A rather offbeat, but lovely observation from Shivaji Das in Singapore. One to file and read again the next time it’s your turn.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

In practice, of course, some are more equal than others.

It is not his fault. Why, he’s dead. And he truly was a hero. Christopher Howes worked in a mine-clearing team around Angkor Wat in 1996. He and his team were captured by the Khmer Rouge guerillas that were still operating there at the time, leftover from the Khmer Rouge times. He was offered freedom in return for his team. He refused. Therefore, the kidnappers kept him and his interpreter and released the rest. Both him and his Khmer companion were executed shortly thereafter.

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