KI Media: “"Mean Tae Padevatt Nis Te!" a Poem in Khmer by Sék Serei” plus 24 more |
- "Mean Tae Padevatt Nis Te!" a Poem in Khmer by Sék Serei
- Brother says Veera is in a very bad way [-Veera ill from missing freedom?]
- Poor Veera, he's struggling for life ... without all the Thai luxury
- M'dech Leuy Deur Phlov Vieng! - Why take the long road?: Poem in Khmer by Khmer Sachak
- Seen and heard in the Banana Kingdoom
- Celebrating Women Month
- ; ) TGIF (let's pretend)
- My Rights, My Responsibility (ICCPR) Series
- ; ) TGIF (getting harder to pretend)
- My Rights, My Responsibility (Constitution) Series
- Blind Patriotism
- Kaddafi, stay still, we are coming!
- Open Letter to PM Hun Xen from Orphan Child
- Brother: Veera [Somkwamkid] seriously ill
- Boeung Kak Lake Residents demand development in place
- Rubber plantations in Ratanakiri increases
- Prey Lang Forest community demands a halt to deforestation in the area
- Intense gunfire heard in Libyan capital
- Cambodia fortifying presence, says [Thai] army
- Supporting Cambodian school is a blessing to our church
- Stricter rules on int'l marriages to take effect [in South Korea]
- One step closer to the Indochinese Federation: Joint Viet-Cam-Lao website
- Internet Freedom Under Threat
- Let me decide what I should or shouldn’t read!
- ; ) TGIF (let's pretend)
| "Mean Tae Padevatt Nis Te!" a Poem in Khmer by Sék Serei Posted: 06 Mar 2011 01:51 PM PST   | ||
| Brother says Veera is in a very bad way [-Veera ill from missing freedom?] Posted: 06 Mar 2011 12:03 PM PST 7/03/2011 Bangkok Post Thai Patriots Network coordinator Veera Somkwamkid is "critically ill" and there is little time to appeal against his sentence, says his brother, Preecha. Mr Preecha was commenting yesterday after a visit to Mr Veera at Prey Sar prison in Phnom Penh on Friday. He said he found his 54-year-old brother to be suffering from many ailments and "critically ill". Mr Preecha said there might not be enough time to appeal the sentence against his elder brother. He said all efforts must now be directed towards seeking a royal pardon for Mr Veera and his secretary, Ratree Pipatanapaiboon, who are both detained at Prey Sar after being convicted on Feb1 of spying charges and illegal entry into Cambodia. Former Buri Ram senator Karun Sai-ngam, one of their legal advisers, will provide further details of how to proceed with a request for a royal pardon, Mr Preecha said. The Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced Mr Veera and his secretary, Ratree Pipatanapaiboon, to eight and six years in jail, respectively, for espionage and illegal entry into Cambodia on Dec29. Mr Preecha urged Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to step up efforts to help Mr Veera and Ms Ratree, as their relatives are now deeply concerned. Meanwhile, Prapun Khunmee, co-leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy, said the PAD's lawyers will lodge a complaint against Mr Abhisit with the National Anti-Corruption Commission. The PAD has accused Mr Abhisit of malfeasance causing the loss of territory. PAD spokesman Parnthep Pourpongpan said the alliance is also running a signature collection campaign to impeach the prime minister.  | ||
| Poor Veera, he's struggling for life ... without all the Thai luxury Posted: 06 Mar 2011 12:01 PM PST Veera 'struggling for his life' March 7, 2011 The Nation Preecha Somkwamkid said yesterday that his brother Veera, who has been convicted by Cambodia of trespassing and spying, had no time left to appeal the verdict, as he is struggling for his life against several illnesses. Preecha visited the Cambodian jail on Friday and found that the political activist's condition was as critical as Democrat Party MP Panich Vikitsreth had claimed earlier. Preecha refused to say what Veera had asked him to do but admitted it was too late to file an appeal. Facing fatal illnesses, his brother has only one option left and that is to seek a pardon from the Cambodian king. He urged Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Cambodian PM Hun Sen to help Veera and Ratri Pipattanapaiboon, who was also convicted in Cambodia on the same charges, because their families were greatly concerned about their health. Abhisit responded to a remark by Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, who is also the Asean chairman, about the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meeting. He said Indonesia wanted both sides to hold bilateral talks but Thailand, though ready, still had to wait for Cambodia's stance. Cambodia had announced it would not attend the meeting, but reports now have Hun Sen agreeing to join the JBC meeting in Jakarta. Abhisit said Indonesia would explain to Thailand how it would dispatch a mission to the border. Though Thailand has agreed in principle with Indonesia's idea of sending observers, it has reservations over how and where they would be doing inspections. "It's really a sensitive matter, so we're in the process of making all these details clear,'' he said.  | ||
| M'dech Leuy Deur Phlov Vieng! - Why take the long road?: Poem in Khmer by Khmer Sachak Posted: 06 Mar 2011 11:58 AM PST   | ||
| Seen and heard in the Banana Kingdoom Posted: 06 Mar 2011 11:55 AM PST
