The Phnom Penh Post - ENGLISH: “Svay Rieng garment workers fired, suspended” plus 9 more

Due to incorrect information provided to the Post, a previous version of this story reported that Kingmaker (Cambodia) Footwear Co Ltd. fired 200 workers on December 27 for striking. A factory representative said 200 people participated in demonstrations, but were not fired.

Factories in Svay Rieng province's Manhattan Special Economic Zone have fired or suspended at least 50 workers – and are pursuing legal action against some – for participating in a strike last month that saw some 30,000 walk off the job.

Heads of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers (CUMW) and Cambodian Alliance Trade Union (CATU) told the Post yesterday that 50 members of their unions were dismissed last week.

"The accusation is not right, because we did nothing wrong," said Chorn Thieng, a factory worker in the economic zone who said he was suspended and is earning half his regular pay until a lawsuit his factory filed against him reaches court. "We just demanded [a $160 minimum monthly wage], and we still demand it."

Workers at factories in the Manhattan and Tay Seng Special Economic Zone in Svay Rieng province started striking for a minimum wage hike – from the current government mandate of $75 plus a $5 health bonus – a week before a larger collection of unions called for an industry-wide strike on December 24.

The larger strike was called the same day the Ministry of Labour set the 2014 minimum wage for garment and shoe factories at $95; the ministry raised 2014 wages to $100 per month a week later.

The firings and suspensions of CUMW and CATU workers occurred last week, prior to January 3, when military officials opened fire on demonstrators on Veng Sreng Boulevard, killing at least four and injuring dozens.

"[Firing workers] is just sort of in keeping with this incredible blanket trend of an assault of the garment trade unions of Cambodia and the garment workers of Cambodia," said Dave Welsh, country director for labour rights group Solidarity Center.

In the wake of the firings and suspensions of 45 CUMW workers, the union plans on filing a complaint in Svay Rieng Provincial Court, CUMW president Pav Sina said yesterday. With the court and authorities' recent aggressive actions toward unions – including surrounding CUMW's Svay Rieng office at times – the suit faced little likelihood of success, he admitted.

"We will file the complaint against the factories that sacked our members … but my complaint would be useless if I filed now," Sina said.

Has Bunthy, director of Svay Rieng's provincial Labour Department, yesterday said he had urged local factories to reinstate their workers to no avail.

"I tried my best to negotiate with factories to accept [workers] back, but the factories rejected," Bunthy said.

The Center for Khmer Studies' first photographic exhibition, Beyond Borders, opened last Sunday and features works by five Siem Reap-based. The 50 photos in the show are all taken in different countries and include shots of a refugee camps in the Sahara desert, poppy fields in the Czech Republic and sacred pilgrimage sites in Nepal and south India.

The five snappers taking part are long-term Belgian expat Stéphane de Greef, Czech photographer Anna Bella Betts, Brit Holly Barber, Italian Valentina Chiodi and Kimleng Sang from Takeo Province, who has lived in Siem Reap since 2000. De Greef and Betts say the exhibition came about because the Center for Khmer Studies decided to hold a series of exhibitions in 2014 in the large, leafy grounds of Wat Damnak pagoda where the centre is located. "It was a combination of having photographers who were looking for a place to exhibit their work, and CKS looking into new activities to run in the place," says de Greef.

"But it's just not about photographers from abroad who live here," adds Betts. "It's more about Cambodian photographers or young artists who want a little bit more of a venue that's not limiting them in terms of accessibility."

She feels that some of the venues in high-end hotels are intimidating to some people.

Both feel that CKS is a more accessible and welcoming location which is part of the appeal, drawing in more of a Khmer crowd.

"Normally people just sit, study and chat here, so it's very open, very Khmer-friendly place," says Betts. "It's open to the public, making photography accessible to a wider audience."

Beyond Borders comprises 10 images from each of the five photographers. Barber has focused on photos from her travels around Nepal, Sri Lanka and India in her collection, First Light on the Subcontinent, showcasing stunning panoramic views of mountains, valleys and temples.

In Hands, Chiodi depicts various people going about their daily lives in Cambodia, Myanmar and India, from the mother embracing her child to the close-up detail of a craftsman engraving a piece of lacquer.

Kimleng Sang brings to life the watery world of the Tonlé Sap in Dteuk (Water), documenting the fishing communities who live on the lake. ​Ceci n'est pas un Pays by de Greef is a photo story shot in southwestern Algerian Sahrawi refugee camps where he was assisting with a census of landmine survivors, while in European Summer Betts explores her home country with nostalgic, sunny images of countryside and city.

"The common point is that we are photographers and we're living in Siem Reap, but we're taking photos of five very different subjects," says de Greef. "We wanted to have as wide as possible a scope of photography all assembled in one place, so that people visiting can see different countries. Cambodian people will discover the desert of Sahara, the agricultural land of the Czech Republic, the mountains of Nepal – all these things that they might not know very well."

Beyond Borders runs daily until February 2.

