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Obama: US Determined to Act on Climate Change

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:30:00 +0000

President Barack Obama told a special U.N. summit on climate change the United States understands the gravity of the problem and is determined to act. The U.N. meeting, which brought together about 100 world leaders, is aimed at advancing lagging negotiations in advance of a critical conference on global warming at year's end in Copenhagen.

The summit speech was the U.S. president's first address to the world body and he used the message to reassure delegates that the United States, which shunned the 1997 Kyoto climate pact, is determined to make the successor Copenhagen process a success.

Mr. Obama provided no new proposals. But he said the United States and other developed economies, which caused much of the damage to the world climate over the last century, have a responsibility to lead.

He said the fast-growing developing nations, which will produce almost all the growth in global carbon emissions in the decades ahead, must do their part as well.

With the world economy mired in recession, Mr. Obama said there should be no illusion that producing the sweeping changes needed for success at Copenhagen will be easy.

"But I am here today to say that difficulty is no excuse for complacency," the president said. "Unease is no excuse for inaction. And we must not allow the perfect to become the enemy of progress. Each of is must do what we can to grow our economies without endangering our planet, and we must do it together. We must seize the opportunity to make Copenhagen a significant step forward in the global fight against climate change."

United Nations Secretary Ban Ki-moon(R)addresses United Nations Climate Change Summit, 22 Sep 2009
United Nations Secretary Ban Ki-moon(R)addresses United Nations Climate Change Summit, 22 Sep 2009
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened the meeting with an appeal to accelerate the lagging pace of pre-Copenhagen negotiations. He said that failure to reach broad agreement in the Danish capital in December would be morally inexcusable, economically-short sighted and politically unwise.

But perhaps the most forceful appeal for action came from President Mohamed Nasheed, of the Indian Ocean's Maldives islands, large parts of which are little more than a meter above sea level and which stand to be swamped by rising waters if global warming is not checked.

Mr. Nasheed said he and his countrymen are frustrated over international gatherings that feature verbal pledges for climate change action, but afterwards the delegates drift away, empathy for the plight of the Maldives fades, and there is return to business-as-usual.

"If things go business-as-usual, we will not live, we will die," he said. "Our country will not exist. We cannot come out from Copenhagen as failures. We cannot make Copenhagen a pact for suicide. We have to succeed and we have to make a deal in Copenhagen."

Negotiators hope the Copenhagen meeting will produce specific limits for overall emissions by developed countries, and specific goals for cuts in the rate of growth of carbon output by the developing nations.

Chinese President Hu Jintao, whose country, like the United States accounts for one-fifth of all world greenhouse gas pollution, announced a set of specific emissions curbs.

"We will endeavor to cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by a notable margin by 2020 from the 2005 level," he said. "Second, we will vigorously develop renewable energy and nuclear energy. We will endeavor to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 15 percent by 2020."

New Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama reaffirmed his campaign pledge for Japan to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020.

Environmental activists hope momentum from Tuesday's one-day climate summit will spur climate treaty negotiators who convene again next week in Bangkok.

Police Enforced Family Burial

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:07:00 +0000

The father of an ethnic Uyghur man in northwest China says police turned out in force.

HONG KONG—Police in China’s remote Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region surrounded the home of an ethnic Uyghur man who died in police custody and forced the family to bury him without an inquiry into how he died, the man’s father said.

The burial on Sunday ended a tense standoff between police in remote Lengger [in Chinese, Langan] village and the family of Shohret Tursun, 31, whose badly bruised and disfigured body was released to his relatives on Saturday.

On Saturday, one villager said eight trucks of soldiers and two other armed vehicles had surrounded Tursun’s family home in Lengger [in Chinese, Langan] village in Qorghas [in Chinese, Huocheng] county, Ili prefecture—after the family refused to bury him as instructed without an inquiry.

“We locked the door of the room where we keep the body, but the police officers broke the lock,” Tursun’s father, Tursun Ishan, said in an interview. “There were too many…”

“There were police officers waiting in front of our door. From the cemetery to the house, it was full of police officers on the street. Since yesterday, there were police officers on each and every corner of the city. They wouldn't let people from other neighborhoods join the funeral.”

“My two daughters were trying to prevent the police officers from entering, but the police were very harsh with them. We were forced to bury [the body],” Ishan said.

“They told me that he had a heart attack. But it was a lie. It is a lie. My son never had a medical problem in his life,” Ishan said.

