KI Media: “Wikileaks: The 5 suspects in Case 003/004 "are considered among the MOST BRUTAL implementers of the policies set by the Khmer Rouge leadership to purge the Communist Party of Kampuchea of traitors and "smash" them and execute countless others based on mere suspicion or for petty offenses"” plus 23 more

KI Media: “Wikileaks: The 5 suspects in Case 003/004 "are considered among the MOST BRUTAL implementers of the policies set by the Khmer Rouge leadership to purge the Communist Party of Kampuchea of traitors and "smash" them and execute countless others based on mere suspicion or for petty offenses"” plus 23 more


Wikileaks: The 5 suspects in Case 003/004 "are considered among the MOST BRUTAL implementers of the policies set by the Khmer Rouge leadership to purge the Communist Party of Kampuchea of traitors and "smash" them and execute countless others based on mere suspicion or for petty offenses"

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 04:38 PM PDT

Cable 09PHNOMPENH648, KHMER ROUGE TRIBUNAL: FIVE MORE FOR PROSECUTION

Reference ID: 09PHNOMPENH648
Created: 2009-09-01 10:44
Released: 2011-08-30 01:44
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Origin: Embassy Phnom Penh

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FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1136
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 0226
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY 0121
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 2399
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0511
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0607
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0720
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 0340
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 3303
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY 0184
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 2408
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PHNOM PENH 000648

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/MLS, IO, S/WCI
USUN FOR MARK SIMONOFF

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2019
TAGS: PREL KJUS PHUM KTIA PINR PGOV CB
SUBJECT: KHMER ROUGE TRIBUNAL: FIVE MORE FOR PROSECUTION

REF: A. PHNOM PENH 564
¶B. PHNOM PENH 264
¶C. PHNOM PENH 213
¶D. 07 PHNOM PENH 1203
¶E. 07 PHNOM PENH 956

Classified By: DCM THEODORE ALLEGRA FOR REASONS 1.4 (B, D)

¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Pre-Trial Chamber at the Khmer Rouge
Tribunal (KRT) will announce this week that five more
high-level Khmer Rouge cadres will be prosecuted, although a
small number of the proposed charges against some of the
accused may be set aside for lack of evidence. The decision
on an appeal by the international co-prosecutor, who could
not secure the support of the Cambodian co-prosecutor,
vindicates the special "super-majority" provisions of the
court's rules and is another sign of progress to try Khmer
Rouge leaders and "those most responsible" for genocide and
crimes against humanity during the KR regime. END SUMMARY.

Confirmation of the Positive Decision Slow in Coming
--------------------------------------------- ------

¶2. (C) The announcement, expected as early as September 2,
comes just as the court has appointed William Smith as acting
co-prosecutor for the international side, replacing Robert
Petit who recently resigned for personal reasons. A new
co-prosecutor will be named from among two UN nominees now
before the Supreme Council of the Magistracy. News of a
positive Pre-Trial Chamber (PTC) decision has been making the
circuits in Phnom Penh since April (Ref B), but international
sources at the court have stated that the timing of the
announcement was the most crucial element for the judges and
court administrators faced with a number of other burning
issues, such as establishing an anti-corruption mechanism for
the court. News of a satisfactory solution to the corruption
problem (with significant assistance from the USG - Ref A),
allowed the court to shift its focus to the PTC decision.
The last two weeks have been devoted to translating the
decisions on the five cases and preparing for their release
on the ECCC website. ECCC Deputy Director Knut Rosandhaug
(protect) told Pol/Econ Chief August 31 that the decisions
would be released on September 2 without much fanfare.

¶3. (C) As with other prosecution-related decisions, the PTC
will refer only to multiple cases of unidentified accused,
and affirm co-prosecutor Robert Petit's contention that these
cases fall within the carefully negotiated, narrow
jurisdictional mandate of the court regarding KR senior
leaders and "those most responsible" during the 1975-79
period. The identities of the accused will then go forward
under seal to the Office of the co-Investigating Judges, who
have the authority to sign off on preliminary indictments and
call for the arrest and detention of the accused as part of a
new Case 003.

¶4. (C) However, multiple sources at the court confirm that
the co-investigating judges -- who are grappling with a
massive, million-document case against four already accused
KR leaders in the second indictment (Case 002 - Ref E) and
trying to move that to a "Closing Order" by late summer 2010
-- can not now spend precious resources on a new Case 003.
Instead, the judges will likely first receive and employ
already promised resources for Case 002 and then await
decisions by UN donors on additional resources for Case 003
when they convene at the KRT Steering Committee at the UN in
the early fall.

The Accused
-----------

¶5. (C) The five suspects, all of whom reside in Cambodia, are
considered among the most brutal implementers of the policies
set by the Khmer Rouge leadership to purge the Communist
Party of Kampuchea of traitors and "smash" them and execute
countless others based on mere suspicion or for petty
offenses. At least two of these five were closely associated
with former KR Defense Minister Ta Mok, known as "The


PHNOM PENH 00000648 002 OF 003


Butcher". Three of the newly accused are well known to the
public and the other two are reportedly known well in their
local communities but do not have the same notoriety as the
others. Newly accused Sou Met and Meas Muth headed KR
military divisions and were known to send many to their
deaths at the S-21 torture center. Both retain positions in
the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) gained with their
defection from the KR in 1996. Im Chaem was a Khmer Rouge
District Chief in Banteay Meanchey province infamous for
arbitrary executions. An (or "Ta An") was the head of
District 105 Security in Ta Mok's home area where communalist
policies were most extreme, failed miserably, and the ensuing
protests were brutally suppressed. Little public information
is available about a fifth accused known as Teut (or "Ta
Teut"), but KRT prosecution sources refer to all of the
accused as "command-level" associated with graphic evidence
of mass murder and crimes against humanity. A sixth accused
presented to the Pre-Trial Chamber was Van Rith, the former
KR Commerce Minister, who died last November at the age of
¶70. Short biographic sketches follow:

