Against the Facts - "Before You Go to Cambodia"

I post this new topic is to get comments from you guys whether we should be doing something with the author or just let him express his/her faulty ideas on Cambodia, which is swaying potential visitors from entering Cambodia. It would also be great if you write directly to the site, but DO NOT forget to give a shout here so that I can see what are the trials. Follow the link below.

http://goasia.about.com/od/cambodia/bb/bygtcambodia.htm

Together with this, FYI, below is my friend's mail to About.com, but, after TWO (2) years, I still see no changes made to its content.

Dear Sir / Madam

This is in response to the article on your website entitled ‘ Cambodia : Know BEFORE You Go...’ website address (http://goasia.about.com/cs/cambodiaguides/a/aa041500.htm) which I accessed on Friday, August 12, 2005 .

I could not believe what had been written about Cambodia . I definitely assert that most of your facts and ideas about my country are biased. This will seriously sway the opinion of potential tourists which will adversely affect the tourism industry and hence the economy of Cambodia .

Here are some negative and biased facts extracted from your article.

There was a time when Cambodia was perhaps Southeast Asia's least stable country; and it continues to provide risks for anyone who wishes to visit the country.

Is it safe? If you stay in Phnom Penh and the Angkor Wat area, probably.

If you venture outside that area, however, you are taking greater risks - if for no other reason than that you may step on a landmine left over from 20 years of civil war.

If you decide to visit Cambodia, you should register with your embassy upon arrival and find out what advice they have to offer on the current security situation. Travel outside Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat, unless it is absolutely necessary, is not that great of an idea; but while the embassy reports say that robbery is common and foreigners are targeted regularly, the countryside is no longer the lawless landscape that it once was...

But not much else in Cambodia is worth doing during the rainy season.

There are inherent risks in visiting any country, even the USA . Please note that the civil war ended in 1979 and it is now 2005. The landmines have been removed progressively by the NGOs in collaboration with Cambodian Government. The existing landmines can only be found in remote areas of Cambodia and it is not even possible for our own citizens to access these areas inadvertently. This is because there are large signs put by the NGOs warning people away.

To inform tourists that they should not travel outside of the capital, Phnom Penh or the Angkor Wat (which is in the Siem Reap province) is tantamount to telling tourists that they should not visit New York because of what happened to the World Trade Center on September 11.

With such lies circulating on the Internet, promulgated by would-be well-meaning tourist website writers, it is no wonder that developing countries in Asia, such as Cambodia, lose potential tourists who would be able to contribute significantly to the growth of our country’s economy and tourism, had they not been turned off so effectively.

These above mentioned facts are having great impact to my country. I would greatly appreciate if you could study more about my country’s real situation and facts, and update your article.

Thank you.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best regards,

Chhim

Let's us help make him/her modify or completely remove faulty FACTS off the page!!!