Author: Charles Dittmeier

It’s not exactly democracy….

What do you call it when a ruling prime minister (Hun Sen) nominates his son, Hun Manet, to be his successor? Theoretically this week’s election was only the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) choosing Manet as the candidate for future election but note that the headline above (from the Khmer Times) has already declared him prime minister. And since it is basically a one-party state (there are NO opposition members in the legislature), he is fairly well assured the CPP will make him PM. Actually the election assured that.

What is interesting is that his father, Hun Sen, has said he himself wants to contest the next two elections–which will be in 2023 and 2028! If he does that and serves out his full five-year terms, Hun Manet can’t be elected until 2033, twelve years from now! A one-party system plays by different rules….

Kimhorn’s wedding

Julie and Sophy, DDP staff


Today, Kimhorn, a staff member of the Sign Language Project at the Deaf Development Programme, married Sophors, a former student at DDP when Kimhorn was studying there also. Click here to see some photos from the happy occasion.

Christmas Eve at St. Joseph Church

Our English community had our Christmas Eve mass at 6:00 PM because it was a work day and people needed to get from work to our chapel. At 7:00 PM, Bishop Olivier had his Christmas Eve liturgy (above) for the Khmer community. They met outside to follow the rules for distancing in large groups. Their big flood lights and our air conditioners in the chapel were too much for the church’s electrical service and the lights went out two times.

Decorating for Christmas at DDP

Today some of the deaf staff from the Deaf Community Center were making some decorations to use for a Christmas gathering on December 26. We need to continue social distancing, wearing masks, and using sanitizer but we are allowed to have larger gatherings now.

A long way but not too far….

This is Sihanouk Blvd., a major east-west thoroughfare in Phnom Penh. When I came to Cambodia in 2000, there was only one store or shop on this street that had a closed front like this shop. All the others had iron gates with folding shuttered covers like the little shop on the right in the picture. Now almost every shop is enclosed with real doors and most even have air conditioning. Above this brightly-lit store front, though, you can still see the history of the street–a wooden-walled second floor with swinging wooden shutters, not glass windows. Sihanouk Blvd. has come a long way but it hasn’t escaped its past.