"I triple guarantee you. There are no Yuon in Cambodia, only some Viet friends all over the country" - Prime Minister Hun Sen announced, during a speech at a gathering in the countryside in 2010.  | ||
| Posted: 06 Mar 2011 09:22 AM PST CEDAW signed by Cambodia in 17 Oct. 1980, acceded to on 15 Oct. 1992 The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, is often described as an international bill of rights for women. Consisting of a preamble and 30 articles, it defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination. The Convention defines discrimination against women as "...any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field." By accepting the Convention, States commit themselves to undertake a series of measures to end discrimination against women in all forms, including:
The Convention provides the basis for realizing equality between women and men through ensuring women's equal access to, and equal opportunities in, political and public life -- including the right to vote and to stand for election -- as well as education, health and employment. States parties agree to take all appropriate measures, including legislation and temporary special measures, so that women can enjoy all their human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Convention is the only human rights treaty which affirms the reproductive rights of women and targets culture and tradition as influential forces shaping gender roles and family relations. It affirms women's rights to acquire, change or retain their nationality and the nationality of their children. States parties also agree to take appropriate measures against all forms of traffic in women and exploitation of women. Countries that have ratified or acceded to the Convention are legally bound to put its provisions into practice. They are also committed to submit national reports, at least every four years, on measures they have taken to comply with their treaty obligations.  | ||
| Posted: 06 Mar 2011 09:20 AM PST Marriage is the chief cause of divorce.  | ||
| My Rights, My Responsibility (ICCPR) Series Posted: 06 Mar 2011 09:11 AM PST International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Ratified, acceded by UN General Assembly in December 1966, entry into force March 1976. Cambodia ratified the ICCPR (thus, a part of Cambodia's body of laws) and is obligated to submit regular reports to the United Nations.
Article 47
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| ; ) TGIF (getting harder to pretend) Posted: 06 Mar 2011 08:51 AM PST Here's to our wives and girlfriends... may they never meet!  | ||
| My Rights, My Responsibility (Constitution) Series Posted: 06 Mar 2011 08:44 AM PST Constitution of Cambodia (Sept. 1993)
Article 72 The health of the people shall be guaranteed. The State shall give full consideration to disease prevention and medical treatment. Poor citizens shall receive free medical consultation in public hospitals, infirmaries and maternities. The State shall establish infirmaries and maternities in rural areas.  | ||
| Posted: 06 Mar 2011 02:05 AM PST March 2, 2011 Op-Ed by Bouawat Sithi Dr. A Gaffar Peang-Meth's writings have enlightened many Cambodians who are still living in the blindness to see things clearer, but some Cambodians who live abroad still see things in obscurity. For instance, these recent border clashes between the Thai and the Cambodian troops have created a blind patriotism amongst the opposition SRP and HR parties' members who came out in several US cities' street corners and other parts of the world in a protest against the Thai troops. I strongly believe that the border conflicts with Thai can only be solved through the International Court of Justices, or has Hun Sen had the will to do it, this would expose a broader border issues with Vietnam. Do not blindly fight for 4.6 square kilometers that is already recognized by the UN in an exchange of several thousand square kilometers that were taken by Vietnam. This border situations have strategically played out well from the hands of the Vietnamese, as Dr. Peang-Meth mentioned in his writing, "Hun Sen wants the conflict on the western border to distract the people from the more significant encroachment by the Vietnamese on the eastern flank." He also made a valid point in the last sentence of his writing, "One day, the Vietnamese and the Thais will connect at Cambodia's western border." This is what I have been concerned all along witnessing the unstoppable flow of the Vietnamese population and the Vietnamese businesses in Cambodia that one day we would see ourselves living in Vietnam. A critical analysis comes from thoughtful and valid point of views and facts of a writer. It does not come from an emotion of writer or anyone's propaganda. As the Lord Buddha teaches us " When a person acts with an emotion he acts with an unstable mind." An unstable mind leads us to anger and this anger led Cambodians to kill two and half millions of Khmer people. Please think with thoughtfulness and open mind. Do not fall as a pawn in the Vietnamese game. Write him at bouawat@hotmail.com  | ||
| Kaddafi, stay still, we are coming! Posted: 06 Mar 2011 01:29 AM PST http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESFTAetT4bE  | ||
