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Cambodian deminers train, awaiting Sudan's dry season

RCAF Company 405 soldiers receive training in Sudan at the beginning of their mission. Photo Supplied

Tuesday, 01 September 2009
Sam Rith
The Phnom Penh Post

Life is good for Returned deminers
As the soldiers of Company 405 were packing their bags for Sudan, troops from RCAF Company 315 were preparing to come home after serving as UN deminers in Sudan for one year. Mey Sophea, the commander of Company 315, said that thanks to their generous pay, most of the men in his company came home to better lives than they had before they left. After enjoying a month of vacation time following their return, the soldiers returned to their military duties in Cambodia in mid-July. Khun Sophal, one of 139 members of Company 315, said that going to Sudan had made a significant difference in his life at home.“I used the money I earned during my mission to Sudan to repair my house and buy a new motorbike,” he said. “My family has been living much better since I returned.”

For the past three years, Cambodian soldiers have worked as deminers on the UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan. Sam Rith looks at one company of deminers three months into their tour of duty.

It has been almost three months since the troops of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) company 405 left for a one-year United Nations peacekeeping mission in Sudan, but company members say that homesickness and rough conditions are not enough to deter them from their humanitarian effort.

Speaking by phone from southern Sudan, near the Nile River, Company 405 Commander Taing Bunkry told the Post last week that his troops were doing well and had been making progress on their mission.

"We are all safe and healthy here, and have succeeded in some of our work," he said.

Since 2006, the Kingdom has sent 468 peacekeepers to Sudan. With so many unexploded mines still lurking in Cambodia, RCAF troops have over the years developed internationally sought-after demining expertise.

After arriving in Sudan, the troops received six weeks of demining training from the UN before taking an exam to secure their demining licences. So far, Taing Bunkry said, the company has focused on unexploded ordnance, clearing about 10 to date, as well as on educating the local population about the demining process. They will begin demining in earnest in October, after the east African rainy season ends.

The main area that the deminers will focus on during the dry season lies about 200 kilometres from their barracks, so they have yet to visit it.
"We have been studying the mined area only by flying over it in helicopters - we can't travel there by land because there are no roads and the area is covered in foliage during the rainy season," Taing Bunkry said.

During the rainy season, evening temperatures in Sudan average around 18 degrees centigrade, with daytime temperatures between 42 and 45 degrees; during the dry season, midday temperatures can hit 50 degrees.

Despite the inhospitable climate, the RCAF soldiers say they are happy to fulfill their mission.

"When I first came, I got a cold due to the weather, but now I'm fine," said 28-year-old Im Srim, a member of the 52-soldier contingent. "I'm very proud because [we] are representing the whole Cambodian nation as we fulfill our peacekeeping mission."

Although conditions were challenging at first, Im Srim said, he was thrilled to have the opportunity to work in Sudan.

"I really value my work, and this is the first time I've ever participated in an overseas mission," he said, adding that he was very pleased with his monthly salary of US$1,020.

Seang Kunthea, 31, another deminer from company 405, said that when he first arrived in Sudan, he and his fellow soldiers felt homesick for Cambodia, but that they now feel more comfortable because they have been contacting their families frequently by phone.

"We've gotten used to being far away from our families, and we will see them again when we complete our work," he said, adding that he has a wife and a 5-year-old son at home in Cambodia.

Seang Kunthea's wife, 26-year-old San Socheata of Phnom Penh, said that she and her son were patiently awaiting her husband's return.

"I wish my husband was at home, but it is his obligation to support the family and serve his country," she said.

US House to discuss rights in Cambodia

tuation grim at Tuol Sambo [-Where's Bun Rany's Red Cross in this time of need?]

HIV patient Touch Sokhak, 45, speaks to reporters about the inadequate facilities of his families home at the Tuol Sambo relocation site on Friday. (Photo by: Rick Valenzuela)

A man sleeps as his son plays within their home at the Tuol Sambo relocation site on Friday. (Photo by: Sovan Philong)

Monday, 31 August 2009
Chhay Channyda and Robbie Corey-Boulet
The Phnom Penh Post

"These families [at tuol sambo] are in dire need of basic assistance."

THE lack of food at a controversial resettlement site that is home to more than 60 HIV-positive individuals is "potentially life-threatening", a new report has warned.

The joint field report from four HIV/AIDS NGOs was released Friday, the same day that the heads of the National Aids Authority (NAA) and UNAIDS Cambodia visited Dangkor district's Tuol Sambo village for the first time.

