CTN announces tournament of 8 Kun Khmer champions Read more
CTN Announces..
Friday, September 4, 2009Clash of Pm: Hun Xen’s cronies
Kong Triv (Photo: KT Pacific Group)
Clash of Pm: Hun Xen’s cronies: Suy Sophan (aka Yeay Phan) vs CPP Tycoon-Senator Sy Kong Triv
Friday, September 04, 2009
DAP news
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
In the morning of Thursday, Mrs. Oknha (honorific title bought for $100,000 by rich tycoons) Suy Sophan (aka Yeay Phan, one of Hun Xen’s cronies and owner of the questionable Phanimex company) showed up at the Phnom Penh municipal court to protest the court order to prevent the sale, the pawning, the changing of title ownership, or the gifting of a piece of real estate property registered as PP 11379 (Kh20244), dated 03 September 2008, as well as 4 row-houses located in the Borei Keila block, 07 Makara commune. In the past, the land and the row-houses were sold to Oknha Sy Kong Triv (aka CPP Tycoon-Senator Kong Triv, another one of Hun Xen’s cronies), and the latter brought up a lawsuit in this case because the previous owner (Yeay Phan) plans to sell the land and the houses to somebody else [again], that was why Kong Triv sued to prevent the sale.
A source indicated that Chey Sovann, the investigating judge of the Phnom Penh municipal court, issued an injunction on 29 July 2009 against Yeay Phan, preventing her from selling the land and houses described above. It was because of this injunction that in the morning of Thursday, Yeay Phan came to court to protest the court decision. However, a source revealed that the court may not accept her protest because the land and the houses were sold to Kong Triv since 5 December 2007, and the sales paper are in order, and the payment for the purchase has almost been completed already.
A source indicated that on 05 December 2007, Kong Triv bought the land and houses above from Yeay Phan for $4.9 million, and he paid the purchases through a revolving credit term. The source added that, after the purchase, Kong Triv almost paid off all the amount owned to Yeay Phan, save for an amount of about $100,000 only.
The source indicated that when Kong Triv heard that Yeay Phan planned to sell the land and the houses to someone else, he decided to ask for a court injunction. This injunction indicated that Yeay Phan who now lives on 134 Street No. 330, Boeun Salang commune, Tuol Kok district, may not sell, rent, change ownership title, or give as a gift the real estate property registered on the property title no. PP 11379 (Kh20244), dated 03 December 2008, and the 4 row-houses located in the Borei Keila block, Veal Vong commune, 07 Makara district. The real estate property includes: (1) 2 plots of lands abutting the road to the north, Sala Ta Triv to the south, Che Pum’s land to the east and Ta Chan’s land to the west, (2) 2 plots of land abutting Kha’s land to the north, Phu Kim Chi’s land to the south, road pass to the east, Che Pum’s land to the west. This is a temporary injunction until the court issued its decision.
On Thursday morning, when Yeay Phan came out from the court, DAP news reporter approached her and asked her: “How were Lok Chumteav’s results?”. Yeay Phan replied: “It’s just a small dispute, don’t write about it,” she then climbed into her car which sped off. Regarding this injunction, judge Chey Sophan could not be reached over the phone to provide his clarification. The court clerk involved in this lawsuit case replied over the phone that he “didn’t know about it.”
Read more!
A source indicated that Chey Sovann, the investigating judge of the Phnom Penh municipal court, issued an injunction on 29 July 2009 against Yeay Phan, preventing her from selling the land and houses described above. It was because of this injunction that in the morning of Thursday, Yeay Phan came to court to protest the court decision. However, a source revealed that the court may not accept her protest because the land and the houses were sold to Kong Triv since 5 December 2007, and the sales paper are in order, and the payment for the purchase has almost been completed already.
A source indicated that on 05 December 2007, Kong Triv bought the land and houses above from Yeay Phan for $4.9 million, and he paid the purchases through a revolving credit term. The source added that, after the purchase, Kong Triv almost paid off all the amount owned to Yeay Phan, save for an amount of about $100,000 only.
The source indicated that when Kong Triv heard that Yeay Phan planned to sell the land and the houses to someone else, he decided to ask for a court injunction. This injunction indicated that Yeay Phan who now lives on 134 Street No. 330, Boeun Salang commune, Tuol Kok district, may not sell, rent, change ownership title, or give as a gift the real estate property registered on the property title no. PP 11379 (Kh20244), dated 03 December 2008, and the 4 row-houses located in the Borei Keila block, Veal Vong commune, 07 Makara district. The real estate property includes: (1) 2 plots of lands abutting the road to the north, Sala Ta Triv to the south, Che Pum’s land to the east and Ta Chan’s land to the west, (2) 2 plots of land abutting Kha’s land to the north, Phu Kim Chi’s land to the south, road pass to the east, Che Pum’s land to the west. This is a temporary injunction until the court issued its decision.
On Thursday morning, when Yeay Phan came out from the court, DAP news reporter approached her and asked her: “How were Lok Chumteav’s results?”. Yeay Phan replied: “It’s just a small dispute, don’t write about it,” she then climbed into her car which sped off. Regarding this injunction, judge Chey Sophan could not be reached over the phone to provide his clarification. The court clerk involved in this lawsuit case replied over the phone that he “didn’t know about it.”
Soth Thailand In Pictures
A suspected militant, still holding his weapon in hand, lies on the ground after he was shot dead by police in a jungle in Thailand's Yala province, about 1,084 km (674 miles) south of Bangkok September 2, 2009. REUTERS/Surapan Boonthanom
A suspected militant lies on the ground near a rubber tree after he was shot dead by police in a jungle in Thailand's Yala province, about 1,084 km (674 miles) south of Bangkok September 2, 2009. REUTERS/Surapan Boonthanom
Soldiers stand guard at the scene of an attack near a restaurant during lunchtime in southern Thailand's Pattani province September 3, 2009. More than 20 people were injured in two bomb attacks in Thailand's deep south of Pattani on Thursday. The first bomb was detonated in front of a grocery store. After the first bomb went off, the second bomb, planted in a gas cylinder attached to a motorcycle, was detonated in front of the restaurant, police said. REUTERS/Surapan Boonthanom
Police officers inspect the scene of an attack near a restaurant during lunchtime in southern Thailand's Pattani province September 3, 2009. More than 20 people were injured in two bomb attacks in Thailand's deep south of Pattani on Thursday. The first bomb was detonated in front of a grocery store. After the first bomb went off, the second bomb, planted in a gas cylinder attached to a motorcycle, was detonated in front of the restaurant, police said. REUTERS/Surapan Boonthanom
Police officers inspect the scene of an attack near a restaurant during lunchtime in southern Thailand's Pattani province September 3, 2009. More than 20 people were injured in two bomb attacks in Thailand's deep south of Pattani on Thursday. The first bomb was detonated in front of a grocery store. After the first bomb went off, the second bomb, planted in a gas cylinder attached to a motorcycle, was detonated in front of the restaurant, police said. REUTERS/Surapan Boonthanom
Police and soldiers inspect the scene of an attack near a restaurant during lunchtime in southern Thailand's Pattani province September 3, 2009. More than 20 people were injured in two bomb attacks in Thailand's deep south of Pattani on Thursday. The first bomb was detonated in front of a grocery store. After the first bomb went off, the second bomb, planted in a gas cylinder attached to a motorcycle, was detonated in front of the restaurant, police said. REUTERS/Surapan Boonthanom
Thai soldiers examine the site where a bomb exploded outside a row of open-air shops and restaurants in the city of Pattani Province Thailand Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009. Eight people were killed in a string of drive-by shootings and at least 25 were wounded in a bomb blast in Thailand's insurgency-plagued south, in what the army said Thursday was a 'unusually high' number of attacks in the restive region. (AP Photo/Sumeth pranphet)
Thai people help out injured people from a bomb explosion of a motorcycle parked outside a row of open-air shops and restaurants in the city of Pattani Province in Thailand Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009. Eight people were killed in a string of drive-by shootings and at least 25 were wounded in a bomb blast in Thailand's insurgency-plagued south, in what the army said Thursday was a 'unusually high' number of attacks in the restive region. (AP Photo/Sumeth pranphet)
Thai soldiers carry injury from a bombing explosion of a motorcycle parked outside a row of open-air shops and restaurants in the city of Pattani Province in Thailand on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009. Eight people were killed in a string of drive-by shootings and at least 25 were wounded in a bomb blast in Thailand's insurgency-plagued south, in what the army said Thursday was a 'unusually high' number of attacks in the restive region. (AP Photo/Sumeth pranphet)
Thai bomb squad units inspect the site of an explosion at a restaurant in Pattani province. The blast injured at least 27 people. Eleven people were shot dead and a powerful bomb wounded at least two dozen others as violence intensified in Thailand's Muslim-majority south during the holy month of Ramadan, police said (AFP/Tuwaedaniya Meringing)
Beggars choose to take the easy way out
Friday September 4, 2009
TAKE a walk around the city or any of its suburbs and you are almost guaranteed to run into a beggar. These beggars are usually disabled, old or very young and they sit along the pathways waiting for a handout.
