KI Media: “Brain Food for Christians” plus 24 more |
- Brain Food for Christians
- Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Brain Food
- ECCC Law
- Letter to the Founders of the Lotus Revolution Movement (in Khmer, French and English)
- Clinton Works to Boost U.S. Involvement in Southeast Asia
- Hamill 'scallywag' claims rejected
- Troops sit down for chin wag, even as leaders won't
- Hun Sen says bilateral talks impossible
- Cambodian Prime Minister Criticizes VOA, Radio Free Asia
- Norway’s capital, Oslo, hit by deadly blast, shootings
- Hun Xen very nervous about Jasmine Revolution in Cambodia
- Report finds widespread violations at Puma factory in Cambodia
- Cambodia factory faintings put big brands under pressure
- Hun Sen Pushes for Three-Party Border Talks
- Cambodian PM proposes troop pullout deal with Thailand
- Hun Sen: Thai troops must also leave border DMZ
- Cambodia, US call for regional talks in border row
- Cambodian PM denounces US-funded radio as unfair [-VOA and RFA hits Hun Xen where it hursts him the most?]
- Court slaps SRP with fine for late report
- Army aided loggers: US cable
- Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Khmer House
- A call for justice from a Malaysian citizen for a dead Cambodian maid
- Road traffic and sidewalks in Phnom Penh
- Clinton praises China, ASEAN over South China Sea
| Posted: 22 Jul 2011 04:33 PM PDT What is the good of pretending to be what you are not? Well, even on the human level, you know, there are two kinds of pretending. There is a bad kind, where the pretense is there instead of the real thing; as when a man pretends he is going to help you instead of really helping you. But there is also a good kind, where the pretense leads up to the real thing. When you are not feeling particularly friendly but know you ought to be, the best thing you can do, very often, is to put on a friendly manner and behave as if you were a nicer person than you actually are. And in a few minutes, as we have all noticed, you will be really feeling friendlier than you were. Very often the only way to get a quality in reality is to start behaving as if you had it already. That is why children's games are so important. They are always pretending to be grown-ups--playing soldiers, playing shop. But all the time, they are hardening their muscles and sharpening their wits, so that the pretense of being grown-up helps them to grow up in earnest. - C. S. Lewis, "Putting on Christ"  | ||
| Convention on the Rights of the Child Posted: 22 Jul 2011 04:30 PM PDT Convention on the Rights of the Child Ratified by UNGA in Nov. 1989, entered into force 1990 Cambodia ratified this Convention on October 15, 1992 PART IArticle 231. States Parties recognize that a mentally or physically disabled child should enjoy a full and decent life, in conditions which ensure dignity, promote self-reliance and facilitate the child's active participation in the community. 2. States Parties recognize the right of the disabled child to special care and shall encourage and ensure the extension, subject to available resources, to the eligible child and those responsible for his or her care, of assistance for which application is made and which is appropriate to the child's condition and to the circumstances of the parents or others caring for the child. 3. Recognizing the special needs of a disabled child, assistance extended in accordance with paragraph 2 of the present article shall be provided free of charge, whenever possible, taking into account the financial resources of the parents or others caring for the child, and shall be designed to ensure that the disabled child has effective access to and receives education, training, health care services, rehabilitation services, preparation for employment and recreation opportunities in a manner conducive to the child's achieving the fullest possible social integration and individual development, including his or her cultural and spiritual development. 4. States Parties shall promote, in the spirit of international cooperation, the exchange of appropriate information in the field of preventive health care and of medical, psychological and functional treatment of disabled children, including dissemination of and access to information concerning methods of rehabilitation, education and vocational services, with the aim of enabling States Parties to improve their capabilities and skills and to widen their experience in these areas. In this regard, particular account shall be taken of the needs of developing countries.  | ||
| Posted: 22 Jul 2011 04:28 PM PDT Be as you wish to seem. - Socrates  | ||
| Posted: 22 Jul 2011 04:23 PM PDT Law on the Establishment of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia for the Prosecution of Crimes Committed During the Period of Democratic Kampuchea ("ECCC Law") the inclusion of amendments as promulgated on 27 October 2004 CHAPTER XIII: STATUS, RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES Article 42 new 1. Cambodian judges, the Co-Investigating Judge, the Co-Prosecutor, the Director of the Office of Administration and personnel shall be accorded immunity from legal process in respect of words spoken or written and all acts performed by them in their official capacity. Such immunity shall continue to be accorded after termination of employment with the Extraordinary Chambers, the Pre-Trial Chamber and the Office of Administration. 2. International personnel shall be accorded in addition: a. immunity from legal process in respect of words spoken or written and all acts performed by them in their official capacity. Such immunity shall continue to be accorded after termination of employment with the co-investigating judges, the co-prosecutors, the Extraordinary Chambers, the Pre-Trial Chamber and the Office of Administration; b. immunity from taxation on salaries, allowances and emoluments paid to them by the United Nations; c. immunity from immigration restriction; d. the right to import free of duties and taxes, except for payment for services, their furniture and effects at the time of first taking up their official duties in Cambodia. 3. The counsel [lawyer] of a suspect or an accused who has been admitted as such by the Extraordinary Chambers shall not be subjected by the Government to any measure that may affect the free and independent exercise of his or her functions under the Law on the Establishment of the Extraordinary Chambers. In particular, the counsel shall be accorded: a. immunity from personal arrest or detention and from seizure of personal baggage relating to his or her functions in the proceedings; b. inviolability of all documents relating to the exercise of his or her functions as a counsel of a suspect or accused; c. immunity from criminal or civil jurisdiction in respect of words spoken or written and acts performed in his or her capacity as counsel. Such immunity shall continue to be accorded after termination of their function as counsel of a suspect or accused. 4. The archives of the co-investigating judges, the co-prosecutors, the Extraordinary Chambers, the Pre-Trial Chamber and the Office of Administration and in general all documents and materials made available to, belonging to, or used by them, wherever located in the Kingdom of Cambodia and by whomsoever held, shall be inviolable for the duration of the proceedings.  | ||
| Letter to the Founders of the Lotus Revolution Movement (in Khmer, French and English) Posted: 22 Jul 2011 01:45 PM PDT | ||
| Clinton Works to Boost U.S. Involvement in Southeast Asia Posted: 22 Jul 2011 01:40 PM PDT JULY 22, 2011 By ERIC BELLMAN And EVAN RAMSTAD The Wall Street Journal "We are sending a clear message to the people of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam: We are invested in your well-being and continued progress," Ms. Clinton said. NUSA DUA, Indonesia — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for deeper U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia to help bolster its poorest countries, while the region's leaders worked to broker what they hoped would be progress in one of Asia's other hot spots: North Korea. Meeting on the sidelines of the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum in Bali on Friday, senior nuclear negotiators from North and South Korea agreed broadly to take steps to return to a bigger diplomatic process, known as the six-party talks, which are aimed at ending the North's pursuit of nuclear weapons. That process, which also involves China, Japan, Russia and the U.S., fell apart three years ago. However, the diplomats didn't describe how they planned to resolve the many differences that have left the process in limbo since 2009. U.S. officials, meanwhile, said it would take time to know if any serious progress—including more substantive concessions from North Korea—would materialize.