City Hall forcibly relocated 20 HIV-affected families to Tuol Sambo following their June eviction from the Borei Keila community in central Phnom Penh. About 20 more Borei Keila families were sent there in July.

Residents at Tuol Sambo have complained that their 3.5-metre-by-4.5-metre green metal sheds - which are smaller than those required for emergency refugee camps - become oppressively hot during the day. On Friday, a broken water pump had rendered a local well unusable, meaning that residents looking for drinking water needed to buy water jugs at 1,200 riels (US$0.29) each.

The lack of resources described in the joint field report was borne out by interviews. Touch Sokhak, 45, who is HIV-positive, said his family did not have enough food or drinking water, adding that the heat made it difficult to store his medicine.

"We face a lot of difficulties living here, but the main problem is that it is too hot," he said. "It makes my health get worse because I do not sleep enough."

Tak Dina, 30, described the discrimination she faced at the site, another concern raised in the report.

The former restaurant worker said her efforts to sell cold drinks in the village had been unsuccessful because no one would buy from her.

"Here we cannot sell," she said. "If I sell drinks, no one will come to buy because they are disgusted with HIV-positive people. Other villagers have an easy time recognising us because we are different from them, and because we live in these green houses."

Jason Barber, a monitoring consultant for the rights group Licadho, said conditions at the site had become "grimmer and grimmer" in recent weeks.

"I think the people are expecting to see some results from this visit, and I think they will judge the government and UN agencies on their actions rather than their words here," Barber said. "It's one thing to express concern. It's another thing to meaningfully provide some assistance."

Coordinating aid

Residents and NGO workers described a diffuse humanitarian assistance effort.

There are currently at least 11 NGOs providing various forms of assistance, from food to medical treatment to education, said Oum Vicheth, a home-care officer at the Centre of Hope, which has operated a weekly mobile clinic at the site.

UNAIDS Country Director Tony Lisle said Sunday that the purpose of the visit was "to get an immediate overview of the current situation in respect of the community's needs", adding that he would meet this week with stakeholders and the NAA to discuss ways "to better coordinate the response".

While Lisle said the aid effort had been "reasonably well-coordinated" and that NGOs had been "exceptionally flexible", he noted that there was room for improvement.

"I think, again, we need to emphasise national leadership," Lisle said. "The NAA will lead on coordination."

NAA Secretary-General Teng Kunthy said Friday that his organisation had devised a plan to improve conditions at the site, though the specific efforts he mentioned hinged on NGOs.

"We have acknowledged that the shelters are hot and narrow, but Caritas will help improve their living," he said, referring to the Catholic charity Caritas Cambodia.

He also said Caritas would construct a pipe system that would bring water to the individual dwellings. Kim Rattana, executive director of Caritas, said the pipe system would be completed in mid-September.

Both Lisle and Christophe Peschoux, the Cambodia representative of the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed concern that NGOs were being forced to pick up the pieces of a poorly executed eviction, arguing that the municipality had not taken steps to properly set up the site before moving families there. City Hall could not be reached for comment over the weekend.

Peschoux said he believed NGOs risked inadvertently condoning future evictions by providing humanitarian assistance, though he said they did not have the luxury of retreating "behind nice principles" and refusing to help the evictees.

"In this case, humanitarian agencies are facing a dilemma," he said. "We are opposed to forced evictions by principle because they are inhumane and increase poverty and social distress.... At the same time, the eviction has taken place and these families are in dire need of basic assistance."

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JAMES O'TOOLE

Hill Tribes Fear Loss of Their Forests

By Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
01 September 2009

The beauty of the northeastern forests is apparent along the road through the province of Stung Treng all the way to Ratanakkiri. But the beauty only lasts in a 2-kilometer corridor along the road. Deeper than that, and the tall trees disappear.

“This is the abandoned economic land concession,” Keo Mib, a 39-year-old Phnong hill tribesman said on a recent afternoon in Stung Treng’s Sesan district, pointing to a swath of cleared forest. “The company just left the land after they cleared the forest and took the valuable trees.”

Villagers in these northeastern provinces say they are losing their livelihoods and sacred forests, as more and more private enterprises take their forests.

“We depend on forest products for our living, but now there are almost no forests,” said Keo Mib, who has four children. “When we leave the village, there is only forest [concession] or economic land concessions.”

To many people living here, the forests are imbued with sacred rites and religious significance.

“When our religious forests are disturbed, our ancestors will get angry and thus cause trouble for villagers,” said Chheoung Kea, the chief of nearby Pluk village, which he said has seen 20 consecutive stillbirths after a company cleared a sacred forest.

