KI Media: “PAD: Reject ICJ ruling” plus 22 more |
- PAD: Reject ICJ ruling
- Two injured in ‘brutal’ crackdown
- US-China ties all at sea
- Villagers fear eviction after homes marked
- Armed Forces Recruit Thousands To Fill Ranks
- Cambodia Awaiting Monitors for Border Withdrawal
- Six booby traps waiting to blow a hole in Yingluck's government
- ICJ’s ruling on Thai-Cambodia an affirmation of ASEAN’s role
- "I am here" - A Poem by Peauladd Huy
- Cambodia insists deployment of ASEAN observers to temple area after U.N. Court's order
- Sinatoon: Nget (Ngort) that's me (Atmat)
- County representatives travel to Cambodia for FCM project
- Thailand's Preah Vihear nightmare
- Abhisit passes ICJ torch
- Sacrava's Political Cartoon: The Iron Mask
- COMFREL will conducts Women Can Do It Training Courses in Takeo, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Cham, and Kampong Thom provinces in this 3rd quarter of 2011
- COMFREL Press Release the Result of Workshop on Voter's Voice in Remote Areas; Krang Skear, Teuk Push, Kg Chhnang Province
- "Without fighters, there will be not demonstration by monks" - Opinion by Ven. Phuong Thach
- Various Khmer Kampcuhea Krom articles
- On ther term "Cambodia" - An email exchange between Lok Bora Touch and Michael Vickery
- "Legal registration for Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand" - By Ven. Phuong Thach
- "ប្រើរដ្ឋធម្មនុញ្ញឬប្រើច្បាប់កម្មផល?" a Poem in Khmer by NhiekKiri
- A Big Thank You for Mr. Lim Kim-Ya ... from Tola Ek
| Posted: 20 Jul 2011 09:55 AM PDT 20/07/2011 Bangkok Post The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) on Wednesday issued four statements, calling on the government and the military to reject the ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the demilitarisation of the disputed area around Preah Vihear temple issue. The PAD demanded that the government and the military urgently:
The ICJ on Monday ordered Thailand and Cambodia to both withdraw troops from the 4.6 square kilometre disputed area, which would be part of a provisional demilitarised zone, and annolunced provisional measures for the two countries to follow to reduce confrontation and bring about peace.  | ||
| Two injured in ‘brutal’ crackdown Posted: 20 Jul 2011 09:52 AM PDT
Khouth Sophakchakrya The Phnom Penh Post Police armed with guns, electric batons and shields cracked down on a protest of about 300 people at the Supertex garment factory in Phnom Penh yesterday, injuring at least two people. A dispute has simmered between more than 1,300 workers and the company's management over unpaid wages since the factory closed its doors last month and reportedly began selling off assets. Tuy Pheap, 29, a former Supertex employee, said the crackdown by about 100 police and military police at the protest outside the Supertex factory, in Meanchey district, was "brutal and inhumane". "I don't remember the face of the official who used violence against me, but I was punched in the neck by the hand of someone from the authorities, kicked in my belly and stepped on repeatedly when I fell against the ground," she said. Phak Phanna, 32, said she was kicked below the stomach and dragged to the ground by her hair during the protest. "The authorities did not push the factory owner to pay our salaries for the end of our contracts, but they subdued us women brut-ally," she said. Chhun Sam Aun, a mediator with the Free Trade Union, said yesterday the owner of Supertex had agreed to grant former employees compensation at a hearing of the Arbitration Council on Monday. The proposed package includes severance pay as well as compensation for loss of employment and for failure to provide adequate notice of dismissal to workers. Chhun Sam Aun said the Arbitration Council would hear the case again on July 21. A police officer who spoke on the condit-ion of anonymity said yesterday that authorities had intervened because the protest caused traffic congestion, though he denied that any violence had been used. "They slipped and fell by themselves – no authorities hit them. [Police] pushed them from the street to facilitate traffic [flow]," the oficer said. Liv Man, a former Supertex administration chief, said he did not know what resolution would be reached in the dispute because he had also been sacked.  | ||
| Posted: 20 Jul 2011 09:47 AM PDT Wednesday, 20 July 2011 Michael Martina and Raju Gopalakrishnan The Phnom Penh Post Relations between the United States and China could hit another rough patch this week at Asia's biggest security forum, where some participants will seek US help to thwart what they see as Beijing's expansionism in the South China Sea. US-China ties are already being tested. Beijing has reacted angrily to President Barack Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama at the weekend, calling it a violat-ion of its internal affairs, but stopped short of threatening retaliation. That row comes only days before US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton heads to the Indonesian resort island of Bali for the annual Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum. The meeting will focus on disputed atolls and islands in the oil-rich South China Sea, and China's perceived muscle-flexing there. "It could be a rough ARF," Simon Tay, chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said, referring to the forum. "The bilateral relationship has not been the best, and this will make it worse." Vietnam and the Philippines have accused China of acting aggressively over the past few weeks in asserting its claims to the strategically located and potentially lucrative waters, which straddle vital shipping lanes. Both have been looking to Washington to support their case, while China is adamant about not involving other parties to help resolve the matter. "Chinese leaders can't be seen to be weak on this issue because of the backlash they will get within their country," Ian Storey, a fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, said. China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan all claim parts of the South China Sea. China's claim is the largest. ASEAN foreign ministers are likely to call for a long-awaited code of conduct for all parties in the South China Sea to be finalised by the end of this year. "Things do not necessarily have to be this slow. We need to see some progress on the South China Sea," Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said while inaugurating the meeting. "We need to send a strong signal to the world that the future of the South China Sea is a predictable, manageable and an optimistic one." Although some analysts say the South China Sea dispute could lead to an armed conflict, many feel that would not be in any party's interests. China transports as much as 80 per cent of its oil imports through the South China Sea, and sends exports through the same waters to Europe, the Middle East and Africa. "It is clearly in no country's interest for the free flow of maritime trade through the South China Sea to be disrupted, and we are not nearly at that point yet," Storey said. Kao Kim Hourn, a secretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will lead Cambodia's delegation to the summit. Koy Kuong, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, declined to weigh in directly on the South China Sea dispute, saying only that Cambodia hoped to see the issue settled according to the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which was signed by China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at a 2002 ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh. "We urge all relevant parties to implement the DOC … in order to move toward a peaceful resolution," he said. "All ASEAN countries signed, along with China, on the issue of territorial integrity and sovereignty between China and Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia."  | ||
| Villagers fear eviction after homes marked Posted: 20 Jul 2011 09:23 AM PDT
Wednesday, 20 July 2011 Kim Yuthana The Phnom Penh Post More than 50 representatives of a community in Sen Sok district's Teuk Thla commune gathered yesterday at the commune office to inquire about why local officials had spray-painted red markings on their homes, fearing they may be set for demolition. The villagers claimed to be representing roughly 400 families in Teuk Thla's Trapaing Chhouk village whose homes were marked and numbered by police and local officials this week. Community representative Chheang Rith, 39, said these officials did not give residents any indication of why their homes were being marked, prompting widespread fears of an impending eviction. "We aren't holding a strike or a demonstration," he said. "We just want the authorities to clarify why they sprayed red numbers on the walls of our homes." Trapaing Chhouk resident Leav Srey Touch, 39, told commune chief Tan Navin that she had been paralysed with anxiety since the number was sprayed on her home. "I am so worried that I cannot sleep or eat because of this," she said. "I don't know what [local officials] want to do." Trapaing Chhouk was gutted by fire in 2008, and current residents of the area have therefore been forced to rebuild their homes on the site of the previous community. Tan Navin told the assembled residents that he did not know about the policy behind the spraying of the homes, but that the rationale would be revealed next week. Later in the day yesterday, however, he told The Post that the government planned to renovate the area to decrease the risk of fire. "The measurements are to develop a road and drainage system for the area to avoid the risk of a fire like in 2008," he said, adding that the surveying of the homes would help local officials preserve "order" in the community. "This area has a lot of rented homes that cause disorder and are involved in drug use and trafficking," he said. Sia Phearum, secretariat director for the local NGO Housing Rights Task Force, called yesterday for local officials to be transparent about their plans for the area and the homes of the affected villagers. "The authorities should call the villagers to attend a meeting and tell them clearly why the surveying was done so that they aren't frightened," he said.  | ||
| Armed Forces Recruit Thousands To Fill Ranks Posted: 20 Jul 2011 01:10 AM PDT
Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh
The Cambodian military has added 3,000 new recruits to bolster its ranks, and to replace retiring soldiers. Recruitment efforts are underway to select soldiers for four separate divisions, along with a special unit based in Kratie province, said Chhum Socheat, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense. Chhum Socheat said the recruitment drive was looking for volunteers, not conscripts. "We need quality, not quantity," he said. The recruitment drive comes amid a tense border standoff with Thailand that is now more than three years old. The standoff over land near Preah Vihear temple prompted an outpouring of public support for the Cambodian military, but the International Court of Justice ordered a provisional demilitarization zone on Monday. The border conflict has meant little opposition to a growing military, despite persistent problems in public health, education and other sectors. "We should have soldiers to protect the border, because neighboring countries always have an ambition to invade Cambodia," Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, told VOA Khmer. Lao Monghay, an independent analyst, said the new recruits should not be taken all at once. "This is a new strategy to protect national security, and we don't have the number of military soldiers," he said. "It is difficult to support the soldiers." On Sunday, military officials in Kandal province oversaw a recruitment drive there for a special unit. Po Samdy, a two-star general and deputy commander of the unit, thanked the youths and their families "for helping protect our country." Sem Sokleng, 22, who stood among other freshly crew-cut youths, said he had joined to protect Cambodia from "invasion." "I'm brave, and I want to share that with all Cambodian people," he said. "If neighboring countries invade our country, we would be destroyed," said Bok Sinat, 24. "That why we have to volunteer." Bres Leng, 53, said he had a son who was volunteering for the unit. "Former soldiers have allowed their sons to be soldiers," he said. Neang Khen, a two-star general and commander of the infantry for Region 41, told VOA Khmer he needed to add 1,000 more soldiers to his ranks to protect the border. "A while ago, we modernized, but we don't have enough soldiers because of aging soldiers," he said. "So we have to replace the retired soldiers only."  | ||
