KI Media: “Cambodia: Following the music in Phnom Penh” plus 24 more

The quiet boy, Kosair, takes me for a walk through his village on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. We walk down a dirt path, past a small storefront where a woman comforts her baby. Cars and motorbikes have gathered in front of another house; there's a wedding party tonight.

We walk by a group of dark-haired schoolgirls who stare at me, and their giggles turn to laughter. I know I must be a peculiar sight, a tall Chinese-American man in clothes rumpled by days of travel.

Every so often, people on motorbikes zoom by, and I clutch my camera more tightly, protecting it from their roostertails of golden dust. I assure myself that the boy and I are safe. This is a peaceful village, and while Phnom Penh was a violent city just a few years ago, things have stabilized.

Still, I am disoriented; I don't belong here; I don't know where we are going. I could lose my way, and who would know?

The boy, Kosair, with large, watchful eyes, walks in the glow of the sun, bare-chested, wearing knee-length shorts and sandals. I am staying with his family in a house owned by a friend, an American journalist.

We pantomime our way through a conversation. We move our first two fingers, pointed downward, to show that we are going for a walk. We hear a song in the distance. To my ears, it sounds like a blend of xylophone, wind chimes and steel drums. Together, Kosair and I say, "Music." We point at other things and say the words: Car, road, tree, house, river.

We cross a bridge over the Mekong River, and, looking back, Kosair gestures toward our starting point, a small house on the riverbank. "Dey Sena," he says. His mother's name is Sena -- perhaps he's saying, "That's my mother's house."

Kosair seems to be guiding me toward the music. We are both curious so turn down another dirt road and pass several traditional stilt houses. We never do find its source.

Kosair notices that a man in a white shirt is following us. The boy seems a little spooked. He motions for us to return home. We walk more quickly. Our stride grows a little longer. Once home, we are greeted by Kosair's grandfather and his mischievous little sister, Sreyleak.

The family embraces me with their warmth and cooks me a dinner of Khmer chicken soup, stir-fried shrimp and vegetables and steamed rice. I eat my meal on the patio and watch the fishermen in their skiffs float by. Families emerge from their houses to bathe their children in the river.

My friend's place is a compound of small houses overlooking the Mekong River. I sleep under mosquito netting, guarded by two excitable dogs. I toss and turn.

Late into the night, the neighborhood wedding party celebrates with loud Cambodian pop music, and I can hear drunken voices trying, unsuccessfully at times, to sing along.

Then there is quiet for a while, but music starts up again at 5 in the morning. (Later, I learn that it is wedding season in Cambodia, and the predawn music signals the beginning of another wedding.)

The wake-up call turns out to be a blessing.

Jumping out of bed, I pull on my clothes and wander out into the humid air, stepping gently onto the patio with my camera.

I hear the song of cicadas, the wind rustling the trees, the lapping of water on the banks. In the soft, new light, I watch a man and woman paddle their boat down the river, stopping every so often to catch fish. nets. Downstream, in the distance, several men help their cows wade to the opposite shore.

I try to capture this scene, the sunrise over the river, with my camera, but I am no photographer, and I can't quite make the images show what my eyes see. I think about the woman I loved for many years, a steadfast traveling partner. I want to share this moment with her, but she is not there.

Still, it is a profound experience. Even though I am not a particularly religious person, I am moved to whisper, "Thank you, God."

It is a new morning. I hear Kosair and Sreyleak laughing. I walk back to the house, pack my things and say goodbye.

Help is starting to pour into Thailand and other parts of Asia where rising floodwaters are swamping entire communities and threatening to overrun even more.

United States Marines arrived in Bangkok Saturday with equipment, sandbags and other relief supplies. The U.S. ambassador to Thailand, Kristie Kenney, said the Marines will work with the Thai military to battle floodwaters that have hit 61 of Thailand's 76 provinces.

Officials say almost 300 people have died in Thailand, most of them north of Bangkok, in and near the ancient temple city of Ayutthaya.

Much of Ayutthaya remained under water Saturday, driving some residents, and their pets, to the rooftops of homes to stay dry. In less affected areas, where water was only waist deep, relief crews in boats distributed supplies to stranded residents.

