Sunday, 23 March 2008
Online trading site Anakut to launch in July
TANG CHHIN SOTHY/ AFPFirst skyscraper underwayA boy walks past a model of the Gold Tower 42 high-rise being built on the corner of Monivong and Sihanouk boulevards in Phnom Penh. Cambodian officials broke ground on the country's first skyscraper on March 14, a 42-story tower that when completed will dwarf all other buildings in the low-rise capital. The $240-million high-rise, which will include a library and medical facilities along with luxury apartments, is backed by South Korea's Yon Woo company and is expected to be completed by 2011.
The Phnom Penh Post
Written by BRENDAN BRADY
Friday, 21 March 2008
Inspired by eBay, a Cambodian entrepreneur is planning to work with internet cafes in the capital to launch a trading portal on line in July.
Creator Ok Sothyvorn, 36, said to get around the limited number of wired computers in Cambodian households, he plans to train staff at internet cafés to assist customers using the new online auction website.
The new site will be called Anakut, which means “the future.”
Like eBay, the site will require sellers to include information about the item or service being sold, and will charge the seller but not the buyer a service fee. Sellers who give false information will be penalized.
Unlike eBay, Anakut will offer more personalized service with a 24-hour call center for customer assistance that will also vet sale information to ensure its legitimacy. Agents will be sent to inspect big ticket sale offers.
Sothyvorn said he envisioned real estate transactions flourishing on the site.
He said that because credit cards are not common in Cambodia, the service will introduce scratch cards for sellers to pay their fee to the website. The cards will be sold at internet cafes and the Anakut office, Sothyvorn said.
Whereas on eBay prices are negotiated through an online auction, Anakut will connect buyers and sellers, leaving it to them to negotiate a price and then inform the website once a sale has been finalized.
Sothyvorn said he first had the idea to launch an online trading site seven years ago when he came back from working in the IT sector in Canada.
Since then he has been slowly mobilizing technical and financial support from a small group of Cambodian and Canadian friends to make the venture possible.
Sothyvorn said he recently left his job as an IT manager at ANZ bank to commit himself fulltime to the project.
“The idea is not something new. But it will make trading in Cambodia easier by giving any seller the same venue as a big company and helping buyers find the best price,” he said, adding that he hopes the site will change the face of commercial transactions in a country where “most business is still done by small, family-owned shops.”
Sothyvorn said Cambodia’s slow and expensive internet is bound to undergo a major improvement within a couple years.
Once his office in Phnom Penh is up and running, he said he plans to open branches in Siem Reap and Sihanoukville.
He added that Anakut might go public with the scheduled launch of the Cambodian Stock Exchange in 2009. When eBay went public in 1998, three years after its debut, both its owners became instant billionaires, a status Sothyvorn doesn’t anticipate having quite as quickly.
Written by BRENDAN BRADY
Friday, 21 March 2008
Inspired by eBay, a Cambodian entrepreneur is planning to work with internet cafes in the capital to launch a trading portal on line in July.
Creator Ok Sothyvorn, 36, said to get around the limited number of wired computers in Cambodian households, he plans to train staff at internet cafés to assist customers using the new online auction website.
The new site will be called Anakut, which means “the future.”
Like eBay, the site will require sellers to include information about the item or service being sold, and will charge the seller but not the buyer a service fee. Sellers who give false information will be penalized.
Unlike eBay, Anakut will offer more personalized service with a 24-hour call center for customer assistance that will also vet sale information to ensure its legitimacy. Agents will be sent to inspect big ticket sale offers.
Sothyvorn said he envisioned real estate transactions flourishing on the site.
He said that because credit cards are not common in Cambodia, the service will introduce scratch cards for sellers to pay their fee to the website. The cards will be sold at internet cafes and the Anakut office, Sothyvorn said.
Whereas on eBay prices are negotiated through an online auction, Anakut will connect buyers and sellers, leaving it to them to negotiate a price and then inform the website once a sale has been finalized.
Sothyvorn said he first had the idea to launch an online trading site seven years ago when he came back from working in the IT sector in Canada.
Since then he has been slowly mobilizing technical and financial support from a small group of Cambodian and Canadian friends to make the venture possible.
Sothyvorn said he recently left his job as an IT manager at ANZ bank to commit himself fulltime to the project.
