Cambodian Information Center (CIC)

Information about Cambodia, Oct 10, 2011

2011-10-10T01:59:00.000-07:00

Cambodia: A village on stilts
Times of India
This journey to Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake, a bewitching pool that ebbed and
waned with the seasons, was magical. After three astounding days of
exploring temples in Siem Reap, I drove a couple of miles outside the city
and caught a boat from a tiny ...
<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/travel/Cambodia-A-village-on-stilts/articleshow/10287191.cms>

Cambodian Refugees Reunite in Oakland, 26 Years Later
New America Media
These days he's recognized as a devoted Cambodian Buddhist monk, a
community leader who travels back to Cambodia and Vietnam every year to do
charity work. But to the survivors of the Vietnamese Dong Rek Refugee Camp,
he was more than a leader. ...
<http://newamericamedia.org/2011/10/cambodian-refugees-reunite-in-oakland-26-years-later.php>

Thai, Cambodian People Join Merit Making for Tightening Ties
CRIENGLISH.com
Thai Deputy Agriculture Minister Pornsak Charoenprasert on Sunday presided
over a merit-making ceremony arranged by Thailand and Cambodia for the
purpose of strengthening bilateral ties. Over a thousand of Buddhist monks
from both countries came to ...
<http://english.cri.cn/6966/2011/10/09/2821s661870.htm>

Guest columnist: Let's make Iowa the hunger-fighting capital of the world
DesMoinesRegister.com
KENNETH QUINN, a former ambassador to Cambodia, is president of the World
Food Prize Foundation. Contact: kquinn@worldfoodprize.org I witnessed the
most devastating scene I have ever encountered exactly 32 years ago this
month, in October 1979, ...
<http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20111009/OPINION01/310090007/-1/gallery_array/Guest-columnist-Let-s-make-Iowa-hunger-fighting-capital-world>

Philippines ranks third on climate change vulnerability list
Inquirer.net
... and Human Security and the German Alliance Development Works said the
top 10 countries facing the highest risk are: Vanuatu, Tonga, the
Philippines, the Solomon Islands, Guatemala, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, Costa
Rica, Cambodia and El Salvador. ...
<http://globalnation.inquirer.net/14987/philippines-ranks-third-on-climate-change-vulnerability-list>

Torquay couple take fight for daughter to minister
Geelong Advertiser
The Patersons unwittingly fell into a legal loophole when, despite the fact
they had been living and working in Cambodia when they adopted Pisey,
lodged her visa application from Australia not Cambodia after returning
home to care for a sick family ...
<http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2011/10/10/284431_news.html>

NappyMuseTV Says Human Trafficking is Happening Right Here in America, and Not ...
PR.com (press release)
NappyMuseTV, Brooklyn, New York's leading Human Rights WebTV Network, today
announced human trafficking in not only taking place in Cambodia, parts of
Africa, and Russia, but right here in the United States of America.
Brooklyn, NY, October 09, ...
<http://www.pr.com/press-release/359616>

Flood death toll in Cambodia rises to 206
China.org.cn
At least 206 people have been killed in the Mekong River and flash floods
hitting in Cambodia since early August, Nhim Vanda, vice president of the
National Committee for Disaster Management, announced on Saturday evening.
"As of Saturday, some 206 ...
<http://www.china.org.cn/world/2011-10/09/content_23573618.htm>

Keith Eckerling, 61, adventurous international college counselor
Chicago Sun-Times
Keith Eckerling in Cambodia. He did whatever he could to help students get
into the school of their choice. Keith Eckerling was a popular teacher at
Chicago's Hubbard High School who went on to travel the globe as a college
counselor at international ...
<http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/8093317-418/keith-eckerling-61-adventurous-international-college-counselor.html>

Cambodia news update for today

2011-10-08T05:06:00.000-07:00

Cambodian musicians joins ASEAN orchestra to raise funds for children's education
Philippine Star
PHNOM PENH (Xinhua) - Cambodian musicians joined ASEAN orchestra on Friday
night in Phnom Penh to raise funds for low vision children in the country
to gain their education like their peers. The 50-member ASEAN symphony was
joined by eight Cambodian ...
<http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=735179&publicationSubCategoryId=200>

At least 183 dead in Cambodia after weeks of flooding
Times LIVE
Cambodia's worst floods in a decade have left at least 183 people dead
since August and damaged nearly 100000 hectares of rice fields, the
government said Friday. Figures provided by the National Committee on
Disaster Management show flooding has ...
<http://www.timeslive.co.za/world/2011/10/07/at-least-183-dead-in-cambodia-after-weeks-of-flooding>

Surgery a success for 3-year Cambodian boy at Children's Hospital LA
Long Beach Press-Telegram
Thankfully it was the last of the delays, and 214 days and a couple hours
after arriving in the United States, the 3-year-old Cambodian orphan
emerged from surgery and began on the road to recovery. As surgeon Cynthia
Herrington delivered the news that ...
<http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_19064951>

Chilliwack shares knowledge with Cambodian leaders
BCLocalNews
By Jennifer Feinberg - Chilliwack Progress Chilliwack has been sharing its
economic and agricultural expertise with two struggling communities in
Cambodia. A Cambodian delegation arrived in Chilliwack last week, and spent
four days touring success ...
<http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/131358173.html>

Sansern says Chuvit's rice smuggling videos old news
Bangkok Post
Videos showing rice being smuggled into Thailand from Cambodia shown in
parliament on Thursday by Rak Thailand Party leader Chuvit Kamolvisit are
old footage, says army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd. Col Sansern made the
statement yesterday in response ...
<http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/260284/sansern-says-chuvit-rice-smuggling-videos-old-news>

Cultural survivors: Angkor Dance Company preserves the traditions of Cambodia
The Star-Ledger - NJ.com
These practitioners of a serene and beautiful art form are the children of
people who survived the Cambodian genocide of the 1970s. With unflinching
brutality, the Khmer Rouge government sought to erase Cambodia's
centuries-old culture by slaughtering ...
<http://www.nj.com/entertainment/arts/index.ssf/2011/10/cultural_survivors_angkor_danc.html>

Tainted rice wine kills nine in Cambodia: police
AFP
... of a bottle previously used for weed killer. Cambodians often drink
locally brewed rice wine, which is relatively inexpensive but can be
dangerous if not mixed properly. A Cambodian woman decants rice wine into a
water bottle for sale in Phnom Penh (
<http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ile4XX2LjeAFDGiT13LqQzQEWw1w?docId=CNG.3f2f95e33765a36d1f4aa9f46af18f0e.3f1>

Export Service Centre Cambodia to offer handmade eco-friendly iPad and iPhone ...
AddPR.com (press release)
“Every item showcased at our booths boasts well of its great quality and
uniqueness and is created by our artisans with great passion,” said
Sokneang Chhour, export manager of the Export Service Centre Cambodia.
“For example, buyers will be stunned by ...
<http://www.addpr.com/articles/non_profit/90449.html>

Cambodia builds for the future
Asia Property Report
Cambodia's first constructers association was officially launched this
week. The association allows constructers in Cambodia to share experiences
and knowledge with constructers from other ASEAN countries and the ASEAN
Constructors Federation. ...
<http://www.property-report.com/site/cambodia-builds-for-the-future-16493>

'Reel' voices speak at film festival
NorthJersey.com
"The producer will give us the big picture of what's going on in Cambodia
and then we will hear people from our own community who have taken positive
action." Another personal favorite this year is "Love Hate Love," which
tells the stories of people ...
<http://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/131309294__Reel__voices_speak_at_film_festival.html>

Senior US lawmaker aims for trafficking downgrade

2011-10-07T00:04:00.001-07:00

FRIDAY, 07 OCTOBER 2011 12:02

KRISTIN LYNCH

A senior United States congressman is moving to have Cambodia’s human trafficking ranking downgraded from Tier 2 to Tier 3, saying such a move would result in a reduction in aid to the Kingdom.

Ed Royce, a California Republican in the US House of Representatives and a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, this week added an amendment to a bill calling for the downgrade.

The amendment to the bill renewing the State Department’s trafficking rankings reclassifies Cambodia as a Tier 3 country on the State Department’s human trafficking ranking.

“My amendment … would cut off non-humanitarian aid to Cambodia in order to push for real reform,” Royce wrote on his blog.

In the Trafficking in Persons Report 2011, released by the US Department of State in June, Cambodia was classified as a Tier 2 country, which groups countries that do not fully comply with minimum standards of the US Trafficking Victims Protection Act but are making “significant efforts” to do so.

Countries placed on Tier 3 are considered not to be making significant efforts to comply with the standards and could be subject to penalties, including sanctions on some forms of foreign aid.

Bills passed by House committees must ultimately be voted on by members of the US House of Representatives.

Ten Boramy, deputy director of the anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection department at the Ministry of Interior, yesterday declined to comment on Royce’s amendment. Department director Bith Kimhong could not be reached for comment.

US embassy spokesperson Michelle Bennett did not comment directly on the amendment, but said: “While there is still much work to be done to comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s minimum standards, Cambodia is making significant efforts to do so.”