A Dutch volunteer, Edwin Wiek, said many people in Ayutthaya have no electricity, food or water; others are sick and have no means of getting out.

Workers at the Bang Pa-in industrial center in Ayutthaya province tried to keep out rising water but had to abandon the effort Saturday. News reports say the complex hosted more than 90 manufacturers of auto parts, electronics, garments and plastics.

Thais who doggedly stayed by their homes on Koh Kred Island tried to make their way through floodwaters that were chest- or neck-high.

Aid from China arrived Saturday in Cambodia, where flooding and landslides have killed 247 people. A Cambodian government spokesman said the relief supplies will go to hospitals in the hardest-hit areas.

Torrential rains and flooding are also being blamed for deaths in Vietnam and the Philippines.

In Thailand, people are preparing for more flooding as the battle to prevent the flood waters from reaching the country's capital Bangkok continues.

Rescue workers rushing to widen canals around Bangkok, have piled sandbags along rivers and set up defenses around the city, AFP reported.

However, flood waters have already reached the outskirts of the 12-million-population city.

"We must try to protect our economic zone including Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi Airport, industrial areas and evacuation centers," Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said.

This is while downpours and masses of water are expected to hit Bangkok on Saturday.

Floods have covered a third of the country since July, killing nearly 300 people and causing three billion dollars in damage.

The forecast for the growth of Thailand's gross domestic product (GDP) this year stands at 3.6 percent instead of the previously-projected 4.4 percent because of the floods, according to Thailand's Center for Economic and Business Forecasting.

Inner Bangkok, including the main tourist districts, was not affected and conditions in most parts of the city remained normal.

Flooding has also hit other countries in Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, where almost 250 people have died. In Vietnam, the death toll has risen to 43, most of them children.

Good Morning

During the pre-Angkor and Angkor eras, the areas to the north and to the north west of the Tonle Sap Lake were known as the territories of Amogha Boreak and Bhima Boreak. During the Angkor period, the territory of Amogha Boreak was significantly prosperous because the land was so fertile that rice crops, fruit and vegetables produced excellent yields. Many Khmer people settled there as indicated by the existence of so many ancient temples in the area. With the exception of the temples of Wat Banon, Ek Phnom, Baseth, Stung, Banteay Tey, Banteay Chmar, etc,other monuments, which were built by dignitaries and subjects at the time as places of worship to God and other deities of Buddhism and Hinduism, almost completely disappeared.

Between the 15th century and the 18th century the area was invaded by the Siamese army, forcing landowners off their land and splitting up their families.

From the late 18th century until early in the 20th century, the Siamese ruled Battambang and placed it under the rule of the Lord Chaofa Ben family, which was later known as the Aphaiwong Family. This lasted for 6 generations and ended in 1907. While under Thai rule, the province was a changwat of Thailand called Phra Tabong (a sacred stick).


Battambang ferry

The French Siamese Treaty of March 23, 1907, obliged the Siamese to return territories that they had occupied for more than a century. These included Battambang, Siem Reap and Angkor, in exchange for Trat province and the area of Dach Se (Lao territory) in the upper catchment area of the Mekong River. On December 6 1907, His Majesty Preah Bat Sisowath issued a royal declaration splitting Battambang into 3 provinces: Battambang, Siem Reap and Serei Sophorn. In 1925, Battambang was divided again into two provinces: Battambang and Siem Reap, with Battambang having two districts: Battambang and Serei Sophorn. By 1940, Battambang consisted of 7 districts: Battambang, Sangke, Maung Russey, Monkol Borei, Toeuk Cho, Serei Sophorn, and Bei Thbaung.

In May 1953, the Poi Pet administration was founded and ordered under the district of Serei Sophorn which was divided into two districts: Serei Sophorn and Banteay Chmar. In March 1965, the administration of Poi Pet, was elevated to the status of a district named O Chrov. In July 1965, part of the territory of Maung Russey was separated to become the administration of Kors Kralor. In March 1966, another new district Thmar Pouk was founded and the district of Banteay Chmar was cut off from the province of Battambang for incorporation into Oddor Meanchey province, another newly founded province. In the early years of the Khmer Rouge, two new districts were established: Banan and Kors Lor. During the 3 years and 9 months of the Killing Fields, Battambang saw its people evacuated by Pol Pot's men from the city and towns and relocated to remote and mountainous areas. The province of Battambang, once known as the rice bowl of the country, was turned into a site of torture, killings, and starvation.