| Cambodia Awaiting Monitors for Border Withdrawal Posted: 20 Jul 2011 12:49 AM PDT Tuesday, 19 July 2011 Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh
Cambodian officials say they are prepared to comply with an international court order to demilitarize an area surrounding Preah Vihear temple, but not until third-party monitors arrive. The International Court of Justice in The Hague on Monday ordered troops from both sides to clear a provisional demilitarized zone around the temple, which has been at the heart of a deadly military standoff since July 2008. It also ordered that both sides allow observers to have access to that zone. Indonesia, as head of Asean, has offered to provide observers. The court decision was in response to a Cambodian request for the court to clarify a decision it made in 1962 over not only the temple, which it awarded to Cambodia, but surrounding lands that both sides still lay claim to. Chhum Socheath, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, told VOA Khmer on Tuesday Cambodia was willing to withdraw from the area but would implement the court order "step by step." "When there is a presence of Indonesian observers to monitor a permanent ceasefire in the provisional demilitarized zone, we must withdraw from the border area," he said. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who chaired a national security council meeting Tuesday, was quoted saying he has assigned officials to map out talks with Cambodia to implement the international court order. He said he believe a General Border Committee between the two sides was the best channel for implementing the order, the daily Nation reported. The court order had no bearing on border demarcation, he said, according to the Nation. Chhum Socheath said Cambodia is not opposed to talks with Thailand, under the framework of Asean.  | ||
| Six booby traps waiting to blow a hole in Yingluck's government Posted: 20 Jul 2011 12:35 AM PDT July 20, 2011 By Tulsathit Taptim The Nation [On the border with Cambodia:] All in all, there will be occasional excitement, but nothing that smart diplomacy can't handle. As long as the Yingluck government doesn't give Cambodia a lucrative something, like a gas concession, while conceding Thai border "sovereignty", that is. The simple reason why is that all hell usually breaks loose afterwards. To Yingluck Shinawatra, the Election Commission has presented either the final obstacle to what is seen by some as a romantic political journey, or the first real glimpse of what lies beyond the shower of flowers, cheers and adulation from her supporters. Yesterday's belated endorsement by the EC shattered the slight possibility that the inauguration might collapse and she might be mercifully spared all the menace knocking on the prime ministerial door. Already, her Pheu Thai Party is admitting that a "big mess" awaits Thailand's first female leader, and, for all its tendency to exaggerate, this one is a spot-on assessment. Where Pheu Thai is possibly wrong is the assumption that the looming misery is something exclusively left behind by the Democrats. Whether Abhisit Vejjajiva's party is to be blamed, or the "big mess" originated from somewhere else, a floodgate of serious problems is set to open sooner rather than later. Dealing with them will not be easy, but first she will have to prioritise them, which is equally difficult. Here's my little bit to help. It is not a "Dos and Don'ts" list. Some problems will definitely come whether she courts them or not. It's just the way things are after a fairy tale. This severity ranking, which, of course, is subjected to possible changes, is my thought on what Yingluck should be afraid, or very afraid, of: Wealth declaration. This is by no means a Democrat mess. Yingluck said a lot during Thaksin's assets trial and she could now get entangled in her own words. One may get away with millions of baht, or even tens of millions of baht, that went missing between then and now, but hundreds of millions of baht would be hard to ignore and easy to trace. If she said she owned something back then, she could be asked where that something is now. One mistake and she could be accused of perjury or indicted for filing a false assets report. Severity rating: 8 The Cabinet landmines. How many red shirts will be ministers? How to choose a new chief of defence that won't send the over-sensitive Thai military ballistic? How can she avoid, or conceal, Thaksin's fingerprints in the Cabinet set-up? Who should be the foreign minister, with so many hot potatoes waiting? Good news is, a Cabinet can always be formed against all odds. Bad news is, when a government becomes weak immediately, this is when seeds of instability are irretrievably planted. Severity rating: 7 The amnesty death trap. Yingluck can't get enough warnings over this. Even some of her moderate supporters have begun to agree that any attempt to absolve Thaksin Shinawatra, no matter how well and seemingly fairly it is plotted, will shove the new government to the brink. In an interview aired by TPBS on Monday night, Thaksin was asked why he couldn't just "do a Nelson Mandela" and get it over with. He reiterated he would never spend a single day in jail for a crime he said he did not commit. The impasse, therefore, remains, but that doesn't mean Yingluck