Rare cub rescued from soldier

2011-10-07T00:03:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY, 07 OCTOBER 2011 12:03

VINCENT MACISAAC

A sun bear cub rescued from a military base in Preah Vihear province on Wednesday was likely destined for a bear farm in Vietnam, according to Wildlife Alliance.

Photo by: Photo Supplied

Share3

After a “tense” meeting with a military commander on Wednesday, an endangered sun bear cub was rescued from a military base in Preah Vihear province before it could be sold for an estimated US$1,000.

The 10-kilogram cub was found at a base near Preah Vihear temple in Choam Khsan district, in the possession of a soldier who was trying to sell it, likely to a bear farm in Vietnam.

Wildlife Alliance worked with Forestry Administration officials to gain access to the military base after receiving information that a captive bear cub was for sale.

Forestry officials and members of the team “first went to speak to the regional military commander, who then aided the team in raising awareness about the law [among soldiers”, said program manager at Wildlife Alliance Lesley Perlman yesterday.

Wildlife Alliance described the meeting with the unnamed military commander as “tense”, but said that following the meeting the commander helped raise awareness of laws governing endangered species among solidiers.

“As the soldier voluntarily handed over the bear, no charges were filed,” Perlman said.

The bear is being transferred to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre and Perlman said greater effort was needed in Cambodia and regionally to protect endangered species.

“In Cambodia, stronger law enforcement is needed to combat the illegal trade in wildlife on the ground,” she said. Regionally, “both demand and supply side efforts are needed”, she said.

Sun bears are sold as pets or used in Chinese traditional medicine, which highly values their paws and gall bladder bile.

A rapid response team working in Cambodia confiscates about 10 live Malayan sun and Asiatic Black bears a year, Perlman said.

Fainting factory hit with ‘illegal’ strike

2011-10-07T00:02:00.000-07:00

From Phnom Penh post

FRIDAY, 07 OCTOBER 2011 12:03

TEP NIMOL

Photo by: Photo Supplied

Chea Mony speaks at a protest near the M&V garment factory in Kampong Chhnang province yesterday afternoon.

Workers at M&V International Manufacturing’s garment factory in Kampong Chhnang province went on strike yesterday afternoon after talks between management and the Free Trade Union workers broke down.

FTU secretary-general Man Seng Hak said yesterday “the strike would continue until all demands are met and workers will set tyres aflame [today]”. The demands include the reinstatement of 20 employees allegedly fired last month for attempting to establish a branch of the union at the factory.

The FTU has said that workers at the factory began joining its union after two mass fainting incidents at the factory in August. The incidents prompted investigations by the labour ministry, the International Labour Organisation and global brand H&M, which buys apparel from the factory.

A spokesman for H&M told the Post yesterday that the company was “in contact with the FTU and M&V management”. He also said it was “finalising the results from [its] investigation” into August’s mass faintings.

FTU president Chea Mony said that 20 staff had been dismissed for trying to join his union last month.

M&V, however, has said the workers were on short-term contracts that had expired. Soum Sinath agreed, saying “the termination of the contracts between the company and workers was legal, and the factory had no work for them so it ended their contracts”.

He also described yesterday’s strike as illegal. “According to the law, if both sides fail to reach an agreement, they forward their dispute to the Arbitration Council and if the company does not follow the order of the Arbitration Council they have the right to strike,” he said.

FTU’s president at the M&V facility, Tem Silak, said she was among the 20 workers allegedly fired for attempting to establish the union at the factory. She said M&V had dismissed 290 workers in September. “We asked the company to allow them to return to work when work is available, but the company rejected this,” Tem Silak said.

The FTU said 3,000 of the factory’s 4,000 employees joined yesterday’s strike, while Soum Sinath put the number at 1,000.

M&V management declined to comment.

Apple 'genius' Steve Jobs dies from cancer

2011-10-05T21:24:00.001-07:00

Published: 6/10/2011 at 07:32 AM
Online news:

Apple founder and visionary Steve Jobs died Wednesday from cancer aged just 56, a premature end for a man who revolutionized modern culture and changed forever the world's relationship to technology through inventions such as the iPad and iPhone.

Apple on Wednesday announced the death of its visionary co-founder Steve Jobs, pictured in June 2011. Apple fans were invited to share their thoughts, memories and condolences by sending messages to rememberingsteve@apple.com.
"We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today," the California-based gadget-maker said in a statement from its board of directors.
"Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve."
Tributes flowed in from around the world for Jobs, while Apple fans flooded the Twitter and Facebook to voice their sorrow at the passing of the man who helped put mini computers in the shape of phones in millions of pockets.
Jobs was just 21 when he founded Apple Computer in 1976 with his 26-year-old friend Steve Wozniak in his family garage.
From such humble beginnings the company, with its ubiquitous trademark of an apple with a bite taken out of it, grew to eventually become one of the world's most valuable companies.
In July Apple's second quarter profit hit $7.31 billion on revenue of $28.57 billion.
US President Barack Obama paid tribute late Wednesday to one of America's "greatest inventors."
"He transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world," Obama said in a written statement.
Microsoft boss Bill Gates agreed.
"The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come," Gates said in statement, cited on the Wall Street Journal website.
The two men were rivals in the race to dominate the market at the start of the personal computer era.
But while personal computers powered by Microsoft software ruled work places, Jobs envisioned people-friendly machines with mouse controllers and icons to click on to activate programs or open files.
Tim Cook -- who had been handling Apple's day-to-day operations since Jobs went on medical leave in January, and was made CEO in August after his resignation -- led the praise for the Silicon Valley legend.
"Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor," he said.
"Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."
Apple turned its home page into a tribute to Jobs, posting a large black-and-white photo of the bearded high-tech maestro in his trademark black turtleneck and small round glasses. The only caption: "Steve Jobs, 1955-2011."
Jobs' family also issued a statement, saying he had lost his long battle with pancreatic cancer surrounded by his relatives.
"In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family," it said.
Born on February 24, 1955 in San Francisco to a single mother and adopted by a couple in nearby Mountain View at barely a week old, Jobs grew up among the orchards that would one day become the technology hub known as Silicon Valley.
Under Jobs, Apple introduced its first Apple computers and then the Macintosh, which became wildly popular in the 1980s.
He was elevated to idol status by ranks of Macintosh computer devotees, many of whom saw themselves as a sort of rebel alliance opposing the powerful empire Microsoft built with its Windows operating systems.
Jobs left Apple in 1985 after an internal power struggle and started NeXT Computer company specializing in sophisticated workstations for businesses.
He co-founded Academy-Award-winning Pixar in 1986 from a former Lucasfilm computer graphics unit that he bought from movie industry titan George Lucas.
Apple's luster faded after Jobs left the company, but they reconciled in 1996 with Apple buying NeXT for $429 million and Jobs ascending once again to the Apple throne.
Apple went from strength to strength as Jobs revamped the Macintosh line, revolutionizing modern culture and launching a "post-PC era" in which personal computers give way to smart mobile gadgets -- the iPod, iPhone and the iPad.
His passing will raise doubts over whether the Cupertino, California-based company can continue its dominance in the hugely competitive technology sector.
His death comes only a day after Cook presided over the launch of the new iPhone 4S in a move that failed to dazzle investors. Apple shares dropped more than four percent on Wall Street on Tuesday after the company doused analysts expectations that they would unveil a new iPhone model.
Jobs is survived by his wife Laurene, with whom he had three children. He also had a daughter with a woman he dated prior to marrying.

‘Army’ leader confesses

2011-10-04T23:56:00.000-07:00

Original source from Phnom Penh Post

Wednesday, 05 October 2011 12:02

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

Photo by: Pha Lina

Chea Sarann, leader of the 'Sovannaphumi Army Movement', leaves the Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday.

The self-described leader of a group that aimed to overthrow Cambodia’s leadership claimed yesterday a middleman had offered him US$20 million – allegedly from the Taiwanese government – to form the “army” movement.

Chea Sarann, leader of the so-called “Sovannaphumi Army”, went on trial yesterday with his five alleged accomplices after being arrested and charged in April with forming an illegal armed force.

The 49-year-old has admitted his guilt, along with Liv Sok Sovann, 49, Chum Vichey, a miner, and Phlot Vy, a 62-year-old teacher of traditional medicine.

Two more men – farmers Poth Porn, 46, and Yorm Hev, 41 – have denied the charge, although Poth Porn said yesterday that in March, he had unwittingly brought Chum Vichey to look for a cache of buried weapons in his village in Banteay Meanchey province.

During explosive testimony in the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, Chea Sarann, who is also thought to be a former member of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, claimed the army had been established in early 2006 to “overthrow and change” the Kingdom’s government.

In a bizarre turn of events, he added: “The main purpose of the Sovannaphumi Army Movement was to earn US$20 million in aid from the Taiwanese government.”

A man called Thab The, reportedly a former SRP member, had told him the Taiwanese government would give him the money via its embassy in Thailand in exchange for establishing the movement, Chea Sarann said.

Thab The had since disappeared, Chea Sarann said.

Representatives at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand said yesterday they were unaware of the trial.

Cambodia does not have a corres-ponding office, but Chinese embassy spokesman Yang Tianyue said he would look into the case.