The province of Battambang was completely liberated from the genocidal regime on January 13, 1979. At that time, the People's Committee of commune-Sangkat was founded through the first-ever elections in 1983. Between 1979 and 1986, Battambang had 9 districts and one provincial town.

In 1986, three new districts were created: Banan, Bovel, and Ek Phnom. Until that point, Battambang had 12 districts and 1 provincial town. In 1988, however 5 districts were separated and incorporated into the newly founded province of Banteay Meanchey.

In 1998, following the integration of the remaining territory of the former Democratic Kampuchea, the province of Battambang saw part of its territory separated for the municipality of Pailin, while 4 new districts were established: Samlot, Kamreang, Phnom Proeuk and Sampov Loun. In 2000, part of the district of Maung Russey was split off to become the district of Koas Krolor.

This is your book! We created it with you in mind, as the shapers of minds. We know of some of the challenges you face in present-day Cambodia and we empathize. More power to you.

We believe greatly in the importance of this curriculum because we believe deeply in this virtue—COURAGE. We believe it is a virtue that can be practiced more and more by everyone, especially the young people.

Courage is defined as "mental or moral strength to persevere and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty," something that all of us (as Khmer—in the NGOs, in the government, in the opposition, in business, in Mondolkiri, Kampot or wherever, holding different religions or beliefs, rich or poor—as well as foreigners—French, African, Chinese, no matter the background) can and do believe in.

As with any other disposition, courage is only fixed in us through practice. As Aristotle notes in the Nicomachean Ethics almost 2,400 years ago, we become brave only by doing brave acts: "By being habituated to despise things that are terrible and to stand our ground against them we become brave, and it is when we have become so that we shall be most able to stand our ground against them." Moreover, when we encounter obstacles, let us be reminded that they are only invitations to courage. Fear destroys a person's spirit whereas courage builds a person and in turn society.

Everyone everywhere in the world, anytime throughout history believes in the significance and practice of this virtue, COURAGE.

Thus, our deep admiration for you, who are in the frontline in instilling this virtue via this curriculum in our children.

Of course, we would like very much for this curriculum to be included as part of the official educational curriculum. We are engaged and will continue to engage the relevant government officials to make this happen. Before this happens, however, it is necessary that we all are familiar with the content. Naturally, this takes time.

But we are making a good beginning. For example, we are pleased to have H.E. Om Yentieng's recognition of the importance of the Speak Truth To Power project (as expressed to Kerry Kennedy over a dinner he hosted in February 2011). We continue to count on his Cambodian Human Rights Committee as a vehicle for the dissemination of this material. We believe in the universality of this virtue; we believe in the government's courage to take this on and we will do everything to work with ALL partners, who believe in EDUCATION.

I would like to give you a bit of background as to how we went about producing this Courage curriculum:

First, the drafting of the Khmer curriculum in the English language is based on extensive discussions between CIVICUS Cambodia in Phnom Penh and RFK Center in Washington, D.C., with comments and ideas from Kerry Kennedy after her visit to Cambodia in February 2011.

Among all the 51 defenders featured in Kerry Kennedy's book Speak Truth To Power, we decided to focus on eight individuals whose works and issues resonated with the current situation in Cambodia: Elie Wiesel (Genocide), Marina Pisklakova (Domestic Violence), Juliana Dogbadzi (Slavery/Trafficking), Vaclav Havel (Free Expression), Muhammad Yunus (Right to Credit), Desmond Tutu (Reconciliation), Ka Hsaw Wa (Corporate Social Responsibility), Kailash Satyarthi (Child Labor).

Second, we had the English-drafted curriculum translated in Khmer which took several phases. We put a lot of energy into this process, as we know ultimately it is the Khmer version which must be understandable and readable. Those who have worked with translation from the English into the Khmer language can appreciate the process—the content quality of making sure the Khmer language makes sense; preserving the spirit and meaning of the original English content; the technical difficulties of typing Khmer, with associated problems transferred to the layout process, etc.