Those who beg tend to frequent places with high traffic like night markets or outside banks or gambling outlets in commercial areas.
A trader at the SS13 night market in Subang Jaya said he had seen various individuals, including handicapped children and adults, old folks and mother-and-child pairs begging at the night market almost every week.
TAKE a walk around the city or any of its suburbs and you are almost guaranteed to run into a beggar. These beggars are usually disabled, old or very young and they sit along the pathways waiting for a handout.
Those who beg tend to frequent places with high traffic like night markets or outside banks or gambling outlets in commercial areas.
A trader at the SS13 night market in Subang Jaya said he had seen various individuals, including handicapped children and adults, old folks and mother-and-child pairs begging at the night market almost every week.
Asking for sympathy: A mother and child seen begging at the SS13 night market in Subang Jaya.
The trader, who identified himself as Lam, believed that the beggars are part of a syndicate as his friend, who is a trader at the Kepong night market, has also seen the same faces.
“Someone will drop them off at the designated night market and they will find their way in before sitting down in the middle of the path to beg.
“I have actually seen the beggars wear old and torn clothing while begging, only to change into something cleaner before boarding a special taxi that comes to take them home,” he said.
Lam, who has been trading at the SS13 night market for three years, suspects that the beggars are mostly foreigners from countries like Cambodia and China and are attached to a syndicate that brings them around Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia to beg.
Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) Licensing Department director Ismail Salim said the council could conduct joint operations with the Social Welfare Department (JKM) in an effort to tackle the beggars.
In plain sight: A badly scarred individual seen begging at the Section 17 night market in Petaling Jaya.
Noting that there were also beggars in other public places like mosques and food courts, Ismail said that it was public sympathy that encouraged the beggars to continue looking for a handout.
“They will continue coming back as long as people give them money. If they genuinely need aid, they can always contact the JKM,” he said.
Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun echoed similar sentiments by saying the public should stop sympathising with beggars and donating money as it offered them an easy way to earn money.
“What the public needs to do if they spot any beggar is to call the Talian Nur or report to the nearest JKM office. There are more than 100 JKM offices located in each district office in Malaysia,” she said.
Chew said the Talian Nur operators would note the callers’ information and refer them to the relevant authorities and let them know what they should do.
High traffic: The beggars choose places where there are a lot of passers-by to maximise their gains.
To address the begging syndicate issues, Chew said the JKM conducts scheduled operations once or twice a week at areas with lots of street beggars, as well as joint operations with various agencies like the local councils, Immigration Department, National Registration Department, National Anti-Drugs Agency and hospitals.
“If a child (aged under 18) is found during the operation, then the Child Act 2001 will be used,” she said.
(Section 32 of the act states: Any person who causes or procures any child… allows that child to be on any… place for the purposes of begging, receiving alms, whether or not there is any pretence of… performing or offering anything for sale; or carrying out… illegal activities detrimental to the health and welfare of the child, commits an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding RM5,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or both.)
“The JKM protection officer will rescue the child and place him or her in a welfare home within 24 hours,” Chew said.
“A court order will be obtained from the magistrate’s court to place the child in a welfare home for the next 30 days while the officer prepares a report.
“If the child is found to have a family member or relative who can care for them, we will send them back.
“Putting them in a welfare home is the last option as we believe it is best for the children to grow up in a loving family environment.”
If they are to be put in a home, Chew said, the children would be placed in an orphanage or Rumah Tunas Harapan, a home that is run by couples with their own children.
The Ministry provides allowances for the relatives or Rumah Tunas Harapan families to care for the children.
Meanwhile, if adults are found during the operation, they would be rescued under the Destitute Person’s Act 1977.
“They will be placed in a welfare institution within 24 hours and a 30-day court order will obtained while the officers investigate their case,” said Chew.
“If a family member or caregiver cannot be found, they will be placed in a welfare home for three years. Those aged above 60 will go to the Rumah Seri Kenangan old folks’ home, while those under 60 will be placed in Desa Bina Diri workshops to learn soft skills.”
She stressed that welfare organisations and charities cannot use children to solicit donations.
“If an association wants to solicit donations in commercial or residential areas, they will need to get permission from the JKM and a police permit,” she said.
Talian Nur’s number is 15999. For a list of JKM locations and contacts, visit www.jkm.gov.my (search under directory).
Laos seeks to attract more visitors to boost economy
Asia Pacific News
By Channel NewsAsia's IndoChina Bureau Chief Anasuya Sanyal
Posted: 05 September 2009
LUANG PRABANG, Laos: Laos is aiming to expand tourism, with help from neighbouring countries and an emphasis on its natural beauty.
However, the country faces twin challenges of rapid development and the global economic slowdown.
In the northern town of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the old ways are preserved for all to enjoy. Nearby, nature's bounty - such as waterfalls - is on display.
Long seen as less developed than some of its neighbours, Laos has been welcoming visitors for about a decade.
By 2010, the country aims to attract over a million visitors a year to boost the economy, which has few exports or industries.
Critics said a greater influx of tourists could destroy the peacefulness the country is known for. But authorities said they are mindful of the situation.
Soukaseum Bodhisane, vice chairman, Laos National Tourism Administration, said: "We have to preserve and develop, but we have to maintain some conditions.
"First, we have to share the benefit for the people at the grassroots level, and second we have to help share the benefit for the community. Third, we have to have benefit for the tourists also. And (lastly), we have to preserve biodiversity."
Despite its growing popularity, tourism is expected to take a hit from the global economic downturn.
Regional cooperation could be the answer, with Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam coming together to showcase the various attractions each country has to offer.
Soukaseum Bodhisane said: "We, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, try to organise Three Countries, One Destination (concept)... So we would like to cooperate. That is what we try to do now... and we will discuss this in detail when we attend the ITE (International Travel Exposition) in HCM (Ho Chi Minh) in October - how to realise this dream."
The three countries also intend to upgrade infrastructure, facilitate border checkpoints and establish better air links between World Heritage sites. - CNA/ms
Read more!
LUANG PRABANG, Laos: Laos is aiming to expand tourism, with help from neighbouring countries and an emphasis on its natural beauty.
However, the country faces twin challenges of rapid development and the global economic slowdown.
In the northern town of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the old ways are preserved for all to enjoy. Nearby, nature's bounty - such as waterfalls - is on display.
Long seen as less developed than some of its neighbours, Laos has been welcoming visitors for about a decade.
By 2010, the country aims to attract over a million visitors a year to boost the economy, which has few exports or industries.
Critics said a greater influx of tourists could destroy the peacefulness the country is known for. But authorities said they are mindful of the situation.
Soukaseum Bodhisane, vice chairman, Laos National Tourism Administration, said: "We have to preserve and develop, but we have to maintain some conditions.
"First, we have to share the benefit for the people at the grassroots level, and second we have to help share the benefit for the community. Third, we have to have benefit for the tourists also. And (lastly), we have to preserve biodiversity."
Despite its growing popularity, tourism is expected to take a hit from the global economic downturn.
Regional cooperation could be the answer, with Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam coming together to showcase the various attractions each country has to offer.
Soukaseum Bodhisane said: "We, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, try to organise Three Countries, One Destination (concept)... So we would like to cooperate. That is what we try to do now... and we will discuss this in detail when we attend the ITE (International Travel Exposition) in HCM (Ho Chi Minh) in October - how to realise this dream."
The three countries also intend to upgrade infrastructure, facilitate border checkpoints and establish better air links between World Heritage sites. - CNA/ms
Art as armor: Cambodian soldiers believe certain tattoos can protect them from bullets and landmines
REUTERS/Chor SokuntheaCambodia Major General commander Srey Dek, right, arm wrestles with Thai Major General Kanok NetraKaveysana, left, during a joint lunch at Koe sekhakirisrarak pagoda near Preah Vihear temple April 5, 2009.
By John Maloy
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Magic tattoos begin with a magic man. Typically a Buddhist monk or adjar (essentially a deacon) and known for great piety, this Khmer magic man can draw scripts and images into another's skin, granting with them supernatural armor against all kinds of harm. Understandably, such body art became popular with soldiers.
Reut Hath is one such magic man. He first learned the art of inking magic from his father, a farmer and martial arts trainer in northwestern Cambodia who was himself a "powerful magic man," according to the 52-year-old former soldier.
"Many people came to [my father], so he gave some of the work to me," Reut Hath said. "So, I had to learn magic."
Wherever Cambodian soldiers cluster, charms and amulets abound, from cloths scrawled with protection spells to bags of Buddha figurines to boar tusks — anything to gain a magically endowed edge over the enemy. And there is perhaps no more explicit display of belief in mystical powers than magic tattoos, geometric patterns of written spells and images that crisscross the bodies of many older soldiers.
The list of powers that supposedly come with the tattoos is long and includes: imperviousness to bullets, anti-landmine protection, invisibility, an amplified voice to address troops and "great gravity" magic to make one's fists into heavier, deadlier weapons. The intricate arrangements of some tattoos and the folk-like quality of others are often beautiful artworks in their own right. However, it's also a fading art, a system of belief that is disappearing from a military looking to recruit younger soldiers in place of aging veterans of the country's recent decades of civil war.