has to bridge it. She will have to resist the strong urge and pressure to absolve him, though. Severity rating: 9 The impossible promises. So much fuss has been made about the "impracticality" of Pheu Thai's economic and welfare pledges, like Thais have never been lied to. Truth is, "It's all about Thaksin, stupid". As long as Yingluck doesn't touch the amnesty, she can go on breaking her election promises all day and the most she'll lose is her face, not her job. Severity rating: 3 The black Cambodian comedy. Good news is, the yellow shirts are virtually blaming the outgoing Abhisit government for everything related to our eastern neighbour. Bad news is, the Democrat leader never hugged Hun Sen so passionately and spent quality time with the Phnom Penh head's innermost circle. More good news is, the Democrat leader never hugged Hun Sen so passionately and spent quality time with the Phnom Penh head's innermost circle. (Yes, you read it right. All I'm saying is "the hug" can either be good for Yingluck, or blow up in her face if things go seriously wrong between the two countries). Latest signs from the International Court of Justice suggest it is too diplomatic to embarrass either country, and at least a year will pass before the ICJ "clarifies" its 1962 Preah Vihear Temple verdict. But Veera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipattanapaiboon remain in Cambodian jail and doubts remain over whether they will accept Thaksin's helping hand. All in all, there will be occasional excitement, but nothing that smart diplomacy can't handle. As long as the Yingluck government doesn't give Cambodia a lucrative something, like a gas concession, while conceding Thai border "sovereignty", that is. Severity rating: 6 The Thaksin big bang. This is last but not least. Contacts with the man when Pheu Thai was in opposition were one thing, but flying to see him, having him phone in, or letting him publicly dispense advice to the government from now on could trigger a catastrophe. Yingluck and many Pheu Thai members will be "state officials" in a few days and Thaksin remains a fugitive convict. Every law requires her to find his whereabouts or seek his arrest, and her opponents will take full advantage of that. They will keep their radar on around the clock, not for whether she will fulfil that obligation, but for whether she or other government officials are keeping in contact with him. Fair or unfair, this is potentially a nuke that could blow the new government away. All it'll take to detonate is a wayward Cabinet member found in Dubai or Brunei or a loose-tongued justice minister who announces "I talked to him last night." Severity rating: 10  | ||
| ICJ’s ruling on Thai-Cambodia an affirmation of ASEAN’s role Posted: 20 Jul 2011 12:05 AM PDT Wednesday, July 20, 2011 Mustaqim Adamrah The Jakarta Post Nusa Dua, Bali The recent ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the Thai-Cambodian border conflict has been cited as proof of ASEAN's leverage, with the court ordering both parties to allow an ASEAN observer team in, says the ASEAN secretary general. Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan said the world court had rendered a judgment that would help Thailand and Cambodia find common positions on the way forward to resolve the conflict between them. "This is an affirmation of ASEAN's contribution as part of the 'regional arrangement in the UN charter' that the world body, the UN, has been working with regional organizations in the maintenance of peace and security around the world," he told The Jakarta Post in an interview on Tuesday. "ASEAN, without exception, is being called upon and will be taking the mandate forward. ASEAN will need the cooperation of both parties, recognizing the growth that ASEAN shall contribute." Pitsuwan said, however, that it would take time for both parties to interpret the ICJ's ruling for compliance with the judgment. "I think we will have to wait for the two parties to agree on the next step forward for ASEAN to be able to continue facilitating productive offices. I think [Indonesian Foreign Minister and current chair of ASEAN] Pak Marty [Natalegawa] will be directly in touch with both parties," he said. The ICJ said in its ruling on Monday that by a tally of 11 votes to five, both parties should immediately withdraw their military personnel currently present in the provisional demilitarized zone and refrain from any military presence within that zone or any armed activity directed at it. Having noted that the Preah Vihear temple area had been the scene of armed clashes between the parties and that such clashes might reoccur, the court decided that in order to ensure that no irreparable damage was caused, there was an urgent need for the presence of all armed forces to be temporarily excluded from a provisional demilitarized zone around the area of the temple. The Court also concluded by 15 votes to one that Thailand should not obstruct Cambodia's free access to the Preah Vihear temple or prevent it from providing fresh supplies to its non-military personnel. It said that Cambodia and Thailand should continue their cooperation within ASEAN, and, in particular, allow observers appointed access to the provisional demilitarized zone and that both parties should refrain from any action that might aggravate or extend the dispute or obstruct attempts at resolution. Echoing Pitsuwan, Marty said that while he had not read the court's decision in its entirety, it was encouraging. "It is encouraging to note that the [United Nations] Security Council and now the ICJ recognize that ASEAN has a role to play in helping facilitate resolution of this issue," he told a press briefing after an ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) here. He said ASEAN sentiments pertaining to the latest developments in the ICJ's ruling would not be included in the joint communiqué of the AMM issued later that day. However, he said both sides remained committed to complying with and implementing the court's decision to work with ASEAN to receive observers first as part of efforts to resolve the issues. "I also heard from both sides that they remain committed to a peaceful solution. Both sides continue to welcome the appropriate engagement of ASEAN," he said. The conflict has led to repeated skirmishes on Thai0-Cambodian border areas in the vicinity of three ancient temples — Preah Vihear, Ta Moan and Ta Krabey — claiming at least 23 lives on both sides since early this year. Indonesia said that sending an observation team is necessary to verify who might have precipitated the fighting, as the two countries have accused each other of firing first.  | ||