We employed some of the best translators in the country who did the initial translation for us. Toward the middle and the end of the translation process, I meticulously scrutinized the Khmer version line-by-line, with the English text for content integrity and comprehensibility, with my dedicated assistant Ms. Sivnin Eam typing in the changes as well as providing the sounding board for my explanations and my constant, recurring questions: Is it understandable to a 13-year-old? Is there a simpler, more common word in usage? Tell me what you think this word or phrase or sentence means.

As important as preserving the spirit of the content, we were very concerned that the Khmer translation flows smoothly and is understandable to the larger population. Simply put, we focused on clarity and common (vernacular) usage for UNDERSTANDING. We preferred the common vocabulary to the highly technical ones, if we could avoid them. It was not uncommon for Sivnin and I to be engaged for half an hour, for example, over one phrase or one sentence. We consulted the available dictionaries, with great reliance and value given to the works of Venerable Chuon Nath.

During this process, we also engaged some of you, the educators who will actually be teaching from this curriculum. We met in person at three consultation workshops with approximately 40 of you, senior educators, from four northwest provinces of Siem Reap, Battambang, Banteay Meanchey and Kampong Thom as well as you, senior educators, from Phnom Penh and Kandal Province. You assisted us tremendously with your comments and feedback, especially on the readability, usage and spelling of certain words. We included as much as we can of your feedback. (Thank you so much!)

Finally, we worked with a layout designer, a very able young woman Ms. Rany Song, to put everything together as suggestions and comments gleaned from the consultation process (workshops and private review of drafts) continue to stream in.

I ask for your good will, magnanimity and patience with any mistakes (e.g. spelling) you may find or preferences (e.g. usage of commas) you may disagree with. We accept full responsibility for the content in this curriculum but we ask for your help in providing us your feedback for future printing.

I pray you will find this Courage curriculum inspirational not only for your students, but for yourselves as well. Peace and courage be with you.

_____________

Founding President

CIVICUS: Center for Cambodian Civic Education

Phnom Penh, Sept. 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSI1w6BSCbg

After watching the flood in Srok Khmer and in Thailand, a song immediately comes to my mind: Teuk Lech Phum Aun (ទឹកលិច ភូមិអូន) . It took me a while to find this song again, but along the way, an idea came to mind: how easy or difficult would it be to find traditional Khmer songs interpreted by popular singers from the 60s? To make the challenge somewhat worthwhile, I thought that it would be even more interesting if the music in these songs is interpreted using traditional Khmer musical instruments only. Several hours of searching later, I came up with the following songs which vary from Mohori music to traditional Khmer wedding songs.

So Savoeun - Teuk Lech Phoum Aun

Sin Sisamouth - Klen Phka M'liss

Hem Sovann - Chom-ork Neang Lvea

Ros Sereysothea - Bampe

Ros Sereysothea - Bek Chan

Sin Sisamouth - Chum Cheat (Kat Khan Sla)

Sin Sisamouth - Prapun La'or Teng Ter Chanh Pdey

Sin Sisamouth - Reab Kar Choal Bang

Sin Sisamouth - Srey Chet Roy Poan

Some of these songs bring back memories buried long ago, for example, every time I listen to the song "Bek Chan", I still remember my mother telling me to fetch a plate or a cup for her. As a child, walking was never an acceptable choice, of course running with a cup or a plate could be perilous at time. Of course, breaking plates and cups during these errands for my mother was my childhood trademark, so much so that my mother used to tell me: "Ah kaun day phleung cheung moan អាកូន ដៃភ្លើង ជើងមាន់" (literally meaning the child with fire in his hands and pecking chicken legs, i.e. the destroyer-child). I hope you will enjoy these songs as much as I do.