Reut Hath started tattooing soldiers in 1977 after himself fleeing executioners from the murderous Khmer Rouge to join the resistance against the Pol Pot regime. (In its effort to create a Maoist agrarian utopia, that regime was ultimately responsible for the deaths of more than 1.7 million people. In early 1979, the Vietnamese military toppled the Khmer Rouge government, sparking a 20-year civil war in Cambodia.)
Reut Hath joined the Khmer People's National Liberation Front (KPNLF), one of the main resistance groups that battled it out with the Vietnamese-backed Phnom Penh government throughout the 1980s. It is mostly former fighters from resistance groups like the KPNLF that have the magic tattoos.
The method
Magic men punch tattoos into the skin by hand, using a thin handle about 30 centimeters long with two syringe needles at one end. According to Reut Hath, any old ink will suffice, but during the civil war, when ink was often in short supply, he would create his own by mixing the material inside alkaline batteries with rice wine.
It only takes a few seconds to punch a single letter into the skin, though some soldiers have veritable essays written on their bodies, which require days of painful prodding.
Casting the spell
The spells are written in two ancient Indian languages — Sanskrit or, more commonly, Pali, which is the liturgical language of Cambodia's dominant religion, Theravada Buddhism. Reut Hath admits he can't actually understand any of the spells because they aren't written in his native tongue of Khmer.
"I cannot read the Pali, but I know what letter is what letter, so I know what to write according to the formula," he said. "I learned it, but even I don't understand why the magic is so powerful."
The soldiers' stories
Sgt. Maj. Boung Thoeun is covered from head to toe in protective tattoos, his arms almost black from the dense web of Pali spells running up and down them.
The 50-year-old soldier, a former KPNLF captain, said that his tattoos twice saved him from landmines, which merely fizzled when he stepped on them. He also recalled getting caught in a nighttime ambush that should have meant certain death, but he came away unscathed.
"The enemy sprayed a lot of bullets at us," he said. "It was a dark place but there were so many [tracer bullets] flying about that it looked like the daytime." Cambodian army Maj. Gen. Lay Virak, formerly a KPNLF senior commander, said he knows of magic that prevents a person from getting lost in the forest. He also met a monk who knew magic that allowed one to walk through fire.
"During the war, we believed in the magic. We knew a lot, including magic that prevents you from being tied up or hurt by torture," Lay Virak added.
With so much power supposedly at their fingertips, it would seem like a half-dozen tattooed soldiers could take on an army. But when it comes to magical tattoos there's still a catch — several, actually.
"It is a question of your belief, your nationalism and your devotion to the rules," said Reut Hath of how one keeps their magic potent.
The basis of belief
These rules are typically based on morality and religiosity: Do not murder, do not steal, do not commit adultery, regularly burn incense and pray, recite magical mantras, etc. The rules establish a Buddhist grounding for the magic, taking what could be thought of as a selfish act to empower oneself and changing it into a promotion of moral behavior and faith. Of course, to the more cynical-minded, the rules also provide reasons why a man covered in protection spells might be killed on the battlefield: "If only he hadn't been so forward with his neighbor's wife," for example.
However, some of the rules might appear more arbitrary. Reut Hath forbids the men he tattooed from eating dog meat. In addition to dog, Lay Virak must also shun snake, turtle and pork, and in perhaps the most unusual limitation, he will sacrifice his protection if he urinates and defecates at the same time.
In addition, former resistance fighters say, the end of warfare in Cambodia has done much to reduce both the strict morality and magical potency associated with the tattoos — with easy living comes temptation.
"During the fighting, most of the fighters were powerful — the magic worked," Reut Hath said. "But with peace, many came to the cities and starting drinking, sleeping with girls and the magic has faded away."
This perceived decline in morality has driven Reut Hath to vow to never tattoo anyone ever again. "I decided to stop giving the tattoos because I cannot trust the young people these days. If they had tattoos they'd probably fight. Before, we thought about the liberation of our country. We had a good spirit."
He said he does know of some magic men who continue to tattoo people, but their numbers are dwindling. "Many soldiers have [tattoos] but they don't know how to pass them on," he added. Though not in any way prohibited, tattoos are now an increasingly rare sight in the Cambodian military. Even among those who fought in the 1970s and '80s, it was only in the resistance groups based along the Thai border that it remained a prominent tradition. Resistance fighters who joined the military after the war have also typically found themselves relegated to positions with little authority or influence.
"Usually it's the fighters from the border that have tattoos," said Maj. Gen. Chap Pheakdei, commander of Brigade 911, the army's elite paratrooper unit, adding that few of his soldiers have sought the protection of magical body art.
"On the Phnom Penh side during the [civil] war maybe two out of 100 would have [tattoos]," said one Brigade 911 officer who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the press. "Some guys go out with tattoos all over them and get killed, and a guy with nothing comes back fine — I believe in luck, not magic."
"But maybe," he added, "that's because our side has tanks."
Heart Diseases Are the Leading Cause of Deaths in Cambodia – Friday, 4.9.2009
Posted on 4 September 2009
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 628
http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com/
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 628
http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com/
“Phnom Penh: Heart disease is considered to be a disease that causes the highest cause of deaths for Cambodian citizens, compared to other diseases.
“An official of the National Institute of Public Health, Dr. Chao Darapheak, said that according to a preliminary report from 14 provinces and cities in Cambodia, the mortality rates from cancer, heart diseases, and liver diseases have all increased among people over 40 years old. But heart diseases are the leading cause of deaths, as 19 out of 100,000 people die from heart diseases, followed by liver diseases with 8 deaths among 100,000, and cancer with 7 deaths among 100,000 people.
“Dr. Chao Darapheak added that the study about mortality rates in Cambodia was conducted from April to August 2009 by using already existing data. Fourteen provinces – Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kandal, Kep, Kompong Cham, Kompong Chhnang, Kompong Speu, Kompong Thom, Oddar Meanchey, Pailin, Preah Vihear, Siem Reap, and Stung Treng, and Takeo – had sent reports to the National Institute of Public Health. Other provinces will send their reports later.
“He said that the study will be finished in October 2009. In Cambodia, the life expectancy of men is 54-55 years, and of women it is 58.”
Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.8, #2040, 4.9.2009
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Friday, 4 September 2009
Student volunteers go around the globe
Student volunteers teach in a classroom in Cambodia. By Chang Ha-eunInternational programs gaining popularity
September 05, 2009
“Gaeul ga-e, olchangi han mari...”
In a small schoolhouse, a group of Nepalese children were singing the olchangi (tadpole) song in Korean for the first time in their lives. Just a few hours ago, they had not even known the language existed. Now, their voices resounded with joy at the new sounds they were making. At the front of the classroom, the teacher was brimming with enthusiasm, ready to continue.
What may seem odd about this is that the teacher was a Korean high school student doing volunteer work.
“Although the weather, the food, the shelter and pretty much everything was unsatisfactory, I was happy that the children learned a lot with us,” said Cho Min, a high school senior who was part of a 15-member team that went to Nepal. “My volunteer group also had to build a house for a homeless Nepalese family,” Cho said. “We worked on that for a whole two weeks. At first, I was just tired and frustrated. However, as time passed, I think I got a glimpse of the true meaning of volunteer work. That’s why my teammates and I signed up in the first place, anyway.”
More and more high school students are traveling overseas for their volunteer assignments, according to Cho and other volunteers.
“I’ve gone on several service missions overseas, and I know many friends who have an interest in volunteer work. Although nobody wanted to go abroad before, it seems that everybody wants to do public service overseas these days and do something worthwhile for a change,” Cho said.
Korean high school students are required to complete 20 hours of community service every year for their graduation and college admission. Some find the task unnecessary. But more and more students are signing up to give their time overseas.
Lee Bo-hyung, a high school freshman, said that a lot of students want to do something that actually makes them feel good about themselves.
“To teach art, we made the necessary teaching materials by hand,” said Kim Hyun-ji, a high school junior. “We taught [the children] about Korea using maps, traditional fans and cultural brochures.”
Kim had signed up with Copion, a service organization, to work in the village of Svay Tour, Cambodia, where she went earlier this month.
“I stayed there for 11 days. The lodging facility was literally something out of the Discovery Channel, what with all the bugs and lizards in the sleeping quarters.” said Kim. “There were four teams, but some people had to stay behind in Korea, because so many signed up.”
Volunteer organizations such as Copion and Global PeaceMakers have definitely noticed the increase in interest among young people. According to a worker at Global PeaceMakers, an organization that targets high school and college students, there has been a 30 percent increase in the number of students who signed up this year.
Countries like Nepal, Cambodia and China welcome the increase in foreign teenage volunteers, who build houses and teach children in remote villages in developing countries.
This kind of community work is not a one-time thing, however. All the students interviewed said that they wanted to take part again, with most saying they planned to do so after graduating high school.
“Because I’ve had a personal experience with the needy, my sympathy for them has developed into empathy. That’s why I want to go help them again. I also want to encourage this kind of public service.” said Chang Ha-eun, a high school freshman who volunteered in Cambodia early last month.
