Seeing the situation of present Cambodia, King Norodom
Sihanouk said disappointedly: "There is growing evidence that the
country of Cambodia cannot meet the health demands of the poorer
segments of its population" ("Hope Cambodia"). Indeed, there are
many people dying before getting sufficient medical care in
Cambodia. This is mostly because a large number of the
intelligentsia: doctors, teachers and engineers were killed by
Pol Pot.
The Pol Pot regime had a particularly devastating effect on
Cambodia's health care system. Even today the health care system
is in ruins. This is one of the hardest problems to rebuild
Cambodia. According to AJL VIDEO report, even if a person gets
injured slightly, they need to take him to the other country to
treat the wound (SANDIEGO SOURCE). This shows that there
are few hospitals and those functions are not good enough to
treat at all. In this terrible state, in order to change Cambodia
from the foundation, we need to get the understanding of the
Japanese government, to have the merciful voluntary minds that
expect no returns and to encourage the cooperation of religions
with each other. Thus far, the Japanese government has sent the
S.D.F. (Self-Defense-Forces) to Cambodia. We might be proud of
contributing to Cambodia. However, we have to see the action of
it more deeply before taking pride in this. For in fact, it is
not certain that S.D.F. has truly helped the Cambodians. Mainly
the S.D.F. mended the road in Cambodia. Can't we say this is real
contribution? It is very doubtful. We Japanese must have more
important projects for Cambodian. Basei, a member of Japanese
International Volunteer Center, explains the situation this
way:
We don't need the S.D.F. to mend the road. If Japanese
government wants to do so, it should send private engineers and
employ the Cambodians. Also, necessities should be procured from
the place as much as possible. As a result, the Cambodian will be
able to earn money by them, and will obtain the skill to mend the
road. What we need most will be education, for there are few
engineers in Cambodia (Kasugai 137; trans. mine).
As Basei says, we cannot avoid saying that S.D.F. does not
play a significant role in Cambodia. It has difficulty in
managing hospitals, constructing educational institutions, and
improving the agricultural production. Mending the road can't
change Cambodia from the foundation. Then, frankly speaking, what
S.D.F. should do for Cambodia is not just give support but teach
the way for Cambodia to live on their own. Even if the S.D.F.
gives foods or mends the road, the Cambodians will be helped
temporarily but not in the long run. If the S.D.F. wants to mend
the road, it should do with Cambodians working along side. As a
result, the Cambodians will learn the way to mend the road. In
the same way, Cambodian people have to learn how to be
independent in other fields. If this happens, gradually Cambodia
will get well.
Toshiyuki Kasugai also says, "I feel Japanese international
supports need the solidarity with Cambodian people to stimulate
their independence" (138; trans. mine). Ogawa offers almost the
same opinion: "Helping groups should support Cambodia not by
giving money and things but by making them encourage" (AAR
REPORT; trans. mine). However, the Japanese government
doesn't consider these points. Mending the road may have been
done under the expectation that Japanese international status was
enhanced. The Japanese government has to think about the future
in Cambodia. Otherwise, I must say it cannot contribute to
Cambodia.
Additionally, the Japanese government should think about
supporting Cambodia's educational system. This is another
long-term project that will help Cambodians to become more
independent and able to rebuild their country. The current
educational system is not enough for Cambodia. According to
Kasugai, illiteracy rate in Cambodia is 30%. What is worse, at
the local area, there is only one textbook per 100 persons and
some people cannot go to school because of too much distance from
their home to school. This proves most Cambodians have no
opportunity to work, and there is no way to recover their country
(133).
Apparently, it seems too hard to assist the educational
system. But actually, only 3 million yen can support one school.
(In Japan we cannot imagine such a low cost) Therefore, if the
Japanese government reaches educational fields, so many children
will be helped, and in the long run, the engineers and other
needed professionals will be fostered.
I must say Japanese government doesn't think about the most
needed projects in Cambodia. It should listen to people there
before getting into involved. Likewise, the Japanese government
will be required to change its attitude to international support.
I also believe that we should not make Japanese government carry
too many burdens. It is needed that the government cooperates
with the private volunteers. Compared to Japanese government,
private volunteers have less greed to enhance their social status
and more stubbornness to stick to the way of helping the
Cambodians. The private volunteers purely think about the
happiness of Cambodia, so they try to act as soon as possible
after deciding what they are going to do for them.
For example, private volunteer groups manage 24-four free
hospital that was named Sihank Hospital. It means literally that
whatever patients can see a doctor all the day with no money!
Cambodian government offered the land freely shortly after
hearing about the epoch-making project to construct it. Then
finally, a Cambodian dream came true. According to the report of
Hope, a group of Christian volunteers in America, in the first
four months of 1997, more than 14,000 people were helped, and
60,000 people were predicted to be cured in the first year. The
reason why such many people could be treated is that Sihanouk
Hospital has superior facilities and equipment. Concretely, the
first floor has six consultation rooms, an emergency ward,
hematology and microbiological laboratories, operation facilities
and an intensive care unit. The second floor has two 40-bed wards
("Hope Cambodia"). It is in no way inferior to Japanese medical
centers. Seeing the quality of medical supplies and equipment, a
top aid of Prime Minister remarked surprisingly, "Your hospital
is the best general hospital for the nation . . . Cambodia needs
this" ("Hope Cambodia").
