New York, USA
12 / 2011
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A girl photographs with her iPad an African antelope at the Museum of National History in New York.
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- A cement hipopotamous relaxes in a pool of rubber mulch. Central Park, New York.
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Safari in New York
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Pattaya – Offer & demand
PATTAYA, THAILAND
27/10/11
From single men to entire families, tourists stroll down Walking Street, Pattaya’s main attraction. A morbid street where sex
is sold widely and freely, and nothing seems to be taboo. At the street’s entry, a Tourist Police patrol stands; “This is Pattaya’s
main tourist attraction”, an Englishman who volunteers for the Tourist Police says, “and no one is forced to be here”. Nonetheless,
the sex industry in Pattaya is a multi-million dollar business, and is responsible for numerous cases of human trafficking.
Amazingly enough, Walking Street attracts millions of tourists every year. Only a few meters away from the Tourist Police stand,
a gay bar lures customers by using half-naked and under-age looking men dancing on the footpath, attracting tourists to watch and
get their photos taken. Further down the street, one of Thailand’s threatened species, a Bengal slow Loris wrapped up in a diaper;
is offered for a few baht to be held and photographed.
With the high demand from tourists, and their clear acceptance of the sex industry and other illegal commodities; unanswered questions
remain about the responsibility of the Tourism industry in the matter, as well as the authorities’ duty to educate travellers.
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- Men hold up signs advertising cheap beer and sex services attracting customers to the bars. © Erika Pineros 2011
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- Tourists get their photos taken in front of a gay bar. Half-naked and under-age looking men dancing on the footpath is a popular tourist attraction on ‘Walking Street’. © Erika Pineros 2011
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- After paying a few baht, tourists play with one of Thailand’s threatened species, a Bengal slow Loris wrapped up in a diaper. © Nicolas Axelrod 2011
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- A man carrying a toddler strolls down ‘Walking Street’, while women dressed up as sexy nurses and school girls lure customers into their bars. © Erika Pineros 2011
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- ‘HAPPY A GO GO’ – A woman holds a sign for a Go-Go bar. The sex industry in Pattaya is a multi-million dollar business, and is responsible for numerous cases of human trafficking. © Erika Pineros 2011
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- Transvestites and ‘ladyboys’ walking to work or looking for business, are a common sight at ‘Walking Street’. © Nicolas Axelrod 2011
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Cambodia, not a national emergency
PREY VENG, CAMBODIA
27/10/11
Since August 2011, more than 200 people have died in Cambodia due to flooding, most of the victims have been children.
Around the country, villagers have had their homes destroyed by the floods, or had to abandon them to find higher grounds
or buildings on stilts to take refuge. Schools and pagodas have become evacuation centers for hundreds of families, and livestock
has been moved to any dry patch of land in many cases cluttering busy roads. Villagers complain that in the last three months not
enough aid has been provided, leaving them vulnerable to hunger and disease.
Out of Cambodia’s 23 provinces, 17 have been affected along the Mekong river and Tonle Sap. The Cambodian government has estimated
that about 190-thousand hectares of rice fields have been destroyed, and according to the National Committee for Disaster Management
1.2 million people are affected by the flooding, still the government has yet to declare the flooding a national emergency. In the meanwhile,
international humanitarian organizations struggle to raise enough funds to deal with the extent of the problem, having to limit their
aid to help the very poorest.
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- Surrounded by water, this pagoda’s grounds have become refuge to families, as well as to hundreds of heads of cattle. © Erika Pineros 2011
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- A pagoda raised on stilts has become home for some 50 families who had to abandon their homes. Prey Veng, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod 2011
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- A women boils water for drinking in the school where she took refuge with some 15 other families. Prey Veng, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod 2011
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- Cows are raised on high ground in a village completely submerged by flood waters. Prey Veng, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod 2011
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- The local hospital even though flooded, still functions providing basic treatment to whoever can reach it and afford it. © Erika Pineros 2011
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- Families have been forced to set up temporary shelters by the side of the road. © Erika Pineros 2011
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Click here to see more.
