KI Media: “ចិតសិបភាគរយ ដោយ កូនអ្នកស្រែន័រវេស្សព្រៃវែង ( Chet Seb Pheak Roy by Koun Neak Snae Norway Prey Veng)” plus 24 more |
- ចិតសិបភាគរយ ដោយ កូនអ្នកស្រែន័រវេស្សព្រៃវែង ( Chet Seb Pheak Roy by Koun Neak Snae Norway Prey Veng)
- Enemy of the People - The entire documentary
- No political arrangement for Sam Rainsy to return in time for election: CPP Cheam Yeap
- Cambrew administrators still refuse to negotiate with Beer Girls
- KRT judge welcomes debate
- Hindu Influence and Southeast Asia
- Cambodian shoe factories under the spotlight
- All aboard North Korea's refugee railroad
- Public Invitation to meet MP Son Chhay in Long Beach, California 8/20/2011
- Lake protest: Leader replaced by lakesiders
- Concern over NGO law third draft
- ANSA-EAP in Cambodia
- Speak Truth To Power Series in KI-Media - Fauziya Kassindja (Togo) “Female Genital Mutilation and Immigration Abuse”
- Cambodian girl dies in cremation blast
- Vietnam dissident calls for reforms during appeal
- J' Accuse . . . !
- Understanding the Khmer Sociological-Cultural Observations - By Dr. A. Gaffar Peang-Meth
- Kem Sokha: The HRP is the only competitor to the CPP
- A Review of the Negotiations Leading to the Establishment of the Personal Jurisdiction of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia - By Steve Heder
- Help the orphans in Cambodia
- Further Viet ingerence in AKP
- Viet Fertiliser giant opens branch in Cambodia
- Thai rice dealers warn against gov't price hike
- 7 BKL representatives were invited by the Srah Chak commune this afternoon 2 August 2011
- Sangkum Trey Pra - Khmer Poem by Chhaya Khemarak
| ចិតសិបភាគរយ ដោយ កូនអ្នកស្រែន័រវេស្សព្រៃវែង ( Chet Seb Pheak Roy by Koun Neak Snae Norway Prey Veng) Posted: 02 Aug 2011 02:25 PM PDT   | ||||
| Enemy of the People - The entire documentary Posted: 02 Aug 2011 10:28 AM PDT | ||||
| No political arrangement for Sam Rainsy to return in time for election: CPP Cheam Yeap Posted: 02 Aug 2011 10:14 AM PDT   Tuesday, 02 August 2011 ដោយ ៖ សេង ផល្លាភ សារព័តមាន ដើមអំពឹល ភ្នំពេញ ៖ ប្រធានគណបក្ស សម រង្ស៊ី លោក សម រង្ស៊ី ដែលកំពុងនិរទេសខ្លួន បន្ទាប់ពីតុលាការកម្ពុជា សម្រេចផ្ដន្ទាទោស ឱ្យជាប់ពន្ធនាគាររយៈពេល១៤ឆ្នាំ និងគ្មាន លទ្ធភាពវិលចូលមាតុភូមិវិញនោះឡើយ សម្រាប់មកឈរឈ្មោះ និងចូលរួមការបោះ ឆ្នោតនាពេលខាងមុខដ៏ខ្លីនេះ។ ការលើក ឡើងយ៉ាងដូច្នេះ ត្រូវបានធ្វើឡើងពីសំណាក់ មន្ដ្រីជាន់ខ្ពស់ និងសមាជិកសភា មកពីគណ បក្សប្រជាជនកម្ពុជា ដែលកំពុងកាន់អំណាច លោក ជាម យៀប ដែលបានថ្លែងប្រាប់ក្រុមអ្នក យកព័ត៌មាន នៅវិមានរដ្ឋសភា នាព្រឹកថ្ងៃទី ២ ខែសីហា ឆ្នាំ២០១១នេះ ។ លោក ជាម យៀប បានមានប្រសាសន៍ ថា លោក សម រង្ស៊ី ដែលបច្ចុប្បន្ន ក្លាយជា ទណ្ឌិតរបស់ ប្រទេសកម្ពុជានោះ ពុំមាននីតិ សម្បទាគ្រប់គ្រាន់ ក្នុងកិច្ចការងារ នយោ បាយ ឬក៏មាន លទ្ធភាពចូលរួមឈរឈ្មោះ និង បោះឆ្នោត ខាងមុខនេះទេ ។ លោក ជាម យៀប បានបញ្ជាក់ថា ប្រសិនបើលោក សម រង្ស៊ី ចង់បានមកវិញ នូវនីតិសម្បទាគ្រប់គ្រាន់ ក៏ដូចជាសិទ្ធិចូល រួម បោះឆ្នោតនិងបោះឆ្នោត លោក សម រង្ស៊ី ត្រូវតែអនុវត្ដទោសកំហុស របស់ខ្លួនឱ្យបាន ចប់សព្វគ្រប់ តាមរយៈតុលាការមកវិញ ដែរ។ ជាមួយគ្នានេះ ប្រធានគណៈកម្មការ សេដ្ឋកិច្ច ហិរញ្ញវត្ថុ ធនាគារ និងសវនកម្មនៃ រដ្ឋសភា បានសង្កត់ធ្ងន់ថា បើទោះបីមានការ គាបសង្កត់ ពីសហគមន៍អន្ដរជាតិ ឬក៏ អង្គការសហប្រជាជាតិ ក្នុង ករណីនេះ ក៏ដោយ ប៉ុន្ដែប្រធានគណបក្សប្រឆាំងរូប នេះ ត្រូវតែទទួលទោសឱ្យបានពេញលេញ ដែលតុលាការកម្ពុជា បានផ្ដន្ទាទោសក្នុង សំណុំរឿងចំនួន២ ឱ្យជាប់ពន្ធនាគាររហូត ទៅដល់ ១៤ឆ្នាំនោះ។ យោងតាមលោក ជាម យៀប គ្មានការ សម្របសម្រួល ខាងផ្នែកនយោបាយណា មួយនោះទេ នៅក្នុងសំណុំរឿងប្រធាន គណបក្សប្រឆាំងរូបនេះ ដើម្បីមានលទ្ធភាព វិលមកប្រទេសវិញ។ សូមបញ្ជាក់ថា លោក សម រង្ស៊ី ត្រូវបានតុលាការខេត្ដស្វាយរៀង និងសាលាដំបូងរាជធានីភ្នំពេញ ផ្ដន្ទាទោស ឱ្យជាប់ពន្ធនាគាររយៈពេល ១៤ឆ្នាំ និងបង់ ថវិការាប់លានរៀល ក្នុងសំណុំរឿងចំនួន២ គឺពាក់ព័ន្ធ ទៅនឹងការដកតម្រុយបង្គោល ព្រំដែន នៅស្រុកចន្ទ្រា ខេត្ដស្វាយរៀង និង ការក្លែងបន្លំ ឯកសារ សាធារណៈរឿងព្រំដែន រវាងប្រទេសកម្ពុជា-វៀតណាម ។ ដោយ ឡែកលោកស្រី មូរ សុខហួរ សមាជិកសភា គណបក្សប្រឆាំង ក៏ត្រូវបានលោក ជាម យៀប អះអាងថា មិនទាន់ត្រូវបានទទួល អភ័យឯកសិទ្ធិនៅឡើយនោះទេ រហូតមក ដល់ពេលនេះ។  | ||||
| Cambrew administrators still refuse to negotiate with Beer Girls Posted: 02 Aug 2011 10:03 AM PDT
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| Posted: 02 Aug 2011 09:55 AM PDT
Tuesday, 02 August 2011 Thomas Miller The Phnom Penh Post A judge at the Khmer Rouge tribunal welcomed public scrutiny of proceedings related to the court's controversial third and fourth cases yesterday, as judges and legal officers convened a three-day meeting to discuss amendments to its internal rules. Judge Silvia Cartwright, of the court's Trial Chamber, yesterday commented on the "ongoing public scrutiny" of the court, and in particular its investigations in cases 003 and 004. Cartwright said judges at the court have a "vital role" to play in restoring trust in the courts that had been destroyed by the Khmer Rouge regime. "We hope to succeed in delivering some measure of justice for the people of Cambodia. This takes courage and determination, but most of all, the application of the principles that underlie our independence – that the judges will fully examine all evidence and legal submissions and will make decisions that are unaffected by outside influences or by personal bias," Cartwright said. "The fact that the world watches all facets of these trials and will judge us individually and collectively, by the outcome, is a matter for each one of us also to consider," she said. The court has come under fire in recent months because of its handling of cases 003 and 004 amid public opposition to the cases from the government. The court's co-investigating judges announced in April that their investigation into Case 003 was finished, only two months after stating that the investigation had been limited primarily to documents from Cases 001 and 002. International co-prosecutor Andrew Cayley has called for further investigation, including interviews with suspects and witnesses and the examination of alleged crime sites. International staff at the office of the co-investigating judges began resigning in protest in the wake of the controversy, but United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's office rejected "media speculation" that Case 003 was set for a pre-planned dismissal. Anne Heindel, a legal advisor at the Documentation Centre of Cambodia, said yesterday that Cartwright's comments were a welcome shift from previous court statements. "It's significant that she highlighted the importance of public discussion of Case 003 and Case 004 and said that was beneficial to the process," she said. Judge Kong Srim said yesterday that the purpose of the three-day meeting was to agree to "certain amendments... relating to the further streamlining of proceedings". One such amendment would allow for "an efficient procedure in immediate appeals before the Supreme Court Chamber", he said, but did not elaborate. The court has amended internal rule 108, which relates to appeals before the Supreme Court Chamber, three times already. Just before the opening of yesterday's session, the Pre-Trial Chamber's newest judge, Chung Chang-ho, of South Korea, was sworn in.  | ||||
