KI Media: “Solutions to the return of Opposition Leader Sam Rainsy to Cambodia: A VOA report” plus 24 more |
- Solutions to the return of Opposition Leader Sam Rainsy to Cambodia: A VOA report
- After Japan Quake, the Search for a Survivor
- Rubbing Shoulders With the First Lady
- T&P trainer says company abused trainees
- Leaflet of the Voice of Khmer Nationalist distributed in the Paris demonstration on 18 March 2011
- Cambodian PM, ministers pay homage to Japan quake victims
- Brit extradited to Cambodia [from Thailand]
- CCHR Comment to Media - Conviction of moto driver sheds light on government paranoia
- Tsunami Caught on Tape As It Hits Japan
- Libyan Opposition Welcomes UN No-Fly Zone Resolution
- Tribunal Prosecutor Expects Delay Tactics From Defendants
- Cambodia, Thailand Closer to Observer Agreement
- Cambodia Seeks Large Reduction to US Debts
- As Rape Cases Rise, Officials Searching for Causes
- Speak Truth To Power (“Courage without Borders”) Series in KI Media - Asma Jahangir & Hina Jilani (Pakistan), “Human Rights Strategies”
- Villagers appeal over Sokimex dispute
- SRP warns Malaysia of labour firm
- Funcinpec 3G fracas widens [-Corruption, corruption at the choking Funcinpec]
- On the Thai-Cambodian Border, a Test for Both Asean and Indonesia
- Kbal Boeuk Day Teub Chay Vea Hean - "The head must agree for the lice to dare": Poem in Khmer by Khmer Sachak
- ; ) TGIF
- Celebrating Rights, Dignity, Contribution of Women
- Vietnam-Cambodia ties must be on a meltdown for Hanoi to boost them constantly
- "18 Mina, Virakpheap Knong Duong Chett K'nhom" a Poem in Khmer by Heng Thal Savuth
- The right to remain silent
| Solutions to the return of Opposition Leader Sam Rainsy to Cambodia: A VOA report Posted: 18 Mar 2011 03:19 PM PDT
Click the control below to listen to the audio program in Khmer:  | ||||
| After Japan Quake, the Search for a Survivor Posted: 18 Mar 2011 01:13 PM PDT Friday, March 18th, 2011 Soeung Sophat (Washington, D.C.) and Bun Tharum (Phnom Penh) blogs.voanews.com When an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on March 11, Cambodian students in Japan found themselves in a frightening situation. But through social media and other communications, most students were able to check on each other during and after the quake. When the shaking ended, all of the students were accounted for. Except one. Tea Seang Houng. The search for Tea Seang Huong by her friends demonstrates the important role social media and the Internet have come to play for Cambodians around the world. Tea Seang Houng, who had been in Japan since March 2010 and was studying to be a translator, left Tokyo on March 9 to visit her host family on the northeast of the island of Honshu. Before she left, on March 7, she updated her Facebook profile, telling 309 friends, in Chinese (according to Google Translate): "A couple of days I can go to Sendai. Unfortunately, this is not holding the mood to travel. Anyway, hope this trip will be harvested [fruitful] in Sendai." On March 8, a friend replied, in Japanese, "You be careful!" Seang Hourng's message in Chinese language for her Facebook friends, telling them about her visit to Sendai. At 2:46 pm on the afternoon of March 11, a massive earthquake began off the northeast coast of Honshu—130 kilometers east of Sendai city, which sits on the eastern edge of the Eurasian Plate, whose geological collision into the Pacific Plate triggered the earthquake.  Sendai is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture The quake, a magnitude of 9.0 on the Richter scale, triggered a tsunami, a massive wall of water 10 meters high that swept across Honshu's northeastern coast. The tsunami devastated the entire region, including Sendai, leaving 1.15 million households and businesses in and around the city of 500,000 without power or water, according to the city government. The earthquake shook buildings across the island, including in Tokyo. More than 200 Cambodian students in Japan experienced the quake, and Facebook became a main source of information for them. "Huge earthquake!!" Chea Poleng, vice president of the Cambodian Student Association in Japan, typed on her iPhone just after the earthquake. "First experience escape from earthquake >< so scare!!" Later that evening, the 29-year-old economics student at Tokyo's Hitotsubashi University wrote: "almost no breath when watching the confusing everywhere in japan! Pls keep alert and announce urself safe all friends here!" Also that night, a Cambodian student in Hong Kong, Sreng Nearirath, reported on Facebook: "one of Cambodian students named Ms. Tea Seng Huong was spending her time at the host family in the hardest-hit Sendai and now could not be contacted according the email of the Cambodian Student Association in Japan (CSAJ) " By then, news of the disaster was well known worldwide. Footage of the tsunami as it swept houses, cars and debris inland was broadcast on major news outlets. Many worried than Tea Seng Huong had perished in the disaster. She did not. She survived. Tea Seang Huong, who is 27 years old, was in a grocery store parking lot when the earthquake hit. She had been shopping in an underground supermarket with friends but had been unable to find what she was looking for. They were on their way to another store when the earth began to shake. "The shake was like we're running over a big hole," she told VOA Khmer later. "My Japanese friend told me to open the car doors, but stay still. In front of me, I saw a vehicle shaking. After half an hour of the quake, aftershocks continued slightly, and it was showering, so we got out of the car. I saw a billboard had fallen on the ground, and the ground was torn apart. I therefore felt terribly shocked." "When I was in the parking lot, I sent a text message via mobile phone to one of my friends in Tokyo," she said in a phone interview. That single text message was passed on through a network of friends and ultimately on through a Facebook network. In Hong Kong the following day, Nearirath Sreng posted on Facebook: "We have received confirmed information from Seang Houng's family that she is safe now..Thanks God." Since Sendai was hardly hit, she may not be have access to internet or mobile phone… and she may not remember our number except her family's number in Cambodia. As we have known Japanese mobile number are very long and hard to remember." Modern communications had helped reassure Tea Seng Huong's friends and family she was all right. By then, March 12, Japan was still struggling to come to grips with the scale of the disaster. In the days to come, rescue efforts would find few survivors and the death toll would reach in the thousands. Today, international attention is on a series of nuclear reactors whose cooling systems were damaged in natural disaster. Tea Seang Huong is safe for now, though Japan is still struggling to recover. On March 15, just after 1 pm, she was back on Facebook. "Dear friends," she wrote, in English this time. "I've just arrived Tokyo n my home. Thank you very much for your warm wishes n also very sorry to let you all worrying about me. it was a hard experience for me, but m very happy n feel luck to b safe. contact u again later."  | ||||
