KI Media: “Kingdom of Wonder where is the natural Boeung Kak Lake?” plus 24 more |
- Kingdom of Wonder where is the natural Boeung Kak Lake?
- Camdrew violates Cambodia's labor law: Boycott Angkor Beer!!!
- Lotus Revolution
- Open Letter to the HRP by Mr. Sing Song
- Speak Truth To Power Series in KI-Media - Natasa Kandic (Serbia) “Human Rights in Time of War”
- The Prey Nokor News Vol. 2 No. 24 - របបកុម្មុយនិស្តវៀតណាមនឹងរលំដោយសារចលនាជនជាតិដើម និងលទ្ធិប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ
- Public Invitation to Meet Mu Sochua in Montreal, Canada
- "Chomney Khuor (Brain food): Chhub Chh-ngol" By Ros Chenda
- Exclusive New Track from Khmerican artist, Jeff 'JL Jupiter' Lek
- ‘Hell’ over for abused fishermen
- Kem Sokha: "I bet on my life that even if the UN comes and organize the election, the opposition will still lose the election" ... Kem Sokha plans to quit the opposition and join the CPP soon?
- June textile workers get paid
- Carlsberg investigates beer strike
- Historical Context for Vietnamization of Cambodia (e.g. Viettel/Metfone; Hun Sen's rise to power)
- Political tricks of Hun Sen using in modern IT era
- The hotel de la saved
- Cambodian shoe factories under the spotlight
- Kem Sokha: The current government leadership was borne out of free, fair and just election therefore no change is needed (sic!)
- Blood brothers
- Brain Food for all the Dr. Dr. Dr. H.E. See-Chor Bunny "Ph.D" Hobbits out there
- For these doctors, giving their hearts to those in need
- Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Irishman injured in Cambodian crash
- Foreign tourists injured in Cambodia bus crash
- Brain Food for the Close-Minded
| Kingdom of Wonder where is the natural Boeung Kak Lake? Posted: 01 Aug 2011 05:38 PM PDT A glimpse of what used to be Boeung Kak Lake, a stone throw away from Hun Xen's office at the Council of Ministers.  | ||||
| Camdrew violates Cambodia's labor law: Boycott Angkor Beer!!! Posted: 01 Aug 2011 04:29 PM PDT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq1W-btpjc0&feature=player_embedded  | ||||
| Posted: 01 Aug 2011 04:23 PM PDT   | ||||
| Open Letter to the HRP by Mr. Sing Song Posted: 01 Aug 2011 04:21 PM PDT    | ||||
| Speak Truth To Power Series in KI-Media - Natasa Kandic (Serbia) “Human Rights in Time of War” Posted: 01 Aug 2011 04:00 PM PDT Speak Truth To Power Series in KI-Media - Natasa Kandic (Serbia) "Human Rights in Time of War" http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/61348629?access_key=key-1gk6mh2uef658alp2i2h  | ||||
| Posted: 01 Aug 2011 03:41 PM PDT | ||||
| Public Invitation to Meet Mu Sochua in Montreal, Canada Posted: 01 Aug 2011 02:55 PM PDT  Dear Compatriots, We are very pleased to invite you, family and friends to a public gathering which will be held in honour of our elected member of Cambodian parliament, Ms. Mu Sochua. A former Minister of Women's Affairs and a leading human rights activist, MP Mu has been a defending champion of Cambodian women's rights and dignity. She has been inspirational in her fearless journey to empower Cambodian women, promote and defend their rights and dignity. This public gathering will be held on SUNDAY, August 7, 2011, from 2:00pm - 9:00pm, at Centre de Loisir located on 1375 rue Grenet, Ville Saint Laurent, Quebec, Canada. For detail information and contact info., please CLICK HERE Your supports and encouragement is vital to the cause of advancing Cambodian women's rights and dignity inside our native land. Hope to see you all there. Truly Yours, Pretty Ma, SG Sam Rainsy Party of North America 450-712 4998 Contact Info. Mr. Pang Heng 450-934 3873 Mr. Chuop Samnang 514-543 1479 Mr. Tep Sokhavouth 514-678 8583  | ||||
| "Chomney Khuor (Brain food): Chhub Chh-ngol" By Ros Chenda Posted: 01 Aug 2011 02:46 PM PDT   | ||||
| Exclusive New Track from Khmerican artist, Jeff 'JL Jupiter' Lek Posted: 01 Aug 2011 02:40 PM PDT  Originally posted at: http://blog.khmerican.com/post/8349567669/jl-jupiter-off-ya-love Co-founder, Phatry Derek Pan was out in Philadelphia this past weekend to support one of Khmerican's biggest ally, Jeff 'JL Jupiter' Lek. The charismatic 31-year-old music artist has been laying down tracks for over a decade to songs such as Natural, I'm Still Here and Build With U. Just before a show, Pan had the opportunity to share a conversation in his Camden home about a new unreleased track produced by AZI Fellas. "The single Off Ya Love reflects about family," said JL, who despite growing up without a father, always had a strong support system from siblings and relatives. "The names mentioned in the song are real people - people who always gave me everything I wanted even though we were struggling." This maturity and experience has brought the versatile artist greater prominence in the emerging Philadelphia hip hop scene. In the last 3 months, JL has performed at numerous local venues such as Cambodian-owned Tipsy Bar, Arts Garage, and this past Saturday at Phila MOCA. In May 2011, he performed in Springfield, Virginia alongside comrade in arms, the Nu Treez. His largest stage yet will be a schedule performance at the 14th Annual Lowell Southeast Asian Water Festival on August 20th to a 50,000 plus audience. As JL Jupiter's music career continues to grow, so will our effort to promote talented artist in the community. Meantime, we encourage you to visit JL's website, Like his fan page, and all that other good karma stuff. And lastly, we haven't forgotten you the fans. For the first 25 people who e-mails us, we will send out the full 3-minute track for FREE.  | ||||
| ‘Hell’ over for abused fishermen Posted: 01 Aug 2011 08:45 AM PDT