-- Meas Muth (AKA Meah Mut): aged 70, was the former Khmer
Rouge Division 164 commander, which included the navy of
Democratic Kampuchea (DK), the official state name of
Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge. As one of only nine division
commanders, and as the son-in-law of Ta Mok, he was regarded
as a fierce leader who sent many to their deaths. After
defection, Meas Muth was assigned an RCAF command position in
Battambang and lives there today. He is outspoken in denying
his responsibility and has reportedly "made noises" about
stirring up trouble if he is publicly accused.

-- Sou Met headed Division 502, which included the DK air
force. He was allegedly directly involved in the transfer to
S-21 of cadre who would later be executed. The accused in
case 001, Duch, has named Sou Met in his testimony. Sou Met
has also been in the RCAF in Battambang since his defection.

-- Im Chaem, aged 65 and the only female among the newly
accused, was a women's hero during the KR and the Khmer Rouge
District Chief for Preah Net Preah in the province of Banteay
Meanchey. She allegedly used the death penalty to rigidly
enforce the brutal demands made by the KR of every-day
laborers in the fields. She, too, has publicly protested any
accusations against her.

-- An (or "Ta An," which means uncle An) was the head of
District 105 Security in Tram Krak, Takeo province, which had
a reputation for extreme torture and punishment, not only
against the educated, "class enemies" and poor performers,
but also against the political rivals of Ta Mok, whose home
village was in Tram Krak.

-- Teut (or "Ta Teut") reportedly had a command level
position. There appear to be no public records on Teut. As
one ECCC prosecution source stated, donor governments are
going to have to dig deep into their intelligence archives to
find more information on some of the newly accused.

The former UN co-prosecutor, Robert Petit, had indicated in
public remarks that these five would mark the end of
prosecutions by the ECCC under the legal scope of
jurisdiction, and ECCC sources confirm that there are no
plans to add more accused beyond these five.

Looming Questions: PTC Workload, Civil Parties
--------------------------------------------- -

¶7. (C) In addition to the immediate issues of wrapping up
the trial of S-21 torture center head Duch (Case 001) and
preparations for Case 002, the court is considering whether
to make the temporary PTC -- whose international judges come
every few months for brief sessions -- a full-time enterprise
with permanently resident international judges. Reportedly
both of the current PTC judges (from the Netherlands and
Australia) are nominally opposed to the move. Australian
Ambassador Margaret Adamson told the Ambassador recently that
while Australia has not yet made a decision formally to

PHNOM PENH 00000648 003 OF 003


oppose the move, they do not support it at this time. She
believes that consultation with the pretrial chamber judges
to date has been inadequate, that the costs of having the
chamber meet fulltime have been substantially underestimated
and that a stronger case needs to be made for why the PTC
should be in Phnom Penh. If this can be done, and if the
costs are laid out more accurately, then all of the donors
should support the move.

¶8. (C) ECCC sources also note that the defense team in Case
002 for "Brother Number 2," Nuon Chea, will unleash a tidal
wave of appeals as soon as the co-investigating judges
announce they are closing the investigation phase later this
year. The work that this "very sharp" team of Dutch defense
lawyers will bring will more than be adequate to justify the
full-time presence of the PTC, according to court sources.
Reportedly the PTC to date has taken on average more than six
months in each of its decisions. In Case 002, where the
accused are in precarious health, the court can no longer
afford such long periods to prepare decisions, according to
court administrators as well as international monitors. In
addition, the PTC requires its own full-time staff, including
judges' clerks who can help prepare decisions in rapid order,
court sources say. These and other administrative issues,
including funding, will be the subject of donor community
discussion with ECCC officials in the third week of September
as well as a meeting of the UN-based Steering Committee in
early October.

¶9. (C) COMMENT: The confirmation of the prosecution of this
group marks a very positive benchmark for the Khmer Rouge
Tribunal and effectively fulfills the court's UN-supported
mandate to bring not only Khmer Rouge leaders to justice, but
also "those most responsible." The criteria for selection of
the accused is clear: these are the surviving field
commanders who took direct orders from the likes of DK
Security Minister Son Sen and Pol Pot himself to carry out
purges and "smashing" on a mass scale. Now the focus must
turn to the very real logistical and budgetary challenges
facing the court -- especially given the pace of work
expected for both the PTC and the co-investigating judges in
the near term and the attention needed for a fledgling
victims unit for the long-term -- to ensure that the ECCC
structures can keep pace with the decisions its judges make.
RODLEY

Cambodian winner of 'Asia's Nobel' pushes forward in fight for fair vote

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 02:17 PM PDT

AGAINST THE ODDS: Koul Panha heads the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia.

11/09/2011
Achara Ashayagachat
Bangkok Post
''The near-monopoly on broadcast media for the ruling Cambodian People's Party's, bias within the electoral apparatus, and harassment, intimidation, and coerced defections of opposition party members undermines the credibility of the national elections'' - Human Rights Watch report
Cambodian democracy activist Koul Panha knows his country is still a long way from having a credible electoral process. But having witnessed the horrors of what can happen in the absence of a functioning democracy _ his father and relatives were murdered by the Khmer Rouge when he was eight years old _ he is passionate about working towards that goal.

Koul Panha was named late last month as one of six recipients of the Ramon Magsaysay Award.