Most people living along the Sesan and Srepok rivers in Stung Treng and Ratanakkiri come from the minority hill tribes: Phnong, Jarai, Kachork, Brao, Tavet, Krung, Lorn and Tompun. Their lives revolve around nature, including the rivers, fields and, especially, the forest.

"Forests are our lives,” said Romeam Ten, a representative from Tronong community in Rattanakiri province, during a meeting of indigenous leaders in Ratanakkiri’s Banlung town last week. “How can we survive if there are no more forests?”

Ratanakkiri alone has more than 10,000 square kilometers of forest, between 70 percent and 80 percent of the province. But so far, at least 30,000 hectares of forest have been lost to illegal logging, according to Pen Bunnar, a former Ratanakkiri investigator for Adhoc who was recently removed from the province under a deal with the provincial court to avoid charges of inciting villagers.

Since 2004, there have been at least 15,000 chainsaws used in Ratanakkiri to illegally cut trees,” he said.

The province currently has seven economic land concession holders, he said, but most of them do not comply with concession agreements. Such concessions should not be granted in areas where they threaten important forests.

However, the province’s deputy governor, Mom Sareoun, said concession holders replace the trees they cut down with rubber plantations, “so the environment won’t be affected much.”

The villagers themselves are the threat to forests, he said during last week’s Ratanakkiri forest.

“You see dollars and then you cut down the trees for sales,” he told the group of 200 representatives there. “If you don’t cut down the trees, there will be no buyers.”

Group Monitors More Than Just Elections

By Pin Sisovann, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
01 September 2009

With voter turnout falling from 85 percent in 1993 to 60 percent in general elections last year, the Committee for Free and Fair Elections has expanded its scope, moving beyond elections and choosing to monitor promises made by politicians in campaigns.

Koul Panha, executive director of Comfrel, recently expressed his worries that politicians have been breaking their promises, such as gender equity, attacking drug abuse, deforestation, land grabbing and theft, or improving fisheries rights, good governance, education, development or poverty reduction.

To ensure voters feel their ballots have value, Comfrel has been organizing public forums, including discussions and question and answer sessions among citizens and council members for communes, districts and cities or provinces.

Previous forums with lawmakers, he said, have unfortunately seen low attendance by lawmakers from the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, so the group changed to council members, even though they are not directly elected by voters.

“We reduced it, and changed to seminars to get lawmakers to participate,” he said in a recent interview.

Hun Neng, CPP governor of Kompong Cham province and brother of Prime Minister Hun Sen, said lawmakers were too busy working on their promises to take part in Comfrel forums.

“CPP officials are doers,” he said. “They don’t just pay lip service. We make canals, build pagodas and schools, dig clean water wells, and so on.”

He acknowledged that forums between the public and officials were important, but he said council members were doing a good job of listening to voter requests and discussing with them development plans.

“NGOs have asked permission for public forums between voters and lawmakers,” he said. “Well, they are very important. Many forums have been organized now and then.”

Penn Saroeun, a coordinator for public forums in Pursat province, said voters enjoyed the meetings.

“I organize them and people join them like a landslide,” he said. “They support the program. They are very happy with it. In forums, voters ask councilors what they have promised. What have they done? What failed, and why?”

Generally, he said, lawmakers fail to meet their promises because they work more for their own party than their constituents. However, he said, the CPP has done a better job on its promises.

“The ruling party has power all over the province,” he said. “They can do what they wish. The opposition can only help, for example in land grabs, help people file complaints. They try to help and do their best.”

Por Ham, a council member for Bat Kandoul commune, Krakor district, Pursat, said the public forums were crucial for transparency and good governance.

“People saw destruction which was cracked down but the offenders were not arrested and convicted. Seeing not law enforcement, they raised the issues at the forums, reporting someone did such and such.”

Comfrel lets voters decide the topics of the forums for issues in the communities, though it does at times set the agenda for women’s issues.

“We’ve seen that women’s issues are critical and take place in every community, particularly domestic violence, sexual abuse and women’s participation in health and education,” Koul Panha said. “We encourage discussion on women’s issues in particular.”

Lon Sithann, a coordinator for public forums in Preah Vihear province, said the forums she organizes focus on such issues, including gender inequality.

“We want more women candidates, up to 30 percent, to encourage them,” she said. “Political parties list women candidates lower on the list. Boys go to school more than girls, so far. Girls quit school at grade seven or eight at most. Parents want them to do house work.”

Public forums help women understand their rights better and help them report violence and abuse, she said.

The forums also help people understand land title laws and instruct them on how to solve land disputes through mediation at the local official level, rather than taking them to the courts, which are perceived as corrupt and unfair, Koul Panha said.

