Simon Thompson

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your background.

I am a law student from The Netherlands but am of British nationality. Currently I am completing my final year for the Bachelor degree and will go on to study International Law and specialise in Human Rights Law as part of the Master’s degree. Previously I worked at a transport company for seven years, where I was responsible for the financial administration.

How did you hear about Legal Aid of Cambodia?

A fellow student of mine went on holiday to Cambodia a few years ago and was touched by this wonderful country and its friendly people. After that he got me interested by proposing we do a couple of school projects on pressing legal issues in Cambodia. One thing led to another and before I knew it I was searching the web for internship possibilities with human rights related NGOs. I came across Legal Aid of Cambodia and sent them an email with my application letter and CV and a few weeks later I was helping out on writing a proposal.

How did you make up your mind to go?

After doing research for several projects related to Cambodia at University and hearing a lot about the country, I became very curious and decided to find out for myself what it was like. My thesis is on Human Rights so I reckoned that Cambodia is a good place to learn about the practical side of Human Rights issues.

Tell me about the process that got you to Cambodia.

After sifting through a couple of e-shops, I booked the cheapest and most reliable flight I could find (€1000), which took me to Phnom Penh via Kuala Lumpur. I also arranged my hotel booking through the internet, so after their email confirmation, I was all set to go. I stayed at the Golden Gate Hotel ($500 p/m) which I thought was a reasonably decent hotel. You can also stay at a guesthouse for much cheaper or go way more expensive at Cambodiana or Raffles.

What did you do to prepare for the trip?

For useful tips and tricks I read the Lonely Planet, but another source of useful information, are the various weblogs expats post on the internet. All this was very useful but it didn’t prevent a little culture shock though. Also I watched a lot of documentaries related to the Khmer Rouge, as the history of Cambodia is obviously very important to know about.

In my first week I also got into contact with a Khmer teacher, only because I like to learn a little about the language of the country I am in. It has proven to be useful but it is definitely not a necessity as most Cambodians you will come into contact with, like moto drivers and waiters, will speak at least a little English.

Did you take any health precautions?

I had all the necessary vaccines because the same apply to China, where I went to two years ago. I did bring mosquito-repellant, but to be honoust I rarely put it on. No need to worry about Malaria and Dengue in the dry season. And besides getting an upset stomach every now and again I didn’t get any other ailments or serious diseases.

What did your friends and parents think of you going to Cambodia?

My family was a little worried at first, but mainly because they did not know much about Cambodia. They were put at rest when they learnt Cambodia is a safe place to stay and after that they thought it would be a great learning experience. All my friends and colleagues were supportive and some even jealous, which they should be as it is a fantastic experience!

What did you bring with you?

Passport photos! You will need one for your business visa which you can get for $25 upon entry and another one if you need to extend your visa during your stay. But in case you are sat in the plane and suddenly remember you forgot them, don’t worry, you will only be fined one dollar or so. I also brought along my laptop which I needed for working on at LAC. Also, most expat café’s have wifi, so it is also useful for going on the internet. Besides that I mainly brought along clothes, but turning up with an empty suitcase might as well be an option, as everything you need is for sale in Phnom Penh and it’s much cheaper.

What were some of your first impressions of Phnom Penh upon arrival? Of LAC?

Hectic! You soon get used to it though. The roads seem like utter chaos, but there is a system and they do not drive very fast either. The first two weeks I ate out on the riverside, but this tends to get very touristy and there are a lot of children begging, selling books or offering to shine your shoes. There are a lot of other places you can eat at peace and you are sure to find these after a while. A few of them are Living Room, Java, Nature & Sea, and The Shop. Most moto drivers will know where to go.

I received a warm welcome at LAC with all the staff being really friendly. LAC had just moved into a new building on the same day as my first working day, so everything was still in removal-boxes. All the files and documents were soon unpacked though and we were fully up and running within a couple of days. I did need some time to get used to the working hours (07:30-12:00 14:00-17:30), because I was only used to a 30 minute lunch break. It didn’t take too long to fall into the routine though. Another important issue with working for LAC is the independent level at which you work on as an intern. You have to be able to find your own way and determine for yourself how you will carry out a certain appointed or self conceived project. Although you will be thrown in the deep end, you will always find the staff helpful when you need necessary information.

Tell me about some of the projects and assignments you worked on.

I helped out on writing a proposal for a project regarding juvenile litigation. Besides that I helped out on preparing a workshop for LAC’s new Strategy Plan and for a donor coordination meeting.  Also I revised a lot of English-written documents. I went along on several field-trips as well, which lasted from a few days up to a full week. These trips give you a good impression of the practical work done by the lawyers. Here you have to think of client interviews and training sessions for local authorities as well as radio talk-shows. Besides that I also went to a Correctional Center just outside Phnom Penh were Dyna, Sokha, Samros and ? showed me around the Prison, which was very interesting to see.

Tell me a bit about your interactions with the staff at LAC.

I had a very enjoyable time with the LAC staff and they are really nice to work with. All of them were friendly and helpful and many speak a word of conversational English and others speak English really well. They all want to be able to speak English, so don’t be surprised if they ask you for a lesson or two. Especially Chinith, who will probably speak better English than I one day! On one of my field-trips I also spent time with the family of Neth and Thy, which was really enjoyable, as was the field-trip with Chheng Ourn, Kuylam, Som On and Kao. And celebrating Women’s Day at the Kandal office with Chandy was also a great experience. Another highlight was a wedding to which LAC’s Executive Director Mrs. Peung Yok Hiep invited me. She made sure I didn’t leave with an empty stomach.

Did you get to travel at all within Cambodia? Where did you go/What did you do?

I went on three field-trips, two of which took me to Battambang province (north-west). Here the staff of the Juvenile Litigation Program interviewed police officers and clients and also conducted a radio talk-show. The other field-trip went through the provinces Kratie, Mondulkiri (north-east). On this trip I went with the staff of the Land Law Unit whom interviewed some indigenous people LAC represents and also a police officer, both regarding two separate land grabbing cases. During my stay I also spent three days in Bangkok and a couple of days in Siem Reap, where I met up with Chheng Ourn of the Land Law Unit. I was great to have a colleague show me around the sites.

Any final thoughts on your time spent with LAC and its staff? How has it affected your future plans and desire to practice a certain type of law?

After working as an intern at LAC I feel that I have made the right decision in choosing Human Rights Law as my specialisation. Although I did not do any work which was directly related to human rights law, I learnt a lot from LAC’s staff regarding the possibilities and challenges faced when defending Human Rights. Although it must be noted that LAC is not a Human Rights law office, but it defends poor Cambodians in many different areas of the law, of which Human Rights are a big part due to obvious reasons.