Ms. Clinton, for her part, declared support for moves to ease tensions in the Koreas and also in the South China Sea, a resource-rich area that has seen a growing number of disputes in recent months because of competing territorial claims from China, Vietnam, the Philippines and other Asian nations. Although she commended regional leaders for pledging earlier this week to work together to resolve the claims, she avoided direct criticism of China, which has asserted its sovereignty over the disputed areas, and held back on tough talk about U.S. interests in the Sea that in the past has angered Chinese diplomats. Ms. Clinton spent much of the day promoting a different priority, known as the Lower Mekong Initiative, that she initiated in 2009 to boost development in poorer parts of Southeast Asia and, some say, quietly expand U.S. influence there. The initiative aims to help countries along the Mekong River—Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam —improve their environments and infrastructure as well as their health and education systems. Mrs. Clinton sought to expand the program's scope on Friday, announcing a new group that will also support the countries involved, called the Friends of the Lower Mekong, which brings in the Asia Development Bank, the European Union and others to bolster the Mekong effort. The wide-ranging plan includes everything from a workshop held in Laos this year to brainstorm about how to design and build a better cook stove to reduce pollution, a two-year survey by three U.S. scientists to study and map the Mekong, and a program to combat counterfeit drugs and support the construction and repair of clinics, schools and roads in the region. "The Lower Mekong Initiative reflects the commitment of the United States to the well being of your people and long-term success of your nations," she told delegates from the Mekong-region countries who had gathered as a part of the initiative on the sidelines of the Asean summit. "We support your efforts to build a stronger foundation for prosperity and progress and we look forward to continuing to work with you as partners and friends for years to come." While much lower-profile than the other issues on delegates' minds at Friday's gathering, the effort is nevertheless emerging as an important part of the U.S.'s push to rebuild relationships in the region, especially with countries that historically have had close ties with China. The smaller countries such as Cambodia and Laos were bombed heavily during the Vietnam War and are now enjoying big China-backed investments in new roads, rail links and other infrastructure, including plans for a massive high-speed railroad across Laos. People familiar with the matter say several of the Mekong-region countries have often sided with China in recent debates over regional security issues such as the territorial disputes in the South China Sea, and that U.S. officials want to curry favor with those countries by taking a more activist role in their economic development. The Lower Mekong Initiative is "seen as an attempt by the U.S. to regain some of its influence in these countries," said Ian Storey, a fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. But with its relatively modest funding—a bit more than $200 million this year—"I don't know how effective it will be," he said. Either way, "I certainly think it will make the Chinese sit up and pay attention, because they're not the only game in town now." Analysts say U.S. officials are also hoping take advantage of recent strains in the relationship between China and some Mekong-region countries. Several have complained about Chinese efforts to build hydroelectric dams along upper stretches of the Mekong River, potentially damaging downstream fisheries. At the same time, residents in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand report growing resentment over China's swelling economic power, which has included a flood of cheap Chinese manufactured goods that many residents think is undermining local businesses. Ms. Clinton reiterated her stance Friday that all countries should pause the building of new dams along the river until the full effects up and downstream can be assessed. During the discussions Friday, Laos pledged to put off its plans to build a $3.5 billion, 1,260-megawatt dam on the river that was the subject of sharp criticism recently in other Mekong nations, said a senior U.S. State Department official. "We are sending a clear message to the people of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam: We are invested in your well-being and continued progress," Ms. Clinton said. Write to Eric Bellman at eric.bellman@wsj.com and Evan Ramstad at evan.ramstad@wsj.com  | ||
| Hamill 'scallywag' claims rejected Posted: 22 Jul 2011 01:36 PM PDT 23/07/2011 LOUISE RISK Waikato Times On the eve of a film premiere about his fight for justice over the death of his brother, Hamilton man Rob Hamill has dismissed suggestions Kerry Hamill was running drugs before being killed by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Brother Number One is a documentary film that follows Mr Hamill's tireless campaign on behalf of his brother Kerry, who was one of three international sailors slain in 1978, after being captured by Pol Pot's genocidal Khmer Rouge regime. The film will premiere in Auckland tomorrow. But a recently released book explores the possibility Kerry Hamill and his two sailing partners were off Cambodia to carry out some sort of drug smuggling mission. Rob Hamill described author Dave Kattenburg as a "scallywag". The investigative journalist's new book, Foxy Lady - Truth, Memory and the Death of Western Yachtsmen in Democratic Kampuchea, raises questions around the capture of Hamill and fellow sailors Canadian Stuart Glass and Englishman John Dewhirst. Mr Hamill said he was finding the book "hard" to read and had not finished it yet. "It doesn't change a thing about my brother," he said. "He was an amazing guy who was far too young to die." Foxy Lady is named after the boat Kerry Hamill was sailing on when captured. He later died in a Khmer Rouge death camp. Rob Hamill attended the successful trial of the camp commandant for crimes against humanity. Mr Hamill said he knew his brother had never been involved in any illegal activities prior to the ill-fated August 1978 trip, and his research had found no evidence of drugs on board Foxy Lady when the boat were captured. His family had no reason to think anything other than that he was innocent. He said even if his brother was about to go on a "pot run" he had done nothing to justify being murdered following months of torture in the Khmer Rouge's Tuol Sleng death house in Phnom Penh. Mr Hamill said he was anxious about how audiences would receive Brother Number One, but he was confident Australian film maker Annie Goldson had done a superb job of directing it and that viewers would get an "emotional understanding" of his search for the truth. "It's quite incredible. "We did 200 hours of filming for a 90-minute documentary," he said. "The few people who have seen the film have used terms like `blown away'. I hope that is replicated." Brother Number One will be shown at SkyCity Theatre tomorrow at 1pm and on Wednesday at 3.30pm in Auckland as part of the New Zealand Film Festival. Screenings of the documentary are yet to be confirmed in Hamilton, but those registering at www.brothernumberone.co.nz will be notified when that information becomes available.  | ||