Monday, 01 August 2011 Sen David and David Boyle The Phnom Penh Post Trafficking victim Thith Sopheak had a strong warning for people contemplating the promises of labour brokers when he returned home to Cambodia on Friday – don't believe them, you'll end up in hell. "It just put tears in my eyes to see them [other victims]. It is a hellish situation. There are a lot of Cambodians, not just 100, maybe 1,000 on the boats," he said. An unknown number of Cambodian men, like him, have been trafficked onto Thai and Malaysian fishing boats as slave labourers and subjected to appalling abuses. Those deemed expendable – falling ill or exhausted from 22-hour work days – have reportedly been beaten and then tossed in the South China Sea to die. Thith Sopheak and six other men were the "lucky" ones, who jumped ship and were eventually rescued in Malaysia, before finally arriving home on Friday. "They mistreated us so much. They hit us and so many Cambodians died at sea," said the 29–year-old at Phnom Penh International Airport. "I decided to jump into the water. I thought that if I was lucky, I would live. I swam 200 metres and arrived in Malaysia." Chan Phally, the mother of 21-year-old victim Nouv Vuthy, who also returned on Friday, said she had warned her son that offers of lucrative jobs in Thailand from brokers were dangerous, but he stubbornly decided to go anyway. "I was ill when he called me once and said he had been trafficked as a boatman," she said, tentatively waiting to hug the son she had not seen for months. "I missed my relatives, especially my mum, so much. Right now I feel reborn," her son said following their reunion. Although six of the group have now returned home, their future remains uncertain, said Huy Pich Sovann, a programme officer at the Community Legal Education Center in Cambodia, yesterday. "They are still worrying about their lives. They have no jobs and they have no income … it's very difficult to find them jobs or provide them training," he said. But the men had received gifts of noodles, canned fish and US$10 each from the Cambodian Red Cross and could perhaps find some work as paid advocates, warning potential victims of the horror they endured, he added. Most were keen to start their own businesses, he said, but were unaware of any financial assistance to be provided from the government. Repatriated victim Sun Baraing, aged 47, said on Friday that he would never make the mistake of going abroad to work again. "I am alive, this is my luck. I am illiterate and I don't know what to do in the future. I just want to live with my mum in happiness. I am a man, I will not cry," he said. Bith Kimhong, director of the anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection department at the Ministry of Interior, said yesterday investigations were underway to identify and arrest the brokers responsible for trafficking the men in late 2010 and early 2011. "After we interviewed [the victims], we made a conclusion that it was a suspected case of human trafficking across the border and we have been working to conduct an investigation," he said. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY VONG SOKHENG  | ||||
| Posted: 01 Aug 2011 08:35 AM PDT http://www.box.net/shared/foaeqrkp0ktb15iadecp កឹម សុខា រិះគន់សម រង្ស៊ី ដែលថា នឹងអំពាវនាវឲ្យមានបដិវត្តន៍ផ្កាម្លិះផ្តួលCPP Monday, 01 August 2011 មាស សុខជា The Phnom Penh Post Khmer ភ្នំពេញៈ ប្រធានគណបក្សសិទ្ធិមនុស្សបានរិះគន់ប្រធានគណបក្សសមរង្ស៊ី ដែលប្រកាសថា នឹងប្រើបដិវត្តន៍ផ្កាម្លិះ ដើម្បីបំផុសឲ្យប្រជាជនផ្តួលរំលំរដ្ឋាភិបាលលោកនាយករដ្ឋ មន្រ្តី ហ៊ុន សែន ប្រសិនបើការបោះឆ្នោតសកលលើកក្រោយមិនត្រឹមត្រូវ និងគ្មានភាពយុត្តិធម៌។ ថ្លែងទៅកាន់សមាជិក៥០០នាក់ ក្នុងការជួបជុំក្រុមប្រឹក្សាថ្នាក់ជាតិលើកទី២ កាលពីថ្ងៃទី៣០ ខែកក្កដា លោក កឹម សុខា ប្រធានគណបក្សសិទ្ធិមនុស្ស មានប្រសាសន៍ថា៖ «បដិវត្តន៍ផ្កាម្លិះមិនជាការល្អសម្រាប់ប្រជាជនឡើយ និងថា បើទោះជាការបោះឆ្នោតខាងមុខនេះមិនត្រឹមត្រូវនិងយុត្តិធម៌ ក៏ដោយ លោកនឹងមិនបំផុសឲ្យប្រជាជនធ្វើបដិវត្តន៍ប្រឆាំងរដ្ឋាភិបាលបច្ចុប្បន្នឡើយ។ លោកអះអាងថា បដិវត្តន៍ប្រឆាំងរដ្ឋាភិបាលនឹងធ្វើឲ្យប្រជាជនបាត់បង់ជីវិត។ លោក កឹម សុខា បានបន្ថែមថា៖ «យើងចង់ឲ្យមានការផ្លាស់ប្តូរតាមរយៈការបោះឆ្នោត ប៉ុន្តែ បើការបោះឆ្នោះគ្មានយុត្តិធម៌នោះមេដឹកនាំគណបក្សសិទ្ធិមនុស្ស នឹងមិននៅស្ងៀមឡើយ យើងហ៊ានលះបង់»។ លោក កឹម សុខា បានថ្លែងថា៖ «យើងគឺជាគណបក្សប្រឆាំង ដែលខុសពីគណបក្សប្រឆាំងមួយដែលបង្កគ្រោះថ្នាក់ដល់ប្រជាពល រដ្ឋរួចហើយ រត់យករួចខ្លួនបាត់»។ ទាក់ទងនឹងការបោះឆ្នោតឃុំ-សង្កាត់ឆ្នាំ ២០១២ លោក កឹម សុខា បានលើកឡើងថា ប្រសិនបើគណបក្សសិទ្ធិមនុស្សឈ្នះការបោះឆ្នោឃុំ-សង្កាត់ ហើយសកម្មជនរបស់គណបក្សនេះក្លាយជាមេឃុំ គណបក្សសិទ្ធិមនុស្សនឹងរៀបចំឲ្យមានឡានពេទ្យក្នុងឃុំ ដើម្បីបម្រើសេវាកម្មជូនពលរដ្ឋ និងសន្យាថា ប្រសិនបើមេឃុំគណបក្សសិទ្ធិមនុស្សណាប្រព្រឹត្តពុករលួយ គណបក្សនឹងដូរប្រធាននោះចេញភ្លាម។ លោក យឹម សុវណ្ណ អ្នកនាំពាក្យរបស់គណបក្សសមរង្ស៊ី មានប្រសាសន៍ថា គណបក្សសម រង្ស៊ី មិននាំប្រជាជនទៅរកស្លាប់ ដោយការធ្វើបវដិវត្តន៍នោះទេ ដោយអះអាងថា ឧប្បត្តិហេតុដែលបានកើតឡើងពីមុនវាកើតឡើងដោយសារតែសុច្ឆន្ទៈ របស់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ ព្រោះតែពួកគាត់មិនអាចទ្រាំរស់នៅក្រោមការគាបសង្កត់និងភាពអយុត្តិធម៌។ ជាមួយគ្នាដែរលោកកឹម សុខា មានប្រសាសន៍ថា មេដឹកនាំបក្សកាន់អំណាច ដែលកាន់អំណាចជាង៣០ឆ្នាំ គួរតែមើលប្រទេសវៀតណាមដែលជាមេកើយរបស់ខ្លួន គេដូរមេដឹកនាំខ្លះហើយ។ លោកបានបន្ថែមទៀតថា ការផ្លាស់ប្តូរជាច្បាប់ធម្មជាតិ ព្រោះគ្មាននរណាម្នាក់ អាចនៅកាន់អំណាចមួយជីវិតនោះទេ។ លោកបានបន្តទៀតថា៖ «ប្រសិនបើមើលមិនឆ្ងាយទេ គណបក្សកាន់អំណាចគួរតែមើលប្រទេសដែលជាចៅហ្វាយនាយរបស់ខ្លួន ដែលបានដូរប្រធានាធិបតីរបស់គេ។ ខ្ញុំហ៊ានភ្នាល់ដាក់ជីវិតប្រសិនបើអង្គការសហប្រជាជាតិមករៀបចំការបោះ ឆ្នោតក៏ដោយ គណបក្សប្រឆាំងនឹងនៅតែចាញ់ឆ្នោត»។ លោក កឹម សុខា បានទទួលស្គាល់ថា គណបក្សកាន់អំណាចរបស់លោក ហ៊ុន សែន បានធ្វើឲ្យមានចំណុចវិជ្ជមានមួយចំនួនជូនជាតិ ដូចជា ការពារទឹកដីពីការឈ្លានពានរបស់ប្រទេសថៃ និងកសាងហេដ្ឋារចនាសម្ព័ន្ធមួយចំនួន ប៉ុន្តែ បញ្ហាសំខាន់ដែលជាអាយុជីវិតរបស់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋគណបក្សកាន់អំណាចមិន អាចដោះស្រាយបានឡើយ។ លោកអះអាងថា៖«ប្រជាជននៅតែក្រ។ អ្នកមាននិងអ្នកក្រនៅមានគម្លាតដាច់ពីគ្នាឆ្ងាយ»។ លោក ជាម យៀប តំណាងរាស្រ្តគណបក្សប្រជាជនកម្ពុជា (CPP)បានច្រានចោលការចោទប្រកាន់របស់លោក កឹម សុខានិងលើកសំអាងថា កម្ពុជាមិនស្ថិតក្រោមអាណានិគមរបស់ ប្រទេសវៀតណាមទេ ហើយ លោក ហ៊ុន សែន បានជាប់ឆ្នោតជានាយករដ្ឋមន្រ្តីតាមរយៈសន្លឹកឆ្នោតប្រជាពលរដ្ឋនិងគាំទ្រដោយរដ្ឋធម្មនុញ្ញ៕ KS  | ||||