“His body was full of wounds and bruises—his legs, belly, and back were covered with wounds and scars. His chest was full of bruises.”

Police continued to surround the family home and the cemetery shortly after midnight Tuesday, he said.

Ethnic rioting

Tursun, a member of the Uyghur ethnic minority and the father of a two-year-old, was among some 40 men from Qorghas detained around the time of deadly protests July 5 in the regional capital, Urumqi, villagers said.

The protests by Uyghurs, a largely Muslim Turkic people, followed alleged official mishandling of earlier ethnic clashes in far-away Guangdong province.

The July 5 protest sparked days of deadly rioting in Urumqi, pitting Uyghurs against majority Han Chinese and ending with a death toll of almost 200, by the government’s tally.

Tursun was detained July 6 in Urumqi. He was transferred to Ili on July 18 and Qorghas on July 23, he father said.

"If I had bribed the police officers, my son would probably be released," he said. "I considered selling my land to save my child, but his wife and mother were afraid a bribe would make him look guilty."

"Another boy in the same prison cell with my son was released after his family paid 30,000" yuan, or about U.S. $4,400, he said.

About 10 days ago, relatives said, Tursun—along with Pazilat Akbar, Rabigul, Eli Hesenjan, and more than 35 others—were transferred from Urumqi to the Qorghas county jail.

Uyghurs say they have long suffered ethnic discrimination, oppressive religious controls, and continued poverty and joblessness despite China's ambitious plans to develop its vast northwestern frontier.

Xinjiang is a strategically crucial vast desert territory that borders Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.

The region has abundant oil reserves and is China's largest natural gas-producing region.

Original reporting by Shohret Hoshur for RFA’s Uyghur service. Translation from the Uyghur by Zubeyre Shemshidin. Uyghur service director: Dolkun Kamberi. Written and produced for the Web in English by Sarah Jackson-Han.

Obama Addresses Clinton Global Initiative

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:01:00 +0000

U.S. President Barack Obama is calling on leaders from all sorts of backgrounds to come together to tackle worldwide problems. Mr. Obama says it is time for a new spirit of partnership.

The comments came in a rather philosophical address to the Clinton Global Initiative. It is a forum set up by former President Bill Clinton to encourage leaders from government, business, academia and other fields to join forces to deal with global challenges.

President Obama left no doubt he believes in their cause.

"If you want to bring about change in the world, you can't just be an advocate of somebody else doing it," said President Obama. "You can't just preach lofty goals and wait for somebody else to act. You have to step up. You have to serve."

He said groups like the Clinton Global Initiative are making a difference around the world by working with business to cut dangerous emissions, empowering entrepreneurs with micro-loans, and giving hope to some of the world's poorest children.

"That is the meaning of service," said Mr. Obama. "That is the difference we can make when we remember our common humanity, when we embrace our common responsibilities, when we recognize our common destiny."

President Obama lavished praise on his Democratic Party predecessor at the White House. He said the Clinton Global Initiative has had an impact on more than 200 million people in more than 150 countries.

Mr. Obama said such a contribution is always welcome, but more so now.

"As hard as it may be to sustain in these economic times, your commitments have never been more needed, they have never been more inspiring," he said.

The Clinton Global Initiative also heard from the prime ministers of Turkey, Australia and the Netherlands, and the presidents of Argentina and Chile. The heads of two major international firms - Walmart and Coca-Cola - also took part in the group's annual meeting in New York City.

Noodles Hot in North Korea

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 05:53:00 +0000

A budget food item in South Korea is now a prized gourmet item across the border.

SEOUL—North Koreans are consuming increasing quantities of brand-name instant noodles, and the three-minute fast food packages are among the hottest gifts at this year's traditional harvest festival, or Chuseok.

Top brand on the menu for harvest gifts this year is Shin Ramyun, made by South Korean food manufacturer Nong Shim in the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang.

"North and South Koreans are one people, and that is why people in the North like the spicy, but refreshing taste of Shin Ramyun, a product rooted in the tradition of Korean cuisine," said Jang Jae Ku, director of public affairs at Nong Shim’s headquarters in Seoul.

Jang said Nong Shim had sold somewhere between 30,000 and 40,000 boxes of Shenyang-made Shin Ramyun in the isolated Stalinist state during 2008, with 20 packs of instant noodles per box.

