- 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"
- Cambodian winner of 'Asia's Nobel' pushes forward in fight for fair vote
- PM will ask Phnom Penh to free activists [-Will Hun Xen ask Yingluck to release all Khmer citizens jailed in Thailand?]
- "សារិកាកែវអើយ!" (Conversation between Hun Sen & Ying Lak) a Poem in Khmer by NhiekKiri
- "The sad fate of a Khmer Child!" - Poem in Khmer by Chham Chhany
- Thai PM to seek release of two Thai activists jailed in Cambodia
- Tha Sophat, the little toddler who suckles on cow after his parents had to leave to work in Thailand
- និន្នាការផ្តល់តម្លៃលើសំបកខាងក្រៅនាំសង្គមខ្មែរទៅរកគ្រោះថ្នាក់ - Valuation on external appearance could move the Khmer society to danger
- 69 generals to retire
- "Cambodge-Vietnam Sans Frontière" a Poem in Khmer-French by Sam Vichea
- Workers at the closed Supertex factory said they are cheated on their pay
- Pol Pot’s portrait painter who captured the pain of a nation
- "ជយោ!ខ្មែរក្រោមនិងព្រះវិស្ណុ!" a Poem in Khmer by Yim Guechsè
- Cambodian boy suckles from cow after parents leave [-Kok Roka's Romulus?]
- Brain Food for Sinners (nous Cambodgiens, non?)
- You are cordially invited to participate Khmer Pchum Ben Festival on Saturday, 24 Sept. 2011 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Language and National Identity in Asia: Cambodia (by Steve Heder) - Lon Nol's Khmer Republic
- Polititktoons No. 176: Jobs Plan
- Brain Food for all the ladies in the house
- Sacrava's Politiical Cartoon: Oil Draft Law
- UN Convention Against Corruption
- Yingluck, Hun Xen and the two PAD prisoners - Opinion by Anonymous
- Brain Food for the Busybodies and Chattering Lips
- "អ្នកណាធំជាងអ្នកណា? ហ្អា៎! លោក Dick-Tator?"
| 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 VZCZCXRO5950 OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH DE RUEHPF #0648/01 2441044 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 011044Z SEP 09 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
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.  | ||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||