The Angkor Handicraft Fair opened yesterday and will run until Monday, January 13 at the Royal Gardens alongside the Siem Reap River, with 70 exhibitors from all over Cambodia displaying their wares.

Men Sinouen, director of the Artisans' Association of Cambodia told Siem Reap Insider that the objective of the fair is to promote Cambodian skills and unique "savoir faire" in handicraft and art.

He said, "The fair will allow our audience to discover many kinds of Cambodian handicraft and art."

Handmade products featured at the fair are from Pailin, Battambang, Takeo, Poipet, Kampong Thom, Svay Rieng, Kandal, Kampong Chhnang and Siem Reap.

[img]

Men Sinouen said, "All the products shown in the fair are manufactured from silk, lotus flower thread, bamboo, water hyacinth, and ceramics. We forbid selling imported products here to promote the local product, and it will be a good experience for all exhibitors to understand what the demands of the customers are."

He added that all exhibitors have already committed to fair-trade principles, and good social and environmental practices.

He said the fair expects to attract more than 15,000 visitors all up, with daily figures of around 3,000 visitors per day.

"It's very important for us to have a large audience to give huge exposure for the exhibitors and make the fair sustainable," he said, adding that the occasion is already acknowledged as the biggest handicraft fair in Cambodia, he said.

He also said that this year's fair has many new and exciting aspects to it. "We have introduced several innovations to make it stronger, sustainable, more attractive, convivial and enthusiastic for the guests, ensuring a high level handicraft and art exposure."

In the mood for a lok lak pizza? How about a post-Christmas turkey sub? These are just two of the recent specials at Belmiro's, the popular new pizza joint near the Old Market.

Specialising in generous portions, ever-changing specials and "a slice of home, away from home"' (if home is the US east coast) Belmiro's Pizza and Subs has been pulling in the punters, all hungry for a carb-load of hearty Italian-American fare.

Owner Belmiro 'Tyler' Jose Barros moved to Siem Reap six months ago after 24 years working in finance, the last 10 of which were spent in Hong Kong. Having become involved with NGO Honour Village Cambodia – Barros is non-executive director and helped raise 50 per cent of the group's funding through various fundraisers in Hong Kong over the years – he decided to make Temple Town his home.

[img]

Belmiro's is in a former Khmer restaurant next to Boulangerie, and Barros has retro-fitted it out with brick walls, a sleek wooden counter and a cosy red bar. The kitchen equipment is custom made and pizzas are hand stretched.

"A lot of restaurants in town offer everything under the sun: all-day breakfast, Khmer food, pasta," he says, "so here we just specialise in pizzas and subs and try to keep it fresh with weekly specials.

"As a big fella, this is almost the same menu I grew up with in New England. Boston's such a big college town so this is really good budget food. One thing I pride myself on is we make the dough and tomato sauce from scratch every day."

The meat-heavy menu features dishes like pepperoni pizza, meat lovers pizza and the steak bomb – a sub sandwich containing American striploin steak and provolone cheese.

But there are also vegetarian options, such as the cheese pizza and the vegetarian sub with mushrooms, aubergine, spinach and cheese. Having sampled the Aunt Nancy's meatballs sub, Insider can verify it is delicious, in all its juicy, tomato-y glory.

His meatballs owe a debt to his college roommate Paulie Coppola. "I've known the family for 25 years, and it took me 10 years to get the recipe," laughs Barros, sounding not unlike a character from the film Goodfellas.

"I think this is a unique American pizza place. What I love about it is that it's good value. I'm not really catering towards the backpacker crowd, but what's encouraging to me is the Khmers for the first time actually have disposable income. One thing that still gives me a little bit of a chuckle is that they insist on either ketchup or chili sauce with their pizza, but it's a cultural difference."

Pizzas start at $10 for a medium and $13 for a large, but are so enormous that people tend to share, while the subs range from $5 to $7 and come with a side order of crisps.

Pizza is also available by the slice for $2 or $3 depending on the topping.

Barros says the specials have proved extremely popular – the turkey sub was available at Thanksgiving and was so successful it was brought out again at Christmas.

"Then we have baked ziti," Barros adds, "which is a typical Boston-Italian dish: penne pasta with a marinara sauce with minced beef and sausage, topped off with mozzarella. It's something very New England Italian."

Barros admits the cheese-laden comfort food isn't exactly waistline friendly, but with customers returning for more, who's complaining?

"It's not the healthiest food in town," he confesses, "but it's going to put a smile on your face and you'll sleep like a baby."

Liza Owens is a half-Cambodian, half-British singer who lives in London, but grew up in the southeast of the UK. Her Cambodian mother and British father met in Paris after her mother fled the Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970s. The 21-year-old's first single, Young Guns, will be released in the UK in February, and is influenced by Cambodian sounds. She spoke to Emily Wight about her musical background, influences and connection with Cambodia.

When did you start singing?
I've only ever wanted to be an artist. I've had the same dream of making it big as a singer since I was seven years old, but have been singing ever since I can remember. I was going to different performing arts schools at the weekends and then started working with a producer when I was 13, which was my first taster of being in a recording studio and writing my own songs.