He said that one box of instant noodles changes hands in North Korea for around 30,000 North Korean won (U.S. $9.00), a steep price for ordinary citizens in the communist North.

"In North Korea it is only the high-ranking government officials and military officers who can afford to give and receive boxes of Shin Ramyun as a present," Seoul-based North Korean defector Lee Nakyung said.

"I was in the military, and that is why I had an opportunity to taste instant noodles while in North Korea," she said.

Special gift

In South Korea, where individual buyers consume around 85 bowls of ramen noodles annually, twice as much as their Japanese counterparts, the humble instant noodle was also once prized as a harvest-time gift.

Instant ramen noodles were first manufactured in South Korea in 1963, during the post-war era in which food was less plentiful and diverse than today.

In the 1960s and 70s, ramen noodles produced by South Korean foodstuff manufacturer Samyang were a popular gift generally sent to friends or older people on major Korean holidays like Lunar New Year and Chuseok.

Now, the North also produces a home-grown variety of ramen instant noodles, known as "Curly Noodles."

In the 1980s, these instant noodles were part of the standard rations distributed to the entire population of North Korea.

Instant noodles were also sent in balloon packages flown across the border by the South Korean authorities to the North until the late 1990s.

Kang Woo Sung, a North Korean defector who arrived in South Korea in 2008, remembers having tasted South Korean instant noodles while living in the North.

"When I was serving in the [North Korean] Army, I saw a balloon landing on a mountainside. Out of curiosity, I went there and found ramen," he said.

"We were told not to eat South Korean instant noodles, because the South Koreans had supposedly used toxic ingredients. But I didn’t believe it," he said.

2004 accident

South Korean instant noodles entered North Korea on a large scale in the aftermath of the April 2004 Ryongchon railway disaster in North Korea, when a flammable cargo exploded at a railway station, killing or injuring as many as 3,000 people.

South Korean press reports said at the time that most South Korean humanitarian assistance groups that sent emergency supplies in the wake of the explosion included about 420,000 packs of instant noodles in their shipments to the North.

North Korean women who visited South Korea in 2002 and 2003 as cheerleaders at international sporting events hosted by the cities of Pusan and Taegu also told North Koreans about the taste of South Korean instant noodles upon their return to the North.

"Throughout their stay in South Korea, these [North Korean] young women had instant noodles and chicken as a late night snack. They absolutely loved it, and told people in North Korea about it," Lee Nakyung recalled.

Ramen noodles have also become popular in the South Korean-invested Kaesong Industrial Complex in North Korea, and in the Mount Kumgang Resort area.

North Korean defectors continue to enjoy the instant noodles in South Korea, according to Kang Woo Sung.

"Instant noodles are so easy to prepare—even a man can easily do it," he said.

"All it takes after coming back late from school is boiling some water and then mixing the noodle soup, and ... one is all done with dinner for the night."

Original reporting in Korean by S.W. Park. Korean service director: Insop Han. Translated by Grigore Scarlatoiu. Written for the Web in English by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Sarah Jackson-Han.

Afghanistan Assessment Sparks Renewed Debate

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 05:41:00 +0000

President Barack Obama, accompanied by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, announces a new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, 27 Mar 2009

The publication Monday of a secret assessment by the new U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan has sparked a fresh round of debate about what the coalition strategy should be and how many troops are needed to implement it.
President Barack Obama, accompanied by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, announces a new comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, at the White House in Washington, 27 Mar 2009
President Barack Obama, accompanied by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, announces a new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, 27 Mar 2009

President Barack Obama laid out his strategy for Afghanistan in March. He said the main goal must be to prevent the country from again becoming a base for terrorist attacks on the United States as it was in 2001, which he said requires preventing the Taliban from returning to power. And he added this:

"For six years Afghanistan has been denied the resources it demands because of the war in Iraq. Now we must make a commitment that can accomplish our goals," he said.

Now, the president's new commander in Afghanistan has presented his resource requirements. In a secret assessment published by The Washington Post Monday, General Stanley McChrystal says he needs more forces and, without them, the effort faces possible failure. The general has not made a specific troop request, but experts say he could ask for as many as 40,000, maybe more, on top of the doubling of U.S. troop strength to 68,000 in the past year.

After seeing the general's grim assessment, President Obama told American television networks over the weekend he is in the process of reviewing his own six-month-old strategy, and he questioned whether supporting the Afghan government, building its security forces and securing key provinces, is the right approach. All that is in General McChrystal's plan.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, 17 Sep 2009
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, 17 Sep 2009
Last week, Defense Secretary Robert Gates appealed for patience as the administration works through the issue.

