If Cambodia had tabloids...

Well, there have been a few real and true news stories in Cambodia that have left me wondering what would happen if Cambodia had tabloid magazines... here are a few thoughts...and similar to Dave Berry, I am not making this up...

CAMBODIAN PRIME MINISTER HUN SEN NOW SENDING POLITICAL OPPONENTS TO HELL!
Last week several of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's political opponents were brought to the US to speak about how rights of free speech, basic human rights and other basic freedoms are regularly disregarded in 'the kingdom'. No one from the Prime Minister's ruling party were invited to the hearings, however, they were very quick to deny the accusations. Strangely enough, within a few days the Prime Minister himself made a statement at a universtiy graduation. He stated adamantly (he states everything that way) that anyone who lies about Cambodia (read: lies about what he says is true) should be sent to the lowest level of hell. His comments were made during the annual Pchum Ben (p-choom ben) holiday where Buddhists all over Cambodia return to their home provinces to appease the spirits of dead relatives that have been sent to hell by presenting gifts of food and money at any pagoda. Be assured that no one hearing the graduation speech missed the correlation. Unfortuntately, the Cambodians who spoke in the US have made it known that they are afraid for their lives. There is no government ordained death penalty, but rest assured that it does exist here off the books.

BUDDHIST MONK GETS DRUNK AND GOES ON BITING SPREE IN PAGODA!!
Kiet Chan Thouch, 76, an adviser to Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong, has been accused of biting his fellow monks and nuns during a drunken rampage in Preah Sihanouk’s main pagoda during the weekend. Apparently the 'rampage' went on for 48 hours in some form or another, including threatening another monk with being locked in a room for the rest of his life. (That monk has subsequently run away from the pagoda, fearing for his life.) Monks are not allowed to drink alcohol, and many people have said that he should be 'defrocked' because of drinking alcohol. (What about because of biting other people???)