What was your biggest learning curve?
When I was 18, I joined a girl band called The Dolly Rockers and we were signed to a record label. I had an incredible experience during that time and learned a lot about the music industry, mostly how hard and cut-throat it is. We posted a lot of covers online and got more than 20 million YouTube hits, but in the end decided to go our separate ways because we wanted to do different things. But I made amazing contacts, learned a lot about myself as an artist and how hard you have to work to make it, so now I feel like I'm ready to make it happen.

How does your music reflect your Khmer heritage?
In my first single Young Guns, I use a sample of monks praying. I can't wait to see what Khmer people think of it. There are other Asian influences, in terms of the instruments used and the melodies I sing. I really embrace being half-Asian, and wanted that to come across in my music. My party and hype songs have big rhythmic drums, chants and Asian-sounding samples. Everything I do creatively is influenced by my Khmer heritage so naturally I want to include musical touches from my mother's country wherever I can.

Why is it so important to you to use Khmer influences in your work?
Even though I've lived in England my whole life I do feel very Khmer, as my mother started to take me to visit family in Cambodia since the age of seven, so I've lost count how many times I've been there. It's part of my mission to bring some influences of Khmer music and tradition to mainstream music in the Western world. A lot of people in the UK don't know a great deal about Cambodian culture and history, so I really want to wave the flag and share the beauty of Cambodia with people here.

Have you thought about breaking into Cambodia?
I would love the opportunity to do a concert in Phnom Penh after I've released my music next year. Cambodia is a small country and I feel like we support each other when we try to do great things around the world, so hopefully they will show as much love for me as I do for them. My cousins and friends over there love hip hop and Western pop music, so I think they would love for a half-British, half-Khmer artist to cross over and be successful.

Who is your role model?
My mother is the president of a London-based charity called CASUNIK. It supports Cambodians living in or visiting the UK. My mum has always taught me to embrace my Khmer heritage and to be proud of it, and how could I not be with an incredible role model like her?

What interests do you have other than music?
I have a huge love of fashion – I actually work part-time as a stylist when I'm not in the recording studio. I'm a very artistic person and I find that fashion is a great way to express yourself – you can be a different walking piece of art every day. I think it comes hand in hand with being a musician: the style in which you choose to express yourself through music, lyrics and images defines you.

As heavily armed military police advanced down Veng Sreng Boulevard at the Canadia Industrial Park early in the afternoon on Friday, January 3, Norm Sinath cautiously raised his hands. Although the green cross on his vest clearly indicated that he was a medic, Sinath was taking no chances. Moments before, the same policemen had fired a volley of automatic rifle shots above the heads of demonstrators who had failed to clear the site.

"Don't run away," Sinath advised those around him as the police marched forward about 10 metres away. "If we run, they'll think we're protesters."

Around four hours earlier, at least four demonstrators had been killed and dozens injured when supporters of the garment strike clashed with authorities in the capital's Por Sen Chey district.

Although the military police passed Sinath without incident, it was yet another tense moment. Earlier that day, a military policeman mistook him for a protester and shouted for his colleagues to attack. Another, recognising Sinath as a medic, intervened and warned the 37-year-old volunteer to be careful.

"He said: 'Please take care of your life, because the bullets [have] no eyes'," Sinath related in an interview on Monday near Freedom Park, where the team had assisted patients during last weekend's eviction of the protest camp.

Sinath is a founding member of the Independent Voluntary First Aid Team (IVFAT), a group of 30 amateur medics which formed last September in response to the Kingdom's post-election demonstrations. They are mostly Phnom Penh university students in their early to mid twenties with training in first aid.

The group's founders said that it was the first locally run all volunteer first aid response team in the Kingdom. While some NGOs include medical assistance in their programmes, Sinath said IVFAT aimed to provide a general first responders' service anywhere it was needed in the city with no strings attached.

[img]

Their current emphasis is to provide medical help to anyone in need at demonstrations and clashes, to which they said professional medics are slow to respond.

The group is committed to political neutrality and aids both protesters and authorities. Co-founder Chhoun Pheak estimated the team had helped about 10,000 people suffering minor issues, such as fainting and nausea, and about 100 more seriously sick or injured patients with complaints ranging from seizures to gunshot wounds. Given the volunteers' lack of expertise, the most they can do for seriously injured patients is to get them to hospital as safely as possible.

Unusually, the opposition and government have found common ground in their approval of IVFAT, with representatives from both sides appreciating the team's efforts.

Brigadier General Kheng Tito, spokesman for the military police, praised the group's presence at demonstrations and clashes in an email interview.

"They are a good volunteer team. They are always welcome and [we] give protection to them."

Cambodia National Rescue Party lawmaker-elect Mu Sochua, who has met with the team to coordinate the transfer of patients from Freedom Park to hospital, praised the team's impartiality.

"The volunteers are very dedicated, committed and focused on their mission. They did not let politics determine their agenda," Sochua said.