Dubbed ''Asia's Nobel Prize'', the award was established in 1957 in memory of the former Philippine president and recognises exemplary public service within democratic societies in Asia. Koul Panha is the third Cambodian to receive the award.

He was in Bangkok recently to celebrate receiving the award at a function hosted by his colleagues in the Asian Network for Free Elections (Anfrel).

The executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections (Comfrel), an organisation that aims to promote fairness and transparency in Cambodian elections and educate voters, says a belief in the importance of equality drives him in his work.

''It's in our religion, it's in our culture that individuals have equal rights and freedoms. It's not just a Western value, but a universal principle that we also cherish human dignity,'' said Koul Panha.


The Ramon Magsaysay foundation said it recognised Koul Panha ''for his determined and courageous leadership of the sustained campaign to build an enlightened, organised and vigilant citizenry who will ensure fair and free elections _ as well as demand accountable governance by their elected officials _ in Cambodia's nascent democracy''.

Koul Panha, 44, has been an advocate for democratic transparency since Cambodia embarked on its first free elections in 1993. He was then a leading member of the Task Force on Cambodian elections, which became Comfrel in 1997.

Koul Panha says the childhood trauma he went through at the hands of the Khmer Rouge spurred him on in his pursuits as did the example set by Thun Saray, a former political prisoner of the regime.

He said Thun Saray inspired him to join other young energetic Cambodians to ''help educate the public against the notion that human rights activists usually defend bandits or criminals''.

Koul Panha and his family fled Phnom Penh for Kampong Thom province as the Khmer Rouge regime tightened its grip on the country. Later they returned to the capital, where Koul Panha received a degree in chemical engineering at Cambodia's Institute of Technology. He became a lecturer there prior to embarking on his career as a democracy advocate.

Since its formation, Comfrel has mobilised about 50,000 volunteers to raise awareness among voters about their rights and duties. Some 150,000 voters have taken part in the group's programmes.

He said the organisation holds workshops in the country encouraging people to monitor their elected officials' performance.

Human Rights Watch issued a report shortly before Cambodia's most recent elections in July, 2008 in which it outlined some of the obstacles to a free and fair vote.

''The near-monopoly on broadcast media for the ruling Cambodian People's Party's, bias within the electoral apparatus, and harassment, intimidation, and coerced defections of opposition party members undermines the credibility of the national elections,'' the report stated.

Koul Panha knows well the problems his country is facing, but is optimistic, saying that the threat of political violence has decreased.

Still he is under no illusions that the system is anything but deeply flawed. ''It is important that state resources are allotted fairly for all candidates to create a level playing field and it's also imperative to eliminate or reduce factors that frighten or traumatise voters into not exercising their rights,'' he said.

Next year will see a major test for Koul Panha and Camfrel when elections are held in 1,621 communes nationwide.

Koul Panha added that Asean's goal of establishing a community by 2015 should also promote democratic principles, not just economic benefit.

He said Cambodian and Asean leadership will be forced to recognise the voice of the people, as has been the case in the Middle East this year.

''Our democracy is unfulfilled; the power has yet to be transferred to the people. But I sense that the recent Middle East uprisings will inevitably be a catalyst for a change in the region,'' he said.

PM will ask Phnom Penh to free activists [-Will Hun Xen ask Yingluck to release all Khmer citizens jailed in Thailand?]

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 02:08 PM PDT

YINGLUCK, THAKSIN TO SEEK THAIS' RELEASE FROM CAMBODIAN JAIL

11/09/2011
Bangkok Post and AFP

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will ask Phnom Penh to release two Thai activists who have been jailed in Cambodia since December.

She will make the request during her official visit to Cambodia on Thursday, Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said.

Mr Surapong, who will accompany Ms Yingluck to Phnom Penh, said the Cambodia visit will be considered a success if the Thai government can obtain the release of Veera Somkwamkid, a coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network, and Ratree Pipatanapaiboon, his secretary.

"When we have a chance, we have to help our fellow Thais," the minister said.


Veera and Ratree have been jailed in Cambodia since December on charges of spying and illegal entry.

A Cambodian court sentenced Veera to eight years in jail and Ratree to six years.

The yellow shirt People's Alliance for Democracy criticised the Democrat-led government for failing to push for their release.

Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is a friend of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, will also visit Phnom Penh, a day after his sister's visit.

A Pheu Thai source said Thaksin would also talk to Cambodian officers about the two imprisoned Thais.

Thaksin's legal adviser Noppadon Pattama yesterday confirmed the former prime minister would would give a lecture on Asian and global economies to parliamentarians from several countries in Phnom Penh tomorrow.

He said Thaksin was invited by the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum and Cambodia Royal Institute to address the lawmakers on the topic.

"Thaksin's trip to Cambodia will be a brief one. He will not be in Phnom Penh on the same day as Ms Yingluck," Mr Noppadon said.

Ms Yingluck made her first official trip abroad yesterday with a one-day visit to Brunei.

The premier insisted she did not meet her brother during the trip, as reported by some media.

Thaksin has visited Brunei several times in recent years, as it is one of the two Asean countries which has allowed him entry since his 2008 corruption conviction.

The prime minister said her visit to Brunei would foster better relations between Thailand and Islamic countries since Brunei is a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, an international body consisting of 57 member states.

Ms Yingluck was welcomed by Hassanal Bolkiah, the sultan of Brunei, before the closed-door meeting, which was expected to touch on the insurgency in Thailand's South, where near-daily attacks have left over 4,700 people dead since 2004.

Ms Yingluck was accompanied by Foreign Minister Surapong, who is scheduled to travel to Indonesia, the Asean chair tomorrow.