| "I am here" - A Poem by Peauladd Huy Posted: 19 Jul 2011 11:54 PM PDT For additional poems by Peauladd, click here I am here -for my momma, my hero. 1 There is a reason I am here in the world. I can no longer wait to be acknowledged by someone believing that this is only for matters concerning the earth and what's already done. I am somebody – once speaking face to face, man to man, but you dismissed me, kicking me in my chest and head, again and again, when I appealed to you speaking the same language in the routine of torture. You said, shut up, if you cry, you'll get more. What was I to do but stand up for myself. Your threats no longer affect me. Do you hear me? I am beyond reproach. What more can you do? Piss on my bones again? 2 Don't be alarmed, Reader. I am here to speak because they are too afraid to remember, still too stunned to speak out what are making them cry out at night. (Children, mothers and fathers now, are still shaking awake between damp sheets in the a.m. hours. Refusing sleep to deny a life of nightmares.) I am not like them. Did you think that I would shut down that easily? That I would crumble again and yield (to bury the hatchet) because now you said impunity for the Khmer Rouge defectors. That their slates are wiped clean, each killing dismissed, each life meaningless. 3 Reader discretion is advised. What do you make me of? An animal again before my frightened children: a ewe to be gutted-up for your experimental eating pleasure. You, you, and you over there in council chair, do you think I don't know how many gall bladders it took to dye your eyes a permanent yellow? You, you, you, you, you. Whoever is left, you know who you are. Shame on you, even now, still having the gall to deny us our part in our own history book? We're a saga, an era of mass slain. What are you afraid of – that your own children will see you as monsters?  | ||
| Cambodia insists deployment of ASEAN observers to temple area after U.N. Court's order Posted: 19 Jul 2011 11:22 PM PDT July 20, 2011 Xinhua Cambodia on Tuesday insisted the deployment of Indonesian observers to the disputed border area next to the 11th century Preah Vihear temple as soon as possible in order to comply with the order of the International Court of Justice. In an official letter to Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, current ASEAN chair, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Nanhong informed Marty about the World Court's decision concerning to the case of the disputed border area between Cambodia and Thailand, according to Koy Kuong, the spokesman for Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Tuesday. "The minister also insists Indonesia to dispatch its observers to the newly defined demilitarized zone around the temple of Preah Vihear as soon as possible in order to honor the Court's decision." The letter was made after the U.N. Court on Monday afternoon ordered Cambodia and Thailand to immediately withdraw their military personnel currently present in the provisional demilitarized zone around the area of Preah Vihear temple. It added that Cambodia and Thailand should continue their co- operation within ASEAN and, in particular, allow the observers appointed by that organization to have access to the provisional demilitarized zone. Cambodia and Thailand agreed to accept Indonesian observers to monitor a ceasefire on their respective border side on Feb. 22 at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Jakarta, but the deployment has always been delayed because Thailand demanded that Cambodian soldiers be withdrawn from the disputed area near the temple first. The World Court awarded Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia in 1962 and the temple was enlisted as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008. The border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand occurred just a week after the enlistment as Thailand claims the ownership of 4.6 square kilometers (1.8 square miles) of scrub next to the temple. Since then, both sides have built up military forces along the border and periodic clashes have happened, resulting in the deaths of troops and civilians on both sides.  | ||
| Sinatoon: Nget (Ngort) that's me (Atmat) Posted: 19 Jul 2011 11:19 PM PDT
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| County representatives travel to Cambodia for FCM project Posted: 19 Jul 2011 11:12 PM PDT Tuesday, July 19, 2011 SANDRA M. STANWAY Brooks Bulletin Agriculture, roads and communications are the same priorities in Kang Meas, Cambodia as they are in the County of Newell. County councillor Anne Marie Philipsen represented council when she traveled to Cambodia in July with the county's economic development project coordinator, Michelle Gietz. It was the second trip as part of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Canadian International Development Agency's international program to assist underdeveloped communities implement economic development projects. In their July meeting, Philipsen and Gietz have guided the community to determine their top priorities. They met with 60 councillors. Six councillors represent one commune (division) and each division has 10,000 people. In addition there were representatives from the district council. "So there's two layers of government within the county," Philipsen said. "It was really