| Hindu Influence and Southeast Asia Posted: 02 Aug 2011 09:51 AM PDT
Tuesday, 02 August 2011 Written by Alexandra R. Kapur-Fic Asia Sentinel Did the Hindus get there first? The flow of Indian cultural values and institutions into Southeast Asia is one of the most remarkable aspects of the region's history and an intriguing counterpoint to China's claims that the South China Sea is a Chinese lake because the diplomat and seafarer, Admiral Zheng He, sailed it sometime in the late 14th or early 15th Century. In fact, an exhaustive study of the cultural values of the region makes it impossible to say that any one ethnic group or civilization has dominated. Hinduism has been a force in mixing distinctly disparate religions together for thousands of years in Southeast Asia to the point that often Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Taoism and animism simply fuse so that one resembles the other despite their vastly divergent roots. Buddhism is practiced in Hindu temples in Cambodia, Muslim wedding rituals and wedding dress in Malaysia are based on Hindu rites. The Garuda is the name of Indonesia's airline; a likeness of the mythical bird sits proudly on the front of the Bank of Thailand headquarters in Bangkok. The Naga, the sacred Hindu serpent, is prevalent in both Buddhist and Hindi cultures. There are Mount Merus-- the sacred golden mountain in Hindu text--in many countries all the way to Tanganyika. Despite a powerful onslaught by Buddhism between the first and fifth century AD, Islam in the 15th century and Christianity in the early 16th, Hindu influences have survived and remain visible, mixed as they are into Thai Buddhism and Indonesian and Malaysian Islam. By the beginning of the Christian era, Hindus had thoroughly colonized the region from Burma in the north to Java and Annam in the south and southeast. This is corroborated by the discovery of the Amravati style of images of Buddha on the islands of Sumatra, Java and Celebes and on the mainland of Siam and Annam. Hindu social customs have also prevailed although they have been diluted by time and by interaction with other religions. The caste system, though not as rigorous as in India, was introduced to some degree in all the countries although more so in Java, Madura, Sumatra and Bali. The word Caturvarna, or four castes, occurs in early records of those Indonesian islands, and there are frequent references to the four castes in literature and inscriptions. There are numerous inscriptions in these countries in addition to the Vedas, the sacred texts of Hinduism, leading to speculation that the Brahmins – the highest caste -- played a central role in the religious lives of the people from the very beginning of India's influence. A sixth-century inscription in Kambuja, as Cambodia was once known, refers to a Brahmin who made a gift of the Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Purana texts to a temple and had them recited on a daily basis. The practice of reciting scriptures was well known in India, and it must have helped in influencing the religious life of the people. Ashrams and monastic orders were also established, which then were used to diffuse Hindu culture in Kambuja. In the 9th century AD, King Yashvarman of Angkor is said to have built 100 ashrams, each headed by a priest, which were primarily centers for higher learning and promoting religious and spiritual practices, attracting large followings. These ashrams offered hospitality to a variety of peoples in strict accordance with prescribed rules and regulations for each category of guest. One of the rules prescribed that with the exception of the king, anyone who passed the gates of an ashram had to get down from his chariot and walk covered under an umbrella. No one seeking refuge out of fear of being arrested needed surrender until proven guilty. However, there are no records about such religious institutions in ancient India, on which those in Kambuja were modeled. Generally speaking, the position of women seems to have been better than in India, both in terms of social status and political rights. Javanese women could become rulers and occupied high office. Women also had property rights and could dispose of it at their own free will. There was no purdah (veiling of the face), it most likely arrived with the advent of Islam. Women mixed freely with men and were free to choose their own husbands. Unfortunately, suttee, sometimes spelled sati – the tradition of a widow burning herself alive on the funeral pyre of her departed husband, was practiced, at least in Bali, though in later times the custom was confined to royal families, where even slaves and concubines committed sati. In some instances the widow would first kill herself with a sword and her body would be placed on her husband's pyre. The Javanese are known to have practiced some form of ancestor worship, though not as intense as the Confucian Chinese. They also accepted the theory of reincarnation, except for the santris -- fundamentalist Muslims -- who condemned it as heretic. There is also evidence that the Hindu institution of the devadasi was also introduced into some countries of Southeast Asia. These women were known as "women who take to religious life." In Khmer language, it literally means, "females who enter into religion for the sacrifice (yajamana) of the god." Although the exact meaning is not clear, it is not difficult to find in them the devadasis of the Hindu temples in India. However, the Indian anthropologist and scholar D N Majumdar believes that there are no references to the devadasis in Hindu scriptures of early times. And so he raises a question "whether such a pernicious custom originated in India or was it derived from contact with countries where moral laxity of this type among females is known to have prevailed in more obnoxious form even in later times." Another inscription refers to the dancing girls, musicians, slaves and servants. The name of dancing girls and the musicians emanated from Sanskrit, such as Charumati, Priyasena, Arunamati, Sarangi, Ratimati, and Ghandhini. The names of the slaves and servants were mostly indigenous, such as Bhagya, Dasami and Manjari. The use of Indian names for the dancing girls and musicians and indigenous names for slaves and servants, both male and female, raises an interesting question. It is