After completing her trips to Asean member countries, the prime minister is scheduled to make stops in China and India.

"សារិកាកែវអើយ!" (Conversation between Hun Sen & Ying Lak) a Poem in Khmer by NhiekKiri

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 01:33 PM PDT

"The sad fate of a Khmer Child!" - Poem in Khmer by Chham Chhany

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 01:13 PM PDT

Thai PM to seek release of two Thai activists jailed in Cambodia

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 11:13 AM PDT

10 September 2011

BANGKOK (BNO NEWS) -- Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra plans to seek the release of two Thai activists jailed in a Cambodian prison during her one-day official visit to Phnom Penh on Thursday, Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said on Saturday.

Surapong said the premier is scheduled to meet her Cambodian counterpart during her introductory visit, which is customary for the new leader of the country, and may use the opportunity to help secure the release of the activists. Veera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipattanapaiboon, from the Thailand Patriot Network, are detained in a Cambodian jail for illegal entry and spying charges, according to the Thai News Agency.

A Cambodian court on February 1 ruled that Veera and his secretary Ratree were guilty of espionage, illegal entry, and trespassing in a military zone. Veera was sentenced to eight years in jail and a 1.8 million riel ($450) fine, while Ratree was handed a six-year jail term and a 1.2 million riel ($300) fine.


The prime minister began her official overseas trips in Brunei on Saturday. She is scheduled to make her first official visit to Indonesia on Monday, and on Thursday she will visit the Cambodian capital and fly to Laos the following day, according to the news agency.

Yingluck, a top-party list Pheu Thai Member of Parliament, was elected prime minister on August 5 by a majority vote in the House of Representatives. The youngest sister of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra became Thailand's 28th Prime Minister and the first female to occupy the position.

The new premier will face an uphill task to steer the country out of years of deep-rooted divide and revitalize its economy amid the financial situation in the United States and Europe. She has also pledged to restore national reconciliation and unity.

Tha Sophat, the little toddler who suckles on cow after his parents had to leave to work in Thailand

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 11:08 AM PDT

Tha Sophat, a 20-month-old boy, suckles from a cow in Koak Roka village, Siem Reap province, Cambodia
Tha Sophat started suckling the cow after he saw a calf do the same

និន្នាការ​ផ្តល់​តម្លៃ​លើ​សំបក​ខាង​ក្រៅ​នាំ​សង្គម​ខ្មែរ​ទៅ​រក​គ្រោះថ្នាក់ - Valuation on external appearance could move the Khmer society to danger

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 10:46 AM PDT

Academicians without knowledge
PhD without education
General without combat experience
Wealth without work
Fortune from theft

និន្នាការ​ផ្តល់​តម្លៃ​លើ​សំបក​ខាង​ក្រៅ​នាំ​សង្គម​ខ្មែរ​ទៅ​រក​គ្រោះថ្នាក់

ពុធ 07 កញ្ញា 2011
ដោយ ប៉ែន បូណា
Radio France Internationale

Synopsis:
In the current Cambodian society, people seem to value image rather than substance. This trend is taking shape everywhere and in every field be it in politics, economics, welfare or daily life. Sociologists believe that when people only value external image, they tend to forget about substance, therefore the society could lose its perpetuity and solidity in the future. This is a problem that one cannot afford to miss.
Currently, people seem to respect only individuals who are perceived as wealthy and powerful rather than on the human quality hidden in each person.
នៅ​ក្នុង​សង្គម​កម្ពុជា​បច្ចុប្បន្ន ​មនុស្ស​ហាក់​នាំគ្នា​ឲ្យ​តម្លៃ​ទៅ​លើ​រូបភាព​ច្រើន​ជាង​ខ្លឹមសារ។ និន្នាការ​នេះ​កើត​មាន​គ្រប់​ទី​កន្លែង ​និង​គ្រប់​វិស័យ។ ​មិនថា​ក្នុង​វិស័យ​នយោបាយ​ សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​ សង្គមកិច្ច ​ឬ​ជីវិត​រស់​នៅ​ប្រចាំ​ថ្ងៃ​ឡើយ។​ ក្រុម​អ្នក​វិភាគ​សង្គម​ខ្មែរ​បាន​មើល​ឃើញ​ថា​ នៅ​ពេល​ដែល​មនុស្ស​ទូទៅ​ហាក់​ដូចជា​នាំ​គ្នា​ផ្តល់​តម្លៃ​ទៅលើ​តែ​រូបភាពសំបកក្រៅ ​តែ​ភ្លេច​គិត​ពី​ខ្លឹមសារ​ សង្គម​អាច​នឹង​បាត់​បង់​និរន្តរភាព ​និង​ភាព​រឹងមាំ​ទៅ​ថ្ងៃ​អនាគត។ នេះ​ជា​បញ្ហា​សំខាន់​ដែល​មិន​អាច​មើល​រំលង​បាន។