Presiding Judge Duch Kimsorn said that “establishing any armed movement without authorisation from the Royal Government of Cambodia is an illegal act and is absolutely prohibited.”

Deputy prosecutor Meas Chanpiseth asked for the suspects to be “strongly punished”.

The Sam Rainsy Party yesterday called for justice to take its course but emphasised that the party “had not been involved in establishing this armed force”.

“The SRP is the party that uses nonviolence and only ideas and pen points for advocacy to defend the nation,” Sam Rainsy Party spokesman Yim Sovann said.

A verdict in the trial is due on October 27.

ផែនការច្បាប់ពន្ធក្រិចថ្មីខុសគោលដៅ

2011-10-04T07:21:00.000-07:00

- RA LARGE

ដោយ ៖ អប្សរា

ថ្ងៃអង្គារ ទី៤ ខែតុលា ឆ្នាំ២០១១ ម៉ោង ១៤:២៣

រដ្ឋមន្ត្រីហិរញ្ញវត្ថុក្រិចបានបញ្ជាក់កាលពីថ្ងៃអាទិត្យកន្លងមកនេះពីច្បាប់ពន្ធថ្មីរបស់ប្រទេសដែលនឹងត្រូវសុំការអនុម័តពីសភាដោយសារតែមិនអាចសម្រេចតាមគោលដៅពីអ្នកផ្តល់ជំនួយរបស់សហភាពអឺរ៉ុប។

សេចក្តីព្រាងច្បាប់ស្តីពីថវិការជាតិត្រូវទម្លាក់ ឱនភាពចំនួន៨,៥ភាគរយនៃផលិតផលក្នុងស្រុកសរុបក្នុងឆ្នាំ២០១១នោះផ្ទុយពីគោលដៅដែលមានចំនួនតែ៧,៦ភាគរយ។
ចំណែកការបន្ថយឱនភាពGDP វិញធ្វើបានតែ៦,៨ភាគរយប៉ុណ្ណោះសំរាប់ឆ្នាំ២០១២ ដែលនៅតែមិនបានតាមផែនការត្រូវសំរេចបន្ថយឱនភាពGDPមកត្រឹមតែ៦,៥ភាគរយ។
សភាត្រូវអនុម័តយល់ព្រមចំពោះកញ្ចប់ថវិកានោះនៅថ្ងៃចន្ទ ទី៣ តុលា ។

យោងតាមច្បាប់នោះបុគ្គលិករដ្ឋាភិបាលចំនួន៣០.០០០នាក់ត្រូវបញ្ឈប់ពីការងារឬកាត់បន្ថយប្រាក់ខែ។ ប្រទេសក្រិចកំពុងស្វះស្វែងរកប្រាក់ជំនួយចំនួន១០,៧ពាន់លានដុល្លារដែលជាផ្នែកមួយនៃការសន្យាផ្តល់កញ្ចប់ថវិកាកាលពីឆ្នាំមុនរបស់ក្រុមសមាជិកសហភាពអឺរ៉ុបចំនួន៣ដែលមានឈ្មោះហៅក្រៅថា Troika។ ពេលនេះប្រទេសក្រិចត្រូវការប្រាក់ជំនួយ ជាចាំបាច់ដើម្បីកុំឱ្យអស់លុយពីហោប៉ៅនៅពាក់កណ្តាលខែតុលា។

កាលពីថ្ងៃព្រហស្បតិ៍ ទី២៩ កញ្ញា រដ្ឋាភិបាលក្រិចបានជួបប្រជុំជាមួយមន្ត្រីដែលមកពីTroika ។ កិច្ចប្រជុំនោះជាផ្នែកមួយនៃការរំលឹកពីការសំរេចថាតើប្រទេសក្រិចបានធ្វើកំណែទំរង់ស្របតាមគោលដៅដើម្បីអាចទទួលជំនួយលើកក្រោយឬទេ ៕

Chinese authors file million dollar lawsuit against Apple

2011-10-04T00:48:00.000-07:00

By Tom Hancock Oct 04, 2011 3:16PM UTC

0 Comments and 0 Reactions

By Tom Hancock

Six Chinese authors, including best selling novelist Han Han, plan to sue Apple’s Appstore for over a million dollars in lost income, Chinese media has reported.

An alliance of authors has already filed a case with Beijing’s second people’s court, reports said. The alliance plans to sue Apple on grounds of copyright infringement, claiming that at least 23 books were illegally sold on the App Store. The alliance is demanding compensation of 6,500,000 RMB (US$1,019,687) from Apple.

A press conference held by the author's alliance earlier this year.

The alliance’s spokesperson Pui Checheng said that Apple had illegally allowed downloads of the author’s works, and enjoyed profits from the downloads. Pu said that several more authors are planning to sue Apple for lost profits.

The alliance was formed earlier this year, when their authors announced their intention to take legal measures against Apple. At the time, Pu said that Apple’s App Store allows downloads of pirated books, making a 30% profits on sales. He estimated that this piracy has led to at least one billion yuan (around US$154 million) in losses for

China

’s publishing industry, suggesting that compensation demands from future lawsuits could be even higher.

This isn’t the first time Chinese authors have worked together to combat apparent infringement of their copyright. This March,

China

’s biggest search engine Baidu deleted 3 million documents from its online document store after an alliance of 40 writers, including Han Han, wrote a letter to the company demanding the removal of their works from the site,

AFP reported.

City, Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchay foster cooperation

2011-10-03T18:54:00.000-07:00

Cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and the Cambodian northwestern province of Banteay Meanchay has great potential, the city’s Mayor said Tuesday.

(File photo) Le Hoang Quan, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee

Mr. Le Hoang Quan, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, made the remark while receiving a delegation from Banteay Meanchay, led by its Governor Oung Oeun.
At the reception, the two leaders affirmed that many businesses in Vietnam and in Ho Chi Minh City had held trade promotions and engaged in effective investment in Cambodia’s localities recently, with two-way trade between Vietnam and Cambodia reaching about 2 billion USD.
Quan said the visit contributed to promoting the multifaceted relations between the two localities.
Oung Oeun expressed his pleasure at witnessing the strong and dynamic development of Ho Chi Minh City and said he wished to further strengthen and tighten cooperation between the two localities and two nations in the future.
Oung Oeun introduced Banteay Meanchay province’s potential for development of tourism, agricultural and mineral exploitation to the HCM City’s leader, hoping that Vietnamese businesses will invest in processing plants for wheat flour and cement as well as in rubber tree plantations in the province, with the locality planning to replace 40,000 hectares of forest with rubber trees.

Cambodia’s Khmer Arts Ensemble

2011-10-03T18:39:00.000-07:00

Dance Troupe to Perform at UCSB’s Campbell Hall

Monday, October 3, 2011

By Elizabeth Schwyzer (Contact)

In 1975, when Pol Pot’s repressive communist regime took the Cambodian capital by force, Sophiline Cheam Shapiro was 8 years old. Her family was forced to flee to the countryside. “I survived,” the choreographer explained in a Skype interview from Phnom Penh last week, “but my dad and two brothers passed away.”

More than 30 years have passed since the horrors of the Khmer Rouge, but Shapiro says her life’s work is an attempt to make sense of that period of extreme upheaval, violence, and loss.
Today, Shapiro is the artistic director of Khmer Arts Ensemble, a professional dance troupe that tours internationally, sharing classical Cambodian dance with the larger world. In addition to preserving the nation’s dance traditions, the company also performs neoclassical works, choreographed by Shapiro, that combine Cambodian cultural heritage with contemporary aesthetics and themes. One such work is The Lives of Giants, based on the epic poem “Reamker,” which is a Buddhist version of the Hindu “Ramayana.” Next Thursday, October 6, Arts & Lectures brings the 20-member Khmer Arts Ensemble to UCSB’s Campbell Hall to perform The Lives of Giants.

Courtesy Photo

Cultural legacies and contemporary aesthetics collide when Cambodia’s Khmer Arts Ensemble takes to UCSB’s Campbell Hall on Thursday, October 6.

