There is quite some discussion going on at present about gender and sexuality related matters – and culture and violence.
There was again an acid attack – at the end of another “high ranking official”/young woman relationship where the relationship finally broke. As a result, the aunt of the young woman was attacked, because she was accused to have broken up the relation of her niece. Now the victim is in a hospital in Vietnam, her right eye and her right ear have been removed, there are more disfiguring scars on her body. – A typical case. Untypical is only, that the “high ranking official” is a woman, the deputy commander of the Military Police (who is abroad since the attack).
The case is mirrored more in detail in the Saturday 17.5.2008 edition of the Mirror, and I have written something more about it in the Mirror editorial of 18.5.2008, also about the next case, a sex video: about what is taken up for action – and what is disregarded.
Rasmei Kampuchea, the biggest daily Cambodian newspaper, had reported – 11/12.5.2008 – that a couple had directed their 7 or 8 year old daughter to take a video when they have sex. The video clip shows a kind of peaceful friendly family situation, although surely not a typical one. The daughter is reported to make some quite natural comments to her parents loving each other: “Papa seems to be exhausted – Mama seems to be relaxed.” The video clip is reported to be shared among mobile phone users. On one mailing list this newspaper report is taken up, especially out of concern for the right of the child, calling for a special discussion about this problem, saying that they “would like to appreciate for your sharing your idea, comment and suggestions on this matter.”
On 22.5.2008, there is a report in the English Cambodia Daily (surely also in some Cambodian papers) that a 4 year old girl was gang raped. Unfortunately, reports about the rape of children – under and above the age of ten – are frequently in the newspapers. I am not aware that this report or any similar reports have ever resulted in a public outcry or the call on a mailing list, to organize a discussion around the frequent reports about the rape of young children.
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The people in the video clip mentioned above are not identified. The newspaper report is also not sure how this video clip made it to the public: Maybe the people who took it sold their phone and forgot to delete the video clip…
In October 2007, quite a different sex video caused a lot of public discussion in Vietnam – and it was also mentioned at that time in the Khmer press. The main actress of “Vang Anh’s Diaries” – Hoang Thuy Linh – was seen in a video clip having sex – and this video was sent around on the Internet.
She had a very popular show, in which she portrayed a “good girl,” a modern and stylish high school girl, but tidy, charming, and soft-spoken, being a good example for all students in Vietnam.
But this show was canceled, and she appeared a last time on TV where she was talked down, apologizing in tears: “I made a mistake, a terrible mistake. – I apologize to you, my parents, my teachers, and my friends.”
Some comments on blogs say that the sex video was really a very bad video – but bad in a specific sense: it seems to be a “trophy” video of the man who arranged it to show off. He turns and pushes her head several times around so that her face is seen, so that he can prove that he succeeded to have sex with the famous Thuy Linh. There is no sign of any human loving feelings to each other, no sweet words, no smiles. He talked her into agreeing to make something which is just a cheap porn video.
According to the many blogs which discussed this case, the public was strongly condemning Thuy Linh – because, according to Vietnamese culture, it was said, women have to be chaste until marriage and then stay true to one man – no matter how many times he cheats on her. “People will forgive him, but not her.” – “There is no way Thuy Linh will be forgiven.”
The following is a video from her last session on TV – where she is humiliated, where she apologizes, where she cries – and some of her former colleagues and friends also cry. But as for those in charge – there is no mercy.
I had to remember a similar scene from the distant past – where the guardians of tradition and culture brought a woman to Jesus, a woman whom they had caught in a not legitimized sex act, and now they brought it to the public – just like Hoang Thuy Linh’s case. I quote:
“They made her stand in front of everyone and asked Jesus, ‘Teacher, we caught this woman in the act of adultery. In his teachings, Moses ordered us to stone women like this to death. What do you say?’
“They asked this to test him. They wanted to find a reason to bring charges against him. Jesus – [surely sitting on the ground, maybe under a big tree as it would have been in a village in Cambodia] – bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.”
Silence.
“When they persisted in asking him questions, he straightened up and said, ‘The person who is without a sin should be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Then he bent down again and continued writing on the ground.
“One by one, beginning with the older men, the scribes and Pharisees left. Jesus was left alone with the woman. Then Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Where did they go? Has anyone condemned you?’
The woman answered, ‘No one, sir.’ Jesus said, ‘I don’t condemn you either. Go! From now on don’t sin.’
If only there were more such mercy today.