សង្គម​កម្ពុជា​បច្ចុប្បន្ន​កំពុង​ស្គាល់​ការ​ផ្លាស់ប្តូរ​គួរ​ឲ្យ​កត់សម្គាល់​បន្ទាប់​ពី​បាន​ឆ្លង​ផុត​ពី​សម័យ កាល​សង្គ្រាម​មកកាន់​សម័យ​សន្តិភាព​វិញ។ ​ការ​លូតលាស់​ និង​ប្រែ​ប្រួល​របស់​សង្គម​កម្ពុជា​បាន​នាំ​មក​ទាំង​ចំណុច​វិជ្ជមាន ​និង​អវិជ្ជមាន។ ​ពី​សង្គម​មួយ​ដែលធ្លាប់​រស់​ក្នុង​របាំង​ប្រពៃណី​តឹង​រ៉ឹង​មក​ជា​សង្គម​ដែល​បើក​ទូលាយនិងទទួលឥទ្ធិពលពីខាងក្រៅ។​ ពី​សង្គម​មួយ​ដែល​អ្នក​នយោបាយ​ផ្តួល​រំលំ​គ្នា​ ដោយ​ប្រើ​អាវុធ​ មក​ជា​សង្គម​ដែល​ប្រើ​ការ​បោះឆ្នោត ​និង​ពី​សង្គម​មួយ​ហែកហួរ​ដោយ​សង្គ្រាម​ស៊ីវិល ​មក​ជា​សង្គម​សន្តិភាព។ ​ទាំង​នេះ​ គឺ​ជា​ការវិវឌ្ឍន៍​ដែល​មាន​លក្ខណៈ​ជ្រាលជ្រៅ ​និង​ហាក់​ដូច​ជា​គួរ​ឲ្យ​មាន​មោទនៈ។ ​ក៏ប៉ុន្តែ ​ការវិវឌ្ឍន៍​មួយ​ចំនួន​បាន​ឈាន​ទៅ​រក​ទិស​អវិជ្ជមាន​ដ៏គ្រោះ​ថ្នាក់។ ​ចំណុច​លេច​ធ្លោ​មួយ​ក្នុង​ចំណោម​នោះ​គឺ​ និន្នាការ​នៃ​ការ​ផ្តល់​តម្លៃ​លើ​រូបភាពសំបក​ក្រៅ ​ច្រើន​ជាង​ខ្លឹមសារ

ជាការពិត ​បម្រែបម្រួល​សង្គម​ពី​សម័យ​កាល​មួយ​ទៅ​មួយ​ គឺ​ជា​ចលនា​ដែល​មិន​អាច​ទប់​បាន ប៉ុន្តែ ​គេពិត​ជា​អាច​តម្រង់​ទិស​វា​បាន​ប្រសិន​ណា​បើ​គេ​បាន​គិត​គូរទុក​ជា​មុន។ ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា ​និន្នាការ​នៃ​ការ​ផ្តល់​តម្លៃ​មនុស្ស​ដោយ​ផ្អែក​លើ​សំបក​ក្រៅ​ ហាក់​កំពុង​តែ​ដណ្តើម​ទីតាំង​ឈរ​ជើង​កាន់​តែ​រឹង​មាំ​ឡើង​ជា​លំដាប់​ពីមួយ​ឆ្នាំ​ទៅ​មួយ​ឆ្នាំ។ ​បច្ចុប្បន្ន ​គេ ហាក់​ដូច​ជា​គោរព​កោត​ខ្លាច​មនុស្ស​ដែល ​មាន​ទ្រព្យសម្បត្តិ ​បុណ្យ​ស័ក្តិ​ ដែល​គេ​មើល​ឃើញ​ភ្លាមៗ​ជាង​គុណធម៌​របស់​មនុស្ស​ដែល​កប់​នៅ​ក្នុង​ខ្លួន​មិន​អាច​មើល​ឃើញ​ភ្លាមៗ។ ទស្សនៈ​បែប​នេះ​ហាក់​បាន​និង​កំពុង​អូស​ទាញ​មនុស្ស​ឲ្យ​រត់​តាម​កាន់​តែ​ច្រើន​ឡើងៗ។ ​ជាក់ស្តែង​ អ្នក​រៀន​សូត្រ​មួយ​ចំនួនធំ​ចង់​បាន​សញ្ញាបត្រ​មក​បង្អួត​គេ​ ជា​ជាង​ការ​ចង់​បាន ​ចំណេះ​ដឹងនិងមុខវិជ្ជា​ពិត​ប្រាកដ។​ អ្នកមាន​លុយ​ត្រូវទទួល​បាន​ការ​គោរពកោតខ្លាច​ទោះបី​ជា​លុយ​នោះ​បាន​មក​ពី​ប្រភព​ណា​ក៏ដោយ។ ​ប្រហែល​ជា​រត់​តាម​និន្នាការ​នេះហើយបានជា មន្ត្រី​រាជការ​មួយ​ចំនួន​មាន​រថយន្ត​ទំនើប​ និង​ផ្ទះ​សម្បែង​តម្លៃ​ខ្ពស់​ហួស​ពី​ប្រាក់​ខែ​របស់​ខ្លួន


នៅ​ក្នុង​ទិដ្ឋភាព​នយោបាយ​វិញ​ក៏​ដូច​គ្នា​ ៖ ទ្រឹស្តី​ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ​បាន​រីក​ដុះដាល​ដល់​គ្រប់​មជ្ឈដ្ឋាន​ ពោល​គឺ​មនុស្ស​គ្រប់​គ្នា​ហាក់​បាន​ស្គាល់​ពាក្យ​ថា​ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ ​ ប៉ុន្តែ ​ថា​តើ​គេ​ត្រូវ​អនុវត្ត​បែប​ណា​ដើម្បី​ឲ្យ​ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ​ប្រព្រឹត្ត​ទៅ​ដោយ​ត្រឹមត្រូវ​តាម​ន័យ​ពិតប្រាកដ​របស់​វា?​ សំណួរ​នេះ​អាច​ឆ្លុះ​បញ្ចាំង​បាន​អំពី​ភាព​ប្រទាំង​ប្រទើស​នៃ​ការ​អនុវត្តន៍​ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា​បច្ចុប្បន្ន។ ​ដោយសារ​តែ​មនុស្ស​ហាក់​ឲ្យ​តម្លៃ​ទៅលើ​រូបភាពខាងក្រៅ​សំខាន់​ជាង​ខ្លឹមសារ​នេះ​ហើយ ​បាន​ជា​ ជាញឹកញយ​ អ្នក​នយោបាយ​តែង​បំភ្លេច​ខ្លឹមសារ​ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ​ដោយ​ផ្តោត​តែ​លើ​រូបភាព​សំបក​ក្រៅតែប៉ុណ្ណោះ។ ​ទីបំផុត​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ជា​អ្នក​វង្វេង ​ហើយ​ជា​ញឹកញយ​ពួកគេ​បាន​ក្លាយ​ជា​អ្នក​ទទួល​រងគ្រោះ​ ព្រោះ​ភាព​មិន​ច្បាស់​លាស់​របស់​អ្នក​នយោបាយ។