“The idea is not something new. But it will make trading in Cambodia easier by giving any seller the same venue as a big company and helping buyers find the best price,” he said, adding that he hopes the site will change the face of commercial transactions in a country where “most business is still done by small, family-owned shops.”
Sothyvorn said Cambodia’s slow and expensive internet is bound to undergo a major improvement within a couple years.
Once his office in Phnom Penh is up and running, he said he plans to open branches in Siem Reap and Sihanoukville.
He added that Anakut might go public with the scheduled launch of the Cambodian Stock Exchange in 2009. When eBay went public in 1998, three years after its debut, both its owners became instant billionaires, a status Sothyvorn doesn’t anticipate having quite as quickly.
Troubled garment maker draws ire of international labor union
The Phnom Penh Post
Written by CHEANG SOKHA
Friday, 21 March 2008
Friday, 21 March 2008
As workers at the Kings-land Garment Factory in Phnom Penh continued a two-month-long strike, a European trade union asked the Ministry of Commerce to revoke the export license of the Hong Kong company.
Kingsland’s behavior “is undermining confidence in the rest of the industry which is doing its best to ensure compliance with Cambodian labor law and international labor standard,” said Neil Kearney, secretary general of the Brussels-based International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation.
ITGLWF sent a letter on March 11 to Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh urging him to halt exports by the garment company which employed 600 workers in Phnom Penh.
The Minister of Commerce and officials of Kingsland declined requests for an interview. The factory is closed as protests continue.
The trade union said Kingsland management ignored a request by the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union (CCAWDU) to “engage in dialogue regarding labor issues at the workplace and instead dismissed 19 union leaders and supporters.”
The strike began in January when management refused to negotiate with the CCAWDU regarding the dismissals and instead hired replacement workers, the ITGLWF said in a statement.
Several workers were injured in early February during protests outside the factory gates and six other workers were injured when they were attacked by police officers called in by the management.
CCAWDU president Ath Thorn said that since the dispute began many complaints had been filed with the Ministry of Labor, the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC), the Arbitration Council, the International Labor Organization and the Ministry of Commerce.
Thorn said the request to lift the export license was “very strong pressure” and that he hoped it would force Kingsland management to negotiate. “Otherwise we will continue to strike until the end,” he said.
Thorn said he had urged the Ministry of Labor to push the case forward so that the Ministry of Commerce would be forced to take measures against the factory owners.
He said 19 workers were unjustly sacked and more than ten other workers were injured during violence between workers and policemen called in by the factory.
At the Ministry of Labor, Sok Bora, deputy director of labor dispute office, told the Post on March 18 that the ministry had proposed an agreement and that both parties had accepted a deal in which dismissed union representatives would be allowed back to work.
However, he said management of the Kingsland factory in Phnom Penh was waiting for approval from Hong Kong.
“We are waiting to see the result from Hong Kong because the manager here dares not to approve [the deal],” Bora said.
“If they agree to allow the dismissed workers to return to work the problem will end,” he added.
Bora said that the strike is being continued by about 50 workers. He said many problems occurred at the factory due to misunderstandings between management and workers who, he said, consider only their personal interests.
The GMAC did not intervene in the dispute.
Long Heang, an official at the association, confirmed the case had been sent to the Arbitration Council and the Ministry of Labor.
“We are not in-depth with the issue,” he said, adding that, “It’s a factory matter.”
The problems at the Kingsland factory come as the Kingdom grapples with external market pressures.
Garment exports dropped 46 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2007 amid increasing regional competition from China and Vietnam and an economic slump in the US, which imports some 70 percent of Cambodia’s exported garments.
According to Othsman Hassan, secretary of state at Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, strikes in Cambodia’s garment industry fell from 86 in 2006 to 80 in 2007.
Kingsland’s behavior “is undermining confidence in the rest of the industry which is doing its best to ensure compliance with Cambodian labor law and international labor standard,” said Neil Kearney, secretary general of the Brussels-based International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation.
ITGLWF sent a letter on March 11 to Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh urging him to halt exports by the garment company which employed 600 workers in Phnom Penh.
The Minister of Commerce and officials of Kingsland declined requests for an interview. The factory is closed as protests continue.
The trade union said Kingsland management ignored a request by the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union (CCAWDU) to “engage in dialogue regarding labor issues at the workplace and instead dismissed 19 union leaders and supporters.”
