True Tales of Days Gone By ~ UNTAC recollections
Great photos. I like the poster with the UN helmet. Someone posted that there were no low lifes on the streets then. Weren’t the Bulgarians nick named Vulgarians because of bad behaviour? And some of the black African soldiers were shockers?
I learned recently that a mate’s dad flew transport planes for UNTAC. He must have been well over 70. Always an adventurous type. He did two London to Sydney air races and delivered light aircraft from the US to NZ with 44 gallon drums of fuel in the cockpit. Ditched twice off Hawaii and picked up by the Coast Guard.
Perhaps OML doesn’t post because he has no devices because he has no loi?
I learned recently that a mate’s dad flew transport planes for UNTAC. He must have been well over 70. Always an adventurous type. He did two London to Sydney air races and delivered light aircraft from the US to NZ with 44 gallon drums of fuel in the cockpit. Ditched twice off Hawaii and picked up by the Coast Guard.
Perhaps OML doesn’t post because he has no devices because he has no loi?
-
- I live above an internet cafe
- Reactions: 31
- Posts: 192
- Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2019 12:22 am
Forget my ignorance if I have gotten it wrong, and whilst I do agree that foreign intervention tends to focus more on benefitting those who take action, over those that are liberated/helped.Fred Edwards wrote: ↑Fri Mar 12, 2021 2:42 amSo sad what Cambodia has been through. I pray she never has to have foreign troops on her land again.
It still seems that the Vietnam invasion and then later UNTAC trying to get the place running again basically helped the people getting back to a better place as compared to the Khmer Rouge times, even if the government that was put in place has a lot of issues? So not claiming all is good, but it would seem that it at least was somewhat of an improvement.
1
1
Missed UNTAC. Arrived early Feb 1994. My early impression was that a great many Cambodians thought the country would be as developed as Thailand within a few short years. With UNTAC just out of the door, any who benefitted from them were still flush with cash. In general, people were happy and optimistic.
(Besides the main failure to significantly disarm the opposing groups (doomed from the start?), the other sad story centred on HIV/AIDS, but none of the girls knew that yet. Perhaps some had a slight, odd, all body red rash for a week, but they felt good. Their brother was in school, mom had a TV, and dad had a new music system.)
There were rich people, but nothing remotely resembling today. Teenage children of the rich rode bicycles or beat up cub-90's. Provincial rich drove Camry's or old UNTAC Landcrusiers. As a white person, you could walk up and start a conversation with anyone.
infant and mother mortality was very high. Cambodians generally didn't leave their neighbourhood after dark. After 8:30 they were inside their home with the doors and windows bolted. They were optimistic, they weren't crazy.
With 91% of Cambodians inside after 8:30, we silly white kids roamed the dark pot holed streets on loud motorbikes. Being fast and stupid anywhere is fun at that age, so we had a blast.
Guns were everywhere. So common you didn't notice till they disappeared around 2002. Drunks with guns WERE a real worry. Crime was neither better or worse, it goes up and down in waves then and now.
Much different from now to be sure, but these ARE interesting times as well.
(Besides the main failure to significantly disarm the opposing groups (doomed from the start?), the other sad story centred on HIV/AIDS, but none of the girls knew that yet. Perhaps some had a slight, odd, all body red rash for a week, but they felt good. Their brother was in school, mom had a TV, and dad had a new music system.)
There were rich people, but nothing remotely resembling today. Teenage children of the rich rode bicycles or beat up cub-90's. Provincial rich drove Camry's or old UNTAC Landcrusiers. As a white person, you could walk up and start a conversation with anyone.
infant and mother mortality was very high. Cambodians generally didn't leave their neighbourhood after dark. After 8:30 they were inside their home with the doors and windows bolted. They were optimistic, they weren't crazy.
With 91% of Cambodians inside after 8:30, we silly white kids roamed the dark pot holed streets on loud motorbikes. Being fast and stupid anywhere is fun at that age, so we had a blast.
Guns were everywhere. So common you didn't notice till they disappeared around 2002. Drunks with guns WERE a real worry. Crime was neither better or worse, it goes up and down in waves then and now.
Much different from now to be sure, but these ARE interesting times as well.
Pretty sure HIV/AIDS was already prevalent among working girls, many were Vietnamese (It’s not like UNTAC started prostitution it/they just increased infections) but also kicked off the treatment and awareness programs, that continue to this day.
pew, pew, pew, pew!
- Lucky Lucan
- K440 Knight Captain
- Reactions: 761
- Posts: 22525
- Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:24 pm
- Location: The Pearl of the Orient
I can't remember where I read or heard it, but I remember someone saying they felt a bit uneasy after getting into one of these MI-17s and noticing that many of the important instruments had been "customized" by putting pictures out of porno mags in behind the indicators.
https://www.madnomad.com/gregg/cambodia_11.html
https://www.madnomad.com/gregg/cambodia_11.html
1
1
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
Would be keen for a few UNTAC anecdotes from Felgerkarb. But, maybe it was like the '60s. 'if you remember anything, you weren't there man.'
Ahh. The amazement and excitement of stumbling on old porno mags in the woods!
pew, pew, pew, pew!