នៅ​ក្នុង​បរិបទ​សង្គម​ទូទៅ​វិញ​ ការ​ផ្តល់​តម្លៃ​ទៅ​លើ​រូបភាព​សំបក​ក្រៅ​បាន​និង​កំពុង​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​មនុស្ស​កាន់​តែ​ភ្លេច​សីលធម៌ ​និង​គុណធម៌​របស់​មនុស្ស​ដែល​ជា​ទូទៅ​គេមិន​អាច​មើល​ឃើញ​ភ្លាមៗ​នោះ​ឡើយ​។ ​មនុស្ស​ខ្លះ​មាន​គុណធម៌​ និង​ចំណេះ​ដឹង​ខ្ពង់​ខ្ពស់ ​ប៉ុន្តែ ​គ្មាន​ទ្រព្យសម្បត្តិ​ហ៊ឺហា​ដូច​គេ​ ក៏​ត្រូវ​គេ​បំភ្លេច​ចោល​មិន​ឲ្យ​តម្លៃ ឬក៏ បន្តុះបង្អាប់។ ​អ្នក​អង្គុយ​ស្រាវជ្រាវ ​សរសេរ​សៀវភៅ ​ច្រើន​ជា​អ្នក​ដែល​គ្មាន​ទ្រព្យ​ ពី​ព្រោះ​តែ​សង្គម​មិន​ឲ្យ​តម្លៃ​ដល់​ការងារ​របស់​ពួកគេ។

នេះ​ជា​ការ​ស្រុត​ចុះ​នៃ​តម្លៃ​សង្គម​គួរ​ឲ្យ​ព្រួយបារម្ភ ​ហើយ​ផ្នត់​គំនិត​នេះ ​ប្រសិន​បើ​នៅ​តែ​បន្ត​ វា​នឹង​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​សង្គម​ជួប​គ្រោះ​ថ្នាក់​ទៅ​ថ្ងៃ​អនាគត។​ គ្រោះ​ថ្នាក់​នៅ​ត្រង់​ថា ​សំបក​ក្រៅ​មិន​បញ្ជាក់​អំពី​តម្លៃ​ពិត​ប្រាកដ​របស់​មនុស្ស​ ឬ​វត្ថុ​អ្វី​មួយ​នោះ​ឡើយ។ ​ការ​ផ្តល់​តម្លៃ​ទៅ​លើ​ទិដ្ឋភាព​ខាង​ក្រៅ ​ងាយ​នឹង​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​មនុស្ស​យល់​ច្រឡំ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ការ​ធ្វើ​សេចក្តី​សម្រេច​ចិត្ត។ ​ម្យ៉ាងទៀត​ ការ​ឲ្យ​តម្លៃ​តែ​ទៅ​លើ​សម្ភារ​និយម​ដែល​ជា​គ្រឿង​បន្លំ​ភ្នែក​បាន​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​រេច​រឹល​ដល់​ការងារ​ជាច្រើន​ដែល​មាន​ប្រយោជន៍​សម្រាប់​សង្គម​ ហើយ​វា​ក៏​បាន​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​មនុស្ស​ជា​ច្រើន​បាក់​ទឹក​ចិត្ត។​ក្នុង​បរិបទ​នេះ ​ការ​ផ្លាស់​ប្តូរ​ផ្នត់​គំនិត​នេះ​ចេញ​ គឺជា​រឿង​ចាំបាច់​មិន​អាច​មើល​រំលង​បាន​ឡើយ​ដើម្បី​សង្គ្រោះ​សង្គម​ខ្មែរ​ចេញ​ពីគ្រោះ​ថ្នាក់៕

69 generals to retire

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 10:15 AM PDT


10 Sept 2011
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Tituy

69 high-ranking officers holding the title of generals received their retirement announcement during meetings of retired high ranking officers and handicapped soldiers which took place on 08 September 2011 at the ministry of National Defense. General Neang Phat, the secretary of state at the ministry of National Defense and president of the committee to resolve military policy, said that among the high ranking generals who received their retirement announcement, 9 are 3-star generals, 19 are 2-star generals and 41 are 1-star generals. Furthermore, 88 colonels are classified as type 2 soldiers who will be planned to retire in 2011 among a total of 5,615 soldiers.

"Cambodge-Vietnam Sans Frontière" a Poem in Khmer-French by Sam Vichea

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 08:43 AM PDT

Workers at the closed Supertex factory said they are cheated on their pay

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 11:19 PM PDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JLve_xPTcE

Pol Pot’s portrait painter who captured the pain of a nation

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 11:14 PM PDT

September 9, 2011
Financial Times

Nothing brings home the industrial scale of the horror the Khmer Rouge inflicted on Cambodia as much as Tuol Sleng, the former high school in a leafy Phnom Penh suburb that became the centre of its cult of torture. The rusting implements of pain lie where they were abandoned and on the walls hang the photographs of thousands of victims – and graphic paintings of torture by Vann Nath, a former inmate.