*This series features articles written and reported by high school students participating in the JoongAng Daily’s summer internship program. All articles were written with the guidance of our staff reporters.
By Lee Doh-yun [enational@joongang.co.kr]
Police Shoot One in Domestic Violence Response
By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
04 September 2009
Eye witnesses and a human rights official said Friday one villager was shot and injured by police as they responded to a domestic violence case in Kampot province.
Chhor Vanak, 23, a farmer in Chhouk district’s Prich village, was shot twice by a commune policeman, Chhin Duol, 43, after he threatened the officer with a knife.
Em Sokha, police chief of Boeung Nimol commune, said the shooting took place as police were trying to prevent domestic violence. Chhin Doul was arrested and is being detained at the communal police post.
Try Chhoun , Adhoc coordinator for Kampot province, said she was investigating the case.
Read more!
Original report from Phnom Penh
04 September 2009
Eye witnesses and a human rights official said Friday one villager was shot and injured by police as they responded to a domestic violence case in Kampot province.
Chhor Vanak, 23, a farmer in Chhouk district’s Prich village, was shot twice by a commune policeman, Chhin Duol, 43, after he threatened the officer with a knife.
Em Sokha, police chief of Boeung Nimol commune, said the shooting took place as police were trying to prevent domestic violence. Chhin Doul was arrested and is being detained at the communal police post.
Try Chhoun , Adhoc coordinator for Kampot province, said she was investigating the case.
Three Advocates To Address US Rights Commission
By Men Kimseng, VOA KhmerOriginal report from Washington
04 September 2009
Three prominent Cambodians are scheduled as key participants in a US congressional hearing on human rights this month, as concerns persist over the government’s ongoing treatment of dissenters.
Mu Sochua, a Kampot National Assembly representative for the Sam Rainsy Party who recently lost a defamation suit to Prime Minister Hun Sen, is set to join Kek Galabru, founder of the rights group Licadho, and Moeun Tola, head of the Community Legal Education Center’s labor program, in Washington Sept. 10.
“It’s high time that we all talk about the reality there, and we have enough evidence,” said Mu Sochua, who last month was ordered to pay more than $4,000 in fines and compensation after she brought a suit against Hun Sen for allegedly degrading remarks in a speech in April.
The three are scheduled to give testimony to the House of Representative’s Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, co-chaired by Frank Wolf, a Republican from Virginia, and James McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts, examining “a concerning trend in the Cambodian government’s overall human rights record,” according to the commission.
The commission cited as one reason for the hearing a July 29 Washington Post report of “a heightened crackdown on journalists and opposition activists” that “has provoked new concern that the government [of Cambodia] is engaging in widespread abuse of the nation’s legal system to muzzle its detractors.”
It also referred to Mu Sochua’s defamation case, diminished rights for workers and labor, and the eviction of people from their land without compensation.
Mu Sochua said in an interview in Washington Tuesday she would discuss these issues and the suspension of her own parliamentary immunity, along with another SRP colleague, which paved the way for two lawsuits.
“I would like to make it clear that the Sam Rainsy Party will not make an appeal to cut aid to Cambodia, so the Cambodian people should not worry about this,” Mu Sochua said. “We are here at the US Congress to provide truth about a grave situation that might affect democracy and human rights in Cambodia.”
Kek Galabru said she will ask the US to assist Cambodia in ensuring its courts are made independent and in finding ways to tackle land issues.
“The land issue is very important because it is the life and bread of some 80 percent of Cambodians living in rural areas,” she said by phone Wednesday.
“The US should help find a way to distribute land in a fair manner to ensure good, successful and positive developments where the majority of people benefit, not just a small group, leaving the majority in tears,” she said.
Meanwhile, shorter work contracts for workers after a US quota program ended and suits filed against labor leaders are a concern, said Moeun Tola, adding “past killings of [union leaders] have never been solved…which is a threat to the freedom of unions.”
The rights commission hearing was announced Aug. 25, and its examination of the situation in Cambodia is a rare instance. Along with the Cambodians invited are representatives from the US State Department.
“I am sorry that the commission only invited an opposition team, without inviting another side…to give a balanced report and find out the truth for a solution,” said Koy Kuong, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
That the administration was not invited was “not fair, not neutral, and biased,” he said. “It won’t help promote human rights.”
Cambodia’s own human rights committee, headed by senior Hun Sen adviser Om Yienteng, was not aware of the hearing.
Om Yentieng, contacted Monday, said the government had not broken any laws in pursuing lawsuits against Mu Sochua and others.
“When they sue us, they push us to the court, but once we countersue, they tell us not to and ask us to leave them to exercise their freedom of expression,” he said. “I think that we should have a clear grammar for democracy. We should not use democracy wrongly and out of grammar, causing people to copy a bad example.”
Magic tattoos uncovered
Cambodia: Details are Sketchy
http://detailsaresketchy.wordpress.com/
http://detailsaresketchy.wordpress.com/
September 4, 2009
Writing for the Global Post, John Maloy explores the secrets of magic tattoos. They are predominantly the mark of resistance fighters who opposed the Khmer Rouge, and their power is derived from how much you believe, your nationalism, and your adherence to “the rules.”
These rules are typically based on morality and religiosity: Do not murder, do not steal, do not commit adultery, regularly burn incense and pray, recite magical mantras, etc. The rules establish a Buddhist grounding for the magic, taking what could be thought of as a selfish act to empower oneself and changing it into a promotion of moral behavior and faith. Of course, to the more cynical-minded, the rules also provide reasons why a man covered in protection spells might be killed on the battlefield: “If only he hadn’t been so forward with his neighbor’s wife,” for example.
However, some of the rules might appear more arbitrary. [Tattoo magic man] Reut Hath forbids the men he tattooed from eating dog meat. In addition to dog, Lay Virak must also shun snake, turtle and pork, and in perhaps the most unusual limitation, he will sacrifice his protection if he urinates and defecates at the same time.
In addition, former resistance fighters say, the end of warfare in Cambodia has done much to reduce both the strict morality and magical potency associated with the tattoos — with easy living comes temptation.
“During the fighting, most of the fighters were powerful — the magic worked,” Reut Hath said. “But with peace, many came to the cities and starting drinking, sleeping with girls and the magic has faded away.”
Some things never change.
Group Urges Protection of ‘Rights Defenders’
By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
04 September 2009
The Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission issued a statement Friday calling for the government to end its threats against rights defenders in the courts and to instead focus on rights protection in the interest of the public.
The public call comes following the ejection of Pen Bunnar, an advocate for the rights group Adhoc, from Ratanakkiri province, under threat from the provincial court, and charges of incitement against two rights workers in Bantheay Meanchey province.
“The Asian Human Rights Commission strongly urges the Cambodian government to honor all its international human rights obligations, and, in particular, to support the rights of all its citizens, human rights defenders and NGOs to undertake activities that promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Cambodia,” the group said. “The government and its agents must provide adequate protection to all human rights defenders.”
Pen Bonnar was forced from Ratanakkiri province after the court threatened to charge him with defamation, disinformation and incitement, “apparently under pressure from powerful persons interested in the exploitation of the resources that are supposed to belong to the indigenous people in the area,” the group said.
Om Yienteng, head of the government’s rights commission and a senior adviser to Prime Minsiter Hun Sen, welcomed the message, saying it showed the rights group “believes in the Cambodian government.” However, he said, the group’s concerns were not based on fact.
The rights commission said advocates had “not been secure in their work,” citing 2008 figures from Adhoc of “63 cases of threats of various forms, including arrests, against hundreds of defenders.”
Read more!
Original report from Phnom Penh
04 September 2009
The Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission issued a statement Friday calling for the government to end its threats against rights defenders in the courts and to instead focus on rights protection in the interest of the public.
The public call comes following the ejection of Pen Bunnar, an advocate for the rights group Adhoc, from Ratanakkiri province, under threat from the provincial court, and charges of incitement against two rights workers in Bantheay Meanchey province.
“The Asian Human Rights Commission strongly urges the Cambodian government to honor all its international human rights obligations, and, in particular, to support the rights of all its citizens, human rights defenders and NGOs to undertake activities that promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Cambodia,” the group said. “The government and its agents must provide adequate protection to all human rights defenders.”
Pen Bonnar was forced from Ratanakkiri province after the court threatened to charge him with defamation, disinformation and incitement, “apparently under pressure from powerful persons interested in the exploitation of the resources that are supposed to belong to the indigenous people in the area,” the group said.
Om Yienteng, head of the government’s rights commission and a senior adviser to Prime Minsiter Hun Sen, welcomed the message, saying it showed the rights group “believes in the Cambodian government.” However, he said, the group’s concerns were not based on fact.
The rights commission said advocates had “not been secure in their work,” citing 2008 figures from Adhoc of “63 cases of threats of various forms, including arrests, against hundreds of defenders.”
Got a dream but no cash? The Internet can help
By Claudia Parsons - Fri Sep 4, 2009
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Chris Waddell wants to climb Kilimanjaro in a wheelchair; George Del Barrio wants to make a film in Cambodia; Jeff Edwards wants to write a book about a science fiction writer: they want you to fund their dreams.
