KI Media: “Opposition officials will not ask for Sam Rainsy’s replacement” plus 24 more |
- Opposition officials will not ask for Sam Rainsy’s replacement
- The Sam Rainsy Affairs
- A ray of hope in Japan: Japan doctor boosts morale
- "Ké Tha... K'nhom Tha..." a Poem in Khmer by NhiekKiri
- Cambodia calls for 15 border checkpoints
- Economic Corridor Spells Benefits, and Pitfalls
- Cambodian Opposition Leader Sam Rainsy Makes Case in Washington
- Libyan military calls for cease-fire amid allied successes
- Condolences to the Victim Families in Japan by OCEC
- "Thloap Tae... Slabb Tov!..." a Poem in Khmer by Sék Serei
- Sam Rainsy: “I am not fighting among us Khmers, but I am fighting against Vietnam to protect Khmer land”
- Online gaming spreads to Asia's poorer nations
- Cambodia paedophile Nick Griffin accused of raping boy while working in Wales
- We warned authorities about Nick Griffin, volunteers say
- 10 Songs from the Khmer Republic era
- Confidential Memo from KD to PM
- Syria proves not immune to pro-democracy calls
- Caution Nuclear Power ...
- Egyptians Cast Ballots Freely [-When will Cambodians be able to do the same?]
- A ray of hope among the ruins: Japan disaster child volunteers
- Bonn Baing-skol in France Invitation for the 30 March 1997 Grenade Attack and 22 November 2010 Koh Pich Tragedy
- SRP Europe Statement to support Opposition Leader Sam Rainsy
- Lower Mekong countries, U.S. meet on cooperation expansion
- East-Asian orphans illegally adopted and abused: report
- More boosting needed to prop the SAGGING cooperation with Big Brother Hanoi: now it's about agriculture
| Opposition officials will not ask for Sam Rainsy’s replacement Posted: 20 Mar 2011 03:39 PM PDT  By Den Ayuthyea Radio Free Asia Translated from Khmer by Oss Dey Click here to read the article in Khmer Opposition officials indicated that they will not ask the NatAss (National Assembly) to replace opposition leader Sam Rainsy, the MP from Kampong Cham province. Yim Sovann, SRP spokesman, gave an interview to RFA on 20 March that there is no reason for the SRP to ask for a replacement to Sam Rainsy, President of the SRP, even if the NatAss ended the latter's duty and rights as Kampong Cham province MP. Yim Sovann indicated that the use of the justice system to sentence Sam Rainsy to 12-year in jail stems from Sam Rainsy's help to farmers, preventing these farmers from losing their rice fields, and also from Sam Rainsy's decision to protect [Cambodia's] land against foreign aggression. On this issue, the ruling CPP intends to prevent Sam Rainsy from participating in the political process in Cambodia: "It's a political intention to prevent President [Sam Rainsy] from participating in the upcoming election. President Sam Rainsy is a courageous man, he dared come out to defend our lands against foreign aggressions. He dared protect justice for the people, defend the land for the people, therefore, he is considered a hero. Therefore, there is nothing against the criminal law, nobody can stop our President from being a Member of Parliament. Therefore, we absolutely will not present another candidate to replace him." The stripping of Sam Rainsy's rights could prevent him from presenting his candidacy to the next general legislative election. Regarding this issue, Im Suosdei, the chairman of the National Election Cheating (sometimes known as National Election Committee) or NEC, indicated that up to 20 March, the NEC did not receive any request from the opposition to replace Sam Rainsy after the NatAss stripped the latter of his position: "According to the election law, if something happened, the party would ask for a replacement. We did not see such thing yet." The NEC indicated that the Cambodian electoral system leaves the decision rights to the party rather than the candidate himself. Therefore, the decision to replace or remove a MP remains with the party. Nevertheless, Sam Rainsy announced to the news media that his party's officials will not ask for a replacement to fill in his empty seat. He said that he still considers himself as a MP. Sam Rainsy indicated from France that the stripping of his duty as MP initiated by the NatAss is illegal. Nevertheless, Im Suosdei indicated that whether Sam Rainsy will return to politics or not is not up to the NEC, but rather it is up to the ministry of Interior which is in charge of applying the law concerning political parties. On 20 March, RFA could not reach Khieu Sopheak, mouthpiece of the ministry of Interior, over the phone to clarify on Sam Rainsy's case. Sam Rainsy was stripped from his duty by Heng Xamrin, president of the NatAss, through a declaration dated 15 March. The declaration removed Sam Rainsy from his duty rights a MP from Kampong Cham during the remaining of the 4th legislative mandate. The decision was made after the Supreme Court upheld the sentence issued against Sam Rainsy stemming from his removal of border stakes planted at border post no. 185, located in Koh Kban Kandal village, Chantrea district, Svay Rieng province at the end of 2009. Sam Rainsy who is currently living in self-exile overseas, is also involved in another lawsuit by the government which accused him of falsifying public documents. The Phnom Penh municipal court sentenced him in absentia to 10-year of jail time and fined him of 100 million riels (~$25,000). Based on both lawsuits against him, Sam Rainsy is sentenced to a total of 12-year of jail time. In spite of all the issues above, the public and civil society organizations in Cambodia indicated that, in a democratic country, the opposition leader should not see his rights to participate in the political process be stripped, furthermore he should have the rights to present his candidacy to the election on equal par with the ruling CPP party.  | ||