- Barang_doa_slae
- cannonballer
- Reactions: 37
- Posts: 2434
- Joined: Tue Dec 24, 2013 9:44 am
Haha that is something the young generations will never experience
HIV arrived small scale before UNTAC, and it certainly wasn't only UNTAC soldiers, volunteers, and contractors bringing it in- as you say, working girls, traders, and etc., carried in too. However, UNTAC $$ made industrial prostitution possible, and HIV multiplied 10 fold quickly and didn't stop there.
I just meant that before '95 HIV testing was very low, girls didn't feel sick or look sick and few knew they had it. That is why, even with lots of great awareness and treatment work in the late 90's and '00's, Cambodia had some of the highest infection rates outside Africa. Lot's on here knock NGO's and development workers, and I won't argue cost effectiveness, but Public Health, made huge leaps in the ten years after UNTAC. Certainly a bigger success than stumbling democracy.
I just meant that before '95 HIV testing was very low, girls didn't feel sick or look sick and few knew they had it. That is why, even with lots of great awareness and treatment work in the late 90's and '00's, Cambodia had some of the highest infection rates outside Africa. Lot's on here knock NGO's and development workers, and I won't argue cost effectiveness, but Public Health, made huge leaps in the ten years after UNTAC. Certainly a bigger success than stumbling democracy.
- Felgerkarb
- Sir Felgerkarb, Kt Pb
- Reactions: 240
- Posts: 9140
- Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:22 am
- Location: Castle Felgerkarb, Felgerkarbia (Formerly Preah Vihear)
- Contact:
Some truth to what you say here....I wrote up most of what is important, I may get around to more down the line. I was interviewed for a documentary on the subject a few years ago, but the project fell through due to funding issues.Dylan Quint wrote: ↑Fri May 14, 2021 4:57 amWould be keen for a few UNTAC anecdotes from Felgerkarb. But, maybe it was like the '60s. 'if you remember anything, you weren't there man.'
2
2
====================
Why are the gods such vicious cunts?
Where is the god of tits and wine?
Why are the gods such vicious cunts?
Where is the god of tits and wine?
- Lucky Lucan
- K440 Knight Captain
- Reactions: 761
- Posts: 22525
- Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:24 pm
- Location: The Pearl of the Orient
These are all good points. Organizations like PSI have been hugely effective here. However the industry that was so easily seen on the streets has since moved into giant monolithic cement blocks. Apparently all closed for ages or something. It's a messy game. I've seen a lot of homeless hookers wandering around recently.Guest9999 wrote: ↑Fri May 14, 2021 5:46 pmHIV arrived small scale before UNTAC, and it certainly wasn't only UNTAC soldiers, volunteers, and contractors bringing it in- as you say, working girls, traders, and etc., carried in too. However, UNTAC $$ made industrial prostitution possible, and HIV multiplied 10 fold quickly and didn't stop there.
I just meant that before '95 HIV testing was very low, girls didn't feel sick or look sick and few knew they had it. That is why, even with lots of great awareness and treatment work in the late 90's and '00's, Cambodia had some of the highest infection rates outside Africa. Lot's on here knock NGO's and development workers, and I won't argue cost effectiveness, but Public Health, made huge leaps in the ten years after UNTAC. Certainly a bigger success than stumbling democracy.
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
Recall an HIV research facility at Kep that had laid dormant for years.Lucky Lucan wrote: ↑Sat May 15, 2021 12:39 amThese are all good points. Organizations like PSI have been hugely effective here. However the industry that was so easily seen on the streets has since moved into giant monolithic cement blocks. Apparently all closed for ages or something. It's a messy game. I've seen a lot of homeless hookers wandering around recently.Guest9999 wrote: ↑Fri May 14, 2021 5:46 pmHIV arrived small scale before UNTAC, and it certainly wasn't only UNTAC soldiers, volunteers, and contractors bringing it in- as you say, working girls, traders, and etc., carried in too. However, UNTAC $$ made industrial prostitution possible, and HIV multiplied 10 fold quickly and didn't stop there.
I just meant that before '95 HIV testing was very low, girls didn't feel sick or look sick and few knew they had it. That is why, even with lots of great awareness and treatment work in the late 90's and '00's, Cambodia had some of the highest infection rates outside Africa. Lot's on here knock NGO's and development workers, and I won't argue cost effectiveness, but Public Health, made huge leaps in the ten years after UNTAC. Certainly a bigger success than stumbling democracy.
"Not my circus, not my monkeys" - KiR
- Stokely
- Least Likely to be a Moderator, ever !
- Reactions: 183
- Posts: 787
- Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2019 10:19 am
I thought McSams was opposite the post office, but the second photo doesn't look right?
"Now, then, in order to understand white supremacy we must dismiss the notion that white people can give anybody their freedom." Stokely Carmichael
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
-
Tales from Mike Force (Vietnam War)
by The Steve » Fri Mar 03, 2023 9:48 am » in Cambodian History and Culture - 8 Replies
- 1385 Views
-
Last post by YaTingPom
Fri Mar 03, 2023 5:15 pm
-
-
- 5 Replies
- 2323 Views
-
Last post by khmerhit
Sun Mar 15, 2020 6:06 am
-
- 1 Replies
- 786 Views
-
Last post by dejess83
Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:25 pm
-
-
Nearly 800 People Vaccinated on First Two Days of COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign
by Bong Burgundy » Fri Feb 12, 2021 7:07 pm » in Cambodia News - 6 Replies
- 1627 Views
-
Last post by v12
Sat Feb 13, 2021 3:12 am
-