So far, they’ve prepared 300 forums.

“The core mission remains a free and fair election, but we expanded our operation to have election results that are meaningful to voters,” Koul Panha said. “We believe and hope people will continue to go to polling stations, seeing that their participation in elections is meaningful.”

Accused Pedophiles Transferred to US

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
01 September 2009

Three Americans arrested for pedophilia in Cambodia in 2008 were taken into US custody Monday, arriving in Los Angeles after being held in Phnom Penh, the US Embassy said Tuesday.

All three were arrested by national police in February, having allegedly traveled to Cambodia to procure sex from underage boys and girls, the embassy said.

Ronald Gerard Boyajian, 49, reportedly traveled to Cambodian in September 2008 and allegedly engaged in sexual activity with a 10-year-old girl from Vietnam, at Kilometer 11, an area on the outskirts of the capital frequented by child sex tourists.

Erik Leonardus Peeters, 41, was accused of sexual acts with three underage Cambodian boys.

Jack Louis Sporich, 75, is accused of abusing one underage boy, and, according to affidavits against him, would ride through the streets of Siem Reap on a motorcycle, throwing money to attract children.

The charges against them “clearly demonstrate to the Cambodian people that the United States will not tolerate this type of abuse,” US Ambassador Carol Rodley said.

The cases sent a signal to the victims that the US is committed to justice, and would “act as a powerful deterrent” for would-be pedophiles traveling to Cambodia, she said.

The arrests came from cooperation between the Cambodian government, local organizations and US authorities, in an ongoing operation called Twisted Traveler, the embassy said.

Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, told VOA Khmer the arrests were a “positive sign” for the reduction of sexual exploitation of children.

“I understand that this is to strengthen the law and is the result of cooperation between the concerned authorities to eliminate this problem,” he said.

Seila Samneang, the country director of Action Pour Les Enfants told VOA Khmer the group was happy “three bad men” had left Cambodia “to face strong condemnation in the United States.”

“We hope these three dangerous men will be strongly controlled in the United States, and we hope they will not have any opportunity to make relations with children abroad,” she said.

Twelve offenders in 30 reported cases of sexual exploitation of children were arrested in 2008, she said, while 40 child victims from ages 8 to 16 had been rescued. This year, 24 offenders have so far been arrested, and some 70 children rescued.

Political comments on the relationships with Japan following the Japanese opposition’s election victory 01 September 2009

01 September 2009
By Leang Delux
Radio France Internationale
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Japan’s opposition party recently won the election with a mandate to lead the country. This change leads to diverging comments from Cambodian politicians, in particular regarding the bilateral relationship between Japan and Cambodia, because Japan is the largest donor country to Cambodia.

Up until now, Japan is the largest donor country to Cambodia. Will the new Japanese government affect the bilateral relationships between Cambodia and Japan or not?

The Cambodian government believes that there will be no effect on the bilateral relationships between the two countries, but for Cambodia’s opposition parties, the new Japanese government will pay closer attention to aids provided to Cambodia.

Khieu Kanharith, government spokesman, indicated that the relationship between Japan and Cambodia is a relationship at a governmental level, i.e. not a relationship at a party level. Khieu Kanharith added that: “Furthermore, PM Hun Xen maintain relationships with all political parties. Therefore, Cambodia hopes that there will be no change in regards to the bilateral relationships, and neither will there be any change in the aids that the Japanese government pledged to Cambodia.”

Koy Kuong, spokesman for the Cambodian ministry of Foreign Affairs, explained that Japan has a history of helping to bring peace in Cambodia since 1993. Also, Japan is an ASEAN partner and it is a close partner of Cambodia as well. Therefore, he believes that the relationships between the two countries will not be reduced. Koy Kuong explained that the political party change in the leading of the country is Japan’s internal issue. “However, the foreign policy of the new government will improve with other countries,” Koy Kuong added.

Cambodia’s opposition party believes that it is the opposite. Yim Sovann, SRP spokesman, commented that he used to meet with MPs of the Democratic Party of Japan (the winner of Japan’s election), and they want to see a more efficient use of Japanese aids, in particular, they want to see Japanese aids benefiting Cambodian people directly and that they do not fall into the hands of corrupt officials. Yim Sovann presumed that, from now on, Japan will pay closer attention to its aids to Cambodia.

Kem Sokha, HRP party president, also made similar comments to Yim Sovann regarding the policy of the Democratic Party of Japan which recently won the election. The DPJ’s goal is to strengthen democracy and the respect of human rights. Regarding diplomatic relations, Kem Sokha did not want to say directly that there could be a reduction of relationship between the new Japanese government and the current ruling party of Cambodia. However, Kem Sokha noted that the DPJ does not maintain close relationships with the CPP, unlike the case of the former ruling Japanese party.