| Posted: 20 Mar 2011 03:23 PM PDT Op-Ed by Khmerization 19th March, 2011 The ruling Cambodian People's Party is closer to achieving its goal of silencing dissenting voices and any oppositions in the country after it has successfully moved to expel opposition leader, Mr. Sam Rainsy, from the parliament and barring him from participating in future elections. It is also a sign that Mr. Hun Sen is closer to achieving his political supremacy after he has significantly weakened his arch-rivals within the ruling CPP, the likes of Chea Sim and Sar Kheng, by successfully purging many of their ardent loyalists such as Moek Dara and Hun Hean. However, the expulsion of Mr. Sam Rainsy, the best finance minister Cambodia has ever had and the most effective opposition leader to date, from the parliament and his barring from participating in the election process will not bode well with the international community and certainly has not helped in promoting Cambodia's image as being tolerant of divergences and differences of opinions in the eyes of the free world. It has in fact reinforced the belief that the Hun Sen government has been an international pariah and the elections were only used as a facade of democracy to fool the international community all along. The conviction and the sentences of Mr. Sam Rainsy from dubious charges of spreading disinformation and destruction of public property were highly politically motivated from the start. The charges were motivated by the desire of the ruling party to demonise Mr. Sam Rainsy in a view to destroy his party and him personally because Mr. Rainsy is a thorn in the eyes of Mr. Hun Sen and the only serious challenger to his political survival. This is not the first time Mr. Hun Sen had tried to assassinate Mr. Sam Rainsy, not only politically, but also physically. In 1994, Mr. Hun Sen had effectively engineered the sacking of Mr. Sam Rainsy as the minister of finance after he had stood up against corruption and dared to touch Mr. Hun Sen's business associates like Teng Bunma, the owner of Thai Bunruang Construction Co, Ltd., who refused to pay taxes on imports of construction materials. On 30th March 1997, the grenade attack on Mr. Sam Rainsy-led rally, which had killed 16 people and wounded more than a hundred, had specifically targeted Mr. Rainsy. It has been investigated by the American FBI which found that the attack was orchestrated by Mr. Hun Sen bodyguard unit posted nearby. In 2005, Mr. Sam Rainsy was barred from returning to the country after he had accused Mr. Hun Sen of bribing Prince Ranariddh to secure a coalition government after the 2003 election which the opposition and Prince Ranariddh himself claimed to have been riddled with frauds and irregularities. All previous attempts to assassinate Mr. Rainsy politically have all failed, but it seemed that Mr. Hun Sen might succeed this time if political compromise is not reached any sooner. The only political compromise that can facilitate the return of Mr. Rainsy would be a written apology from Mr. Rainsy to Mr. Hun Sen personally. Mr. Rainsy has said already that that is unlikely to happen. If Rainsy is unable to return, his party is likely to be significantly weakened and the prospect of its survival as his personalised party is finished. However, the party as a political entity will survive this political turbulence, but will morph into another party and takes up a new name and new identity. Mr. Sam Rainsy, like his father Sam Sary, who survived a number of assassinations and has been stripped of his parliamentary immunity four times in 1994, 2005, 2008 and 2009, might go down in history as a traitor in the eyes of the ruling elites and their supporters in Cambodia, but will emerge as a hero in the eyes of Cambodia's general population. His father, Sam Sary, who was one of the authors of the 1946 constitution, Cambodia's first ever constitution, and one of the peace negotiators of the 1954 Geneva Conference, was ignominiously dumped from the government and forced to flee into the jungle in around 1958 after a fall out with the then Prince Sihanouk and died mysteriously in 1962, presumably killed by the government or the American CIA agents whom he had worked for. His sacking and his political scandal, dubbed the Sam Sary Affairs, had been parroted and demonically repeated by the government until it has been ingrained in the mind of the population that he is a traitor. And like his father, he could disappear into the political wilderness for good if a political reconciliation with Mr. Hun Sen is not reached any time sooner. However, the persecution of Mr. Sam Rainsy for a crime of defending his nation will make him a political martyr and would reinforce his personal standing as a Cambodian political hero. On the contrary, the persecutors, the current ruling elites and the ruling CPP will be viewed with suspicion and seen as the traitors in the eyes of the Cambodian people. For this reason, Mr. Hun Sen and his ruling CPP will not gain politically from the persecution of Mr. Rainsy, but instead will only receive national and international condemnation. And for this reason, Mr. Hun Sen could do better without the national and international backlash by seeking a political solution and acquiescing to a political compromise with Mr. Sam Rainsy.  | ||
| A ray of hope in Japan: Japan doctor boosts morale Posted: 20 Mar 2011 03:01 PM PDT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksMWxqq3zz8&feature=channel_video_title  | ||
| "Ké Tha... K'nhom Tha..." a Poem in Khmer by NhiekKiri Posted: 20 Mar 2011 02:47 PM PDT   | ||