Life goes on…
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
Residents from Boeung Kak have been forcefully evicted since Shukaku company was granted a 99 year lease of the area for development in 2007.
More than 4000 families will be affected by the end of the project. Entire families have been forced to leave their homes taking a ‘compensation’
of US$8500 by the government. It is said, their land is valued at US$1000/m².
22/09/11
Almost a week after their homes were torn down by excavators, residents from Boeung Kak continue with their lives
Not having anywhere else to go or any other means of work, some residents have come back to live under their new ‘roofs’, running electricity cables
and setting up their businesses over the rubble.
A wooden wall displaying pictures of the day they were forcefully evicted, was put up in front of their destroyed homes for passers-by to look at.
Residents aim to spread the word, continuing their struggle for their basic rights.
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- Passers-by stop to look at the pictures of the forced eviction. A women and child sit under one of the tarps.
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- Passers-by and residents look at the pictures from the forced eviction.
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- Residents came back to where their homes once stood, setting up temporary shelters and rebuilding their business.
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- Following the eviction residents are forced to live and work under precarious conditions.
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- Passers-by look at the eviction pictures. Behind temporary shelters were set up over the rubble of the demolished homes.
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SOS – Evictions, the day after
Residents from Boeung Kak have been forcefully evicted since Shukaku company was granted a 99 year lease of the area for development in 2007.
More than 4000 families will be affected by the end of the project. Entire families have been forced to leave their homes taking a ‘compensation’
of US$8500 by the government. It is said, their land is valued at US$1000/m².
17/09/11
Having had their homes destroyed by excavators, early in the morning residents come back to put up tarps where their homes stood the day before.
While collectors looked through the rubble for materials they can resell, residents help each other writing on the tarps questions like “Where’s my house,
where is my right?” and SOS signs as symbol of resistance. They expected the machines to come back and continue the evictions.
As the sun went down, Boeung Kak residents burnt tires as a sign of defiance.
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- A man brings a loudspeaker to be used to carry messages and amplify music as residents helped each other rebuild their homes
and resist any threat from the company or authorities.
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- Residents put up tarps where their houses stood a day before, gathering under their new roofs as a statement of defiance.
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- A man walks through what is left from the demolished houses collecting metal and other materials to sell.
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- A woman looks through a photo album found under the rubble. Not having received any prior notice, residents had minutes to take their belongings out of their homes.
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- A man sits in front of the tarps placed where homes stood a day before.
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- As sign of defiance, residents burn tires near the place where their house were torn down the day before.
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Forced Evictions
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
Residents from Boeung Kak have been forcefully evicted since Shukaku company was granted a 99 year lease of the area for development in 2007.
More than 4000 families will be affected by the end of the project. Entire families have been forced to leave their homes taking a ‘compensation’
of US$8500 by the government. It is said, their land is valued at US$1000/m².
16/09/11
More than eight families were left homeless after two excavators showed up at village 22 to demolish their homes. The residents claim
no previous notice was given, nor any compensation was offered for their homes. With their belongings on the street, a trail of debris and a man
left unconscious, residents are determined to fight back and claim their basic rights.
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- Riot police provided support and security to excavators while they destroyed more than 5 families’ homes from Boeung Kak.
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- A kid watches the excavators as they demolish one of the houses. Some families hardly had any time to pack their belongings.
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- Riot police stand by watching the excavators destroy homes.
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- A man from the community watches the excavators as they demolish the houses. Some families hardly had any time to pack their belongings.
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- Riot police beat Soung Sorphoan a man from the opposition party SRP who encouraged residents to fight back and stop the eviction.
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- Soung Sorphoan, a man from the opposition party SRP lays on the ground unconscious after been beaten by the police.
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- Having nowhere else to go, residents from the demolished houses piled up their belongings in front of what is left of their homes.
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