| Troops sit down for chin wag, even as leaders won't Posted: 22 Jul 2011 01:31 PM PDT
23/07/2011 Wassana Nanuam Bangkok Post SURIN : Thailand and Cambodia's leaders may not be talking about their border problems, but on the ground, troops from both sides are already forging bonds. Thai soldiers have invited their Cambodian counterparts to spend time with them at temples they have occupied on their side of the border. Col Mang Mao, the commander of Cambodia's 423th Infantry Brigade is one of two Cambodian soldiers sent to spend 24 hours with two Thai soldiers at the Ta Kwai temple in Ban Ta Miang of Surin's Phanom Dong Rak district. This is a measure to ensure Thai and Cambodian troops stationed in the disputed area have a chance to talk first to prevent any conflicts breaking out. Col Mang Mao said border tension in Surin has eased since the July 3 election in Thailand. "Cambodian soldiers hope that after Thailand has a new government, negotiations will resume. Then soldiers from both sides can stop fighting each other. "In the past, in April in particular, the clashes were very violent. Soldiers of both countries suffered losses," he said. Col Nat See-in, the commander of the Thai 26th Ranger Division, said two Thai soldiers and two Cambodian soldiers would be stationed at the Ta Kwai temple together around the clock. Thai troops have occupied the nearby Ta Muan temple, but have allowed five unarmed Cambodian soldiers who are part of the Cambodian military's coordination team to spend six hours a day with the troops there as a trust-building measure. These steps, intended to ease tension and prevent unnecessary armed confrontation between the two countries' soldiers, are in line with the policy of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Cambodian military leaders, said Col Mang Mao. "They wanted Cambodian unit chiefs at the border to solve any disagreements through negotiations, not the use of force or shooting as in the past. They don't want the dispute to escalate." Col Nat said the border tension lately has eased markedly. "But we must not be reckless. We must be disciplined and stringently abide by the agreements between troops of the two countries," he said. Several battalions of troops from both sides are still camped around Ta Muan temple and trouble could break out. Capt Sen Nee of the Cambodian army who has been stationed at the Ta Muan temple said Cambodian soldiers were happy that Pheu Thai Party won the general election. They believed Pheu Thai would focus on holding truce talks with Cambodia rather than waging war.  | ||
| Hun Sen says bilateral talks impossible Posted: 22 Jul 2011 01:24 PM PDT Indonesia's help needed to make troops budge 23/07/2011 Bangkok Post & Agencies Bilateral talks with Thailand over withdrawing troops from the newly defined demilitarised zone are impossible, says Cambodia premier Hun Sen. He agreed troops should be withdrawn simultaneously, but said talks with Indonesia as a third party would be needed first. Hun Sen said Cambodia wanted to respond quickly to Monday's verdict by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, which ordered troops from Thailand and Cambodia to pull out of the area around Preah Vihear temple to prevent further clashes. "We must withdraw troops simultaneously. The ruling requires both sides to withdraw troops, not just Cambodia," Hun Sen said. Cambodia was ready to hold tripartite talks with Thailand and Indonesia, the current Asean chair, he added, as Bangkok appeared reluctant to act first to comply with the ICJ ruling. Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said he would set up a committee for negotiating with Cambodia following the ICJ ruling. However, Hun Sen said bilateral talks were "impossible" under the outgoing government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. "Tripartite negotiations between Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia can be held anytime, anywhere, and at any levels," he said. Hun Sen added he is looking forward to working with the new government which is expected to led by Pheu Thai's Yingluck Shinawatra. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday said Asean would be the best forum for Thailand and Cambodia to resolve their differences. Both sides should refrain "from taking steps that would escalate into violence", she said during an Asean summit on the Indonesian resort island of Bali. In other news, the 2nd Army yesterday allowed residents and tourists to enter the disputed area around Preah Vihear, including the Pha Mor I Dang cliff, during weekends and public holidays, said Khao Phra Viharn national park chief Theerayut Wongpaisoet. The cliff is a major military base. The 2nd Army also allowed traders from Phum Srol village in Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district to re-open outlets to sell souvenirs and other goods.  | ||
| Cambodian Prime Minister Criticizes VOA, Radio Free Asia Posted: 22 Jul 2011 01:06 PM PDT
Voice of America Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday sharply criticized Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, saying their news reports are "very inferior." [KI-Media Note: If VOA and RFA reports are "very inferior", why does Hun Xen even worry them?] He accused the two broadcasters, both funded by the U.S. government under the Broadcasting Board of Governors, of distorting information, or containing "zero" information. The prime minister made the comments in response to a question by a VOA Khmer Service journalist at a news conference in Cambodia. The question was about the Khmer Rouge tribunal, and Mr. Hun Sen said it was not among the topics to be covered by the news conference, which followed a meeting of his cabinet and was chiefly dominated by questions about Cambodia's border dispute with Thailand. Mr. Hun Sen praised Radio France International and offered to hire Cambodian staff at VOA and RFA to work at Cambodian news stations. [KI-Media Note: Is that why RFI always broadcast news favorable to Hun Xen's regime?] VOA responded to the prime minister's comments by saying, "VOA journalists around the world, including those covering developments in Cambodia, adhere to the highest journalistic standards of accuracy and objectivity, standards mandated by U.S. law." The Cambodian government has opposed increasing the number of cases heard by the Khmer Rouge tribunal, a joint Cambodia and international court that is trying leaders of the Khmer Rouge, which ruled the country in the late 1970s. More than a million people died under the Khmer Rouge – many of them starved or worked to death, and others executed. One person has been convicted by the tribunal and four others are being prosecuted. The government says adding more cases could be harmful to national stability. VOA provides news in more than 40 languages via shortwave and FM radio, television, satellite and the Internet. RFA provides news to Asia. The Broadcasting Board of Governments also oversees Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting.  | ||