| Open Letter to PM Hun Xen from Orphan Child Posted: 06 Mar 2011 01:16 AM PST
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| Brother: Veera [Somkwamkid] seriously ill Posted: 06 Mar 2011 01:07 AM PST 6/03/2011 Bangkok Post Thai Patriots Network coordinator Veera Somkwamkid is now seriously ill in the Prey Sar Prison in Cambodia and seeking a royal pardon for him is the only way out, his younger brother said on Sunday. Preecha Somkwamkid said he found that his elder brother was seriously ill when he visited Mr Veera at the Prey Sar Prison in Phnom Pend on Friday, Mar 4. Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth's earlier remark about his brother's illness was correct, he said, but did not elaborate. It was now too late to appeal against the jail verdict handed on him because the deadline for doing so had expired. The only way out now is to seek a royal pardon from the Cambodian king, Mr Preecha said. He said details would be given by TPN lawyer Karun Saingam in a press conference. Mr Preecha called for the government, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to help seek a royal pardon for Mr Veera and his secretary Ratree Pipatanapaiboon. Mr Veera and Ms Ratree were sentenced to eight and six years in jail respectively for illegal entry and espionage. The other five persons, including Mr Panich, who were also arrested on Dec 30, have been freed after the court sentenced them to nine months in jail for illegal entry and suspended the remaining eight months imprisonment.  | ||
| Boeung Kak Lake Residents demand development in place Posted: 06 Mar 2011 12:56 AM PST http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Hg5Nr3rsZo&feature=channel_video_title  | ||
| Rubber plantations in Ratanakiri increases Posted: 06 Mar 2011 12:50 AM PST http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiR7GvB9MsQ&feature=channel_video_title  | ||
| Prey Lang Forest community demands a halt to deforestation in the area Posted: 06 Mar 2011 12:49 AM PST http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcZnBXT_178&feature=player_embedded  | ||
| Intense gunfire heard in Libyan capital Posted: 06 Mar 2011 12:42 AM PST Gadhafi tells of dismay over lack of support in 'fight against terrorism' Sunday, March 06, 2011 MSNBC.msn.com "Everything is safe. Tripoli is 100 percent under control. What you are hearing is celebratory fireworks. People are in the streets, dancing in the square." He warned, however: "I would like to advise not to go there for your safety. TRIPOLI, Libya — Heavy automatic weapons fire erupted in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Sunday, the first such outbreak in Muammar Gaddafi's main stronghold in a two-week-old insurrection against his 41-year-old rule. It was unclear who was doing the shooting, which started at 5:45 a.m., just before daybreak, or what had caused it. Machine gun volleys, some of them heavy caliber, were reverberating around central Tripoli, along with ambulance sirens, pro-Gaddafi chants, whistling and a cacophony of car horns as vehicles sped through the vicinity. A government spokesman denied any fighting was under way in Tripoli. "I assure you, I assure you, I assure you, I assure you, there is no fighting going on in Tripoli," said Mussa Ibrahim, a government spokesman. "Everything is safe. Tripoli is 100 percent under control. What you are hearing is celebratory fireworks. People are in the streets, dancing in the square." He warned, however: "I would like to advise not to go there for your safety. A government spokesman, Abdel-Majid al-Dursi, told the AP that the gunfire was celebratory, claiming that government forces had retaken the oil port of Ras Lanouf, in central Libya. But residents of Ras Lanouf said Sunday that the opposition remained in control of the port. Tripoli is the main stronghold of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, who said in a French newspaper interview released on Sunday that he was embroiled in a fight against terrorism and expressed dismay at the absence of support from abroad. "I am surprised that nobody understands that this is a fight against terrorism," the longtime autocrat of the North African oil-producing state told the Journal du Dimanche in excerpts of an interview due to be published later on Sunday. "Our security services cooperate. We have helped you a lot these past few years. So why is it that when we are in a fight against terrorism here in Libya no one helps us in return?" Gadhafi, who has ruled Africa's fourth largest country since a 1969 coup, faces an unprecedented popular uprising that has seen rebel forces assert control over Libya's east and loosen his grip in the west near the capital Tripoli. Western leaders have denounced what they say has been Gadhafi's brutal, bloody response to the uprising, and the International Criminal Court said he and his inner circle could be investigated for alleged crimes committed against civilians by his security forces. Gadhafi, who spoke to journalists from his headquarters in Tripoli, said Islamic holy war would engulf the Mediterranean if the insurrection in Libya, inspired by successful pro-democracy uprisings in neighboring