possible that the Indians who arrived from India occupied a higher position and status and did not work in these low professions. Therefore, even the pure indigenous people, or those who were born of union with Indians, were given purely Indian names. This then could be interpreted that even one parent of the Indian origin meant higher position for the child in the society. At the same time, indigenous names were still used. The Kamboja inscriptions have preserved many personal names which inform us the extent of the Indianization of Kambuja (ancient Cambodian) society. Taken together, the cultural influences that Hinduism brought have contributed enormously to the vast tapestry that is Asia. (Alexandra Fic is a Canada-based scholar and author who has held a variety of teaching, research and international aid jobs through Asia. She currently lives and works in Niagara, Ontario, Canada. For readers who wish to follow hindu influences more closely, Ms. Fic has written a 20,000-word study of the spread of Hinduism across Asia. It can be found here.)  | ||||
| Cambodian shoe factories under the spotlight Posted: 02 Aug 2011 09:44 AM PDT
ABC Radio Australia German sportswear giant Puma has been on the back foot recently after a report the company commissioned showed a litany of abuses at one of its subcontractors in Cambodia. The company commissioned the investigation after more than 200 workers fainted at a shoe-making factory in Phnom Penh. Correspondent: Robert Carmichael Speaker: Chuon Momthol, trade union leader; Catherine Vaillancourt-Laflamme, International Labour Organisation CARMICHAEL: In April around 200 workers at a factory that makes shoes for Puma fainted and were taken to hospital. A few days ago another 49 fainted too. The April incident drove Puma to commission an independent report from a US-based non-profit called the Fair Labor Association, and the results made for uncomfortable reading in Germany. The subcontractor, a company called Huey Chuen, employs around 3,300 workers, and was found to have failed in dozens of areas. For instance, deductions from employee wage packets were unclear; there was no fire safety plan; new employees received no training; the firm deducted sick days from annual leave entitlements. The list of breaches of Cambodian law is long. All of Huey Chuen's Cambodian employees are members of the Cambodian Union Federation, whose president Chuon Momthol visited those who fell ill earlier this year. CHUON MOMTHOL: When I met the workers at the hospital, most of the workers say they have difficulty in breathing. And then some of them put on oxygen - and they say they feel so dizzy, blackout, they cannot open their eyes. Something like that. CARMICHAEL: Shoe-making uses some potentially dangerous glues and solvents, and the report also found significant problems with storage of chemicals and poor ventilation. In fact the concentration of chemicals in the air was so strong that the investigators said they were unable to take measurements for their own health reasons. They concluded that the April faintings were likely due to a combination of exposure to chemicals and excessive overtime. Puma has since ordered health checks for all workers, implemented a program to improve working conditions at the firm, and is considering providing meals for workers. Later this year Puma's executive chairman will visit the factory to ensure it is now up to standard. Chuon Momthol says he is satisfied with Puma's actions. CHUON MOMTHOL: Puma is now try to put some conditions to Huey Chuen to improve it - so far from April until now, frankly, Huey Chuen did not get a lot of orders. CARMICHAEL: It is unlikely that Huey Chuen's problems are confined to one factory. Garment manufacturing is a vital industry here, employing 300,000 people and earning the country around $3 billion a year. Most garments are exported to the United States and the European Union - and are ordered by big brands such as Levi Strauss, H&M, The Gap and Adidas. To minimize reputational risk, interested parties crafted a program called Better Factories Cambodia - or BFC. It was set up 10 years ago, and monitors garment factories to ensure labour standards are met and maintained. Every one of around 300 factories that export garments must comply with BFC. However shoemaking is a more recent development and is not subject to monitoring. Catherine Vaillancourt-Laflamme is a BFC training specialist with the International Labour Organisation, or ILO, the UN's labour body, which helped establish Better Factories Cambodia. BFC has no mandate to monitor footwear factories, she says, but has helped some on a voluntary basis. VAILLANCOURT-LAFLAMME :There's only a little bit less than 40 footwear factories in Cambodia - so if there were interest for BFC and the ILO to get more involved into this sector, the small number of factories would allow that we can have a very comprehensive approach and intervention in this sector bringing in 100 percent of the manufacturers together to look into the issues and the opportunities that we would have to improve working conditions in this sector. CARMICHAEL:In other words, with just 38 factories, now is the time to raise standards across Cambodia's shoe-making industry. On Thursday, says Chuon Momthol, Buddhist monks went to the Huey Chuen factory to hold a blessing ceremony in order to banish the bad spirits that some workers believe are causing the problems. Puma has also insisted the factory institute a raft of improvements in a less spiritual vein, including better ventilation and proper storage of chemicals, and an insistence that pregnant woman and nursing mothers - who total around 120 of the workers - are kept well away from chemicals.  | ||||
