The Editor,

I'm afraid this is a gripe, so I'll be as brief as I can.

In your issue Vol 4, No. 23, I noticed three references to the Landmark Boulevard Hotel, Phnom Penh.

The first was on p. 8, on the city map under the section for "Hotels" in which Landmark Boulevard was, curiously enough, the only hotel listed.

The second was on p. 12, in an isolated photograph of the newly-drowned Miss Cambodia being "welcomed at the Landmark Hotel." The picture was taken by none other than the publisher of the Phnom Penh Post.

This was depressing enough. Then I got to p. 14. Here, in the "In Review" section, there was a quick plug for a forthcoming evening with Miss Cambodia ($15 per head), to be held at the Landmark Boulevard, no less.

Please, if today's commercial environment demands giving preferential treatment to certain business associates, try not to confuse this with reporting news. I happily pay my 2,500 riel to cover the costs of photographers, printers, journalists and so on. I do not, however, appreciate my money being misused to subsidize cheap advertising for a hotel.

- Nick Sturmey, Kompong Som.

(Publisher's reply: The Post sells for 2,000 riel, not 2,500. Wholesalers buy it from us for 1,500.

If Mr Sturmey wants to head a campaign to convince all paper buyers to pay $5 per copy (and guarantee its success) I'd be happy to drop all advertising as well as favors to regular advertisers.)