“Reamker” is a canonical part of Khmer literature, drama, visual art, and religious festivals, but Shapiro’s aim isn’t simply to retell a well-known story. Instead, she’s using the plot of “Reamker” to offer a solution to what she calls “the cycle of violence.”
The opening episode of the poem tells the story of a giant who guards Shiva’s temple. The gods and goddesses taunt him as they pass through the temple gates, until the giant begs Shiva for help. In response, Shiva endows the giant with a magic finger, warning him to use it only in self-defense. But the seduction of power proves too great, and the giant brings pain and destruction to the gods.
In some ways, The Lives of Giants is a classical Cambodian dance. It incorporates traditional music, glittering costumes, and painted masks. But Shapiro is interested in the future of Cambodian dance, as well as its past, and this piece exemplifies her effort to give these ancient traditions contemporary relevance. “This is a situation that happens all over the world,” she said of the dance’s plot. “Someone exploits the powerless, and when the powerless finally gain power, they seek revenge. It’s a full cycle of misfortune and abuse. And so the question is, ‘How can we find solutions to stop this cycle?’”
“At the end of the last scene, I have all the broken gods and goddesses surround the giant’s body,” she explains. “They all pose in a submission of compassion. The reason I do this is because healing can only occur when both the giant and the gods let go of arrogance.”
This blend of ancient and modern themes shows up in the costumes, which combine leotards with prints based on the carvings at Angkor Wat, as well as in the set and lighting, created by New York designer Marcus Doshi. Choreographically speaking, Shapiro innovates but doesn’t stray too far from her classical roots. “Cambodian classical dance is usually very dignified, stylized, and calm,” she explained, “so when I want to express pain, I use the same characteristics. But instead of having everything balanced, I take everything off balance, or make it crooked.”
For Shapiro, honoring the history of Cambodian dance is as important as creating something new. As one of the first to graduate from the school of classical dance after it was rebuilt in the early 1980s, she remembers a time when that heritage seemed lost forever. “Art is a symbol of culture,” she explained. “It’s sacred. My teachers were devoted to the preservation and revival of Cambodian dance after the Khmer Rouge — they wanted to make sure the form was alive and could go on. So watching and witnessing them inspired me greatly. I feel it’s my mission to transmit the knowledge I gained from them, and also to continue this artistic tradition into the future.”

Tribunal Only Part of Answer to Trauma: Author

2011-10-03T18:38:00.000-07:00

Tribunal Only Part of Answer to Trauma: Author

Phy Sopheada, VOA Khmer | Washington

Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Daryn Reicherter

"I think for many people who are troubled by lingering feeling of injustice, their hope is that the tribunal’s proceedings will help to alleviate those feelings of anxiety associated with injustice."

[Editor’s note: “Cambodia’s Hidden Scars” is an study of the trauma inflicted by the Khmer Rouge and its current manifestation in Cambodian society. It was published by the Documentation Center of Cambodia to promote healing some of the psychological damage brought on by the violence of the regime. Co-author Beth Van Schaack, a professor at Santa Clara University’s School of Law, specializes in transitional justice and international law and human rights. She spoke with VOA Khmer recently about the book and Cambodia’s efforts to come to grips with its past.]
Research in the book shows that a high percentage of Cambodians have been exposed to extreme violence. How does this explain the high percentage of mental health issues in the country?
Well, as our research shows, there are a number of negative psychological outcomes associated with exposure, especially long-term exposure over many months or even years now with the Khmer Rouge period, to high levels of trauma. And one of those results is really a constellation, or syndrome, which is called post-traumatic stress syndrome. It’s not only that the trauma was so enormous, that is, really systemic. The entire society was turned upside down. Many of them lost important, close family members.
The second explanation for why it is still so high now is that there were not any efforts following the Khmer Rouge period to have any sort of transitional justice, where individuals had the opportunity to bear witness to what happened to them, to have their stories be gathered and told.
There was no definite history written for many years under the Vietnamese-backed government. As we know, the schoolbooks really excluded mention of the Khmer Rouge period, so children had little knowledge of what their parents or grandparents had experienced, and as a result many of these trauma-related issues remained unresolved.
Only now are we having a tribunal, where we’re awakening a lot of these memories among the people, and we have to confront the fact that these wounds were never really healed, that there was no societal-based response to the trauma that had happened. There were no opportunities to receive any sense of justice or closure, because society moved on and everyone was expected to go back to their lives and attempt to rebuild on their own.
How can the UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal help deal with these trauma-related mental health issues in Cambodia?
One hope is for individual victims participating in the work of the tribunal. This will provide them an opportunity to bear witness, to tell their stories in an official format, to have their stories acknowledged, to confront defendants, to confront individuals whom they deem responsible for what happened to them, what happened to their loved ones.
Having a judgment come out that finds some level of liability for the responsible individuals, and also a judgment that tells a definite history of what happened, or the nature of the oppression and the violence under the Khmer Rouge, and then to have the person be listed as an official victim or civil party of that tribunal, that creates a sense of justice that can give closure to people who have felt there was lack of accountability in their society. So that can help individual victims and their immediate family members.
The hope is that the work of the tribunal will also benefit individuals who are not able to participate directly, for whatever reasons: they don’t want to be civil parties, they can’t give direct testimonies against any of the defendants, or they are not invited to do so, or their particular region is not the focus of a closing order or an indictment before the tribunal. Those individuals have the opportunity to see justice being done, and the judgment will be made public. There is really good outreach that the tribunal is doing, and NGOs are doing, that enables a broader segment of the population to feel involved in what is happening.
Many NGOs in Phnom Penh, such as the Documentation Center of Cambodia, which is doing a great job in bringing people from the countryside into Phnom Penh to watch hearings and trial proceedings, so they have a sense of what is happening and they can bring that knowledge back to their communities.
[There are] forums being held all over the country about the tribunal, about the ongoing cases, about the legal ideas and the claims and theories of responsibility that are being argued about on the legal side. So there is a sense of a nationwide accountability mechanism, that even if you are not directly involved you can benefit by virtue of all of the outreach and education that is happening.

Courtesy of Beth Van Schaack

Beth Van Schaack, a professor at Santa Clara University’s School of Law, specializes in transitional justice and international law and human rights. She is a co-author of “Cambodia’s Hidden Scars”.

Is the justice the tribunal provides enough to help heal victim trauma and mental health disorders?
Well, I think it is too much to say that it would heal them directly. But I think for many people who are troubled by lingering feeling of injustice, their hope is that the tribunal’s proceedings will help to alleviate those feelings of anxiety associated with injustice.
Part of the goal of the book that we’ve written is to say that the tribunal is not enough alone. We need to have a nationwide mental health policy coming from the government in Phnom Penh that is able to reach people throughout the country.
One of the things that we recommended is to create a mental health center that would work with healers in the countryside in order to create locally based clinics, and victims’ group meetings, etc., to try not only to basically support the work of the tribunal but to carry it forward. Because the tribunal is not a medical establishment. That’s not its goal necessarily, to heal the society, but having that sense of justice will be an important component to healing a society going forward.

Are other mechanisms contributing to the work of the tribunal?
Any mechanism or response of transitional justice is multifaceted, having many different components to it. The tribunal is one really important component, but we also know that it has its limitations. It will only try or prosecute a handful of defendants; there are many defendants out there; there are many individuals who are victims, who are not having the opportunity to participate in the work of the tribunal.
Providing more mechanisms for more people to be involved to address the crimes of the past is important to support the work of the tribunal, which is going to be limited. We all know that it has yet to provide complete justice to Cambodia. Many people, including myself, have argued that it would be ideal to have some form of a formal truth commission.
There could be a mechanism in which you have more of a coming together of the entire country, with the government more actively involved, to have some sort of a healing ritual or something that involves the entire country and would have the government’s support.
Do you think this extreme violence has affected the next generation?

One of the chapters in our book focuses on inter-generational trauma. And part of what it shows is because parents have lingering psychological issues, they may manifest in abuse, in substance abuse, in physical abuse, in depression, in the inability to form healthy emotional relationships with people.
Children ultimately suffer in those relationships. They don’t have the kind of supportive emotional tie and connection to their parents that individuals growing up in a healthy society have. So what we can see is the reproduction of some of the same psychological issues in the next generation. Much of the research done after the Holocaust shows that survivors of the Holocaust often manifest this issue within their own family, and we’re seeing that it is in parallel with Cambodia and Rwanda, in the families of survivors as well. So again, it’s important to help support those parents, the adult survivors, so that their children have the benefit of growing up happy and healthy in a comfortable home.
Would a truth commission, added to the work of the tribunal, be enough to prevent these mental health issues from recurring in the future, for generations to come?

It’s obviously hard to know what’s enough, and there are never enough resources to do everything that would be perfect to deal this, not even in a perfect world with unlimited resources. But I do think it’s important to do as much as possible. I think it’s very easy to say, “It’s too late,” to just write off this generation of people, and I don’t believe that’s true at all.
These people deserve not to be written off, deserve to be the focus of attention. They experienced an incredible event, and they survived that event, and they deserve our support and our assistance, from the government and the international community.
We all bear some responsibility for allowing genocide like this to unfold. And so I think it’s important to do as much as possible, especially while the tribunal is happening, because there is a sense of focus on the Khmer Rouge era while the tribunal is happening. There is a certain momentum there. There is a certain amount of attention. International donors, foundations and civil society are engaged in this process, so there is sort of a moment now that the government could take advantage of in order to think about mental health more broadly and to think about transitional justice more broadly.
Do you have any suggestions or recommendations for Cambodians, the government or the international community regarding these “hidden scars”?
Civil society has done a great job with that, and the donor community and international foundations focusing on justice need to continue to support that work.
I also think it’s very important for the tribunal to think more creatively about reparations. The reparations awarded in Duch’s case were disappointing to many victims. And in Case 002, the tribunal should think more creatively about how what it’s doing can contribute to restorative justice within the victim population.
The Cambodian government also needs to make mental health generally a priority in its healthcare system generally. Often mental health issues contribute to problems within society that the government is focusing on like, substance abuse or physical abuse, so if you can reach the root causes, you can help prevent some of these manifestations. So we would like to see more resources put toward mental health in Cambodia from government coffers, and also from the donor community and international community to really focus on mental health as an issue.
And part of what that is required is sensitizing and educating the populace [to say] that when you feel this way, you’re not alone, you’re not strange, it’s a mental health issue, a mental health issue that can be addressed.
We would hope that people would not suffer in silence, that they would have places they can go to get help, people they can talk to, to say, “This is what I’m experiencing.”
We would hope that there would be resources available, so that if they would need psychiatric help, there are psychiatrists and medications available, or if traditional healing would be the most effective, that there are well-trained traditional healers who can recognize mental health symptoms associated with great trauma. And all of these efforts need to be coordinated together.
Part of that is an education initiative, and part of that is appropriate funding for this organization, and appropriate training for individuals. It’s a huge job, but it’s a job that will have the long payoff of a society that is healthy, a society that can develop. So this is ultimately part of the development for the country of Cambodia going forward.