Defamation Case [against Chea Mony] Dropped

Cambodian union leader Chea Mony is detained during a rally in Phnom Penh, May 1, 2006. (AFP file photo)

2009-09-01
Radio Free Asia

But allegations persist of a government role in the 2004 killing of Cambodian labor leader Chea Vichea.

PHNOM PENH—Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered a halt in legal proceedings against Chea Mony, brother of slain union leader Chea Vichea, after Chea Mony blamed the government for his brother's killing.

Chea Vichea, former head of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions, was gunned down in broad daylight at a newsstand here on Jan. 22, 2004. He was an outspoken critic of government corruption and human rights and labor abuses.

Two men, Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun, were convicted of murdering him, but the Supreme Court ordered their release and a retrial in 2008, citing contradictory evidence.

The Appeal Court here said Aug. 17 that a new investigation in the case would go ahead, setting both men free until a verdict is handed down.

Chea Mony said afterward that he remained certain that the government had been involved in his brother's killing, and government spokesman Khieu Kanharith then said Chea Mony would face prosecution for defamation and disinformation.

But Khieu Kanharith said in an interview Aug. 29 that Prime Minister Hun Sen had ordered his government to drop the charges, on grounds that Chea Mony was overwhelmed by grief when he spoke out.

Chea Mony, president of the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC), welcomed the decision.

"Concerning Samdech's [Prime Minister Hun Sen's] order for officials to stop legal action against me, and his request for pursuing Chea Vichea's murderers, the workers, my family, and I are very pleased," he said.

The FTUWKC is one of the country's most active unions, with about 30,000 members. It has said the killing was politically motivated.

Human rights groups have sharply criticized the government's handling of the case, saying Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun were framed. They also point to numerous police and judicial irregularities.

More cases

Sophie Richardson, Washington-based Asia advocacy director for Human Rights Watch, welcomed reports that charges against Chea Mony had been dropped.

"If it is in fact true that Hun Sen has dropped the defamation charges against Chea Mony, that's not a bad thing. But the fact remains that those charges never should have been imposed in the first place," Richardson said.

"And if the prime minister has somehow come to a more enlightened understanding about freedom of expression, there are a host of other defamation cases that should also be dropped, since they are wildly incompatible with both Cambodian and international law," she said.

Original reporting by Sok Serey for RFA's Khmer service. Translated by Uon Chhin. Khmer service director: Sos Kem. Executive producer: Susan Lavery. Additional reporting by Richard Finney. Written in English by Sarah Jackson-Han.

Pedro & Daniel - Sado

Sihanouk’s last wish: Burn to me to ashes [,i.e. incinerate me]

King-Father’s wishes to be incinerated according Buddhist customs

31 August 2009
By Ratana
Khmer Sthabna newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

On 29 August 2009, King-Father said from his Siem Reap palace, during an authorized meeting with Chumteav Bun Rany Hun Sen – PM Hun Sen’s wife and president of the Cambodian Red Cross – that at his death, his funeral should be prepared according to Buddhist rituals which include the incineration of his body.

Ex-King Sihanouk said: “… when I die, Kaun Chao (children and grandchildren) will most likely hold a ceremony for me. I am a Buddhist, I am telling you now that when I die, my body should be cremated, it should not be left like that, unlike those who are Catholic for example. Please incinerate my body, then pick up my ashes and put them in an urn, and this urn must be installed in the stupa at the Preah Keo Morokot temple. However, under the Lon Nol era, there were people who persecuted me, they persecuted my child, they dumped the remains of my dead child and took away the gold urn, they said that gold was valuable. Therefore, when I die, I already have a stupa which is where my child’s remain is, at the Preah Keo Morokot temple … So there’s no problem.”

King-Father added: “My wife told me: ‘When I die, I want my remains to be located near you, husband’. She said: ‘I will not abandon my husband, I will not change husband, yes, we will stay next to each other.’ Therefore, all the problems are resolved, therefore we will have 100% of time to dedicate to the nation and the country, to serve the people forever, just like right now. Three times each week, poor people are invited from here to there to come over…”

During this occasion also, King-Father said that he will travel the People’s Republic of China so that Chinese doctors can check up on his health and prevent the recurrence of his cancer. Each 6 to 7 months, the Chinese doctors asked him to return back for health checkup, [he is undertaking this checkup] so that he can live more than 100-year-old, just as people wish for him to be, and some people even wish that he live up to 300-year-old, while other wish that he lives to be more than 1,000-year-old. But, he said that he could not reach those ages, [in spite of the fact that] when he lives long among his Kaun-Chao, it is very enjoyable. When the ex-king returns back from his health checkup in China, he will pursue his humanitarian gift distribution again along various provinces.