But despite their commitment to neutrality, Pheak said that individual policemen and soldiers often viewed them as pro-opposition. Some had been polite but others had been rude and threatened violence, according to the medic.

"Even the general population may not consider us independent because we mostly work at demonstrations, and after the election, most demonstrations are organised by the opposition party, so it sounds like we are fans of the opposition party, but actually we are not," he said.

Volunteers, who mostly come out on their days off from school, operate with minimal training or resources. Pheak, a former nurse who recently returned from Australia with a master's degree in public health, provides a day's first aid training for recruits when they begin. But IVFAT has no formal budget, with money coming sporadically from Pheak's friends in Australia and volunteers' pockets.

Hong Lida, a 24-year-old political science student at Khemarak University, was the only IVFAT volunteer on Veng Sreng Boulevard to witness the shootings on January 3. After hiding behind a street corner to avoid being shot, he said that he rushed to find the victims once the gunfire stopped.

[img]

"We only were able to help the ones with slight wounds by clearing their wounds and bandaging them to stop the bleeding," said Lida, adding that they helped at least 10 injured protesters and military police.

When asked if he was afraid, Lida said that he had to swallow his fear to uphold his principles.

"I was very shocked and scared, but I needed to risk my life out there. There was no choice," said Lida, adding that he would go to other shootings to help victims.

"It's our work to help people, so we'll continue this work and try to help injured people as much as we can."

The question of whether more violence will occur was on the minds of all IVFAT volunteers on Monday. While acknowledging the possibility that things would take a turn for the better, Sinath predicts more trouble in the near future as resentment grows over the deaths at Veng Sreng Boulevard.

"[People] are very angry at the government that they kill our factory workers . . .

The protesters don't care about their own lives, and they will continue to claim their rights."

Everyone has heard the songs from the pre-Khmer Rouge period when Phnom Penh rocked to new sounds that fused traditional Cambodian folk music with Western rock and pop – but the story of the scene behind the songs has remained untold, until now. Will Jackson reports.

When US documentarian John Pirozzi set out to make his film Don't Think I've Forgotten, about Phnom Penh's pre-Khmer Rouge music scene, all he had to work with was a handful of singers' names.

Pirozzi first came to Cambodia to work on the 2002 film City of Ghosts and had become fascinated by the country's tragic history. But what really drew him in was a music compilation he was given: a mix of 60s and 70s pop and rock 'n' roll songs called Cambodia Rocks.

Realising there was an important story to be told about this intersection of music and history, he teamed up with the Documentation Centre of Cambodia (DC-Cam) in 2004 to find out more about the musicians behind these songs that effortlessly blended traditional Cambodian folk melodies, lyrics and themes with Western rock and pop.

"The problem was there was no primary research to go to, no one had written about it at that point," he said. "So I was starting out with just a few names [of singers] Sinn Sisamouth, Ros Sereysothea, Pan Ron."

In the years that followed, he conducted more than 70 interviews in three different languages across Cambodia, the US, France and Singapore. He scoured dozens of personal and public archives of footage and combed through scores of tapes and vinyls for original unremixed recordings of songs. Finally, after spending the last three years in a cold dark editing room piecing it all together, the film is finally complete.

Pirozzi said Don't Think I've Forgotten – which premieres this Saturday night at an invite-only screening at Phnom Penh's Chatomuk Theatre to be followed by a concert by some of the musicians in the documentary – is the first film to bring together a cohesive narrative of the scene before it was destroyed by the Khmer Rouge.

[img]

"I really wanted the film to give a sense that there was this comprehensive music scene," he said. "It wasn't just a few random singers. It was very rich with many different types of music."

Through the 1960s and 1970s Phnom Penh was alive with new sounds. Nightclubs and dance halls were packed with revellers wanting to hear the latest interpretations of Western songs and Khmer folk classics remixed with a rock or pop sound.

Bands were known to play impromptu gigs in the streets. People who couldn't afford radios would gather at radio stations to listen to music played on speakers installed outside. The film and music industries were inextricably linked with a good soundtrack able to turn a mediocre flick into a blockbuster.

"I don't think rock 'n' roll in Cambodia was associated with drugs or rebellion quite as much as it was in the West," Pirozzi says. "A few people talk about how the older people told them 'cut your hair you look like a zombie' but from my understanding it wasn't perceived as rebellious until you get to the '70s and you get to Yol Aularong who starts to write songs that are sarcastic."

Touch Seangtana, who appears in Don't Think I've Forgotten talking about his time as a guitarist with one of the biggest Cambodian rock bands, Drakkar, said people liked rock 'n' roll because it incorporated many different influences. Traditional Cambodian music was combined with Western sounds like the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Bee Gees and Santana.

"We loved rock 'n' roll because it was easy and you can play whatever you want," Seangtana said. "And you can communicate between four people, sing all together and make a unique sound of music."

Other interview subjects in the film include musicians from the golden age and those they have influenced, families of those who didn't make it through the Khmer Rouge, historians, the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk, former US Ambassador John Gunther Dean and more.