PS: I noted that some of you have either berated me in your comments by accusing me of being a royalist, while others openly use my signature to post insults or to curse others. As a rule of thumb, I do not post comments on KI-Media, therefore shame on those people who use my name to curse others. Cursing others is not acceptable to me, if I have something to say to somebody, I will say it in that person's face. As for those who accuse of me of being a royalist, I believe that it started when I corrected one of the KI-Media members who erroneously accused Sihanouk of doing something he never did. You see, attacking somebody with erroneous facts can only bring discredit on oneself, therefore one must not resort to such cheap tricks just to get the upper hand. Does that make me a royalist? Let me just simply state the following fact: on March 18, 1970, I felt as if a big piece of rock was taken off my chest, even though I had not even reached in my teen years yet. What was the reason for my elation of that day? Suddenly, we can openly talk about the misdeeds of Cambodia's dictator-du-jour, the one who called himself "Le Prince rose" (the pink prince). Of course, from now on, the naysayers will now label me an "offspring of the Lonnolians". Oh well, c'est la vie!

PPS: Some had also criticized me of wasting other people's time by sending all these songs for posting because singing and dancing does not solve any of Cambodia's problems. I agree to these critics up to a certain point. Let me explain myself: it is all up to each one of us on how to solve Cambodia's problems. Some of you would advocate the Arab uprising model, while others would even advance arm struggles. Being with limited means, I do not have the resource or know-how to advocate these radical solutions, to me, Cambodians need to eat, educate themselves, know their environment and their rights before they can act. The question is how to educate people simply enough? In the old days, during the resistance against French colonialism, Cambodians came up with several struggling means: (1) by using religion to spread out the words of French tyranny, and (2) by using popular shows, such as Chapey Dorng Veng songs interpreted by Kram Ngoy, to teach the people. All that I am saying is that, the tools are there, it is up to you to adopt and adapt them to your needs. The question is: Can you do it?

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Rescue workers scrambled to reinforce make-shift walls and sand-bags around Bangkok on Saturday as the worst floods in half-a-century threatened Thailand's low-lying capital after swamping entire villages in the north.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has sought to reassure Bangkok's 12 million people they should largely escape floods that have covered a third of the country since July, killing at least 289 people and causing about $3 billion in damage.

The north, northeast and centre of Thailand have been worst hit and Bangkok -- much of it only two metres (6.5 ft) above sea level -- is at risk as water overflows from reservoirs in the north, swelling the Chao Phraya river that winds through the densely populated city.

Yingluck said water released from several dams should reduce the risk of floods as a wall of northern run-off water makes its way to Bangkok over the weekend, coinciding with high estuary tides that hamper the river's flow into the sea.

She said the government was focused on releasing floodwater to the sea.

"We will protect strategic areas and the heart of the economy such as industrial zones, the central part of all provinces and Thai capital as well as Suvarnabhumi Airport, industrial estates and evacuation centres," she said, referring to Bangkok's main international airport.

Despite official assurances, Bangkok residents have stocked up on bottled water and foodstuffs such as instant noodles. Many have parked their cars in elevated parking garages.

To protect the city, authorities reinforced its last defences -- a 4 km (2.5-mile) flood barrier along a canal and a sluice gate in Pathum Thani province immediately north of the city, where offices, shops and restaurants were submerged in chest-high water.

The city, known for its historic temples and raucous nightlife, is on edge amid bickering between the government and Bangkok's governor, who has urged people to listen to him, not the prime minister. The two are on either side of a political divide that sparked violent street protests last year.

Bangkok is the business heart of Thailand, accounting for 41 percent of its economy. In comparison, the central region, which has been badly flooded, accounts for 8 percent of the economy, Southeast Asia's second-largest.

Parts of the central province of Ayutthaya, home to an ancient capital and historic temples, are nearly completely submerged, forcing at least three big industrial estates to shut temporarily.

Japanese automaker Honda Motor Co Ltd said on Friday its plant there, accounting for 4.7 percent of its global output, would stay closed until Oct. 21.

Thailand is Southeast Asia's biggest auto-manufacturing hub with most factories located in the east, which has been little affected by the flooding. But their operations could still suffer because car parts firms have been hit.

BANGKOK — Thailand fought to hold back floodwaters flowing towards Bangkok Saturday as a spring tide hindered efforts to protect the city of 12 million people from the kingdom's worst inundation in decades.

The authorities appeared to be winning the battle, with no reports of major flooding in inner Bangkok, which is ringed by flood walls, leaving areas outside the main city to bear the brunt of the rising waters.

