Golden memories . . . ព្រៃឯកើត by Sin Sisamouth

The creative and witty rearrangement of the song's lyrics [see below as provided by a (beloved) reader] would have earned unreserved acclaim and appreciation from the late Sinn Sisamouth himself.

Congratulations on your outstanding artistic talent! [whoever you maybe]- School of Vice.

ឱ!ណាដីអើយឯកើត យូនគេថាអើយដីគេ
(ឱ្យខ្មែរអើយរិះរេ)ៗ រកដីអើយថ្មីទៀត
រំពឹងអើយដីលិច ក៏សៀមមិនចោលស្នៀតសន្ដានអើយផៅញាតិ រកដីឱ្យផង តឹស--
អើយស្រណោះអើយទឹកជោរហួរមកល្អក់ៗ
(ខ្មែរលុបអើយបឹងកក់)ៗ កំទេចផ្ទះរយខ្នង
មិនដឹងអើយទាល់សោះ ថា CPP អាយ៉ង
សម្លាប់រាស្រ្តប្អូនបង ត្រកងប្រាក់
ដុល្លារ តឹសតារឹសតឹស-
 

PS.ព្រៃឯកើតតាមពិតច្រៀងដោយលោក
ស៊ិនស៊ីសាមុត តែចម្រៀងក្លាយរបស់ខ្ញុំៗចង់
ឱ្យលោក សុសម៉ាត់ច្រៀងណាស់បើគាត់នៅរស់។

Boeung Kak Lake Before . . . Until recently a favourite spot for backpackers and locals alike also known as "Foreigners' Village" owing to the lively presence of foreigners and tourists there and the thriving niche in local businesses and small incomes emanating from that presence. There were perhaps other darker undercurrents associated with similar urban settlements, but Boeung Kak lake as a whole had not purveyed the kind of unsavoury impression one might engender in urban slums found in other cosmopolitans like 'Bangkok' for instance. The 3rd photo shows [probably] the exact spot visited once by School of Vice on a guided tour, of sort! As one can see it's not hard to be captivated by its charm: somewhere to sit and relax in the late afternoon with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice [School of Vice is a tea-totaler!] and enjoy the sunset ‘away’ from the nearby hustle of the capital city itself. True to form or character, perhaps, School of Vice had glimpsed the place's future potential as a remodelled aquatic or public water park heaving with families and visitors relaxing like those in the picture above; with children and lovers drifting by across the lake on any of those self-pedalled canoes and small rowing wooden boats. But, as usual this wonderful regime, and in keeping with its unreconstructed philistine character-trait, had other ideas . . .

Boeung Kak Lake After . . . Is there a method to be found in the madness, or just plain madness all round? As huge volumes of sands were being pumped into the lake to level up the entire lake fit for work to begin on another ‘satellite city’, residents were literally drowned in their own homes. Thousands had been forced to relocate to open air makeshift camps far from the capital where they are still trapped in appalling conditions characterised by lack of sanitation, clean water supply, deadly diseases and general loss of livelihood with meagre below market value financial compensation to fall back on. Those brave enough to cling on to their homes are facing the same consequences, and 15 of them are now being imprisoned at the notorious Prey Sar Correction centre - a place where the individuals who conspired against them should instead be held, albeit on a much longer term.

Boeung Kak Lake Children in distress pleading in vain for their parents' release. There's no end to the suffering endured by the "Little People" so beloved of a former monarch who was once touted as the nation's best hope, and just as beloved of the present Crime Minister [according to his own daily claim and rhetoric] - School of Vice