Poppin' Collars in Space

Courtesy of the Daily Mail

Silent Killings - Thailand's Tumultuous South

I'm often surprised by what makes the news, and maybe more importantly, what doesn't. For instance, today on the Headlines page of BBC World News, one of the more reputable mainstream news sources, caried this: "Scientists discover a mineral with the same chemical make-up as the fictional kryptonite seen in Superman." I'm not certian that references to a comic book-turned-movie are necessarily front page news, but I guess that's kinda cool. But there is much happening in our world that deserves a little more coverage than Superman's nemisis in mineral form.

What if I told you that there is a battle lead by Muslim extremists that has taken over 2,000 lives in the past two years? And what if I said this violence has included beheadings and mutilations, some caught on tape for the purpose of making a political statement? Or that the majority of killings were carried out with the use of home-made I.E.D.'s. Any guess where on the map this is taking place?

If you guessed Iraq, try heading east about 3,750 miles and you'll end up in Thailand. That's right - Southern Thailand is home to a growing battleground of terrorist violence, though much of the world has never heard a word about it. While the reasons behind the violence are varied and complex, it will suffice to say that the pridominately Muslim population in Southern Thailand is fighting back against the discrimination and poor treatment in an otherwise overwhelmingly Buddhist nation (surely an oversimplification of a complicated situation).

Upon closer examination of the violence, the statistics stand out as rather appalling. Nearly 3 people a day are killed in the three southern most provinces of Thailand. And the targets: most recent targets have been the elderly, school teachers, monks and passing pedestrians - all Buddhist, all civilians - purly for the purposes of terrorism. An average of over a 1,000 murders a year may not seem extreme - on par with LA County's comparable homicide rate according to 2002 statistics. Yet when comparing the size of the populations, the southern provinces have a murder rate that is over 5 times larger per capita than in good ol' LA County (complete with its gangs and violent reputation), and with all victims in the Thailand statistics are defined as 'civilian terrorism-related deaths'.

To drive the point home further, as of the end of March 2007, the War in Iraq had claimed 3,213 United States Soldiers' lives in the 4 years since the invasion. On average, fewer U.S. soldiers have died fighting in a war than have innocent Thai civilians in day-to-day life, yet where is the media coverage of this Jihad of the East? I am in no way belittling the loss of life of our Service Men and Women, but merely illustrating the extent of violence happening each day here in Southern Thailand while the rest of the world turns a blind eye.

~Bear

Like that Flock of Seagulls guy, I ran....

12 miles on Saturday. You wouldn't believe hot it is in Cambodia now.

Land Mine Cambodian Princess Barbie

Land mines are still a big problem in Cambodia, and raising awareness for the cause is a major issues for some organizations. Unfortunately the picture above marks one of the tasteless advertising campaigns invented to raise awareness for land mines - packaging Barbie dolls as beautiful Khmer princesses with a bloody stump for a leg.

According to the Adrants article:

"BBDO is behind this attempt to get Singaporean consumers to pay more attention to the plight of Cambodia, which happens to be deluged with land mines. The campaign includes a direct mail component in which company execs with children receive the doll (and others like it) at the office "since parents are the most vulnerable when it comes to kids," adds Madon. This is so they'll talk to other office folk about the grotesque gift."

In this case, the merit of intent holds to reason (to raise money), but the means of its procurement not only disrespects the beauty of Cambodian women, but also trivializes the face of true tragedy.

Take for instance this recent headline, "Girl Killed in Accidental Rocket Explosion." The young girl was cleaning an ancestral alter, when she found a curious object - an unexploded ordinance. Not knowing what it was, she started to play with it until it finally exploded killing her and wounding her brother and mother.

I wonder if Land Mine Cambodia Princess Barbie will really do anything to help the family that suffered this tragedy.

~ J-Dub

Stuck in Cambodia

I miss golf

The Heat

It is so hot in Cambodia right now. The humidity is terrible. Two showers a day just isn't enough. Getting out of the shower requires taking another shower. Being hot and sweaty and sticky makes it hard to get anything done.

~ J-Dub