"We must try to protect our economic zone including Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi Airport, industrial areas and evacuation centres," said Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Sandbags have been piled alongside rivers and canals and the authorities have been racing to repair a dyke that burst on Thursday, causing a brief scare in suburbs in the north of the capital.

The floods, several metres deep in places, are currently affecting about one third of Thailand's provinces and have damaged the homes or livelihoods of millions of people and left at least 297 people dead.

About 110,000 people around the country have sought refuge in shelters in the face of waters that have destroyed crops and inundated hundreds of factories in industrial parks north of Bangkok.

"People have been affected by floods for three months now. The government understands that and is trying to drain the water as soon as possible," Yingluck said.

"This incident is one of Thailand's biggest and most severe losses in history. The government will not forget the people's grievances."

She said foreign governments including China, Japan and the United States were giving financial or logistical support for the relief operations.

Conditions in inner Bangkok and at most of Thailand's top tourist destinations are mostly normal and Suvarnabhumi Airport -- the capital's main international gateway, which has flood walls several metres high -- is operating as usual.

This weekend Bangkok is bracing for a large amount of run-off water along with seasonal high tides that will make it harder for the flood waters to flow out to sea.

"We predict the water will be highest from October 16-18 as the high sea level combines with water from the north which will arrive in Bangkok tomorrow (Sunday)," said Worapat Tianprasit at the Royal Irrigation Department.

He said the water in the Chao Phraya River had risen to 2.27 metres above sea level on Saturday morning at high tide, which was lower than expected.

"If the tide does not exceed 2.5 metres, there won't be flooding," Worapat added.

Overnight thunderstorms caused some minor flooding on roads in the centre of the capital, but the authorities have said they are confident they can prevent serious inundation in the low-lying city.

"Bangkok will definitely not be affected by floods," Justice Minister Pracha Promnog, who heads the government's flood relief centre, said Friday.

Sandbags have been piled in front of homes and businesses in preparation for possible inundation, and some residents have chosen to their vehicles in multi-storey carparks while stocking up on food, water and flashlights.

The authorities have been dredging and draining canals to allow more water to flow through and are diverting water to areas outside the main city.

The floods have dealt a heavy blow to Thailand's economy, disrupting production of cars, electronics and other goods.

Japanese automakers including Toyota have suspended production in the kingdom due to water damage to facilities or a shortage of components.

Three workers at a flood-hit factory north of the capital suffered minor injuries that were believed to be caused by a short circuit.

 

PETALING JAYA: As flood waters rise to threaten parts of Indochina, there is growing concern over public safety and food supply, including rice.

Some 1.5 million hectares of the region's famous padi fields including Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos with their rich, low-laying lands along the rivers have already been affected.

This has prompted Malaysia, which depends on these countries for 30% of its rice supply, to look towards other nations for the precious commodity.

With one-third of the country's overseas rice supply coming from Thailand, Malaysia has already received half of its consignment but the other half is still in Bangkok that even now is seeing rising water levels.

Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Johari Baharum said the country would look into sourcing rice from Pakistan, India or other countries.

"We have a stockpile of close to a million metric tonnes of rice lasting more than five months. Our padi fields, from which we are getting 70% of our supply, are not affected," he said, adding that Malaysia's move towards self-sustainable rice production would eventually reduce dependence on imports.

Malaysians consume 180,000 tonnes of rice each month.

UN disaster reduction chief Margareta Wahlstrom said the entire region would suffer from rising cost of food prices as potential harvests had now been devastated.

"The damage is very serious this year and it will be some time before people can resume normal lives," she said in a statement.

As the Thai capital braces for the worst floods in decades, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had warned that many provinces could remain submerged for the next two months, including the country's rice fields.

Workers hurriedly dredged canals and cut new waterways yesterday in an attempt to protect the city.

At least 283 people have been killed in Thailand since late July by floods and mudslides that have devastated rice crops and shut dozens of factories.

American computer hard drive manufacturer Western Digital Corp and Japan's Toyota Motor Corp became the latest to suspend production in Thailand yesterday.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department confirmed that the Haitang tropical storm and the Nesat and Nalgae typhoons had caused downpours and strong winds in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.

