March 12th marked our one year anniversary in Cambodia. These next 6 months will pass in a blink of an eye. This past week went quickly. There was no news worthy event to report on during the week. We took USA donuts to work on Wednesday as a surprise for Pen Vibol's birthday. I baked brownies in my "Betty Crocker Easy Bake Oven" for Meas Sameth's birthday on Friday. The brownies were good. I was glad. If they had not been good we would have resorted to plan B...USA donuts again.
Saturday we were invited to a wedding for the daughter of Try Sorn. He is a member of the Kean Svay Branch. We used to attend church at Kean Svay. When Elder and Sister Capener arrived they were assigned that branch and it was no longer our responsibility. Besides knowing Try Sorn as a member of Kean Svay Branch, we also know him because he is a guard at the mission home. Most all the Senior Couples were invited to his daughter's wedding. There were two parts to the marriage. At 1:30 the bride and groom got married and exchanged rings. At 4:30 the guests and wedding party gathered at Try Sorn's home for a party. Kean Svay is a distance from Phnom Penh. We rode with Elder and Sister Westover in the office van. Elder Westover had other commitments at the same time as the party. Not wanting to stay in Kean Svay too late, the Westovers provided us with a reason to leave early.
I have no idea whose car this belongs to. The groom works for Kentucky Fried Chicken. I think the car was probably borrowed for the occasion.
Saturday morning we had a large turn out of students at our 6:30 institute class. It was fun to have so many in attendance. They come to learn English.
Sunday we visited the International Branch. It was their Branch Conference. I was part of a last minute choir. It is a sorry day when I am one of the stronger singers. We stood, we sang, we sat down. No harm done. I received no reports of people leaving the church as a consequence of our singing efforts.
This week we had another PEF break through. One of our PEF students that has only paid $10 of his six year old loan called and said he wants to start to make payments. That was pretty cool. He was called to be a Branch President about two months ago. He is considered a 150+ student in our PEF records. This means it has been over 150 days since his last payment. We told him if he makes payments four months in a row we can do "Renewed Hope". This will wipe his slate clean. Our records will show him as a faithful payer on his loan.
Since it was a slow week, I will take some blog space to share with you an article from "The Cambodian Daily" newspaper.
Phnom Penh Traffic Police Strap on Cameras
By Sun Mesa and Joshua Wilwohl
A number of Phnom Penh traffic police now have digital video cameras strapped to their motorcycle helmets in what is meant to be a bid to cut down on the many claims of bribery and corruption made against the blue-uniformed force by the city's motorists.
Six small digital cameras have been secured to the top of the officers' motorcycle helmets and they are now required to switch them on when they stop motorists, deputy municipal traffic chief Sem Kunthea said.
"Many people always accuse the police of taking their money without evidence. Now, there is evidence for us to record all activity when police make stops, and this will prevent complaints from citizens," he said.
Mr. Kunthea said officers started using the cameras six months ago.
"We have recorded about 50 to 100 video clips of the officers' interaction [with motorists]." he said, adding that his department is considering equipping more officers with cameras. In none of the footage were officers seen soliciting or receiving a bribe, he said.
Asked why only six cameras were in use among the 499 traffic police officers, Mr. Kunthea said the project was still in a trial phase.
Not many, however, appear convinced by the efficacy of the traffic police anticorruption drive, noting that it all hinges on the officers in question actually turning on the video camera.
"They can still take bribes..because they can just turn off the camera...or delete video," said motorist Van Bunthol, 32, at the intersection of Norodom Boulevard and Street 214 on Wednesday---where a traffic officer was seen with a helmet camera, while a half-a-dozen other officers monitored traffic.
Probably the most noticeable police presence in Phnom Penh, the traffic police have earned a poor reputation for their very public solicitation of cash bribes from motorists, particularly from small commercial vehicles whose drivers are commonly seen handing out small bundles of riel to eager traffic police officers at the city's traffic intersections.
Preap Kol, executive director of Transparency International Cambodia, said an independent monitor would be required to view the video footage if the police hoped to claim that their efforts are serious.
And what do you think? We think this is very Khmer. Kind of goes along with Steve's drinking water where the quality drops!
Until next week...keep smiling.
No comments:
Post a Comment