interesting when we narrowed it down to three priorities. They were roads, irrigation and information (education for the farmers)," Philipsen said. "It's interesting how that's the same here except they have no money," she added. There is no money at the commune level and the district has roughly $30,000 per year for 100,000 people and no way to collect taxes so any project is a major project. As one of the priorities, the Canadians were asked to build 50 kms of roads. The group managed to narrow it to the most critical portion of road. The group decided on 500 metres of road which represents an area that becomes isolated during the rainy season. Getting product to market is almost impossible. "It was a piece of road that could be a shortcut to the city, but it was so bad. From June to November it is not passable," she said. To raise money for such projects, the community holds a fundraiser. "We have the Kinsmen and Rotary. They have the elders," she said. "The elders were playing music and sitting on the side of the road with a can collecting money. "As soon as they have enough money, they buy a truckload of dirt or a truckload of rocks," she said. In addition to the road, farmers in the same commune take a portion of their product to sell at market. Instead of only some able to transport their product by motorbike, if they're fortunate, or by ox and a cart, it was suggested that a co-operative be formed to take more product together. The second priority is irrigation but the desire to build a dam is too expensive. "It's just too big. We didn't know how to bring it down to a smaller project," she said. So the next project chosen is to help get information to farmers. "Apparently the farmers in that area - they are right by the river - grow about three tonnes a hectare (2,677 lbs per acre) of rice where they should be able to get 10 tonnes per acre," she said. To increase those numbers, a different way of farming is available, however, the farmers don't have the information. "The information is available at the government level but it doesn't get down to the commune level," she said. The group will ask the district agriculturalist to get information to the farmers to find some who will volunteer their farm to try a new farming technique. "The problem is the farmers are scared. If they have no harvest or a lesser yield, they have no food," she said. The group will meet for a third time in September, when they travel to the county. Before Gietz and Philipsen left Canada, individual councillors donated $200. "We bought them a printer and paper and a load of rocks for the road," she said. They also carried a suitcase of items that were donated for the schools. "They were very much appreciated," she said. Many of the councillors were afraid to participate but soon learned that when they first spoke they were presented a pen with a Canadian flag on it. "That got them going, so that was good," she said. The two groups will pick up the third meeting in Canada when they arrive in the county in September. All costs are covered by FCM.  | ||
| Thailand's Preah Vihear nightmare Posted: 19 Jul 2011 10:58 PM PDT July 20, 2011 By Avudh Panananda The Nation ANALYSIS The dispute over the vicinity of Preah Vihear Temple will forever be a nightmare unless Thailand can form a common stand to negotiate with Cambodia. Without a consensus in society, even the International Court of Justice may not be able to bring about a successful conclusion to the long-festering dispute. And the country is likely to plunge deeper into misery if and when the ICJ issues interpretation of the 1962 judgement concerning Preah Vihear. Presently attention is being focused on the ICJ's order for provisional measures, particularly the provisional demilitarised zone and the withdrawal of Thai and Cambodian military personnel. But the ICJ's order goes beyond provisional measures. By an unanimous decision, the 16 presiding judges rejected Thailand's request for dismissal. This means the ICJ will proceed to interpret the 1962 judgement as per the Cambodian request. Following two public hearings in May, the judges have outlined interpretation to cover three issues. First issue is the meaning and scope of Preah Vihear vicinity on Cambodian territory. At issue is not the precinct of the temple but its vicinity. Thailand contends instantaneous compliance on the judgement pertaining to vicinity on the Cambodian side of the frontier. But the two countries appear to have differing views on frontier and vicinity. Second issue is whether the obligation for troops withdrawal imposed on Thailand in 1962 is of the continuing or instantaneous character. Legal jargon aside, the ICJ is about to interpret whether Thailand was right to remove troops from certain areas but keep on the deployment at other areas surrounding the temple. Third issue is whether the 1962 judgement did or did not recognise with binding force the line shown on the map (drawn up in 1907 by the Franco-Siamese Mixed Commission) as representing the frontier between Cambodia and Thailand. Interpretation on this last issue is most critical because the ICJ will either validate or invalidate Thailand's claim in regard to the Thai-Cambodian borders pertaining to the temple. If Thailand continues to allow partiship and domestic political rivalry to cloud judgement, then the prospects for two neighbouring countries to achieve a win-win solution is virtually nil with or without the ICJ's interpretation and provisional measures. All sides, particularly the rival Democrat and Pheu Thai parties, must form consensus on how to handle the temple's vicinity, otherwise the country may end up an outcast in the international community.  | ||
| Posted: 19 Jul 2011 10:36 PM PDT