King-Father added that when he will return back from his medical checkup in China, he will return back to live in his small palace in Siem Reap, and he will continue receiving poor people from various provinces.

The ex-monarch accomplished several major crusades for the nation, such as the struggle through diplomatic channel for the independence of Cambodia in 1953, the complaint to The Hague International Court in Holland to demand for the return of the Preah Vihear temple from Thailand, and this demand was successful in 1962. He also led the monarchy to development in all fields and, in particular, he united all the Cambodian people from all political tendencies which culminated in the 23 October 1991 Paris Peace Agreements which were recognized by 18 countries. Next came the democratic election with the participation of all political parties and which was held by UNTAC in 1993

US Congress commission invites Mrs. Mu Sochua and civil society representatives to testify on human rights issues in Cambodia

Kennedy Remembered as Champion for Immigrants

By Taing Sarada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
31 August 2009

In Lowell, Mass., one of the largest enclaves of Cambodians in the US, residents said the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy last week meant the loss of an outstanding American who championed health care and immigration rights.

“This is such a big loss for all Americans,” Kong Sengly, a prominent Cambodian community activist in Lowell, told VOA Khmer last week. “Especially it is a big loss for minorities, as well as Cambodian minorities, and other nationalities.”

Kennedy, a Democratic senator from Massachusetts, died after struggling with brain cancer on Aug. 25, at age 77. He was a powerful politician from a powerful political family and an advocate for American social affairs. He had worked hard on health care and immigration reform and actively urged citizenship or green cards to immigrants.

Kong Sengly called Kennedy a great champion who could make the health care system in Massachusetts broader.

“I think he was the one who created a broad health care system in Massachusetts,” Kong Sengly said. “No matter whether you are poor, rich, employed or jobless, anyone should have a health authorization card.”

Working for nearly half a century, Kennedy left behind a legacy that Americans will not be able to forget. He created more than 2,000 bills, 300 of which were drafted into law.

The Cambodian consul in Lowell, Ou Sovann, said he was sorry for the loss of Kennedy, who had a reputation for protecting immigrants and refugees.

“He was the one who strongly helped and supported our Cambodian people who fled to America during the war,” Ou Sovann said. “He took so much care in preparing settlements for our Cambodian people to live in the new land in Lowell, Mass.”

Kennedy argued that a 1965 bill should replace the immigration act of 1924, which he said favored immigrants from northern and western Europe and Canada. Proponents of the 1965 bill argued that immigration laws should not discriminate against people based on nationality.

Millions of immigrants, including Cambodian, live in the US illegally. Kennedy urged appropriate legal statuses and citizenship for them, so that they could come out of hiding.

Another well-known Cambodian community activist in Lowell, Noun Veasna, said the loss of Kennedy was the loss of an outstanding advocate for immigrants and health care.

Congress could do him proud by finding a way to pass health care rights and reform immigration, he said. “When he was alive, he tried so hard for so many years to make these laws happen.

Duch Mentally Stable Before Revolution: Doctor

Cambodia must wait half a century?

Still waiting for a political change in Cambodia ... because: ex-King Sihanouk said that people wishes him to live more 1,000-year-old, and PM Hun Xen said that he wants to hold onto power until he is at least 90-year-old

31 August 2009
Op-Ed by Sopheak
Originally posted in Khmer at http://sopheak.wordpress.com
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Click here to read the article in Khmer

The Japanese people recently welcome a new prime minister who is issued from the Japanese opposition party which won a landslide election at the beginning of this week. It is a fact that, in Japan, the change of premiership is not a big deal, and for someone to become the prime minister is also not a big deal in Japan. However, what impressed the world was the turning of new chapter in Japan when the opposition party won the election and the premiership position after more than half a century long delay.

Turning back to Cambodia, the situation here is not that much different. In Cambodia, besides the same political party winning the election time after time, the [government] leadership also remains unchanged: always the same man (sic!). Up to now, under four consecutive mandates, the ruling party in Cambodia is still holding its grip on power here. Come to think of it, four mandates is equivalent to a full 20-year of ruling, [and it seems] that this tendency will continue on for several more years to come.

As for the opposition party in Cambodia, questions remain as to whether it has the strength or the ability to replace the current ruling party or not? The path is still very long for Cambodia’s opposition, it could be that it may disappear even before it has the chance to rule (sic!).