| Norway’s capital, Oslo, hit by deadly blast, shootings Posted: 22 Jul 2011 12:54 PM PDT  Friday, July 22, 2011 By Michael Birnbaum Washington Post BERLIN — A massive explosion rocked a government district in Norway's capital Friday, killing seven people and injuring many more, and a shooter at a political convention on an island north of Oslo appeared to have inflicted more casualties, in incidents police are treating as connected, a police spokesman said. "Central Oslo looks more like a battlefield," said Runar Kvernen, a spokesman for the police directorate who was reached by telephone. "The headquarters of the Norwegian government is almost destroyed. It damaged a lot of a of buildings." The downtown target appeared to have been the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, according to a police officer on the scene who spoke to the Dagbladet newspaper. Smoke could be seen billowing from a high-rise government building on video images of central Oslo, though Kvernen said that the fires were under control. There were several injured people dripping with blood, and documents, broken glass and debris littered the ground. Reporters on the scene said that the area had not been crowded on a Friday afternoon when many people were on vacation. Kvernen said that police had shut down central Oslo and were urging people to "get home and stay inside. "We are not 100 percent sure what we are dealing with here," he said. The Norwegian news agency NTB quoted police as saying that a bomb caused the explosion. Kvernen said he could not confirm that a bomb was the cause. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, speaking on NRK television, said he was safe and had not been in the area at the time of the explosion. He said no cabinet ministers had been hurt. Kvernen also described "another very dramatic situation" on an island north of Oslo where a youth political conference of the ruling Labor Party was being held. Shots had been fired on the island, he said, and one gunman arrested. "This is really bad," he said. "The police have reason to believe that these incidents are connected." An eyewitness to the shootings on Utoya Island, about 25 miles from the capital, said in an interview on NRK television that he had seen at least 20 bodies at the camp. A video feed from a helicopter over the island broadcast on the TV2 channel showed dozens of small colorful tents at a campground that appeared to be about the length of a football field. Norwegian news media earlier reported dozens of ambulances streaming toward the island from Oslo. Kvernen said that a number of injured people had been evacuated by helicopter and that Norway's equivalent of SWAT teams were searching the island for explosives "and everything." He said that there was not yet a confirmed count of dead and injured at the camp. Norwegian media cited witnesses who said that the shooter on the island was blond and wearing a police uniform, but Kvernen said that there was not yet an official police description of the man who was brought into custody. Norwegian news agency NTB said that former prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland had been present at the conference and that Stoltenberg was scheduled to speak there tomorrow. Chatter on online jihadist forums praising the attacks — and in one instance asserting responsibility for them — started almost immediately afterward, terrorism analysts said, but it remained unclear whether those claims had any substance. A prominent jihadist who goes by the name Abu Suleiman al-Nasser on the Shmukh al-Islam jihadist forum said that the incident was "another message arriving in the countries of Europe from the mujahideen," according to a translation by the SITE Intelligence Group, a terrorism-monitoring organization. He said that Norway had been targeted because of its involvement in Afghanistan and because a Norwegian newspaper had reprinted controversial Danish cartoons of the prophet Muhammad. The U.S. ambassador to Norway, Barry White, said in a telephone interview Friday afternoon that investigators in Norway were still assembling information about the attacks and had not reached any conclusions on who was responsible. "They're still looking at it," White said. "Oftentimes the early answers are the wrong ones." White said that the United States has offered to assist the Norwegian government. "It's a tragedy," he said. "One of the things this demonstrates is there's no place that is safe from a potential incident of this nature. Norway is considered a fairly safe place, and it is, but this demonstrates that things can happen anywhere." In Washington, President Obama expressed his condolences to Norway and offered U.S. support as Norwegian authorities investigate the incidents, which he described as terrorist attacks. Speaking to reporters after an Oval Office meeting with the visiting prime minister of New Zealand, Obama said the events in Norway serve as a "reminder that the entire international community has a stake in preventing this kind of terror from occurring and that we have to work cooperatively together, both on intelligence and in terms of prevention of these kinds of horrible attacks." A spokeswoman for Oslo University Hospital said that 11 injured people had been admitted by Friday evening, some of them in serious condition. It was not immediately clear what kind of bomb had exploded in the capital or where it had been, but NRK television broadcast images of a blackened, damaged vehicle turned on its side near the site of the blast. Norway has been better known for the Nobel Peace Prize than for any warlike demeanor, and the attack appeared to shock residents and the government establishment of the country. Unlike fortified capitals in other cities, central Oslo is open and unsecured; few barriers prevent cars from approaching government buildings. The blast appeared likely to change that. Other Scandinavian countries have been the targets of terrorism, most recently Sweden in December, when two explosions hit Stockholm; in one of the blasts, a suspected terrorist bomber killed himself and injured two other people in a central area of the city. The suspect had made recordings condemning Sweden's involvement in Afghanistan. Norway has also contributed significantly to the NATO-led effort to protect civilians in Libya, sending several F-16 jets that had been carrying out 10 percent of the strikes on the country since March, according to the Norwegian Air Force. The aircraft are scheduled to return home at the end of the month. Earlier this month, Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi threatened Europe with suicide bombings as revenge for the NATO campaign. Norway had also filed charges last week against an Iraqi-born cleric, Mullah Krekar, a founder of the Kurdish militant group Ansar al-Islam, for threatening Norwegian officials with death if he was deported from the country. Staff writers Greg Miller and William Branigin in Washington contributed to this report.  | ||
| Hun Xen very nervous about Jasmine Revolution in Cambodia Posted: 22 Jul 2011 10:22 AM PDT
