[Peace] About Will

[Karen Capel]

Hello.  If you're receiving this, you must be family or friend or have some 
other basis for relationship with my son, Will, or perhaps just me.

Will was 31 years old; his birthday was May 7th.

There is dispute about the circumstances surrounding his last day and the 
cause of death and possibly even on which day it occurred.  The Phnom Penh 
Post reported August 2nd, with others saying August 3rd.  From what I have 
learned, details that come from Phnom Penh, whether from the US Embassy or 
from another source there, are generally to be taken with a grain of 
salt.  An autopsy is out of the question as Cambodia has a law that 
requires disposition of the remains within 24 hours.  Will was cremated.

Hence the reason for this emailed note.  I'm looking for the truth about 
what happened to my son.

Will was involved with several grassroots organizations in Sihanoukville 
that tried to benefit the lives of street children there--kids who'd been 
exploited or sexploited or otherwise abused.  These are groups that began 
with the natural and expat residents of the city--not with any arm of 
government, theirs or anyone else's.

One of these grassroots groups is called Starfish Project.  You can read 
about it here:
http://www.starfishcambodia.org/

Another of the groups is called M'lop Tapang.  You can read about it here:
http://www.mloptapang.org/

In October of 2003, Will organized a fundraising party for M'lop Tapang 
that was a huge success.  I was told that it rained for weeks immediately 
before this fundraising party, and on the afternoon of the event itself, 
the clouds parted and the skies cleared, the DJs arrived, the party-goers 
partied, and tons of money was raised.  You can read a little about that 
here.  Scroll down the page.
http://www.talesofasia.com/cambodia-update-oct03.htm

You can read a little about both Starfish and M'lop Tapang here:
http://www.canbypublications.com/sihnoukville/kssight.htm

There's other stuff and at least one more grassroots organization that he 
was part of.  I'm still learning myself.  The point is that Will was 
involved with groups that helped kids and their families try to recover and 
get by in life.  (Their basis of money is the riel.  At last check, 4000 
riel equals 1 US dollar.  You can figure out the significance of 
that.)  And he didn't keep in touch with his family back home in the US.

I've also learned that there have recently been other groups that have 
entered Cambodia and tried to "move in on" this charitable territory and 
may have tried to encroach on the good will of the people for their own 
personal subversive and corrupt reasons.  So-called nongovernmental (NGO) 
or charity organizations that exploit the concern for abused or deprived 
children for their own nefarious purposes.

Will had some perceptions about the underhanded methods and designs of 
these groups and he spoke out about it.  He was vocal.  He wrote letters to 
the editor and criticized them.  And they didn't appreciate his criticism.

Some of the people who knew Will in Sihanoukville suspect that Will's death 
was not accidental at all.  In fact, the tone toward the invading NGOs and 
some of their staff has changed in the newspaper since (or because of?) 
Will's death.  At least one journalist has hired his own protection 
service, and one other has received death threats.  I got one comment that 
said that the "big fish are keeping quiet because a little fish has been 
silenced."

These are just basics I am finding out.  Sometimes it's hard to keep it all 
straight.  After all, it's "over there" and we're "here."  But I am finding 
out things.  And is there a parent among us who wouldn't want to know what 
became of his or her child?  It doesn't matter to me whether you think that 
I don't have my tinfoil hat screwed down tightly enough.  What matters is 
what happened to my son.  I intend to find out.

And if you do think that my tinfoil hat is not fitting tightly enough, 
please understand that I only made myself known.  Someone else contacted me 
first.

You can help me by telling me of any thing that you received, or know of, 
or partook of, or occurred to you because of a connection with Will, or 
perhaps because you know about that part of the world.  Sihanoukville, 
Cambodia.  No matter how small or seemingly insignificant.  Maybe you saw 
him at some function somewhere.  Maybe you didn't but someone you know 
did.  Maybe someone you know said to you "hey, did you hear about 
whatsit?"  Maybe he left a matchbook on your end table.  Maybe he sent you 
a Christmas card five years ago or a postcard in 2001.  Maybe you received 
an email from him at some point.  Maybe you know about things in Cambodia 
or Sihanoukville itself.  Maybe you know a professor or economist or 
someone else who does.  Maybe a news journalist.

I don't know what these things might be.  It could be anything.  But I am 
finding that sometimes the biggest help and greatest "lead" is coming from 
the smallest, seemingly the most insignificantly relevant event or thing or 
person (or, at least, the person thinks that is the case--"this probably 
means nothing, but...").  You want your information or item held 
confidential?  Fine...consider it done.

Please scratch your heads and think.  Please look in your basket full of 
bills--is there a card at the bottom from Will or that mentions 
Will?  Please look in your email system--is there an email?  Please just 
think about it.  If there is anything, no matter how small or remote, 
please let me know what it is.  You can send it to me COD.  You can 
photocopy it and send it.  I can photocopy it and send it back to you.  You 
can scan it and email it.  Whatever works best for you.

If you can't think of anything but think you know someone who may, please 
do forward this note to them.

I will tell you that the telephone works *least* best for me right now.  I 
am just not around the phone very often.  And since Will's death, my 
patience has been strained at best--I have turned down the volume of the 
phone and shut off the answering machine.  No patience for salesmen with 
pitches.  If there is anything at all, please, if possible, use US Mail or 
your email program.  Or you could send a note saying you will call at 
such-and-such time so I can then wait by the phone.

Thanks for your help, ahead of time.  I'll keep you posted if and when I 
learn anything more.  I'm banking on it.  So is Will.  The last thing I 
heard him say was "don't worry, Mom, I'll be fine."

Karen
Will's mom

Karen Capel
917 Lincolnshire Drive
Champaign IL 61821
217-359-3155
netsuke at advancenet.net
willinfo5573 at hotmail.com  (5573 = May 7, 1973, his birthday)

Thanks