| Rubbing Shoulders With the First Lady Posted: 18 Mar 2011 07:30 AM PDT
2011-03-17 Radio Free Asia Two young women travel from the dumps of Cambodia to the White House. Two Cambodian teenagers who had formerly scavenged the garbage dumps of Phnom Penh have reversed their fortunes and were honored with a visit to the White House to meet with First Lady Michelle Obama on International Women's Day. Chen Sokha, 16, and Oun Sreyna, 18, were notified of the surprise invitation to the U.S. president's mansion while preparing to take part in a women's conference with the Chicago-based A New Day Cambodia (ANDC), a non-governmental organization supporting their education. Chen Sokha was orphaned in Svay Rieng province at the age of six and forced to scavenge for recyclable materials after moving to the Cambodian capital. She labored in Phnom Penh's Stung Meanchey garbage dump for a few cents a day until she was rescued by ANDC in 2007. These days, Chen Sokha studies English and mathematics in the sixth grade at the ADNC center in Phnom Penh. Chen Sokha was recently selected as the Cambodian representative for a documentary entitled "10X10" about educating 10 girls in 10 countries around the world. Her participation in the film had caught the attention of the Women of the World Summit organizers, who invited her to the U.S. to attend the conference. It was during a stop at the ANDC headquarters ahead of the summit that she was notified of her invitation to the White House. According to Annette Jensen, executive director of ANDC, the two girls were asked to meet the First Lady because of their participation in the conference. "I was speechless when I met her—First Lady Michelle Obama—because I was extremely excited. I never thought in my life that I would be able to meet her, so I nearly cried," she said. 'I was so excited' Oun Sreyna, who now attends Norton University in Phnom Penh as a first year student with her older sister, said the chance to visit the United States was something she never would have imagined when she was rescued from the Stung Meanchey dump eight years ago. "Initially, I did not realize that I would able to visit the U.S. When I was asked by the organizer to take a picture for a visa application, I was surprised and wondered, 'Where am I going?' Then she told me that I was being invited along with Sokha." Once in the United States, Oun Sreyna said she received the other surprise news—an invitation to meet with the First Lady. "I was so excited, but I did not know what I should say when I met her, because [U.S. customs are] so different from Cambodia," she said of the International Women's Day event, which also included several other teenage girls from around the world. "We were standing in line when First Lady Michelle Obama came out and shook hands with us. She met and spoke in a friendly manner with us one by one." Oun Sreyna said that despite her nervousness, she managed to speak to Michelle Obama and present her with two Khmer silk scarves, one on behalf of Chen Sokha. "She thanked us and said she was so happy to receive the gifts. I told her that I was very excited to be able to meet her—especially when she hugged me." Perils of scavenging The Stung Meanchey garbage dump was closed by the Cambodian government in 2009 and reopened as Choeung Ek Dump further outside of Phnom Penh. But children from impoverished families still scavenge the site for plastics, glass, tin cans, and other recyclable goods to sell, hoping to earn as much as U.S. $10 a month. Dangers abound in the dumps for children who pick through the toxic heaps of trash, often barefoot and shirtless. The waste is damp and unstable and bulldozers rumble through the site throughout the day. Children show up at local clinics suffering from bruises, rashes, and cuts, while others who are not so lucky have been crushed under the machines and the heavy bins they drop off at the dump. While it is illegal in Cambodia for children under the age of 18 to perform such treacherous work, the law goes largely unenforced. Solving the problem of the dumps will not be easy—by locking scavengers out, the government would be denying them a living wage, but allowing them to continue puts their lives at risk. Reported by Naline Pea for RFA's Khmer service. Translated by Chivita. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.  | ||||
| T&P trainer says company abused trainees Posted: 18 Mar 2011 07:21 AM PDT Thursday, 17 March 2011 Mom Kunthear The Phnom Penh Post A trainner at labour recruitment firm T&P Co Ltd said yesterday that the company, currently the focus of allegations of illegal detention of trainees, had moved from Phnom Penh's Sen Sok district to a branch in Kampong Chhnang province. The trainer, who declined to be named, said that she had heard the company director say it would be easy in the new centre because he could give money to local authorities if there was a problem. "I so pity all those workers because they aren't allowed to go out from the centre and some workers are forced to stay in the company nearly a year, and when they need to go home the company director asks them to pay money," she said, adding that she planned to leave the company when she had received her salary. T&P, which trains women for domestic work abroad, has come under scrutiny since a 35-year-old trainee died last Sunday. Another trainee broke both legs jumping from the T&P building on March 1 and current trainees said they were being held against their will. Five women have since been released from the centre. Keo Thea, director of the municipal human trafficking and juvenile protection bureau, said the court was processing the case of the two workers. "Our police officials still keep watching on the case, but until now there have been no new developments," he said. Keo Thea added that the bureau was investigating T&P and other recruitment firms and would take legal measures if they