The Village of the Damned? Myths and Realities of Structured Begging Behaviour in and Around Phnom Penh

Abstract

This paper concerns the nature of structured begging migration in Phnom Penh, as well as its impact and meaning in sender communities. It interrogates a popular myth known throughout Cambodia concerning the supernatural motivation of ‘rich’ beggars, arguing that its prevalence reflects the growing incidence of structured, circular migration based around alms seeking in the capital. In doing so, it seeks to bridge the lacuna between the literature on begging and that on migration by showing that the distinction between the two is both blurred and straddled by migrants in many cases.

Notes

1. It should be noted that these are not direct translations of the market names as they are known in Khmer. For instance, the large, art deco ‘Central Market’ is known to Khmer speakers as Psar Thmei, or New Market. Similarly, Psar Toul Thom Poung is referred to by English speakers as ‘The Russian Market’, whilst the direct translation would be ‘Market on a big hill’.