Phnom Penh 1995: National Museum Bats, T3 Prison & The Cambodia Daily

1995, when I first returned to Cambodia after leaving it as a child survivor and refugee in 1979. Then, Phnom Penh still had charm amid the deep poverty and destruction from wars. Now, particularly within the past 12 months, a concrete jungle of trash, congestion, mostly garish buildings, MINUS ALL the charm, still amid deep poverty. I hyperventilate from the ugliness and compactness whenever I go into Phnom Penh nowadays. Plus, the two largest natural lakes filled in with no breathing space for a he growing capital built for a population of 100,000. - Theary C. Seng