The strike began in January when management refused to negotiate with the CCAWDU regarding the dismissals and instead hired replacement workers, the ITGLWF said in a statement.
Several workers were injured in early February during protests outside the factory gates and six other workers were injured when they were attacked by police officers called in by the management.
CCAWDU president Ath Thorn said that since the dispute began many complaints had been filed with the Ministry of Labor, the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC), the Arbitration Council, the International Labor Organization and the Ministry of Commerce.
Thorn said the request to lift the export license was “very strong pressure” and that he hoped it would force Kingsland management to negotiate. “Otherwise we will continue to strike until the end,” he said.
Thorn said he had urged the Ministry of Labor to push the case forward so that the Ministry of Commerce would be forced to take measures against the factory owners.
He said 19 workers were unjustly sacked and more than ten other workers were injured during violence between workers and policemen called in by the factory.
At the Ministry of Labor, Sok Bora, deputy director of labor dispute office, told the Post on March 18 that the ministry had proposed an agreement and that both parties had accepted a deal in which dismissed union representatives would be allowed back to work.
However, he said management of the Kingsland factory in Phnom Penh was waiting for approval from Hong Kong.
“We are waiting to see the result from Hong Kong because the manager here dares not to approve [the deal],” Bora said.
“If they agree to allow the dismissed workers to return to work the problem will end,” he added.
Bora said that the strike is being continued by about 50 workers. He said many problems occurred at the factory due to misunderstandings between management and workers who, he said, consider only their personal interests.
The GMAC did not intervene in the dispute.
Long Heang, an official at the association, confirmed the case had been sent to the Arbitration Council and the Ministry of Labor.
“We are not in-depth with the issue,” he said, adding that, “It’s a factory matter.”
The problems at the Kingsland factory come as the Kingdom grapples with external market pressures.
Garment exports dropped 46 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2007 amid increasing regional competition from China and Vietnam and an economic slump in the US, which imports some 70 percent of Cambodia’s exported garments.
According to Othsman Hassan, secretary of state at Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, strikes in Cambodia’s garment industry fell from 86 in 2006 to 80 in 2007.
Youth vote can't stop Hun Sen, says CPP
The Phnom Penh Post
Written by Vong Sokheng and Gemma Deavin
Friday, 21 March 2008
With more than 55 percent of the Cambodian population aged 18-30, a mobilized youth vote could sway the upcoming national elections in July, democracy watchers like to point out.
Written by Vong Sokheng and Gemma Deavin
Friday, 21 March 2008
With more than 55 percent of the Cambodian population aged 18-30, a mobilized youth vote could sway the upcoming national elections in July, democracy watchers like to point out.
But although one of the major parties is actively wooing youth voters into its party, the ruling CPP dismissed the idea that young voters want to oust Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Hun Sen this month accused the Sam Rainsy Party of bringing youths into the political fray in order to fight him. “They are dragging in a youth movement to topple Hun Sen from the position,” he said in a March 5 speech following the SRP’s national youth congress.
Hun Sen added he would leave it to the voters to “fight back in the upcoming elections.”
But Cheam Yeap, a member of the CPP’s Central Standing Committee, went further, telling the Post on March 19 that he thought it would be impossible for a youth vote to oust Hun Sen this year.
The voter registration process is already closed. National Elections Committee Secretary General Tep Nytha estimated 300,000 new young voters registered in 2007. He said the number increases every year.
“I don’t really know how many youth members there are within the CPP, but the CPP has five million members and many youths within the university and graduates are supporters of Hun Sen,” Nytha said.
He added that Hun Sen often gives speeches to graduating classes.
“I think that even if the SRP has more than 100,000 youths as members it is still not enough of a voice to topple Prime Minister Hun Sen,” he said.
In launching its national youth congress, the SRP said it had about 52,000 youth members from 17 provinces.
The party also elected a youth representative March 2 to sit at its executive committee.
The representative, 28-year-old San Seak Kin of Phnom Penh, will be able to contribute directly to the party’s political platform, said SRP parliamentarian Tioulong Saumura, Sam Rainsy’s wife.
Saumura admitted that until recently many older Cambodians had no idea that the youth contribution could be so important.
“Young people are surprisingly determined, committed, active and politically minded.
“People who have never received political training show such a high level of maturity,” she said.