| Cambodia calls for 15 border checkpoints Posted: 20 Mar 2011 02:46 PM PDT Thais suspect ulterior motive in disputed area 21/03/2011 Wassana Nanuam Bangkok Post The Cambodian military has proposed 15 joint border checkpoints be set up in the 4.6-square-kilometre area near Preah Vihear temple also claimed by Thailand, a military source said. The idea has been floated to the Thai military through Indonesia, as the incumbent revolving chair of Asean, and the Thai Foreign Ministry, but details have yet to be discussed, the source said. The proposed joint border checkpoints, which would be overseen by observers from Indonesia, did not include one at Keo Sikha Kiri Savara pagoda, a temple in the disputed area claimed by Cambodia, the source said. Most of the proposed checkpoints would be located in areas supervised by Thai troops, including Phu Makhua mountain, the source said. The source said the proposal would put Cambodia at an advantage and there could be an ulterior motive for the suggestion. There are more Thai troops stationed in the 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area than Cambodian soldiers. Cambodian soldiers will push for the setting up of the checkpoints during a visit to the border area by Indonesia, the source said. The details, however, will be thrashed out at a meeting of the Thai-Cambodia General Border Committee in Indonesia on April 7-8. The meeting will be co-chaired by Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and his Cambodian counterpart, Tea Banh. The proposal came after the Suranaree task force halted construction of a two-kilometre-long road stretching from Pha Mor I Dang cliff to the ancient Sa Trao reservoir and stairway of the Preah Vihear temple. Thai soldiers had completed 70% of the road when border clashes on Feb 4 brought construction to a halt. They resumed building the road on March 4, prompting Cambodian soldiers to send a letter protesting against the construction. Cambodian soldiers last week threatened to open fire if Thai soldiers continued, so the roadworks were suspended, the source said.  | ||
| Economic Corridor Spells Benefits, and Pitfalls Posted: 20 Mar 2011 02:40 PM PDT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1lYLUTm7So&feature=channel_video_title  | ||
| Cambodian Opposition Leader Sam Rainsy Makes Case in Washington Posted: 20 Mar 2011 02:38 PM PDT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bgQjL38TOs&feature=relmfu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA502zOZx-g&feature=channel_video_title  | ||
| Libyan military calls for cease-fire amid allied successes Posted: 20 Mar 2011 02:35 PM PDT March 20, 2011 By the CNN Wire Staff A U.N.-mandated no-fly zone is "effectively in place," the top U.S. military officer says Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- The Libyan military on Sunday called for an immediate cease-fire after allied forces pounded one of its convoys near Benghazi and, according to U.S. officials, significantly degraded the regime's air defense capability. U.S. military leaders insisted the air campaign was limited -- enforcement of a United Nations-mandated no-fly zone and preventing troops loyal to Moammar Gadhafi from further pressing rebel positions. "We are not going after Gadhafi," U.S. Vice Adm. Bill Gortney said at a Pentagon press briefing. "Regime forces are more pressed and less free to maneuver." Despite Libyan government contentions that women, children and clerics have died in allied attacks, Gortney and other officials said that's not the case. "We have no indication of any civilian casualties," the admiral said. Allied aircraft struck a Misrata area airport that has both civilian and military uses, said Gortney. Three B-2 bombers struck only military positions at the airfield, he said. U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen told CNN that Gadhafi forces have shown little ability to counter coalition firepower. The alliance of U.S., European and Arab countries likely won't rely on the word of the Libyan military, which according to its spokesman Milad al Fuqhi, "issued command to all military units to safeguard immediate cease-fire everywhere." "As with previous cease-fire announcements, we have to wait and see if it's genuine," U.S. Africa Command spokesman Vince Crawley told CNN. "We urge the Libyan government to do everything it can to demonstrate its sincerity." There was violence across the country Sunday, with Gadhafi apparently shelling rebels in the west while allied airstrikes destroyed one of Gadhafi's convoys in the east. As of Sunday night local time, the United States and British military had fired a total of 124 Tomahawk missiles at Libya's air defense sites, Gortney said. Gadhafi had said the strikes were a confrontation between the Libyan people and "the new Nazis," and promised "a long-drawn war." "You have proven to the world that you are not civilized, that you are terrorists -- animals attacking a safe nation that did nothing against you," Gadhafi had said in an earlier televised speech. Gadhafi did not appear on screen during his address, leading CNN's Nic Robertson in Tripoli to speculate that the Libyan leader did not want to give the allies clues about his location. Throughout the address, an image of a golden fist crushing a model plane that said "USA" filled the screen -- a monument in Tripoli to the 1986 American bombing of Libya, in which one U.S. plane was downed. At the same time Gadhafi spoke, his regime was shelling Misrata using tanks, artillery and cannons, a witness said. "They are destroying the city," said the witness, who is not being identified for safety reasons. He said rebels were fighting back. Sounds of heavy gunfire could be heard during a telephone conversation with the man. There was no immediate word on casualties. Meanwhile, a senior doctor at the medical center in Benghazi confirmed Sunday that 95 people were killed and an unknown number injured in Saturday's assault on the city by pro-Gadhafi forces. Doctors there also reported a shortage of supplies, especially emergency supplies. On Sunday, more rebel checkpoints were noticeable throughout Benghazi, and searches there were much more diligent. The opposition fear attacks from Gadhafi supporters among their population. French Defense Minister Thierry Burkhard said the coalition's aim continues to be support for the civilians. On Sunday, the French forces did not open fire at all because it was not necessary, he said. The previous day, French planes fired and hit four tanks. CNN's Arwa Damon saw the remains of a convoy of at least 70 military vehicles destroyed by multiple airstrikes Sunday, leaving at least five charred bodies, plus twisted tanks and smashed trucks as far as she could see. Rebels with Damon told her it was a convoy of Libyan troops loyal to Gadhafi coming to attack Benghazi. Mullen said there would be continuous allied air cover of Benghazi. The no-fly zone is effectively already in place, he said on CNN's "State of the Union," adding that air attacks by coalition forces have taken out most of Libya's air defense systems and some airfields. The international military coalition targeted air defense positions near the capital, Tripoli, for a second day Sunday. Also on Sunday, the Arab League -- whose call for a no-fly zone was an essential piece of the diplomacy leading to the United Nations resolution -- held an emergency meeting about the bombardment. Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa told reporters before the meeting that what is happening in Libya is different from what was intended by imposing a no-fly zone, according to Egypt's state-run Ahram newspaper. "What we want is the protection of civilians and not the shelling of more civilians," Moussa said, adding that "military operations may not be needed in order to protect the civilians." But Arab League chief of staff Hisham Youssef said Moussa's comments did not signify a shift by the organization. "The Arab League position has not changed. We fully support the implementation of a no-fly zone," Youssef said. "Our ultimate aim is to end the bloodshed and achieve the aspirations of the Libyan people." A spokesperson for the U.K. Foreign Office said that for the no-fly zone to be enforced, it was necessary to target Libyan air defenses. "Unlike Gadhafi, the coalition is not attacking civilians," the spokesperson said. "All missions are meticulously planned to ensure every care is taken to avoid civilian casualties. We will continue to work with our Arab partners to enforce the resolution for the good of the Libyan people." At least one Arab nation, Qatar, is making direct contributions to the allied airstrikes. The country made available four fighter planes, the French foreign minister said. Some Libyans welcomed the American, French and British military forces. Others remained fearful of Gadhafi. Libyans are "afraid to come out because when they do, he attacked them very, very severely," a woman in Tripoli said Sunday. "This is putting terror in all neighborhoods." Scores of missiles were fired in the predawn darkness Sunday, and the exact results of the mission were not immediately clear. The United States is expected to conduct a damage assessment of the sites. In a statement broadcast on state TV Saturday, Gadhafi's military said the strikes killed 48 people --"mostly women, children and religious clerics." CNN could not immediately verify the claim. But Russia said Sunday that innocent civilians were being killed, and urged more caution. The Foreign Ministry in Moscow cited reports that "nonmilitary" targets were being bombed, including a cardiac center. China's foreign ministry said Sunday that it did not agree with the use of force in international relations. And Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez also denounced the military intervention. "They (the United States) want to appropriate the oil in Libya; they don't care about anyone's life in that region," Chavez said. Some residents said they could receive weapons to fight back. "We received a phone call around 3 a.m. that everyone should head out in the streets," a woman in Tripoli said. "Normal civilians are being able to have machine guns and take anti-aircraft machine guns ... to fire back at the airplanes." Another witness in Tripoli said she's terrified about how Gadhafi might respond to the airstrikes. "We're scared. We're not sure what will happen next," she said. "To be honest, I'm scared for my life." CNN's Nic Robertson, Arwa Damon, Yousif Basil, Chris Lawrence, Jill Dougherty, Elise Labott, Ed Henry, Larry Shaughnessy, Jim Bittermann, Paula Newton, Richard Roth, Maxim Tkachenko, Niki Cook and journalist Mohamed Fadel Fahmy contributed to this report.  | ||
| Condolences to the Victim Families in Japan by OCEC Posted: 20 Mar 2011 02:28 PM PDT   | ||
| "Thloap Tae... Slabb Tov!..." a Poem in Khmer by Sék Serei Posted: 20 Mar 2011 01:51 PM PDT   | ||
| Posted: 20 Mar 2011 09:59 AM PDT
By Kuoch Kuntheara Radio France Internationale Translated from Khmer by Oss Dey Kuoch Kuntheara's weekly guest for this Saturday 19 March is Mr. Sam Rainsy, President of the Sam Rainsy Party. On Tuesday 15 March, the NatAss (National Assembly) decided to remove his duty as MP. Replying to Kuoch Kuntheara's questions, Mr. Sam Rainsy considers this removal contrary to the aim of the Cambodian Constitution which protects the rights of MPs. At the same time, Mr. Sam Rainsy continues to claim that his past action was not to fights among Khmer people, but that he fighting against Vietnam to protect Khmer land.  | ||
| Online gaming spreads to Asia's poorer nations Posted: 20 Mar 2011 09:36 AM PDT  Sun, Mar 20, 2011 AFP PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - With his eyes fixed on the screen and his fingers flying over the keyboard, Cambodian teenager An Sopheak is lost in a world of ancient Chinese fighter heroes. All around him, dozens of other, mostly male, faces are equally engrossed in their online fantasy game in this dark Internet cafe in the Cambodian capital. The scene is a familiar one across Asia, but it's a relatively new sight in Cambodia, one of the region's poorest nations with one of the lowest rates of Internet usage. "I feel so cool when my hero gets stronger," said 16-year-old An Sopheak, taking a short break from Justice X Wars II, known as JXII, the country's most popular game. Cambodia, with a population of some 14 million people, had just 78,000 Internet users in 2009, according to the most recent United Nations data, but web access is improving rapidly. As more Internet cafes have opened up, online gaming has taken off among Cambodia's urban teens, most of whom have no Internet at home. Multi-player online games allow people to compete against each other in an ongoing virtual adventure. It is no surprise that the trend is gradually spreading to countries with relatively low connectivity rates, said industry analyst Michael Inouye at US-based ABI Research. "The limiting factor in the less affluent countries is often infrastructure and hardware-related