NYAC Thailand / Cambodia Volunteers in Mission Team - January 2010

Team Members

2010-01-28T00:46:00.000-08:00

This group picture was taken with members of the Bowin United Methodist Church - members of the VIM team are:
Standing - Jay Kyung Kim, Sherry Morresy (GBGM - Thailand), Ben Humphrey, Heemoon Lee, Steve Phillips, Bob Squirrell, Mike Morresey (GBGM - Thailand)
Seated - Pat Peruccio, Vicky Brown, Carolyn Stapleton, Laura Galbraith
The pastor of Bowin UMC (pictured with a patch over one eye) was not in the least bit hindered when a splinter of bamboo got sturck in his eye. He and his wife (pictured hold their baby) are tireless workers for the Lord. There faith and dedication to the church is awe-inspiring.

Our Team Members included the following laity and clergy!

Rev. Gunshik Shim, Pastor - Plainview United Methodist Church, Long Island, NY (not pictured above)
Rev. Carolyn Stapleton, Associate Pastor - Chinese United Methodist Church, New York, NY
Robert Squirrell
Benjamin Humphrey
Victoria Brown
Rev. Jay Kyung Kim, Pastor - Sheepshead Bay United Methodist Church, Brooklyn, NY
Rev. Laura Galbraith (Team Leader), Pastor - Asbury United methodist Church, Forestville, CT
Patricia Perruccio, Conference Staff - New York Annual Conference
Rev. Steve Philips, Pastor - Pleasantville United Methodsit Chruch, Westchester County, NY
Rev. Heemoon Lee, Pastor - Bridgewater United Methodist Church, Bridgewater, NJ

Also pictured above are Sherry and Mike Morresey, and memebrs of the Bowin United Methodsit Church, with whom we worked while in Thailand.

May God bless these wonderful Christians!

Return to Phnom Penh from Kratie

2010-01-27T23:06:00.000-08:00

Our last night in Kratie was difficult for most of our team. Due to government's need for the hotel in which we had been staying for three nights, we had to move to another hotel, appropriately name the "Hor Bunny Hotel." I think the "Hor" is short for Horrible; or perhaps Horrid, Horrific, or some other adjective beginning with "Hor"! First it was located too far away from the town center to allow access to restaurants, the market and Internet cafes which were readily available at the other hotel. But the biggest problem was the bathrooms, which even in the best hotels are primitive by western standards. In most of the rooms, there are no pipes attached to the sinks, so that what ever you run (or spit) into the lavatories runs straight onto the floor and, if you are caught unaware, your feet. But I am beginning to sound like an ugly (spoilt) American.

Much of the day was devoted to the long trip from Kratie to Phnom Penh. I have written about the roads and this trip was no better of worse than our other road trips. However, we did stop at a wonderful restaurant on the outskirts of Phnom Penh was was beautifully situated on the bank of the Mekong River. There was a wonderful cool breeze and I had frog legs with chilies. Very tasty! In Phnom Penh we went straight to the markets. Most of us needed to purchase gifts for our families, friends, and, especially, for all those in our churches who have supported us with funds, encouragement and prayers. With out this support and God's grace this trip would not have been possible.

In the evening, we met up with Joseph Chan, his wife Marilyn, Romy, Tora, her husband Tera, and other members of the GBGM staff in Cambodia for dinner. It was like a family reunion even though we had never met many of the people sitting around our common table. At dinner, Gun Shik Shim and I sat with Joseph and Marilyn. We heard the stories of how they had been separated several times and the harrowing events that they survived during the years of the "Killing Fields." The word miraculous is thrown around far to loosely, but their story is undoubtedly a miracle! Apparently, an author traveled here a few months ago to record their story and a book about these two wonderful Christian people will be released in April.

Speaking of the "Killing Fields", tomorrow morning we will be visiting the memorial to those killed. There is a picture of it and the story behind it on one of my earlier postings. I hope you have had an opportunity to read it. Throughout our trip, I have written often about the wonderful children who we have met everywhere we have been. I have posted a brief video (7.5 minutes) about the plight of the children of Cambodia and the work that the General Board of Global Ministries is doing in this part of the world for these children. I hope you will take a few moments to view it. Blessings,

Homeward Bound

2010-01-24T16:41:00.000-08:00

Well, at long last we are sitting in the Inchon Airport, prepared for the long trip to JFK. We are all bundles of emotions. Excitement at seeing our families, friends and congregations; regret at leaving the many new friends that we have met in Thailand, Cambodia and South Korea; and anticipation at how how mission trip will have changed our lives when we return. One takes a trip like this for a variety of reasons. First you think that you might be of some help to the people in the mission field, both missionaries and newly converted Christians. Second, you think that you will learn about for off peoples and places and that you might be able to share that new knowledge with friends and congregations. However, I am convinced that the real, the lasting benefit of a trip like ours is what one learns about ones self. The ancient Greek philosopher, Heraclitus said "You can't step into the same river twice." Likewise, you cannot return home after a long journey to lands of vastly different customs and believes and expect to be the same person that you were when you left. I cannot begin to predict the impact that this trip will have on my traveling companions and me. Only God knows and time will tell.

Yesterday we attended two services at the first Methodist church built in Korea by Henry Appenzeller back in 1886. Appenzeller , a fellow graduated of Drew Theology School, was sent to Korea by his home church in Lancaster, PA. He and his wife Alice must have been inceredably brave and resourceful; people of unimaginable faith. We attended two services; the first at 11:00 (it was already the third service of the day) - there must have been 1,000 worshipers, including a choir of about 100, a full symphony orchestra and an annex full of worshipers who could not fit into the main sanctuary. It was an absolutely amazing. The music included to two of Korea's top opera singers and players from the national symphony.

At the 2:00 service, our team leader, Laura Galbraith, preached on what we had experienced in Thailand and Cambodia. The church had a medical mission team leaving for Cambodia that very afternoon. I was the celebrant for Holy Communion. Last night we had dinner with the son of a member of Laura's church who is a Lt. Colonel with the U. S. Air force stationed in Seoul. It was inspiring to see how the men and women who serve our country live their daily lives. Thank you, Scott, for your service to our country. You are you family deserve the gratitude of your nation.

Well, it is time to board the plane. Now it is time to prepare for the Youth Ambassador's trip that will be leaving for Cambodia in a few short weeks!