“There is a freshness and spontaneity in people who have not suffered from intimidation.
“Young are more daring and audacious because they have not had the bad experience of suffering.”
Although many elections observers said youths in Cambodia want change, none could point to any strong evidence that young people were likely to affect the upcoming elections.
“Most young people understand the importance of politics but they just stay under the control of older politicians,” said Khmer Students Association program coordinator Saro Sovudhi.
“Maybe in ten years young people will have some real power,” he said.
Figures derived from official results of the 2007 commune council elections show there are of the 11,353 elected commune councilors nationwide. However, only 163, or 1.6 percent, are youths.
There are no parliamentarians under the age of 30 despite the minimum permissible age being 25.
Nevertheless, some education campaigns are gearing up to encourage participation in politics.
A 2007 survey conducted by the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (COMFREL) found young peoples’ grasp of the voting registration process was patchy.
Since then COMFREL has signed a contract with United Nations Development Program to help run a forum before the elections to train youth from major political parties and youth associations on the importance of networking and cooperation in politics.
“This election is just the beginning for youth to increase their voices,” said COMFREL executive director Koul Panha.
But Panha said the parties don’t let young people do much. “They have used youth movements to support them but they don’t give them any influence or power in decision making,” he said.
The idea of the UNDP program is to promote the idea that “if they all have a common agenda, they should come together,” he added.
“After the election we will bring them together again and talk about the political platforms of different parties and how they can respond.”
The forum covers ten of Cambodia’s 185 districts but plans to expand.
The Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (NICFEC) is training youth in monitoring and advocacy.
The Youth Council of Cambodia is also running some education programs in 12 target provinces for 13- to 17-year-olds and for 18- to 23-year-olds. The older group looks at democracy, the election process and good governance.
The Government Approves Sub-Decree Draft That Regulates Civilians’ Use of Guns
Posted on 23 March 2008.
The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 552
“Phnom Penh: The meeting of the Council of Ministers on 21 March 2008, presided over by Samdech Akak Moha Senapadei Dekchor Hun Sen, approved the sub-decree draft on the conditions and procedures for allowing civilians to use and manage guns, bullets, and explosive devices. The sub-decree, drafted by the Ministry of Interior, covers the owning, using, purchasing, selling, trading, distributing, lending, renting, producing, modifying, assembling, transporting, importing, exporting, transiting, and storing guns, bullets, and explosive devices.
“Guns, bullets and explosive devices, which civilians are allowed to use, are laser guns, sporting pistols, artistic guns, fireworks, staple guns, ammunitions, explosives, and all kinds of explosive substances, no matter what their origin. These are only to serve public services and civil engineering, or in the construction of buildings.
“The meeting of the Council of Ministers also agreed on and approved a request that seeks the ratification by legislative institutions on the ‘agreement between the Cambodian and North Korean governments on the promotion and protection of investment.’
“During the meeting, Samdech Akak Moha Senapadei Dekchor Hun Sen also gave recommendations to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, to conduct a joint feasibility study on a 40-kilometer road construction from Koh Kong to a hydropower site located in Stung Russey Chrum Krom as soon as possible. Samdech Dekchor also told the Phnom Penh governor as well as other authorities to pay close attention to keeping good security and social order. All efforts should be made to ensure security for the Cambodian people throughout the country during this coming Khmer New Year. All people should be educated to avoid using guns, not to ignite firecrackers, and not to splash water on travelers.”
Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4547, 22.3.2008
The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 552
“Phnom Penh: The meeting of the Council of Ministers on 21 March 2008, presided over by Samdech Akak Moha Senapadei Dekchor Hun Sen, approved the sub-decree draft on the conditions and procedures for allowing civilians to use and manage guns, bullets, and explosive devices. The sub-decree, drafted by the Ministry of Interior, covers the owning, using, purchasing, selling, trading, distributing, lending, renting, producing, modifying, assembling, transporting, importing, exporting, transiting, and storing guns, bullets, and explosive devices.
“Guns, bullets and explosive devices, which civilians are allowed to use, are laser guns, sporting pistols, artistic guns, fireworks, staple guns, ammunitions, explosives, and all kinds of explosive substances, no matter what their origin. These are only to serve public services and civil engineering, or in the construction of buildings.