| Posted: 01 Aug 2011 08:22 AM PDT Monday, 01 August 2011 Kim Yuthana The Phnom Penh Post Thousands of workers who were sacked after part of the June Textile garment factory burned down in March are finally receiving severance payments and other awards following a ruling from the Arbitration Council. Taing Kisay, an administration assistant at the factory, said yesterday that more than half the 4,096 workers who lost their jobs would get payments soon. "I will continue to pay all workers. I expect I will be completely finished by the second week of August," he said. The Arbitration Council ruled on June 16 that June Textile had to pay workers compensation. Heng Lin, 30, said yesterday she had received US$1,130 after working at June Textile for 12 and a half years. "It showed the success of... the workers' struggle in demanding the factory boss to follow the Arbitration Council's ruling." Oum Mean, secretary of state at the Ministry of Labour, said he hoped "other factories in controversies will settle [compensation] for workers as well". Peng Chou, a representative from the Union Federation of Work, claimed yesterday that the company had been disputing the details of some former employees' contracts in order to withhold payments, and said more protests could result.  | ||||
| Carlsberg investigates beer strike Posted: 01 Aug 2011 08:17 AM PDT
Monday, 01 August 2011 Mom Kunthear and Vincent MacIsaac The Phnom Penh Post Carlsberg has said it is investigating a strike by Angkor beer promoters, who yesterday vowed to continue in their bid for fair treatment. "We've had no response from the company so the strike will continue," Ou Tep Phally, vice-president of Cambodian Food and Service Workers' Federation, told The Post yesterday. More than 30 beer promoters have been striking since last Monday, accusing Angkor brewer Cambrew of refusing to pay overtime despite a July 7 ruling by the Arbitration Council that it was legally required to do so. The women, who usually promote the brand in restaurants and nightspots, have been handing out leaflets calling for the public to boycott it instead. Beer promoter Sim Phan said strikers planned to burn tyres in front of the company's headquarters on Norodom Boulevard today. Cambrew has repeatedly declined to comment, but Carlsberg, which owns half of Cambrew, said it was investigating. "The current situation is under investigation by the local management team and Carlsberg Indochina," Carlsberg's vice-president for communications in Asia, David Fang, said in an email last week. The Hong Kong-based executive referred further questions to staff at the company's Hanoi office, but they were on vacation. Ian Lubek, a Canadian academic who has researched "beer girls" in Cambodia for 12 years, said: "Company directors are often oblivious to what is going on in the field. "Headquarters set quotas for how much beer should be sold in the region and rarely consider employees' issues." He also said companies paid low wages to beer promoters because their resulting vulnerability made them more attractive to customers. "They knowingly create an economically coercive situation because they know that male customers will be more likely to drink their brand if it is served by women who are perceived as economically vulnerable targets," he said. Ou Tep Phally said she was looking forward to the opportunity to tell Carlsberg about the working conditions of its female beer promoters in Cambodia. She said she also wanted to tell the company that its partner here has cheated its employees out of overtime wages for 14 years. Carlsberg's investigation has yet to include interviews with the women who promote its brands here, she said.  | ||||
| Historical Context for Vietnamization of Cambodia (e.g. Viettel/Metfone; Hun Sen's rise to power) Posted: 01 Aug 2011 06:39 AM PDT The Pol Pot Regime: Race, Power, and Genocide in Cambodia, 1975-79 By Ben Kiernan (Silkworm Books, 1996 Yale University) Excerpts from Chapter 10 "Thunder Without Rain": Race and Power in Cambodia, 1978 Escalating the War On 31 December 1977, Democratic Kampuchea officially severed diplomatic relations with Vietnam. Four days later, Pol Pot issued secret instructions to "attack from behind the enemy's back."… He ordered the deployment of up to 60 percent of Cambodia's regular and regional forces, "to go in and wage guerilla war to tie up the enemy by the throat…" An idea seemed to be forming in Pol Pot's head… "to turn this hatred into a material hatred."… A week later, just after the Vietnamese pullback of 6 January 1978, Pol Pot arrived in the Eastern Zone. He called a public meeting at Wat Taung, beside a rubber plantation in Suong district… Also presiding were Son Sen, So Phim, and Ke Pauk. Heng Samrin attended as deputy chief of the Zone military staff. Pol Pot gave the major address. Samrin recalls hearing him start with a new arithmetical formula. "Each Cambodian is to kill thirty Vietnamese"… The intended target was Vietnam. But Phnom Penh Radio had also denounced an alleged "traitorous clique" inside Cambodia... Rebellion in the East …By 19 April, no fewer than 409 Eastern Zone cadres were being held in Tuol Sleng… The Center linked the East with Vietnam. And it linked the 1.5 million Cambodians living there with the Vietnamese enemy… Like the Khmer Krom defectors whose massacre is described in the introduction, Democratic Kampuchea's enemy was both Cambodian and Vietnamese… On 23 May, Pauk arrested two relatives of Heng Samrin: his younger brother Heng Thal, commander of the Center's 290th (formerly eastern) Division, and their brother-in-law Soth, CPK secretary of Region 21… In Prey Veng, [Heng] Samrin was now in direct command of the 5th, 6th, and 8th marine battalion, the later based nearby at Neak Loeung. He could also mobilize two battalions of trainees from the Zone Armed Training School and two tanks attached to the Zone staff. The Zone artillery batteries were still stationed at Chup, and the three divisions remained at the front. "I had no command, but I could send commands by telegram to every division."… It took Piem's failure to return to his headquarters at Tuol Preap for Phim to finally determine that Pauk was at war. The next day, 24 May, Phim met with a deputy chief of the Zone military staff Pol Saroeun, who ran the Zone ammunition factory in Koh Sautin district… [ the chapter continues on in detailing the involvement and activities of Heng Samrin, Pol Saroeun, etc. To be continued… ]  | ||||