Chhom Nimol, singer with the US-Cambodian band Dengue Fever who also appears in the film, said it was an important record of the roots of Cambodian music.

"Young people don't know about this story," Nimol said. "[Cambodians] have our own style. We don't need to copy [other countries]. Young people should watch this film and understand and know where this music comes from."

[img]

Pirozzi said he was particularly pleased to have a big section on Cambodian guitar bands in the film that includes interviews with the members of what's thought to be the first, Baksei Chan Krung.

"I'm really happy with that because people who know Cambodian music will have heard a lot about Sinn Sisamouth and Ros Sereysothea and all the rest of them, but they don't know this part of the story and I always knew there [was a missing link]," he said.

"Like, how did they begin to play rock 'n' roll? Where did it come from? Before the rock 'n' roll, in the '50s there were crooners influenced by Frank Sinatra and Pat Boone and all that stuff but where was the rock connection?

"That band is Baksei Cham Krung."

Pirozzi said one of the biggest difficulties making the film was finding footage; little was archived in the first place and the Khmer Rouge did their best to destroy the rest when they took over in 1975. Much of the film that was safely archived was not very useful, he said.

"A lot of the time with archival material it's around an event – the opening of a hospital, a dignitary arriving – so it doesn't give you a sense of the real gist of what life was like," he said.

However, Pirozzi was lucky enough to get access to Sihanouk's personal film collection and some outtakes from footage taken in the 1970s that he found in the US NBC television network's archives in New York.

He said some of the best footage came from "some guy" who found it in a box at his aunt's house in the US mid-west.

"All this footage was shot in the '50s in Phnom Penh and it's great," he said. "You can really see what it was like here and it was shot really well.

"It's really exciting to bring that out because I think a lot of Cambodians haven't seen anything like that unless they were here then."

DC-Cam executive director Youk Chhang, who was an executive producer on the film, said one of the most interesting discoveries they made was that the famous singer Ros Sereysothea was briefly married to Cham Muslim singer Sos Math.

"I always think to myself, what if she hadn't been divorced? Perhaps if they stayed together and had children and been able to protect each other perhaps she would still be alive today to sing beautiful songs for us," Chhang said.

Pirozzi said it was hard to know what happened to many of the artists and entertainers who died during the Khmer Rouge era.

"Someone in the film says it wasn't like if we even know whether there were orders from above to kill all these singers, but it was more like there was this hatred that had built up against the city people and the singers represented that. So who knows?" he said.

"Sinn Sisamouth's son has a great line in the film. He says: '30 different people have told me they were with my father when he was killed in 30 different places. How can someone die 30 times?'

"That really kind of sums it up."

However, Pirozzi was hopeful that Don't Think I've Forgotten could stir up new information that would fill in more of the gaps about what we know about the time.

"I'm sure there are some older Khmer people who were involved in [the scene] and no one's bothered to ask [them about it] and they have all this great information and they don't even realise anyone would be interested," he said.

Pirozzi said he hoped Don't Think I've Forgotten would receive a general release once a distributor was found.

BIOPIC SET TO TELL SINGER'S SAD TALE
One of the greatest singers of Cambodia's pre-Khmer Rouge music scene, Ros Sereysothea, is the subject of another film in the works.

Sereysothea's story is particularly tragic. A young girl from Battambang with incredible talent – she was dubbed "The Golden Voice" – but terrible taste in men, after moving to Phnom Penh she was involved in a series of abusive relationships.

Her ultimate fate remains a mystery with some saying she was executed in 1975 immediately after the Khmer Rouge arrived in Phnom Penh. Others believe she survived a couple of years longer and was ordered to marry a Khmer Rouge general before being killed while a third theory holds that she lived until the Vietnamese liberation.

[img]

The biopic's producer Greg Cahill – who wrote and directed a short film called The Golden Voice which depicted Sereysothea's final days – said he had finished the script for the feature-length version of the film and was in the process of securing funding and putting together a casting wish list.

"Ros Sereysothea was a very special figure in the history of Asian pop music, and she deserves international recognition," Cahill said.

"It's not the typical story of the pop star who rises to fame and goes crazy with drugs and antics. Too many stories of the musician are about self destruction. This is a refreshing and unique story with an inspirational character. Ultimately it is tragic, but not in the same way as a Jim Morrison or Kurt Cobain."

A former government minister and adviser to Thailand's ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra, Jakrapob Penkair was one of the founders of the country's "Red Shirt" movement. The mass movement, which is particularly popular in the rural north, intends to ensure the government led by Thaksin's sister, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, wins a sixth successive election on February 2. Supporters stand in opposition to Bangkok-based anti-government protesters, a coalition of upper and middle class royalists, who call for the government to be replaced with an unelected "people's council". They have held huge demonstrations in the Thai capital in recent weeks.

Jakrapob moved to Cambodia after being threatened with the country's notorious lese majeste laws, which have been used to stifle any discussion of the royal family's role in politics. He is still wanted on politically-motivated charges, after having the cases of lese majeste against him dropped. Daniel Quinlan spoke with him in Phnom Penh about the current crisis across the border.