A website called Kickstarter.com is making it possible for people like this to raise sums ranging from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars to fund anything that captures the imagination of Internet users with a little money to spare.
It worked for Emily Richmond, a 24-year-old living in Los Angeles who plans to sail solo around the world for two years.
She has raised $8,142 from 148 people who will receive rewards such as Polaroid photos from the trip, an origami sailboat or a telephone call when she crosses the equator.
Landon Ray, who runs a marketing software firm called SendPepper.com, gave $500 after showing his 5-year-old daughter Richmond's video promising to keep donors updated by blog and send rewards such as a coconut mailed from a far-flung port.
"I thought this was a perfect learning experience for my daughter," Ray said, adding that he also dreamed of sailing the world himself, so it was partly about living vicariously.
Ray also plans to use his sponsorship as a marketing tool.
Many of the projects on the site are by filmmakers, musicians, artists and writers. Project creators set a time limit and a target. If they don't reach it, they get nothing.
COMMUNITIES ONLINE AND OFFLINE
Jason Bitner's pitch for $7,500 to pay for post-production of a documentary about the small Midwestern town of La Porte, Indiana, was so popular it raised $12,153.
The film is about an archive of portraits by a photographer who died in 1971. Bitner came across boxes of the pictures in the back room of a diner and has published a book. The film features interviews with the subjects 40 or 50 years later.
"This film is very much about community," Bitner said. "We decided early on we wanted to do community-based funding, sort of crowd-sourced things."
About a third of his 149 backers were friends and family. Others include residents of La Porte but also people from as far afield as Denmark and Australia.
Jonathan Scott Chinn, who is seeking $16,500 to make a short comedy-horror film called "Always a Bridesmaid," said the site was an efficient "creative marketplace."
"You're given the opportunity to make your pitch, and if it's really interesting, it will take off," Chinn said.
Independent singer-songwriter Brad Skistimas, 26, has been using the Internet for eight years to promote his one-man band Five Times August. He used Kickstarter to raise $20,000 to finance his new album "Life As A Song," due out October 13.
Donations amounted to pre-orders of the album, giving fans early access as well as additional material such as handwritten lyrics, photos and, for $1,000, dinner with the singer.
"It's a great way to get involved with fans," Skistimas said. "I was marketing to my own fans, so I said 'If you guys want more music from me, now's a great time to help me out.'"
Kickstarter co-founder Perry Chen said around $500,000 had been donated in the four months since it was launched, with more than 60 percent of projects achieving their goal. Until now the site has charged no fee, but from mid-September it will charge 5 percent of funds donated to successful projects.
Chen said so far there had been no scams that he knows of, though plenty of projects simply don't take off.
"The model works really well to prevent any type of misbehavior because the people who fund these projects; there's always a core group of the person's social network," he said. "Those are bridges people will work very hard not to burn."
(Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Eric Walsh)
Read more!
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Chris Waddell wants to climb Kilimanjaro in a wheelchair; George Del Barrio wants to make a film in Cambodia; Jeff Edwards wants to write a book about a science fiction writer: they want you to fund their dreams.
A website called Kickstarter.com is making it possible for people like this to raise sums ranging from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars to fund anything that captures the imagination of Internet users with a little money to spare.
It worked for Emily Richmond, a 24-year-old living in Los Angeles who plans to sail solo around the world for two years.
She has raised $8,142 from 148 people who will receive rewards such as Polaroid photos from the trip, an origami sailboat or a telephone call when she crosses the equator.
Landon Ray, who runs a marketing software firm called SendPepper.com, gave $500 after showing his 5-year-old daughter Richmond's video promising to keep donors updated by blog and send rewards such as a coconut mailed from a far-flung port.
"I thought this was a perfect learning experience for my daughter," Ray said, adding that he also dreamed of sailing the world himself, so it was partly about living vicariously.
Ray also plans to use his sponsorship as a marketing tool.
Many of the projects on the site are by filmmakers, musicians, artists and writers. Project creators set a time limit and a target. If they don't reach it, they get nothing.
COMMUNITIES ONLINE AND OFFLINE
Jason Bitner's pitch for $7,500 to pay for post-production of a documentary about the small Midwestern town of La Porte, Indiana, was so popular it raised $12,153.
The film is about an archive of portraits by a photographer who died in 1971. Bitner came across boxes of the pictures in the back room of a diner and has published a book. The film features interviews with the subjects 40 or 50 years later.
"This film is very much about community," Bitner said. "We decided early on we wanted to do community-based funding, sort of crowd-sourced things."
About a third of his 149 backers were friends and family. Others include residents of La Porte but also people from as far afield as Denmark and Australia.
Jonathan Scott Chinn, who is seeking $16,500 to make a short comedy-horror film called "Always a Bridesmaid," said the site was an efficient "creative marketplace."
"You're given the opportunity to make your pitch, and if it's really interesting, it will take off," Chinn said.
Independent singer-songwriter Brad Skistimas, 26, has been using the Internet for eight years to promote his one-man band Five Times August. He used Kickstarter to raise $20,000 to finance his new album "Life As A Song," due out October 13.
Donations amounted to pre-orders of the album, giving fans early access as well as additional material such as handwritten lyrics, photos and, for $1,000, dinner with the singer.
"It's a great way to get involved with fans," Skistimas said. "I was marketing to my own fans, so I said 'If you guys want more music from me, now's a great time to help me out.'"
Kickstarter co-founder Perry Chen said around $500,000 had been donated in the four months since it was launched, with more than 60 percent of projects achieving their goal. Until now the site has charged no fee, but from mid-September it will charge 5 percent of funds donated to successful projects.
Chen said so far there had been no scams that he knows of, though plenty of projects simply don't take off.
"The model works really well to prevent any type of misbehavior because the people who fund these projects; there's always a core group of the person's social network," he said. "Those are bridges people will work very hard not to burn."
(Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Eric Walsh)
WHO: H1N1 flu widespread in South Asia
Sept. 4, 2009
GENEVA, Switzerland, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia report regional or widespread H1N1 flu, World Health Organization officials say.
Pandemic H1N1 influenza continues to be the predominant circulating flu virus, both in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, WHO officials say.
Many tropical regions of South Asia and Southeastern Asia report increased or sustained high levels of respiratory disease, but Thailand and Brunei Darussalam report a declining trend.
In tropical regions of Central America and the Caribbean, flu activity continues to be geographically regional or widespread.
Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru and parts of Brazil report regional or widespread flu activity, with some reporting an increasing trend in the level of respiratory diseases.
However, Chile, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand have passed the peak of their winter influenza epidemic. Influenza continues in South Africa and in parts of Australia.
In the Northern hemisphere, flu activity continues to increase in Japan, indicating an early beginning to its annual influenza season. In Canada and the United States, influenza remains low overall, however regional increases are detected in the Southeastern United States, WHO officials say.
Little flu activity is being reported in Europe or in central and western Asia. A few countries are reporting geographically widespread flu activity -- Austria and Israel, for example -- or an increasing trend in respiratory diseases -- such as the Netherlands and Romania.
Read more!
GENEVA, Switzerland, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia report regional or widespread H1N1 flu, World Health Organization officials say.
Pandemic H1N1 influenza continues to be the predominant circulating flu virus, both in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, WHO officials say.
Many tropical regions of South Asia and Southeastern Asia report increased or sustained high levels of respiratory disease, but Thailand and Brunei Darussalam report a declining trend.
In tropical regions of Central America and the Caribbean, flu activity continues to be geographically regional or widespread.
Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru and parts of Brazil report regional or widespread flu activity, with some reporting an increasing trend in the level of respiratory diseases.
However, Chile, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand have passed the peak of their winter influenza epidemic. Influenza continues in South Africa and in parts of Australia.
In the Northern hemisphere, flu activity continues to increase in Japan, indicating an early beginning to its annual influenza season. In Canada and the United States, influenza remains low overall, however regional increases are detected in the Southeastern United States, WHO officials say.
Little flu activity is being reported in Europe or in central and western Asia. A few countries are reporting geographically widespread flu activity -- Austria and Israel, for example -- or an increasing trend in respiratory diseases -- such as the Netherlands and Romania.
U.S. donates military equipment to Cambodian Armed Forces
www.chinaview.cn
2009-09-04
PHNOM PENH, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The United States donated military equipment to the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) to help human resources and strengthen Cambodia's capacity, said a press release issued by the U.S. Embassy on Friday.
The U.S. formally transferred nearly twenty forty foot containers of excess military equipment to the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. The original cost of the material was approximately 6.5 million U.S. dollars and included 16,000 Kevlar helmets, 4,000field packs, 6,000 camouflage uniforms among other items.
The equipment was donated through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program. Since 2006, Cambodia has received approximately 4.5 million U.S. dollars worth of military equipment and technical assistance through this program.
The FMF program is also funding the grant of excess military transport equipment and technical assistance to the Ministry of National Defense and the High Command, English language training materials and technical assistance to the RCAF English Language Training Program and Maritime Security and Professional Development training to the Royal Cambodian Navy.
