Increasingly, Cambodians Say They are ‘Suffering’: Poll
An increasing number of Cambodians see themselves faring worse, a Gallup polls suggests. In a global survey released earlier this month, the US-based firm ranked Cambodia near the very bottom in terms of life satisfaction, and it found that 34 percent of surveyed Cambodians consider themselves “suffering.” That figure, for 2012, is up from 26 percent of Cambodians who said the same thing the year before. … Vorn Bunny and his wife, who is a garment worker, together earn a mere $180 per month. They have three children, and struggle against the rising cost of living, as well as inflation. Khem Ley, an independent social researcher, said the survey was reliable and reflected a poverty gap and inequality in Cambodian society. “Suffering is not just something happening now,” he said. “It has happened over the last five years, so Cambodians have no choice but to migrate to neighboring countries for labor, despite the risks.” According to a regional survey in 2012, nearly 60 percent of Cambodians still earn less than $2 per day. … However, Then Pagnathun, director-general at the Ministry of Planning, said he was skeptical of the poll. The ministry’s own studies show about 19 percent of Cambodians under the poverty line in 2011. “To me, it is not quite clear how they did it, but it is not acceptable, as they surveyed a small number of people,” he said. The government is moving toward better health and social services, reducing the hardships for people, he said. More funding has gone to healthcare, and more health centers have opened in remote areas, he said. … About 65 percent of Cambodians are now in debt, he said. Natural disasters, rising costs for goods, population growth and a shrinking amount of land for people are all bad signs, he [ Khem Ley] said. …
Vannarin Neou
http://www.voacambodia.com/content/increasingly-cambodians-say-they-are-suffering/1819008.html