found problems. An Bun Hak, director of the Association of Cambodian Recruitment Agencies, said he had received a letter from T&P on Monday informing ACRA that the company had moved. "The firm sent the letter to us on Monday announcing that they moved the old centre in Phnom Penh to Kampong Chhnang province because the centre in the capital is small and narrow for the workers," said An Bun Hak. "Until today we have not received any official report from police or court officials about illegal activity by the firm, so we cannot say anything about the firm closing." Moeun Tola, head of the labour programme at the Community Legal Education Center, said he could not confirm that police were investigating the detention of workers or T&P faking documents for underage workers. He said last week that two of the five women released from the company last week, both from Kampong Chhnang province, were underage. "The underage girls we met from Kampong Chhnang, they all confirmed that they were interviewed by the police, especially about their age," he said. "I am sure that the police also know that T&P faked documents." Opposition Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Son Chhay this week urged government regulation of labour firms in a letter submitted to the National Assembly, which also called for Labour Minister Vong Sauth to explain the lack of oversight. Sen Sok district deputy governor Chheng Monyra said that T&P's lawyer confirmed that the workers had been moved to Kampong Chhnang. "We are not worried about the investigating process of the court, even though they go somewhere they cannot escape from the court investigation." ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MARY KOZLOVSKI  | ||||
| Leaflet of the Voice of Khmer Nationalist distributed in the Paris demonstration on 18 March 2011 Posted: 18 Mar 2011 07:15 AM PDT
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| Cambodian PM, ministers pay homage to Japan quake victims Posted: 18 Mar 2011 07:06 AM PDT March 18, 2011 Xinhua Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday led his cabinet's ministers to pay a deep respect to the victims in the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan last week. Prime Minister Hun Sen and his deputies, as well as senior ministers and ministers were welcomed by Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia Masafumi Kuroki. At the ceremony at the Embassy of Japan to Cambodia, the premier laid wreaths and signed in a letter expressing deepest sympathy to the dead people in the massive earthquake and ensuing tsunami. According to the latest report of the Japanese National Police Agency, the death toll from the disaster has risen to 6,405 and 10, 259 people are unaccounted for since the magnitude-9 earthquake hit northeastern Japan on March 11.  | ||||
| Brit extradited to Cambodia [from Thailand] Posted: 18 Mar 2011 06:45 AM PDT 18/03/2011 Bangkok Post The Criminal Court on Friday issued an order allowing the extradition of a British man to Cambodia to face trial on rape charges. The case was filed with the court by prosecutors of the International Affairs Department in response to a request filed by Cambodia through the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Royal Thai Police Office. The court found that David John Fletcher, 65, was arrested and charged with rape in Cambodia before fleeing to Thailand where he was arrested for immigration offences in August last year. Fletcher denied the rape charges, saying that he had been in conflict with a group of influential people in Phnom Penh since he did not cooperate with them in a money-laundering scam. He said he fled to Thailand because some of those who did not cooperate with the group had been killed. The court ruled that Fletcher's claims carried no weight and ordered that he be detained before being extradited to Cambodia under the Thai-Cambodian extradition treaty and the Thai-Cambodian Extradition Act of 2000. Fletcher headed a children's charity in Phnom Penh before his arrest.  | ||||
| CCHR Comment to Media - Conviction of moto driver sheds light on government paranoia Posted: 18 Mar 2011 02:35 AM PDT  Conviction of moto driver sheds light on government paranoia It was reported today by The Cambodia Daily ('Motodop Found Guilty of Helping Spread Leaflets') that a motorcycle taxi driver was found guilty of incitement to discrimination by Phnom Penh Municipal Court for distributing anti-government leaflets and sentenced to one and a half years in prison and fined $750. Hin Piseth claimed that he picked up a female passenger who distributed the pamphlets, which made, in the words of The Cambodia Daily, 'unfavourable comparison between government leaders and a race from another country', without his knowledge. Responding to the judgement that was passed down on Hin Pinseth, Ou Virak, President of CCHR, a non-political, independent, non-governmental organization that works to promote and protect democracy and respect for human rights throughout Cambodia, commented: "The case of Hin Piseth sheds new light on the extent of the paranoia within the ruling party. The people of Cambodia are long used to the brutal reality that those who speak out in criticism of the government and ruling party often become the victim of physical violence or criminal prosecution. Hin Piseth claims to have had no knowledge that the woman who distributed the leaflets was doing as much and that he was merely trying to earn a fare. By imprisoning Hin Piseth, it seems the government wants to set a new precedent by imposing an obligation on all citizens to not only refrain from speaking their minds but to ensure they don't associate, even unwittingly, with those who do." For more information please contact Ou Virak on +855 (0) 12 404 051 or via e-mail at  | ||||
| Tsunami Caught on Tape As It Hits Japan Posted: 18 Mar 2011 12:21 AM PDT  | ||||