| Political tricks of Hun Sen using in modern IT era Posted: 01 Aug 2011 12:57 AM PDT Political Analysis Today: CPP led by Hun Sen under the provision of Hanoi will one day die as money that they raise and dirty tricks that they use will be useless like other despotic leaders in this world that have subsequently been diminished.Op-Ed by Khmer Young As one of the younger generations of Cambodia, I am fully supported both material and morals for H.E. Sam Rainsy, SRP and all members. I have confidence to continuing support this party to fully achieve as a government leader one day. The documents of American Embassy secretly released by Wikileak confirmed the honesty and genuine patriot of H.E.Sam Rainsy in his rejecting the offer made by Mr. Hun Sen in the highest position of government and many other chances, H.E.Sam Rainsy has firmly confirmed his stance on integrity and struggle for genuine democracy of Cambodia. With this firm stance and struggle of SRP, CPP led by Hun Sen has used all means to uproot or at least reduce popularity of this party. CPP which is originated from Communist Party of Vietnam, has never given up their dirty tricks in demolishing its contender (please listen RFA's report for more details about Hun Sen's dirty tricks). But the gap of this reveling and the other important tricks CPP led by Hun Sen under Vietnamese supervision has used to win their opponents is still having more to tell to the world:
Bravo the power of solidarity among genuine Khmer patriots and democratic activists! Khmer Young  | ||||
| Posted: 01 Aug 2011 12:39 AM PDT
Friday, 29 July 2011 Michael Sloan The Phnom Penh Post A FORMER sorceress and rich woman who had fallen far down the economic ladder into destitution and was no longer able to afford her own medical bills was featured in a Phnom Penh Post article last Tuesday, July 19 – a story which led to the discovery that she was the owner of the original Hôtel de la Paix, a prime Siem Reap property now worth well over a million dollars. The woman, 83-year-old Chan Oudomsak, the wife of former anti-French guerrilla fighter and later governor of Siem Reap, Dap Chhuon, now lives in a remote village on the outskirts of Siem Reap. But she once owned substantial property in the city, including the original 1957 hotel, according to local historian Darryl Collins. Collins alerted the hotel's sales and marketing director Christian de Boer to the article by journalist Ou Mom, chronicling the ups and downs of Chan Oudomsak's tumultuous life. De Boer told 7Days that he was moved by a description of Chan Oudomsak's medical difficulties and the sad sweep of her life which saw her rise from the ranks of the anti-French Khmer Issarak guerrilla movement into a position of the first lady of Siem Reap. But this ended abruptly when Dap Chhuon was executed after his arrest on suspicion of plotting a coup against King Sihanouk in 1959. The property became Chan Oudomsak's but quickly fell into disrepair. The article spurred De Boer to offer to pay at least $500 towards Chan Oudomsak's medical and living expenses, which he says fits with the hotel's slogan of "respect the past, embrace the future". "We want to highlight the fact that this lady is the original owner of the hotel and help her out in some way," said de Boer. "This is her hour of need and with a limited effort we can make a massive difference." He said he discussed her plight with the current owners of the hotel and it was agreed to donate the money to "make sure her life is as comfortable as it can be". Chan Oudomsak, now living near her two daughters in Tbeang Kert village, in the same house where Dap Chhuon was arrested over 50 years ago, is frail and in bad health according to her daughter Kherng Bronorm, who explained her mother has been unable to speak following a severe illness three months ago. "A few days ago I took her outside and she had a bad fall. There always has to be someone with her. If I leave my mother alone she will … scream because she feels afraid." A visit by de Boer and Collins, accompanied by hotel staff, to Chan Oudomsak's home on Monday yielded a list of preliminary ideas to make the ailing great grandmother's life more comfortable, including the purchase of a new mattress and maintenance work on her roof to stop it leaking when it rains, which de Boer explained "is just a first step". Collins told 7Days that several iconic buildings and statues in Siem Reap were owned by Dap Chhuon's family during his term as governor between 1954 and 1959, including a villa along the road to the Angkor Archaeological Park, and the Preah Ang Chek and Preah Ang Chom gold statues now housed in a shrine opposite Independence Park. According to Collins, Dap Chhuon's family also built the original Hôtel de la Paix, which was bulldozed in the early 2000s to make way for the current incarnation of the hotel, which opened in 2005 trading under the same name. "The original hotel was built in 1957 but was only in operation until the early 70s," explained Collins. "Most of Siem Reap became unstable by about 1971 or 1972 because there was so much fighting in the area. I would say the hotel closed close to 1970 and then remained closed during the Pol Pot years. I don't think the hotel ever reopened because it was in a very bad state when I saw it in the early 2000s." Chan Oudomsak's niece Pout Sha told 7Days that Dap Chhuon built a hotel for one of his