| All aboard North Korea's refugee railroad Posted: 02 Aug 2011 09:38 AM PDT Aug 3, 2011 By Sebastian Strangio Asia Times Online In the cable, however, Om Yentieng "did register some concern over the PM's safety due to the proximity of the North Korean Embassy [which is next door] to the PM's residence" should Cambodian cooperation on the refugee issue become public. PHNOM PENH - In late November 2006, after a long, perilous journey from northeast China, a North Korean national crossed the Vietnamese frontier into Cambodia's northeast Mondulkiri province. The man, identified only as Ly Hai Long in local media reports, was promptly arrested by Cambodian police, who told a reporter from the Cambodia Daily that they had deported him to Vietnam. Recently leaked cables from the US Embassy in Phnom Penh, part of a cache of 777 dispatches released last month by anti-secrecy organization WikiLeaks, tell a different story. According to one cable (06PHNOMPENH2072) from the same month, Ly Hai Long was secretly allowed to remain in Cambodia. The South Korean ambassador to Cambodia confirmed to United States officials "that his government would be working quietly with the RGC [Royal Government of Cambodia] to ensure that the North Korean is moved to South Korea". Thamrongsak Meechubot, then head of the office of the United Nations refugee agency in Phnom Penh, told US officials he was "not surprised" that Cambodian police had leaked information about the man's deportation. The implication was that the rumor was used to provide a cover of secrecy to his transfer to the South. Thamrongsak said it was a tactic that had been used by the Cambodians before. The leaked US diplomatic cables reveal how Cambodia has in recent years worked quietly with South Korean officials to process and transfer hundreds of North Korean refugees who have arrived in Cambodia seeking asylum. US officials saw the transfer of refugees through the country as a highly sensitive issue in light of Phnom Penh's historic ties with Pyongyang and the ongoing delicate negotiations on the Korean Peninsula over the North's nuclear program. North Korean citizens began fleeing their country in large numbers in the mid-1990s when a collapse of the country's food distribution systems coincided with a devastating famine. The stream of refugees, most of whom depart via the country's porous border with China and reach Southeast Asia with the help of people smuggling gangs and missionary organizations, has since swollen the North Korean diaspora living in South Korea to more than 21,000. Until recently, Cambodia was one of the main destinations for North Korean refugees, who reached the country via China and Vietnam. According to the US cables, the processing of North Korean arrivals is done in a quiet, ad hoc manner. In an October 2006 dispatch (06PHNOMPENH1927), Om Yentieng, one of Prime Minister Hun Sen's advisors, was quoted as saying that the processing of North Koreans in Cambodia was "the result of an understanding reached between the prime minister and the South Korean ambassador to Cambodia". Secrecy was clearly a priority for the South Koreans. In a July 2007 cable (07PHNOMPENH925) documenting a meeting between South Korean and US officials to discuss the fate of five North Korean refugees in Cambodia who were seeking resettlement in the US, the South Koreans were "preoccupied with conveying their desire that the ROK [Republic of Korea - South Korea] pipeline for North Korean refugees not be publicly revealed". They also demanded it remain separate from Washington's own North Korean "refugee processing pipeline". A dispatch from April 2008 (08PHNOMPENH316) expressed gratitude to Cambodian officials for "expeditiously processing" the exit permits of two North Korean individuals who departed for the US on April 16. American officials were also "impressed" at Cambodian immigration officials' "discreet handling" of the cases of another group of North Koreans who departed the previous November. "During the quiet November departure, no one at the airport noticed the North Koreans' comings and goings," it stated. (According to figures released by the Office of Immigration Statistics at the Department of Homeland Security in May, the US resettled more than 100 North Korean refugees between 2006 and 2010 under legislation to help improve human rights conditions in the reclusive country.) In some communications, US officials appeared concerned that Cambodia's refugee deal with Seoul might compromise its relationship with Pyongyang, cemented by the close personal friendship of "Great Leader" Kim Il-sung and former King Norodom Sihanouk. In the October 2006 cable (06PHNOMPENH1927), Cambodian Foreign Ministry official Long Visalo told embassy officials that despite the "historic relationship" between the two iconic Asian leaders, the refugee issue was unlikely to harm bilateral ties. In the cable, however, Om Yentieng "did register some concern over the PM's safety due to the proximity of the North Korean Embassy [which is next door] to the PM's residence" should Cambodian cooperation on the refugee issue become public. Secret stations The cables give no indication of the total number of North Koreans who have passed through Cambodia on their way to third countries. But North Korean defectors and refugee aid groups in South Korea indicate that Cambodia once formed a significant terminus of a modern day underground railroad. Jeong Yu-mi, a 24-year-old student who fled North Korea in 1998, said that after a 10-day journey from northeast China, she spent five months in Phnom Penh while the South Korean Embassy approved her resettlement. "They rent a safe house and put them in there for five months," recalled Yu-mi, who used a pseudonym to protect relatives still in North Korea. "It was a two-story building and about 300 people were there." It appears, however, that Cambodia has since declined in importance as a conduit for North Korean defectors in favor of a route through Laos into northern Thailand. Pastor Chun Ki-won, head of the Seoul-based refugee aid group Durihana said that Cambodia - along with Mongolia - was one of the few Asian countries willing to aid North Koreans at the start of the 2000s when refugee flows were still relatively low. Durihana has helped around 900 North Korean defectors reach South Korea over the years. Chun's first aid mission, which he undertook in July 2001, involved the smuggling of a North Korean woman and her child from northeast China to Phnom Penh via Vietnam. Cambodia increased in importance after December 2001, Chun said, when he was arrested in a Chinese crackdown trying to smuggle a group of refugees across the Mongolian border. Chun said that due to increased vigilance by Vietnamese authorities, most North Korean refugees now arrive in Southeast Asia via Laos and Thailand. The claim is mirrored in figures from the Thai Immigration Bureau which reveal a 50-fold increase in North Korean arrivals from Laos, from 46 in 2004 - around the time arrivals in Cambodia seem to have begun their decline - to 2,482 in 2010. 