Egypt and Tunisia, succeeded. "There would be Islamic jihad in front of you, in the Mediterranean," he said. "Bin Laden's people would come to impose ransoms on land and sea. We will go back to the time of Red Beard, of pirates, of Ottomans imposing ransoms on boats." Gadhafi added that his government was "doing well" despite the armed turmoil and warned Europe against an influx of Libyan migrants to its shores if his foes drove him from power. Rebels advance on Gadhafi's hometown Libyan rebels were advancing from the east on Gadhafi's hometown Sirte and clung to positions in a western town near the capital Tripoli after withstanding two armored assaults by government forces. Calm settled back over the western town of Zawiyah after nightfall, with rifle-toting insurgents on rooftops and manning checkpoints on streets leading into the center. But the rebels said they were bracing for another tank and artillery attack by government on Sunday. A doctor in Zawiyah, some 30 miles west of Tripoli, said at least 30 people, mostly civilians, were killed during fighting on Saturday that wrecked the town center, raising to at least 60 the death toll from two days of battles. Almost 400 miles to the east along Libya's Mediterranean coast, insurgents said they took the town of Bin Jawad, on the heels of seizing the oil port of Ras Lanuf, and were thrusting westwards toward Sirte 100 miles away. "We're going to attack Sirte, now," rebel fighter Mohamed Salim told Reuters, while another fighter, Mohamed Fathi, said: "Listen, we have no organization and no military plan. We go where we're needed." "If (rebels) can expand down into the Gulf of Sirte ... they've got a very good shot at independence at the least — or maybe even overturning him at the most," said Peter Zeihan, analyst with the U.S.-based Stratfor intelligence newsletter. But others were wary of the limitations of an undisciplined rebel force made up of soldiers who have bolted from Gadhafi's ranks and volunteers who have more enthusiasm than experience. Where many eastern towns have fallen with scant resistance, Sirte is unlikely to be a pushover. It has long received hefty subsidies from Gadhafi, who liked to host Arab and other international conferences in the coastal city. Sirte also hosts a major air base and significant military forces loyal to Gadhafi. British forces seized Britain's Sunday Times reported that rebels had seized a British SAS special forces unit of up to eight soldiers escorting a junior diplomat in eastern Libya on a secret diplomatic mission to make contact with opposition leaders. The SAS intervention apparently angered opposition figures fear Gadhafi could use any evidence of Western military intervention to sway patriotic support away from the uprising, according to the London paper. Citing Libyan sources, the Sunday Times said the special forces troops were taken by rebels to Benghazi, Libya's second largest city and epicenter of the insurrection, and hauled before one of its most senior politicians for questioning. Committee named In Benghazi, eastern heartland of the insurrection, the opposition National Libyan Council said it had named a three-member crisis committee, including a head of military affairs and foreign affairs. Its head told Al Jazeera television it expected to be formally recognized soon by some countries. In Tripoli, Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim told reporters Zawiyah was "quiet and peaceful" late on Saturday. "We hope by tomorrow morning life will be back to normal." In Zawiyah, whose takeover by rebels earlier last week shook the Libyan leader because Libya's west has traditionally been Gaddafi's basis of popular support, residents said sporadic clashes after dusk abated by late evening. But the atmosphere was tense with the situation seeming fluid and the rebels were on alert for a fresh barrage. Abu Akeel, a Zawiyah resident, told Reuters government forces had shelled houses and fired on a mosque where people were taking shelter. Another resident said he saw more than 20 tanks advance across the main square during the second assault. In Bin Jawad, rebels played the pre-Gaddafi monarchist national anthem over a loudspeaker. Government fighter jets and a helicopter circled overhead but did not open fire. U.S. airlifts Egyptians home Four U.S. military aircraft flew 312 Egyptians home Saturday after they fled to the Tunisia-Libya. Two Marine Corps KC-130s and two Air Force C-130s supported the effort, said the Pentagon. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.  | ||