Harsh migrant law drives Latino kids out of Alabama schools

2011-10-03T18:30:00.001-07:00

Harsh migrant law drives Latino kids out of Alabama schools

Published October 04, 2011

| EFE

Washington – Associations defending human rights reported Monday an exodus of Hispanic students from Alabama following last week's court decision upholding the part of a tough state immigration law requiring schools to verify their immigration status.

"This law is the most unjust of all the immigration laws passed in the United States. It goes further, because it not only strikes fear into undocumented families but violates the right of children to an education," Mary Olivella, vice president of Moms Rising.org, said.

In a conference call, several associations joined with the many individuals and organizations opposed to Alabama's HB 56, considered the toughest of the five state laws that, inspired by Arizona's SB 1070, have recently been adopted in the United States to combat illegal immigration.

All of those measures have been challenged in court.

In her ruling last week, U.S. District Judge Sharon Lovelace Blackburn barred Alabama from enforcing four of the law's provisions pending final adjudication, but allowed others to stand.

Among the parts still in force is the one authorizing police to ask people they suspect of being undocumented for their papers and also the part that requires schools to verify the immigration status of students who registered after Sept. 1.

It is precisely the latter clause that has sowed panic in the state's immigrant community, so that hundreds of children have dropped out of school since last week and many others had already told their teachers they weren't coming back to class.

The vice president of Immigration and Child Rights Policy for First Focus, Wendy Cervantes, warned Monday that the law will not only make undocumented children drop out of school, but also U.S.-born youngsters whose parents or other relatives are undocumented.

She also noted that the funds schools receive depend on the number of students enrolled, so that, if last week's drastic drop in the number of students becomes permanent, Alabama law will also be detrimental to the other kids' education.

In the face of such fears, Alabama schools have undertaken a campaign to calm families down by convincing them that any information they provide will not be forwarded to immigration authorities.

But their call for calm has had little effect among the undocumented, who not only are taking their kids out of school, but fearing the other harsh provisions of the law, are even leaving the state where, in Olivella's words, "they feel rejected" since the law was passed.

ANZ overdraft fees challenged in court

2011-10-03T04:50:00.000-07:00

Updated October 03, 2011 20:26:08

PHOTO: The case will rule on whether ANZ charges excessive overdraft fees (AAP Image: Sergio Dionisio)

VIDEO: ANZ sued over penalty fees(7pm TV News NSW)

MAP: Australia

The company behind what is claimed to be the biggest class action in Australian legal history says the case could reap tens of millions of dollars for ANZ customers.

The Federal Court in Melbourne has begun hearing the case, which aims to establish whether ANZ charges excessive fees to customers who run up overdrafts.

Andrew Watson from Maurice Blackburn Lawyers says 34,000 ANZ customers are involved in their case, and a win for them would have knock-on effects for customers of other banks.

"If we're successful in our claims against ANZ, it is likely that other banks will need to front up to the reality that their contracts contain the same problems with charging exorbitant fees," Mr Watson said.

"We say that for things like honour and dishonour fees on bank accounts, the actual costs to the bank associated with processing those things are much lower than with the penalties that are being charged."

Mr Watson said today's hearing marked the first major step in the case since proceedings were issued on September 22 last year.

"This hearing will answer important questions regarding the definitions within the contracts between ANZ and its customers of what is a fee or a charge," he added.

Numerous cases from English law, some going back centuries, were brought up, including the example of two fish mongers - one selling stinky goods.

AUDIO: ANZ class action underway (PM)

Justice Michelle Gordon questioned the relevance of that story, but accepted that it was sometimes difficult to measure what a penalty or fee should be.

She says she is not holding a royal commission into banking.

James Middleweek from Financial Redress, the group funding the class action, says the case could have wide-reaching effects.

"There are obvious implications if we win on late fees for other industries that have charged these things, like utility companies, I think when you get up to $5 and $50 people have just been ripped off."

The hearing is set down for the next fortnight.

Topics: law-crime-and-justice, banking, industry, business-economics-and-finance , company-news, consumer-protection, australia

First posted October 03, 2011 06:24:23

Human Rights Watch urges Khmer Rouge judges to quit over failings

2011-10-03T04:45:00.000-07:00

Human Rights Watch urges Khmer Rouge judges to quit over failings

Straits Times - ‎7 minutes ago‎

PHNOM PENH (AFP) - Judges investigating two new Khmer Rouge cases at Cambodia's United Nations (UN)
-backed war crimes tribunal have failed in their duties and should resign, a leading rights group said on Monday.
'The Cambodian people have no hope of ...

Rights group: Khmer Rouge trial judges should quit

eTaiwan News - ‎1 hour ago‎

AP An international human rights group is calling for two judges in Cambodia's Khmer Rouge tribunal to
resign because they allegedly limited investigations that could have led to the indictment of more suspects.
New York-based Human Rights Watch said ...

Rights Group Demands Resignations of Khmer Rouge Panel Judges

Voice of America (blog) - ‎2 hours ago‎

A leading human rights group is calling for the resignation of the two investigating judges at
the international tribunal investigating Khmer Rouge war crimes in Cambodia.
New York-based Human Rights Watch issued a statement Monday saying the Cambodian ...

'The Road to Freedom': 2 vanish in Cambodia

The Seattle Times - Walter Addiego - ‎8 hours ago‎

A movie review of "The Road to Freedom," about the disappearance of Sean
Flynn, son of actor Errol Flynn (played by Joshua Fredric Smith) and Dana Stone (Scott Maguire) in Cambodia.
The indie film opens Monday, Oct. 3, at the Metro. ...

Cambodia: Judges Investigating Khmer Rouge Crimes Should Resign

TrustLaw - ‎2 hours ago‎

The two investigating judges at the hybrid Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC),
created to try Khmer Rouge mass crimes and to bring justice to the Cambodian people, have egregiously
violated their legal and judicial duties and ...

Quit now, rights group tells Cambodia tribunal judges

Radio Australia News - Robert Carmichael - ‎2 hours ago‎

The rights group Human Rights Watch says the two investigating judges at Cambodia's United
Nations-backed war crimes tribunal in Phnom Penh should quit. This follows a string of controversial decisions,
amid widespread fears they are doing the ...

Human Rights Watch says Khmer Rouge tribunal judges should resign

Monsters and Critics.com - ‎3 hours ago‎

Phnom Penh - Human Rights Watch called Monday for the resignations of two judges at the UN-backed
Khmer Rouge tribunal, claiming they had 'egregiously violated their legal and judicial duties.'
The US-based rights group also said the United Nations ...

Cambodia suffers worse from climate change

2011-10-03T01:25:00.000-07:00

Xinhua, October 3, 2011

Original source: http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2011-10/03/content_23544104.htm

Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister Yim Chhay Ly said Monday the country has been suffering more serious from global climate change in recent years, referring to the floods that has hit the country since August and killed at least 150 people so far.

"We are in poor country, we don't have enough sophisticated equipment and techniques to respond to that irregular phenomenon, so we are easily vulnerable to the impacts of climate change," he said during opening the 2nd National Forum on Climate Change, which was attended by some 500 government officials, development partners, academia, private sector and civil society.

Climate change has been seriously impacted economic and social development and environmental protection, he said.

Yim Chhay Ly said the Mekong River and flash floods hitting Cambodia since August have cost Cambodia millions of U.S. dollars and needed years to rehabilitate.

"It cost human lives, destroy agricultural crops, infrastructure, homes, schools and so on," he said. "It has been slowing down Cambodia's efforts in developing the nation."

Cambodia has been suffering the worst from the Mekong River and flash floods in the last decade. Since early August to date, the floods had killed at least 150 people, submerged 130,220 homes with affected 173,063 families, and affected over 270,000 hectares of rice paddies, according to the reports of the National Committee for Disaster Management.

The floods also affected more than 100 kilometers of national roads and up to 1,800 kilometers of gravel roads, it said.

Meanwhile, Yim Chhay Ly called on foreign donors and development partners to accelerate their supports to Cambodia during the flood period and post-flood rehabilitation period.