| Libyan Opposition Welcomes UN No-Fly Zone Resolution Posted: 18 Mar 2011 12:12 AM PDT Hadi Shalluf, president of the Justice and Democracy Party of Libya says Libyans would welcome UN ground forces to enforce the no-fly zone James Butty, Voice of America March 18, 2011 The Libyan opposition has welcomed with jubilation the U.N. Security Council decision to authorize a no-fly zone over Libya. The resolution gives permission to U.N. members to take "all necessary measures" to protect civilians, including a ban on all flights over Libya. Anti-Gadhafi protesters in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi greeted the news with cheers, celebratory gunfire and fireworks. Hadi Shalluf, president of the Justice and Democracy Party of Libya, says the opposition would welcome UN peacekeepers in Libya to help enforce the no-fly zone on the ground. "All the Libyans now, they are very, very happy even as this resolution is coming very, very late. But we are really glad and then happy. Today, just now in Benghazi where the people go outside singing, and then dancing, and are very, very happy about this resolution,' he says. Shalluf thanks French President Nicolas Sarkozy and U.S. President Barack Obama for what he says is their help in making the no-fly zone resolution possible. "We would like to say thank you to United States; we would like to say thank you to Mr. Obama and then we would like to say thank you to Mr. Sarkozy and Mr. (Alain) Juppe, the French president and foreign minister about what they did for the Libyan people," Shalluf says. The UN Security Council resolution also calls for a ban on all flights in Libyan airspace to help protect civilians, except for humanitarian flights and flights authorized by the U.N. and Arab League. Shalluf says while the ban on flights in Libyan airspace is a good one, the opposition would welcome UN peacekeepers to help enforce the resolution. "We think that this is a very great decision. We wish now that the United Nations will send peacekeepers to help with the application of this resolution on the ground. This is very important for building our country in the future because just as we will be finished with Gadhafi, we need also the United Nations support for a new constitution and to have the rule of the law," Shalluf said. The Libyan leader warned the rebels in Benghazi Thursday to surrender or face an imminent attack. He said his forces will show no mercy and dismissed the resolution as worthless. But Shalluf is hopeful that the UN no-fly zone can prevent Gadhafi from carrying out his threat to attack the opposition stronghold of Benghazi. "I think that Gadhafi will make such a threat that he will be attacking Benghazi, but I think that the French air force, the United States air force and also the UK (United Kingdom) air force they can take action also against Gadhafi troops and mercenaries because otherwise, if we just make no-fly zone it would make no sense if there is no military action against Gadhafi and his troops on the ground and also his airplanes," Shalluf says.  | ||||
| Tribunal Prosecutor Expects Delay Tactics From Defendants Posted: 18 Mar 2011 12:08 AM PDT Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer Phnom Penh Thursday, 17 March 2011 "It will create more difficulties and delays." A top legal official for the Khmer Rouge tribunal said on Thursday he expects some delays in the court's upcoming trial of former leaders, whose age, health and unwillingness to talk in court could drag down the proceedings. Speaking to a forum of civil party complainants in the upcoming trial, Cambodian prosecutor Chan Darareasmei said the aging leaders "will not cooperate" with the court and will refuse to speak out. "It will create more difficulties and delays," he said. The tribunal is set to try four leaders—Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith—for atrocity crimes including genocide. Defense lawyers have already requested shorter days for hearings, claiming the defendants are old and cannot sit through full days. Tribunal judges have already decided the hearings will be full days. Nuon Chea, the chief ideologue of the regime, is 85 and has high blood pressure and eye problems. Ieng Sary, the former foreign minister of the regime, is now 86 and suffers from heart problems and other ailments. Khieu Samphan turns 80 in July, and Ieng Thirith will turn 79 this year. Chan Darareasmei said Thursday the case against them would be complicated and take more time than the court's first trial, for torture chief Duch, who was cooperative. That case alone took seven months. Latt Ky, a tribunal monitor for the rights group Adhoc, agreed, saying the tribunal will have to pay attention to the health of the defendants and the timeframe or the hearings.  | ||||
| Cambodia, Thailand Closer to Observer Agreement Posted: 18 Mar 2011 12:04 AM PDT Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer Washington, DC Thursday, 17 March 2011 "We are confident that these terms of reference could be finalized in the near future." Cambodia and Thailand are close to reaching an agreement that would put a monitoring mission along the border, the site of deadly clashes in February, officials said Tuesday. The two sides must agree to terms of reference in order to allow observers from Indonesia, which as the current head of Asean helped broker the agreement after fighting over the border left at least 10 people dead and damaged Preah Vihear temple, a World Heritage site. "We are working closely with both governments," Michael Tene, a spokesman for the Indonesian government told VOA Khmer Tuesday. "We are confident that these terms of reference could be finalized in the near future." Indonesia cannot send observers until both sides agree to the terms, he said. The terms include the duties of a monitoring mission and where observers would be located. Tene declined to disclose details of the current negotiations, but he said Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to all but one point in the terms. Thai Foreign Affairs spokesman Thany Thongphakdi told VOA Khmer the main point of discussion is now the area of coverage for the observers and where they will be dispatched. Indonesia has agreed to send 30 observers to the border, with half on each side of the border near Preah Vihear temple, where Thailand and Cambodia disagree on border demarcation. Cambodian officials say they have already agreed to the original terms set out by Indonesia. Indonesian officials say they want an initial meeting with all three countries on March 24 and March 25, but a definitive date has not been set. Cambodian Foreign Affairs spokesman Koy Kuong said Cambodia expects talks on those dates. However, Thany said the meeting may have to be pushed to April 7 and April 8, due to a scheduling conflict for Cambodian and Thai officials.  | ||||