| Cambodia fortifying presence, says [Thai] army Posted: 06 Mar 2011 12:21 AM PST 5/03/2011 Wassana Nanuam Bangkok Post Cambodia is deploying artillery and more forces around the Preah Vihear temple and the nearby Phu Makhua mountain, prompting Thailand to plan a show of force to discourage its neighbour from possible attacks, according to army sources. The sources yesterday said Cambodian soldiers have installed artillery at Preah Vihear in addition to earlier deploying multi-barrel rockets. They have also apparently placed artillery on Phu Makhua mountain. Meanwhile, Thai soldiers yesterday resumed building a laterite road from Pha Mor I Dang cliff to Sa Trao, an ancient reservoir situated on the northern axis of Preah Vihear where Thai border patrol police had been stationed. The road will be two kilometres long. Thai soldiers had completed 70% of the road but border clashes on Feb 4 brought the construction of the road to a halt. Army sources said Cambodia was afraid that Thai soldiers would use the laterite road to reach Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda, which is in the 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area and occupied by Cambodian troops. The sources said Thai soldiers built the road in response to Cambodian soldiers' completion of two more roads to serve its reinforcements in the disputed area. "Today, bosses ordered us to resume the road construction and be fully prepared to cope with an attack. Thai soldiers are prepared in case Cambodian soldiers start shooting. The next clash could be more violent than the past ones," a source said yesterday. Cambodian soldiers monitored the Thai road construction yesterday and have so far taken no action. In response to Cambodian reinforcements with both heavy weaponry and soldiers at the Preah Vihear temple and Phu Makhua, Thailand's Suranaree Task Force will conduct a drill there next week. Thai Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and Thai army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha said Thailand has encouraged Cambodia to organise the 8th General Border Committee (GBC) meeting this month to conduct bilateral talks to relieve border conflicts. However, he said Cambodia has not responded. "Cambodia has not yet replied to our request. We want the meeting to be held soon so we can talk about deployments of troops along the border and cooperation in various fields," Gen Prawit said. The previous GBC meeting was held in Pattaya in November. Cambodia will host the 8th meeting of the GBC, which is co-chaired by Gen Prawit and his Cambodian counterpart Gen Tea Banh. The two countries also need to discuss arrangements for Indonesian observers, representing the Asean chair, to visit the border area.  | ||
| Supporting Cambodian school is a blessing to our church Posted: 06 Mar 2011 12:09 AM PST
Sunday, March 6, 2011 Nothwest Indiana Times Sometimes life as a pastor seems to be more joyful than others. There are some hills and valleys in the life of the parish pastor. I happen to be on one of those joyful highs right now. It isn't because life is especially easy right now. It's not. It is because of what I have just experienced in the mission field. Trinity Lutheran Church, the church I serve, has a wonderful relationship going on right now with a little Christian school in a tiny village called Broyouk in rural Cambodia. It was a special privilege for my wife, Carrie, and me to visit it recently. Let me explain how this worked out. One of the sons of our congregation is Rudy Schaser. I call him a "son" of our congregation because Rudy grew up here. Not only did he grow up here, but he also went on to become a missionary in the Philippines and a long-serving pastor in the Lutheran church. In his retirement, Rudy and his wife, Dorothy, have worked hard to develop Christian schools in some of the most impoverished nations of the world. One such school is Emmanuel Christian School in Broyouk, Cambodia, a school Rudy dedicated in honor of his cherished teacher and mentor, Ralph Boardman. Boardman is the longtime principal and teacher of Trinity Lutheran School. Boardman was known for teaching the gentle grace of Jesus Christ to many, many students over a long tenure. Because of this, Ralph is loved by many at Trinity. Three years ago, our congregation pledged monthly support to Emmanuel Christian School. We have helped to financially support its four teachers, send books to the library and pay for the upkeep of the school. But it has never been a burden for us. Instead, we feel like we have received a blessing. Rudy and I discussed plans for a visit for about three years. And the Lord brought it to fruition. I never would have thought this would work out in my lifetime. Cambodia was a war zone when I was young. It was a place that was off-limits to Americans. What a privilege it was for Carrie and me to travel to Cambodia on Jan. 24, to bring greetings to the children and teachers of this school, and to remind them that we love them and have been praying for them. Words cannot adequately describe the excitement we felt as we drove through rural Cambodia on bumpy roads and took a little left turn to find rows of children cheering for us as we pulled into Emmanuel Christian School. There are so many bad things happening in our world today. One could easily become pessimistic about the state of our world. But I am filled with joy as I write this, rejoicing that we have been given a privilege to help people halfway around the world. Children's lives are changed forever. It is something I will always treasure. The Rev. Paul Appold is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansing. The opinion expressed in this column is the writer's and not necessarily that of The Times.  | ||