2011-10-02T23:54:00.000-07:00

កម្ពុជាជាសំបុកនៃការលួចតាមអ៊ីនធឺណិត

MONDAY, 03 OCTOBER 2011 12:05
DON WEINLAND

ភ្នំពេញៈ BETFAIR ដែលជាក្រុមហ៊ុនល្បែងតាមអ៊ីនធឺណិតដ៏ធំជាងគេនៅលើពិភពលោក បានចាត់ទុកកម្ពុជា ជាប្រភពលួចព័ត៌មានតាមកុំព្យូទ័រ ដោយក្នុងនោះ ព័ត៌មានដែលមានការចំណាយរបស់អតិថិជនជិត២,៣លាននាក់ត្រូវបានគេ លួច។
Share3
លោក Jonathan Lates អ្នកនាំពាក្យរបស់ក្រុមហ៊ុនមានមូលដ្ឋាននៅអង់គ្លេស បានឲ្យដឹងកាលពីម្សិលមិញថា កម្ពុជា ជាប្រទេសតែមួយគត់ដែលកំណត់រកឃើញដោយ Betfair ទាក់ទងនឹងការវាយប្រហារតាមប្រព័ន្ធអ៊ីនធឺណិត កាលពីថ្ងៃទី១៤ ខែមីនា ឆ្នាំ២០១០។ ការវាយប្រហារនោះ ត្រូវបានកំណត់រកឃើញកាលពីខែឧសភា ឆ្នាំមុន ប៉ុន្តែអ្នកប្រើប្រាស់ មិនបានដឹង។
មន្ត្រីអាជ្ញាធរអភិវឌ្ឍន៍បច្ចេកវិទ្យាព័ត៌មានវិទ្យាកម្ពុជាមិន បានដឹងថា កម្ពុជា មានឈ្មោះនៅក្នុងរបាយការណ៍របស់ក្រុមហ៊ុននោះឡើយ។
លោក Bernard Alphonso អ្នកពិគ្រោះយោបល់ផ្នែកសន្តិសុខព័ត៌មាន នៅកម្ពុជា បានឲ្យដឹងកាលពីម្សិលមិញថា ការវាយប្រហារតាមបណ្តាញផ្ទុកទិន្នន័យកម្ពុជា (server) អាចនឹងធ្វើឲ្យក្រុមហ៊ុននោះ ជឿជាក់ថា វាមានប្រភពនៅកម្ពុជា។
លោក Alphonso បានឲ្យដឹងថា កុំព្យូទ័រនៅក្នុងហាងអ៊ីនធឺណិតនៅកម្ពុជា មានមេរោគជាច្រើន ចូលលុកលុយ ហើយការប្រើប្រាស់ software លួចចម្លង ក៏ធ្វើឲ្យមេរោគទាំងនោះ រាតត្បាតពាសពេញ ដែលជាហេតុធ្វើឲ្យការវាយប្រហារចូលកុំព្យូទ័រទាំងនោះ មានភាពងាយស្រួល នៅក្នុងប្រទេសផ្សេងៗ ប៉ុន្តែមានប្រភពមកពីប្រទេសកម្ពុជា។
លោកបានលើកឡើងថា៖ «កុំព្យូទ័រជាច្រើន ឆ្លងមេរោគ ហើយអាចងាយស្រួលរាតត្បាតដោយអ្នកប្រើប្រាស់មិនបានដឹង»។ លោកបានបន្ថែមថា កង្វះការយល់ដឹងអំពីសន្តិសុខអ៊ីនធឺណិត ក្នុងចំណោមក្រុមហ៊ុនជាច្រើន ធ្វើឲ្យរដ្ឋាភិបាល និងអ្នកប្រើប្រាស់ផ្ទាល់ខ្លួន អាចជាគោលដៅវាយប្រហារ។
ការអះអាងរបស់ Betfair ធ្វើឡើងបន្ទាប់ពីជនជាតិចិន និងតៃវ៉ាន់ ៦០នាក់ ត្រូវបានចាប់ខ្លួន នៅកម្ពុជា កាលពីសប្តាហ៍មុន ពីបទឆបោកតាមទូរស័ព្ទ។
ពេលនោះពួកគេធ្វើសកម្មភាព ដោយប្រើប្រាស់ទូរស័ព្ទអ៊ីនធឺណិត ជនដែលត្រូវចាប់ខ្លួនទាំងនោះ បានលួចយកប្រាក់ពីប្រជាជនចិន បន្ទាប់ពីផ្លាស់ប្តូរប្រភពនៃការហៅទូរស័ព្ទចូល។ ប្រជាជនចិន និងតៃវ៉ាន់ជាច្រើននាក់ ត្រូវបានចាប់ខ្លួន នៅតាមតំបន់ កាលពីខែមិថុនា ពីបទចោទប្រកាន់ស្រដៀងគ្នានេះ៕CS

Betfair, the world’s largest online betting company, has named Cambodia as the possible origin of a cyber attack in which payment information from 2.3 million users was stolen.

Cambodia was the only country that had been identified by Betfair, which is based in Britain, in connection with the security breach on March 14 last year, company spokesman Jonathan Lates said yesterday.

The attack was detected in May of last year, although users were not informed of the theft nor was the security breach mentioned in a pros-pectus before the company’s 1.39 bill-ion pound (US$2.17 billion) initial public offering last October, according to English newspaper the Telegraph.

When reached by phone yesterday, officials at the National Information Communications Technology Development Authority were unaware the Kingdom had been named in the company’s report.

A proxy attack via a Cambodian server might have led Betfair to believe the attack had originated in the Kingdom, Cambodia-based information security consultant Bernard Alphonso said yesterday.

Computers in the Kingdom’s hundreds of internet cafes were highly infected with viruses and pirated software use was endemic, making it easy to launch attacks that originated in other countries but appeared to come from Cambodia, Alphonso said.

“Many computers here are infected and can be easily manipulated without the user knowing,” he said, adding that a general lack of internet security awareness among companies, the government and personal users made Cambodia a possible host, and target, of cyber crime.

Betfair’s claims come after the Post reported that 60 Chinese and Taiwanese nationals had been arrested in Cambodia last week over telephone scam allegations.

2011-10-02T23:52:00.000-07:00

Prison guard now prisoner in his own jail

Original source from phnom penh post

MONDAY, 03 OCTOBER 2011 12:01

MAY TITTHARA

A guard at the capital’s Prey Sar prison has been detained in the jail following his arrest on Thursday for allegedly smuggling methamphetamines into the facility inside a loudspeaker, officials said yesterday.

Dangkor district police chief Born Sam Ath said that 43-year-old prison guard Kong Sopheap was arrested by fellow guards at the prison’s Correctional Centre 1 on suspicion of drug trafficking and sent to the municipal court.

“The former prison guard was detained at Prey Sar prison after he was sent to the court,” he said, adding that police had confiscated three packages of methamphetamines from Kong Sopheap.

Prey Sar prison director Sun Lean said that the guard had been brought to the district police office after drugs were located inside the loudspeaker.

“I don’t know how long he had been delivering drugs to prisoners,” he said.

I told all prison guards they have to stop doing what they used to do in the past

Sun Lean added that he often spoke with prison guards about their duties and regulations as set out by the Interior Ministry.

“If we cannot arrest those prison guards [who are] maybe trafficking drugs in the prison then we cannot control the situation in the prison,” he said.

“I told all prison guards they have to stop doing what they used to do in the past and I will take strong action against [them].”

In July, former Prey Sar prison chief Mong Kim Heng was temporarily suspended along with four other staff in connection with “irregularities” at the facility.

Sorn Keo, spokesman for the general department of prisons at the Ministry of Interior, and municipal court deputy prosecutor Sok Roeun declined to comment.

2011-10-02T23:50:00.000-07:00

Flood toll rises over weekend

MONDAY, 03 OCTOBER 2011 12:01

MOM KUNTHEAR AND KHOUTH SOPHAK CHAKRYA

Photo by: May Virak

Residents traverse a flooded section of a street in Arey Khsat village, Lvea Em district in Kandal province on Friday.

More than 148 people are now believed to have died in flooding that has swept through Cambodia, while Prime Minister Hun Sen has called the waters the worst to affect the Kingdom in a decade.

The official death toll currently stands at 148, but more are believed to have died over the weekend and are not yet included in the official list, Cabinet Chief of the National Committee for Disaster Management Keo Vy said yesterday.

Of the official count, 52 were children, the Prime Minister said in a public address on Saturday, adding that 80,000 hectares of rice crops had been destroyed and 170,000 families displaced. “The government offers condolences to the families of the dead and will donate 2 million riels (US$500) to the families of each of the dead,” the premier said.

But those who have put themselves in danger and had perished because of their own carelessness would not receive a donation, Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said yesterday. The government has also given US$55 million to the National Committee for Disaster Management to provide emergency relief and bereavement payments, he said.

The floods are the worst since 2000, according to Hun Sen, when more than 350 people perished. The 2000 disaster was at the time reported to be the worst flooding in 40 years and United Nations reports said 30 per cent of the population was affected.

Waters in Cambodia receded over the weekend but several storm systems – such as Typhoon Nesat and Tropical Storm Nalgae – could impact on the Kingdom.

“Even after the flood water recedes, we have to be careful of the storm that is crossing the Philippines as it will move to China and Vietnam and could affect the Kingdom,” Hun Sen said on Saturday.