870 North Korean refugee arrivals have already been recorded between January and April of this year. In a 2006 cable from the US consulate in Chiang Mai (06CHIANGMAI79), one official predicted that the increase in North Korean refugee arrivals - then still fairly contained - "may yet be the tip of the iceberg". "[E]vidence suggests that the stream of refugees is unlikely to decrease, with a network of Christian missionary organizations in Thailand and southern China cooperating to bring in more refugees through Yunnan province, Burma [Myanmar], and Laos and into Thailand's Chiang Rai province," the cable stated. Citing police reports, the dispatch added that defectors - usually "women with children or older men, and only occasionally working age males" - were arrested, handed over to immigration authorities in Bangkok and processed in a similar way as in Cambodia in line with "agreements among the [Thai government], South Korean Embassy and UNHCR [United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees]". According a recent report in the Bangkok Post, however, Thai officials have rebuffed a South Korean proposal to build a "coordination center" in Chiang Rai province to help process North Koreans, worrying that it might only quicken the influx of refugees. Despite the apparent drop-off in numbers arriving in Cambodia, local officials remained tight-lipped about the possible presence of North Koreans. One representative at the South Korean Embassy in Phnom Penh declined to comment on the processing of North Korean refugees in Cambodia; a staff member at the North Korean Embassy hung up the phone. Khieu Sopheak, a spokesman for the Cambodian ministry of interior, denied any knowledge of North Korean defectors in Cambodia. "We are a member of the 1951 [Refugee] Convention and also we are a good friend of both South Korea and North Korea," he said. Whatever the attitude of the authorities in Thailand and Cambodia, analysts say the flow of refugees out of moribund, famine-stricken North Korea is only likely to increase. Tim Peters, the head of Helping Hands Korea, a Seoul-based missionary group that aids North Korean refugees, said that food shortages, economic mismanagement and the "continued inability of Pyongyang to provide regular food aid to its people" has contributed to a growing restlessness and disenchantment. "That results in many cases in people looking at other options and alternatives that their parents never did," he said. Sebastian Strangio is a journalist based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He can be reached at sebastian.strangio@gmail.com  | ||||
| Public Invitation to meet MP Son Chhay in Long Beach, California 8/20/2011 Posted: 02 Aug 2011 08:48 AM PDT
On behalf of Sam Rainsy Party in Long Beach, California I would like to invite all of you to join dinner party to honor MP Son Chhay and Mr. Keo Phirum
For more information, please contact: MR. LEANG,VANNAK at (562) 607 5511 MR. KUNG, TATH at (562) 508 6886 MR. VANN, PRASOEUR at (562) 492 1320 MR. MOM, SOK at (818) 570 4635 MR. LY,BAKCHHRUN at (562) 423 1680 MR. LOR, SOK at (818) 391 0824 MR. KHIEV,THEANG at (909) 881 2937 MR. VORN, YEN at (562) 659 3984  | ||||
| Lake protest: Leader replaced by lakesiders Posted: 02 Aug 2011 08:40 AM PDT
Tuesday, 02 August 2011 Khouth Sophakchakrya The Phnom Penh Post Lake protest One of the leaders of the protest by Boeung Kak residents against attempts to evict them from their homes has been replaced, residents said at a press conference yesterday, as they sought to send a clear message that they were united in their fight for onsite relocation. Ly Mom was replaced because she had suggested they seek compensation based on the market value of their land plots, residents said. The move raised concern among some residents and NGO staff that the community was losing its solidarity. Sie Phearom, president of the Housing Rights Task Force, said he was worried that the move signaled that factions might be forming in the community and that this would result in suffering for all. Community representative Tep Vanny said she continue to pressure authorities to accept residents' demand for the onsite housing, which has been rejected by the Phnom Penh municipality numerous times. "We have a common willingness and a single aim," she said. Ly Mom said she was not upset by the opposition to her. All families living in the area face the loss of land, housing and jobs, she said. They need to trust each other and avoid attempts by outsiders to create factions among them, she said.  | ||||
| Concern over NGO law third draft Posted: 02 Aug 2011 08:28 AM PDT Tuesday, 02 August 2011 Thomas Miller The Phnom Pehn Post The most widely-criticised provision of the government's controversial NGO law – mandatory registration – remains in the legislation's third draft, which has reportedly been sent to the Council of Ministers. Rights group Licadho blasted the latest draft in a report released yesterday, saying the law "remains a fundamentally flawed piece of legislation whose only apparent purpose is to control civil society". Licadho said that the mandatory registration provisions – which would require NGOs to register with the government in order to operate – violate Cambodia's constitutional guarantee of the right to form associations. The latest draft does include a right to appeal to the courts if registration for domestic NGOs and associations is rejected, though the law does not require the government to provide reasons for a denial. Licadho welcomed the inclusion of a right to appeal yesterday, but expressed concern that the law does not include a time period for appeals as NGOs would not be able to operate while a decision was pending. One exception to mandatory registration in the new draft is for foreign NGOs operating in Cambodia for less than a year, which would not have to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – as mandated for other foreign NGOs – though they would need to notify the ministry of their "aid projects". Nevertheless, the draft law states that foreign NGOs "shall collaborate" with the government "when developing projects, monitoring, and evaluating the implemented activities or results". Foreign NGOs would not be able to appeal if they fail to obtain an MOU, though the ministry must specify reasons for a rejection. The law's third draft, obtained yesterday by The Post, contains few significant changes and appears set to invite further opposition from civil society. More than 600 NGOs and associations operating in Cambodia have denounced past versions of the law as "unacceptable" in large part because of mandatory registration. Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, defended the law yesterday and said the government was moving it forward. "If we do not allow the NGOs to register, why should we have that law? It is nonsense," he said. "It's up to them if they don't want to register with the ministry. Then the law will not protect them … and they cannot operate in Cambodia." The law has reportedly moved to the Council of Ministers, according to some NGOs, but Khieu Sopheak said yesterday he did know when it would be advanced. "I can assure you that we are moving forward," he said. Nady Tann, secretary general of the government, who facilitates draft laws for their debate at the Council of Ministers, said yesterday that he had "not yet received the draft NGO law from the Ministry of Interior".  | ||||