Do you view the coming days and weeks in Thailand with trepidation?
It's a worrisome situation but it's also an awakening. I don't believe we can transform Thailand so comprehensively if we don't go through this. I welcome it. I don't want my country to be in trouble but if trouble means that you would learn and go on as a better person then so be it. The so-called shutdown of Bangkok is [due to] arrogance of the "well to do people" saying "we call the shots".

[img]

Can you explain the tension that exists between traditional elites and those from the countryside?
Let me tell you what is similar between Thailand and the rest of the world and what I think is a little unique or different. The similarities are that people who perceive themselves as "well-to-do" do not want change and would protect the status quo. People who have no future or a bleak future will risk change and whatever that will bring. Maybe more disaster, but it's better than that I see today.

These two groups of people clash – that's just the reality anywhere in the world. The difference in Thailand came in an image of political application. In other words, we didn't start from ideological differences. Wooing the have-nots to come together and battle the upper classes, there was no such thing in Thailand.

You were one of the founders of the Red Shirts. How did the movement begin?
The Red Shirts had started as a satellite TV station called PTV, or People's TV, and we weren't allowed to go on air, so we transformed ourselves into a political group and organised rallies and the name was changed until it became UDD [The United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship] which is the official name of today's Red Shirt movement.

Do you view the current crisis as stemming from the 2006 military coup that ousted Thaksin, who was perceived as being disloyal to the monarchy?
I view at as the same story, single coherent story of the royal secession. This king, King Rama IX, has been so successful in making himself the very symbol of Thailand. In other words, there are no other competing symbols available so it leads to natural anxieties and fear. If the reign has to stop because of the natural reasons, it's like a doomsday.

The controversial amnesty bill proposed in November last year could have led to Thaksin's return, as corruption charges would have been forgiven. It has been rejected by the Senate, but has the bill affected the way people, even among Red Shirts view him?
Thaksin admits that it's not a very good move that we made in terms of the amnesty bill and constitutional amendments [and] the way it was done, but he and we altogether will not accept that the initiative was ill-intentioned. Yes, it has caused a lot of weariness among the supporters of the Red Shirts: not of the manner in which it was done but the fact that it seems like we have no coherent strategy of how to go ahead with this. In other words they want us to regroup, they want us to give them the big picture instead of giving them little jigsaw pieces that do not combine into anything so clear to them.

During his time as prime minister, Thaksin was accused of acting like a "demigod" and leading an unsuccessful "war" on drugs. Do you consider him above criticism?
He's not, but at the outset Thaksin is a conservative who runs a liberal government so there is bound to be some conflict in that. I know him, I've been close to him and I know that he is a conservative at heart. Actually he wants a better Thailand, but in that process he changes Thailand more then he intended or would have imaged when he first started. He didn't like it much, but I once called him a "sleepwalker in history".

Veng Sreng Boulevard, in the capital's Por Sen Chey district, is home to garment workers who sew for brands like Gap and H&M in the 61 factories within the Canadia Industrial Park complex. Late last week, strikes by employees asking for a minimum wage of $160 per month erupted in violence. At least four protesters were killed and many more injured as security forces fired live rounds into the crowd. Others were arrested – 23 remain in prison but have not been charged. Dozens of businesses were damaged in the chaotic aftermath. Nearby, hospitals were crowded with the injured and their families. Here, seven individuals caught up in the events tell their stories of the violence, the repercussions and the fear-filled days that followed. Poppy McPherson and Will Jackson report.

[img]

It had been an unremarkable Friday and Dr Oung Makara was eating pork and rice for lunch at the Preah Kossamak Hospital's cafeteria when he was paged to treat a gunshot victim from the garment factory clashes.

The 26-year-old male patient was conscious but bleeding profusely. A single bullet had entered his stomach, and exited his lower back leaving two finger sized holes. Inside, his intestines had been pierced or severed at four different points.

Three others injured were also brought to the hospital, but none required surgery.

A softly-spoken but veteran doctor with 15 years experience specialising in stomach surgery, Dr Makara was familiar with ballistic trauma injuries. He had trained at a hospital in Battambang that regularly dealt with gunshot wounds – especially in the final years of the civil war – as well as horrific trauma from unexploded ordnance.

"I operated on many gunshot wounds before in Battambang," he said. "However, only a few since I arrived in Phnom Penh."

In the operating theatre, the two anesthetists put the patient under before Dr Makara and two fellow surgeons, assisted by three nurses, went to work.

They cut a 25 centimetre vertical incision in the man's stomach to give them access, cleaned the cavity of blood and then stitched up the intestines.

"The whole operation took almost three hours," Dr Makara said.

Dr Makara said after visiting the patient he seemed to be on the mend.

The intestines would heal within a couple of weeks and the stitches dissolve after about two months. The exterior wounds were more serious, however, and would need close attention for the next month. Dr Makara said it was impossible to compare Cambodian hospitals to those in Western countries however the surgeons at Kossamak had the basic tools they needed.