daughters to manage during the 1950s, which she believes is the original Hôtel de la Paix, but said she could not confirm this as the daughter in question vanished during the Khmer Rouge years. The Preah Ang Chek and Preah Ang Chom statues, however, are a part of family lore said Pout Sha, and used to be housed on the family farm before being hidden following Dap Chhuon's arrest. The statues later ended up in the hands of city authorities. As Pout Sha told the story of Dap Chhuon's rise and fall, her aunt proved that while she may be unable to speak, she can certainly still listen, frequently interrupting by clearing her throat when she feels her niece is skipping over important points. According to Pout Sha, Dap Chhuon's life began and ended at the very house where we sat as she recounted his story, and it was from there that he fled in 1959, pursued by government troops following the revelation of the so-called "Bangkok Plot", an alleged conspiracy to topple King Sihanouk initiated by rightwing politicians sparked by his close ties with Communist China. Surrounded inside the farmhouse, with Dap Chhuon bleeding heavily from an arm wound, Pout Sha explained that her mother was handed a pistol by her husband, who asked her to shoot him. But after she talked him into surrendering, he parted with the words: "We'll meet each other in the next life and forever after." A promise that Pout Sha said her mother still holds true.  | ||||
| Cambodian shoe factories under the spotlight Posted: 01 Aug 2011 12:30 AM PDT August 1, 2011 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. Presenter: 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: Shoemaking 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.  | ||||
| Posted: 01 Aug 2011 12:14 AM PDT No Jasmine Revolution for Kem Sokha 31 July 2011 By Den Ayuthyea Radio Free Asia Translated from Khmer by Soch Click here to read the original article in Khmer
The president of the Human Rights Party (HRP) declared that his party will not lead any people movement to join a Jasmine Revolution-type, unlike what the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) President claimed in the past. Kem Sokha made this claim during the closing of his party's 2nd national congress on 30 July 2011 at his party headquarters in Phnom Penh. Kem Sokha stressed that his party does not want any change in the current government leadership that was borne out of free, fair and just election. [KI-Media note: Why does Kem Sokha need to be in the opposition at all if that is the case?] He added that he and other HRP leaders do not want to have country leadership change through popular movement, unlike what the SRP plans to do by leading a popular movement to initiate a Jasmine Revolution-type to change the leadership in Cambodia: "A number of CPP [activists] at the grass root level who became conscious and who are concerned about the national problems also came to join us as well. Therefore, the HRP is already the parallel competitor to the CPP." Kem Sokha's stance is totally opposite to opposition leader Sam Rainsy's stance. Sam Rainsy plans to lead a popular revolutionary movement to demonstrate and topple the current Cambodian leaders in order to lead the country to self-determination. During the inauguration of the new SRP headquarters on 23 July 2011, opposition leader Sam Rainsy announced from Tunisia, where he was visiting in order to understand the democratic movement in Tunisia that led to the toppling of Tunisia's dictator, that there are 3 strategies to change the country's leaders: (1) through the election, (2) through a popular movement – like the Jasmine Revolution in which the people of Egypt, Yemen and Tunisia acted – if the 2012 and 2013 election will not be free and fair, and (3) as a last resort, through launching a lawsuit against Hun Xen at the International Court of Justice. Nevertheless, on 22 July, at the Eternal Peace building in Phnom Penh, Hun Xen warned that he will take strong measures against any opposition leaders who want to topple the government through a popular movement that was used in many other countries to remove the government: "I get in through the constitution and I will leave through the constitution. I get in by the people's vote, I will leave through the people's decision by a vote. I am telling you who want to try Jasmine [revolution], how many of you are there, come out! I know that you want to try the Tunisian and Libyan Jasmine [revolution] type, if you want to try, come try in Cambodia. There are many people who support the royal government and the CPP. This, we tried each other once already in 1998." Phay Siphan, mouthpiece of the Council of Ministers, used to say that Hun Xen came to power through the people vote, once every 5 years. Hun Xen does not come to power once and stayed in power for many years like Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Libya [KI-Media note: Phay Siphan needs to review his modern world history to learn how the Tunisian, Egyptian, Yemeni and Libyan dictators came to power and cling on to power through election fraud, just like Hun Xen did all this time.] Therefore, the mouthpiece said a Jasmine revolution in Cambodia would be an opposition to the election result by a majority of people. Nevertheless, an anonymous political commentator said that the gathering of people or popular movement for a regime change may not be feasible because the current government leaders are holding on to power for so many years already and they will not allow any popular movement to gather. However, if the popular force to topple the leadership is large, and the government would use armed force to violently put down the people, then the International community will take action, under that condition, the fate of the Cambodian leaders will not be different from that of the Egyptian, Yemeni or Tunisian leaders. Kem Sokha declared