KI Media: “Joint call for freeze on Cambodian maids” plus 13 more |
- Joint call for freeze on Cambodian maids
- Interview of Sihanouk by Playboy magazine translated in Khmer (Part 3)
- Peal See Peal (Thugs pounding on the thugs): Chea Xim's former bodyguard chief arrested by Hun Xen's cops
- The Undertaking - Op-Ed by Ven.Thach Cong Phuong
- "Kom Prathna Kao-ei Nis!" a Poem in Khmer by Sam Vichea
- Just for Laughs - Enjoy the weekend!
- UN Convention Against Corruption
- Brain Food
- RFK in the Land of Apartheid: A Ripple of Hope - the film
- Brain Food for Parents and Teachers
- UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Brain Food for the Local Elites who Steal for a Living
- Cambodia urged to stop sending maids to Malaysia
- "កវីខកចិត្ត" a Poem in Khmer by Son Samrach
| Joint call for freeze on Cambodian maids Posted: 13 Aug 2011 09:49 AM PDT  Stephanie Sta Maria Free Malaysia Today Tenaganita and Cambodian opposition MP have linked arms to stop the rising abuse of Cambodian domestic workers in Malaysia. PETALING JAYA: Tenaganita and Cambodian opposition MP, Mu Sochua, today issued a joint call for a freeze on the recruitment of Cambodian domestic workers to Malaysia. The call comes amidst the alarming rise in abuse and exploitation of Cambodian domestic workers in the country. Last month an underage Cambodian domestic worker was found dead outside her employer's house in Penang while another was recently rescued from her abusive employer in Segambut. Mu Sochua, a well-known figure in the Sam Rainsy Party and a former Women's Affairs Minister, arrived in Malaysia yesterday after numerous attempts to engage the Malaysian government failed. Terming the abuse of her countrywomen as a "very dark corner of domestic work", she expressed deep concern that neither of the country's government has responded to her request and letters over the issue. "This is not about social work but about two governments being completely aware of the situation but doing nothing to secure the rights of domestic workers," she told the press at Tenaganita's headquarters today. "We are talking about child labour here. When I was a minister I worked extensively on human traffficking. I know the market and the business, and it is the same in these cases." Mu Sochua also stated her conviction that the death of the Cambodian domestic worker in Penang was not from pneumonia as claimed by the police. Lack of response FMT had earlier reported that 15-year-old Choy Phich was suspected to have died from abuse and that the police were allegedly bribed to resolve the case quickly. Mu Sochua, however, refused to believe this. "Even if she had died from pneumonia, why was she not given medical treatment?" she asked. "One doesn't die from pneumonia overnight outside her employer's back door." ""I have written numerous letters to the Malaysian ambassador in Cambodian urging an investigation into her death and I am deeply disappointed by the lack of response." According to Tenaganita, the freeze on recruitment of Indonesian domestic workers over the past three years saw a sharp spike in the arrival of their Cambodian counterparts to Malaysia. "Instead of addressing with urgency the extremely dire issues and key concerns that led to the freeze on Indonesia domestic workers, the Malaysian government has intead shut its eyes and moved to a more vulnerable and poverty-plagued country," Tenaganita director, Irene Fernandez, said. Of the current 50,000 Cambodian domestic workers in the country, 30,000 arrived this year alone and 41 have since been rescued by Tenaganita. In all the 41 cases the passports of these domestic workers were held by their employers, they were not given a single day off and none had a contract signed between them and their employer. Fernandez said that various forms of abuse were also evident in most of these cases with 56% suffering physical abuse, 26% were sexually abused and 25% were malnourished. Some 42% were also forced to work double jobs. Recruited through fraud Almost half were also younger than the legal employment age of 21-years-old and Tenaganita's investigations revealed that they had their ages changed at the point of recruitment. "This trend indicates that children are being recruited to be domestic workers through fraud," Fernandez said. "And yet little is done to stop this form of child labour." "Malaysia has seen an increase in the number of human trafficking victims and the government remains complicit. Its unwillingness to address the human rights of these domestic workers has not only increased the threats to their safety and security but has also effectively rendered them into slaves." Fernandez also slammed the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act 2007 as nothing more than a public relations exercise. "So we call on the Cambodian government to freeze the recruitment of domestic workers to Malaysia until the institutional framework has changed to ensure their recognition as workers," she said. Mu Sochua added that she had already called for the freeze but her government had remained silent. She isn't surprised. "We're talking about a million-dollar business here," she said. "But we will push until both governments realise that the world is watching them. And I'm prepared to take this to the United Nations if necessary."  |
| Interview of Sihanouk by Playboy magazine translated in Khmer (Part 3) Posted: 13 Aug 2011 09:42 AM PDT |