| Posted: 02 Aug 2011 04:10 AM PDT A very beautiful short film on the excellent work of ANSA-EAP in Cambodia. Very hopeful!! eNews | 26 July 2011 | Visit our website at www.ansa-eap.net ANSA EAP's VOICES VOICES, ANSA-EAP's mechanism for commentary and reflection on social accountability issues is now in blog format. We invite all partners to read, share, discuss, and contribute How do infomediaries help communities reach decision-makers? Checkmyschool.org: Bridging Online and Offline Efforts for Solutions to Real-life Problems ANSA Global: Lessons on What and How to Learn. Network Updates Training on SAc Tools: Community Scorecards and Citizen Report Cards ANSA-EAP is gathering SAc practitioners and advocates in the areas of procurement, peace and development, education, and extractive industries for a training on social accountability tools from 3 to 7 August 2011 at Holiday Inn Silom, Bangkok The Mongolia Social Accountability Scorecard One of the major projects of the Partnership for Social Accountability Network (PfSAN), the Mongolia Conveners' Group, is the development, testing, and implementation of a scorecard. The scorecard is a social accountability tool that the public can use to assess the delivery of public services. The PfSAN scorecard focuses on health insurance in Chingeltei district Cambodia: Social Accountability Stories Teaser Video The four-part video attempts to give a face to the growing social accountability movement in Cambodia. Watch this teaser video for a sneak peek. ANSA Global in Manila ANSA-Global was launched last June 27-29. ANSA Global was created to support social accountability in regions where ANSAs are not established by providing project grants to civil society organizations and building capacities and competencies within both state and civil society institutions. ANSA Global also serves as a global connector of the regional ANSA chapters and facilitator of knowledge exchange and peer-to-peer visits so that the different networks can share their experiences and lessons with each other and with other organizations. The first meeting of the ANSA Global advisory panel was held last June 29, 2011 to provide a clear overview of what ANSA Global is about; to provide information about the specific role of the panel; to seek approval on the value propostion of ANSA Global; and to agree upon a collaborative process for producing a work program covering the next 18 months. Social Accountability News Mongolia Passes Freedom of Information Law - The Mongolian parliament passed a Freedom of Information law last June 16, 2011. The law gives every Mongolian the right to "seek information from government institutions and authorities about their activities, human resources, budget, finance and procurement of goods and services with state funds." World Bank e-Institute Goes Live - The World Bank's global online learning platform is now live . The e-Institute , as the learning platform is called, "will offer practitioners a virtual classroom to share high quality learning and knowledge resources". eNews is published by the ANSA-EAP Operations Team, Ateneo School of Government, Pacifico Ortiz Hall, Fr. Arrupe Road, Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Heights, Quezon City 1108, Philippines. To unsubscribe please send an email with subject "unsubscribe" to info@ansa-eap.net  | ||||
| Posted: 02 Aug 2011 01:04 AM PDT | ||||
| Cambodian girl dies in cremation blast Posted: 02 Aug 2011 12:52 AM PDT August 02, 2011 AAP An EIGHT-year-old girl has been killed in an explosion at a crematorium in Cambodia after her relatives poured petrol on her late grandmother's casket to make it burn faster, Police say. Twelve others, all mourners attending the funeral service, were injured in the blast in eastern Kampong Cham province, Stung Trang district police chief Chea Thearith told AFP. One male relative was in a critical condition in hospital, he said. "The fire wood was still wet and did not burn well. So the relatives of the deceased bought two litres of petrol and poured it into the furnace," the Police Chief said. "Soon after they closed the doors there was an explosion."  | ||||
| Vietnam dissident calls for reforms during appeal Posted: 02 Aug 2011 12:47 AM PDT 
Associated Press his father was "one of the people who gave birth to this regime that is putting me on trial today." - Cu Huy Ha Vu HANOI, Vietnam—The dissident son of one of Vietnam's founding revolutionaries proclaimed his innocence during an appeals trial Tuesday, saying he's not against the Communist Party but supports a multiparty system. French-educated lawyer Cu Huy Ha Vu, 53, is appealing a seven-year prison sentence received in April for conducting propaganda against the state. He has asked the court to dismiss his case, saying he did nothing wrong and that his trial was a conspiracy against him. But prosecutors seeking to uphold the sentence said Tuesday that Vu's actions have violated national security and abused freedom of the press and speech to oppose the state. "I did not oppose the Communist Party of Vietnam. I only demanded a multiparty system that would allow healthy competition for the ultimate interests of the people and of the nation," Vu told the court. Twice during the proceedings, he turned to his wife and uncle seated in the courtroom gallery, holding up victory signs on both hands. Vu is the son of Cu Huy Can, a well-known Vietnamese poet and revolutionary leader in the government formed by late President Ho Chi Minh when he declared independence from France in 1945. His arrest and initial sentencing was the subject of much Internet chatter because of his family's prominence, with many arguing the sentence, which includes an additional three years of house arrest, was too harsh. Vietnam does not tolerate any challenge to its one-party rule, but Hanoi maintains that only lawbreakers are punished. Vu's case is a new test for the government because it is cracking down on a family known throughout Vietnam for its allegiance to the country. "My family of four generations has been fighting for and dying for the country," Vu said, adding that his father was "one of the people who gave birth to this regime that is putting me on trial today." Foreign media and diplomats were not allowed into the