Blessings

Greetings from Seoul

2010-01-23T04:16:00.000-08:00

Last night we left Phnom Penh at about midnight and we arrived in Seoul a little before seven a.m. local time. We were picked up at the airport and spent the day playing tourist since for most of our team it is our first time in Seoul. We visited the Blue House,which is the presidential residence and analogous to our White House. We visited one of the royal palaces, which is rather like a smaller version of the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Next we went to a sort of amusement park set up like a traditional Korean village from bygone days. I guess you might compare it to visiting Old Williamsburg, VA. it was facinating to see how Koreans not so long ago lived in harmony with nature. Things have certiny changed for the Korean people in a very short time.

By the time we ate dinner and checked into our hotel it as about 8:00 in the evening and we were completely wasted from fatigue. Tomorrow, we will attend two different church services. Our leader, Laura Galbraith, will be preaching at the English speaking service of the Jong Dong Methodist Church, the first Methodist church in Korea founded in 1885. It is indeed a historic church.

For now, I am very tired and have to get up early.

Blessings...

Preparing to Fly to Seoul

2010-01-22T08:11:00.000-08:00

Today was our last day with our new friends and colleagues from from GBGM in Phnom Penh. We have extremely mixed emotions - happy to be going home but sad at leaving Cambodia. We visited the infamous S-1 prison in Phnom Phen were thousands of political prisoners were tortured and sentenced to death between 1975 and 1979. Afterwards we visited the Killing Fields Memorial which is located about 15 km southwest of the prison where so many were condemned to death. After being held and tortured at the S-1 prison, prisoners were transported to this place for execution and burial. Prisoners were forced to kneel down at the edge of a mass grave and then they were clubbed to death. The Khmer Rouge did not think that they were worth expending a bullet on. If the prisoner survived the clubbing their throats were slit. There were over 180 such "Killing Fields" scattered throughout Cambodia!

Over eighty mass graves have been uncovered holding about 3,000 bodies. It is believed that there are still about that many bodies which have not been unearth. As you walk along the paths between the graves there are remnants of clothing and bones that rise to the surface over time. Words cannot express the horror of this place. I have been to several camps used by the Nazis including Auschwitz. This is equally horrifying.

Tonight, Joseph, his wife Marilyn, Tola, her husband Tera, Romi and Ester accompanied us to the airport to see us off. It was a touching and heartfelt gester. We will miss these folks so much!

Must go now, our plan for Seoul will be boarding shortly.

Day four in Kratie

2010-01-20T05:22:00.001-08:00

Today was our last day in Kratie; tomorrow morning we will be making the six-hour bus ride back to Phenom Penh. Today was mostly devoted to the children who come to the First Methodist Church daily for lesson in English and traditional Khmer dancing and singing. But today there were no lessons; only play.

Also, for some of us, this was our last chance to work on the toilets next to playground that our young people will construct when they come to Kratie in February. I am so excited that my own daughter, Carla, who turned eighteen on Monday, will be able to experience this wonderful place and its marvelous people.

This morning we again purchased lunch for 50 children. Since more children showed up today than yesterday, there were no lunches for our team, so after saying our goodbyes to the children, we headed back into the town for lunch. We are truly saddened to have to leave these wonderful children. They are truly un-spoilt and every day seems to be an adventure for them.

After lunch our driver took us several miles up the Mekong River to a preserve for a nearly-extinct species of dolphins that lives in the river. According to a tourist pamphlet that we found in one of our hotels, there are only about 170 of these dolphins remaining. We border boats that took us out into the river so that we could see several families of dolphins that this region. We could only catch brief glimpses of the rare animals.

This afternoon, our group was joined by Rev. Gun Shick Shim who arrived from New York last night. He will serve as our guide and host when we arrive in Seoul Korea Saturday morning. We are blessed by his presence and praise god for his safe travels.

Our team is weary but exhilarated by our four days in Kratie. Tomorrow we move on to meet new friends and experience new adventures in Phenom Penh!

Blessings!

Day 2 in Kratie

2010-01-20T05:21:00.000-08:00

Day 2 from Kratie (pronounced Kra-CHA), and our group is probably more exhilarated than we have yet been on our trip. But I am getting ahead of myself. This morning we awoke to our first real glimpse of the city because we arrive after dark last night. The Mekong River, which is just across the street from our hotel, is magnificent! Early in the morning before breakfast, we watched as local people set up their stalls, which remain open until about 9:00 p.m. What a way to make a living. Joseph explained that in Khmer “Kra” means poor or slow; and “Cha” means wisdom or learning. Some people say the name means “Slow to learn”; for others it means “Poor but wise”. I far prefer the latter interpretation – perhaps because “Slow to learn” strikes a little too close to home!

After breakfast we drove about 6 km to the First Methodist Church of Kratie. The new structure is beautiful and well planned; especially when you consider that the church, which was built in May 2009, does not even have congregation. But don’t think for a moment that the building is underutilized. A young student pastor and his wife, who is about 7 months pregnant, have started several programs for the local children. Right now they are taught English and they learn to sing and act traditional Khmer songs and drama. In Cambodia, primary school students attend classes for only half a day; some in the morning and some in the afternoon. So we were greeted by about 20 wonderful children.

Our job in Kartie is to assist in the construction of toilets and a shower which are being built next to the playground which will be built by a team of Youth Ambassadors from the Ney York Annual Conference in February. (My daughter Carla will be part of this trip! She will have such an exciting time.) If there was any disappointment for the day, it was that the contractor for whom we were to work was away until mid afternoon because he had to attend a wedding. But, we did not let that stop us; after an introduction to the vision for the new Methodist Center at the First Methodist Church, we started mixing mortar and laying bricks to build a wall of the toilets. I can’t imagine what the contractor must of thought when he arrive and say all these strange people working on his job-site. Judging by the quality of our brick laying, he must have thought that we were vandals. I said to one member of our team that masons going back into deep antiquity must have been rolling over in their graves. Fortunately, our brick work will be covered over by stucco and painted; so, no one need ever know the poor quality of the underlying brick-work.

The real excitement began after the end of the day at the local school. By about 3:30 in the afternoon, there were over eighty children who came to the church to sing songs and study English. They are so beautiful that I and hardly begin to express myself. One little girl sang a solo of a traditional Khmer song that brought many tears to the easy of our team members. Late in the day, some local men showed up and, perhaps seeing the quality of our brick-work, just took over the brick laying while several of us supplied mortar. Interesting, we discovered that these men are not even members of the church. In fact, as of yet, there are no members of the church. It has been decided that the best way to develop the church without arising the suspicions of the local Buddhist population is to provide services for the children. In due course, it is hoped that the parents will follow – just like the men who showed up spontaneously to help lay brick. The is none of the overt evangelization that is typically associated with missionary activities.

This is a “Field of Dreams” approach to church growth – “Build it and they will come…” Show the parents the hope and joy that their children receive when the gospel of Jesus Christ is presented in a positive way and soon that will be clamoring to receive the Good News as well!

By the end of the day, with the help of a few new friends, the wall that we started was nearly complete. And you know, it didn’t look so bad after all!

Day Three in Kratie

2010-01-20T05:17:00.000-08:00

We spent substantially all of our third day in Kratie at the First Methodist Church, but for most of our team work on the restrooms took back burner to spending time with the scores of children who come here daily. After leaving the hotel we stopped at a small restaurant were last night Joseph had placed an order for 50 box lunches of lunch and chicken or beef. The total cost of the lunches was only $65. With the lunches in hand we headed to the church. En route, we stopped by the local public school which is undergoing a major expansion. Soon the high school will be separate from the primary school. The General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church has contributed a new well and restrooms to help the lives of the children and teachers at the school.

In the morning members of the team taught English and Korean to the children. And we played games – we showed the children how to make paper airplanes, and how to play musical chairs and other games. Two members of the team, Ben and Vicky, are in their early twenties, and the children take real delight in their endless energy. I think that it is fair to say that everyone in our team has fallen in love with these wonderful children and that they children have grown to love the members of our team.

Back at the worksite we are amazed at how the people of Cambodia are able to build with practically no tools. Forms for concrete are held together with a few pieces of wire and rudimentary clamps. By the time we leave this church tomorrow night, the brickwork on the restrooms should be substantially complete. In the mid-afternoon, it started to rain – a rarity during the dry season that runs from November to March. Finally as the rain intensified, several members of the team the contractor and his helpers packed up our tools for the night – soaking wet.

Back at our hotel in the evening, there are two statues in front of an elephant with a rabbit sitting on its back. Neither Joseph nor Romi knew the significance of the statues. In a quiet moment before we left for dinner, I asked the hotel manager to explain the meaning of the statues. He said that according to a local legend, there was once a rabbit in the forest near the Mekong River. When the waters started to rise, the rabbit climbed into the branches of a tree where it was stuck for several days. Finally, an elephant passed under the tree and the rabbit was able to jump onto its back. The rabbit was saved, but instead of being grateful, the rabbit teased the elephant saying, “You may be strong, but you are stupid. I survive because I am clever.” So, the elephant grabbed the rabbit with its trunk and threw it into the flood waters.

Some westerners come to Cambodia thinking that we are smarter, cleverer than the local people. Some come thinking that we are richer and stronger than the Cambodians. Jesus said that unless we come as those little children whom we grew to love today, we will never glimpse God’s kingdom. Like children we must come to Cambodia as open vessels, devoid of all our old, preconceived notions about what need to be done in this wonderful country.

Blessings

2010-01-18T03:53:00.001-08:00

Greetings from Kratie, which is the capital city of a province in eastern-central Cambodia of the same name, located not too far from the Vietnam border. It is on the famous or, in the minds of most American of my generation, the infamous Mekong River, which was the scene of much of the worst fighting during the Vietnam War in our youth. While I am exhilarated to be part our team of United Methodists from New York and Connecticut, to work with brothers and sisters on new United Methodist center which will be a gathering spot for Methodists from all over eastern Cambodia, I am full of regret over the repercussions of my country’s activities in this part of the world.

As I write, it is still Sunday the 17th of January back home in Pleasantville. Here it is already 5:00 in the morning on the 18th; my daughter Carla’s 18th birthday. Carla, I am sorry that I cannot be with you on this special day. But I can tell you that when you and the other young people from the New York Annual conference come here in February, you will be coming to a fascinating and heart-warming place. The people are wonderful; and the new Christian communities are full of a spirit that I have rarely experienced.

I have not posted to the blog since Friday because our hotels have not had internet access. On Friday, we visited the Angkor Vat temple complex, which is just outside the city of Siem Reap. Siem Reap (the name means “Defeat of Siam – or the Thais”) was the capital of the Khmer Empire until 1342, when the king moved the capital to Phnom Penh. The most famous of the temples was built by King Angkor, and is meant to be a reconstruction of Mount Meru, the primordial site of creation in Hindu cosmology. It is complete with five peaks and it rises from the primordial waters – the whole temple is surrounded by a huge mote. In ancient times the mote was stocked with alligators to discourage invading armies.

I have visited many ancient monumental sites, including the pyramids at Giza, but nothing that I have seen compared to Angkor Vat. We also visited a silk facility and saw how silk is produced from larvae to finished product. The company, Artisans Angkor, serves two purposes. First, it provides training to young Cambodian girls so that they can learn a trade that then return home and practice there crafts close to family and friends; thus breaking the vicious cycle that draws girls from the countryside to cities where they often fall afoul of the sex trade.

On Saturday we met with two officials of the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM), Joseph Chan and Romeo del Rosario, who in addition to their positions with GBGH are also District Superintendents over the districts which include Seim Reap and Kartie. Both Joseph and Romi have inspiring histories. Joseph was born in Cambodia but became a refugee in Thailand in the late 1970’s for escape the Phol Pot regime. Before this he had studied in Yugoslavia and North Korea. From Thailand, he was able to immigrate to the United States, when he became a United Methodist elder. In 1984, while serving a church in Modesto California, he received a call from GBGH asking him to return to Cambodia. Just imagine his excitement; if this wasn’t the hand of God at work in his life and that of his country, how else can one explain such an improbable chain of events.

Romi is from the Philippines. He studied at Chandler School of Theology in Atlanta and at Boston University, where he received his PhD. He has worked for GBGM in Africa, among many other parts of the world, and he has been the president of a Seminary in Malaysia. Two years ago, while working for GBGM in the Philippines, he received a call GBGM to come to Cambodia. In all my life I have never met two men more passionate about their work than Joseph and Romi. I would like to be able to bottle up some of what they have and take it home with me to New York.

Yesterday, Sunday, we drove north near the Thai border. We attended worship in a small church into which about 50 people were packed. The entire worship service was led by young people – mostly young girls. Apparently this is not unusual in Cambodia for several reasons –

· The vast majority of the people are young – over 70 are under 30 years of age as a result of the millions killed by Phol Pot.

· Due to extended periods of drought and crop failure, most of the young men and boys have left for Thailand and other parts to seek work.

· More of the children are literate.

These young people were so full of life and hope that it makes one optimistic for the future of Cambodia; a future in which the United Methodist Church will play a vital role. Two of our team members are from Korea. They are astounded with the similarities between the Cambodia of today and the South Korea of their youth.

After chuch, we returned to our hotel in a town called Ponkom Thom, we packed and began the five hour drive to Kratia. Again, the driving is not to be believed. You will just need to come here and experience it for yourself.

Day Five - We have left Thailand and have arrived in Cambodia

2010-01-15T08:20:00.000-08:00

Today’s entry will be brief for two reasons – first most of today was spent getting to the airport, flying to Phenom Penh, Cambodia and taking a six-hour van trip to Siem Reap. Tomorrow we will visit the ancient ruins at Angkor Wat (or Angkor Vat).

This morning we left out hotel in Sriracha, Thailand at 7:30. Mike and Sherri drove us to a beautiful beach at Bang Saen, which is near Mike and Sherri's home. There we held a worship service right on the beach in rented lounge chairs. It makes a fantastic alternative to indoors church; you should try it sometime. In his homily, Mike reminded us of the gratitude of the new Christians at Bowin United Methodist Church for the fact that we had traveled 12 time zones to work with them on their project. Perhaps more importantly is the connection that was established Between Thai Christians and the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and the church universal. Mike summed up his excitement for his work in Thailand because he is constantly surrounded by new Christians.

Sherri led our liturgy of Holy Communion. She reminded us that on that last evening of his earthly life Jesus gathered with his closest friends. I couldn’t help but think of the closeness that had developed over the last six days between the members of our team, with Mike and Sherri, and with our new friends at Bowin.

The flight to Phenom Penh is less than one hour in duration, but in that brief period it is as if you have left one reality and have entered into some alternate reality. Even the approach to the airport provides evidence to the stark contrast. Thailand, with all its problems, is a developed country. There is beautiful infrastructure. Flying into Cambodia, one sees little more than dirt roads and run-down housing. There are none of the highways, factories, high-rise buildings, etc. that are everywhere in the Bangkok area.

However, this certainly does not mean that things are hopeless in Cambodia. Two of the members of our team who are pastors who grew up in South Korea remarked that Cambodia reminds them of how things were in South Korea when they were children. Perhaps Cambodia has a bright future in store. Much of the success of South Korea has been facilitated buy the strong Christian faith of the nation. Perhaps Christianity will play an equally important role in the future of Cambodia.

I would like to describe the six-hour drive from Phenom Penh to Siem Reap but it is very late, I am tired, and the drive is really something that has to be experience to be appreciated! We thank God for our safe arrival and we anticipate with great excitment our week here in Cambodia. Tommorow our team visits Angkor Wat, the ancient capital of the Khmer empire.

Blessings

Day Five - Our Last Day With Bowin UMC

2010-01-13T14:34:00.000-08:00

Sa Was Dee Krap (สวัสดีครับ)

This phrase "SA WA DEE KRAP" (or "SA WA DEE KAH" if the speaker is a woman) is ubiquitous in Thai conversation. it means "good morning", "hello", "good afternoon", "good bye", "farewell".

Sadly, but joyously, today our group had to bid SA WA DEE KRAP to our new friends from the Bowin United Methodist church. We spent the day working on the fence being built around their 2 acre parcel of land which the church will use to raise chickens and crops for sale and for their own use. The fence is pictured above. I said that I am going to submit it to the Guinness Book of Records as the world's biggest bamboo basket. As you can see from the pictures, it really is some undertaking. However, we were able to complete about 20% of the fence, and the project has been jump-started so that the people of Bowin will be able to complete it in short order. The well has been dug, and progress has been made in building the chicken coop.

Another blessing for me personally as that one of the nose-pads had broken off of my glasses and it was cutting into my skin. My buddy Mark (pictured with me above) noticed. he left the work site and came back with tools and parts to fix my glasses. He and one of the other men sat in the middle of the field an put two new pads on my glasses. They kept the old broken pads. They said that want to remembers me through the pads.

A magnificent lunch was again prepared by the women of the church (who must pull triple duty - chefs, manual labors, child care, etc.) One of the dishes was a wonderful chicken soup. In the morning we had seen one of the men shoot and clean a chicken. He built a small fire to burn off the remaining feathers. Then he put the chicken in a can and added dried grass to the fire. In a few moments. it looked more like funeral pyre than an oven. But somehow the chicken survived (well perhaps "survived" is not the right word) and it was delicious. I dubbed it "Thai Cremated Chicken."

Each of our team was given a parting gift, hand-made purses for the women and neck scarves for the men. I guess they thought that since we would be retuning to the frozen North they would be useful.

Tomorrow we leave for Cambodia!

Thailand and the Sex Trade

2010-01-13T03:45:00.000-08:00

Last night (Tuesday night) Sherri took us for a brief ride though the city of Pattaya, which is said t be the epicenter of the international sex trade. Thailand has marvelous infrastructure, funded largely through sex tourism. Our tour of Pattaya took us through a street called "Walking Street" after all the street walkers who ply their trade. Prostitution in Thailand is illegal, but in practice it is tolerated and regulated. Since the Vietnam War, Thailand has gained international notoriety among travelers from many countries as a sex tourism destination.

When asked what proportion of Thai women spend some portion in the sex trade, one woman that we met responded 60%; a staggering figure even if it were to be overstated. Of course I have no reason to doubt the validity of this figure.

In addition to their missionary activities planting new churches (they are up to 10) Mike and Sherri are passonately involved in saving the abandoned, forlorn children who are the tragic byproduct of the Thai sex trade, Within Thai society, these children have been so numberous and so ubiquitous, most Thais no longer recognize them as being a problem, but Christians see them as precious children of God.

The following information of the Thai sex trade was taken from Wikipedia, which warns that portions of the article need additional backup and verification.

Thai society has its own unique set of often contradictory sexual mores. A polygamist tradition of "mia noi" ("minor wives" or mistresses) persists amongst the wealthier elites, including the Thai royalty.

Consequently, visiting a prostitute or a paid mistress is a not uncommon though not necessarily acceptable behavior for men. Many Thai women, for example, believe the existence of such prostitution actively reduces the incidence of rape.

This cultural milieu combined with poverty and the lure of easy money have caused prostitution in general and sex tourism in particular to flourish in Thailand.

Estimates of the number of prostitutes vary widely and are subject to controversy. A 1980 study put the number of prostitutes in Thailand at 500,000 to 700,000. A 2004 estimate by Dr. Nitet Tinnakul from Chulalongkorn University gives a total of 2.8 million sex workers in Thailand, including 2 million women, 20,000 adult males and 800,000 minors under the age of 18. One estimate published in 2003 placed the trade at US$ 4.3 billion per year or about three percent of the Thai economy. It has been suggested for example that there may be as many as 10,000 prostitutes on Koh Samui alone, an island resort destination not usually associated with prostitution, and that at least 10% of tourist dollars may be spent on the sex trade.

Although centers such as Bangkok (Patpong, Nana Plaza, and Soi Cowboy), Pattaya, and Phuket (Patong) are often identified as primary tourist "prostitution" areas, with Hat Yai and other Malaysian border cities catering to Malaysians, prostitution takes place in nearly every major city and province in the country.

Chiang Mai, Koh Samui (Chaweng and Lamai) are also major centers. In Bangkok, many roads have saunas or massage parlors, with some as large and luxurious as four-star or five-star hotels, with comparable amenities, that front for sex. The so-called Ratchadapisek Entertainment District, for example, running along Ratchadapisek Road near the Huay Kwang intersection in Bangkok, features several large entertainment venues which include sexual massage. Even "concerts" or "karaoke" style bars in small provincial towns have their own versions, with scantily dressed women singing Traditional Thai music.

Many sex industry workers in Thailand – certainly those servicing foreigners or "farang" in the sex tourist trade – have origins in the impoverished northern parts of the country, including for example, the Chiang Mai and Isaan regions.

Legal situation and history

Prostitution has been illegal in Thailand since 1960, when a law was passed under pressure from the United Nations. However, the prohibition is seldom enforced. Instead, the government has instituted a system of monitoring sex workers in order to prevent their mistreatment and to control the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

Thailand has an ancient, continuous tradition of legal texts, generally described under the heading of Dhammasattha literature (Thai pron., tam-ma-sat), wherein prostitution is variously defined, and universally banned. The era of traditional legal texts came to an end in the early 20th century, and the significance of these earlier texts on both the writ and spirit of modern legislation cannot be overlooked.

The "Entertainment Places Act of 1966", still in effect today, makes it possible for Thais to render "special services". This is done, for example, by establishing such places as massage parlors where men come and look at women, who are sitting separated by a glass wall (known as a "fishbowl"), and may choose whom they want. The women go to a room where they bathe and massage the customers, but in reality may do much more than that. It is left for the customer to decide what kind of "special service" he really wants, and because of this, such establishments are able to avoid being designated as illegal brothels.

This act was designed in order to allow brothels to operate under the guise of "massage parlours", "bars", "night-clubs", and "tea-houses". It was enacted at a time when the Thai Government thought to increase state revenue from the "rest and recreation" activities of the U.S. Armed Forces stationed in both Thailand and Vietnam.

The "Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act of 1996" outlawed the hiring of prostitutes under the age of 18, as well as people associating in prostitution establishments; this provision does not appear to be well enforced.

Legalization attempts

In 2003, the Ministry of Justice considered legalizing prostitution and held a public discussion on the topic. Legalization and regulation was proposed as a means to increase tax revenue, reduce corruption, and improve the situation of the workers. However, nothing further was done.

HIV/AIDS

The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Thailand, and especially among sex workers, has been the subject of significant media and academic attention, and Thailand hosted the XV International AIDS Conference, 2004.

Mechai Viravaidya, known as "Mr. Condom", has campaigned tirelessly to increase the awareness of safe sex practices and use of condoms in Thailand. He served as minister for tourism and AIDS prevention from 1991 to 1992; he also founded the restaurant chain Cabbages and Condoms.

After the enactment of the Thai government's first five-year plan to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country, including Mechai's "100% condom program", the use of condoms during commercial sex has jumped markedly, to 90%. The program instructs sex workers to refuse intercourse without condom, and monitors health clinic statistics in order to locate brothels that allow sex without condoms.

Thailand was praised for its efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS during the late 1990s, but a study in 2005 found that the lack of public support in the previous several years had led to a resurgence of the disease.

Reasons for the existence of prostitution in Thailand

Although prostitution in Thailand is widely believed to exist because of the lack of employment opportunities for large numbers of uneducated rural women, particularly during the period of the Vietnam war, when a large number of US troops passed through Thailand, the truth is that widespread prostitution existed in this part of the world for thousands of years. It is noted that the Khmer emperors had as many as a thousand concubines at their disposal.

Another reason contributing to this issue is that ordinary Thais deem themselves tolerant of other people, especially those whom they perceive as downtrodden. This acceptance has allowed prostitution to flourish without much of the extreme social stigma found in other countries. According to a 1996 study, people in Thailand generally disapprove of prostitution, but the stigma for prostitutes is not lasting or severe, especially since many prostitutes support their parents through their work. Some men do not mind marrying former prostitutes.

However, the main reason that prostitution is a lasting industry in Thailand is that many Thai men of all levels of society, especially government officials, actively protect and promote the sex industry, the latter through entertainment-related media and activities.

Godfather of Prostitution exposes politicians

Chuwit Kamolvisit, owner of several massage parlors in Bangkok and considered by many "a godfather of prostitution" in Thailand, revealed in 2003 that some of his best clients were senior politicians and police officers, whom he also claimed to have paid, over a decade, more than £1.5m in bribes so that his business, the real business of selling sex, could thrive. “I used to buy whole trays of Rolex watches for police officers. I used to carry cash in black plastic bags for them (police)."

The Guardian of the UK has stated, "He's the godfather of the Thai sex industry – and what he knows about corruption could bring down the government." The Thai media was gripped by Chuwit's claims and the headlines ran: Top Cops Got Free Sex And Drinks.

Although Thailand's sex trade aimed at foreigners is overt and raucous, the enormous industry that caters exclusively to Thai men had never before been publicly scrutinised, let alone the sexual exploits of Thailand's unchallengeable officials.

Government Politicians and Prostitution

Support of prostitution is pervasive in political circles, as the BBC News reported in 2003 that "MPs from Thailand's ruling Thai Rak Thai Party are getting hot under the collar over plans by the party leadership to ban them from having mistresses or visiting brothels" … "One MP told The Nation newspaper that if the rules were enforced, the party would only be able to field around 30 candidates, compared to its more than 200 sitting MPs."

Attitudes towards women can be described by MP Thirachai Sirikhan, informing The Nation newspaper, "To have a mia noi (mistress) is an individual's right. There should be no problem as long as the politician causes no trouble to his family or society".
Having many wives was a common attribute of Thai culture in the past, but because prostitution is so pervasive, a common attitude among women is that they expect their husbands to cheat, and don't believe them if they deny it.

Both politicians and police have been supporting and indulging in the prostitution industry openly. Khun Tavich, a veteran politician at 76 years was under fire in 2005 for impregnating a 14 year old girl, who worked across the street from the congressional building. It is well-known, for example, that the father of a female member of Parliament is the owner of the Poseidon massage parlor on Ratchadapisek Road, a fairly deluxe establishment with several stories of jacuzzi-equipped rooms.

After a police raid on some Bangkok parlours where policemen had sex with prostitutes, "Acting Suthisan Police chief Colonel Varanvas Karunyathat defended the police action, saying that the (police) officers involved needed to have sex with the masseuses to gain evidence for the arrest." Apparently, this is standard practice as a separate police force did the same in Pattaya in May 2007.

Even more evidence of politicians supporting the prostitution industry and the sexual habits of elderly Thai men in general can be gleaned from the fact that Viagra is being given to elderly voters in exchange for their votes in an election drive.

Sex tourism
Thailand is a major destination for tourists from the Western World who travel to this country to have sex with prostitutes. Sex tourism in Thailand can trace its origins to the presence of American military on rest and recreation leave during the Vietnam War [24].The huge economic disparities between Thai locals and the Western tourists contribute to the proliferation of sex tourism to Thailand.

Child sex tourism is a serious problem in the country. Thailand, along with Cambodia, India, Brazil and Mexico has been identified as a leading hotspot of child sexual exploitation.

Prostitution and crime in Thailand

Child prostitutionThe exact number of child-prostitutes in Thailand is not known, but Thailand’s Health System Research Institute reports that children in prostitution make up 40% of prostitutes in Thailand.

The reasons why and how children are commercially sexually exploited include:

Poverty: a high proportion of the population lives in poverty.
Ethnic hill tribe children: these children live in the border region of northern Thailand. They suffer from disproportionate levels of poverty in relation to the general population and most of them lack citizenship cards. This means that they do not have access to health care or primary school, which limits their further education or employment opportunities.

Trafficked children: Many children are trafficked into or within the country through criminal networks, acquaintances, former trafficking victims and border police and immigration officials who transport them to brothels across Thailand.

Sense of duty: According to traditional customs the first duty of a girl is to support her family in any way she can. Due to this sense of duty and to pay off family debts, many girls have been forced into prostitution and some have even ‘married’ their abusers.

Wealthy tourists: Child sex tourism is a serious problem, numerous tourists from the Western World travel to Thailand to have sex with children.

Foreign child sex offenders: Some foreign sex offenders residing in Thailand have taken up professions with access to children or are involved in trafficking children and organising sex tours for others.

Children are exploited in sex establishments and are also approached directly in the street by tourists seeking sexual contact.

Human Trafficking

Thailand is listed by the UNODC as both a top destination for victims of human trafficking and a major source of trafficked persons.

A proportion of prostitutes over the age of 18, including foreign nationals from Asia and Europe, are in a state of forced sexual servitude and slavery.[30]

There are reports of bribe taking by some low- or mid-level police officers facilitating the most severe forms of trafficking in persons.

Ethnic minorities such as northern hill tribe peoples, many of whom do not have legal status in the country, are at a disproportionately high risk for trafficking internally and abroad. Within the country women are trafficked from the impoverished northeast and the north to Bangkok for sexual exploitation.

According to the 2003 documentary Trading Women, most women trafficked into Thailand come from Myanmar; others come from Cambodia, Laos and China. The film cites as root causes of the trafficking problem the economic and political situation in Myanmar, the destruction of the traditional economy in Thai hill tribe regions resulting from development and opium suppression programs, the inability of many members of Thai hill tribes to obtain proper papers and participate in society, and the rampant corruption among police and border guards.

It is common that Thai women are lured to Japan and sold to Yakuza-controlled brothels where they are forced to work off their price. The reason why it is so easy to lure these women from neighboring countries is because Thailand has 56 unofficial crossover points and 300 checkpoints where people can simply cross over the borders without the need for any paperwork. This makes it easier for exploiters to get by without a hitch. Most legal entry points into Thailand demand some i.d.--either a passport or an identity card, but the problem of people who cross borders to work every day (like the USA/Mexican border) makes lax the rules due to familarity of officers and frequent travelers.

In a landmark case in 2006, one such woman filed a civil suit in Thailand against the Thai perpetrators, who had previously been convicted in criminal court. The woman had managed to escape from the Yakuza-controlled prostitution ring by killing the female Thai mama-san and had spent five years in a Japanese prison.

Crimes against tourists

Petty theft and druggings of patrons of prostitutes, as well as numerous murders of those who visit prostitutes have occurred in Thailand. One high profile example is that of Toby Charnaud, 41, whose former prostitute wife clubbed him to death with an iron bar and wooden staves. This incident, like many other murders by former prostitutes of foreigners, are fueled by the Thai government's ban on foreign ownership of property, and the corruption and temptation of large amounts of cash that comes with it.

Many foreigners in Thailand are highly suspicious of police collusion with prostitutes.[citation needed] According to The Guardian, Thailand has the highest death rate of any nation for Britons on holiday, some 224 Britons died in Thailand between April 2005 and March 2006, although most of those were long-term elderly British residents.

Day Four - Tuesday, January13th

2010-01-12T15:00:00.000-08:00

The hard worked continues. We began the day by carrying heavy hard wood posts to each of the 53 holes that were dug yesterday. Then we back filled the holes and pack the earth around them to keep them secure.

Next we all packed into our van an drove some distance from our work site. We were told that we were going to get more bamboo, but we had no idea how or where. After driving some distance, the van turned off onto a dirt road and came to a stop next to a rural house built on sticks. We got out of the van and started walking into the woods - passing a 4 ft long snake on the way.

We came to a clearing and met members of the Bowin United Methodist Church - women and men - cutting bamboo. They were dripping with sweat. Our job was to assist them in carrying the bamboo out of the woods so that it could be trucked back to the work site. This bamboo, along with that which some of our group had been cutting into strips for the the day before and this morning, would form the sides of the fence that we are helping to build.

There is an interesting story about the bamboo. The church members found it growing adjacent to a a large Buddhist temple and assumed that the land upon which it grew belonged to the temple and, therefore, available to the public. So, they started cutting away.

Soon, an angry landowner appeared and demanded that the cutting stop. The pastor of the church, pastor Jeran, explained that the bamboo was to be used by their church to enclose land for growing vegetables and chickens for the support of his church.

The land owner was so impressed that the gave the congregation the bamboo, the hardwood logs that we had carried earlier - and they have started attending the church. The people of the Bowin church look upon these events as God's intervention. After working with these wonderful, hard working folks for three days, I think they are probably right! As we were leaving to return to the work site, were stoped at the owners house - the one built on stilts next to which we parked. His wife was caring for their baby who was sleeping in the heat of the day under the house. She asked us to pray b=for her household before we left. We prayed for them and they prayerd for us. Mike expects the family to be baptized soon!

2010-01-11T14:46:00.001-08:00

Day Three - The Hard Work Begins

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God,did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross."
Philippians 2: 3-8 (NRSV)

This morning our group got started on our primary project in Thailand. We are assisting the members of the Bowin United Methodist Church to build a fence around a two acre parcel of property that they will use to grow food and chickens for sale and use by the community. The first task was to dig 52 post holes to a depth of about 2.5 ft. That may not sound like much of a task until you try it. The ground was sun backed and in many places was as hard as stone. We only had the use of homemade digging tools and plastic soup bowls, and it was really hot! While several teams dug hols, others split long bamboo strips out of cane which was about six inches in diameter.

When we fist started digging, the going was very slow. Two teams of two diggers started in one direction around the perimeter of the property and two teams started in the opposite direction. We began to wonder whether we would be able to complete all 52 holes in two days. But as we got the hang of it, things started to move much faster and at about 3:00 in the afternoon the teams converged. As we prepared to dig the 52nd hole, we told our Thai partners about when the first transcontinental railway was built across the USA and how when the work crews from the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific Railroads met in Utah, they commemorated the completion of the massive undertaking by symbolical driving a golden stake into the track.

So we had a great celebration for the digging of the "Golden Hole", which completed the digging of the holes for the fence posts. There was shaking of hands and picture-taking of the entire group. It was truly a magic moment; despite the fact that we were all utterly exhausted! This was exactly what we had all dreamed our trip would be about. Mark, one of the Thai members of Bowin UMC, said in that they would paint the final post with gold paint once the posts are put in place. That is our job for today.

Paul wrote that Christ "emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death." The Greek word that paul used for "empty" is kenosis, and kenosis forms the basis of all of the world's great religions.

There is a story from China about a mighty general who sought out the monastery of a renown monk. He wanted to learn the secret to the meaning of life from the monk.

At their first and only meeting, the general ordered the monk to teach him the secret to the meaning of life. The monk agreed, but first they would have to share a cup of tea together; the monk would serve...

As the monk poured tea into the cup of this mighty man, quick to anger, the cup became more and more full. When it reached the top of the cup, the monk kept pouring the tea so that it poured over into the general's lap. The general sprung to his feet, pulled his sword, and threatened to behead the wise old monk.

"I asked you to teach me the meaning of life but instead you have scalded me with tea. I am going to kill you!"

The monk held out his hand and said, "I cannot teach you because you are like this teacup - full to the brim. Until you empty yourself, there is nothing that I can teach you. Go now and come back when you are empty."

We do not know whether the general ever returned.

Recently, with the release of the movie Avatar (which I have not seen) there has been much written about movies with a recurring theme - the White Messiah.

The invariably male, white, militaristic hero is sent to some distant land to to help control the native population. Over time, the hero is impressed with the simplicity and integrity of the natives. He ultimately joins the natives, helping them to over throw the very oppressors for whom he once worked. Examples of popular movies based on this theme include the Magnificent Seven, Dances with Wolves, The last Samurai; the list goes on and on.

Our team has not been sent to Thailand and Cambodia to be Messiahs - white or otherwise. We are mistaken if we thinnk we have come here to "help" these people. the truth is they are helping us. And today, each of our cups was emptied as we lay on the hard, hot geound scooping dirt out of post holes with plastic soup bowls! For this, the members of our team and endebted to the paople of the Bowin UMC.

Day Two - Some Time to Get Acquainted and Relax

2010-01-10T13:03:00.000-08:00

We met for breakfast at 8:15. (remember that we did not arrive at our hotel until after 3:00 AM after over 30 hours of travelling!) However, every member of the team felt rejuvenated and ready to get started. (Isn't God amazing?)

Mike and Sherri took us to the Bowin United Methodist Church which is located in a fairly newly developed region about 2 hours southeast of Bangkok. The factories and businesses of this area have been particularly hard hit by the international economic crisis of the last two years. Sometimes it is easy for us Americans to think that troubles stop at our boarders, but this is a crisis with countless epicenters in places like Thailand, China, India. I fear these people will still be suffering when the "recession" is just a distant memory to us in the United States.

When we arrived Bowin UMC, worship was in full swing. (And I do mean swing!)The still guitar band was playing songs with tunes that sounded familiar and welcoming, but words that sounded to us like so much babel. We later reminded ourselves that it is we who do not speak their language; not visa versa!

The sermon was delivered by a young seminarian from the north of the country - a tribal region along the bourder with Myanmar. This area is sometimes called the "Golden Triangle" for its participation in a still raging international drug trade with links to our war in Afghanistan. His text was Psalm 1 verses 1-3.

Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
or sit in the seat of scoffers;
but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.

He spoke of his experiences as a homeless youth and his improbable journey to the United Methodist Church, seminary and a promising future as an elder. He also spoke of a giant tree on the campus of his university up north. The tree is so large that in the dry and wet seasons, students and faculty gather under its branches for protection from the elements. There they hold classes and discuss the meaning of faith.

I could not help but think to myself that this young man was in the process of transitioning from being one of many who take shelter under a tree to becoming as one of whom the psalmist wrote - he was becoming the tree with strong roots planed near streams of water. As an elder in Thailand, he will need both his strength and his deep roots because Thailand's problems are many and they are deep-rooted.

The International Sex and Drug trades which ravage its youth;
The War on Terror which has fostered rising insurgency among the growing Muslim minority in the southwest of the country;
A fragile economy which is highly susceptible to the swings of international booms and busts.

After worship, we lunched as the guest of the members of Bowin. This for me was the highlight of the day. While we didn't exactly break bread together, we dipped our hands into communal rice pots, rolled balls of sticky rice and dipped them together into the most delectable sauces and condiments. While we may not have understood one anothers words, we knew exactly what was on the others hearts!

Now, back to bed. This morning the real physical work begins!

The pictures are from Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens where we had a chance to play tourist this afternoon.

We made it to Thailand

2010-01-09T18:10:00.000-08:00

After months of anticipation, we finally are here! Yesterday was a bit of an ordeal however. We left JFK at 10:45 AM on Friday, January 8th. We checked into to our hotel in Sriracha, Thailand about 3:00 AM on Sunday morning. Considering crossing the international date line and the 12 hour time difference, that is about 30 hours of travel.
On the positive side, airport security was far less a hassle than I imagined. Most of our party experience few delays at any point in the journey.
Rev. Michael W. Morrissey, Jr., and Rev. Sherri Tabaka-Morrissey (they are pictured above) were at the airport in Bangkok to greet us at about 1:00 AM. The drive from the airport took about 1.5 hours. We stopped at a McDonals to have a late night snack. We were also surprised that there seemed to be a 7-11 store about every quarter mile. there was even one in the airport terminal. Go figure!
Many thanks to our families, congregations and friends who's support, prayers and permission has made this trip possible

The Killing Fields

2009-12-29T17:25:00.000-08:00

The structure at left (Choeung Ek) is a commemorative stupa filled with the skulls of the victims of the Kamer Rouge during the years of the killing fields.

The Killing Fields were a number of sites in Cambodia where large numbers of people were killed and buried by the Khmer Rouge regime, during its rule of the country from 1975 to 1979, immediately after the end of the Vietnam War. At least 200,000 people were executed by the Khmer Rouge (while estimates of the total number of deaths resulting from Khmer Rouge policies, including disease and starvation, range from 1.4 to 2.2 million out of a population of around 7 million). In 1979, Vietnam invaded and toppled the Khmer Rouge regime, which was officially called Democratic Kampuchea.

Accusations of genocide
Cambodia's ethnic minorities constituted 15 percent of the population in pre-Khmer Rouge era. Of the 400,000 Vietnamese who lived in Cambodia before 1975, some 320,000 were expelled by the previous Lon Nol regime. When Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge came to power, there remained about 100,000 Vietnamese in the country. Almost all of them were repatriated by December 1975. Some argue that the Khmer Rouge had no intent to cause serious mental and physical harm to the Vietnamese during the repatriation process. The Chinese community about 425,000 people in 1975 was reduced to 200,000 during the next four years. In the Khmer Rouge's Standing Committee, four members were of Chinese ancestry, two Vietnamese, and two Khmers. Some observers argue that this mixed composition makes it difficult to argue that there was an intent to kill off minorities. Democratic Kampuchea experienced serious hardships due to the effects of war and disrupted economic activity. According to Michael Vickery, 740,800 people in Cambodia in a population of about 7 million died due to disease, overwork, and political repression. Other estimates suggest approximately 1.7 million and it is described by the Yale University Cambodian Genocide Program as "one of the worst human tragedies of the last century." Researcher Craig Etcheson of the Documentation Center of Cambodia suggests that the death toll was between 2 and 2.5 million, with a "most likely" figure of 2.2 million. After 5 years of researching some 20,000 grave sites, he concludes that "these mass graves contain the remains of 1,112,829 victims of execution."[5] Pol Pot is sometimes described as "the Hitler of Cambodia" and "a genocidal tyrant".[7] Martin Shaw described the Cambodian genocide as "the purest genocide of the Cold War era". Vietnam, with the backing of the Soviet Union, invaded Cambodia and removed Pol Pot from power. U.S. analyst Lawrence LeBlanc has suggested that the United States bowed to Chinese and ASEAN interests and voted for a UN seat for the Pol Pot regime. However, the USA claimed that the issue of seating a delegation was purely technical and legal, and that US support of seating the Pol Pot regime did not imply its approval of the regime's policies, although key Jimmy Carter aide Zbigniew Brzezinski has admitted that the U.S. encouraged the Chinese to support Pol Pot, remarking in 1979 that "I encouraged the Chinese to support Pol Pot... Pol Pot was an abomination. We could never support him but China could." In 1997 the Cambodian Government asked for the United Nation's assistance in setting up a genocide tribunal. It took nine years to agree the shape and structure of the court — a hybrid of Cambodia and international laws — before in 2006 the judges were sworn in.The investigating judges were presented with the names of five possible suspects by the prosecution on 18 July 2007. On 19 September 2007 Nuon Chea, second in command of the Khmer Rouge and its most senior surviving member, was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. He will face Cambodian and foreign judges at the special genocide tribunal.

Process
The judicial process of the Khmer Rouge regime, for minor or political crimes, began with a warning from the Angkar, the government of Cambodia under the regime. People receiving more than two warnings were sent for "re-education", which meant near-certain death. People were often encouraged to confess to Angkar their "pre-revolutionary lifestyles and crimes" (which usually included some kind of free-market activity, or having had contact with a foreign source, such as a US missionary, or international relief or government agency, or contact with any foreigner or with the outside world at all), being told that Angkar would forgive them and "wipe the slate clean". This meant being taken away to a place such as Tuol Sleng or Choeung Ek for torture and/or execution. The executed were buried in mass graves. In order to save ammunition, the executions were often carried out using hammers, axe handles, spades or sharpened bamboo sticks. Some victims were required to dig their own graves; their weakness often meant that they were unable to dig very deep. The soldiers who carried out the executions were mostly young men or women from peasant families. The Khmer Rouge regime arrested and eventually executed almost everyone suspected of connections with the former government or with foreign governments, as well as professionals and intellectuals. Ethnic Vietnamese, ethnic Thai, ethnic Chinese, ethnic Chams (Muslim Cambodians), Cambodian Christians and the Buddhist monkhood were the demographic targets of persecution.

Today
The best known monument of the Killing Fields is Choeung Ek. Today, it is the site of a Buddhist memorial to the terror, and Tuol Sleng has a museum commemorating the genocide. Cambodian journalist Dith Pran coined the term 'Killing Fields' during his escape from the regime. The 1984 film, The Killing Fields, tells the story of Dith Pran, played by Cambodian survivor Haing S. Ngor, and his journey to escape the death camps. A survivor of the genocide, Dara Duong, founded The Killing Fields Museum in Seattle.

Immplications for our trip
It is esitmated that over 25% of the population, which was a little more that 7 million, were killed during the "Killing Fields" years. Today the median age in Cambodia is about 22 years of age. This means that significanly more than 50% of the population was born well after this dark period in the country's history. For those over 30, the memories are still fresh and raw.

May we be instruments of God's peace to all that we encounter in Cambodia.

Welcome

2009-12-28T18:57:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the blog of the New York Annual Conference's Volunteers in Mission Team to Thailand and Cambodia. We depart on January 8, 2010.

Thank you for your interest in our trip and for your support.

Blessings,