and not for a lack of desire," he said. It is a similar story in Nepal, another impoverished country with extremely low Internet penetration. Only an estimated one per cent of its 28 million people has web access, but teenagers are now flocking to Internet cafes in the capital Kathmandu to play games with combative names like World of Warcraft, Counter-Strike, Street Fighter and Call of Duty. "I love it, it feels like you are playing a physical game," said Ronit Shrestha, 16, who spends 30 rupees (50 cents) an hour on his hobby. Sudeep Shrestha, who runs a centre for electronic gaming in the city, said the popularity of online games was fuelled by a lack of things for young people to do. "We have very few open spaces where people can go to play physical games," he said. "Like all new technology, online games arrived here very late, only a few years ago, but they have become popular with young people who want to have fun in the virtual world." But some poor Asian countries such as Bangladesh - which like Cambodia has an Internet penetration rate of just 0.5 per cent - have yet to embrace online gaming. Teenagers in the capital Dhaka love to spend time on social networking sites like Facebook, but there appears to be little appetite for long-running, multi-player games and the city has no dedicated gaming centres. This could have something to do with Dhaka's daily rolling blackouts which would prevent players from being online for hours on end, as seems to be the norm among gamers. Richard Heeks, professor of development informatics at Britain's University of Manchester, says the appeal of online gaming is "universal" and it is only a matter of time before the phenomenon spreads as the world gets more connected. "In five years' time no doubt the gaming bandwagon will be rolling through Africa," he predicts. Cambodia's Internet cafes are trying to cash in on the trend by offering discounts to gamers, who overwhelmingly favour JXII - a multi-player adventure based on Chinese legends that involves fighting opponents from rival kingdoms. "I play the game in secret," said 14-year-old Chheng Roth Donior, who admits to spending three to five hours a day in Internet cafes if he can. "Sometimes my mum beats me because I come here. I am afraid of her finding out but I want to play," the art school student said. His virtual warfare costs him between 2,000 (50 cents) and 5,000 riel a day, money he takes out of his daily food allowance of 5,000 riel. "Sometimes I don't eat," he said. While that might sound extreme, Cambodian gamers so far appear to be less hardcore than some of their peers in countries where online gaming is more entrenched. China and South Korea have opened treatment facilities to help gamers overcome their Internet addictions. In South Korea, online gaming has even been linked to deaths. Last year, a 32-year-old man died after reportedly playing for five days with few breaks, and a teenage boy committed suicide after killing his mother for scolding him over playing computer games too much. Cambodia has ordered gaming centres not to set up shop near schools to discourage pupils from skipping class to play computer games. Nonetheless, So Sothy, a Phnom Penh high school teacher, estimates that 10 per cent of his 50 students regularly play truant so they can indulge in online gaming. "I worry that they spend more time on games than on lessons, and forget to do their homework," the 27-year-old said. But time spent on the computer can also be beneficial for people in developing countries, according to Heeks. "There may be economic advantages - helping build ICT (information and communication technology) skills, helping build the foundation for a gaming sector - though it's all rather new for us to pronounce with any certainty," he said.  | ||
| Cambodia paedophile Nick Griffin accused of raping boy while working in Wales Posted: 20 Mar 2011 09:28 AM PDT Mar 20 2011 By Darren Devine Wales On Sunday PAEDOPHILE Nick Griffin, who used a Cambodian orphanage as a front for his sick urges, repeatedly raped a young boy while running a Scout group in North Wales, it was claimed today. His alleged victim, now aged 23, told Wales on Sunday that Griffin – jailed earlier this month after being convicted of abusing children – attacked him over a two year period. His shocking accusation – which is now being investigated by police – came as those who worked with the Griffin in Cambodia revealed they raised concerns about his relationship with young boys long before his arrest but were not heeded by authorities there. Griffin, 53, was finally unmasked as a sex monster only last week when he was convicted of abusing young boys in the Cambodian orphanage he set up and ran for five years. He was jailed for two years for offences against children. We found the alleged victim during an investigation into the eight years Griffin spent in North Wales before he emigrated to Cambodia in 2006. During his time in Wales, Griffin was a fisheries manager and Scout leader in Llangollen. His alleged victim told us he complained to the authorities at the time but believes he was not taken seriously as Griffin was "a respectable man" – an allegation North Wales Police last night told us they took "very seriously" and would investigate. He said he was raped repeatedly between the ages of 13 and 15 by Griffin after he won his trust, and that the abuse had changed his life. He said that he has since had sexual problems with partners and was found with indecent images of child abuse as an 20 year old and put on the sex offenders' register by a court. The Scout Association confirmed his account that Griffin had worked as a Scout leader in the Llangollen area during the early 2000s. A spokesman stressed all necessary checks had been done at the time and Griffin had no criminal record. He said: "Local leaders in the area shocked and saddened by this man's actions. They've gone back through their records. "We will obviously treat this matter very seriously. There is no place in Scouting for a man that abuses the trust of others. "I would like to say that we have half a