"Frankly I believe that the president deserves the right to absorb the assessment himself and have his questions and my questions and others' questions relating to the assessment answered," Gates said.

In addition, officials now say General McChrystal's assessment is just one part of a broader Afghanistan strategy review by the administration, its second since the president took office in January.

The president's apparent hesitation to approve the military plan to implement the strategy he announced in March leaves many analysts confused. In editorials, The Washington Post called the review "startling," and the USA Today newspaper said there is "a yawning need for clarity" and warned against trying to use half-measures to achieve important goals.

Analyst Thomas Donnelly at the conservative American Enterprise Institute says President Obama should accept the
Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal (file photo)
Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal (file photo)
recommendations, and then convince the American public to go along. Public opinion polls indicate growing skepticism among Americans.

"Well they certainly will be doubtful of it unless President Obama makes a strong argument. A year ago, he was campaigning for the presidency on the presumption that Iraq was a big mistake and we needed to focus on Afghanistan. No wonder that with an uncertain voice coming out of the White House, Americans will have their doubts," Donnelly said.

On the other side of the political spectrum, Jonathan Morganstein of the progressive Third Way research organization, also endorses the McChrystal assessment, and says the president should accept the general's recommendations.

"I don't think anything there was a surprise. What the assessment says is, basically, things are catastrophically bad in Afghanistan, which is, I'd say, objectively true, but that things are not unsalvageable, that we can turn this around as long as we stay dedicated to the appropriate strategy and fully resource that strategy. Everything that General McChrystal has laid out makes sense to me," Morganstein said.

Morganstein, who is also an officer in the Marine Corps Reserves, says U.S. troops are now experienced at fighting insurgents, on the battlefield and among the local population. He says American forces will be able to defeat the Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan - as they made significant gains against insurgents in Iraq - if the president sends enough troops and other resources to do the job.

But for Mr. Obama, the decision is not that easy. Just a few months ago, he approved the latest increase of more than 20,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, allowing for more aggressive operations against Taliban strongholds. The result has been some progress on the ground, but also a sharp increase in U.S. casualties, with more than 200 American troops killed in just the last three months. In all, this year's toll of 364 is 25 percent of all the U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan since the war began.

Secretary Gates has indicated that casualties weigh heavily on him, along with the strategic importance of these decisions.

"We need to understand that the decisions that the president faces on Afghanistan are some of the most important he may face in his presidency about how we go forward there. And this is a situation in which I think this decision process should not be rushed," Gates said.

The U.S. defense secretary has rejected suggestions for a more limited approach emphasizing air strikes over troops on the ground. But after eight years of war, amid rising casualties and wavering American public support, and with huge national security issues at stake, he says the administration needs to take its time and get the decisions right.

Obama to Host Israeli, Palestinian Leaders

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:26:00 +0000

U.S. President Barack Obama is hosting a joint meeting of the Israeli and Palestinian leaders in New York Tuesday in an effort to restart Middle East peace talks.

All sides have been careful not to raise hopes about the meeting, which will take place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Monday U.S. officials have "no grand expectations" about the possibility of a breakthrough.

Nir Hefetz, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, says Mr. Netanyahu will not give in to U.S. and Palestinian demands for a stop to Israeli settlement construction.

At Tuesday's meeting, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to keep the settlement issue a key condition of resuming peace talks.

Palestinian leaders say building more Jewish homes on land Israel captured in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War threatens their efforts to create a viable state and stalls peace efforts.

Israel says some construction is necessary to accommodate the natural growth of Jewish families living in occupied East Jerusalem.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak was quoted by The New York Times newspaper Monday, saying he fears the Palestinians will miss an opportunity for peace.

He says the U.S. president has clearly pledged to use his political influence to make sure there is an independent Palestinian state, and to resolve core issues in two years. Barak called this an opportunity not to be missed.

A Reader's open letter to the Khmer M'chas Srok Movement

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:20:00 +0000

Subject: Seminar By Khmer M’Chas Srok Movement in Long Beach

Dear Khmer M’Chas Srok Movement,

Your initiative is commendable and I hope a large number of Khmer population in the Long Beach region will make extra effort to actively participate or attend the seminar. As for the seminar itself, it is vital to focus on the real and important issues and to ultimately find workable solutions to those issues.