“The meeting of the Council of Ministers also agreed on and approved a request that seeks the ratification by legislative institutions on the ‘agreement between the Cambodian and North Korean governments on the promotion and protection of investment.’
“During the meeting, Samdech Akak Moha Senapadei Dekchor Hun Sen also gave recommendations to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, to conduct a joint feasibility study on a 40-kilometer road construction from Koh Kong to a hydropower site located in Stung Russey Chrum Krom as soon as possible. Samdech Dekchor also told the Phnom Penh governor as well as other authorities to pay close attention to keeping good security and social order. All efforts should be made to ensure security for the Cambodian people throughout the country during this coming Khmer New Year. All people should be educated to avoid using guns, not to ignite firecrackers, and not to splash water on travelers.”
Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4547, 22.3.2008
A Remedy in Aisle 9: Romance
VITAMINS, ASPIRIN, LOVE: Newlyweds Chantah Bou and Jerry Pinsky share their wedding cake in aisle 9 of Walgreens on Plain Street in Lowell yesterday. They met there, by the vitamin shelves, in January 2007. Behind Pinsky, second from right, is WCAP radio announcer Sam Poulten. SUN / BILL BRIDGEFORD
PHARMACY FANTASY: Chantah Bou hands out cake to customers and employees after she and Jerry Pinsky exchanged vows in Walgreens in Lowell. Their relationship began in aisle 9. SUN PHOTOS / BILL BRIDGEFORDBy Rita Savard
03/22/2008
LOWELL -- Number 9.
For Jerry Pinsky and Chantah Bou, it's magic. A beginning, a middle and forever.
It's where fate led them.
It was January 2007 when Chantah entered Walgreens on Plain Street. She was looking for vitamins in aisle 9.
Jerry doesn't remember what he was looking for. All he knows is what he found.
"One A Day, One A Day," Chantah said. "Why do you Americans have all these One A Days?"
Jerry looked at the dizzying array of plastic bottles stretching left to right, ceiling to floor.
Everything from A to Zinc. Chantah had a good point. He laughed and asked her what she needed.
Turns out she didn't need vitamins at all. Jerry recommended a pain reliever to cure Chantah's back pain.
"Not wanting to miss an opportunity, I gave her my card," he said. "She was charming and beautiful. All I wanted was to see her again."
A week later, Chantah called. The pain reliever worked and she wanted to thank Jerry for his help. He asked if he could take her out.
She agreed, but only if her friend could come. So they went to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, and then dinner. Chantah, Jerry and the "chaperone."
After the first date, the chaperone was dropped. It was just Chantah and Jerry from there on.
They talked about the paths in life that brought them to aisle 9.
When Chantah was 5, the Khmer Rough stormed her home city of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Her aunts and uncles disappeared, massacred in the Killing Fields.
She spent two weeks on the move. Away from gunfire and screams.
"Hold onto my shirt tail or I'll lose you," her father warned. "If I lose you, I might never find you again."
So Chantah held on tight to her father and ran. For two weeks, her parents and grandfather moved south until they reached the Vietnam border. Her grandfather convinced the soldiers that they were Vietnamese. They were allowed into a refugee camp and survived the genocide.
"She came away with serious ideas about what life should be," Jerry said.
Jerry, of Lowell, is a psychotherapist and clinical social worker. He works with veterans at the VA Hospital in Bedford. Family and friends say Jerry has a gift. He knows how to listen. How to be a genuine friend. How to heal broken hearts.
"His life has been about helping people find meaning and identity in their lives," said cousin Marc Konicov. "Now he's found romance. It makes sense. It's his turn."
But Jerry said there was a lot of distance to cover before he could ask Chantah to be his wife.
They come from two different sides of the planet. They had a language barrier. And they're 30 years apart in age. She's 41, he's 71.
"How does a miracle come from that?" Jerry asked.
Yesterday, going back to where it all began, Jerry got the answer to his question.
"I never see a man like this," said Chantah, also of Lowell, as they celebrated their marriage in aisle 9. Earlier in the day, they exchanged vows in a ceremony at City Hall.
Sometimes words aren't necessary. As Walgreens customers and employees looked on, she extended her hand and placed it over his heart.
"Sralange" she said, which means "love" in Khmer, is the only thing that matters.
In front of the dizzying array of One A Days, a three-tier cake topped with fresh white roses waited.