| Stricter rules on int'l marriages to take effect [in South Korea] Posted: 06 Mar 2011 12:03 AM PST SEOUL, March 6 (Yonhap) -- A set of new rules aimed at minimizing "problematic" international marriages will take effect starting this week in a bid to reduce their negative social impact, the Ministry of Justice said Sunday. Domestic violence and other problems have widely been reported among marriages between South Korean men and foreign women, largely as a result of matchmaking agencies that do not properly check the financial and mental health backgrounds of marriage seekers. The stricter rules on issuing F-2 spouse visas, to be effective on Monday, require future South Korean husbands to take courses on international marriage before inviting their foreign spouses to the country. "With the explosive growth in international marriages, the aim is to prevent reckless and inappropriate international marriages from becoming a social problem," said a ministry official. "We will come up with follow-up measures after observing progress on the implementation (of the new rules)." The ministry said it has notified the public of the details of the new rules, under which South Koreans seeking spouses from seven Asian countries are required to take the courses on international marriage. Spouses from the seven countries -- Cambodia, China, Mongolia, the Philippines, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Vietnam -- have high rates of naturalization and divorce in South Korea, but the list of countries may later be changed, the ministry said. Those married to foreigners that have lived legally in South Korea, however, will be among those exempted from the courses, it added. In recent years, South Korea has seen a sharp rise in the number of international marriages as more local men, especially those in the countryside, tie the knot with women from other Asian nations. According to Statistics Korea, international marriages numbered 33,300 in 2009, compared with 4,710 in 1990.  | ||
| One step closer to the Indochinese Federation: Joint Viet-Cam-Lao website Posted: 06 Mar 2011 12:00 AM PST  Cambodia, Laos, VN discuss joint website management Sunday, Mar 06,2011 Saigon Giai Phong (Communist party of Ho Chi Minh City) Representatives from Cambodia, Laos and Viet Nam gathered in Ha Noi yesterday to discuss a draft co-operation agreement on the management and operation of their joint website. The website was initiated by the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment to promote co-operation and development between the three countries, particularly in the triangle development area. The draft focuses on regulations for administrative procedures, editing and provisions and checks on information and data posted on the website. Under the agreement, information provided by each country will be in line with the website's purpose as well as the laws and regulations that pertain to each country. In addition, posted information will not bring harm to the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of each country. The website is on a trial run at http://clv-triangle.vn in English, Khmer, Lao and Vietnamese. It will introduce the development triangle and the potential of the provinces in it, provide and share information on activities relating to the triangle, deliver news on the investment climate and opportunities and promote tourism among other things. The Cambodia-Laos-Viet Nam development triangle initially covers 13 provinces, including Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Binh Phuoc in Viet Nam, Sekong, Attapu, Saravan and Champasak in Laos, and Stung Treng, Rattanakirri, Mondulkiry and Kratie in Cambodia.  | ||
| Posted: 05 Mar 2011 11:23 PM PST March 6, 2011 By Mong Palatino The Diplomat Blogs Internet freedom is under attack in many countries in Southeast Asia. In Thailand, for example, a webmaster is facing prosecution for comments written by other people in an online forum. In Cambodia, anti-government websites have been inaccessible on numerous occasions since January. In Malaysia, meanwhile, a proposed new law would empower the government to censor Internet content. Chiranuch Premchaiporn (known to friends as Jiew) is the editor of independent news website Prachatai.com. Jiew is accused of violating the Computer Crimes Act of Thailand, but her situation is somewhat bizarre because her alleged 'criminal' act refers only to her failure to moderate ten lese majeste comments that were posted on Prachatai's public web board. She had already deleted the comments when she received a notice from the government, but this didn't stop the authorities from arresting her last year. Jiew is facing 50 years in prison if found guilty. Thailand has strict lese majeste laws and it is aggressive in blocking websites which are deemed insulting to the monarchy. Censorship intensified last year, especially at the height of the anti-government Red Shirt protests. It's estimated that more than 400,000 web pages are blocked in Thailand. Meanwhile, Cambodian netizens have been having a difficult time accessing anti-government websites since January. But if the Thai government is admitting that it's blocking 'harmful' sites, Cambodian authorities have continued to deny ordering Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to ban opposition websites. When