The seminar should not become an anti-CPP gathering or a CPP bashing session as it only serves to intensify the frustration and widen the gap among Khmer people। Obviously, anti-CPP does not necessarily equate to patriotism. Khmers abroad, either in Britain, France, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand …etc are well informed of the current issues in Cambodia, and they don’t want to come to a seminar to hear what they already knew. But what they would like to hear is how to fix those issues and/or how they can realistically help.

रेअद्मोरे Read More:
Part 1 |

Meeting in New Mexico: US-North Korean Talks

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:17:00 +0000

Bill Richardson (file)

Two diplomats from North Korea met Wednesday with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson in the southwestern state's capital, Santa Fe. The governor says North Korea is seeking direct talks with the United States aimed at resolving the dispute over the communist nation's development of nuclear weapons.

Speaking shortly after his meeting with the two North Korean diplomats, Governor Richardson said he believes relations between the United States and North Korea could now be on a better path.

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Baghdad Blasts Kill 95

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:11:00 +0000

Fire fighters respond as smoke billows over Iraqi Foreign Ministry, after massive bomb attack in Baghdad, 19 Aug 2009

Multiple explosions in the Iraqi capital have killed 95 people and wounded at least 310 others, in the worst day of violence in Baghdad since U.S. forces left urban areas in June.

One of the biggest bombs went off outside Iraq's Foreign Ministry, causing casualties both inside and outside the heavily fortified building.

The blast shattered windows in the nearby parliament building, where lawmakers were in session.

Another truck bomb exploded outside the Finance Ministry, while police say mortar or rocket attacks struck other government buildings in the capital.

Read More:
http://rs-ss.co.cc/vault/111708/downloads/BaghdadBlastsKill95.html

Afghans Brave Violence to Vote for President

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:04:00 +0000

An Afghan woman casts her ballot at a school converted to a polling center in Herat, 20 August 2009

Millions of Afghans braved threats of Taliban attacks on polling stations and retaliation against voters to go to the polls Thursday. The legitimacy of the election is beholden to an acceptable turnout and the reported level of wholesale vote-buying, phantom voters and other acts of electoral corruption. Voting is taking place amid scattered explosions in the capital and other parts of the country. Violence from anti-government elements was anticipated, even expected.

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http://rs-ss.co.cc/vault/111708/downloads/AfghansBraveViolence2Vote4President.html

Clinton to Affirm US Support for Liberian President

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:52:00 +0000

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (file photo)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Liberia to show support for President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's only female head of state.

Clinton arrived in a pouring rain Thursday but was greeted by hundreds of Liberians who waved flags and held banners saluting the top U.S. diplomat.

Clinton immediately went into talks with Mrs. Sirleaf. Later, she will address Liberia's national assembly.

President Sirleaf has received strong U.S. support since being elected in 2005. But Liberia's Truth and Reconcilation has recommended that she be banned from political activity because of her alleged involvement in the country's civil wars.

Mrs. Sirleaf has admitted that she once gave money to former President Charles Taylor, who is now on trial in The Hague for alleged war crimes.

But she has denied that she was ever a member of his movement.
Mr. Taylor ignited Liberia's first civil war with his rebellion against President Samuel Doe in 1989. The war crimes accusations against him stem from his later support of rebels in Sierra Leone during that country's civil war.

This is the sixth of seven stops on Clinton's 11-day tour of Africa. She will spend less than 24 hours in Liberia before heading to the island of Cape Verde and then returning to Washington.

On Wednesday, Clinton was in Nigeria, where she urged President Umaru Yar'Adua to fight corruption and implement broad political reforms.

Earlier stops on Clinton's trip were Kenya, South Africa, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.

Duch Would Accept Stoning for His Crimes

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:50:00 +0000

By Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
12 August 2009

The former chief of a notorious Khmer Rouge prison said on Wednesday he wished he could be stoned to death for his crimes, as people in the Bible had.

“If it were the Khmer culture, like after the death of Jesus Christ, of people throwing stones…I would accept if the Cambodian people did the same,” said Duch, a born-again Christian facing atrocity crimes charges for the deaths of 12,380 people.

His statement followed a claim for justice by Ou Thon, 64, who said she lost all four of her children and her husband to the Khmer Rouge, at the killing fields of Choeung Ek, which were administered by Duch.

Duch, 66, whose real name is Kaing Kek Iev, admitted it was the Cambodian people who suffered the most under the regime.