| Cambodia Seeks Large Reduction to US Debts Posted: 18 Mar 2011 12:02 AM PDT Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer Phnom Penh Thursday, 17 March 2011 "Hor Namhong requested that debt be lowered by 70 percent, to about $133 million, and that interest be lowered from 3 percent to 1 percent." Cambodia has asked the US to decrease its Lon Nol-era debt and to decrease the interest rate on the balance, officials said Thursday. Foreign Minister Hor Namhong met with US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joseph Yun, who is in charge of Asia Pacific, on Thursday, over some $445 million in debt accrued during the Lon Nol era. Hor Namhong requested that debt be lowered by 70 percent, to about $133 million, and that interest be lowered from 3 percent to 1 percent, officials said after the meeting. The war-era debt has been a sticking point in bilateral relations between the countries. Cambodian officials have said they should not have to repay the debt, which was accumulated by a pre-Khmer Rouge era government. Prime Miniser Hun Sen calls the war-era debt "dirty." Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said Cambodia has changed its position on the debt in order to reach an agreement. The US has said countries typically must repay such debts, despite changes of leaders or regime. However, in a visit in November, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said officials would revisit the debt question. Following Thursday's discussion, Yun said he would take the new debt request back to Washington, according to Cambodian officials present. Yun was not available to reporters following the meeting. US Embassy spokesman Mark Wenig said in a statement a debt agreement "would enhance Cambodia's credit worthiness and ability to access international capital markets."  | ||||
| As Rape Cases Rise, Officials Searching for Causes Posted: 17 Mar 2011 11:58 PM PDT
Phnom Penh Thursday, 17 March 2011 "In some cases, when victims come forward with complaints against the offender, police demand money from them." Cambodia's rising number of rape cases is fueled by impunity and poverty, among other factors, a rights activist said Monday. "There has been injustice as the impunity for some offenders still exists," Lim Mony, deputy head of the women's section for the rights group Adhoc, told "Hello VOA" Monday. "Another factor is poverty within families, where victims are sent away from home to work or to herd cattle in the fields." Pornography, drug use and unemployment are also underlying factors to rapes, she said. The reported number of rape cases across the country continues to rise. Adhoc recorded 501 cases, far more than one each day, in 2010, and increase over 460 in 2009 and 419 in 2008. Of those, nearly three quarters involved underage girls, Lim Mony said. Some callers to Monday night's program pointed to weak law enforcement and corrupt police. "In some cases, when victims come forward with complaints against the offender, police demand money from them," one caller said. "Otherwise, they won't proceed with the case. So some victims don't dare complain." Often, when rapes are reported, they are settled out of court, with the perpetrator settling with the family with money in exchange for them dropping the charges. However, rights officials say they should still be prosecuted under criminal codes. Hor Malin, undersecretary of state for the Ministry of Women's Affairs, said that's because the penal code is not being used properly. "We are striving to strengthen our law enforcement by raising public awareness of the existing laws, especially the new penal code," she said as a guest on "Hello VOA." Use of the existing law would prevent out-of-court settlements, she said. "We are working hard to make sure that offenders will face consequences in both cash compensation and jail sentences, because rape is an intolerable crime." Lim Mony said victims and their families can file complaints against police who demand money from them in dealing with their cases. They can also seek out the local offices of rights groups and of the Women's Affairs Ministry for help, she said.  | ||||
| Posted: 17 Mar 2011 11:49 PM PDT | ||||
| Villagers appeal over Sokimex dispute Posted: 17 Mar 2011 11:35 PM PDT
Khouth Sophakchakrya The Phnom Penh Post Sixty-six people representing 73 families from Kampong Speu province in a land dispute with petrol conglomerate Sokimex yesterday gathered at Prime Minister Hun Sen's villa in Kandal province's Takhmao town to ask for intervention after provincial officials prepared to evict them. Mam Mao, a representative of families living in Treng Trayoeng commune's Village 3 in Phnom Sruoch district, said yesterday that provincial authorities planned to remove their houses on March 25 and give their land to Sokimex representative Choem Savong. "We arrived at Takhmao town on Wednesday to request for mercy and intervention from Samdech Hun Sen," he said. "Samdech is our last hope." Mam Mao said that villagers had lived on the land since 1992 before a Sokimex representative filed a complaint against them in 2000, claiming that the land belonged to Sokimex. Choem Dara, another representative of the villagers, said that a verdict was handed down against the villagers in January 2001, but villagers were not informed until April that year. Choem Dara said that villagers sent a letter to the Ministry of Justice and a petition to the National Assembly after hearing the verdict and both bodies told them they could return to their homes. "I think that authorities and Choem Savong colluded together to evict and grab 7,500 square metres of our residence land," said Choem Dara. Villager Lai Im said that the villagers would not return until they had received an intervention letter from Prime Minister Hun Sen. "If we go back now or with empty hands, the authorities will remove and demolish our houses," said Lai Im. "I heard that Sokimex owners have hundreds of thousands of hectares of land." Kampong Speu provincial prosecutor Kuth Sopheang said that a village representative lost the case in early 2001 after the court found that they had destroyed a fence to illegally live on the company's land. "On March 25 we will lead 172 relevant officials to implement the verdict to declare the return of the land to Sokimex," he said. "We hope that they will volunteer to move from the land by themselves." Sokimex representative Choem Savong could not reached for comment.  | ||||
| SRP warns Malaysia of labour firm Posted: 17 Mar 2011 11:27 PM PDT