| Posted: 13 Aug 2011 09:35 AM PDT   Synopsis: 3-golden stars general Chhoeun Chan Thorn (aka Mao), the former chief of Chea Xim's bodyguard unit was arrested on Saturday 13 August 2011. He is suspected of involvement in drug dealing (just like Moek Dara, the other general belonging to the Sar Kheng clan)or he could involved be a large cache of ammunition. http://www.box.net/shared/dkki93k62xn855hy1g1b  |
| The Undertaking - Op-Ed by Ven.Thach Cong Phuong Posted: 13 Aug 2011 09:18 AM PDT |
| "Kom Prathna Kao-ei Nis!" a Poem in Khmer by Sam Vichea Posted: 13 Aug 2011 09:13 AM PDT   |
| Just for Laughs - Enjoy the weekend! Posted: 13 Aug 2011 08:11 AM PDT  Bart, with $10,000, we'd be millionaires! We could buy all kinds of useful things like...love! - Homer Simpson  |
| UN Convention Against Corruption Posted: 13 Aug 2011 08:06 AM 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 Chapter I General provisions 1. This Convention shall apply, in accordance with its terms, to the prevention, investigation and prosecution of corruption and to the freezing, seizure, confiscation and return of the proceeds of offences established in accordance with this Convention. 2. For the purposes of implementing this Convention, it shall not be necessary, except as otherwise stated herein, for the offences set forth in it to result in damage or harm to state property.  |
| Posted: 13 Aug 2011 08:03 AM PDT The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. - I Samuel 16 (the Hebrew Bible)  |
| RFK in the Land of Apartheid: A Ripple of Hope - the film Posted: 13 Aug 2011 04:48 AM PDT CIVICUS: Center for Cambodian Civic Education, a partner of the Robert F. Kennedy Center's Speak Truth To Power program, in collaboration with Meta House German-Cambodian Cultural Center, will be screening the premiere of this never-seen-before archival footages of Robert F. Kennedy in South Africa, one week after the U.S. premiere on PBS. Meta House at 7 p.m. on Friday, 2 Sept. 2011. Followed by Q&A with CIVICUS Cambodia president Theary C. Seng and RFK Center John Heffernan visiting from Washington, D.C. FREE ADMISSION. Watch the full episode. See more RFK in the Land of Apartheid. Featuring never before seen archival footage, and interviews in South Africa and the United States, filmmakers Larry Shore and Tami Gold tell the little-known story of Senator Robert Kennedy's influential June 1966 visit to South Africa during the worst years of apartheid. The filmmakers explore the visit through the sights and sounds of present-day South Africa and offer a unique portrait of Senator Kennedy in action at an important moment in American and South African history. Robert Kennedy's visit gave opponents of apartheid — both black and white — hope and courage to challenge the apartheid system at a time when they felt isolated and few in the outside world knew what was happening in South Africa. The film evokes the connections between the struggle for racial equality in the United States and South Africa. RFK in the Land of Apartheid follows Kennedy in South Africa during the five-day visit, including his famous "Day of Affirmation" speech at the University of Cape Town on June 6, 1966, and his visit to Stellenbosch, the pro-apartheid Afrikaans university. The "Day of Affirmation" speech is generally considered to be the greatest of Robert Kennedy's career. One paragraph, featuring the phrase "ripple of hope," is among the most quoted in American politics and appears on Kennedy's gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery:  Robert Kennedy with Chief Albert Lutuli, the first African Nobel Peace Prize winner, who was banned and living in internal exile."It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." Another high point of the film is Kennedy's meeting with one of the unknown giants of South African and African history — Nobel Peace Prize winner Chief Albert Lutuli, who was banned by the government and forced to live in a remote rural area. The film travels with RFK to Soweto, the largest black township, where he meets thousands of people and gives voice to Chief Lutuli's call for a free South Africa. RFK in the Land of Apartheid tells an unusual story that is relevant to ongoing struggles for democracy and human rights around the world today.  |
| Brain Food for Parents and Teachers Posted: 13 Aug 2011 01:05 AM PDT Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. - Book of Proverbs (the Hebrew Bible)  |
| UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Posted: 13 Aug 2011 12:44 AM 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 I Article 40 1. States Parties recognize the right of every child alleged as, accused of, or recognized as having infringed the penal law to be treated in a manner consistent with the promotion of the child's sense of dignity and worth, which reinforces the child's respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of others and which takes into account the child's age and the desirability of promoting the child's reintegration and the child's assuming a constructive role in society. 