Like thousands of prisoners before and after him, Vann Nath, an artist who died on Monday, aged 65, was photographed by his captors: a blank face, heavy eyebrows and a wispy beard, dressed in the plain black shirt that was the national uniform under the Khmer Rouge.

But Nath survived, one of only 14 people to emerge from the prison, to use the rest of his life to bear witness in paintings and words to the suffering of thousands of others less fortunate. He used the skills the Khmer Rouge had once employed for propaganda purposes to paint portraits of Pol Pot, to condemn his former oppressors and become an internationally recognised symbol of gentle dignity in the face of unspeakable cruelty.


He was imprisoned in Tuol Sleng, dubbed S-21 by the Khmer Rouge, on January 7 1978, exactly a year before Vietnamese forces liberated Phnom Penh. Nath said he never knew why he was arrested. By 1978, the Khmer Rouge was running Pol Pot's dystopian interpretation of the Maoist concept of Permanent Revolution: suspects were tortured to reveal the names of other further suspects and then killed. Those who had been named were then arrested and the cycle started again, creating an endless loop of carnage.

Tuol Sleng was never a prison in the western sense. There was no idea of imprisonment as a punishment or for rehabilitation. It was a transit centre: prisoners were tortured for confessions and then killed, their guilt taken for granted.

Vann Nath survived because of an unlikely series of coincidences. Born into a farming family in Battambang in north-west Cambodia in 1946, he had specialised in painting billboards before the arrival of the Khmer Rouge. His arrest coincided with Pol Pot's decision to come out of the shadows. Nath was put to work painting hundreds of portraits of the man known as Brother Number One.

His skills gave him a degree of protection from physical violence in the latter part of his incarceration but he witnessed what happened to his fellow inmates. "I could hear screams of pain from every corner of the prison. I felt a twinge of pain in my body at each scream . . .  I could hear the guards demanding the truth, the acts of betrayal, the names of collaborators," Nath wrote in his memoir.

After the defeat of the Khmer Rouge, he returned to work at S-21, which had been turned into a museum. He painted pictures of the routine torture and murder – a man having his nails pulled out, a hog-tied prisoner having his throat cut, a thrown child being bayoneted – which still hang on the walls today. His elongated bodies and naive technique blurred the lines between art and testimony.

Of more than 14,000 people who entered S-21 only 14 survived according to the Documentation Centre of Cambodia, which has accumulated a huge archive of original documents from the era.

"There were very few heroes in this whole thing," says Professor David Chandler, a historian who has written extensively about the Khmer Rouge and S-21. "He was a lighthouse of regret and concern about this whole period."

As his fame grew, boosted by appearances in documentaries such as Rithy Panh's S21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine, he travelled the world, spending time as artist in residence at Providence College, Rhode Island and visiting Europe to speak about his experiences.

In 2007, his documentation of S-21 won him the Hellman/Hammett award for courage in the face of political persecution. In 2009, he finally got a measure of the justice he had sought for more than 30 years. He was the first survivor to testify during the long-delayed trial of Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Comrade Duch, Tuol Sleng's head.

"We only had three spoons of gruel for each meal. I lost my dignity . . .  I thought even eating human flesh would be a good thing for me at that moment," he told the court.

Duch was given a 35-year sentence – he is appealing – but Vann Nath declined to list himself as a civil party to the suit. In his later years, Nath ran a gallery and restaurant but suffered mounting health problems. After a heart attack last month he spent his last few days in a coma at a Phnom Penh hospital.

He is survived by his wife Kith Eng, two daughters and a son. With his death, only two survivors of Tuol Sleng remain.

For a video about Vann Nath's life, visit www.ft.com/vannnath

"ជយោ!ខ្មែរក្រោមនិងព្រះវិស្ណុ!" a Poem in Khmer by Yim Guechsè

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 10:57 PM PDT

Cambodian boy suckles from cow after parents leave [-Kok Roka's Romulus?]

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 10:52 PM PDT

According to the roman mythology, the founders of Rome were Romulus and Remus. The twin-brothers were the supposed sons of the god Mars and the priestess Rhea Silvia. The story begins with the deposition of Numitor (their grandfather and king of the ancient Italian city of Alba Longa), by his brother Amulius. Numitor's daughter, Rhea Silvia, was made a Vestal Virgin by Amulius - which meant that she was made a priestess of the goddess Vesta and therefore forbidden to marry. However, the god Mars came to her in her temple and with him she conceived her two sons, Romulus and Remus. As soon as they were born, her husband abandoned them in a remote location. This practice was a form of quasi-infanticide tolerated in many ancient cultures, including the Roman and Greek, when children were unwanted. They were unwanted because Amulius was fearing that the boys would grow up to overthrow him, so he had them placed in a trough and thrown into the River Tiber. At that time the river was flooded and when the waters fell, the trough still containing the two boys, came ashore. They were found by a she-wolf, who instead of killing them, looked after them and fed them with her milk. The she-wolf was helped by a woodpecker who brought them food as well. Interesting enough both these animals were sacred to Mars.
09/09/2011
The Associated Press

KOAK ROKA, Cambodia—A Cambodian man says his young grandson has lived partly on milk he suckles directly from a cow since the boy's parents left their rural village in search of work.

Um Oeung says 20-month-old Tha Sophat started suckling the cow in July after he saw a calf do the same.

Um Oeung told The Associated Press he pulled the boy away at first. He relented after his grandson protested loudly and the boy has suckled the cow's milk once or twice a day since then.