The US Embassy in Phnom Penh echoed those concerns in an emergency message to its citizens regarding the possible dangers of Nesa on Friday. “Conditions and water levels in Cambodia may change rapidly and without warning,” the message said. China’s Xinua news agency yesterday reported that Typhoon Nesat, the strongest to hit southern China since 2005, was already causing dangerous
water levels in southern Chinese provinces, with levels likely to peak today. Vietnam weather reports yesterday predicted Tropical Storm Nalgae to hit Hanoi and northern Vietnam on Wednesday.

In Cambodia, Hun Sen said is still much work to be done for affected areas including provision of food, shelter, medicine and clean water.

Assessing damage is also proving difficult for officials. Although Hun Sen said on Saturday 80,000 hectares of rice crop had been destroyed, this figure could be closer to 200,000 hectares said Ministry of Agriculture deputy director general Hean Vannhorn.

“We aren’t aware yet of exactly how much rice has been destroyed, all we have is temporary results,” he said.

Cambodia's activist monk remains defiant despite temple ban

2011-10-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

Cambodia's activist monk remains defiant despite temple ban

Updated October 3, 2011 13:56:27

A Cambodian monk, who has been targeted by the government for his social activism, says the country's top leaders are responsible for the poverty and suffering of some of its citizens.

Venerable Luon Sovath came to prominence after a forced eviction from his village in 2009 turned violent, and police opened fire on land protesters, injuring four people.

The villagers called the monk in to help document the incident and advocate on their behalf.

This began his work travelling the country, helping to inform people of their rights and to protest against land grabs.

He says this practice of what he calls "engaged Buddhism" has resulted in him being arrested and being threatened with beatings, death, and defrocking as a monk.

In April this year, the ruling body for Buddhist monks in Cambodia banned Venerable Luon Sovath from going to temples in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap.

Presenter: Liam Cochrane
Speaker: Venerable Luon Sovath, a Cambodian monk and social activist

How can a bishop navigate in a cyberspace world?

2011-10-02T20:11:00.001-07:00

How can a bishop navigate in a cyberspace world?

Have you read the Official Memorandum of the Young People’s Forum 2011 which is about Facebook and the other so-called social media?

For the ‘majority of young people… the public sphere is all online and, on the contrary, what is offline is private stuff’

- Fr Peter Serracino Inglott

Sometimes an unheralded event happens which marvellously restores in an oldie like me his badly battered, not to say shattered, confidence in the up-and-coming generation.

One such unexpected event is this 26-page publication by the Kummissjoni Djoċesana Żgħażagħ (KDZ) which purports to be a summary of the opinions of some 300 young men and women who contributed to its compilation.

“The social media have rendered physical distance almost insignificant” And: “technology minimises limits of time and distance.”

These keynote phrases ringing out the death-knell of distance in cicada-like tones stirred up in my mind, fashioned mainly at Oxford over 50 years ago, memories of Alice Through the Looking Glass.

“Well, in our country,” said Alice, still panting a little, “you’d generally get to somewhere else – if you ran very fast for a long time as we’ve been doing.”

“A slow sort of country!” said the Queen. “Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.”

The Red Queen’s realm – as the Forum sees it mirrored in cyberspace – is constituted by two rejections. First, the very image of running on the same spot reverses the Enlightenment belief in unremitting progress in human affairs. Secondly, the public domain, from which individual personalities are to be kept out, is abolished or at least has its frontiers made fuzzy.

Youth Forum 2011 thinks Facebook (and the social media) amounts to a two-fold phenomenon. First, it is the climax of the secular process of privatisation, that is of the elimination of a common space inhabited by all citizens.

Secondly, it is decisively contributing to the development of a world made up exclusively of individuals unaware of any binding common heritage.

For the “majority of young people”, we are told, “the public sphere is all online and, on the contrary what is offline is private stuff.”

The social media enable more relationships to be entered into by individuals, but they will neverbe as full as in face-to-facecommunication.

Because of the weaker nature of the contact, much more is revealed by the individual and in that way what previously belonged to the realm of intimacy is made available to a wide circle of people. In cyberspace, as in Red Queen’s country, together with distance, the common public space vanishes and the juxtaposition of individual spaces appears instead.

From what you have said does it follow that the Youth Forum thinks that the advent of Facebook and the social media is of great importance in political life?

The forum holds that while with the traditional media such astelevision there were just a few actors who could for some reason command a wide diffusion of their views, with the social media everybody could be an actor besides being a member of the audience.

Moreover there is no longer public opinion, meaning a mass reaction, but a multitude of different opinions which are not coaxed into uniformity by the dominant pressures of elites.

On the other hand, individual personalities count for much more, even to the extent that exhibitionists and narcissistic leaders are likely to become popular, although they must not exceed certain limits in self-exposure, as Silvio Berlusconi and perhaps even Nicolas Sarkozy have done.

What does the Youth Forum say about the social media and religion?

Mainly it is an application to the area of spirituality of the basic thesis that a hyper-individualism has developed.

Thus it is said that it was the individual personality of a priest participating which counted rather than his official or ritual function.

This parallels what was said about politicians. It might even throw light on the debate about the question of Church financial compensation to the victims of paedophile priests.

Let us assume, first, that people who have suffered financial loss, for instance, through psychological disabilities in getting jobs are entitled to compensation, and secondly, that there is no unfairness in victims not receiving money when the ecclesial authorities have not been guilty of cover-ups, while money was paid when they were. The reason for financial ‘compensation’ (hardly the right word) will then be essentially to boost the spirit of the victims for them to overcome the traumas undergone.

In the pre-Facebook era, the aim would have been achieved through some kind of collective ritual ofreconciliation.

Many were impressed when after the Pope himself had spoken to the Maltese victims with tearsin his eyes, their leader saidthat although he had abandoned church-going, he emerged “aconfirmed Christian”.

Although broadcast to the whole world, nevertheless the action was carried out in a private and almost intimate context, rather than as a public ritual of reconciliation.

Equally notable for its highlighting of informality and friendly flavour, after the meeting with the Archbishop, it was said that an oral apology and a cup of tea, or gestures of the kind, were not what was wanted. Only money was deemed the fitting response to what was insistently defined as a moral offence.

This manner of thinking is surely a stark example of the result of carrying to an extreme limit the Facebook premise that there is no common world but only juxtaposition of individual spaces, with communication between them almost totally mediated by monetary exchanges.

Fr Peter Serracino Inglott was talking to Miriam Vincenti.

Youth Forum at the 2011 Beringia Days

2011-10-02T20:10:00.001-07:00

Youth Forum at the 2011 Beringia Days

Youth Forum participants and Elizabeth Shea of the National Park Service are brainstorming.

September 27, 2011
Beringia Days 2011, held in Nome, Alaska September 9th and 10th, included for the first time a Youth Forum which ran concurrent to the main program. This forum brought together young leaders from villages in the Beringia region, high school students from Anchorage, local students from the Nome community and several youth from Chukotka. The Beringia Program invited 8 young leaders, nominated by their village IRA's (Indian Reorganization Act), from the communities of Gambell, Savgoonga, Wales, Shishmaref, Unalakleet, Koyuk, Kiana and Kivalina to attend the inaugural Youth Forum. The session was also attended by 20 students from Northwestern Alaska Career and Technical Center (NACTEC) in Nome, West High School students involved in the previously funded 2008 Beringia project "Alaska/Chukotka Climate Change Examination" and students from Kotzebue that were involved in the 2008 "Finding the Lost Dances" project. Youth from Chukotka, mainly members of the native dance group "Solnyshko," also came and participated in the meeting with the help of their translator Oksana Yashchenko.

The Youth Forum convened on Saturday morning with opening remarks by National Park Service Deputy Director Peggy O'Dell and Alaska Regional Director Sue Masica. The participants were then introduced to the activities of the Shared Beringian Heritage Program through an overview of projects funded by the program since its creation in 1991. After watching videos of Native dance performances and student interviews from Chukotka, the youth were divided into four groups focusing on a specific category of Beringia projects. These included: Archeology, Cultural Preservation, Climate Change, and Subsistence. Youth collaborated with expert "mentors" in these subject areas and brainstormed ideas for future Beringia projects involving and directed by young people. The Youth Forum concluded with power point presentations to the main conference during which the youth participants in each group outlined their recommendations for future Beringia projects. The recommendations included several ideas for future Beringia projects that could be funded by the Shared Beringian Heritage Program or other sponsors of such programs. The Cultural Preservation group proposed to maintain and sustain the Siberian Yupik language via a shared curriculum based on native dances, sports and handicrafts common to indigenous people in Alaska and Chukotka; the Climate Change group suggested that students document changes to hunting calendars in Chukotkan villages as a result of climate change; the Archeology group wanted to conduct an archeology workshop for students and residents of Beringian communities; and the Subsistence group recommended the development and distribution of a safety booklet and DVD on subsistence activities for indigenous people on both sides of the Bering Strait.