Matt Lundy The Phnom Penh Post The opposition Sam Rainsy Party issued a letter on Wednesday to Malaysia's ambassador to Cambodia, requesting the embassy alert its government to the alleged activities of T&P Co Ltd, a labour recruitment agency accused of imprisoning its trainees. Opposition lawmaker Son Chhay wrote the letter – which details the accusations levelled against the company, in addition to the SRP's investigations earlier this week – after receiving information that T&P had sent some of its trainees to Malaysia. "We hope that your Embassy will … help in preventing these violations of human rights by informing your government as well as [raising] this situation with the Cambodian government so that a very close monitoring system can be set up in order to stop all forms of exploitation and abuses of the workers," the letter read. Deputy Head of Mission Raja Saiful Ridzuwan confirmed that the Malaysian embassy received the letter yesterday and said the embassy would issue a response within the next couple days. He said he briefly discussed the letter's contents with Malaysian Ambassador Datuk Pengiran Hj Mohd Hussein Datuk Pengiran Hj Mohd Tahir Nasruddin. The T&P recruitment agency has come under scrutiny since the death of a 35-year-old trainee in the company's offices earlier this month. Several trainees have said they were denied leaves of absence from the company's headquarters, including a 31-year-old trainee who broke both legs while trying to escape. Son Chhay said yesterday that both countries' governments had a responsibility to migrant workers, given the raft of human rights abuses that Cambodian workers have faced in Malaysia. "I think [the Malaysian embassy] should be aware of what's happening here, and be in contact with the labour ministry over there," he said. "I think it's a weakness in our system…and the irresponsibility of the Malaysian government to migrant workers." Ridzuwan said the embassy had no responsibility in domestic matters, such as investigations into T&P. "There's nothing much we can do," he said. "I believe that the responsibility of the maids under training is on the government of Cambodia. Our responsibility is to issue visas to work in Malaysia." Ridzuwan said he believed "some workers" had been sent. to Malaysia by T&P.  | ||||
| Funcinpec 3G fracas widens [-Corruption, corruption at the choking Funcinpec] Posted: 17 Mar 2011 11:17 PM PDT
Meas Sokchea and James O'Toole The Phnom Penh Post Deputy Prime Minister Nhek Bun Chhay has acknowledged that one of his advisers served as a paid representative of a firm that transferred a 3G telecommunications license to a Hong Kong-based company from which Nhek Bun Chhay has been accused of accepting bribes. Former Funcinpec member Bun Tha, publisher of the Khmer Amatak newspaper, filed a complaint against Nhek Bun Chhay with the Anticorruption Unit this week accusing the deputy prime minister and Funcinpec secretary general of agreeing to use his political influence to aid an unnamed Chinese telecommunications company working with the Hong Kong-based firm Speedy Best Technology. The complaint is based on documents circulated earlier this year including an alleged contract dated June 7, 2008, stating that Nhek Bun Chhay and another company, Kahua Industry Investment Co Ltd, had obtained a 3G telecommunications license from the government that they agreed to transfer to Speedy Best. Speedy Best was apparently created as a joint venture between Funcinpec and the unnamed Chinese company, according to the contract. The contract states that Nhek Bun Chhay agreed to use his "influence and power as General Secretary of Funcinpec Party and deputy prime minister" to aid the Chinese company. Nhek Bun Chhay has rejected the contract as a forgery but has admitted serving as a "witness" to a transaction in which Speedy Best paid Kahua US$5.8 million for an 80 percent share of a 3G license. Some $2.5 million of this payment was then diverted to Nhek Bun Chhay as a "loan", the Funcinpec secretary general said, adding that his adviser, Ith Sarik, had received $500,000 for serving as a Kahua representative in Cambodia. "I borrowed $2.5 million through my advisers' bank accounts. The first is Mr Hong Long, who received $1.5 million, and the second is Mr. Ith Sarik, who received $1 million," Nhek Bun Chhay said. "From my adviser Ith Sarik I only received $500,000, because he was paid $500,000 for being a representative of Kahua in Cambodia." In a statement issued Wednesday, apparently from Guangzhou, China, Kahua chairman Chan Bei Chuan said Nhek Bun Chhay ultimately "received in cash from Mr. Hong Long only US$1,000,000.00 and from Mr. Ith Sarik only $500,000.00". "The transferring of 80% shares and the cost of US$5,835,600.00 is only the business between Kahua Industry Investment Co Ltd and the Speedy Best Technology Co Ltd under the witness of Gen. Nhek Bun Chhay," Chan said. "The Kahua Industry Investment Co Ltd agreed to credit to Gen. Nhek Bun Chhay … a loan of the amount of US$2,500,000.00." An additional contract document obtained by The Post, dated August 12, 2008 and signed by Chan and Nhek Bun Chhay, states that the $2.5 million loan "shall be reduced … from the 5% profit given to Mr. Nhek Bun Chhay in 3G telephone company Kahau [sic] Industry Investment Co Ltd." Joe Heng, an associate partner at the Malaysia-based accounting firm Baker Tilly Monteiro Heng, whose business card is copied on one of the alleged receipt documents, said this week that he had never heard of any of the parties in the transaction and had not been involved. Nhek Bun Chhay said yesterday that Speedy Best's 3G license had since been revoked by the government, and that Kahua had "another business" in Cambodia but was no longer working in the telecoms sector. Minister of Posts and Telecommunications So Khun said he was travelling and could not comment, as did the ministry's director general, Mao Chakrya. Kahua and Speedy Best representatives could not be reached for comment. Nhek Bun Chhay said yesterday that he had used the loan he received to renovate Funcinpec headquarters in Phnom Penh. Funcinpec president Keo Puth Reaksmey said, however, that he was unaware of the transaction. "So far, the Funcinpec Party has never borrowed money from anyone to resolve a problem," he said. Simon Perkins, CEO of mobile operator Hello, said he had never heard of either Kahua or Speedy Best being involved in the telecoms sector. These companies, he added, are likely "just covers for something else". According to the Hong Kong government's business registry, Speedy Best was established in April 2007 with just 10,000 Hong Kong Dollars (US$1,282) in registered capital. The company's listed director is Tsuyoshi Yamashita, a Japanese national. Funcinpec has been wracked by internal divisions since the return to politics last year of former party leader Norodom Ranariddh, who now heads the Norodom Ranariddh Party.  | ||||