Next govt to decide on bilateral Cambodia talks 20/07/2011 Pradit Ruangdit, Nopparat Kingkaeo and Prasit Tangprasert Bangkok Post Outgoing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the decision on bilateral negotiations between Thailand and Cambodia to comply with the International Court of Justice's ruling will rest with the next government. Mr Abhisit discussed the implication of the court's verdict ordering both Thailand and Cambodia to withdraw troops from a provisional demilitarised zone which the court defined around the Preah Vihear temple with security authorities, the Foreign Ministry and the Council of State yesterday. He ordered foreign affairs and defence officials to set a direction for negotiations to take place. Mr Abhisit said he hopes the new government will follow the direction to be proposed by the authorities and that the new government will do its best to protect Thai territory. For the time being, Mr Abhisit insisted that Thai soldiers would stay in their present locations to protect the areas Thailand considers its territory. He said the court's order for a troop withdrawal concerns many people in both Thailand and Cambodia. After the meeting, Mr Abhisit said the demilitarised zone drawn up by the ICJ covers an area of 17.3 square kilometres and reaches deeper into both sides of the watershed line that Thailand viewed as its border with Cambodia. See also: Yingluck, Abhisit approved Respect the court According to Mr Abhisit, the DMZ comprises 8.5 sq km of Thai soil and 8.8 sq km of Cambodian soil. The Thai part includes 4.5 sq km of the 4.6-sq km disputed area surrounding Preah Vihear temple. Sources familiar with the court procedure said this was the first time the court specified a map for both parties to work on. The reason could be that the court believes with each side holding on to its own territorial claims, Thailand and Cambodia would not talk to each other to end the conflict. The sources said they do not understand what basis the world court used to draw the DMZ. That the troops-free zone is larger than the 4.6 sq km disputed area could mean the court did not want to rule on the boundary issue yet or to disappoint either country, the sources said. According to Mr Abhisit, Cambodia would have to pull about 4,000 soldiers from the zone if it is to honour the court's provisional measure. The number of Thai soldiers to be pulled out was much smaller, he said. The PM indicated that a process must be established to assure that Cambodia would not send its military personnel to the DMZ again. This includes a means to detect if soldiers are sent into the area in civilian guise. Mr Abhisit said it would be necessary to check if Cambodians who live in the disputed area are really civilians. Mr Abhisit insisted that the order would not have any impact on Thai territory. The setting up of the DMZ is a temporary measure to reduce the risk of clashes while the court considers Cambodia's request for reinterpretation of the 1962 ruling which awarded it Preah Vihear, he said. Sources said the Monday ruling which demanded Cambodia to also pull its soldiers from the area must be disappointing for the country. "Cambodia has refused to withdraw military personnel from the temple even though it was required by the 1999 memorandum of understanding signed by both countries and despite repeated requests by Thailand," the sources said. Mr Abhisit said there has not yet been any sign of military withdrawal by Cambodia. On Tuesday, Bayon Radio of Phnom Penh announced that Cambodia had "won" the court case at the ICJ. The radio also stated that Cambodian soldiers would stay put at their present locations. Cambodian people could rest assured that the temple area and places where there are Cambodian communities belong to Cambodia. Col Prawit Hukaeo, spokesman for the 2nd Army supervising the Thai border with Cambodia, said situations along the border have remained calm but both Thai and Cambodian soldiers were still deployed on the border. Col Prawit said his unit despatched public relations officers to meet villagers living near the border. He said most residents had a good understanding about the situation but some people had already packed their belongings and were ready to evacuate the area. Surapol Pongthadsirikul, deputy permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry, said the ministry has prepared evacuation plans for people living near the border. It has also put into place measures to prevent acts of espionage and sabotage on Thai soil. Meanwhile, the United States renewed its call for Thailand and Cambodia to resolve their rift peacefully. "The United States has consistently called upon both sides to continue dialogue and exercise maximum restraint in order to peacefully resolve their disputes and strengthen regional stability," said State Department spokeswoman Heide Bronke Fulton.  | ||
| Sacrava's Political Cartoon: The Iron Mask Posted: 19 Jul 2011 10:25 PM PDT
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| Posted: 19 Jul 2011 10:18 PM PDT Dear all, COMFREL -Women's Network in Takeo, will conduct a local learning in Kiri Chongkoh Commune, Kirivong District, Takeo province on July 24, 2011. The course will be provide knowledge to local citizens, especially, women relating to necessary of participation in political affairs, decision making, gender and promote women to take part in local affairs. Please find and see the attached file for details. FYI : If you need releases or articles related to women can do it training courses, workshop on voter's voices, elections reforms, democracy/political reforms, decentralisation and governance, please feel free to visit our website : www.comfrel.org Best regards, COMFREL http://www.box.net/shared/vnh87qsjyx02ophs7q4a  | ||
| Posted: 19 Jul 2011 10:12 PM PDT Dear all, COMFREL is please to release its press release on the result of workshop on voter's voice in remote areas; Krang Skear, Teuk Push, Kampong Chhnang province held on July 07, 2011. Please see the attached document for details. FYI : If you need releases or articles related to workshop on voter's voices, elections reforms, democracy/political reforms, decentralisation and governance, please feel free to visit our website : www.comfrel.org Best regards, COMFREL http://www.box.net/shared/rrqaqyqz4ffrdrxmazxx  | ||