Jerry wore a black top hat and a permanent smile. Chantah walked to him as well-wishers sang an off-key version of Here Comes the Bride. Shoppers paused with their purchases to watch "something different" taking place.
Chris Krebs, Jerry's colleague and friend, said age shouldn't matter.
"Opportunities for love don't always happen for some people, and for others, they don't come up often," Krebs said. "He's courageous for seizing his opportunity."
The couple cut the cake. Chantah fed Jerry a bite.
"It means a lot to us to celebrate this special day here, in the very place we met," Jerry said. "I guess it's proof you can get anything you want at Walgreens."
Saturday, 22 March 2008
A U.N. backed tribunal rejects an appeal for bail for Brother No 2
Anna Chan:
A former Khmer Rouge regime leader will be living in a Cambodian jail ahead of his war crimes trial. According to the BBC, Nuon Chea, also known as Brother Number 2, must remain in custody. He faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in the Khmer Rouge regime during the 1970's. He's thought by many to have been the ideological driving force behind the regime. He denies committing any crime, that he isn't a risk to the public and that he wont attempt to influence potential witnesses. The trial is expected to happen later this year.
Norodom Ranariddh Party Accused (Authority) of Threats
21st March 2008By Mayarith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization
http://khmerization.blogspot.com/
The Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP) in Banteay Meanchey province alleged that there are threats against its local officials.The allegations followed a report which claimed that five NRP party signs were destroyed by four agents of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) on the night of 19th March at Teuk Cho commune in Preah Net Preah district and another incident which happened yesterday when the agents of the Military Police stopped two trucks carrying officials of the NRP who had returned from a meeting in Preah Net Preah district.
The party’s statement released today stated that seven heavily armed military policemen had stopped the trucks carrying the NRP officials on the spot in Preah Net Preah for 30 minutes to search for illegal weapons.The statement further stated that the authority’s actions constituted threats because the search was carried out only on the trucks carrying the NRP officials and other vehicles were allowed to go freely and were not stopped or searched.
The NRP’s statement has appealed to human rights groups and the Office of the UN High Commission for Human Rights in Cambodia to take actions to protect the civil rights and political rights of all Khmer citizens.
Hun Sen: Transform A War Zone Into Peace
21st March 2008By Sophorn
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization
http://khmerization.blogspot.com/
The prime minister has declared that he will move the Army Command Headquarter outside of the capital to make way for a construction of a hospital: that is to transform a war zone into peace.
Speaking in an inauguration ceremony of Royal Rattanak Hospital in Phnom Penh on the 20th March, Prime Minister Hun Sen (pictured) said that the transformation of an Army Command Headquarter into a hospital is to make the city a safe place, a tourism site, a cultural site and a comfort site.
The PM said: “This land is very huge and very beautiful. The Army Command Headquarter was located there since the French colonial period. And I want to transform a war zone, a killing zone into a fine hospital. So, please help me to check out the place, if we can put the hospital there it would be nice. It is a junction, the ground is very nice and that land, if we offer the buyer for $30 million they will buy it without hesitation. Not only $30 million, even $50 million they will buy it. But we will not sell it because it is an historic site where we will transform it from war into peace.”
The PM reiterated that: “The issue of school lands and hospital lands must be preserved because, perhaps in the future, we have the money to build them but we don’t have the lands in which to build them on.”
This declaration was made following the launching of the construction phase of a 42-story Gold Tower, which will be the tallest building in Phnom Penh, and which is located at the site of the old Cambodian-Chinese Friendship Hospital.
In relation to the prime minister’s speech, an opposition MP from the Sam Rainsy Party, Mr. Son Chhay, has criticised the PM’s word as good for listening in order to canvass votes. In reality, many of the state land sites had already been sold.
Mr Son Chhay said: “There is a possibility that he might be voted out of office in the near future, so he has to say something good to persuade the people to change their mind and their stance.”
The president of the Cambodian Economic Association, Mr. Chan Sophal, spoke in support of Prime Minister’s declaration by explaining that, at present, state properties are getting less and less, so it is best that there is a measure to prevent the sales.
Forced Evictions in Cambodia: time to end impunity
Two international human rights organizations and two Cambodian NGOs called today upon Cambodian authorities to take effective measures to combat the practice of forced evictions which constitutes a flagrant violation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other international human rights instruments that the Kingdom of Cambodia has ratified.