million members and the safety of young people is of paramount importance. "We have a strict code of conduct for Scout leaders. It's horrible and it has upset the local people that are doing brilliant work in the community." He told us Griffin worked as Scout leader in Llangollen, taking charge of young boys. The alleged victim said the pervert, whom he said was also a former youth worker, started with low level abuse before raping him several times over a period of two years beginning when he was 13. He said: "I knew him for a few years and then all of a sudden the abuse started. "It's completely messed up my life. It's not a fact of trying to live with it because you can't. "It affects your relationships and your daily life. Now when I'm having sex with a partner I don't like certain things being done because it brings back memories. "He'd come into the room very slowly and sneakily and [abuse me]. "In those circumstances you're a bit too scared to say anything. Also because he was a Scout leader we don't know if there are any more victims." Griffin is believed to have arrived in North East Wales from London in 1998 with a property development firm, before going to work at the Glyn Ceiriog Upper Mills trout farm as a manger. Shortly after arriving it is thought he tried to start up a Scouting group before becoming an assistant district commissioner in Llangollen. His alleged victim claims he first went to the police in around 2004 about Griffin, but nothing came of his complaint at that time. "It's gratifying to find out that he's in prison, but it's not going to be for long really and when he comes over here hopefully the police will carry on with their investigation," he said. "He'd always had a sideline of working with children whether it was the Scouts or youth work." The man said he felt confused by the abuse and couldn't talk to his parents because he didn't know what to tell them. "I didn't really know what was going on. "I was confused and just sort of accepted it. "It wasn't something I was familiar with and could talk about with somebody else so I just accepted it really." Griffin was arrested in a dawn raid in Cambodia last year that saw dozens of officers rescue as many as 100 youngsters from his care. The children were moved to a safe house. Griffin had been under investigation for more than two years following suspicions surrounding the fortress-like orphanage, which housed youngsters up to the age of 18. He ran several centres for deprived and vulnerable children in one of south-east Asia's poorest countries. Sun Bun Thorng, of Siem Reap's anti-human trafficking department, claimed Griffin faced several charges of child molestation in 2008. These were dropped due to lack of evidence. Griffin's alleged Welsh victim said he began to realise what was being done to him was wrong when he started taking an interest in girls at around the age of 14. "At the higher end of puberty where everything makes sense I started exploring girls and realising that what he was doing to me was wrong," he said. The man added he suffered from depression as a result, and had undergone counselling. "I felt empty inside," he said. "Your emotions stop because there was nothing there. It was all forced upon. "For so many years it was locked away. When I went to the police they disregarded it. The police officer thought he wouldn't be doing it because he was such a respectable person. It was brushed aside completely." The man, who will remain on the sex offenders register until 2019, said he has since complained to the police again and the matter was being looked into. A spokesperson for North Wales Police said they took the suggestion that the alleged victim's complaint wasn't properly investigated very seriously and would investigate the allegations.  | ||
| We warned authorities about Nick Griffin, volunteers say Posted: 20 Mar 2011 09:25 AM PDT Mar 20 2011 By Julia McWatt Wales On Sunday CHARITY volunteers who worked with Nick Griffin in Cambodia told Wales on Sunday of the disturbing behaviour they witnessed. Griffin abused boys under the age of 15 at the orphanage he set up in Siem Reap but was only convicted last week – five years after he founded the institution. Staff who worked alongside Griffin complained about him first in 2008 but the complaints were never proven and it was not until last year that he was arrested. Sally Sayer, regional director of Volunteer Project Overseas, lives in Siem Reap and said she had become concerned about 53-year-old Griffin and the orphanage more than a year ago. She said: "I didn't have much to do with him at the start, but then in January last year I took over as project manager and I had a huge amount more to do with him. "It was then that I started to look at things and think things were a bit odd. "People were moving in to the orphanage and we did not know who they were. I was worried about the children. "We took our worries to Nick and nothing was done about it. It was the whole set-up of the orphanage. I knew something was going on but I could not put my finger on what it was. I decided that we needed to pull out of the organisation. "We started to ask questions about this man and what he had done before he came here. But we were ignored and accused of causing trouble and wanting to take over. "There was one incident which I can remember, where we went for dinner one night and Nick came along. "He brought one of the boys from the orphanage with him, he was about 14 years old. There was just something that wasn't right with the body language between them. One of the volunteers came up to me and said 'just tell me it's not what I think it is'. "The next day I went down to one of the coffee shops and the same boy was behind the counter. "I asked why he was not at school and he said that he was spending time with Nick. He had an iPod with him and said Nick had given it to him. I just thought that it was very odd, but I couldn't put my finger on it." The group then severed all ties with Griffin. Sally said: "Rumours started to circulate about a previous incident with some boys. I went to ask him about