"Continuous rain has aggravated the situation and the floods are said to be the worst in 50 years.

"Furthermore, the May to September period is the rainy season in the northern and western coasts of Thailand, brought about by the southwest monsoon," it said in a statement.

However, the department said there was no indication that the northern part of Malaysia, where the country's rice bowl is located in Kedah, would be affected by the storms.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lysanBIEbJk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXpBVQuKKec

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptPvYOAqaeo

Phnom Penh, Cambodia — When considering world-class motorcycle touring destinations, the chances that Cambodia will be mentioned are slim to none. If perfectly paved byways and clearly marked corners are on your motorcycle touring menu, best to look elsewhere.

Instead, Cambodia is a good candidate for those who don't mind dealing with less than perfect roads and like the idea of exploring a small developing country in Southeast Asia on an adventure style of motorcycle. For their troubles, they will be rewarded with a reality that could hardly be any more different, in a place that is home to some of the world's most significant antiquities. And they will face more than enough on-road challenges to keep them busy.

Take the Cambodian driving habits that will inevitably ambush the traveller. In the capital city of Phnom Penh, one is immediately taken aback by the apparent mass confusion that seems to dominate the streets.

Scooters rule in Cambodia, and riders reach their most frantic intensity in Phnom Penh, where the stop and dash of scooter fleets at intersections seems random and dangerous. But there is a method to the driving madness, and after a short time of learning the flow and going with it, riding becomes a lot less nerve-shredding.

The "highways" that run out of Phnom Penh are simple two-lane arteries that connect the city to other areas of settlement, such as the beach towns on the Gulf of Thailand and the famous ancient temple ruins of Angkor Wat.

Angkor Wat is near the city of Siem Reap, and getting there requires some four hours on Highway 6. This often bumpy, sometimes fractured artery is fraught with heavy traffic rushing between these two main centres. Smoky transport trucks populate the road and occasionally pass one another, filling both lanes with oncoming truck grilles. Facing that spectre, one should be prepared for a quick exit to the gravel shoulder, followed by much cursing and fist shaking. It's also a good idea to stay sharp for the straying cattle that periodically wander across the road in a no-hurry stroll.

But the Cambodia rider should also be prepared to be blown away by the ruins at Angkor. The temple of Angkor Wat is only one part of the massive temple complex of Angkor — all that is left of a once-thriving city that dominated this part of the world from about 800 to 1400 AD. Angkor is incomparable.

Similar on-road experiences await on the southwest-bound Hwy. 4, which heads to the coastal town of Sihanoukville. Its leisurely beaches on the Gulf of Thailand were first developed by King Sihanouk in the 1960s, and were patronized by the rich and famous for a short while. Pol Pot's reign of terror in the '70s, followed by war with Vietnam, changed all that.

From here, paved secondary roads curve and roll through the countryside, past both subsistence farms and wealthier plantations. For instance, Hwy. 16 meanders east from Hwy. 4, through the villages of Kampot and Kep. These places move at a slow rural pace, giving visitors the chance to experience another Cambodia away from the city buzz.

But they all aspire to be part of Southeast Asia's next coastal destination, anchored by new resorts and hotels in Sihanoukville and a giant new gaming resort on nearby Bokor Hill.

Another way to get away from the crowds is to head north from Siem Reap, where there are more ruins from the Angkor and pre-Angkor periods. Unlike the tourist-intense temple complex at Angkor itself, these lonely outposts are largely unvisited and either partially restored or virtually untouched. These include the rambling ruins at Beng Mealea, Koh Ker and Sambor Prei Kuk.

Here, the pavement largely disappears and is supplanted by gravel roads. There is also an increasing frequency of supposedly reassuring signs indicating that former areas of landmine placement in the fields beside the road have been cleared. It is in northern Cambodia that the Khmer Rouge armies of Pol Pot were most solidly entrenched, and the guidebooks caution against venturing too far from the marked paths at the ruins sites.

