Raining radiation

The crisis in Japan has of course been all over the news here. And from every angle: when I didn't want to watch US marine helicopters loading up on CNN, I could see different images on the Chinese or Khmer or even Japanese channels. This is Asia, after all, and so even with only one Japanese family at Logos, recent events have still hit a bit closer to home for me. My heart goes out to them.

My perspective mirrors that of many Western expats. But here's the news that's been guiding many locals I know:

"A nuclear power plant in Fukumi, Japan exploded at 4:30 AM today. If it rains tomorrow or later, don’t go outside. If you are outside, be sure that you have rain protectors. It’s acid rain. Don’t let it touch you. You may burn your skin, lose your hair or have cancer. Please pass, stay safe and remind everyone you know. This applies to anyone in Asia."

So Wednesday, even high school students came to Logos ultra-nervous about getting wet. But it's not just teens that believed it: the past few days, this message went viral on texts and Facebook statuses from the Philippines to Singapore and beyond.

Talking with my friend Sovannary helped me understand how Cambodians could fall for this. They obviously don't have advanced science knowledge, given that many are illiterate and their education system is built on rote learning. And I rarely see anything on people's TVs besides karaoke and comedy - they might not think to check the news for confirmation. So when they hear "nuclear power plant," they think of the only nuclear thing in their memory: nuclear bombs. (Apparently most are aware of Hiroshima.)

Rumors among Cambodians far exceed the text message. Not only did everyone tell Sovannary that she and her daughters would die of cancer since they got caught in the rain, but they also claimed that Japan was about to explode and that nothing would grow on the power plant site for 100,000 years. Radiation, according to their story, would reach even the US at fatal levels. Kudos to Sovannary for researching more reliable sources: she's a teaching assistant, and her teacher gave her a much more accurate description of nuclear energy and the crisis in Japan. She had lots of questions for me, trying to confirm her teacher's reports.

All this was a powerful reminder for me that ignorance is NOT bliss. Fear often drives Cambodians' attitudes on issues where science could put their minds at ease.