“Cambodia is becoming the new Burma”

With backpacking in South East Asia so ubiquitous, it’s easy to forget that some of these countries are still governed by extremely repressive regimes

I write this post because of two news stories that were sitting side by side in today’s Bangkok Post – Burma dissident Zar Ni writes about how Western sanctions in Burma are not working – despite his previous support for them – and also Cambodia’s increasingly repressive government which recently arrested two human rights activists for being openly critical of the government. “Hun Sen [Cambodia's prime minister] appears to be following the Burmese model by imprisoning peaceful critics of his increasingly authoritarian government,” said Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch.

Burma is governed by one of the world’s most repressive regimes; Vietnam is still very much a strict Communist-ruled country; Thailand and especially Cambodia are still fledgling democracies that are caught up in numerous internal power struggles where the state continually runs up against the rights of its citizens.

It’s worth bearing these things in mind when you’re travelling in these countries, because as tourists we tend to travel in our own bubble and assume that everywhere is as stable, free and open as home (assuming you come from the West). Reading the local English language newspapers can be a great education in the problems these countries face and helps give a bit more context to your own trip. It’s also important to pay attention to local news in terms of having to possibly alter your travel itinerary. I’m not sure I would want to visit Thailand’s far South at the moment, for example.

I don’t believe in sanctions, because, like Zar Ni, I don’t believe they achieve anything besides hurting the poorest in those countries. I do think that long term exposure to outsiders – both through business and tourism – is the way these countries will change, however slowly. By understanding a little bit of what these countries are going through when we’re travelling there, we’re also helping those countries, not just with money but with our interest in what’s happening within the country.

If you’re interested in more about Burma, check my review of Emma Larkin’s Secret Histories: Finding George Orwell In A Burmese Teashop.

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