major blogging portal Blogspot was banned in Cambodia last January, it generated significant protests from Internet users. Fortunately, access to the website was immediately restored. Service providers blamed it on technical issues, while the government insisted it was ignorant about the reasons behind the incident. But the issue of web censorship in Cambodia continued to sizzle last month as media groups leaked a letter by government information authorities asking ISPs to censor websites that allegedly harm Cambodian morality and tradition. The letter specifically mentioned the KI-Media, Khmerization and Sacrava websites, all of which are critical of the government. Naturally, human rights groups bemoaned this blatant censorship of online media in Cambodia. They also lambasted ISPs for cooperating with the undemocratic demands of the government. Malaysia, on the other hand, is still preparing the legal framework to censor the Internet. Last January, the secretary general of the Home Ministry, Mahmood Adam, said that the government favours the amending of the Printing Presses and Publications Act in order to change the definition of 'publication' to include Internet content, which would cover blogs and social network sites like Facebook and YouTube. Netizens were quick to denounce the proposals as a threat to democracy and freedom of speech. Teresa Kok, a member of parliament, wrote in her blog that the proposed amendment would 'plunge Malaysia on a downward spiral towards being an authoritarian regime.' She added that the government is 'increasingly threatened by the rise and rise of online media as an agent for change and democratization in Malaysia.' Burma and Vietnam may be the undisputed masters and experts of web censorship in the region, but we shouldn't ignore the threats posed by rising Internet bullies in Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia, who are happy to implement various forms of media restriction in the name of defending against 'harmful' content.  | ||
| Let me decide what I should or shouldn’t read! Posted: 05 Mar 2011 11:14 PM PST Dear KI-Media Team, I would appreciate it if you could post my short opinion below. Thank you, Minea T. ---------------- Let me decide what I should or shouldn't read! While my general rule is to remain invisible in the silent majority, I find it very offending to read the incessant attacks on the many postings authored by Ms. Theary Seng. I noted with great sadness that those who attack her appear to be the same small group of persons whose sole intent is to silence her. What offend me most is that this small group of people is trying very hard to dictate what one can read or write. Following the slogan advertised by Fox News: "We report, you decide", I would like to commend KI-Media for doing a good job at posting news and information from all sources and not be influenced by a small group of grouchy men who try to impose their will on others. Indeed, it is up to all of us, readers of KI-Media, and me, in particular, to decide what we want to read or not to read. When a group of persons come out with a pack mentality to make a decision for us, I personally find this action very offending and insulting. Let me decide what I should read or should not read! You have no business telling me what to do here! Today, you tell us that Ms. Theary Seng's writing is shameful and self-promoting, and your implication is that she should no longer write what she used to, and on the same token, you are also implying that we should not read her writing as well. Now, who's to say what you will tell us to read or not read, write or not write tomorrow? Some will express their opinion in writing, others will say it with a cartoon, and yet others have to express their ideas in a poem. Why shouldn't a person be able to express one's opinion with photos etc…? Is that a crime? If the content offends you, you are not forced to read it and you can easily skip it, but, no, you choose to read it on your own accord, therefore you are the one who should be blamed, not the person who provided the opinion, as in the case of Ms. Seng. Furthermore, your attacks on a person's opinion only produce the reverse effect on me: it makes me want to find out further why you are so virulent against that person's writing? With the International Women's Day coming up in a few days, I find it very shameful that this small group of people choose only to attack women. To Ms. Seng, please keep up the good work and thank you for organizing these rare gem events for they allow us to meet and listen to distinguished speakers such as Kerry Kennedy, Surya Subedi, etc… I am also looking forward to learn more about genocide from Prof. Ervin Staub as well. I know I should not say this, but, should you find the heart to do so, I would recommend that you send a picture to KI-Media Team to post each day just to irritate further this group of "girlie-men", to borrow Arnold Shwarzenegger's term. To the "girlie men", GO EAT A COW! Thank you, Minea T. Phnom Penh  | ||
| Posted: 05 Mar 2011 09:16 PM PST Do you not know I am a woman? when I think, I must speak. - William Shakespeare, As You Like It  |
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