| On the Thai-Cambodian Border, a Test for Both Asean and Indonesia Posted: 17 Mar 2011 11:09 PM PDT March 18, 2011 Laura Jepson The Jakarta Globe While Asean has been around only since 1967, some of the disputes that it now confronts have been around a great deal longer. The recent violent clashes on the Thai-Cambodian border are a case in point. The region's Preah Vihear temple has changed hands time and again over hundreds of years, making it an ongoing sore spot for the two countries. The debate should have been settled when the International Court of Justice granted Cambodia sovereignty over Preah Vihear in 1962, but now that the issue has festered open again, the developments raise a number of questions for both Asean and Indonesia. Will the conflict threaten the validity of Asean through the blatant disregard for the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, or will Asean leadership instead assert itself and show it to be capable of effectively mediating its members? The international community is watching to see whether Asean is capable of solving its problems independently, and whether Indonesia, as the association's current chair, can help steer it through the process. Indonesia moved quickly to help stem the violence that broke out early last month, with Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa visiting both countries inside of a week to extend a hand in mediation. Initially, Cambodia brought the matter to the UN Security Council for resolution despite calls from Thailand to continue negotiating bilaterally. The council passed the mantle of mediating negotiations to Asean, putting the issue back in Indonesia's hands. Marty took strong first steps to "own" the dispute and to legitimize Asean's position in its resolution by swiftly responding to the crisis and presenting his office as a tool for mediation. But ensuring that Asean comes out of this stronger rather than weaker will be no simple matter. Asean has historically struggled with the ability to influence the actions of its members. Sovereignty and non-interference have been the order of the day for the four decades of its existence. But in this case the non-adherence to Asean treaties provides a clear-cut justification for intervention. The TAC demands that member states commit themselves to the peaceful settlement of disputes, and the Asean Charter stipulates that member states must "endeavor" to "peacefully" resolve all disputes through "dialogue, consultation, and negotiation." The body's reaction to the dispute will also set a new precedent. While regional intervention has occurred previously — for example when Thai troops were sent in to East Timor and Aceh — these were not under the auspices of Asean. The current case thus would be the first in which Asean countries agree to use Asean mechanisms to resolve a bilateral dispute between members. Additionally, if negotiations are successful, this will be an important step toward increasing group cohesion and its own ability to regulate internally. This is essential if the association is to reach its 2015 goal for creating the full architecture of an enhanced Asean Community, especially those aspects pertaining to security. It may also create greater likelihood for the use of other Asean dispute resolution mechanisms, such as the High Council (as provided for in the TAC) or the use of conciliation, mediation and arbitration (as provided for in the charter). But doubts in the efficacy of Asean were reflected in Cambodia's decision to seek redress to the UN first, rather than Asean. Furthermore, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has voiced occasional doubts as to Asean's capacity in this area. As for Thailand, from the beginning its officials have reiterated their preference for bilateral talks. They have since said that they now welcome Asean "support," but they have not agreed to have Indonesia "referee" meetings (as requested by Cambodia), but rather just to observe them — not exactly an affirmation of resounding confidence. Indonesia faces numerous challenges in establishing its role. There is the initial challenge of deciding where the country's observers will be stationed, as Thailand does not want them just on the disputed territory but rather split between the Cambodian and Thai sides. And as with the original concept of peacekeepers they will also be unarmed, which means they can only report on breaches of the cease-fire. But peacekeeping of this kind has not always been able to prevent further conflict. In fact, new conflicts break out in over half of the cases where peacekeepers have been deployed. Two of the first missions of this kind, in the Palestinian Territories in 1948 and Kashmir in 1949, remain volatile and frequently explode into violence. As a result, peacekeeping has changed radically in recent years and modern-day peacekeepers are often armed in order to enforce, rather than just observe, the peace. But without arms, peacekeepers on the Thai-Cambodian border will not be able to force either side to do anything. This is the key difference in the Asean context. Their presence is rather meant to be a deterrent, or as potential whistle blowers, such that the Asean leadership can make the subsequent dialogue more open and more likely to succeed. It should be noted though that the early steps taken by Marty have been crucial to legitimizing Asean and Indonesia's role at the center of negotiations. Indonesia has long been heralded as the natural leader of Asean, and its rhetoric and actions since ascending to the chair have justified this. If Indonesia hopes to be seen as an important player in regional politics, and hopes to encourage a more internationally engaged role for Asean, the Cambodia-Thailand dispute will be a litmus test of its ability to guide the organization toward a stronger union. The focus should thus now shift to what Indonesia should do to make this happen. The short-term concern for Indonesia must be the solving of the dispute between Cambodia and Thailand in a sustainable way. To do this, Cambodia and Thailand will need to ensure both that observers are able to precisely and fairly track developments, and that negotiations come to successful fruition for both sides. In the long run, Indonesia must also ensure that Asean is seen as an essential partner in this engagement, while using existing mechanisms to the full, and even creating new ones as needed, to ensure that other regional confrontations land on Asean's doorstep first. Laura Jepson is a program officer for policy development at Strategic Asia, a Jakarta-based consultancy promoting cooperation among Asian nations.  | ||||
