Canada to close embassy in Phnom Penh

Canada to close embassy in Phnom Penh

PHNOM PENH, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The Canadian Embassy in Phnom Penh will close its doors in May after 17 years' operation, said an embassy statement received here on Thursday.
The Canadian government "has decided to change the nature of its diplomatic representation in Cambodia.... Our intention is that a Canadian Ambassador in a nearby country will be accredited to Cambodia," according to the statement.

The decision to close the embassy came after "serious re-examination of Canada's current diplomatic representation throughout the world," it said.

Although the Phnom Penh embassy is closing, new Canadian government offices will be opened, "mainly to take advantage of emerging markets," it said, adding that three of these have already been opened, with two in India and one in Mongolia.

Until now, the Canadian Embassy has occupied a small corner of the Australian Embassy on Street 254 of the capital city.

The Australian diplomats will move into new quarters later this year, and no space there has been allocated for their Canadian counterparts.

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Canada to close embassy in Phnom Penh

Canada to close embassy in Phnom Penh

PHNOM PENH, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The Canadian Embassy in Phnom Penh will close its doors in May after 17 years' operation, said an embassy statement received here on Thursday.
The Canadian government "has decided to change the nature of its diplomatic representation in Cambodia.... Our intention is that a Canadian Ambassador in a nearby country will be accredited to Cambodia," according to the statement.

The decision to close the embassy came after "serious re-examination of Canada's current diplomatic representation throughout the world," it said.

Although the Phnom Penh embassy is closing, new Canadian government offices will be opened, "mainly to take advantage of emerging markets," it said, adding that three of these have already been opened, with two in India and one in Mongolia.

Until now, the Canadian Embassy has occupied a small corner of the Australian Embassy on Street 254 of the capital city.

The Australian diplomats will move into new quarters later this year, and no space there has been allocated for their Canadian counterparts.

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Khmer Rouge trials will not bring justice

Khmer Rouge trials will not bring justice

April 15, 2009
By Chak Sopheap
Guest Commentary
UPI Asia Online

Niigata, Japan — It is not surprising that many foreigners know the details of the Khmer Rouge regime, which ruled Cambodia from 1975-1979, while the young generation of Cambodians may not even know that this inhuman regime ever existed. Cambodian schoolchildren are taught almost nothing about this dark period of their country’s history. Even 30 years after the Khmer Rouge committed its atrocities against the Cambodian people the subject is still sensitive among political groups.

Fortunately, “A History of Democratic Kampuchea,” written by Cambodian author Khamboly Dy and published in 2007, helps to fill in the gap and educate the nation about the murderous regime. The Education Ministry has approved the book as a "core reference" for history classes, but not as part of the core curriculum.

Still, the scope of the textbook is limited and it is controversial in its naming of only certain individuals involved in the regime, its characterization of the massive movement against the Khmer Rouge, and its unclear interpretation of a long-standing political debate in Cambodia over whether Vietnam “liberated” or “invaded” the country when it ousted the Khmer Rouge. Therefore, the young generation is still skeptical about the truth concerning the Khmer Rouge.

When the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, popularly known as the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, was established, many Cambodians hoped it would bring justice, truth and reconciliation for the victims and survivors of the regime. This new hybrid, national-international tribunal was expected to accomplish three things:

* First, it should bring justice to those who died and help those who survived to release their suffering.
* Second, it should strengthen the rule of law by judging and punishing the criminals in fair and open trials. It should be a model marking the end of impunity and the beginning of law enforcement in Cambodia, and serve as a deterrent to all who contemplate such inhuman behavior in Cambodia or in the world.
* Third, it should educate the people of Cambodia and raise awareness about this darkest chapter in the country's history, especially among the young generation. Ultimately, this would lead to the reconstruction of the society as a whole.


However, it is questionable whether these expectations will be met. The claim that the Khmer Rouge Tribunal will benefit Cambodians could turn out to be merely a myth – such a tribunal may not be the best option for national reconciliation.

For one thing, the scope of the tribunal is limited to senior regime leaders who planned its actions or gave orders, as well as those most responsible for committing serious crimes. The foreign countries that supported the Khmer Rouge, or acted as the main catalyst for the emergence of this cruel regime, will not be brought to court. The tribunal’s regulations indicate clearly that only individuals who committed crimes will be tried. This court is not mandated to sentence countries or organizations.

Therefore, only local leaders and a few high-level leaders that were directly involved in the genocide will be sentenced, while many others will go unpunished. It is doubtful if justice and the rule of law will prevail.

Those who support the tribunal may say it is better than nothing, that it is better to accept justice in a narrow sense than to have none at all. But real justice would only be achieved if all who are accused are treated fairly by the court. If the trial procedures do not reveal the root cause of the problem, it is unacceptable.