This is not normal: it will require another 30 years or 6 legislative mandates to achieve a half-century length! Even though we cannot predict the future, what is foreseeable is that there is no clear sign showing that it would take a shorter period of time for Cambodia’s opposition party to get a grip on power. In fact, in Cambodia, change of leadership or premiership is a strange event (sic!)!

For Cambodia, can we assume that we need to wait for 50 years, or rather that we have to wait, wait, wait, and still waiting?

Note: In Cambodia, one legislative mandate lasts 5 years

"In this day and age, we use the law, if you don’t know, don’t jump!": A tale from the "borderless" kingdoom

01 September 2009
Story by Author Without Border
Cartoons by Cartoonist Without Border (aka Sacrava)
Translation from Khmer by Translator Wihout Border (aka Heng Soy)
Originally posted by The Free Press Magazine Online

Cartoon 1:
Reports about the successful repressions of the opposition and government critics through the judicial system came to be known by the chief of a faraway village.

The village chief, who is not too happy with his constituents who tend to protest against his orders, started to put to work the strategy of legal threatening against the villagers, just like what the country leader is doing. One day, the village chief summoned all the villagers for a meeting.

Cartoon 2:
Village Chief (vCPP): Sanh, you must stop talking about the tree logging I am conducting in the forest north of the village from now on, otherwise, I will sue you for defamation… Don’t you know that in this day and age, we use the law? If you don’t know, don’t jump!

Sanh: Yes, older brother village chief, I do not dare talk about it. My wife and kids will not have anything to eat if I am jailed.

Cartoon 3:
vCPP: Good that you understand like this. Sao! It’s the same for you also. If you dare talk to anybody about me raping Ah Phes’ wife last year again, I will sue you and send you to jail for violating the rights of a private individual. Don’t you know that in this day and age, we use the law? If you don’t know, don’t jump!

Cartoon 4:
Sao: Yes, older brother village chief, I do not dare talk about it anymore. If I am jailed, it would be very miserable.

Cartoon 5:
vCPP: Sok! You shouldn’t allow Sam to raise another political party’s sign in front of your house. If you don’t listen to me, and you allow him to raise the sign again, I will sue you and send you to jail for abetting party traitors. Don’t you know that in this day and age, we use the law? If you don’t know, don’t jump!

Sok: Yes, older brother village chief, I will tell him to take down the sign right away. Why would I want to go to jail?

Cartoon 6:
vCPP: Soy, it is the same for you also. If you dare investigate the 5-hectare of community land that I sold last dry season, and if you dare write this story for news publication, I will sue you and send you to jail for disinformation. Just look at Ta Hang Chakra and you will know! He was sent to jail for one year and he must pay 9 million riels in fine also. Don’t you know that in this day and age, we use the law? If you don’t know, don’t jump!

Cartoon 7:
Soy: Yes, I will quit being a reporter from now on so that you don’t have to jot down the lawsuit.

Cartoon 8:
The village chief looks very pleased, he couldn’t stop smiling when he saw that all the villagers fear him and his power.

vCPP: This is what I call people who learn without wasting the rice they eat!

Cartoon 9:
Suddenly, Say, who was setting down to sit, inadvertently let out a loud farting noise. All the villagers could not hold and burst out in laughter: Ha! Ha! Ha!

Cartoon 10:
The village chief became very angry and he shouted: “Say, how dare you fart during a meeting? I will sue you and send you to jail for looking down on the meeting and for polluting the environment. Don’t you know that in this day and age, we use the law? If you don’t know, don’t jump!

Cartoon 11:
Say became all pale because she fears the village chief’s lawsuit power. But the villagers continue to laugh even louder because they couldn’t believe that the village chief would issue an order to end farting and he also could sue and send someone to jail just for that.

Carton 12:
The village chief’s face turns all red.

vCPP: How do you dare laugh and mock me? I will sue you all for looking down on a public figure. Don’t you know that in this day and age, we use the law? If you don’t know, don’t jump! I will call the cops to come arrest you and send you to jail so the mosquitoes can bite you one whole night long, then you’ll see how it is!

Cartoon 13:
Just then, a group of cops and a judge arrived at the scene.

Cops: There’s no need to call us! We are already here to arrest you, the village chief

Cartoon 14:
Villagers: Sathuk! Sathuk! (Pray Buddha!) In this day and age, we use the law. If you don’t know, don’t jump!

Judge: The laws that you used, they were all taken by Pol Pot to his grave since long ago!