them and he told me that he was with some friends one night and they wanted to see some street kids. "He said they played with the street kids for a while and then said goodbye. He said the street boys then followed him home and he agreed to let them in for a drink. Then one of the boys opened his drawers and he was worried they would steal something so he asked them to go." Sally first met Griffin two years ago, and said he appeared friendly at first but then he began to change. "When he was first there he did not seem unfriendly but he was very arrogant and he became unfriendly. He had a house with a massive high fence around it. You see things day in and day out and you see small things in people's body language." But she says she is just happy to get a conviction in a country whose attitudes to child abuse have been complicated. She said: "In Cambodia, a girl's virginity is considered more important than a boy's. Boys are thought to be like diamonds, they can be cleaned, but girls are like cotton, and once they are dirty, that's it. The abuse that Nick did was with boys. "If I'm totally honest I'm just grateful for a conviction, it could have gone the other way. "After Nick was arrested we arranged for a bus to pick up the children and take them in. But then one of the trustees came and is running the orphanage." Nick Marsh, a trustee of VPO, added: "I can't say I'm happy about the sentence but even a week in a Khmer prison will be better than 10 years in one of ours." Griffin was arrested during a dawn raid, which involved dozens of officers and as many as 100 youngsters were rescued and moved to a safe house. He was caught after a joint operation by officers from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and the Cambodian National Police. He had been under investigation for more than two years following suspicions surrounding the orphanage, which looked after children up to age of 18. According to CEOP, Griffin had run a number of orphanages in a "tourist hotspot". The orphanage is now under new management. In a statement on the Cambodia Orphanage Fund's website, posted during the investigation, Lidia Linde, of the fund, said she wanted to "guarantee that this nightmare would never happen again." She said: " I will not tolerate any action that will put in risk the life and dignity of the children, especially those who live in conditions of poverty, vulnerability or those who are abandoned."  | ||
| 10 Songs from the Khmer Republic era Posted: 20 Mar 2011 08:13 AM PDT We would like to thank Lok Ly Diep for sending these songs over! Click on the link below each song to download. Av Yoan Ké Mè - The Yanta Shirt from Mother Lean Aun Tov Chhbaing - Leaving you to the front Lea Euv Thveu Sangkream - Leaving Father to the front Pulto Aphoab - Unlucky private Samrek Chheam Khmer - Boiling Khmer Blood Sor Kolap Srey Th-ngay 12 Kakada - 12th of July Veacha Yuthachun Phum Koki - Voice of the Phum Koki Soldiers Wat Champus Kha'ek Pagoda Kh-nhom Pika - I'm disabled  | ||
| Confidential Memo from KD to PM Posted: 20 Mar 2011 12:36 AM PDT MEMORANDUM STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL: FOR YOUR EYE ONLY, AND THOSE OF KI MEDIA* To: Mr. Hun Sen, Prime Minister, Kingdom of Wonder From: Khmer Democrat, Kingdom of (even greater) Wonder, oftentimes to the point of much puzzlement and baldness from the head-scratching (yikes!) Re: The Arab Spring, International Legal Order, and their Implications for the Kingdom of Wonder
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| Syria proves not immune to pro-democracy calls Posted: 20 Mar 2011 12:14 AM PDT
20.03.11 By Zvi Bar'el Haaretz (Israel) About 10,000 Syrian police officers and soldiers sealed off the city of Daraa yesterday, after security forces killed at least five protesters there. The unfolding events offered the first sign that the Arab world's pro-democracy push is seeping into one of the region's most repressive countries. Residents were being allowed to leave the southwestern city of Daraa but not enter it yesterday, said prominent Syrian rights activist Mazen Darwish. The cordon seemed aimed at choking off any spread of unrest after Friday's clashes and yesterday's emotional funeral processions for the dead. Syrian security forces launched a harsh crackdown on Friday's demonstrations, which were calling for political freedoms. Protests took place in at least five cities around the country, including the capital of Damascus. The Syrian media did not report the stormy demonstrations yesterday. The state television instead broadcast concerts and talk shows, while the printed media expanded on the president's decision to reduce compulsory military service from 21 to 18 months. But opposition websites and satellite television channels did report the massive protests and clashes. While Facebook is not used widely in Syria - 0.1 percent of the population, as compared to 0.5 percent in Yemen and 10 percent in Saudi Arabia - demonstrators are still "mobilized" swiftly by word of mouth and cellular phones. The uprising in Syria has no broad public basis at the moment and is headed mainly by a small group of intellectuals who began public activity during President Bashar Assad's first year in office 11 years ago, when public gatherings and debates on reforms were allowed for a brief period. Very soon, however, political activists were arrested or began to leave the country voluntarily. Contrary to what Assad has boasted, his country is not immune to the cries for change that have already toppled leaders in Egypt and Tunisia. But Syria's leadership, like that of Libya or Yemen, has no intention of relinquishing power. The question is how quickly the security forces will act, considering the issue involves not only giving up power in Syria, but potentially losing control in Lebanon.  | ||
| Posted: 19 Mar 2011 11:04 PM PDT   | ||
| Egyptians Cast Ballots Freely [-When will Cambodians be able to do the same?] Posted: 19 Mar 2011 10:59 PM PDT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oly6VqRxtPI&feature=player_embedded  | ||