courtroom but were instead permitted to watch the proceedings via closed-circuit television from an adjacent room. About a dozen of Vu's supporters gathered in front of the Hanoi courthouse before police sealed off the area. One woman waved a placard that read: "My brother is innocent." "Dr. Vu was jailed for political reasons in a trial that violated his rights," Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch in Bangkok said in a statement. "Vietnamese authorities should at least do the right thing now with a fair and independent appeals hearing." Vu has a law doctorate from the Sorbonne in Paris, but is not licensed to practice in Vietnam. He has twice tried to sue Vietnam's prime minister, once over a controversial Chinese-built bauxite mining project and another time after the premier blocked class-action lawsuits from being filed. Both cases were thrown out of court. During the trial in April, one of Vu's defense attorneys was ejected and the other three walked out in protest after repeatedly asking the judge to read in full or provide copies of 10 interviews Vu gave to foreign media, which were used as key evidence against him. "I'm determined to fight for and die for this country," Vu told the court.  | ||||
| Posted: 02 Aug 2011 12:37 AM PDT  the Cold-blooded Pitiful Pricks of
PLUNDERING RAPING the LAND, of STARVING TORTURING the POOR, of TREASON SELF-HATRED in selling sensitive information to the Vietnamese Military !!!!!! Shameless THIEF! Plundering THIEF! Cowardice THIEF! Violent THIEF! We, the people, have been subjected to stupid, idiotic Leadership long enough !!!!!! Kingdom of Lackluster Wonder: Turned into scavengers for the sake of development (of Boeung Kak Lake) | ||||
| Understanding the Khmer Sociological-Cultural Observations - By Dr. A. Gaffar Peang-Meth Posted: 02 Aug 2011 12:25 AM PDT | ||||
| Kem Sokha: The HRP is the only competitor to the CPP Posted: 02 Aug 2011 12:06 AM PDT  02 August 2011 Everyday.com.kh Translated from Khmer by Soch Kem Sokha, HRP president, boasted that only his party is the competitor to the CPP. In a speech delivered at his party 2nd congress on 30 July 2011, Kem Sokha said that the HRP will win the 2012 commune election and the general election in 2013. He said that, currently, a huge number of people from all over the country support his party. He added that the CPP cannot resolve the territorial integrity problems, the illegal deforestation problems, the land dispute problems and the corruption problems. He said that the people have only hope on his HRP party.  | ||||
| Posted: 01 Aug 2011 11:48 PM PDT | ||||
| Posted: 01 Aug 2011 11:33 PM PDT
 The container of items to help the children at the Orphanage Kais Village Community will leave on September 12 August 2, 2011 Text and Pictures By Kasey Smith Gulf News Reader (Dubai) We began our Cambodian journey three years ago when we decided to adopt a child from Cambodia; luckily we were successful and have a beautiful daughter Madison who has been home since November 2010. We knew we wanted to help the orphanage and give back in some way after Madi was settled. Now the time has come and we have started a Cambodian Donation Drive to send essential second-hand items such as babies and children's clothing, shoes, children's bikes, home appliances, linen and towels to the orphanage. We put the word out to a number of freight companies and Relogulf came to the rescue immediately. After a few days they confirmed they can send a 20 feet container. Adoption Support Group Dubai, Expat Women, Charterhouse Partnership, Ranches Ladies, Jumeirah Island and The Springs Community Pages as well as other expat websites and nurseries have also been a great help. The Orphanage Kais Village Community is run by KaisKids http://www.kaiskids.org who rely on volunteers to sponsor a child, make individual donations, or expatriates who volunteer at the orphanage. Unfortunately adoptions in Cambodia have been put on hold for another year, which means no children will find families, therefore they need all the assistance they can get as each day more children arrive, and they home all children from premature babies and toddlers to teenagers. We understand KaisKids are only one of many orphanages in Cambodia and all over the world, however we are hoping to do what we can for the orphanage; we also guarantee all items donated will go directly to them. The container will leave on September 12, therefore as noted above we are collecting the following second-hand items such as babies and children's clothing, shoes, children's bikes, white goods, linen and towels etc to fill the container. If you can help please contact us darrenkasey@yahoo.com or Kasey's mobile: 050 724 1413 and we will be happy to collect items from you. Thanks so much for your support! — The reader is an associate director at Charterhouse Partnership in Dubai  | ||||
| Posted: 01 Aug 2011 11:18 PM PDT VN, Cambodia news agencies boost ties August, 02 2011 VNS (Hanoi) HA NOI — The Vietnamese Party and Government has said that it fully supports the comprehensive co-operation between the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the Cambodian News Agency (AKP). Receiving an AKP delegation led by Vice General Director Ouk Kimseng in Ha Noi yesterday, the Deputy Head of the Central Commission for Publicity and Education, Nguyen The Ky, praised the relationship between the two agencies, calling for continued bi-lateral development and assistance. Vice General Director Ouk Kimseng expressed his admiration at Viet Nam's development, saying that he looked forward to working with the VNA on information exchange and human resource training. On the same day, the AKP delegation also held talks with a VNA delegation led by Vice General Director Nguyen Duc Loi. The two sides reviewed the implementation of the Agreement on Professional Co-operation signed in 2006. Loi said that the co-operation had born many fruits related to reporter and editor training as well as in technical support. The two leaders agreed that the two sides would endeavour to improve the quality and effectiveness of information exchange in the fields of politics, economy, and culture.  | ||||