Given these changing road conditions, your chosen steed should be an on-/off-road enduro style of motorcycle now more commonly known as an adventure bike. My choice was a Honda XL250 Baja, a simple, rugged single-cylinder enduro whose large numbers in Asia confirm its reliability record. Sure, a BMW, KTM or Kawasaki KLR 650 would be nice, but these are far less available in this developing part of the world and more expensive to rent. Expect to pay between $15 US and $18 per day to rent an XL250 from one of the many rental outfits in Phnom Penh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf9Qq_WYzC8

As the worst floods in more than a decade sweep the country, the Church is struggling to deliver effective aid, even to its own community.

Caritas has been distributing food, drinking water and temporary shelters, bringing relief to 7,000 families in six provinces. Their effort went into action late last month and is continuing.

St Joseph Parish in Phnom Penh has been helping the cause since early October, collecting donations and providing staples such as rice, soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar to 500 affected families along the Mekong River.

And in Kampong Cham province, northeast of the capital, Koh Roka church has distributed 400 kg of rice to another 25 families.

But this year's exceptionally heavy floods, which have killed more than 200 people nationwide, have also destroyed tens of thousands of hectares of rice.

"This directly affects our ability to provide food to children and the poor from our own fields," said Them Thun, a lay leader in Siem Reap province, where 75 percent of the Church's own rice fields have been destroyed.

Churches in Kompong Thom have also lost around 100 hectares of rice fields, to add to their woes; here, in Cambodia's worst affected province, five churches have been under up to 1.5 m of water.

The damage is especially devastating for the country's many smallholders. One Catholic farmer, Vong Tim, said his two-hectare field has been destroyed. "Some people have been forced to sell their cows and buffaloes cheap because they had nothing to eat," he added.

"I'm worried about what my neighbors and I will do in the aftermath, without a rice field or any farm animals to sustain us."

Caritas, however, has resolved to do whatever it can to help and has formulated a practical strategy. Its disaster management officer Sok Sakhan reports that they are already preparing to distribute rice seed to farmers whose crops were lost.

Commenting on the estimated 160 bridges and 3,000 km of road left in disrepair, he added, "we will help with rebuilding the roads and canals as soon as the flooding subsides."

SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Friday it will send US$200,000 in emergency humanitarian assistance to help victims in flood-stricken Cambodia, pledging more aid for the flooded Southeast Asian region.

Cambodia and neighboring Thailand are struggling to cope with their worst monsoon floods in more than a decade, with the combined death toll in the two nations approaching 500.

"The government is closely monitoring the flood situation in Southeast Asia and will actively respond to help if more damage occurs," foreign ministry spokesman Cho Byung-jae said in a statement.

Early this week, South Korea announced $200,000 in flood aid for Thailand.

The United Nations Legal Counsel will travel to Phnom Penh next week for meetings concerning the Cambodia genocide tribunal in the wake of the resignation of one of the judges.

The tribunal, known officially as the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), was set up under an agreement signed in 2003 by the UN and the Government.

The independent court, which uses a mixture of Cambodian staff and judges and foreign personnel, is tasked with trying those deemed most responsible for mass killings and other crimes committed under the Khmer Rouge between 1975 and 1979 during which as many as two million people are thought to have died.

The visit by Patricia O'Brien, the Under Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, follows the resignation earlier this week of Judge Siegfried Blunk, the international co-investigating judge at the ECCC.The UN has consistently stated that the ECCC must be permitted to proceed with its work without interference from any entity, including the Cambodian Government.

Judge Blunk cited repeated statements by senior Government officials opposing the progress of what are referred to as cases 003 and 004 – which concern senior members of the Khmer Rouge military suspected of being responsible for the deaths of thousands of people.

These statements, he noted in his letter of resignation, could be used to call into question his ability to perform his duties independently, and this would call into doubt the integrity of the whole proceedings in these cases.

The UN has consistently stated that the ECCC must be permitted to proceed with its work without interference from any entity, including the Cambodian Government.

Ms. O'Brien will hold meetings with Government officials and others concerning the tribunal, UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky told reporters in New York.

In addition to concerns regarding the issue of Government interference, there have also been concerns raised with respect to other aspects of the court's work, which will also be addressed during the visit, he noted.

"It is important that the United Nations talks to senior officials in the ECCC and others to gain the best possible understanding of these concerns," he stated.