| A ray of hope among the ruins: Japan disaster child volunteers Posted: 19 Mar 2011 10:54 PM PDT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhDn2DP2gTk&feature=channel_video_title  | ||
| Posted: 19 Mar 2011 10:37 PM PDT   What: Commemoration for the victims of the 30 March 1997 grenade attack and the victims of the 22 November 2010 Koh Pich tragedy When: Sunday 27 March 2011 from 10AM to Noon Where: Wat BuddhaRaingsey 124 Route Nationale 69330 Pusignan Tel. 0472027469  | ||
| SRP Europe Statement to support Opposition Leader Sam Rainsy Posted: 19 Mar 2011 10:23 PM PDT   | ||
| Lower Mekong countries, U.S. meet on cooperation expansion Posted: 19 Mar 2011 09:14 PM PDT 19th March 2011 Business Ghana Senior officials from the foreign ministries of the Lower Mekong countries--Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam--met here on Friday with the U.S. State Department officials to draft a joint action plan for the development in four key sectors. "The two-day meeting aims at developing a joint plan of action for the cooperation on education, environment, health and infrastructure in the Lower Mekong countries ahead of the regional forum of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in July in Indonesia," a statement released in the meeting said. Tuot Panha, undersecretary of state for Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said during the opening ceremony that the U.S. assistance to the Lower Mekong countries is very vital to develop the region. "The assistance also reflects the U.S. commitment to advancing peace and prosperity in the Mekong sub-region and in ASEAN as a whole," she said. The participants of the meeting included Latsamy Keomany, director general of Lao's Economic Affairs Department, Surasak Chuasukonthip, deputy director general of Thai economic affairs department, Ha Huy Thong, director general of Vietnamese economic affairs department, and Joseph Y. Yun, deputy assistant of the U.S. state department. The meeting focused on the Lower Mekong Initiative, which was launched in July 2009 by the U.S. secretary of state and the foreign ministers of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, with a view to developing regional approaches to address current and future trans-border challenges in the Lower Mekong countries, with the goal of advancing peace and prosperity.  | ||
| East-Asian orphans illegally adopted and abused: report Posted: 19 Mar 2011 09:02 PM PDT Fri, 18 Mar 2011 Kate McPherson Radio Australia News Children in Cambodian and Vietnamese orphanages are being abused and adopted illegally, says a UNICEF representative. Richard Bridle, UNICEF Representative to Cambodia, says there is insufficient regulation and inspection of orphanages in these countries. "The number of children in orphanages has doubled from 2005 - 2010," he said. "There's approximately 12,000 children in these institutions today, of which less than one third are actual orphans." "There have been cases proven in court of abuse of children in those orphanages and we have fairly substantial anecdotal evidence of identities being falsified and children being offered into illegal adoption." The United States is working to re-introduce inter-continental adoption of Cambodian and Vietnamese children, but Mr Bridle says the country is yet to meet global adoption standards. Inter-continental adoptions were suspended in 2001 due to concerns of fraud and the inhumane buying and selling of children. Dr Diane Coones, head of the Centre for Adoption in US says she is not happy with this law. "We would hope there would be a more nuanced response that would allow proper adoptions to go through and adoptions that are not proper to be stopped, rather than wholesale shutting down of countries to leave children to be in care or even worse," she said. But Mr Bridle says it is important to focus on alternatives to inter-continental adoption so the number of children in orphanages can be reduced. "Family and community solutions need to be focused on as an alternative to adoption," he said. "[Orphanages] are being used as a means of placing children from families in acute poverty as a temporary coping measure or as a good opportunity to have their children educated." "We should not re-enter a situation we've had in the past where families are coming and offering money for kids and in essence buying children here." The US Special Adviser to the Office of Children's Issues is meeting with Cambodian and Vietnamese officials next week to discuss progress made to comply with international obligations.  | ||
| Posted: 19 Mar 2011 08:55 PM PDT Vietnam, Cambodia boost agricultural cooperation 20/03/2011 VOV News/VNA (Hanoi) Vietnam and Cambodia will jointly implement some 20 cooperative projects in agricultural science and technology, quarantine, forestry and seafood with a total investment of nearly VND365 billion (over US$17 million) from 2011-2020. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said it will work with the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Seafood on the signing of a government-level agreement on growing 300,000 ha of rubber and industrial trees in Cambodia. The two sides will strengthen cooperation in plant protection and veterinary as well as discuss measures to prevent the spreading of epidemics through borders. They plan to sign cooperative agreements on the exchange of information and data on seafood, aquaculture development and research activities. Vietnam and Cambodia will attach importance to sustainable forest management, the control of the trading of timber, forest products and wild animals as well as scientific and technological cooperation in forest development. The two sides will speed up investment and trade activities in seafood processing and cattle-feed production. In addition, Vietnam will also assist Cambodia in a VND50 billion aquatic breeding development project and a VND200 billion project to build a seafood research institute in Kampot province. The two sides will also cooperate in developing safe vegetable production in border provinces.  |
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