It is also unclear to what extent these trials can serve as a model for an independent court system in Cambodia, as corruption and nepotism are so widespread, even within this court. Moreover, it is unlikely that the whole truth about the Khmer Rouge regime will emerge through the proceedings of the tribunal. If this tribunal is to be the final page in the Khmer Rouge history, it will be unjust and misleading for future generations.

There are better alternatives to this court setup if justice and national reconciliation are the goals. The funds allocated for the court, which have already exceeded the original budget, should have been used for restorative justice – a healing process – rather than this imperfect retributive justice.

For Cambodian society, real reconciliation will be found only when trust returns between individuals; when they can smile at and trust each other again. Thus, a national dialogue or truth commission should be set up so that people, especially the victims, can fully participate to address their suffering and their needs.
--
(Chak Sopheap is a graduate student of peace studies at the International University of Japan. She runs a blog, www.sopheapfocus.com, in which she shares her impressions of both Japan and her homeland, Cambodia. She was previously advocacy officer of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights.)

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Khmer Rouge trials will not bring justice

Khmer Rouge trials will not bring justice

April 15, 2009
By Chak Sopheap
Guest Commentary
UPI Asia Online

Niigata, Japan — It is not surprising that many foreigners know the details of the Khmer Rouge regime, which ruled Cambodia from 1975-1979, while the young generation of Cambodians may not even know that this inhuman regime ever existed. Cambodian schoolchildren are taught almost nothing about this dark period of their country’s history. Even 30 years after the Khmer Rouge committed its atrocities against the Cambodian people the subject is still sensitive among political groups.

Fortunately, “A History of Democratic Kampuchea,” written by Cambodian author Khamboly Dy and published in 2007, helps to fill in the gap and educate the nation about the murderous regime. The Education Ministry has approved the book as a "core reference" for history classes, but not as part of the core curriculum.

Still, the scope of the textbook is limited and it is controversial in its naming of only certain individuals involved in the regime, its characterization of the massive movement against the Khmer Rouge, and its unclear interpretation of a long-standing political debate in Cambodia over whether Vietnam “liberated” or “invaded” the country when it ousted the Khmer Rouge. Therefore, the young generation is still skeptical about the truth concerning the Khmer Rouge.

When the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, popularly known as the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, was established, many Cambodians hoped it would bring justice, truth and reconciliation for the victims and survivors of the regime. This new hybrid, national-international tribunal was expected to accomplish three things:

* First, it should bring justice to those who died and help those who survived to release their suffering.
* Second, it should strengthen the rule of law by judging and punishing the criminals in fair and open trials. It should be a model marking the end of impunity and the beginning of law enforcement in Cambodia, and serve as a deterrent to all who contemplate such inhuman behavior in Cambodia or in the world.
* Third, it should educate the people of Cambodia and raise awareness about this darkest chapter in the country's history, especially among the young generation. Ultimately, this would lead to the reconstruction of the society as a whole.


However, it is questionable whether these expectations will be met. The claim that the Khmer Rouge Tribunal will benefit Cambodians could turn out to be merely a myth – such a tribunal may not be the best option for national reconciliation.

For one thing, the scope of the tribunal is limited to senior regime leaders who planned its actions or gave orders, as well as those most responsible for committing serious crimes. The foreign countries that supported the Khmer Rouge, or acted as the main catalyst for the emergence of this cruel regime, will not be brought to court. The tribunal’s regulations indicate clearly that only individuals who committed crimes will be tried. This court is not mandated to sentence countries or organizations.

Therefore, only local leaders and a few high-level leaders that were directly involved in the genocide will be sentenced, while many others will go unpunished. It is doubtful if justice and the rule of law will prevail.

Those who support the tribunal may say it is better than nothing, that it is better to accept justice in a narrow sense than to have none at all. But real justice would only be achieved if all who are accused are treated fairly by the court. If the trial procedures do not reveal the root cause of the problem, it is unacceptable.

It is also unclear to what extent these trials can serve as a model for an independent court system in Cambodia, as corruption and nepotism are so widespread, even within this court. Moreover, it is unlikely that the whole truth about the Khmer Rouge regime will emerge through the proceedings of the tribunal. If this tribunal is to be the final page in the Khmer Rouge history, it will be unjust and misleading for future generations.

There are better alternatives to this court setup if justice and national reconciliation are the goals. The funds allocated for the court, which have already exceeded the original budget, should have been used for restorative justice – a healing process – rather than this imperfect retributive justice.