The call was made by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders - a joint programme of International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) – along with the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) and the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO).
The Observatory is issuing a new report entitled “Defending Economic and Social Rights in Cambodia: A High Risk Activity”, which highlights land-grabbing and forced evictions and the persecution of community activists and others who try to resist them. The report illustrates cases of grave human rights violations resulting from forced evictions including the April 2007 eviction of a community Sihanoukville’s Mittapheap district and the June 2006 eviction of Sambok Chab in Phnom Penh. The report notes that communities affected by evictions are neither consulted nor informed well in advance. Compensation is largely insufficient, the resettlement areas are precarious and the humanitarian conditions of the affected populations are far from being human. Villagers opposing forced evictions are routinely targeted for unfounded criminal charges, while NGOs and journalists reporting on them are threatened. The deaths of some villagers are not properly investigated such as the death of a community activist from Stung Treng in July 2007 and the execution of the two Prey Vihear villagers who resisted an eviction in November 2007.
evictions, the report notes that other human rights defenders also face an unacceptably high degree of risk in their work. For example, two community activists from Preah Vihear were killed in 2007. “It’s time for the Cambodian authorities for make a radical shift in their approach to land disputes,” said LICADHO director Naly Pilorge. “Failure to open honest dialogue with the people, and to find fair solutions for them which respect the law and their land rights, will only worsen the situation and lead to broader civil unrest.”
Thun Saray, President of ADHOC, added: “The authorities’ lack of transparency over ownership of land, and their willingness to conduct violent evictions rather than use peaceful negotiation to try to resolve disputes, are creating a climate of fear, violence and confusion.” “Donors and the international community must do all they can to avoid Cambodia’s land crisis from deteriorating further,” said Ms. Souhayr Belhassen, President of FIDH. “The growing landlessness will create huge economic, social and political problems for the country.
“The international community must insist that the Cambodian Government respect the country’s laws and the international human rights treaties it has ratified,” continued Ms. Belhassen. “The widespread impunity enjoyed by the authorities and by the rich and powerful must be brought to an end.”
Based on the report’s findings, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, ADHOC and LICADHO make the following key recommendations:
Establish an immediate moratorium on all involuntary evictions until the adoption and the proper and vigorous implementation of a strict legislative framework on evictions and resettlement as well on land and housing rights.
End judicial proceedings based on groundless and arbitrary charges against community activists and other human rights defenders advocating for the right to land, to adequate housing and against illegal exploitation of natural resources.
Ensure that all populations who have been forcibly relocated to date receive land titles for alternative land. The conditions of existing relocation sites should be immediately improved: communities should have access to medical treatment and health services, education. They should also receive adequate compensation.
The call was made by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders - a joint programme of International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) – along with the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) and the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO).
The Observatory is issuing a new report entitled “Defending Economic and Social Rights in Cambodia: A High Risk Activity”, which highlights land-grabbing and forced evictions and the persecution of community activists and others who try to resist them. The report illustrates cases of grave human rights violations resulting from forced evictions including the April 2007 eviction of a community Sihanoukville’s Mittapheap district and the June 2006 eviction of Sambok Chab in Phnom Penh. The report notes that communities affected by evictions are neither consulted nor informed well in advance. Compensation is largely insufficient, the resettlement areas are precarious and the humanitarian conditions of the affected populations are far from being human. Villagers opposing forced evictions are routinely targeted for unfounded criminal charges, while NGOs and journalists reporting on them are threatened. The deaths of some villagers are not properly investigated such as the death of a community activist from Stung Treng in July 2007 and the execution of the two Prey Vihear villagers who resisted an eviction in November 2007.
evictions, the report notes that other human rights defenders also face an unacceptably high degree of risk in their work. For example, two community activists from Preah Vihear were killed in 2007. “It’s time for the Cambodian authorities for make a radical shift in their approach to land disputes,” said LICADHO director Naly Pilorge. “Failure to open honest dialogue with the people, and to find fair solutions for them which respect the law and their land rights, will only worsen the situation and lead to broader civil unrest.”
Thun Saray, President of ADHOC, added: “The authorities’ lack of transparency over ownership of land, and their willingness to conduct violent evictions rather than use peaceful negotiation to try to resolve disputes, are creating a climate of fear, violence and confusion.” “Donors and the international community must do all they can to avoid Cambodia’s land crisis from deteriorating further,” said Ms. Souhayr Belhassen, President of FIDH. “The growing landlessness will create huge economic, social and political problems for the country.