The equipment will be issued to priority units with the RCAF, many of whom are currently receiving training and capacity building assistance from the United States, it added.
The handover ceremony was conducted at the National Defense Ministry on Sept. 3 presided over by Brigadier General Skip Vincent and Lieutenant General Chau Phirun, General Director of Materiel and Techniques of the Ministry of National Defense.
Editor: Li Xianzhi
Read more!
2009-09-04
PHNOM PENH, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The United States donated military equipment to the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) to help human resources and strengthen Cambodia's capacity, said a press release issued by the U.S. Embassy on Friday.
The U.S. formally transferred nearly twenty forty foot containers of excess military equipment to the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. The original cost of the material was approximately 6.5 million U.S. dollars and included 16,000 Kevlar helmets, 4,000field packs, 6,000 camouflage uniforms among other items.
The equipment was donated through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program. Since 2006, Cambodia has received approximately 4.5 million U.S. dollars worth of military equipment and technical assistance through this program.
The FMF program is also funding the grant of excess military transport equipment and technical assistance to the Ministry of National Defense and the High Command, English language training materials and technical assistance to the RCAF English Language Training Program and Maritime Security and Professional Development training to the Royal Cambodian Navy.
The equipment will be issued to priority units with the RCAF, many of whom are currently receiving training and capacity building assistance from the United States, it added.
The handover ceremony was conducted at the National Defense Ministry on Sept. 3 presided over by Brigadier General Skip Vincent and Lieutenant General Chau Phirun, General Director of Materiel and Techniques of the Ministry of National Defense.
Editor: Li Xianzhi
Nearly 2,840 deaths attributed to H1N1 virus, reports UN health agency
UN News Centrehttp://www.un.org
4 September 2009 – There are now at least 2,837 deaths attributable to the pandemic H1N1 which continues to be the predominant circulating virus of influenza both in the northern and southern hemispheres, the United Nations health agency reported today.
Gregory Hartl of the World Health Organization (WHO) told a news conference in Geneva that there are also at least 254,000 laboratory confirmed cases of the virus, adding that this number far understated the actual number of cases.
“With the virus circulating so widely around the world, it is unfortunately to be expected that there will be deaths as the volume of cases and deaths is increasing,” he said.
At the same time, there is no indication that the virus has mutated or changed its behaviour, said Mr. Hartl, noting that the virus is not causing more severe illness than before.
According to the latest update issued by WHO, tropical regions of South and South-East Asia continue to experience geographically regional or widespread influenza activity (India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia).
Many countries in the region are reporting increasing or sustained high levels of respiratory disease, and a few, including Thailand and Brunei Darussalam, have begun to report a declining trend in the level of respiratory diseases.
Although many countries in temperate regions of the southern hemisphere (Chile, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand) have passed the peak of their winter influenza epidemic, sustained influenza activity continues to be reported in South Africa and in the southern and western parts of Australia, noted WHO.
Meanwhile, in Canada and the United States, influenza activity remains low overall. However, regional increases are being detected in the south-eastern United States.
News Tracker: past stories on this issue
H1N1 virus found in turkeys poses no threat to human health, says UN agency
Read more!
H1N1 virus found in turkeys poses no threat to human health, says UN agency
CTN Announces..
CTN announces tournament of 8 Kun Khmer champions
Photo by: ROBERT STARKWEATHER
Fighting for a top prize of 5 million riels at CTN boxing arena (from left to right): Sam Ounluong, Poy Neurn, Phan Sothy, Cheam Adam, Ei Kosal, Khun Makara, Sok Ratha and Seung Kangsan.
The Phnom Penh Post
Friday, 04 September 2009
Robert Starkweather
Eight finalists from the Kun Khmer Champion reality television series will fight in a single-elimination tournament for a total purse of 10 million riels
THE top eight fighters from CTN's reality television series Kun Khmer Champion will face off in a sudden-death tournament for a total of 10 million riels (US$2,409) in cash prizes, the network announced Thursday.
The tournament begins September 9 at the CTN boxing arena and includes the top four winners from both season one and season two of the show.
In the tradition of Kun Khmer Champion, fighters will represent their home province in the tournament, instead of their clubs.
In the first round Wednesday, Khun Makara will face Ei Kosal, and Phan Sothy will face Cheam Adam. Sok Ratha will face Seung Kangsan, and Sam Ounluong will face Poy Neurn on September 26.
Winners from the first round will compete in the semifinals, scheduled for October 10. Losers will be eliminated.
Winning semifinalists will fight for first and second place, while losing semifinalists will have a third/fourth place bout Saturday October 24.
Prizes are 5 million riels, 2.5 million riels, 1.5 million riels and 1 million riels for first, second, third and fourth place, respectively.
Produced by CTN, Kun Khmer Champion concluded its second season in June. The series put 12 fighters together in the same house to live and train. Through weekly bouts, the dozen were whittled down to a single champion over the course of the show.
In season two, Sam Ounluong from Prey Veng knocked out Poy Neurn of Siem Reap to take first place, and Battambang's Phan Sothy beat Kampot's Sok Ratha in the fight for third and fourth.
In season one, Cheam Adam from Kampong Cham beat Ei Kosal from Kratie, to become champion, and Seung Kangsan from Kandal beat Khun Makara, also of Kandal, in the contest for third and fourth.
In his last outing, Cheam Adam fought Sam Ounluong as an undercard attraction to the international bouts held August 20 at CTN. Cheam Adam came back from a second-round knockdown to score a third-round knockout.
Season one concluded in July 2008, and except for Cheam Adam, who has fought once every month since, other season-one finalists have drifted away from the sport over the last year.
Over 400 militants in Pakistan killed in U.S. drone attacks in 9 months
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- At least 443 militants in northwest Pakistan have been killed in 37 U.S. drone attacks during the last 9 months in which the name of the Pakistan Taliban chief Baitullah Masood was on the top of the hit list, the local NNI news agency reported Friday.
According to the news agency, the U.S. drone attacks pounded the hideouts of militants during current year and hit the areas of South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Kurram tribal agency, Orakzai agency and Buno and killed 443 militants.
During the last nine months the total numbers of secret attacks were 37, out of which 27 attacks stroked in the area of South Waziristan, part of the lawless tribal regions along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan. Taliban and Al-Qaeda leaders are believed to be hiding in the area.
The chief of banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Baitullah Mehsud was killed in one of the U.S. drone attacks in early August.
U.S. drones regularly fire missile in the Pakistani tribal regions to target the militants and opposition parties said Pakistani government permitted such attacks. But Pakistan denied the charges.
Pakistan insisted that drone attacks were counterproductive and must be stopped but the CIA chief and top U.S. officials have ruled out any change in the policy.
Pakistani forces are on an offensive against the Taliban in South Waziristan against Taliban sympathizers after it launched an assault in the Swat Valley and Buner in the northwest in April.
Read more!2 shot dead in Southern Thailand
BANGKOK, Sep. 4 (Xinhua) -- Two men were shot dead Friday afternoon in violence-plagued Thai deep South, an area that saw two violence attacks in a single day.
According to Bangkok Post, the village headman and his son were attacked by two gunmen on a motorcycle in Pattani province's Panare district early afternoon.
Local police said Isma-air Vaesateh, 42, head of Tha Nam village, and his son were pronounced dead at Panare hospital.
The event followed a car bombing Friday morning in another southern province of Yala, which occurred in front of a restaurant and killed a police and wounded more than 10 people.
Suspected insurgents hid the bomb inside a pickup truck, parking in front of the restaurant and the blast also damaged several other cars parking nearby.
Police blamed the two attacks on suspected separatist militants.
Thailand's deep South, which includes mainly the three southernmost provinces Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat as well as some parts of Songkla province, has bogged down in violence by suspected separatists for years, during which at least 3,131 people were killed.
A total of 9,947 violent incidents happened in this area since January 2004 to July 2009, with 5,162 shootings, 1,612 bombings and 1,403 arsons, according to the data released by Southern Border Police Operations Centre in earlier August.
Read more!Faction in Thai anti-gov't group normal: leader
BANGKOK, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Faction has occurred in the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) group, but it is normal due to different attitude among the UDD core leaders, UDD core leader Nattawut Saikeu told Xinhua on Friday.
The faction has occurred since the UDD core leaders hold different attitudes towards in the way of fighting for the UDD group, Nattawut said.
"This is normal after having fought for the group for three years, while each has right to create his new way of fighting," he said.
Meanwhile, the UDD core leaders have decided to postpone a mass anti-government rally from this Saturday to Sept. 19.
Sept. 19 marks the third anniversary of a military coup that ousted former Thai Premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who has been perceived as the real leader of the UDD group or the red-shirted people.
Thaksin, who has been accused of corruption, has been kept in exile. In February, 2008, Thaksin returned to Thailand to face corruption charges, but he later fled into exile again and was convicted in absentia.
In a related development, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban called a meeting with top security officials after the UDD postponed the rally to Sept. 19.
The meeting expressed concern over the rally and has agreed to keep all developments under watch before deciding on action plans, the website by Bangkok Post quoted Dithaporn Sasasamit, spokesman of the Internal Security Operations Command as saying.