Tha Sophat has lived with his grandparents in Siem Reap province in northwest Cambodia since his parents moved to Thailand in search of work.

Um Oeung said Friday the cow doesn't mind the young boy suckling but he is worried about his grandson's health if he continues.

Brain Food for Sinners (nous Cambodgiens, non?)

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 10:36 PM PDT

There are six things the LORD hates,
seven that are detestable to him:

haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.



- Book of Proverbs (the Hebrew Bible)

You are cordially invited to participat​e Khmer Pchum Ben Festival on Saturday, 24 Sept. 2011 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 10:36 PM PDT

See link http://www.cambodianview.com/news.htm and attached programs

Note that Pchum Ben Festival is very important for Cambodian people domestically and internationally to accumulate merits by paying gratitude to ancestors, to develop peaceful mind through good deeds and prayers, and to preserve the Khmer culture. Part of the Festival, there will chanting and preaching in the evening of Sept. 23 and offering food to the monks and seniors in the morning of Sept. 24. Beside this, the participants can enjoy the night concert entertaining by the popular singer from Cambodia, the live Khmer band and dance with Khmer dance-styles in unison.

Happy Pchum Ben Day!

Regards,
Sophoan

Language and National Identity in Asia: Cambodia (by Steve Heder) - Lon Nol's Khmer Republic

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 10:29 PM PDT

Language and National Identity in Asia
Edited by Andrew Simpson
Oxford University Press, 2007

Chapter 13: CAMBODIA
by Dr. Steve Heder


13.5 The Khmer Republic, 1970-1975


The crises of the late 1960s culminated in the March 1970 overthrow of Sihanouk by Lon Nol. Following this, the next five years saw an acceleration of the trend toward Khmerization that had gathered steam since the 1960s, and indeed set the stage for its triumph during the last quarter of the twentieth century. For the second time (since the communist Issaraks' Nokor Khmaer), Cambodia was replaced by Khmer in the polity's name, it being declared a 'Khmer Republic' in October 1970, and Lon Nol began the elaboration of a florid political philosophy of 'neo-Khmerism', reclaiming the mantle of earlier colonial-era nationalist Khmerism. Neo-Khmerism called for 'the spread of traditional culture and absorption of the various philosophies of the world's civilisations' to promote prosperity for the people via 'a special accelerated economic program' to bring Cambodia rapidly to a high state of development, thus restoring it to Angkorian glory (Lon 1974). In the meantime, Lon Nol's army units massacred thousands of Vietnamese civilians and 'repatriated' 200,000-250,000 to South Vietnam, halving the Vietnamese population of Cambodia. This move came with state propa­ganda that all ethnic groups in Cambodia, except Vietnamese and Chinese, belonged to a single 'great Khmer race', while Republican policy further restricted Chinese schooling and damned Chinese for ruining Khmer morals and sabotaging the national economy.


Popular republican nationalism was apparent within an outpouring of Khmer literature and non-fiction, the latter including anti-Vietnamese, anti-French, and anti-Sihanouk histories and general treatises on philosophy, religion, law, linguistics, literature, and social science. One current combined opposition to Vietnamese domination with promotion of liberal democracy in place of Sihanouk's retrograde autocracy, in order to move politically to catch up with or surpass Thailand and Vietnam. This current turned against Lon Nol when it became obvious that virulent ethno-nationalism could not sustain a regime that did not deliver on other fronts. As tirades against the Vietnamese were replaced by angry criticisms of the corruption, authoritarianism, political violence, and incompetence of the Khmer Republic, Lon Nol imposed censorship.


Meanwhile, in the countryside, the Khmer Rouge insurgency led by Pol Pot's Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) imposed increasing control over villagers and posed an ever-greater challenge to the republican government. As conditions deteriorated and CPK forces took the upper hand, the Khmer Republic collapsed in 1975 and was replaced by the state of Democratic Kampuchea (DK), ushering in four violent years of murderous domination.

Language and National Identity in Asia: Cambodia - Sangkum Reas Niyum

Polititktoons No. 176: Jobs Plan

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 10:23 PM PDT

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://politiktoons.blogspot.com and also at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

Brain Food for all the ladies in the house

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 10:19 PM PDT

Like a gold ring in a pig's snout
is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.

- Book of Proverbs (the Hebrew Bible)


Sacrava's Politiical Cartoon: Oil Draft Law

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 10:18 PM PDT

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

UN Convention Against Corruption

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 10:11 PM PDT


United Nations Convention Against Corruption
(UNCAC)
In accordance with article 68 (1) of resolution 58/4, the United Nations Convention against Corruption entered into force on 14 December 2005. A Conference of the States Parties is established to review implementation and facilitate activities required by the Convention.





Cambodia acceded to the UNCAC
on 5 September 2007

Chapter III Criminalization and law enforcement
Each State Party shall consider adopting such legislative and other meas­ures as may be necessary to establish as a criminal offence, when committed intentionally, the abuse of functions or position, that is, the performance of or failure to perform an act, in violation of laws, by a public official in the discharge of his or her functions, for the purpose of obtaining an undue advan­tage for himself or herself or for another person or entity.

Yingluck, Hun Xen and the two PAD prisoners - Opinion by Anonymous

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 10:11 PM PDT

Brain Food for the Busybodies and Chattering Lips

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 10:07 PM PDT

A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor,
but a [wo]man of understanding holds her/his tongue.

A gossip betrays a confidence,
but a trustworthy man keeps a secret
.


- Book of Proverbs (the Hebrew Bible)


"អ្នកណាធំជាងអ្នកណា? ហ្អា៎! លោក Dick-Tator?"

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 10:03 PM PDT

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