that if the circumstances will not allow a change of the dictatorial leader because of unfair and unjust election in 2012 and 2013, then he, as well as the HRP leaders, will not push the people to die for him at all, and he will not flee from the country or the people either. ------------ លោក កឹម សុខា មិនធ្វើបដិវត្តន៍ផ្កាម្លិះទេ ដោយ ដែន អយុធ្យា 2011-07-31 ប្រធានគណបក្សសិទ្ធិមនុស្សបានថ្លែងថា គណបក្សនេះមិនដឹកនាំចលនាប្រជាពលរដ្ឋឲ្យចូលរួមធ្វើបដិវត្តន៍ផ្កាម្លិះដូចគម្រោងរបស់មេនាំគណបក្សសមរង្ស៊ីធ្លាប់បានអះអាងកន្លងមកនោះទេ។ ការអះអាងរបស់លោក កឹម សុខា ប្រធានគណបក្សសិទ្ធិមនុស្សដូច្នេះបានធ្វើឡើងក្រោយបិទបញ្ចប់សន្និបាតក្រុមប្រឹក្សាជាតិលើកទី២ របស់ខ្លួន កាលពីថ្ងៃទី៣០ ខែកក្កដា ឆ្នាំ២០១១ នៅទីស្នាក់ការកណ្ដាល នាទីក្រុងភ្នំពេញ។ លោក កឹម សុខា បានសង្កត់ធ្ងន់ថា បក្សគណបក្សសិទ្ធិមនុស្សចង់ធ្វើការផ្លាស់ប្ដូរមេដឹកនាំរដ្ឋាភិបាលកម្ពុជាបច្ចុប្បន្ន កើតចេញពីការបោះឆ្នោតមានលក្ខណៈសេរី យុត្តិធម៌ និងត្រឹមត្រូវ។ លោកបន្តថា រូបលោក និងថ្នាក់ដឹកនាំបក្សសិទ្ធិមនុស្សដទៃទៀត មិនចង់ផ្លាស់ប្ដូរមេដឹកនាំប្រទេស ដោយប្រើកម្លាំងប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ ដូចគណបក្សសមរង្ស៊ីធ្លាប់មានគម្រោងដឹកនាំកម្លាំងពលរដ្ឋធ្វើបដិវត្តន៍ផ្កាម្លិះ ដើម្បីផ្លាស់ប្ដូររបបដឹកនាំនៅកម្ពុជានោះទេ ៖ «គណបក្សប្រជាជនមួយចំនួននៅក្នុងមូលដ្ឋានដែលបានភ្ញាក់រលឹកព្រួយបារម្ភពីបញ្ហាជាតិក៏បានចូលមកដែរ។ ដូច្នេះយើងឃើញថា គណបក្សសិទ្ធិមនុស្ស ជាគូប្រកួតទន្ទឹមជាមួយគណបក្សប្រជាជនហើយ»។ ជំហររបស់លោក កឹម សុខា ដូច្នេះបានផ្ទុយស្រឡះពីជំហររបស់លោកសមរង្ស៊ី ដែលមានផែនការដឹកនាំកម្លាំងពលរដ្ឋឲ្យចូលរួមធ្វើបដិវត្តន៍បះបោរ ដើម្បីទម្លាក់មេដឹកនាំរដ្ឋាភិបាលកម្ពុជាសព្វថ្ងៃ ដើម្បីឈានទៅដឹកនាំប្រទេសដោយខ្លួនឯង។ លោក សម រង្ស៊ី ប្រធានគណបក្សសមរង្ស៊ីនៅក្នុងពិធីសម្ពោធទីស្នាក់ការថ្មីគណបក្សសមរង្ស៊ី កាលពីថ្ងៃទី២៣ ខែកក្កដា បានថ្លែងពីប្រទេសទុយណេស៊ី ជាទីដែលលោកបានធ្វើទស្សនកិច្ចស្វែងយល់ពីចលនាប្រជាជនទុយណេស៊ី ឈានដល់ទម្លាក់មេដឹកនាំផ្ដាច់ការរបស់ខ្លួន។ លោក សម រង្ស៊ី បានបន្តថា មានលើកយកយុទ្ធសាស្ត្រ ៣ចំណុច ដើម្បីផ្លាស់ប្ដូរមេដឹកនាំប្រទេស គឺតាមរយៈការបោះឆ្នោត ការបំផុសចលនាមហាជនធ្វើបដិវត្តផ្កាម្លិះ ដូចដែលពលរដ្ឋនៅប្រទេសអេហ្ស៊ីប យេមែន និងទុយណេស៊ី បានធ្វើសកម្មភាព បើសិនការបោះឆ្នោតឆ្នាំ២០១២ និងឆ្នាំ២០១៣ មិនត្រឹមត្រូវ មិនយុត្តិធម៌ និងចុងក្រោយត្រូវប្ដឹងលោកនាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន ទៅកាន់តុលាការអន្តរជាតិ។ យ៉ាងណាក៏ដោយ លោកនាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន កាលពីថ្ងៃទី២២ ខែកក្កដា នាវិមានសន្តិភាព រាជធានីភ្នំពេញ បានព្រមានចាត់វិធានការណ៍ធ្ងន់ធ្ងរ ចំពោះមេដឹកនាំបក្សប្រឆាំងទាំងឡាយ ដែលចង់ផ្ដួលរំលំរដ្ឋាភិបាល ដោយប្រើយុទ្ធសាស្ត្រចលនាមហាជន ដូចដែលបណ្ដាប្រទេសមួយចំនួនបានប្រើនៅលើពិភពលោក ដើម្បីផ្ដួលរំលំរដ្ឋាភិបាលនោះ ៖ «ខ្ញុំឡើងតាមរដ្ឋធម្មនុញ្ញ ខ្ញុំចុះទៅវិញក៏តាមរដ្ឋធម្មនុញ្ញ។ ខ្ញុំឡើងតាមរយៈការបោះឆ្នោតដោយប្រជាជន ខ្ញុំចុះទៅវិញក៏តាមការសម្រេចរបស់ប្រជាជនតាមរយៈការបោះឆ្នោត។ សូមផ្ដាំលោកឯងចង់លេងអាផ្កាម្លិះលោកឯងមានប៉ុន្មានចេញមក។ ខ្ញុំដឹងថាអ្នកឯងចង់លេងអាផ្កាម្លិះធុនទុយណេស៊ី លីប៊ី លោកឯងចង់លេងៗ មកជាមួយស្រុកខ្មែរលេងទៅ។ មនុស្សគាំទ្ររាជរដ្ឋាភិបាល គាំទ្រគណបក្សប្រជាជនទៅណាអស់។ អាហ្នឹងក្រែងធ្លាប់លេងគ្នាម្តងហើយតើ កាលពីឆ្នាំ១៩៩៨»។ លោក ផៃ ស៊ីផាន អ្នកនាំពាក្យទីស្ដីការគណៈរដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ធ្លាប់បានមានប្រសាសន៍ឲ្យដឹងថា លោកនាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី ហ៊ុន សែន ឡើងកាន់អំណាចគ្រប់គ្រងប្រទេសតាមរយៈការបោះឆ្នោតរបស់ប្រជារាស្ត្រ ៥ឆ្នាំម្ដង មិនមែនឡើងកាន់អំណាចតែម្ដងហើយថិតក្នុងអំណាចយូរឆ្នាំ ដូចមេដឹកនាំនៅប្រទេសទុយណេស៊ី អេហ្សីប យេមែន លីប៊ី នោះទេ។ ដូចនេះ ការធ្វើបដិវត្តន៍ផ្កាម្លិះនៅកម្ពុជា គឺជាការប្រឆាំងលទ្ធផលការបោះឆ្នោតរបស់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋភាគច្រើន។ ទោះយ៉ាងនេះក្ដី អ្នកវិភាគនយោបាយឯករាជ្យកម្ពុជាស្នើមិនបញ្ចេញឈ្មោះ និងសំឡេងបានថ្លែងថា នៅកម្ពុជា ការកៀងគោកម្លាំងពលរដ្ឋ ឬកម្លាំងមហាជនដើម្បីផ្លាស់ប្ដូរមេដឹកនាំប្រទេស ទំនងជាមិនអាចកើតមានទេ ព្រោះថ្នាក់ដឹកនាំរដ្ឋាភិបាលក្ដាប់អំណាចដុះស្លែច្រើនឆ្នាំនៅកម្ពុជា មិនអនុញ្ញាតឲ្យមានកម្លាំងពលរដ្ឋប្រមូលផ្ដុំគ្នាបានទេ។ ប៉ុន្តែបើកម្លាំងពលរដ្ឋប្រមូលផ្ដុំគ្នាដើម្បីបណ្ដេញមេដឹកនាំរដ្ឋាភិបាលមានកម្លាំងច្រើន ហើយត្រូវបានរដ្ឋាភិបាលប្រើកម្លាំងប្រដាប់អាវុធ បង្ក្រាបទៅលើពលរដ្ឋមានរូបភាពហិង្សាធ្ងន់ធ្ងរ ពេលនោះមានការលូកដៃពីអន្តរជាតិនោះ ដូច្នេះវាសនាមេដឹកនាំប្រទេសកម្ពុជា ក៏មិនខុសពីមេដឹកនាំប្រទេសអេហ្ស៊ីប យេមែន និងទុយណេស៊ី នោះដែរ។ លោក កឹម សុខា បានថ្លែងថា ប្រសិនបើនៅក្នុងកាលៈទេសៈមិនអាចផ្លាស់ប្ដូររបបដឹកនាំបែបផ្ដាច់ការដោយសារតែអំពើអយុត្តិធម៌ ឬភាពមិនត្រឹមត្រូវក្នុងការបោះឆ្នោតនៅឆ្នាំ២០១២ និង២០១៣ ខាងមុខទេ រូបលោកក៏ដូចជាថ្នាក់ដឹកនាំគណបក្សសិទ្ធិមនុស្ស នឹងមិនជំរុញឲ្យពលរដ្ឋទៅស្លាប់ជំនួសនោះទេ ហើយលោកក៏នឹងមិនរត់ចោលស្រុក ឬរត់ចោលពលរដ្ឋនោះដែរ៕  | ||||
| Posted: 31 Jul 2011 09:58 PM PDT
A chance encounter on Facebook reunites two friends ripped apart and long thought dead in the perilous killing fields of war-torn Cambodia July 31, 2011 By Jennifer Torres Record Staff Writer STOCKTON - The Facebook account was his wife's idea. "I never thought about it," said William Buth, who teaches math at Cesar Chavez High School. "But my wife thinks that this is a good idea - to share her pictures so that friends and relatives from all over the country can see. ... She explained to me how to open an account, how to set it up." Earlier this summer, soon after registering, Buth received a message from another Facebook user - someone he didn't recognize at first. "I did not know what was going on," he said. He ignored it. But two days later, there was another message: "I'm so sorry, but you look really familiar, like my friend since 1974. Sitha Buth." It was a name William Buth hadn't used in decades. The messages had come from Sonan Samreth, who had been Buth's friend when the two were teenage classmates in Cambodia. They were separated when Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge forces took over the country in 1975. Each came to believe the other had died in the subsequent years of forced labor, starvation and execution that killed nearly 2 million Cambodians and sent thousands more fleeing. "He said my original name," Buth said. "All of a sudden, I was crying. Sitha Buth." Buth was about 15, and Samreth about 17 when they were students together at Tuol Svay Prey school in Phnom Penh. The Khmer Rouge would eventually convert the campus into a now-infamous prison and torture center. After graduating, Buth