Read more!Jury says man competent for trial in wife's killing
Friday, Sep. 04, 2009
By Pablo Lopez
The Fresno Bee
A 69-year-old Fresno man who police say has confessed to killing his wife in October is legally competent to stand trial, a Fresno County Superior Court jury has ruled.
Pech Sok is an uneducated Cambodian refugee who knows little English and has lived a miserable life, lawyers told jurors this week during Sok's competency hearing. He was tortured in Cambodia and his first wife died there, the lawyers said.
He hasn't fared much better in Fresno. In August 1998, Sok's second wife, Eng Ath, and two of the couple's children, Sophan and Sopheap, drowned in the San Joaquin River while fishing.
Now, Sok is charged with killing his third wife, Bouen Say, 61, who was stabbed to death at the couple's home in the 400 block of South Woodrow Avenue on Oct. 1. After the attack, police said, Sok cut himself with a knife.
Prosecutor Jeff Dupras told jurors that it was OK to feel sorry for Sok "but it can't cloud your judgment."
Crime and courts coverage Sok has already confessed to police that he killed his wife because she was leaving him, Dupras said. "He knows what he did and he expects to be punished," Dupras said.
The hearing in Judge Gary Orozco's courtroom, however, wasn't to determine whether he was guilty of the crime, Dupras said. It was to determine whether he could understand the court proceedings and assist in his defense.
Psychologist Laura Geiger and Harold Seymour testified that they examined Sok in jail and determined he was legally incompetent because he had problems with his memory and signs of dementia.
His problems stem from being tortured in Cambodia and knocked out several times, attorney Manuel Nieto, who represented Sok, told the panel. Nieto argued that Sok should be sent to a Atascadero State Hospital for treatment.
Dr. Julian Smith, a psychiatrist, however, testified that Sok declined to be evaluated by him, but nevertheless showed enough signs of competency to stand trial.
Dupras told the panel that Sok doesn't have a diagnosed mental disorder. He also said that just because Sok doesn't want to assist his counsel, that doesn't give him the legal grounds to be declared incompetent.
Since his wife's killing, Dupras said, Sok's attitude has been: "Just put me in jail and leave me alone."
After hearing the legal arguments, the jury deliberated about an hour before announcing late Wednesday that Sok was legally competent. Sok's preliminary hearing is now scheduled for Sept. 30.
Read more!
Pech Sok is an uneducated Cambodian refugee who knows little English and has lived a miserable life, lawyers told jurors this week during Sok's competency hearing. He was tortured in Cambodia and his first wife died there, the lawyers said.
He hasn't fared much better in Fresno. In August 1998, Sok's second wife, Eng Ath, and two of the couple's children, Sophan and Sopheap, drowned in the San Joaquin River while fishing.
Now, Sok is charged with killing his third wife, Bouen Say, 61, who was stabbed to death at the couple's home in the 400 block of South Woodrow Avenue on Oct. 1. After the attack, police said, Sok cut himself with a knife.
Prosecutor Jeff Dupras told jurors that it was OK to feel sorry for Sok "but it can't cloud your judgment."
Crime and courts coverage Sok has already confessed to police that he killed his wife because she was leaving him, Dupras said. "He knows what he did and he expects to be punished," Dupras said.
The hearing in Judge Gary Orozco's courtroom, however, wasn't to determine whether he was guilty of the crime, Dupras said. It was to determine whether he could understand the court proceedings and assist in his defense.
Psychologist Laura Geiger and Harold Seymour testified that they examined Sok in jail and determined he was legally incompetent because he had problems with his memory and signs of dementia.
His problems stem from being tortured in Cambodia and knocked out several times, attorney Manuel Nieto, who represented Sok, told the panel. Nieto argued that Sok should be sent to a Atascadero State Hospital for treatment.
Dr. Julian Smith, a psychiatrist, however, testified that Sok declined to be evaluated by him, but nevertheless showed enough signs of competency to stand trial.
Dupras told the panel that Sok doesn't have a diagnosed mental disorder. He also said that just because Sok doesn't want to assist his counsel, that doesn't give him the legal grounds to be declared incompetent.
Since his wife's killing, Dupras said, Sok's attitude has been: "Just put me in jail and leave me alone."
After hearing the legal arguments, the jury deliberated about an hour before announcing late Wednesday that Sok was legally competent. Sok's preliminary hearing is now scheduled for Sept. 30.
No help for Hang Chakra from council [-Can one be expected from the Supreme "Con"-cil of Magistracy?]
Hang ChakraFriday, 04 September 2009
Vong Sokheng
The Phnom Penh Post
SENIOR officials at the Ministry of Justice said that the Supreme Council of the Magistracy has no power to intervene in the case of jailed newspaper publisher Hang Chakra, despite a letter sent by King Norodom Sihamoni to Minister of Justice Ang Vong Vathana asking that the council reconsider the publisher's conviction.
Hang Chakra, the publisher of the Khmer Machas Srok newspaper, was convicted in June of defamation and publishing false information in connection with a series of articles published in April and May accusing officials working for Deputy Prime Minister Sok An of corruption. He was sentenced to one year in prison and fined 9 million riels (US$2,187). The Court of Appeal rejected his case on August 11.
In a letter dated August 24, a group of local media and civil society groups wrote to the King, urging him to request that the Supreme Council of the Magistracy reconsider Hang Chakra's case. The King then forwarded the request to Ang Vong Vathana.
"We considered the request of the King, but based on our analysis, we do not believe that the Supreme Council of the Magistracy has the power or obligation to examine the conviction of the court," a Ministry of Justice official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Tuesday. "I think that the publisher should use his right to appeal to the Supreme Court to reconsider the conviction."
Touch Naro, the president of the Cambodia Journalist Watch Association and one of the signatories of the letter, argued that according to the 1995 Press Law, Hang Chakra's conviction should never have occurred.
"We need an explanation about the legal process that put Chakra in jail, because he did not commit any crimes," he said.
Choung Chou Ngy, Hang Chakra's lawyer, told the Post that he visited his client in jail on Wednesday, finding him in poor health and unsure of whether he will appeal his conviction to the Supreme Court.
Ang Vong Vathana could not be reached for comment on Thursday.
Read more!
Hang Chakra, the publisher of the Khmer Machas Srok newspaper, was convicted in June of defamation and publishing false information in connection with a series of articles published in April and May accusing officials working for Deputy Prime Minister Sok An of corruption. He was sentenced to one year in prison and fined 9 million riels (US$2,187). The Court of Appeal rejected his case on August 11.
In a letter dated August 24, a group of local media and civil society groups wrote to the King, urging him to request that the Supreme Council of the Magistracy reconsider Hang Chakra's case. The King then forwarded the request to Ang Vong Vathana.
"We considered the request of the King, but based on our analysis, we do not believe that the Supreme Council of the Magistracy has the power or obligation to examine the conviction of the court," a Ministry of Justice official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Tuesday. "I think that the publisher should use his right to appeal to the Supreme Court to reconsider the conviction."
Touch Naro, the president of the Cambodia Journalist Watch Association and one of the signatories of the letter, argued that according to the 1995 Press Law, Hang Chakra's conviction should never have occurred.
"We need an explanation about the legal process that put Chakra in jail, because he did not commit any crimes," he said.
Choung Chou Ngy, Hang Chakra's lawyer, told the Post that he visited his client in jail on Wednesday, finding him in poor health and unsure of whether he will appeal his conviction to the Supreme Court.
Ang Vong Vathana could not be reached for comment on Thursday.
China invests $80 mln in Cambodian power sector
04 Sep 2009
PHNOM PENH, Sept 4 - Cambodia has signed an $80 million deal with China National Heavy Machinery Co to build a power transmission network in areas around the capital where factories have mushroomed in the past decade, a power official said on Friday.
Keo Rattanak, director general of Cambodia's Electricite du Cambodge, said the project, which would start next year and take three years to complete, was part of government efforts to address complaints by foreign investors.
The loop line transmission network will bring in electricity from various sources, including hydropower plants built by China in the northwest and southwest provinces, as well as a $160 million, Malaysian-funded coal-fired power plant in the south, he said.
Foreign investors, many of them with factories making garments on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, have complained about the high cost and unreliability of utilities.
In response, the government wants to attract $3 billion of foreign investment to build six hydropower plants and a coal power plant by 2018.
Cambodia currently produces an estimated 300 MW of electricity and aims to meet current demand of about 500 MW with the help of supplies from neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam.
Read more!
PHNOM PENH, Sept 4 - Cambodia has signed an $80 million deal with China National Heavy Machinery Co to build a power transmission network in areas around the capital where factories have mushroomed in the past decade, a power official said on Friday.
Keo Rattanak, director general of Cambodia's Electricite du Cambodge, said the project, which would start next year and take three years to complete, was part of government efforts to address complaints by foreign investors.
The loop line transmission network will bring in electricity from various sources, including hydropower plants built by China in the northwest and southwest provinces, as well as a $160 million, Malaysian-funded coal-fired power plant in the south, he said.
