To the editor,

Through your paper I would like to congratulate

the Royal Cambodian Government on the performance of Royal Air Cambodge and

Pochentong International Airport. I returned yesterday from travel to USA and

Australia [where the sight of the Cambodian flag flying over the refurbished

embassy in Canberra made me feel very proud] and was delighted with the service

and courtesy shown on RAC. It was a pleasure to see the proficient Khmer crew

performing at international standard. Arriving at Pochentong was another treat.

The smart new terminal worked well and made a most favorable impression,

including on a large Japanese tour group. Cambodia now has a gateway to be proud

of.

I was also interested that the bulk of RAC's passengers were

Japanese, Korean and Thai. It is clear that they have not been subjected to the

totally unbalanced reporting of the Australian and US media which have

misinformed Australians and Americans about the actual situation in Cambodia. In

an attempt to titillate the morbid fantasies of readers, the media in those

countries appears to have given up any attempt at balance. For example, on 5

January the Sydney Morning Herald had a front page story on Tuol Sleng and the

tragic murder there of an Australian yachtsman. The story was written as if it

was current news rather than more than sixteen years old. It is good to see that

Japanese and Koreans (normally the most nervous of travelers) have not been so

ill-served by their media and a pleasure to see their tour group entering so

enthusiastically into their Cambodian holiday.

- John Holloway, Phnom

Penh.