| Posted: 17 Mar 2011 10:58 PM PDT    | ||||
| Posted: 17 Mar 2011 10:52 PM PDT She got her good looks from her father. He's a plastic surgeon. - Groucho Marx  | ||||
| Celebrating Rights, Dignity, Contribution of Women Posted: 17 Mar 2011 10:45 PM PDT 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. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure to women, on equal terms with men and without any discrimination, the opportunity to represent their Governments at the international level and to participate in the work of international organizations.  | ||||
| Vietnam-Cambodia ties must be on a meltdown for Hanoi to boost them constantly Posted: 17 Mar 2011 10:44 PM PDT
18/03/2011 VOV News/VNA The Vietnam National Assembly will make all-out efforts to preserve and develop the traditional relations between Vietnam and Cambodia, a senior legislator said. NA Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong made the commitment at her reception for a delegation from the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Group (CVFPG) in Hanoi on March 17. The CVFPG delegation, headed by its President Men Sam On, who is also Permanent Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, is on a visit to Vietnam at the invitation of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Parliamentarians Group (VCFPG). Phong expressed her delight at the development of friendship and cooperation between the two countries as well as between the two legislative bodies, saying it brought practical benefits for both, especially in economy, trade, agriculture, industry and post and telecommunications. She spoke highly of the role performed by the two parliamentarians groups and their operations while suggesting the two legislative bodies continue exchanges of visits as well as experiences, and work closely with each other at inter-parliamentary forums in the region and the world. Phong thanked the Cambodian Parliament and people for their support to Vietnam, mentioning the 31st ASEAN Inter-parliamentary Association (AIPA-31) that the Vietnam NA hosted as an example. Men Sam On stressed that the close ties between Cambodia and Vietnam have assisted each country in its own cause of national construction and defence. She affirmed that the CVFPG will continue to partner with VCFPG in bolstering the relations between the two countries and their legislative bodies. The CVFPG will help support Vietnamese enterprises and the Vietnamese community in Cambodia, the Cambodian official said. She congratulated Vietnam on its successful organisation of the 11th National Party Congress and performance of the ASEAN Chair and AIPA-31 Chair in 2010 and expressed hope to learn from Vietnam's experiences in the field for hosting the AIPA-32 successfully.  | ||||
| "18 Mina, Virakpheap Knong Duong Chett K'nhom" a Poem in Khmer by Heng Thal Savuth Posted: 17 Mar 2011 10:41 PM PDT   | ||||
| Posted: 17 Mar 2011 10:33 PM PDT WEDNESDAY, 16 MARCH 2011 OU VIRAK Letter to The Phnom Penh Post "I used to write 100 percent of the truth, but I've reduced it to about 30 percent." - Cambodian journalist Tes Vibol I write in response to the observations of Roger Mitton in his article dated the March 14 ("No press freedom leads to no freedom whatsoever"), which dealt with the issue of continued restrictions on the freedom of the press in Southeast Asia and which provided the opportunity to discuss the perilous state of journalistic freedom in Cambodia. Journalism appears to be a safer profession in Cambodia than in previous years; the last murder of a journalist was that of Khim Sambo three years ago, bringing the total to 11 journalists killed over a 15-year period. Nevertheless, the situation of freedom of the press is deteriorating with the government and aligned forces controlling the media and punishing the remaining few journalists who report on issues that run contrary to the interests of the government or which contain criticisms of policy, actions or omissions on its part. Since the last general election in 2008, the legal system has been working quietly and diligently silencing journalists and others who speak out in criticism of the government. The Club of Cambodian Journalists has reported that for the period of May 3, 2009, to May 3, 2010, 24 journalists were arrested and 10 were sued by members of the government or its inner circle, eight more than in 2008, with two being jailed for disinformation. The nature of the articles that have given rise to criminal complaints and the identity of the individuals filing the complaints raises questions of executive manipulation of the courts; Hang Chakra was imprisoned in June 2009 for an article which alleged corruption amongst staff of Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, while the June 2008 imprisonment of Dam Sith followed a criminal complaint by Hor Namhong, the Minister for Foreign Affairs. These convictions have created a culture of fear amongst Cambodian journalists, who are extremely aware of the fragility that permits them to report. One Cambodian journalist, Tes Vibol, was quoted in a September 2010 CCHR coordinated joint report on freedom of expression explaining the prevailing practice of self-censorship in Cambodia: "I used to write 100 percent of the truth, but I've reduced it to about 30 percent." The new Penal Code which came into force in December 2010 suggests that the situation of journalistic freedom is unlikely to improve in the near future. The code contains no less than nine provisions which criminalise expressions of opinion. Defamation has been extended to include comments which are deemed to affect the reputations of institutions, a daunting extension of the provision giving the proclivity of government members to use it. Other provisions criminalise criticisms of court decisions and comments which are perceived as an attempt to influence a judicial decision. I applaud The Phnom Penh Post and other publications that continue to report without fear or favour in Cambodia. While no journalist has been killed in Cambodia in recent years, it is clear that the government has developed a strategy to draw the lifeblood from any type of journalistic criticism. I encourage Roger Mitton and others to continue to do their part to uphold the media's role as the fourth pillar of democracy by reporting on issues such as freedom of expression and the press. Ou Virak, President, Cambodian Center for Human Rights  |
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