22 July 2011 Cambodia Express News Translated from Khmer by Soy Phnom Penh – Hun Xen issues yet another warning to the Cambodian opposition party, telling them not to copy the Jasmine Revolution – a legal popular movement to topple the government leader. Hun Xen warned that he will order arrests and he will use the people's force to support his regime in order to counter such movement. During a press conference broadcasted live on TV and radio stations on Friday 22 July 2011 at the Eternal Peace building in Phnom Penh, Hun Xen indicated that the Jasmine Revolution should not be used in Cambodia. "How many are you? How about the people who support the CPP that rule the country, where are they? Don't try! Because we played with each other once already in 1998. In 2003, following the election, the opposition wanted to try this again, but I prepared 220,000 people to counter it." With his declaration, Hun Xen also announced that the Thai Yellow Shirts have prepared funding and armaments to foment an anti- Cambodian government force inside Thailand. But Hun Xen warned that he will issue arrest warrants if such anti-government forces are formed. He also warned that the opposition force [in exile] in Bangkok is also in his hand and it is only a matter of time before measures will be taken. Hun Xen's declaration came immediately after opposition leader Sam Rainsy went to Tunisia to study about the Jasmine Revolution which led to the toppling of the government leader. In a communiqué titled: "Sam Rainsy in Tunisia to prepare People Power in Cambodia", the SRP announced that opposition leader Sam Rainsy will spend 3 days in Tunisia to study about the Jasmine Revolution in North Africa that led to the toppling of Ben Ali, the Tunisian leader, at the beginning of 2011. Sam Rainsy arrived in Tunis in 21 July 2011.  | ||
| Report finds widespread violations at Puma factory in Cambodia Posted: 22 Jul 2011 09:50 AM PDT Jul 22, 2011 DPA Phnom Penh - An independent report commissioned by German sportswear giant Puma AG has uncovered an array of violations of national law, international practices and the company's own rules at a Cambodian subcontractor. Fair Labor Association (FLA), a US-based non-profit group, was asked to investigate conditions at the Huey Chuen factory in Phnom Penh after more than 200 workers apparently fainted over a two-day period in April. Huey Chuen, which employs 3,300 workers, has since 2006 made shoes for Puma, the world's third-biggest sporting goods maker after US-based Nike and Germany's Adidas. The report, which was released July 18, said there was 'a strong possibility' that fainting and illness were due to chemicals, adding that excessive overtime also was likely a contributing factor. Among a litany of breaches, the investigation found Huey Chuen used 'multiple hazardous chemicals.' One such chemical was toluene, which Puma explicitly bans its subcontractors from using. The US government's Environmental Protection Agency says the solvent damages the central nervous system and may cause miscarriages or developmental problems for unborn children. Most of Cambodia's garment workers are young women. The FLA report also found that pregnant women were working 'excessive overtime' and were exposed to chemicals that could cause foetal damage. Puma confirmed Friday that 78 workers at the factory were pregnant and another 34 were nursing. The report noted that Huey Chuen employees were unaware of the dangers of chemicals and lacked suitable protective gear, yet found 'testing was difficult as the investigators could not get close to the workers due to the excessive fumes in some areas.' Among dozens of failings, investigators found no training program for new staff, excessive overtime of up to 130 hours in the preceding four-week period, unclear wage deductions, an inadequate health and safety program, no fire safety plan, and sick leave deducted from annual leave. Puma said Friday it fully accepted the report9s findings. 'Puma is committed in following up every action point in the Corrective Action Plan with the factory in question,' spokeswoman Kerstin Neuber told the German Press Agency dpa by email. She said Puma staff had inspected the Huey Chuen factory regularly over the past five years, adding that it had 'a long history of borderline passing (of labour audits), 85 per cent on average.' Puma blamed problems in part on a lack of institutional support for health and safety in footwear manufacture, although the firm said it was working with the Cambodian government to improve that. The FLA said Huey Chuen had agreed to a 'comprehensive and robust' plan to fix all problems, including agreement to no longer use toluene. Huey Chuen also had pledged to let an independent company test chemical levels, but that could take time since no local firm had that capability. The manufacture of garments and shoes is Cambodia's largest foreign exchange earner and employs around 300,000 workers. Last year Cambodia exported 3 billion dollars' worth of garments, most of it to the United States and the European Union.  | ||
| Cambodia factory faintings put big brands under pressure Posted: 22 Jul 2011 09:49 AM PDT By Prak Chan Thul PHNOM PENH, July 22 (Reuters) - One by one, Yan Chornai's co-workers slumped to the floor of their garment factory in Cambodia's capital, overcome by the sweltering heat, long shifts and choking stench of chemicals. The exact cause of the sudden illness overcoming about 300 workers at the Hung Wah textiles factory this week is unclear. The factory owners have said nothing as dozens of employees like Yan Chornai were being treated in hospital. "I looked around me and everyone was collapsing, everyone was scared and crying," Yan Chornai, 23, said from her hospital bed, hooked to an intravenous drip. The faintings at Hung Wah, which produces clothing for Western brands including H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB (HMb.ST), were not isolated incidents, but part of a growing trend in the "sweat shops" that provide vital revenue for one of Asia's poorest countries. In another Phnom Penh factory, King Fashion Garment, around 300 people fell ill over two days early last month for reasons still unknown. Some of the big brands have launched investigations into what non-governmental organisations say are more than 1,000 faintings this year by garment workers while toiling for long hours, eking out meagre salaries that help feed hundreds of thousands of poor rural families. Among the big Western firms with clothing produced in Cambodia are Marks and Spencer Group Plc , Tesco Plc , Next Plc and Inditex , the world's biggest clothing retailer and owner of Zara. Swedish fashion brand H&M said it was consulting state agencies, workers and independent factory inspectors to find out what happened at Hung Wah this week. "Worker´s health and safety in our supplier factories is of high priority to H&M. Accordingly, we have immediately started investigations as soon as we received information," the company said in an e-mail to Reuters. VITAL SECTOR The increase in faintings this year is the latest in a glut of setbacks for an industry that grew 28 percent and generated more than $3 billion last year from its 300,000 workers at scores of factories, owned mostly by Chinese and Taiwan companies. The garment sector, Cambodia's third-largest currency earner after agriculture and tourism, has been plagued by strikes and protests over working conditions and pay, several spiralling into clashes between the mostly female employees and riot police armed with guns and electric stun