Cambodian authorities announced Wednesday that they will round up beggars from the streets of Siem Reap — Cambodia’s main tourist destination — in order to burnish the country’s image ahead of the Angkor-Gyeongju World Culture Expo, which will run from Nov. 21 to Jan. 9, 2007.
“We need to protect our nation’s honor. It’s shameful for us to see beggars chasing tourists for money,” said Siem Reap provincial governor Sou Phirin.
He said that beginning Sunday, police and social workers will comb the streets and markets of the tourist town for beggars, who will be gathered in a designated area before being taken away by trucks to their hometowns.
Sou Phirin was unable to give estimate of how many beggars are now in Siem Reap town.
Personally, this is really rediculous. If it is so shameful to have beggars around, the government and municipal authority ought to seek solutions that can better deal with this issue. The tactic of keeping them in a designated area and then sending them home, which had been used prior to major international events before, is not a good choice. Sooner or later these poor people are going to be back.
Everybody knows that Cambodia is poor. Learn to face the truth, sir.
ធើមិចដឹងមានចំនួនប៉ុន្មាន បើវាអនន្តអនេកយ៉ាងនេះ…
For sure, it won’t work in the long run. But I think it’s better than doing nothing at all. The best thing would be to help or train them finding other alternative sources of incomes. At the moment, we don’t know whether the siem reap governors or NGOs have any plan and budget to do so or not. Hope for the best.
(btw, thanks for your comments in my blog earlier. like yours and added to my blogroll. )
I understand that beggars are problem, yet there should be a better option. The one you suggested was good. Vocational training is necessary. NGOs and certain non-profit credit providers ought to take part in this. They can set up training and provide the initial capital with low interest rate for them to start a small business.