ENVOY ALERT. A major, ground breaking article was recently published in the prestigious

New York Times comparing our own Most Excellent Benny Widyono with Lord Mountbatten,

former Viceroy of India. Says the article: "These modern viceroys, however,

have given up plumed helmets and military braid in favor of safari suits and baseball

caps. They have traded in their stately coaches for jeeps, and their viceregal lodges

and flower gardens for bungalows in dusty compounds." Check it out.

** Ant update: "Go to the ant thou sluggard; consider her ways and be

wise." Proverbs 6:6.

** A report from Hem Bun Heng, Second Deputy Governor of Siem Reap, suggests

one western packpacker may have taken the concept of adventure tourism to the extreme.

Fresh off the boat a young lad hires a moto and heads off to Banteay Srei. The guy

orders his moto driver to stop as he wants to go for a walk. The driver obliges and

the neo-explorer heads off into the bush. Several hours later, and worried about

the dangers of hanging around, the moto driver beats a hasty retreat back to Siem

Reap and informs the authorities about a mad barang stolling the slopes of Phnom

Bok.

The next morning a search party locates the intrepid traveller and is surprised to

discover he comes equipped with a Khmer Rouge hat, sundry bits of KR apparel and

ten loaves of bread stashed neatly in his backpack.

The local authorities take him into custody for his own protection - and theirs.

** A number of businessmen and senior government officials have similiar stories

underscoring a disturbing aspect of Cambodia's wild and woolly independent media.

It seems more than a few hacks are now in the "free to extort" business.

So the story goes, a journalist shows up at some bigwig's office with some article

in hand that is nothing more than a pack of lies and then threatens "Pay me

or I'll run it."

** Siv Samnang, after close consultation with a variety of high level advisors,

has determined that July 8 will be declared a national holiday - and that all well-wishers

should join her to celebrate her %#th birthday.

** The saga of Freddie Teo of the Singaporean Embassy sent ripples through

the diplomatic community faster than the speed of light and left one and all muttering,

grumbling, cursing and praying - especially when the details got out. Poor Freddie

not only had his car ripped off - insult enough with his diplomatic plates - but

in the process his driver had a pistol shoved in his mouth, Freddie's wife had one

stuck at her neck, and Freddie had two pressed against his head. Ouch!

To make matters worse, sources say the car was later discovered at a certain official's

house who said he didn't want to return it.