2. To this end, and having regard to the relevant provisions of international instruments, States Parties shall, in particular, ensure that: (a) No child shall be alleged as, be accused of, or recognized as having infringed the penal law by reason of acts or omissions that were not prohibited by national or international law at the time they were committed; (b) Every child alleged as or accused of having infringed the penal law has at least the following guarantees: (i) To be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law; (ii) To be informed promptly and directly of the charges against him or her, and, if appropriate, through his or her parents or legal guardians, and to have legal or other appropriate assistance in the preparation and presentation of his or her defence; (iii) To have the matter determined without delay by a competent, independent and impartial authority or judicial body in a fair hearing according to law, in the presence of legal or other appropriate assistance and, unless it is considered not to be in the best interest of the child, in particular, taking into account his or her age or situation, his or her parents or legal guardians; (iv) Not to be compelled to give testimony or to confess guilt; to examine or have examined adverse witnesses and to obtain the participation and examination of witnesses on his or her behalf under conditions of equality; (v) If considered to have infringed the penal law, to have this decision and any measures imposed in consequence thereof reviewed by a higher competent, independent and impartial authority or judicial body according to law; (vi) To have the free assistance of an interpreter if the child cannot understand or speak the language used; (vii) To have his or her privacy fully respected at all stages of the proceedings. 3. States Parties shall seek to promote the establishment of laws, procedures, authorities and institutions specifically applicable to children alleged as, accused of, or recognized as having infringed the penal law, and, in particular: (a) The establishment of a minimum age below which children shall be presumed not to have the capacity to infringe the penal law; (b) Whenever appropriate and desirable, measures for dealing with such children without resorting to judicial proceedings, providing that human rights and legal safeguards are fully respected. 4. A variety of dispositions, such as care, guidance and supervision orders; counselling; probation; foster care; education and vocational training programmes and other alternatives to institutional care shall be available to ensure that children are dealt with in a manner appropriate to their well-being and proportionate both to their circumstances and the offence.  |
| Brain Food for the Local Elites who Steal for a Living Posted: 13 Aug 2011 12:35 AM PDT If a [wo]man is proud of [her]his wealth, [s]he should not be praised until it is known how [s]he employs it [and obtains it!]. - Socrates  |
| Cambodia urged to stop sending maids to Malaysia Posted: 12 Aug 2011 10:47 PM PDT
The Associated Press KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — A Malaysian workers' rights group urged Cambodia on Friday to stop supplying housemaids to Malaysia, claiming many are abused and made to work like slaves because of inadequate protection. Malaysia has recruited thousands of Cambodianwomen since neighboring Indonesia barred domestic workers from coming to Malaysia in 2009 following a string of high-profile cases of assault by employers. Officials estimate there are more than 50,000Cambodian maids in Malaysia, including 30,000 who arrived this year. A Cambodian maid was found dead in Malaysia last month under mysterious circumstances, while another was rescued by Malaysian police after she was allegedly abused and had her head shaved bald by her employer. Irene Fernandez (pictured), director of the rights group Tenaganita, said her organization helped another 41 Cambodian maids, some as young as 15, after they were rescued or ran away from their employers in the past six months because of abuse or unpaid wages. "Today, another nation of domestic workers goes through the same experiences of torture, control and denial of rights," Fernandez said in a statement. "Cambodian maids now remain in a condition of forced labor with practices of modern day slavery." Tenaganita urged Cambodia to ban maids from coming to Malaysia until tougher laws are enacted to protect their rights. Malaysia is among Southeast Asia's top importers of foreign labor, employing more than 200,000 mainly Indonesian maids. Many households rely on maids for cooking, cleaningand looking after children and the elderly. Indonesia is expected to lift its ban on maids after signing a deal with Malaysia in May for better conditions to curb abuses. Ung Vantha, an official with the Cambodian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, said his government is concerned about abuse and is working with authorities and activists to tackle the problem. The embassy is investigating claims that the maid found dead last month was beaten by her employers, he said. Police have said the girl died of pneumonia. Visiting Cambodian opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua said the maid, who was found dead outside her employer's house, was only 15, according to her family, and not 22 as stated on her passport. Domestic workers in Malaysia must be at least 21. "We are talking about child labor here. Young girls from poor families are targeted by middlemen who falsified their age in their passport," she said. Malaysian police and immigration officials familiar with maid issues could not be immediately reached. Fernandez said about half of the 41 Cambodian maids helped by Tenaganita were under 21. All claimed they were overworked, not given days off and had their passports confiscated by employers. More than half alleged they suffered physical abuse, while about one-fifth were believed to be sexually harassed. Most returned to Cambodia after Tenaganita negotiated for compensation and wage settlements with their employers. They did not seek police help because they were depressed and eager to return home, Fernandez said.  |
| "កវីខកចិត្ត" a Poem in Khmer by Son Samrach Posted: 12 Aug 2011 08:28 PM PDT   |
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