| Viet Fertiliser giant opens branch in Cambodia Posted: 01 Aug 2011 11:05 PM PDT  August, 02 2011VNS Phnom Penh — The PetroVietnam Fertilizer and Chemicals Joint Stock Company (PVFCCo) officially opened a branch in Cambodia last Friday in an attempt to sell products directly to local farmers. Since the establishment of its representative office in Phnom Penh in May 2010, PVFCCo, an affiliate of the Viet Nam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam), has sold around 6,000 tonnes of urea to Cambodian companies. PVFCCo Chairman Bui Minh Tien said the inauguration of the Phnom Penh branch would help the company better serve the Cambodian market. Through the direct sales of products to Cambodian farmers, the company might reduce the time it took to supply farmers and to transfer techniques in rural areas, he added. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An said PVFCCo's shift from a representative office into a true branch proved the company's firm confidence in its long-term investments in Cambodia. Meanwhile, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Ngo Anh Dung said the event marked a turning point and affirmed Vietnamese businesses' commitment and resolve to invest in Cambodia. On this occasion, PVFCCo signed deals on distributing urea with two major fertiliser agents in Cambodia, namely Heng Pich Chay in Takeo Province and Chhun Sok An Company in Kandal Province. The Vietnamese company also donated 25 tonnes of urea fertiliser to poor farmers in Battambang province. This is the PVFCCo's first foreign branch. The company is planning to expand its market to other regional countries such as Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand.  | ||||
| Thai rice dealers warn against gov't price hike Posted: 01 Aug 2011 10:58 PM PDT August, 02 2011 VNS (Hanoi) Thai rice exporters are looking for alternative sources of supply in Viet Nam and Cambodia in case the new government makes Thai rice prices too high for export HCM CITY — Thai rice exporters are looking for alternative sources of supply in Viet Nam and Cambodia in case the new government makes prices too high for export. The Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA) has been crying foul about the newly-elected Pheu Thai's announced policy to allow farmers to mortgage their entire harvest for 15,000 baht (US$500) a tonne for white rice and 20,000 baht ($660) for fragrant, or hom mali, rice, the English-language Bangkok Post newspaper reported. The association's vice president, Charoen Laothamatas, said if the mortgage programme was revived, the free-on-board price of hom mali would reach US$1,400 per tonne, even higher than the price of Indian basmati, currently the most expensive rice in the world. "If Thai exporters cannot buy such expensive rice for export, they may opt for much cheaper rice from Viet Nam, Cambodia, or Burma as they must maintain their market bases and customers," Charoen was quoted by the newspaper as saying. "With the ASEAN Free-Trade Agreement, such an alternative would be possible." Some rice exporters and millers had already established trading firms or representative offices in Cambodia and Viet Nam to buy rice, TREA said. "We have to accept that Viet Nam's rice quality has improved a lot," Charoen said. Viet Nam's fragrant rice sold at $650 per tonne, $400 to $500 cheaper than Thai hom mali rice and $150 to $200 lower than pathum thani rice, he said. Competition from Viet Nam had resulted in hom mali's share of traditional markets such as Hong Kong dropping from 85 per cent to just 50 per cent, he said. Vietnamese fragrant rice had grabbed a 35 per cent share in Hong Kong and 20 per cent in Singapore, he added. Thailand is at a disadvantage in terms of logistics, since the cost for shipping a 20-foot container to the US is between $1,700 to $1,800 from Thailand but only $1,350 from Viet Nam. Rice exports shipping to China cost $320 compared to $100 for Viet Nam. The Honorary President of TREA, Chookiat Ophaswongse, warned Thailand's rice exports could fall to half if the government had no measures to assist exporters. "œThe government must support exporters by offering the government's stockpile at special prices or open bidding for the stocks rather than asking only some exporters to bid," he told Bangkok Post. Thailand exported 6.3 million tonnes of rice in the first half of this year, a year-on-year increase of 58.3 per cent. It targets whole-year exports of 10 million tonnes. Price rise Prices of rice increased sharply over several weeks due to a surge in the world market's demand for rice, according to the Viet Nam Food Association (VFA). Across the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta in Viet Nam, paddy prices rose by VND200-300 per kilogramme even though the harvest of the summer-autumn rice crop is in full swing. Purchasing price of material rice last Friday jumped to VND8,600-8,700 per kilo for five-per cent-broken rice, and to VND8,45-8,500 per kilo for 25-per cent-broken rice, against the previous week. Price of finished rice also climbed by the same rate, VND300 per kilo to VND10,150 per kilo for five-per cent-broken rice, VND9,850-VND9,950 per kilo for 15-per cent-broken rice, and VND9,350-VND9,450 per kilo for 25-per cent broken rice. The association said the increase of the domestic rice prices was due to a promotion of purchasing rice for previously signed export contracts of local rice exporters. The Viet Nam Food Association said prices went up since July 11, when it suspended plans to buy 1 million tonnes of rice for the national reserve. It attributed this to the inking of new contracts for exports to Asian countries. "We are informed that Thai exporters have unveiled plans to purchase rice from Viet Nam," Duong Nghia Quoc, director of the Mekong Delta Dong Thap Province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, told Viet Nam News yesterday. "However, so far no rice purchase contract has been signed between Thai traders and Vietnamese exporters in Dong Thap." Mekong Delta farmers have harvested less than half of the 1.62 million ha they planted for the summer-autumn crop and hope to complete their harvest by early September, according to a meeting held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Can Tho last week. Exporters have signed contracts to ship 1.3 million tonnes in the third quarter. In the second half Viet Nam is set to export around 3.2 million tonnes, taking total export of the grain this year to 7 – 7.4 million tonnes.  | ||||
| 7 BKL representatives were invited by the Srah Chak commune this afternoon 2 August 2011 Posted: 01 Aug 2011 10:40 PM PDT  This afternoon (2 August 2011) there are 7 BKL representatives were invited by the Srah Chak Commune, Daun Penh District to meeting in Srah Chak Commune. The aim of an invitation letter is discus on the personal issue. The meeting will start at 2.00PM. More contact: 012604648; 0977968536; 012396579  | ||||
| Sangkum Trey Pra - Khmer Poem by Chhaya Khemarak Posted: 01 Aug 2011 10:25 PM PDT    |
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