| "Without fighters, there will be not demonstration by monks" - Opinion by Ven. Phuong Thach Posted: 19 Jul 2011 10:06 PM PDT | ||
| Various Khmer Kampcuhea Krom articles Posted: 19 Jul 2011 09:49 PM PDT | ||
| On ther term "Cambodia" - An email exchange between Lok Bora Touch and Michael Vickery Posted: 19 Jul 2011 09:37 PM PDT I disagree with Penny Edwards, Cambodge: The Cultivation of a Nation 1860-1945, in almost all her significant points/fronts - the origin of the term of "cambodia", angkor complex emerges the central icon of modern Khmer nationalism etc. In my view, " Kampuchea/cambodia" has been used from at least 6th century. Angkor vat being used as a national icon and pride pre-dated the french colonial power in Cambodia. Evidence in point. One of th first things King Ang duong did when he came to the throne, was, in 1846, to print money/coins with Angkor vat inscribed in the coins (prak prasad, as was known) with the inscription of the word " Indadpatha" (Angkor) in the doorway. On another coin, the King had the word "preah dambang" inscribed on it (preah dambang (sacred baton) is correct name/spelling of the province. Batdambang is a Thai accent of Pra (preah) dambang. Prah, spoken thai, pa/ba + dambang( ba/pa dambang < badambang). The original name of the province from Angkor era was vra tamvvang: (Preah neatr preah inscription). The two provinces were under Siam's suzerainty at the time (before french). Angkor was used as national (nationalist) pride/symbol against Siam and Vietnam. Cambodge: The Cultivation of a Nation 1860-1945 is a good read though, considering she is relatively a "newcomer". More later. regards Bora touch ------------ Kamb/v/uja may have been used in the 6th century, but 'Cambodia' is strictly a modern term. Michael Vickery ------------ Lok kru thom Michael Vickery, My comments then are misplaced. I read Penny Adward's Cambodge some time ago and I forgot when she said "Cambodia" was first used. If my recollection does not betray me, she said "Cambodia" is of s 19th century invent/appellation. That said, the first time "Cambodia" was used was by the Dutch in 17th century; "Cambodia" appears on European maps by Jan Jasson, 1635 and Dudley, 1665; John Seller, 1667; and by Da Vgnola, 1688; and Van Keulen, 1680. : (Alfon Van Der Kraan, Murder and Mayhem in 7th century Cambodia.); Dutch texts in Jerenias Van Vlet, The Short History of the Kings of Siam (1640) Alexander Hamilton, who visited srok khmer in 1720, Called the country "Cambodia" and its people "Cambodians". "Camboja" first appeared in a letter of 1513 from King Samuel to Pope Leo X. And Tome Pires mentioned "Camboja" in 1515: The Suma Oriental of Tome Pire -1512-1515; and on the map by Giacomo Gastaldi (of Italia), 1548; and "Camboya" on map by G.B. Ramusio, 1554 and the map by Matellus 1596; "Camboia" on the map of Girolamo Olgiato, 1561 and 1570 and on the map by Abramham Ortelius, 1570 and on the map of P. Plancius (Dutch) 1594; and Antonio Sanches, 1641; also "Camboya" on the map of Gerard Mercator, 1569. "Camboye" on the map by Jean Batiste Nolin (French), 1687; "Camboya" on the map by Simon de la Loubere, 1688. "Cambodge" appears on early 19th century French maps/language. If "Cambodia" by the Dutch in 1600s is regarded is as "modern" (use), then I am with you. If Penny Edwards refers to "Cambodia" as being of the 19th century "production, then the misplacement is hers. Respectfully, Bora Touch  | ||
| "Legal registration for Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand" - By Ven. Phuong Thach Posted: 19 Jul 2011 09:21 PM PDT | ||
| "ប្រើរដ្ឋធម្មនុញ្ញឬប្រើច្បាប់កម្មផល?" a Poem in Khmer by NhiekKiri Posted: 19 Jul 2011 08:34 PM PDT   | ||
| A Big Thank You for Mr. Lim Kim-Ya ... from Tola Ek Posted: 19 Jul 2011 06:56 PM PDT Dear Readers, Today, an anonymous reader forwarded to us two articles in French penned by Mr. Lim Kim-Ya. Thinking that these articles could be useful for our readers, one of our team members started to read them, but he was frozen in the middle of his reading when one of the Sam Rainsy-bashing articles stated the following:
After reading the statement above, we feel that it would be unfair to post these articles on the "dubious KI-Media" because, obviously, Mr. Lim Kim-Ya would not want to see his "illustrious and rosy" French prose posted on such "disinformation" website maintained by a well-paid staff of "experts" who had to survive of packaged noodles when they can afford them once is a blue moon, would he? In fact, we are writing this short note to apologize to all our readers who sent us information to post, after all, once they learn that KI-Media is a "dubious" website, they wouldn't want to see their articles posted here anymore, would they? We also want to apologize to all of you who sent us articles praising the quality of the HRP and Mr. Sem Sokha, the HRP President, and bashing Mr. Sam Rainsy. Since your articles are posted here, obviously, they were just disinformation as Mr. Lim Kim-Ya haughtily claimed. Taking Mr. Lim Kim-Ya's reasoning to the extreme, one has to believe that your praises of the HRP and Mr. Kem Sokha were nothing more than pure fiction, is it not?  With conscientious supporters like Mr. Lim Kim-Ya on its side, the HRP does not need any enemy to shoot itself in the foot. As it is, the HRP will need entire feet replacements soon. Finally, we would like to thank Mr. Lim Kim-Ya for being a faithful reader of KI-Media, after all, how would he know that KI-Media is "dubious" unless he spent time reading articles posted here? À bon entendeur, salut! Tola Ek, an amused member of KI-Media team PS: As for being paid by Mr. Sam Rainsy, we still have to see the "one riel" bill he promised us eons ago, but as far as we know, the "one riel" bill is no longer in circulation! But, fear not, dear Readers, the day we receive that "one riel" bill, we will make sure to let all of you share the bounty with us.  |
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