“I recognize my culpability,” he said.

Senator To Visit Burma

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 02:38:00 +0000

U.S. Senator Jim Webb announces a visit to Burma, as officials reassess policy toward the isolated Southeast Asian country.

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Jim Webb will leave Sunday on an Asian tour that will include Burma, his office said, as U.S. officials review Washington's longstanding sanctions policy against the military-run country.
Webb, a Democrat who chairs a Senate subcommittee on East Asia and Pacific affairs, will be the first U.S. legislator to visit Burma in more than a decade.

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Part 1

Cambodian Women in US Struggle With Abuse

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 02:22:00 +0000

By Nuch Sarita, VOA Khmer Original report from Long Beach, California07 August 2009
Cambodian women and children are under threat of domestic violence in their American homes, living with physical or emotional scars and often feeling they cannot escape. However, two social workers told VOA Khmer, help is available.
“Domestic violence among Cambodian-Americans in society is committed by men against their wives, girlfriends, or children,” said Prom Sony, a domestic violence counselor for the Cambodian Association of America, in Long Beach, Calif.
As a result of the violence, women suffer from post-traumatic stress and paranoia, Om Raksmie, a domestic violence case manager, told VOA Khmer in an interview. Cambodians in America face two especially difficult problems in terms of assimilation. First, there are many Cambodian families in America experiencing intense cultural conflicts. Second, some refugees find the effects of multiple traumas suffered during the civil war and the Khmer Rouge interfering with their daily lives.

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Part 1

Duch Trial Delayed After Witnesses Identified

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 02:01:00 +0000

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer Original report from Phnom Penh29 July 2009
Judges at the UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal halted proceedings in the trial of prison chief Duch Wednesday, after a clerk began reading documents with witness’ names that were supposed to be concealed.
The atrocity crimes trial for Duch, whose real name is Kaing Kek Iev, will resume next week, as court officials seek to protect the identities of witnesses that they fear could be compromised if their true identities were known.

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Part 1

Chea Vichea Defendants Called to Court

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:56:00 +0000

By Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
05 August 2009

The two accused murderers of labor leader Chea Vichea will be summoned back to the Appeals Court later this month, sources close to the court said Tuesday.

Born Samnang and Sok Samoeun, both widely considered innocent of the crime, were released provisionally from jail earlier this year by the Supreme Court, which ordered the Appeals Court to reinvestigate the guilty verdicts against them.

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Part 1

Avril Livigne says New Album to Have "Different" Sound

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:54:00 +0000

Avril Lavigne recently told Billboard.com that her next album will have a different sound than her previous three releases. "A lot of the songs are mainly the acoustic and my vocal. It's a lot different from anything I've done before. It's not a pop rock record. This is more about emotion and feeling," she said. Avril wrote six of the album's 12 tracks. Her husband, Sum 41 leader Deryck Whibley, produced eight of the songs. Avril's still untitled fourth album is expected to be out in mid-November.

Jackson's Mother Gets Full Custody of Children

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:53:00 +0000

Katherine Jackson with Michael Jackson (2005 file photo)

In other Michael Jackson news… His 79-year-old mother, Katherine Jackson, has been granted full custody of Michael's three children. They've been living with Katherine in Los Angeles since Michael's June 25 death. His ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, who's the biological mother of 12-year-old Prince Michael and 11-year-old Paris, will get visitation. A child psychologist will decide how often Rowe sees the children.

Michael Jackson Autopsy Results Delayed Indefinitely

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:51:00 +0000

Michael Jackson (Nov. 2007 file photo)

The Los Angeles coroner's office announced that the release of Michael Jackson's autopsy results have been delayed indefinitely. The Associated Press reported that Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said further investigation needs to be done. On July 28, Los Angeles police and Drug Enforcement Administration agents searched the Las Vegas home and business office of Jackson's personal doctor, cardiologist Conrad Murray, 56. They reportedly were looking for evidence that would support a manslaughter charge and violations of the California Business and Professions Code. That code states that physicians are prohibited from prescribing drugs to anyone with a chemical dependency problem.

Taylor Swift Tops Country Album Chart for 20th Week

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 06:40:00 +0000

19-year-old Country star Taylor Swift spends her 20th week at Number One on the Country Albums chart with Fearless. She now joins Garth Brooks and Shania Twain as the only artists in SoundScan history to have two albums spend 20 weeks at Number One on the Country chart. Last week (week ending August 1), Taylor set a record as the only artist in 25 years to simultaneously appear in the Top 5 on both the Country and Hot 100 charts with her latest hit, "You Belong With Me."