batons. More than 210,000 workers from 95 factories went on strike in September last year over pay, following similar protests in China that raised questions over whether other low-cost Asian manufacturing centres would have to raise salaries. The current monthly salary for Cambodian garment workers is about $65, a figure employees complain is insufficient in the face of rising domestic food and fuel prices. Many take on excessive overtime to the point of exhaustion in overcrowded, poorly ventilated factories with low safety standards and high exposure to chemicals. A report in April by Reuters about a spate of illnesses at a factory producing footwear exclusively for Puma prompted the German sports brand to commission an independent inquiry by the Washington-based Fair Labor Association. It concluded there was a "strong possibility" that an estimated 104 faintings over a two-day period were caused by exposure to chemicals, poor ventilation and exhaustion from excessive hours. Following the report's release on Monday, Puma moved swiftly, producing a plan limiting working time at the Huey Cheun factory employing 3,400 people to 60 hours per week and overtime to two hours daily. It also promised health and safety training in the use and storage of chemicals and medical personnel on site at all times. Chea Mony, president of the Free Trade Union, said government officials were to blame for neglecting workers' rights and corruption in their failure to properly monitor conditions in factories. "These working environments are not acceptable. We are really concerned about the conditions in all factories," Chea Mony said. "All of these issues are linked to corruption. Officials must have received favours by allowing this to happen. This is a concern for unions and harmful to workers." (Editing by Martin Petty)  | ||
| Hun Sen Pushes for Three-Party Border Talks Posted: 22 Jul 2011 09:44 AM PDT Friday, 22 July 2011 Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday insisted on three-party talks with Thailand and Indonesia in an effort to implement an international court ruling to resolve the border dispute near Preah Vihear temple. The International Court of Justice ruled in favor of a demilitarized zone and an observer mission earlier this week. Hun Sen told reporters Friday that Cambodia "demands the start of tripartite negotiation with working group of the three parties…to speed up the implementation process of the decision of the International Court of Justice." However, analysts have said that the court lacks enforcement measures for its decisions, meaning the protracted military standoff on the border is likely to continue for now. Hun Sen said Friday that three-way negotiations could begin "at any time, at any place, and at any level." That includes the General Border Committee of Thailand Cambodia, he said. "Cambodia would like to host a meeting to discuss efforts toward the implementation of the ICJ decision." Cambodia has sent a draft agreement to Thailand, Indonesia, the court and the UN Security Council, in an effort to define a demilitarized zone around the temple, he said. The seven-point plan includes reporting progress to the court, plans for Indonesian observers, demarcation of a demilitarized zone, and a plan for the withdrawal of Thai and Cambodian military forces from the zone. "We will start to withdraw the troops at the same hour, at the same time, and the Indonesian observer team can see all troops of both sides withdraw," Hun Sen said. The Bangkok Post reported Friday that Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva wants Cambodia to withdraw its forces ahead of the arrival of an observer mission. Thailand is meanwhile keeping its own forces in the disputed area pending further negotiations, the Post reported.  | ||
| Cambodian PM proposes troop pullout deal with Thailand Posted: 22 Jul 2011 09:42 AM PDT
By Prak Chan Thul PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia's prime minister proposed Friday a deal with Thailand to simultaneously withdraw troops from a newly defined demilitarized zone, in compliance with a United Nations court ruling aimed at defusing tensions in a disputed border area. Hun Sen said Cambodia wanted to respond quickly to Monday's verdict by the International Court of Justice in the Hague, which ordered troops from both countries to pull out of the territory around an 11th century temple to prevent further flare-ups. Thai and Cambodian forces traded gunfire and shelling at two stretches of the 800 km (500 mile) frontier in February and April, killing a total of 18 people and displacing tens of thousands of villagers. "Troop withdrawal must be done simultaneously. The ruling requires both sides to withdraw troops, not just Cambodia," Hun Sen said at a rare news conference that lasted two-and-a-half hours. Indonesia, chairing the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), agreed in February to send 15 unarmed observers to preserve a ceasefire, but that mission never materialized and Thailand, and in particular its military, has been accused of dragging its feet on the issue. Sovereignty of large stretches of the Thai-Cambodia border has been disputed since the French withdrew from Cambodia in the 1950s, with the Preah Vihear temple the thorniest subject. The temple was awarded to Cambodia in a 1962 international court ruling but both nations lay claim to 4.6 sq km (2.5 sq miles) of land around it. Hun Sen said both sides should cooperate fully with the observers, when deployed, and give details to the ICJ about the number and location of their military personnel. He did not propose a timeframe, but said talks should begin immediately. Relations between the historic foes have been strained since Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government came to power in December 2008 and reversed a previous administration's decision to back Cambodia's listing of Preah Vihear as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Hun Sen said he was looking forward to working with a new Thai government led by Prime Minister elect Yingluck Shinawatra, the sister of self-exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, an ally of the long-serving Cambodian strongman. (Editing by Martin Petty and Miral Fahmy)  | ||