moved with his parents to Battambang in northwestern Cambodia. In the early years of the Pol Pot regime, he said, it was safer than the capital. Still, Buth said Khmer Rouge officials tested him three times, trying to discover whether he could read - citizens who were educated and who were members of the middle and upper classes were targeted for execution. He held the pages upside-down and pretended confusion. "We survived during the Pol Pot reign for about three years," Buth said. When the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia in late 1978, the family fled to Thailand on foot. It took them 10 days to reach the border. At a refugee camp in Thailand, Buth's parents bartered what little jewelry they had escaped with to pay for him to take English lessons. "Just enough to learn how to write to the U.S. embassy and beg the embassy to take us to the United States," he said. Finally, on Dec. 15, 1981, the family landed in San Francisco. "We had lived just like you would live in the forest," Buth said. "We didn't see any lights for five or six years. Then we saw lights, we saw buildings, and in my mind, I thought, 'I live again now.' " An uncle brought the family to Stockton, where Buth enrolled at San Joaquin Delta College and later earned a scholarship to attend University of the Pacific. He got married, became a teacher, changed his name. It was a picture of Sophaline and William Buth on their first wedding anniversary - posted to Sophaline's Facebook profile - that convinced Samreth his old school friend was alive. "I saw William Buth, but I didn't pay attention," Samreth said. "Then I looked again. He didn't change much. 'Maybe,' I thought. 'Maybe.' " Buth had been about 16 when Samreth last saw him. Thirty-seven years had passed. "Still, I recognized him," he said. "We studied together, played sports together. A lot of things." Samreth did not escape Cambodia until 1983. "My people died," he said. "Most of the people who were educated were killed." He fled to Thailand and then to Houston, where a brother and sister were living. In 1987, with a wife and young children to support, he moved to Long Beach, where he had heard there were more jobs. Samreth studied at Long Beach City College and now works as an aviation mechanic. When he joined Facebook this summer, he began seeking out classmates from Tuol Svay Prey. For the refugees who were scattered across the United States in the years following the Vietnam War, informal word-of-mouth networks and community organizations have offered the best means of finding lost friends and relatives, said Pang Houa Moua of the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center. Samreth had tried over the years. "I couldn't find any classmates," he said. "I thank Facebook for the opportunity to find my friend." Buth froze when he received Samreth's message. "I've never seen a man cry like that," Sophaline Buth said. She encouraged her husband to contact Samreth. "No," he said. "I kind of hesitated. It's all too much. ... We never thought he could be alive." Finally, he responded. "Yes, I'm Sitha Buth." The men met in Long Beach a few weeks later. "We spent time just talking about being in class together, and about how things would be in our country if we did not have the war," Buth said. "Everyone in the classroom would have a good job and maybe ... ." His voice tapered. "It's so sad, because all of us, we had no choice. The important thing is that we are here and we never forget the history." The friends speak weekly over the telephone. "It's unbelievable," Samreth said. "We talked about the past, the time we studied together, about suffering. Life was full of hardship. We talked about that. He cried. Me too. We were so happy to be together again."  | ||||
| Brain Food for all the Dr. Dr. Dr. H.E. See-Chor Bunny "Ph.D" Hobbits out there Posted: 31 Jul 2011 09:24 PM PDT Pride only breeds quarrels, - Book of Proverbs (the Hebrew Bible)  | ||||
| For these doctors, giving their hearts to those in need Posted: 31 Jul 2011 09:21 PM PDT
August 01, 2011 By Yim Seung-hye [sharon@joongang.co.kr] Korea Joongang Daily Seven-year-old Loeng Sonisa received the gift of life last Monday after receiving an all-expenses-paid heart surgery at Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital in Bucheon, Gyeonggi. Loeng Sonisa, who hails from a small Cambodian village, was one of three children invited to the hospital to receive free life-saving operations. The three children - Loeng Sonisa, 7; Run Sokry, 9; and Taing Guuochly, 9 - all suffer from ventricular septal defect, or holes in the wall that separates the right and left ventricles of the heart Since 2002, the nonprofit Korean Community for Service in Cambodia (KCSC) has sponsored three children with heart diseases each year to come to Korea and receive treatment at SCHU Hospital. Comprised of SCHU Hospital staff and members of Bucheon Jeil Church, which is adjacent to the hospital, the KCSC aims to provide free medical care to Cambodians in poverty, including annual summer trips to Cambodia's neediest regions. The organization was started in the summer of 2002 after a group of doctors from SCHU Hospital visited Cambodia for volunteer work, not knowing then that the trip would become an annual event. Realizing the lack of modern medical care in the country, the KCSC was formed to help more than just a few people each year. Among the doctors on the 2002 trip was Shin Won-han, director of SCHU Hospital in Bucheon, who credits the support of Seo Kyo-il, executive director of Soon Chun Hyang University, for the KCSC's long-running success. Seo's father was the founder of the university. Shin recalled Seo telling doctors after the KCSC's establishment, "In 1954, when the Korean War just ended, Korea's medical standards were terrible. But a medical staff from the University of Minnesota visited Seoul National University