The Quality of Justice.(Cambodia)

Byline: Joe Cochrane

In Cambodia, a friend once told me "life is worth less than a chicken." I was reminded of this recently when, witnesses say, a speeding car full of drunk, affluent young Cambodians jumped the curb on a crowded street along Phnom Penh's riverfront and plowed into a crippled beggar, who died later at the hospital. This wasn't just any beggar. Det Veasna, 51, was famous among locals and expatriates alike for his happy smile and colorful personality--and his bright yellow wheelchair. I met him my first day in country, and he became a daily part of my life.

The powers that be in Cambodia, unfortunately, don't see much value in people like Det. The driver of the car, allegedly, was the son of an Army general. So what happened next was a no-brainer. A representative of the young man's father escorted Det's widow to a Phnom Penh police station, she says, put $500 in front of her and told her to sign an agreement promising not to sue. She did--another no-brainer, given that she has five children and lives in a shack.

This is par for the course in Cambodia, where the rich and powerful never go to jail--and elites show little but contempt for society or its rules. How bad is it? Not long ago the wife of a senior government official famously joined her bodyguards in pouring a bucket of acid over her husband's mistress. The 18-year-old woman survived, but her nose and ears fell off. A court issued an arrest warrant, as usual, but it wasn't enforced and the wife is back on the social circuit. As I see it, police here don't take action based on laws. They first determine who the perpetrator is. As one senior police official I've known for years complained to me, "What can we do?"

Cambodia has been ruled by thugs since the 1970s. Now their offspring are getting their turn. ...