| Hun Sen: Thai troops must also leave border DMZ Posted: 22 Jul 2011 09:32 AM PDT 2011-07-22 By SOPHENG CHEANG Associated Press Cambodia's prime minister said Friday that Thai soldiers must be withdrawn from disputed border territory at the same time as his country's troops to comply with the orders of the International Court of Justice. Prime Minister Hun Sen told reporters that the mutual withdrawal will stop flare-ups of fighting in the area and benefit both countries. The Netherlands-based court on Monday created a small demilitarized zone along the border around the centuries-old, Cambodian-owned Preah Vihear temple and ordered the armed forces from both countries to withdraw. Neither Cambodia nor Thailand has set a date for doing so. Hun Sen's comments at a news conference were his first since the court decision, which came in response to an appeal by Phnom Penh. Cambodia also asked for clarification of the 1962 court decision awarding it the temple, to see if it can resolve the dispute over 1.8 square miles (4.6 square kilometers) of land around it. The land became an issue after Thai nationalists protested when Cambodia in 2008 successfully applied to have the temple granted U.N. status as a World Heritage site. Since then, the dispute has become an issue in Thai domestic politics and led to several border clashes, most recently in February, which saw tens of thousands of civilians displaced on both sides and at least 16 people killed, mostly by artillery fire. Thai officials say they want to meet with their Cambodian counterparts to discuss the withdrawals, and they insist that the observers not be allowed in to the area until Cambodian troops have withdrawn. However, they also say they will leave the matter to a new government, which should be installed early next month after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's Democrat Party was defeated in a July 3 general election. Cambodia has said it want the observers in place before withdrawing its troops. The two countries agreed in May to admit observers from Indonesia, but the plan has still not been implemented. Hun Sen said Friday that he is ready to hold a meeting with Thailand and a third party to discuss the withdrawals. Thailand has long insisted on bilateral talks while Cambodia seeks the involvement of a third party _ in practice, Indonesia, as current head of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The Cambodian leader also said he welcomed observers, who could stay wherever they liked.  | ||
| Cambodia, US call for regional talks in border row Posted: 22 Jul 2011 09:30 AM PDT Friday, July 22, 2011 AFP PHNOM PENH — Cambodia on Friday called for outside help to resolve its border dispute with Thailand, as the US lent its support to a regional solution following a UN order to remove troops from the frontier. Premier Hun Sen said Cambodia was ready to hold tripartite talks with Thailand and Indonesia, chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as both neighbours appeared reluctant to act first to comply with the court ruling. The Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Monday said both countries should remove their forces immediately from the area around the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, scene of deadly clashes earlier this year. But neither country has yet withdrawn its soldiers and statements from both sides seem to rule out any imminent action. Thailand earlier this week said talks with Cambodia would precede any military pullout, while Phnom Penh has demanded third party observers must be sent to the border. On Friday US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said ASEAN would be the best forum for the pair to resolve their differences. Both sides should refrain "from taking steps that would escalate into violence," she said during ASEAN meetings on the Indonesian resort island of Bali. Hun Sen said it was "impossible" that there would be negotiations held just between the two sides, slamming "childish language" from outgoing Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. "Tripartite negotiations between Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia can be held anytime, anywhere, and at any levels," he said. Both sides have stressed that troop withdrawal must be simultaneous. Cambodia asked the court for an interpretation of a 1962 ruling on the Preah Vihear temple in April. It then also asked for Thailand to be ordered to withdraw troops. Although Thailand does not dispute Cambodia's ownership of the temple, both Phnom Penh and Bangkok claim the 4.6-square-kilometre (1.8-square-mile) area surrounding the ancient complex. An interpretation of the 1962 ruling could take several more months. In February 10 people were killed in fighting at the temple site and fresh clashes broke out further west in April, leaving 18 dead and prompting 85,000 civilians to flee.  | ||
| Posted: 22 Jul 2011 09:26 AM PDT Friday, July 22, 2011 PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia's prime minister has denounced two U.S.-funded radio stations for what he described as inaccurate and unfair reports. Hun Sen said Friday that reports broadcast in the Cambodian language by Voice of America and Radio Free Asia were groundless. The stations carry news and analysis sometimes critical of the government on subjects such as human rights and corruption. Shortwave radio stations are a major source of unfettered news for people in Asian countries with authoritarian regimes, such as Cambodia and Myanmar. Satellite TV broadcasts are also popular where media is controlled or heavily censored by the government.  | ||
| Court slaps SRP with fine for late report Posted: 22 Jul 2011 09:19 AM PDT Friday, 22 July 2011 Meas Sokchea The Phnom Penh Post The Phnom Penh Municipal court has fined the opposition Sam Rainsy Party for failing to submit its 2006 annual report on time, a decision the SRP blasted as politically motivated. Judge Suos Sam Ath said the SRP had been found in violation of articles 34 and 38 of the Kingdom's Law on Elections, which state that political parties must submit their annual reports to the Ministry of Interior before the end of December each year or face a fine. The Interior Ministry filed complaints against 16 political parties for missing the deadline, though six, including government coalition partner Funcinpec, were absolved after sending apology notes to the ministry. Four parties were struck from the ministry's register of parties, three were suspended temporarily and fined six million riel (US$1,462), and three parties – the SRP and two smaller parties, the Khmer Citizen Party and the Moha Nokor Party – were fined three million riel ($731). Meas Sarim, deputy director general of the Interior Ministry's general department of local administration, who filed the complaint to the court, said the decision represented justice for his ministry. "We must accept this decision because it is the court's authority," he said. SRP spokesman Yim Sovann, however, dismissed the ruling as unreasonable and politically motivated. "Cambodian courts belong to the Cambodian People's Party, so they made this decision unjustly," he said. "We already sent this report and it was received already, but they still decided like this."  | ||
| Posted: 22 Jul 2011 09:16 AM PDT