at that time. Thanks to them, Korea was able to learn advanced medical techniques." Shin said, "That's why Korean doctors should be the ones who help those people in developing countries like Cambodia and train doctors in advanced medical technology in these countries." Every August, around 20 medical staff from SCHU Hospital and members of the KCSC give up their weeklong summer vacation to treat the neediest Cambodians. Last year, a total of 26 KCSC members went to Kampong Speu Referral Hospital, a provincial hospital in Kampong Speu, Cambodia, and treated a total of 3,523 Cambodian patients and performed surgery on 60 more patients over six days. Lee Gi-cheol, 45, chief of a dental hospital in SCHU Hospital, has never missed a trip for the past decade, saying that the annual trip to Cambodia is "part of his life." "Although sometimes we, the doctors, think of this trip as an extension of what we do every day, for the Cambodians who we meet, they wait for a year to see us," said Lee. "I also believe this trip is a good opportunity for doctors in Korea to realize how lucky we are in Korea and feel compassion toward the people in Cambodia, who die every day due to lack of medical care." The KCSC also invites six Cambodian doctors every year to the SCHU Hospital for yearlong training. So far, a total of 43 Cambodian doctors in various departments - including general surgery, obstetrics, urology and anesthesiology - have come. "I am learning a lot at SCHU Hospital right now," said Chhor Kompeak, 27, a Cambodian anesthesiologist training at the hospital who arrived in early July. "I want to take the experience that I have here to Cambodia and treat the people in my country." Chhor Kompeak said that medical technology in Cambodia is not as advanced as in Korea so only a limited number of doctors can perform delicate operations. "Cambodian doctors have a lot of knowledge but they rarely have the chance to watch and learn the techniques like I am doing right now in Korea," said Chhor Kompeak. "After a year of training, I think I will have watched diverse operations, and I want to train other doctors in Cambodia who don't have the chance to go abroad to have such experiences." Shin, the KCSC director, explained that Cambodia not only lacks doctors but also facilities for doctors to receive proper training. According to Shin, there are only 2,000 doctors in Cambodia, which has a population of 12 million, meaning that there are 6,000 people per doctor. In contrast, in Korea, there is one doctor per 600 people. "Cambodia's economy will gradually develop and medical facilities will also improve," said Shin. "But improvement in medical practices cannot be achieved in a day or two. That's why training Cambodian doctors is crucial." KCSC members are preparing to go on their 11th trip to Cambodia in two weeks. And Lee, the dentist, has the date circled on his calendar. "I feel great to be able to participate in such a meaningful journey for over a decade, but my wife and kids complain sometimes because I haven't spent my summer vacation with my family for ten years," said Lee, chuckling. "I may have to skip next year to calm my wife down."  | ||||
| Convention on the Rights of the Child Posted: 31 Jul 2011 09:20 PM PDT Convention on the Rights of the Child Ratified by UNGA in Nov. 1989, entered into force 1990 Cambodia ratified this Convention on October 15, 1992 PART IArticle 321. States Parties recognize the right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. 2. States Parties shall take legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to ensure the implementation of the present article. To this end, and having regard to the relevant provisions of other international instruments, States Parties shall in particular: (a) Provide for a minimum age or minimum ages for admission to employment; (b) Provide for appropriate regulation of the hours and conditions of employment; (c) Provide for appropriate penalties or other sanctions to ensure the effective enforcement of the present article.  | ||||
| Irishman injured in Cambodian crash Posted: 31 Jul 2011 09:15 PM PDT Monday, August 1, 2011 The Irish Times An Irishman is in hospital in Cambodia following a bus crash. Michael O'Riordan (29) from Cork is in a critical condition after the bus in which he was travelling close to the Vietnamese border was involved in a crash yesterday morning. It is understood there were some fatalities, but numbers had yet to be confirmed last night. Mr O'Riordan, who lives in Dublin, had been on holiday in Cambodia. He was being treated in hospital in Phnom Penh after sustaining pelvic and internal injuries. The Irish embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam, is providing assistance to Mr O'Riordan's family.  | ||||
| Foreign tourists injured in Cambodia bus crash Posted: 31 Jul 2011 09:10 PM PDT Aug 1, 2011 DPA Phnom Penh - Seven foreign tourists suffered serious injuries after a bus crashed into a truck in Cambodia, a report said Monday. Four South Koreans and three Spaniards were injured when the bus carrying 34 passengers collided with a parked truck while en route to Vietnam from the Cambodian tourist hub of Siem Reap. A police official said the driver fled the scene. Government figures show 1,076 people died on the roads in the first six months of the year, up 14 per cent from 2010. Tourism is a key pillar of the economy and has shown signs of growth after the post-2008 slump. The Cambodia Daily newspaper reported Monday that tourist arrivals increased 13 per cent to nearly 1.4 million in the first six months of 2011, with growth driven by visitors from China, South Korea and Vietnam.  | ||||
| Brain Food for the Close-Minded Posted: 31 Jul 2011 09:09 PM PDT For things to reveal themselves to us, we need to be ready to abandon our views about them. - Thich Nhat Hanh  |
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