The hard work and dedication of the youth participants, the staff members, and the mentors made for a very successful and productive forum on future Beringia projects. The young people generated valuable recommendations for the Beringia Program and other funding sources. These suggestions were especially valuable as they come from a generation that will soon be the leaders in scientific, cultural, and environmental research. Several of the recommendations are being considered in more detail for possible funding.

The Beringia Program and the Youth Forum organizers would like to give a special thanks to the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve staff for hosting the Youth Forum. In particular we would like to thank Superintendent Jeanette Pomrenke and Interpretive staff Nichole Andler and Jennifer Thelen for being such a large part of the Youth Forum. We are especially grateful to our mentors Guy Martin, Nadezhda Sudakova, Mille Porsild and Kaare Erickson for working with the Youth Forum participants and providing valuable feedback on their project recommendations.

Cambodia says 150 killed in worst floods in decade

2011-10-02T19:27:00.001-07:00

Cambodia says 150 killed in worst floods in decade

Published: October 2, 2011 3:14 AM
By The Associated Press

QUICK READCambodia says 150 killed in worst flash floods in more than a decade

(AP) -- Cambodia says flash floods have killed at least 150 people in the Southeast Asian nation since August.

The floods are the worst to hit the country since 2000, when 374 people were killed.

Cambodian government disaster agency spokesman Keo Vy said Sunday that flood waters along the Mekong River and other places have damaged 670,000 acres (271,000 hectares) of rice fields, as well...

John Wayne: Forgiving an American icon

2011-10-02T19:25:00.001-07:00

John Wayne: Forgiving an American icon

Dave Stancliff/For The Times-Standard

Posted: 10/02/2011 02:30:21 AM PDT

Vietnam 1970 -- I had been in country one week when my squad leader said, “We don't need any John Waynes in this squad.” Nearly everyone I met during my tour in Vietnam and Cambodia agreed with that sentiment.

At first, it was hard for me to understand why everyone seemed so down on the Duke.

At 19 I knew very little about politics. I learned that Wayne used his iconic status to support conservative causes that kept the war going. That included rallying support for the Vietnam War by producing, co-directing and starring in the critically panned Green Berets in 1968.

That movie was propaganda, pure and simple. After awhile, I understood why his name had come to represent the establishment and the senseless war we were fighting. I found out there were no heroes like the ones in the movies. Just survivors. Most of the Vietnamese I met wanted us to go home. We came to realize we were invaders, not saviors.

I never saw anyone cry out, “for God and Country” and charge into enemy bunkers with an M-16 blazing away. That's not the war I saw. I saw corruption on the South Vietnamese side and the American side. A thriving black market. Master sergeants in supply getting rich. And lots of Americans doing drugs.

How could my boyhood hero have supported such a massive mistake? Why did he support the government that put us there for no good reason? What made Marion Mitchell Morrison side with the bad guys?

While he epitomized

Advertisementrugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon, he was also known for his conservative political views and for being a hawk on the war. I believe the Duke felt he was patriotic and doing the right thing Time has been kind to the Duke's memory. A Harris Poll released in January 2011 placed him third among America's favorite film stars, the only deceased star on the list and the only one who appeared in the poll every year since it first began in 1994. To millions, he symbolized and communicated American values and ideals. Nothing will ever change that. I'll always consider him a great actor despite disagreeing with his politics.

His son, Ethan Wayne, is selling some of his stuff in an auction at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, and also online, Oct. 3-6. Ethan has such a large collection of his father's movie memorabilia that he decided to open his archives for the auction.

Among the items to be offered are the actor's Golden globe for True Grit -- with an estimated value of $50,000 -- one of his eye patches from the movie, plus 400 other costumes, scripts, personal documents and awards, according to a story in the LA Times (9/7).

Ethan Wayne said he believes his dad still resonates with fans around the world not only because of his movies “but he was also liked personally. People knew he was the same kind of guy off screen as he was on screen. You can sense that about him. He never got bogged down with the darker side of his life.”

Some hold Wayne in contempt for the paradox between his early actions -- he never went into the military -- and his rampant patriotism in later decades. His widow suggested he was that way because he felt guilty, and not because he was a hypocrite.

You know what? I forgave him a long time ago. I'm beyond those bad old days when the Duke wore a black hat instead of his customary white one. I have no problem watching a re-run of him in “Stage Coach,” “The Searchers,” “The High and Mighty,” “The Flying Tigers,” or the “Shootist.” Wayne played the lead in 142 of his film appearances. I'm pretty sure I've seen every film he ever made.

It's easier now for me to go back to my childhood days when the Duke ruled the cinema. If I could afford it, I would attend the auction and buy a piece of his

memorabilia.

I once use worked as a security guard at the gated community where he and his wife Pilar lived in Newport Beach (1974), and I saw him there regularly.

Those memories serve me well. He was easy to talk with. We had many interesting conversations, him in his non-descript Ford station wagon, and me standing there in a rent-a-cop uniform at the main gate. He treated me with respect when he learned I was a Vietnam veteran. One day, when I told him I was getting married, he gave me a cigar and wished me the best of luck.

As It Stands, I wonder what that cigar would have sell for at the auction?

Dave Stancliff is a retired newspaper editor and publisher who writes this column for The Times-Standard. Comments can be sent to richstan1@suddenlink.net or to www.davesblogcentral.com.

UN voices concern over major human and economic toll by Asian floods

2011-10-02T19:24:00.001-07:00

UN voices concern over major human and economic toll by Asian floods

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 2 (APP): The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) on Sunday voiced its concern at the millions of flood-hit people in many Asian countries in Asia, and urged governments to increase their investment in disaster risk reduction. Pakistan,the Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Thailand are all suffering from the effects of flood waters, and many people have lost their lives as a result.

“People shouldn’t die because of floods. We have the technology to alert communities before floods arrive. People can be evacuated in time, lives saved and livelihoods protected. Once again, early warning systems are the smart choice and the most efficient of all disaster prevention measures,”said Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlstrom.
She also expressed her concern over the long-term economic impact of the floods on the affected countries, many of which have seen their infrastructure damaged and their services interrupted by the heavy rains, and said this would be one of the main issues she will focus on during her upcoming visit to the region.
According to a UNISDR report, floods account for a significant amount of damage to public assets such as health and education facilities, as well as to the livelihoods, homes and assets of poor people. However,most of these losses are not recorded by governments, making it difficult for them to invest in disaster reduction measures.
“The invisible nature of this large volume of disaster loss is one reason why so many countries are finding it difficult to make both political and economic decisions to prioritize investment in disaster risk management,” said Wahlstrom.
In Cambodia, tens of thousands of hectares of rice paddies have been inundated, and about 300 schools closed after the rains on Saturday.
“The damage is very serious this year. It is the country’s worst flooding in a decade. More than 17,000 families have been evacuated to higher ground in 12 provinces across the country,” said Keo Vy, a Cambodian disaster official. In Thailand, more than two million acres of farmland are underwater and more than 635 schools have been damaged, leaving thousands of children out of school.
In Pakistan, this is the second year in a row that the country has endured severe floods. The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that 5.4 million people have been affected, 73 per cent of the harvest has been destroyed, and 36 per cent of the livestock has been killed in flooded areas.
Gaelle Sevenier, a spokesperson for WFP, said the agency has provided 7,000 tons of food rations to 490,000 people in flood-affected areas in Pakistan, and added it will increase its efforts to provide food assistance to 500,000 new beneficiaries by the end of the month.

Cambodian Information Center (CIC)

Information about Cambodia, Oct 10, 2011

Cambodia news update for today

Senior US lawmaker aims for trafficking downgrade

Rare cub rescued from soldier

Fainting factory hit with ‘illegal’ strike

From Phnom Penh post

Apple 'genius' Steve Jobs dies from cancer

‘Army’ leader confesses

ផែនការច្បាប់​ពន្ធក្រិច​ថ្មីខុស​គោលដៅ​

Chinese authors file million dollar lawsuit against Apple

City, Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchay foster cooperation

Cambodia’s Khmer Arts Ensemble

Monday, October 3, 2011

Tribunal Only Part of Answer to Trauma: Author

Tribunal Only Part of Answer to Trauma: Author

Courtesy of Beth Van Schaack

Harsh migrant law drives Latino kids out of Alabama schools

Harsh migrant law drives Latino kids out of Alabama schools

ANZ overdraft fees challenged in court

Human Rights Watch urges Khmer Rouge judges to quit over failings

Cambodia suffers worse from climate change

Xinhua, October 3, 2011

Betfair, the world’s largest online betting company, has named Cambodia as the possible origin of a cyber attack in which payment information from 2.3 million users was stolen.

Cambodia's activist monk remains defiant despite temple ban

Cambodia's activist monk remains defiant despite temple ban

How can a bishop navigate in a cyberspace world?

How can a bishop navigate in a cyberspace world?

Youth Forum at the 2011 Beringia Days

Youth Forum at the 2011 Beringia Days

Cambodia says 150 killed in worst floods in decade

Cambodia says 150 killed in worst floods in decade

John Wayne: Forgiving an American icon

John Wayne: Forgiving an American icon

UN voices concern over major human and economic toll by Asian floods

ផែនការច្បាប់ពន្ធក្រិចថ្មីខុសគោលដៅ