| Posted: 10 Sep 2011 10:46 AM PDT
និន្នាការផ្តល់តម្លៃលើសំបកខាងក្រៅនាំសង្គមខ្មែរទៅរកគ្រោះថ្នាក់ 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.
នៅក្នុងសង្គមកម្ពុជាបច្ចុប្បន្ន មនុស្សហាក់នាំគ្នាឲ្យតម្លៃទៅលើរូបភាពច្រើនជាងខ្លឹមសារ។ និន្នាការនេះកើតមានគ្រប់ទីកន្លែង និងគ្រប់វិស័យ។ មិនថាក្នុងវិស័យនយោបាយ សេដ្ឋកិច្ច សង្គមកិច្ច ឬជីវិតរស់នៅប្រចាំថ្ងៃឡើយ។ ក្រុមអ្នកវិភាគសង្គមខ្មែរបានមើលឃើញថា នៅពេលដែលមនុស្សទូទៅហាក់ដូចជានាំគ្នាផ្តល់តម្លៃទៅលើតែរូបភាពសំបកក្រៅ តែភ្លេចគិតពីខ្លឹមសារ សង្គមអាចនឹងបាត់បង់និរន្តរភាព និងភាពរឹងមាំទៅថ្ងៃអនាគត។ នេះជាបញ្ហាសំខាន់ដែលមិនអាចមើលរំលងបាន។ សង្គមកម្ពុជាបច្ចុប្បន្នកំពុងស្គាល់ការផ្លាស់ប្តូរគួរឲ្យកត់សម្គាល់បន្ទាប់ពីបានឆ្លងផុតពីសម័យ កាលសង្គ្រាមមកកាន់សម័យសន្តិភាពវិញ។ ការលូតលាស់ និងប្រែប្រួលរបស់សង្គមកម្ពុជាបាននាំមកទាំងចំណុចវិជ្ជមាន និងអវិជ្ជមាន។ ពីសង្គមមួយដែលធ្លាប់រស់ក្នុងរបាំងប្រពៃណីតឹងរ៉ឹងមកជាសង្គមដែលបើកទូលាយនិងទទួលឥទ្ធិពលពីខាងក្រៅ។ ពីសង្គមមួយដែលអ្នកនយោបាយផ្តួលរំលំគ្នា ដោយប្រើអាវុធ មកជាសង្គមដែលប្រើការបោះឆ្នោត និងពីសង្គមមួយហែកហួរដោយសង្គ្រាមស៊ីវិល មកជាសង្គមសន្តិភាព។ ទាំងនេះ គឺជាការវិវឌ្ឍន៍ដែលមានលក្ខណៈជ្រាលជ្រៅ និងហាក់ដូចជាគួរឲ្យមានមោទនៈ។ ក៏ប៉ុន្តែ ការវិវឌ្ឍន៍មួយចំនួនបានឈានទៅរកទិសអវិជ្ជមានដ៏គ្រោះថ្នាក់។ ចំណុចលេចធ្លោមួយក្នុងចំណោមនោះគឺ និន្នាការនៃការផ្តល់តម្លៃលើរូបភាពសំបកក្រៅ ច្រើនជាងខ្លឹមសារ។ ជាការពិត បម្រែបម្រួលសង្គមពីសម័យកាលមួយទៅមួយ គឺជាចលនាដែលមិនអាចទប់បាន ប៉ុន្តែ គេពិតជាអាចតម្រង់ទិសវាបានប្រសិនណាបើគេបានគិតគូរទុកជាមុន។ នៅកម្ពុជា និន្នាការនៃការផ្តល់តម្លៃមនុស្សដោយផ្អែកលើសំបកក្រៅ ហាក់កំពុងតែដណ្តើមទីតាំងឈរជើងកាន់តែរឹងមាំឡើងជាលំដាប់ពីមួយឆ្នាំទៅមួយឆ្នាំ។ បច្ចុប្បន្ន គេ ហាក់ដូចជាគោរពកោតខ្លាចមនុស្សដែល មានទ្រព្យសម្បត្តិ បុណ្យស័ក្តិ ដែលគេមើលឃើញភ្លាមៗជាងគុណធម៌របស់មនុស្សដែលកប់នៅក្នុងខ្លួនមិនអាចមើលឃើញភ្លាមៗ។ ទស្សនៈបែបនេះហាក់បាននិងកំពុងអូសទាញមនុស្សឲ្យរត់តាមកាន់តែច្រើនឡើងៗ។ ជាក់ស្តែង អ្នករៀនសូត្រមួយចំនួនធំចង់បានសញ្ញាបត្រមកបង្អួតគេ ជាជាងការចង់បាន ចំណេះដឹងនិងមុខវិជ្ជាពិតប្រាកដ។ អ្នកមានលុយត្រូវទទួលបានការគោរពកោតខ្លាចទោះបីជាលុយនោះបានមកពីប្រភពណាក៏ដោយ។ ប្រហែលជារត់តាមនិន្នាការនេះហើយបានជា មន្ត្រីរាជការមួយចំនួនមានរថយន្តទំនើប និងផ្ទះសម្បែងតម្លៃខ្ពស់ហួសពីប្រាក់ខែរបស់ខ្លួន។ នៅក្នុងទិដ្ឋភាពនយោបាយវិញក៏ដូចគ្នា ៖ ទ្រឹស្តីប្រជាធិបតេយ្យបានរីកដុះដាលដល់គ្រប់មជ្ឈដ្ឋាន ពោលគឺមនុស្សគ្រប់គ្នាហាក់បានស្គាល់ពាក្យថាប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ ប៉ុន្តែ ថាតើគេត្រូវអនុវត្តបែបណាដើម្បីឲ្យប្រជាធិបតេយ្យប្រព្រឹត្តទៅដោយត្រឹមត្រូវតាមន័យពិតប្រាកដរបស់វា? សំណួរនេះអាចឆ្លុះបញ្ចាំងបានអំពីភាពប្រទាំងប្រទើសនៃការអនុវត្តន៍ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យនៅកម្ពុជាបច្ចុប្បន្ន។ ដោយសារតែមនុស្សហាក់ឲ្យតម្លៃទៅលើរូបភាពខាងក្រៅសំខាន់ជាងខ្លឹមសារនេះហើយ បានជា ជាញឹកញយ អ្នកនយោបាយតែងបំភ្លេចខ្លឹមសារប្រជាធិបតេយ្យដោយផ្តោតតែលើរូបភាពសំបកក្រៅតែប៉ុណ្ណោះ។ ទីបំផុតប្រជាពលរដ្ឋជាអ្នកវង្វេង ហើយជាញឹកញយពួកគេបានក្លាយជាអ្នកទទួលរងគ្រោះ ព្រោះភាពមិនច្បាស់លាស់របស់អ្នកនយោបាយ។ នៅក្នុងបរិបទសង្គមទូទៅវិញ ការផ្តល់តម្លៃទៅលើរូបភាពសំបកក្រៅបាននិងកំពុងធ្វើឲ្យមនុស្សកាន់តែភ្លេចសីលធម៌ និងគុណធម៌របស់មនុស្សដែលជាទូទៅគេមិនអាចមើលឃើញភ្លាមៗនោះឡើយ។ មនុស្សខ្លះមានគុណធម៌ និងចំណេះដឹងខ្ពង់ខ្ពស់ ប៉ុន្តែ គ្មានទ្រព្យសម្បត្តិហ៊ឺហាដូចគេ ក៏ត្រូវគេបំភ្លេចចោលមិនឲ្យតម្លៃ ឬក៏ បន្តុះបង្អាប់។ អ្នកអង្គុយស្រាវជ្រាវ សរសេរសៀវភៅ ច្រើនជាអ្នកដែលគ្មានទ្រព្យ ពីព្រោះតែសង្គមមិនឲ្យតម្លៃដល់ការងាររបស់ពួកគេ។ នេះជាការស្រុតចុះនៃតម្លៃសង្គមគួរឲ្យព្រួយបារម្ភ ហើយផ្នត់គំនិតនេះ ប្រសិនបើនៅតែបន្ត វានឹងធ្វើឲ្យសង្គមជួបគ្រោះថ្នាក់ទៅថ្ងៃអនាគត។ គ្រោះថ្នាក់នៅត្រង់ថា សំបកក្រៅមិនបញ្ជាក់អំពីតម្លៃពិតប្រាកដរបស់មនុស្ស ឬវត្ថុអ្វីមួយនោះឡើយ។ ការផ្តល់តម្លៃទៅលើទិដ្ឋភាពខាងក្រៅ ងាយនឹងធ្វើឲ្យមនុស្សយល់ច្រឡំនៅក្នុងការធ្វើសេចក្តីសម្រេចចិត្ត។ ម្យ៉ាងទៀត ការឲ្យតម្លៃតែទៅលើសម្ភារនិយមដែលជាគ្រឿងបន្លំភ្នែកបានធ្វើឲ្យរេចរឹលដល់ការងារជាច្រើនដែលមានប្រយោជន៍សម្រាប់សង្គម ហើយវាក៏បានធ្វើឲ្យមនុស្សជាច្រើនបាក់ទឹកចិត្ត។ក្នុងបរិបទនេះ ការផ្លាស់ប្តូរផ្នត់គំនិតនេះចេញ គឺជារឿងចាំបាច់មិនអាចមើលរំលងបានឡើយដើម្បីសង្គ្រោះសង្គមខ្មែរចេញពីគ្រោះថ្នាក់៕  | ||||||||||
| 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
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)  | ||||||||||
| 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
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| 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
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| 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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