll get it right this time." -- Anthony Bourdain ("No Reservations")

"I came here [Cambodia] really stupid and arrogant and was just unprepared for it." 

Sadly, Phnom Penh has become exactly what Bourdain feared: the ordinary. I do not pretend to write as engagingly as Bourdain, but perhaps I can add context. How exactly does one go from world-class civilization to heart of darkness to Banalville? The short answer: formerly colonized countries without natural resources need to borrow in foreign currencies to attract developers. Those developers come from different countries, each with blueprints tested elsewhere. Governments in debt without the ability to unilaterally cancel that debt need higher and/or immediate ROIs; consequently, they prefer condos and shopping malls rather than empty lots or natural preserves. 

Before you know it, you're walking down a street that can be found anywhere in the world, but without the amenities of a developed country, such as sidewalks. Worse, after the real estate orgy, if you realize Developer A is better than Developers B and C, then a monopoly often results, binding foreign interests to the central or local government--all in the name of progress. Prices rise, and locals sell or leave, taking with them whatever cultural knowledge remains. Banalville: coming soon to a developing country near you, at least if local and central governments don't realize their most precious resources are often the very ones outsiders want to pave over.

Anthony Bourdain wrote, “Once you’ve been to Cambodia, you’ll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death with your bare hands." He was right, but he left out other deserving candidates, including the Pope, who encouraged the Vietnam War so as to split Vietnam into a Buddhist north and Catholic south. If you'll allow me the liberty of paraphrasing Bourdain, I'll end with the following sentence: after visiting Phnom Penh in 2022, you'll want to strangle every real estate developer, defense contractor, multinational corporate CEO, foreign banker, and international aid executive with your bare hands. My advice? Go to Siem Reap.

© Matthew Mehdi Rafat (December 2022) 

ISSN 2770-002X

Bonus, October 2023: