For Sale
Cambodia has become a self-devouring nation in which just about everything seems to be for sale or lease: forests, fisheries, mining concessions, air routes, ship registrations, toxic dumps, weapons, women, girls, boys, babies.
I just came across this quote attributed to Seth Mydans (NY Times). And because it isn't a chirpy one I probably would have avoided it except that it rang true with a conversation I had this morning.
Today I asked some more questions about the 10 year old girl I wrote about yesterday. I suspected that she was not a daughter by birth and had probably quite recently come into the family. However, I didn't want to ask a lot of questions in front of the group while we were away. I figured at that time it was best to just befriend her as one of the family.
This morning I asked. I was told that she has only been living in the house for a month or two. Her father tried to sell her for $100 to pay off his gambling debts. The family negotiated. Not because she's not worth a hundred bucks but because they know she is far more precious.
I just came across this quote attributed to Seth Mydans (NY Times). And because it isn't a chirpy one I probably would have avoided it except that it rang true with a conversation I had this morning.
Today I asked some more questions about the 10 year old girl I wrote about yesterday. I suspected that she was not a daughter by birth and had probably quite recently come into the family. However, I didn't want to ask a lot of questions in front of the group while we were away. I figured at that time it was best to just befriend her as one of the family.
This morning I asked. I was told that she has only been living in the house for a month or two. Her father tried to sell her for $100 to pay off his gambling debts. The family negotiated. Not because she's not worth a hundred bucks but because they know she is far more precious.
posted by pip @ 5:17 pm
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