Cambodia a Failed State?

Greg Mellen, staff writer of the Long Beach Press Telegram reports on a speech given by 73 year old activist, economist, and historian Dr. Naranhkiri Tith, who is based in Washingon.

Tith is an adjunct instructor at Johns Hopkins University and former representative of the International Monetary Fund in Cambodia.

In his speech Tith reportedly described issues in Cambodia, including:

• Systemic corruption at all levels of government;
• Uncontrolled Vietnamese immigration;
• Abject poverty and a massive income gap;
• Systematic destruction of the environment from deforestation causing diminished rice harvests and hunger in the countryside;
• Human trafficking, and selling of women and children into prostitution;
• A growing AIDS epidemic;
• Abuse of civil and human rights;
• A weak justice system and absence of an independent judiciary; and
• A poor education system leading to a subpar work force lacking technical training.

It's helpful, though discouraging, to see these points called out. One thinks of such issues as landmines and other UXO as problems, and they are, but it's clear these other issues are perhaps even more significant.
technorati tag: cambodia