Friday, 22 July 2011 Vong Sokheng and James O'Toole The Phnom Penh Post An American diplomatic cable from the United States embassy in Bangkok claims that armed Cambodian soldiers have been used to protect loggers working illegally in Thai territory. The cable, made public this month and originally obtained by the anti-secrecy organisation WikiLeaks, dates from December of 2009 and recounts an incident near the border from that month during which one Cambodian logger was killed by Thai troops. Then-US Ambassador to Thailand Eric John wrote in the cable that a source had told the embassy "that Cambodian soldiers were protecting the loggers when shots were exchanged between the two sides, resulting in the death of one of the loggers, who suffered from shotgun and grenade wounds". "Patches confiscated from the Cambodians involved suggested involvement by security personnel, who were presumably moonlighting in this other role," John wrote. Dy Phen, director of the Cambodian-Thai border relations office in Banteay Meanchey province, yesterday denied allegations of military involvement in illegal logging across the border. "As a soldier at the border, I can assure you that individual soldiers would not dare to cross the border illegally to protect loggers because that is a violation of the sovereignty of Thailand," he said. "I think those allegations are just to defend Thai soldiers who performed their duties wrongly and shot unarmed Cambodian civilians." The shootings of Cambodian loggers near the Thai border have been a persistent problem in recent years. Chan Soveth, a senior investigator with the local rights group Adhoc, said yesterday that his group had confirmed the deaths of 22 Cambodian loggers shot by Thai forces in 2010, and is investigating roughly a dozen cases from this year. In January of 2010, just over a month after the shooting described in the US cable, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hor Namhong accused Thai forces who fire on Cambodian loggers of breaching international law. "If Cambodian people do something wrong, [Thai authorities] can punish them by using international law and the principle of human rights," he said, adding that Cambodia had sent Thailand "many diplomatic notes" on the issue. Last week, WikiLeaks released all 777 diplomatic cables from the American embassy in Phnom Penh that the group has in its cache of over 250,000 leaked US State Department documents.  | ||
| Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Khmer House Posted: 22 Jul 2011 09:10 AM PDT
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| A call for justice from a Malaysian citizen for a dead Cambodian maid Posted: 22 Jul 2011 07:57 AM PDT To whom it may concerned, ysy.yew@gmail.comWe came across a blog on your website (khmerization.blogspot.com) regarding "Malaysia Embassy saved Cambodian maid alerted by Khmerization's article", posted on 23 March 2011. We would like to bring your attention to a recent death of a Cambodia maid which we suspected the actual cause of death is due to the constant physical and mental tortured by her employer. According to the local neighbourhood, they do constantly witness the deceased being beaten up and abused and had many times sought help from other maids in the neighbourhood. A day before her death, she passed down a message saying that if she really pass away without any valid reason, please inform her uncle back in Cambodia. What even provoking is that when we checked with the local police station, the feedback we get from the police officer is they had concluded the cause of death was due to natural causes i.e lungs infection. Rumors had been circulating around here saying that bribe has been given to the local police station officer to cover up the case as the employer is a well known and wealthy local businessman. Not much personal details about this Cambodian maid we could provide to you. What we know is her name is KHOR PHAIK, about 15 years of age, her maid agent company name in Cambodia is TSE. She was found dead on 17th of July 2011 in the morning, lying at the back door of her employer's residence at No.3 Lorong Aman 7 Taman Robina 13050 Teluk Air Tawar Butterworth Penang Malaysia, by her employer. No further news were heard since her death. As a sympathetic local community, this is what we can do the most to help this young pity Cambodian maid to seek for justice for her death. We sincerely hope some action could taken from your side to investigate further into this case. Thank you! Yip Soon Yew --------------------- Khmerization's Note's: Khmerization appeals to all readers to please write to the Malaysian Embassy in Cambodia (malppenh@kln.gov.my), the Kuala Lumpur Police (rmp@rmp.gov.my) as well as the Cambodian Embassy in Malaysia at (camemb.mys@mfa.gov.kh). This is a very said ending for this young maid and her death must not be allowed to be forgotten. Thanks.  | ||
| Road traffic and sidewalks in Phnom Penh Posted: 22 Jul 2011 12:44 AM PDT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmfPjLx2ARk&feature=player_embedded  | ||
| Clinton praises China, ASEAN over South China Sea Posted: 22 Jul 2011 12:24 AM PDT Friday, July 22, 2011 AFP NUSA DUA, Indonesia — US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday praised China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for agreeing on guidelines aimed at defusing tensions over the South China Sea. "I want to commend China and ASEAN for working so closely together to include implementation guidelines for the declaration of conduct in the South China Sea," Clinton said before meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi. Clinton and Yang met on the Indonesian resort island of Bali a day ahead of the ASEAN Regional Forum, Asia's premier security dialogue that also includes senior ministers from Southeast Asia, Japan, the Koreas, Russia and Australia. One of the most pressing diplomatic issues in Asia in recent months has been a rise in tensions among rival claimants to the South China Sea, believed to be rich in oil and gas deposits and home to shipping lanes vital to global trade. China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims to all or parts of the South China Sea. Tensions in the decades-long dispute flared amid accusations by the Philippines and Vietnam that China was being increasingly aggressive in staking its claim to the entire sea. But China and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) announced on Wednesday in Bali a "breakthrough" in the dispute, endorsing a set of guidelines designed to reduce tensions in the waters. China told the United States on Friday to respect Chinese "territorial integrity", amid simmering tensions focused on the South China Sea. Yang made the comments to Clinton during a bilateral meeting, according to a spokesman from China's delegation. "The Chinese side raised its own concerns, which is that it is important to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China," spokesman Liu Weiming said. "And to respect China's major concerns in the issues of Tibet and some other sensitive issues. I sense that the US side understands the sensitivity of these issues and they agreed to further promote dialogue and mutual understanding." Liu said Yang and Clinton specifically discussed the South China Sea, which China claims as its own. "The conclusion of the guidelines... is of great significance and it will go a long way (to help) peace and stability in this region," Yang said. "(It will also help) the proper handling and the settlement of the disputes among the claimants." US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell told reporters earlier Friday that the United States believed the guidelines were a circuit breaker, but much more needed to be done. "It's an important first step. It has lowered the tensions, improved atmospherics," Campbell said. "But clearly it's just that: a first step, and we're going to need to see follow-on interactions between China and ASEAN."  |
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Regarding this topic "A call for justice....." posted on 22 Jul, it is highly unethical to publish the sender detail without his/her consent. Hope you could remove it at once.
This article is a syndication only. Any further comment about the privacy, please refer to the source of that article.