Obama Welcomes Return of Journalists Jailed in N. Korea

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:41:00 +0000

Pres. Barack Obama speaks at the White House, 05 Aug 2009, about the release of two American journalists in N. Korea

U.S. President Barack Obama is welcoming the release of two American journalists who were detained in North Korea, but U.S. officials say the move will not necessarily result in a warming of relations between the two countries. Euna Lee and Laura Ling returned home to the United States early Wednesday after being pardoned by the North Korean government, during a visit to Pyongyang by former President Bill Clinton.

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http://rs-ss.co.cc/vault/111708/downloads/Obama:ReturnJournalistsJailedInKorea.html

KI-Media attracts the ire of pro-CPP Rasmei Kampuchea; CPP officials are KI-Media readers

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:34:00 +0000

Thursday, August 6, 2009
Rasmei Kampuchea
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

KI-Media Note: Rasmei Kampuchea erroneously linked KI-Media to Khmer Intelligence, while we post Khmer Intelligence news on our blog, KI-Media is not linked to Khmer Intelligence, nor are we member of any opposition party.

For those who do not know the Viet language, they wouldn’t understand what “Hor 5 Hong” used in the title of an article launched on the website of Khmer Intelligence KI-Media means. The article was launched when the deputy prime minister is still conducting his visit in Bangkok, Thailand, and he plans to return back to Cambodia on 05 August.

“Hor 5 Hong” means “Hor Nam Hong” because 5 in Vietnamese is pronounced “Nam.” “Hor 5 Hong” was used by the Khmer Intelligence KI-Media website instead of Hor Nam Hong in the article about the latter’s visit to Thailand.

In reality, the original title of the article is “Cambodia Discusses Oil Concessions in Disputed Area with Thai PM” and it was originally published by Thai Asean News Network at the following link. However, when Khmer Intelligence KI-Media posted this article on its blog, it changed the title to: “Cambodia has no plan to grant oil concessions to private firms in the overlapping marine zone disputed with Thailand: Hor 5 Hong”.

Read More:
http://rs-ss.co.cc/vault/111708/downloads/HorNamHong.html

Thailand, Cambodia sign pact on transfer of sentenced persons

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:37:00 +0000

BANGKOK, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Thailand and Cambodia signed a bilateral agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons and co-operation in the enforcement of penal sentences during the 6th Meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation on Wednesday.

The agreement was signed by Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, according to a news report by Thai News Agency.

From Wednesday to Thursday, Thailand has been hosting the 6th Meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation in capital Bangkok.

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http://rs-ss.co.cc/vault/111708/downloads/ThailandCambodiaSignPactOnTransfer.html
Part 1 |

UN appeals to Cambodia to respect free speech obligations

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:34:00 +0000

Aug 5, 2009
DPA

Phnom Penh - The UN's human rights office in Cambodia Wednesday appealed to the judiciary to respect the country's national and international obligations on freedom of speech, saying that a recent spate of lawsuits risks stifling public debate.

Cambodia's courts have found against three defendants in recent weeks, and fined or jailed them for disinformation or defamation.

Human rights groups have complained that the cases, which were brought by the government against perceived critics, are politically motivated.

'Under international law, freedom of expression is to be restricted only in exceptional cases, where clearly necessary and proportionate to the value that the restriction seeks to protect,' the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement.

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http://rs-ss.co.cc/vault/111708/downloads/UN-AppealsToCambodia2RespectSpeech.html

Cambodian malaria deaths up 58 per cent

noreply@blogger.com (Helen) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 04:27:00 +0000

Aug 5, 2009
DPA

Phnom Penh - Cambodian officials said the country's malaria death toll rose by 58 per cent in the first six months of this year because of the early onset of the rainy season and delays in distributing mosquito nets, local media reported Wednesday.

Doung Socheat, director of the National Center for Parasitology Entomology and Malaria Control, said 103 people had died from malaria from January to June compared with 65 deaths in the same period last year, The Phnom Penh Post reported.

He said 27,105 people had contracted the illness in the first six months of this year, compared with 25,033 in the same period last year.

Read More:
Part 1
http://rs-ss.co.cc/vault/111708/downloads/CambodiaMalariaDeath.html