Scott Neeson
Executive Director
Cambodian Children’s Fund
Phnom Penh
2nd June 2014
Dear Scott
In the interests of transparency
and accountability, I will be posting all of my correspondence with you and
others at the Cambodian Children’s Fund online.
As I have mentioned in previous
correspondence, my 40 years of experience as a filmmaker has made me fully
aware of the need that my documentary, “Searching
for Sokayn” be factually accurate; that there be nothing in it that is
defamatory. From rough cut stage onwards I will be in close consultation with
legal counsel to make sure that there is nothing in the film that would give
the Cambodian Children’s Fund reason to sue me.
As is abundantly clear from all
of our previous correspondence, you have no intention of putting me in contact
with Chuan, Ka, Sokayn and Sokourn (my own phonetic spellings) and the rest of
their family in order that I be able to fulfill my promise to buy it a block of
land in Prey Veng – in return for the
family’s generosity in allowing me, and my camera, into their lives as they
lived and worked in the old Phnom Penh dump. If I fail to locate the family,
audience members will be able to draw their own conclusions as to why you
should wish to prevent me from fulfilling my promise to the family.
Whilst my search for the family
provides my documentary with its central narrative spine, I am interested also
in talking with (a) children who have ‘graduated’ from the Cambodian Children’s
Fund and are now, as adults, either reaping the benefits of the education and
care they received at the hands of CCF or who have reservations about their
experiences, (b) former members of CCF staff in a position to tell me (and my
camera) how the realities of how CCF cares for children match the rhetoric to
be found in CCF’s glossy brochures, online and in the many interviews you have
given about CCF and (c) the parents of children who were removed from their
care by CCF and are either happy with the state of affairs that transpired or
upset to have lost their children and to have their access to them severely
limited.
I have made contact with some
Cambodians in all three of these categories but, in the interests of balance,
invite you to let former child clients, former employees (both Khmer and
expatriate) know that I would be interested in whatever perspective they may
wish to provide me with. Please feel free to pass my email address on to them.
One question that “Searching for
Sokayn” will address is the employment of James Mc Cabe to work with children
at CCF. As you know, as a criminal convicted of an indictable drug offence
(including violence and corruption) Mr Mc Cabe would not be allowed, under Australian
law, to work with children in Australia. Despite this, you have in the past
publicly defended Mr Mc Cabe. Do you believe, in June 2014, that your
employment of and support for Mr Mc Cabe is appropriate?
best wishes
James Ricketson
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