"Sometimes we have to improvise but we make do," he said. "If the hospital had more and better instruments I think we could treat more people." WJ

[img]

Little more than a boy, 21-year-old Mao Sokourm looked thin and gaunt on Friday afternoon. He lay in a foetal position on a hospital bed in the emergency department of the Khmer-Soviet Friendship hospital. The bullet was still inside.

He has worked for more than a year at Sunway Zoo, one of the many factories inside Canadia complex, making shoes.

"I feel very hurt with the government and authorities that gave a bad reaction," he said, as friends held up an x-ray which showed the bullet, wedged in the bone of his upper thigh.

He doesn't know if he will be able to return to work. "I have no other skills for another job. I have to wait and see whether I can ever go back to work." PM

[img]

Lay Kimleng owns a small snack shop on Veng Sreng Boulevard. She, her husband and four-year-old daughter have lived on the street for three years without trouble. But on Friday, an angry crowd attacked them in their own home, mistakenly believing them to have sheltered a police sniper. Rioters pelted rocks, stole money and burned a tuk-tuk that was used to transport goods.

After the crowd had dispersed, the storefront metal grate was pulled down, and had a rip in the middle. Speaking through the crack, Kimleng sobbed and said she was too sad and scared to come out. "I did nothing wrong," she said.

On Monday morning, three days after the attack, the shopfront was open. Shelves had been ransacked and debris lay on the ground. A handful of people helped Kimleng carry out repairs.

"They destroyed everything," Kimleng said.

There was a bright red mark on her chin, where she had been hit by a rock, and bruising still visible on her neck. She estimates the total damage to the shop will cost her $12,000.

"I can't imagine what a loss this will be," she said.

The trouble started early on Friday morning. Shortly after workers heard the sound of gunshots – police using live rounds on protesters – they spotted someone on the roof of Kimleng's house.

A rumour spread that there was a police sniper inside, and someone posted pictures of the house on Facebook, adding that there were security forces inside. Photos from the scene appear to show police holding rifles on top of some of the houses.

Kimleng said the only person on her roof was a young boy who works in the store.

"They thought he was a spy, so they broke inside," she said

The violence escalated after word got out that the owners were Vietnamese. Kimleng said she was ethnic Khmer, from Kampong Cham.

"We are Khmer, but the workers said we were Vietnamese because they saw the Metfone sign outside the shop," she said.

The mobile network firm is owned by Viettel, a subsidiary of the Vietnamese military

"I am still afraid, and in the future, I don't want to see a day like this again. If the workers want to strike again, they should do it peacefully. The authorities should not use violence. The government should give us compensation." PM

[img]

In her two by four metre shared room, Cheam Sokorng sat with her knees close to her chest. She wore patterned leggings and blue and pink nail polish. Her long straight hair was dyed reddish at the ends. She looked at the ground as she spoke.

"Everybody left January 3," she said.

On Monday, Sokorng and her sister were two of the few garment workers who decided to stay behind after last week's violence. While she was desperate to escape to her family home in Kampong Thom province, the $15 cost was too much for someone who makes $85 per month.

Behind her, the walls were plastered with the smiling faces of celebrity Cambodian couples. "My baby" was inked, in English, on one of the walls. Sokorng is divorced, with one young son she rarely sees. A snapshot of the two of them walking on a sunny day was glued to the wall.

She spoke to her family on Thursday night, when the trouble started. When they asked why she didn't come back, she reassured them, saying it would all be OK soon. But she fled her home around midnight, and slept at a friend's house in Toul Tompong.

"I felt very scared, and heard rumours that the authorities were trying to arrest people in their houses, so I had to move," she said.

On Friday morning, she returned to find most of her friends gone. On her way to the market in the morning, she heard the sound of gunfire and hurried back inside. She locked the door and hid with her sister in their room for the entirety of the next day.

While she believes in the $160 per month payrise, the outcome of the strike has left her without much hope.

"I already know the answer, it would take a long time to get that money, and the government won't offer it anyway," she said. PM

[img]

Mother-of-one Sok Sreymom lives with two other couples in one of the identical one-room houses off Veng Sreng Boulevard. Yellow with blue roofs, they look like toy versions of the factories in Canadia Industrial Park, where Sreymom works.

Her rented room, already home to seven, was a refuge for protesters fleeing arrest over the weekend, according to Phorn Sokna, 39, who also lives there with her husband, who works as a motodop, and two children. "Some people who don't rent here, we allowed them to go inside," she said on Monday.

The two women hid from the shooting outside, while their husbands took part in the protest.

"I heard violence happening and came back to the room but my husband went quickly over there when he heard the sound of fighting," said Sreymom.

The authorities chased after workers, right to the edge of the complex where they live, she added.

She thinks many of her friends will not return, "because they're scared of the acts of the authorities who shoot the workers".

She knows some of the men who were arrested, including one of the union leaders.