Foreign investors, many of them with factories making garments on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, have complained about the high cost and unreliability of utilities.
In response, the government wants to attract $3 billion of foreign investment to build six hydropower plants and a coal power plant by 2018.
Cambodia currently produces an estimated 300 MW of electricity and aims to meet current demand of about 500 MW with the help of supplies from neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam.
Jury says man competent for trial in wife's killing
Published online on Friday, Sep. 04, 2009
By Pablo Lopez / The Fresno Bee
A 69-year-old Fresno man who police say has confessed to killing his wife in October is legally competent to stand trial, a Fresno County Superior Court jury has ruled.
Pech Sok is an uneducated Cambodian refugee who knows little English and has lived a miserable life, lawyers told jurors this week during Sok's competency hearing. He was tortured in Cambodia and his first wife died there, the lawyers said.
He hasn't fared much better in Fresno. In August 1998, Sok's second wife, Eng Ath, and two of the couple's children, Sophan and Sopheap, drowned in the San Joaquin River while fishing.
Now, Sok is charged with killing his third wife, Bouen Say, 61, who was stabbed to death at the couple's home in the 400 block of South Woodrow Avenue on Oct. 1. After the attack, police said, Sok cut himself with a knife.
Prosecutor Jeff Dupras told jurors that it was OK to feel sorry for Sok "but it can't cloud your judgment."
Sok has already confessed to police that he killed his wife because she was leaving him, Dupras said. "He knows what he did and he expects to be punished," Dupras said.
The hearing in Judge Gary Orozco's courtroom, however, wasn't to determine whether he was guilty of the crime, Dupras said. It was to determine whether he could understand the court proceedings and assist in his defense.
Psychologist Laura Geiger and Harold Seymour testified that they examined Sok in jail and determined he was legally incompetent because he had problems with his memory and signs of dementia.
His problems stem from being tortured in Cambodia and knocked out several times, attorney Manuel Nieto, who represented Sok, told the panel. Nieto argued that Sok should be sent to a Atascadero State Hospital for treatment.
Dr. Julian Smith, a psychiatrist, however, testified that Sok declined to be evaluated by him, but nevertheless showed enough signs of competency to stand trial.
Dupras told the panel that Sok doesn't have a diagnosed mental disorder. He also said that just because Sok doesn't want to assist his counsel, that doesn't give him the legal grounds to be declared incompetent.
Since his wife's killing, Dupras said, Sok's attitude has been: "Just put me in jail and leave me alone."
After hearing the legal arguments, the jury deliberated about an hour before announcing late Wednesday that Sok was legally competent. Sok's preliminary hearing is now scheduled for Sept. 30.
The reporter can be reached at plopez@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6434.
Read more!
By Pablo Lopez / The Fresno Bee
A 69-year-old Fresno man who police say has confessed to killing his wife in October is legally competent to stand trial, a Fresno County Superior Court jury has ruled.
Pech Sok is an uneducated Cambodian refugee who knows little English and has lived a miserable life, lawyers told jurors this week during Sok's competency hearing. He was tortured in Cambodia and his first wife died there, the lawyers said.
He hasn't fared much better in Fresno. In August 1998, Sok's second wife, Eng Ath, and two of the couple's children, Sophan and Sopheap, drowned in the San Joaquin River while fishing.
Now, Sok is charged with killing his third wife, Bouen Say, 61, who was stabbed to death at the couple's home in the 400 block of South Woodrow Avenue on Oct. 1. After the attack, police said, Sok cut himself with a knife.
Prosecutor Jeff Dupras told jurors that it was OK to feel sorry for Sok "but it can't cloud your judgment."
Sok has already confessed to police that he killed his wife because she was leaving him, Dupras said. "He knows what he did and he expects to be punished," Dupras said.
The hearing in Judge Gary Orozco's courtroom, however, wasn't to determine whether he was guilty of the crime, Dupras said. It was to determine whether he could understand the court proceedings and assist in his defense.
Psychologist Laura Geiger and Harold Seymour testified that they examined Sok in jail and determined he was legally incompetent because he had problems with his memory and signs of dementia.
His problems stem from being tortured in Cambodia and knocked out several times, attorney Manuel Nieto, who represented Sok, told the panel. Nieto argued that Sok should be sent to a Atascadero State Hospital for treatment.
Dr. Julian Smith, a psychiatrist, however, testified that Sok declined to be evaluated by him, but nevertheless showed enough signs of competency to stand trial.
Dupras told the panel that Sok doesn't have a diagnosed mental disorder. He also said that just because Sok doesn't want to assist his counsel, that doesn't give him the legal grounds to be declared incompetent.
Since his wife's killing, Dupras said, Sok's attitude has been: "Just put me in jail and leave me alone."
After hearing the legal arguments, the jury deliberated about an hour before announcing late Wednesday that Sok was legally competent. Sok's preliminary hearing is now scheduled for Sept. 30.
The reporter can be reached at plopez@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6434.
Human rights, human wrongs
Photo by: Tracey SheltonMu Sochua joins a march through the streets of Phnom Penh to celebrate Human Rights Day earlier this year.
Friday, 04 September 2009
Mu Sochua
Dear Editor,
I write to comment on the concerns expressed by the government of Cambodia regarding the upcoming hearing on human rights in Cambodia by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, reported by The Phnom Penh Post on September 2, 2009 ["US hearing 'absolutely unfair': govt"].
The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission - formally the Congressional Human Rights Commission founded in 1983 by the late Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor to serve in the US Congress - is an eminent commission co-chaired by congressmen from both the majority and minority parties.
The eight members of the executive committee of the commission are also equally divided and represented, and the rules of a congressional hearing ensure mandatory consultations with the minority party. Unfortunately, such practice and respect for democratic principles is not the case in the National Assembly of the Kingdom of Cambodia, where all nine commissions are chaired and represented solely by the Cambodian People's Party through the practice of winner-takes-all.
The September 10 congressional hearing is organised to address concerns of US lawmakers over the widespread crackdowns on critics of the Cambodian government and the use of the judiciary as a tool to silence the voice of the opposition.
It is also because the Cambodian government has demonstrated insignificant acknowledgment to recommendations issued by the US State Department, UN bodies, donor governments, civil society and the opposition for democratic, legal and just resolutions to conflicts.
As mandated by the US Congress, the commission is nobly fulfilling its mission by holding hearings that are open to the public. Educating members of Congress and their staff on human rights is part of the mission of the commission, and it is through these public hearings that the US has made improvements on its human rights records; and, as in other countries, this mechanism of checks and balances helps prevent serious forms of human rights violations, including corruption in the state system.
The US contribution to Cambodia is more than US$50 million per year. The US Congress should be aware of how this aid is benefiting the people of Cambodia. The US government, through its embassy, communicates with the government of Cambodia on a regular basis. Congressional delegations also visit Cambodia on a regular basis.
It is rather interesting to note the comment of the spokesman of the Foreign Ministry in Cambodia, calling the hearing "absolutely unfair" while the ministry officially warned all governments providing assistance to Cambodia against interfering in the "internal affairs" of Cambodia following recent public remarks, made by the US ambassador to Cambodia, on corruption.
Furthermore, the Foreign Ministry attacked the US State Department's 2008 annual human rights report as "hypocritical and politically motivated" because the report outlines US concerns over Cambodia's poor human rights record. The labelling and unresponsive statements to outside reports are a practice of the government and, at times, even go beyond respect for world leaders renowned for their commitment to the defence of human rights.
The statement of the president of the Cambodian National Committee on Human Rights, in this quote by the Deutsche Presse-Agentur in 2000, illustrates the attitude of the Cambodian government: "It is simply not true. Cambodia is not like he says. It is beneath Cambodia to respond to people like this," he said, referring to professor Yash Ghai, former envoy of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. It should also be remembered that the Cambodian government even failed to send a high level delegation to meet with the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Geneva this past May.
Sustainable solutions for sustainable development to a post-conflict nation such as Cambodia cannot be achieved with technical and financial assistance alone. The rights of the people to receive basic services such as health care and education, decent housing, titles to land and their freedom to express opinions are part of development principles and ethics and the code of conduct for civil servants and public figures to accept and to uphold. Effective mechanisms of accountability and political will for reforms have been lacking in Cambodia and the chance of dialogue for constructive resolutions almost entirely shut.
When elected representatives of the people are pursued in court or publicly humiliated or denounced by using state institutions, including the courts, to protect wrongdoings of the state, with no venues to remedy these malpractices, Cambodia as a whole is the victim. The systematic denial of the violations of human rights hurts the people and the interests of the nation while providing total protection and reinforcement to violators of human rights, whether they be private individuals, civil servants or politicians.
Finally, it is regrettable that the Foreign Ministry spokesman sees no chance that the situation on human rights will improve after the hearing. Does he mean there are violations of human rights in Cambodia after all?
Mu Sochua, MP
Sam Rainsy Party
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Send letters to: newsroom@phnompenhpost.com or PO Box 146, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The Post reserves the right to edit letters to a shorter length.
The views expressed above are solely the author's and do not reflect any positions taken by The Phnom Penh Post
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)