Moreover, Ogle, a hospital director, describes about the
patients as follows, "Patients and relatives continuously express
their appreciation for the high standard of care, the absolutely
free service, and the compassion of our staff" (SFCC). Here is
the example of the patients:
Say is a 19 year old young lady who was brought to our
emergency room, desperately ill with pneumonia. She was also
severely anemic (not enough blood sells to carry oxygen to her
body) [she had already visited 4 another hospitals, but had been
sent away because her death was expected], . . . When we
administered the appropriate therapy (corticosteroids), her body
stopped destroying blood cells within 12 hours. With the correct
vitamin replacement, Say began making normal blood again . . .
After 1 month of physiotherapy, Say was able to walk again, and
has since come back to visit and thank us. (SIHANOUK HOSPITAL
CENTER OF HOPE)
We can see easily from this episode that how Sihanouk Hospital
is superior to others in the region, and how terrible the lives
of people would be without it.
Although it is only about a year since Sihanouk Hospital stood
in Phnom Penh, it could be the opening of a new history for
Cambodia. Still now some thousands of people continue to visit it
a month. What's the difference between Japanese government and
the private volunteer groups when both two groups try to
contribute to poor countries? The answer could be merciful minds
that expect no returns. Bernard Krisher, the president of Japan
Relief for Cambodia points out:
Now the actual state is that the charity is done under the
convenience, for example, the country uses the charity for its
sake of the profit. In such a case, the charity cannot be real
human love. The real charity is helping people in need seriously,
and never expects something in returns. (104; trans.
mine)
If the volunteer groups don't have a charity mind as Krisher
says, it would be impossible to manage Sihanouk Hospital. After
all, in order to relieve poor people, the Japanese government and
private volunteers have to cooperate with each other, having the
real voluntary mind.
However, we can see more marvelous cooperation in Sihanouk
Hospital, in other wards, two different religious groups manage
the hospital. At first, only WorldMate, which is based upon
Shintoism, was trying to operate the hospital, but WorldMate came
to a deadlock because of the shortage of the doctors and staffs
to manage the hospital. In this situation, WorldMate found timely
the partnership of Hope Worldwide, which is American charity
group of Protestant faith. These two groups found a congenial
spirit in the large project to help Cambodians, and at last
Sihanouk Hospital has been opened to the Cambodians. Thanks to
Sihanouk Hospital, about 300 people are helped everyday. This
shows two groups accepted the different religions each other.
Though the conflicts over religious differences have been
occurred so many times in all over the world, why those two
different groups could succeed for cooperating each other in
Cambodia? The answer is both groups shared the voluntary mind
that expects no returns. They had no time to stick to religious
differences because both groups were enthusiastic about helping
people dying in Cambodia. Needless to say, in order to help poor
people, helping groups have to prioritize benevolently what the
poor needs most. Fukami, a president of WorldMate, remarks about
the activities of these two groups:
Surely, there have been movements such as religious
cooperation and interface till now. I also have attended a lot of
religious meetings, but those meetings ended with talks and
understanding each situation. I believe this epoch-making
cooperation between WorldMate and Hope becomes a model of real
religious cooperation that practices concrete actions. (79;
trans. mine)
The Cambodians did waited for completing Sihanouk Hospital.
Clearly, the hospital could meet the demands of Cambodians!
Despite the most Cambodians believe in Buddhism, they accepted
the hospital without hesitation, so there are no religious frame
in the hospital. Actually, lots of monks come to the hospital to
see a doctor today. As Fukami says, this cooperation must be the
best model for the future.
I've mentioned three points to consider what is needed to help
the Cambodians, focusing on the behavior of the Japanese
government, the functions of Sihanouk Hospital and the religious
cooperation of WorldMate and Hope Worldwide. What the importance
is that we one by one understand how poor countries need the real
charity mind that expects no returns. Roughly, I compared two
types of the way of helping the Cambodians. The one is that the
Japanese government was not successful because it didn't consider
what Cambodia needed most, the other is that the private
volunteers succeeded for meeting the demands of Cambodia because
they thought about the situation of Cambodia and provided support
to rebuild Cambodia. This difference is depending on the spirit
that wishes pure happiness of the people. If helping groups act
like Japanese government did, Cambodian future won't improve at
all. Our duty might be telling the world to consider what the
real charity is and acting it out, watching the example of
Sihanouk Hospital. Helping people is hard and sacrificing, but
the day will come when people all over the world can be relieved
if we continue to have merciful minds that expect no return.
by Taisuke Kurokawa
Works Cited
Basei. "Today's Problem of Cambodia." Shitte-okitai Tounan
Asia. Tokyo: Aokishoten 1994.
"Cambodian Hospital Shows Dangers Patients Face."
AJL VIDEO SAN DIEGO SOURCE. 1997. http://www.sddt.com/arts
Fukami, Toshu. "Cambodia Report." Monthly
World Mate vol. 9 (1997): 69-79.
"Hope Cambodia." Hope Worldwide.
http://www.worldwalk.org/cambodia.htm
Ogawa,Haruko. AARREPORT 1996
http://www2.meshnet.or.jp/~aarjapan/report/my.html
Ogul, Graham. "SFCC (The San Francisco Church of
Christ)"
http://www.intlcc.com/sf/cambodia/220khosp.htm
Kasugai, Toshiyuki. "Today's Problem of Cambodia."
Shitte-okitai Tonan Asia. Tokyo: Aokishoten
1994
Krisher, Bernard. Monthly WorldMate vol.1 (1995):
104
"Shianouk Hospital Monthly Report 1." SIHANOUK
HOSPITAL CENTOR OF HOPE.
http://www.worldmate.org/report/hospital/hospital1.htm