Pro-CPP Deum Ampil and Kampuchea Thmei publish fairy tale news reports?

Garment workers say media were wrong about protest

Monday, 31 August 2009
Mom Kunthear
The Phnom Penh Post

Spokesman calls Deum Ampil and Kampuchea Thmey reports a 'trick' to undermine the unity and message of factory workers.

A representative for several thousand workers from the Sky High garment factory in the capital's Dangkor district said Sunday that demonstrators protesting earlier this month against low wages and poor working conditions did not target the head of a Cambodian trade union, as local press reports last week suggested.

Chan Dary, 29, a representative for workers at Sky High, said Sunday that reports published in two Khmer-language dailies - Deum Ampil and Kampuchea Thmey - incorrectly stated that workers had filed complaints against Yun Rithy, head of the Khmer Youth Federation of Trade Unions, for inciting them to protest.

"We have never complained about Yun Rithy. This is a fairy tale spread by the owner of the [Sky High] factory to defame us and to deter influential people, NGOs or other organisations from assisting us," Chan Dary said.

Thousands protest

Workers are protesting against the factory, not Yun Rithy, Chan Dary said.

"We want the factory owner to agree to our conditions, which we feel are not difficult to implement. But they don't want to give in, so they they try instead to make us suffer," he said.

Sky High workers began their protest on August 24, with several hundred workers assembling in front of the factory. Last week, the number of protesters reached into the thousands.

Yun Rithy said Sunday he had no direct involvement with the protests and rejected claims that he influenced anyone to demonstrate.

"I don't know anything about it, and I have incited no one to do anything," he said. "I have only tried to help workers because we are an organisation that supports labour rights and benefits for workers, and in this I have done nothing wrong."

"These problems I cannot solve on my own. I can just investigate and urge [factory owners] to respect the labour law," he said.

Getting the story wrong

Keo Sarum, 27, a worker at Sky High, said local newspaper reports got the story wrong about
the protests.

"We did not collect thumbprints for a complaint against Yun Rithy, as the newspapers said. This was a trick by the factory owner in an attempt to divide the workers," Keo Sarum said.

"I would like to ask the publishers of [Deum Ampil and Kampuchea Thmey] where they got their information. Before they write something about us, they should come talk to us," She said.

Royal dolce vita under the "Democrazy-à-la-Hun Xen"?

Sak Si Sbong (L) and Kong Sam Oeun (R) in King-Father's movie "La Joie de Vivre". Could it be that real life is imitating the silver screen in Cambodia's so-called Democrazy?

King-Father gave $5,000 in gift to Chumteav Bun Rany Hun Xen and $5,000 for the Cambodian Red Cross

31 August 2009
By Ratana
Khmer Sthabna newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

On 29 August 2009, King-Father and Queen-Mother authorized Chumteav Bun Rany Hun Xen, the wife of PM Hun Xen and president of the Cambodian Red Cross, to visit them at their Siem Reap royal palace (information gleaned from TVK on 29-08-2009).

During this occasion, King-Father thanked Chumteav Bun Rany Hun Xen and he also thanked her husband who led the country to prosperity in all fields, and he also defended the territorial integrity.

The ex-king gave a personal gift of $5,000 to the chumteav, as well as $5,000 to the Cambodian Red Cross presided by the chumteav.

King-Father said that the chumteav worked very hard to lead the Cambodian Red Cross.

In return, the chumteav No. 1 of Cambodia told King-Father and Queen-Mother that she is very thrilled and happy to receive the $5,000 gift from them. The chumteav added that king’s $5,000 personal gift to her will be used to help people who are currently facing difficulties due to various disasters, such as fire, storms, drought etc…

In response, King-Father said that the CRC led by the chumteav, has branches in all provinces of the country, furthermore, the CPP is working intensively to lead the country following [the demise? of] the Sangkum Reastr Niyum (SRN).

King-Father reminisced about the SRN era when he was the country’s leader, and when Queen-Mother was then-president of the CRC. He said that he bought several ambulances to give to the CRC for help. After Queen-Mother, it is Samdach Akkok Moha Xena Bat Dey Dek Cho Hun Xen who is the best leader of Cambodia to bring in democracy, freedom, stability, and the country is growing in all fields. King-Father said that the nation owes a debt of gratitude to the chumteav Bun Rany, in particular for the CRC framework.

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"In this day and age, we use the law, if you don’t know, don’t jump!": A tale from the "borderless" kingdoom

Pro-CPP Deum Ampil and Kampuchea Thmei publish fairy tale news reports?

Royal dolce vita under the "Democrazy-à-la-Hun Xen"?

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