For Cambodian society, real reconciliation will be found only when trust returns between individuals; when they can smile at and trust each other again. Thus, a national dialogue or truth commission should be set up so that people, especially the victims, can fully participate to address their suffering and their needs.
--
(Chak Sopheap is a graduate student of peace studies at the International University of Japan. She runs a blog, www.sopheapfocus.com, in which she shares her impressions of both Japan and her homeland, Cambodia. She was previously advocacy officer of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights.)

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Download KhmerUnicode 1.3.0 exe

Installation Instructions

Double-click on the file KhmerUnicode1.3.0.exe to start the installation.

Note: DO NOT put the Windows XP CD in the CD-ROM drive before the installation program asks for it.

Click "Next" to continue

Click "Next" to continue

Click "OK" to continue

Click "Browse" to find folder i386

If you have Windows XP CD, put it in the CD-ROM drive and find the folder i386. Double-click on that folder and click "Open"-button.

Click "Open" to continue

Click "OK" to continue

If you don’t have Windows XP CD, you can download from our website (the file name is i386.exe ). After downloading is completed, double click on this file and you will see the box below :

Click "Install" to continue

Note : After installation is finished, the i386 folder will be located in C: \ i386 folder on your computer. So you just browse to that folder and click Open.

Click "OK" to continue

Wait for the installation to complete. This may take few minutes.

Click "Finish" to complete the installation

Please restart your computer to make the khmer unicode work properly.

Language Bar

You can see and select on your taskbar the active lannguage

This picture shows that English keyboard is active.

This picture shows that Khmer keyboard is active.

To switch from language to another, just click on the shortcut letter and select the language you need. Or you can press the combination of Alt key and Shift key (Alt + Shift)

Read more!

Download KhmerUnicode 1.3.0 exe

Installation Instructions

Double-click on the file KhmerUnicode1.3.0.exe to start the installation.

Note: DO NOT put the Windows XP CD in the CD-ROM drive before the installation program asks for it.

Click "Next" to continue

Click "Next" to continue

Click "OK" to continue

Click "Browse" to find folder i386

If you have Windows XP CD, put it in the CD-ROM drive and find the folder i386. Double-click on that folder and click "Open"-button.

Click "Open" to continue

Click "OK" to continue

If you don’t have Windows XP CD, you can download from our website (the file name is i386.exe ). After downloading is completed, double click on this file and you will see the box below :

Click "Install" to continue

Note : After installation is finished, the i386 folder will be located in C: \ i386 folder on your computer. So you just browse to that folder and click Open.

Click "OK" to continue

Wait for the installation to complete. This may take few minutes.

Click "Finish" to complete the installation

Please restart your computer to make the khmer unicode work properly.

Language Bar

You can see and select on your taskbar the active lannguage

This picture shows that English keyboard is active.

This picture shows that Khmer keyboard is active.

To switch from language to another, just click on the shortcut letter and select the language you need. Or you can press the combination of Alt key and Shift key (Alt + Shift)

Read more!

Khmer dress

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Pka Knong Pka 4

How do you think about this girl from this movie?

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Reat Trey Pkay Dos Kon Toy

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Thaksin warns of return to violence

Thaksin warns of return to violence

Wednesday April 15 2009
By Richard Spencer in Bangkok
Daily Telegraph (UK)

Thailand's former prime minister warned yesterday that violence would return to the streets of Bangkok if the authorities took a hard line against his supporters.

Thaksin Shinawatra called for the release of the protest leaders after they gave themselves up when the army moved in to surround them.

Arrest warrants have been issued for 14 more opposition leaders, including Thaksin, who went into self-imposed exile last year before a court convicted him of violating conflict of interest laws.

Speaking from Dubai, Thaksin said the Thai government should seek "reconciliation" with its opponents, who wear red shirts in contrast to the yellow tops worn by government loyalists.

"They have to talk to the leaders not just arrest them and put them into jail," he said. "Violence begets violence. If they imprison the leaders there will be more violence.

"If you think you can use power to crush people you can't expect that they will just be silent."

The last of the protesters, who had been besieging Government House for three weeks, gave up and left yesterday. They had been surrounded overnight by thousands of soldiers. Four of the leaders turned themselves in to police.

Thaksin said he had not ordered the surrender but he had told the leaders to be careful and to "worry about life" after a day of violence on Monday when protesters clashed with soldiers across Bangkok.

More than 120 people were reported injured and two were confirmed dead.

Thaksin denied that the end to the demonstrations marked a personal defeat.

"I never fought," he said, insisting that he had been offering "moral support" to the demonstrators, not directing their activities.

The claim is at odds with his explosive video addresses over the past three weeks to crowds in Bangkok, culminating in a call for a "revolution" at the weekend.

Thaksin, whose main support is among the poor, incited the crowds by alleging that a conspiracy of elite interests overthrew his government in a military coup in 2006.

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