On Monday, his wife still didn't know where he was. "She thinks he is probably being taken to be killed," said Sreymom.

"They just told her that they have taken him to prison and she isn't allowed to see him or talk to him," she added.

Rumours flew throughout the days that followed.

"I heard that on Saturday night the police would come to arrest each man from his room but they did not come," said Sreymom, adding that other places weren't so lucky.

She pointed in the direction of another accommodation block down the road, which is now empty. At the entrance, a woman who was hanging out her washing said all the men who rented the rooms were gone. She was too frightened to say anything more. PM

On Friday, Noun Somneang threw herself into the thick of the clashes. She dragged wounded acquaintances into tuk-tuks and ferried them to hospital. But on Monday, the 30-year-old, a garment worker, was terrified. She hadn't left her accommodation in days.

"I was the one who was braver and standing up more than the others and now I'm the one who fears more than the others," she said.

On Friday morning, the mother-of-one scooped up 12 wounded protesters, put them in tuk-tuks and took them to the local hospitals. "I felt awful when I went to the hospital, with my shirt full of blood," she said. "We had to take them very quickly because we were afraid if they fell down on the road the police would take them," she said.

First, they tried to take the injured to a local pharmacy, she said. The clinic was later wrecked by protesters who looted the building after it was alleged that the staff refused to treat the injured.

"I don't know why the clinic did that to the workers," she said. "If someone was seriously injured and they didn't have the skills [to treat them], that would be fine, but some were hurt just a little bit."

Around 7pm or 8pm, she returned home, and grew increasingly afraid as rumours spread around the living quarters. "I just stayed home, cooked food, didn't go out. We had had that experience, so we didn't walk out the same as before," she said.

On Monday, she wouldn't speak to any reporter who didn't have an English-language business card, for fear of arrest. "I don't trust Khmer publications," she said, adding that some of the journalists "pretend to be reporters but they are spies".

From Svay Rieng, Somneang said she had wanted to return to be with her four-year-old daughter but couldn't afford to spend the 15,000 riel the journey would cost.

Besides, she said, she wanted to stay to "get an answer from the authorities why they did this." She had worked at a factory within the complex, International Fashion Loyal, for 12 years.

She said she had heard rumours that further protests were banned, but said she wanted to continue the fight.

"We will do it again in the future, but we have to wait for the CNRP leaders and the union, and wait a while, but we will do it again in the future." PM

The New Year is a time for self-improvement. But forget fad diets and gym memberships – what about spending on something that makes it nicer to spend time at home? Cecelia Marshall hunted down some eye-catching soft furnishings from the city's interior design shops.

Iron Magazine rack, $33.80

A great place to keep your copies of the Phnom Penh Post. The rust-colored magazine stand is made from iron, has a scooping trough-like basin that curves up and is embellished with interlocking swirls. A touch of romanticism for the home.
Decosy, #219 Street 19.

[img]

Hand-woven ikat dyed throws, $25

Hand-made in the Takeo province by Cambodian artisans, the distinct ikat design takes months to complete. Each thread is dyed at a distinct point and then woven together to create the geometric shapes. The cotton is soft but durable and the throws come in china blue, mustard, green and rusty strawberry.
Artisan Designers (A.N.D), #45 Street 240.

[img]

Square Large Papier Mache Mirror, $69

Papier mache is often thought of as a craft project from elementary school. But Mekong Creations uses it for a number of its more popular items. The sapphire mirror incorporates hints of gold for elegance and maturity. The glass itself is bordered with textured dots and the elongated vein surface that stems from the border give an electrical vibe.
Mekong Creations, #45 Street 240.

[img]

Up-cycled rice-sack bunting, $7 for five metres

From cottons, vintage fabrics, old magazines, and soda can tops, A.N.D. is focused on reincorporating materials. These strung geometric shapes are made from brightly colored food bags taken from around Southeast Asia that once carried rice, fish food, coffee beans and more.
A.N.D, #45 Street 240.

[img]

Colourful Floor pillows, $68

These soft stuffed cotton pillows are sizable enough to serve as additional floor seating. Stack them on top of one another to get a place to really lounge around. Match the colourful and somewhat zany patterns with plain wooden furniture – or even with the stores' multiple other patterned pillows – for a more eclectic feel.
Bliss spa, #29 Street 240.

[img]

Bean bag from hasbean, $60

Sick of hard wood? Finding rattan too bland? Bean bags are a great solution. Hand-made from durable fabric, the bags are lightweight, stuffed with polysterene balls. The well-named hasbean company provides an extensive catalog of color choices and styles but also takes requests for different fabric designs. Each bean bag comes with a matching
drawstring bag that can be used when travelling, or as storage for clothing. If you want a larger size bag– better for adults – the sack costs $29.99 and requires two bags of beans to fill ($9.99 each). If you buy the recommended bean bag liner ($9.99) the total cost comes to around $60. They're not cheap, but they are, however, exceedingly comfortable.
Order bean bags at hasbean.kh.com, admin@partnershipcambodia.org or 077 605 861 or 077 605 961