A courageous soul that broke the deadlock of fear and complicity

Depending on where you source your news, most of my friends in Australia will not have heard of the recent murder of Chut Wutty, a Cambodian environmental activist shot by a military police officer in Koh Kong province when he refused to give up his camera memory card after taking photos of illegal wood stockpiles.  The alleged murderer was then also shot and killed.

In the following days, news reports had many versions of the story with struggles, ricocheting bullets, and grief-stricken suicide (with a rifle no less!).  The official line now is that the second shooting was accidental according to a joint investigative committee.

The committee findings are a difficult pill to swallow for the grieving family of Chut Wutty who have always known the dangers of his work. His 19 yo son told reporters "he knew that something might happen to his life, so he educated me how to be a good person in the family and in the nation".

Chut Wutty's legacy to the nation was as the Founder and Director of the Natural Resource Protection Group he was a tireless environmental activist determined to end illegal logging throughout Cambodia.  His influence was steadily growing - he was profiled in a major English language newspaper here in Cambodia only weeks before his death and was actually accompanied by two reporters on his final trip.

A former PhD student who worked with Chut Wutty claims that "One of Chut Wutty’s most critical achievements ... was that he broke the deadlock of fear and complicity that so often paralyses villagers, community leaders and NGOs in Cambodia, preventing them from taking action against illegal logging and other injustices. Many have argued that this paralysis is part of Cambodia’s national psyche, and that the country is forever doomed to suffer from a ‘lack of local agency’ and civil society (cite). But Chut Wutty and his allies were beginning to prove otherwise." See her tribute.

Svay Phoeun, a village representative in Preah Vihear states for many “Chut Wutty’s heart is gone, but thousands of Chut Wutty hearts still survive. We are not afraid of the person who killed Chut Wutty… we have never been afraid”.

This morning I was heartened to receive a press release via the Christians for Social Justice group.  Tomorrow, around 600 people from eight provinces will meet in Koh Kong province to take part in a patrol to gather evidence of illegal logging around the area where Chut Wutty was killed.  Rather than weakening their hearts, his death only consolidates their resolve to continue the work.

Thought you'd like to know... (see also a youtube tribute)

Presence that brings change

We’ve just come to the end of a 12 week period where we’ve enjoyed sharing our house with three physio volunteers from Australia. When I took the last of them to the airport, I didn’t realise what a difference their departure would make to our household.

Chalk and cheese. Day and night. Visitors and no visitors.

Without their constant presence, we could relax on the good behaviour. And the dam broke.

Noisy, boisterous play. Squabbles over nothing. Defiance, complaining and sulking.

And I haven’t even started on the kids!!

It’s made me think about the other things that keep my behaviour in check. I have to admit that having the accountability of a group of people who support us in prayer and finances, and living amongst a people that I am hoping to reach for Christ, actually serve to curb my behaviour. But does it make me a better person?

What about the people I work with, the friends I visit and the church I worship with? Will my presence bring real change?

I’ve heard that it takes 30 days to create a habit and I was hoping that the volunteers’ presence would create new habits in our family. It didn’t.

A new habit doesn’t equal heart change.

For that, we need the presence of a Father, a Saviour, a Helper, and a heart that is willing to be humbled and change.

...especially after nearly 7 years on the field.

THIS is what my God does.

In June 2011, I shared L’s story about her husband who left her for another woman, taking all their savings, motorbike and even the son’s bicycle to pay off gambling debts. I was amazed by L’s determination to hold onto God through this time and continued to walk with her through the ups and downs of the following months.

Seven months on, I think it is time to share with you the miracles that L has seen within her own family.

Despite L’s consternation about his motives, her husband began attending church. She refused to sit with him at first because her 3 month separation hadn’t yet concluded. Yet, the leaders of the church could perceive real repentance within him and after much encouragement from them, L begrudgingly accepted him back after only 6 weeks.

The following months haven’t been easy for her. Rebuilding trust is excruciating business. But, now when I ask L about her husband, she has a wonderful contented smile.

He is regularly going to church and reading his Bible. He is far more attentive towards the children and is involved in their learning. Following 4 months of unemployment (after being fired for not being able to pay off his debt to his employer), he is starting work today in an administration role.

He is a changed man who is reconciled to his family and determined to walk a new path. As L says, “It is more than I could have hoped for or imagined”.

THIS is what my God does.