“The international community must insist that the Cambodian Government respect the country’s laws and the international human rights treaties it has ratified,” continued Ms. Belhassen. “The widespread impunity enjoyed by the authorities and by the rich and powerful must be brought to an end.”
Based on the report’s findings, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, ADHOC and LICADHO make the following key recommendations:
Establish an immediate moratorium on all involuntary evictions until the adoption and the proper and vigorous implementation of a strict legislative framework on evictions and resettlement as well on land and housing rights.
End judicial proceedings based on groundless and arbitrary charges against community activists and other human rights defenders advocating for the right to land, to adequate housing and against illegal exploitation of natural resources.
Ensure that all populations who have been forcibly relocated to date receive land titles for alternative land. The conditions of existing relocation sites should be immediately improved: communities should have access to medical treatment and health services, education. They should also receive adequate compensation.
Former Summit residents inspire students
After adopting their son from Cambodia, the Grossmans started a school there
By LORY POUNDER
summit daily news
Summit County, CO Colorado
March 21, 2008
FARMER’S KORNER — Every day Kari Grady Grossman sees a sweet face of Cambodia starring back at her. She and her husband, George, adopted their son from the country, and it was the fateful trip to get him that led them to their calling of empowering a community for a brighter future.
Grossman is the author of “Bones That Float,” a memoir about adopting her son and then a village in Cambodia, intertwined with the story of survival from a native Cambodian woman. And this week, she spoke to a couple classes at Summit High School, sharing her personal story along with a short documentary and discussion.
In addition to raising awareness about Cambodia, Grossman’s presentation was one of the ways the students — sophomores in the Middle Years International Baccalaureate Programme — were exposed to community service and how a grassroots effort can be an effective catalyst for change.
A school is born
The Grossmans adopted Grady, who is now 7, in 2001. Completely taken by the country where he was born, they decided to create a school in his name by the highest mountain. However, what they realized is, simply building a school is not enough because without continued support it could become just a building.
Today, the school that started with 50 students educates 500 up through sixth grade.
In this rural area in the village of Chrauk Tiek, teachers had to travel from far away and therefore didn’t show up consistently or ended up sleeping on the school’s concrete floors. So the Grossmans started a non-profit organization, built housing for the teachers and provided a stipend to help them. Also, they hired three additional teachers, an English and computer teacher, a music teacher and a librarian, whom they pay instead of receiving the about $30 a month from the government. And now they are “giving in a way that’s empowering,” by trying to invent a model for the community to self-support the school, Grossman said.
“You’ve got to think of education and economic development hand in hand,” she added.
Kari and George Grossman, who met while living in Summit County in the early 90s, lived in Wyoming for a number of years and recently moved to Fort Collins with their son, Grady, and daughter, Shanti, 3, whom they adopted from India.
In 2002, the U.S. closed adoptions to Cambodia, Grossman explained to the Summit High students when asked if she was going to adopt more children from the country.
Teaching a community
Where the Grady Grossman School exists, illegal logging is a serious problem, Grossman explained. Wood is commonly used for cooking over open fires, but by cutting down the forest, the country’s water source is impacted because trees with large roots hold in water during the monsoon season and then release it.
So, combing this issue with trying to empower people, they are teaching the locals how to create alternative cooking fuel — a biomass briquette that can be made from the mounds of sawdust left from the illegal logging or from rice husk, dead leaves or coconut peel, Grossman said. It burns almost as hot as charcoal, she added, before passing around the briquette that was a bit larger than palm-sized with a hole in the middle.
The briquettes would be a way families could earn money, trees could be saved and children could stay in school, Grossman said.
Working kids
When Cambodian children are about 15 or 16, they are needed to contribute to the family income, she explained. Also, about 80 percent of the children do not finish primary school (through sixth grade) because at age 10 they often do agricultural work.
Still, a hurdle the Grossmans are working to jump is the distrust people have for each other. After the torturous, devastating reign of Khmer Rouge and multiple decades of war, survival mode is what they know.
In this country where people generally make less than $1 a day, oppression and fear is part of daily life, she said. However, they share a desire for a better future for themselves and their children, said Grossman. Also, they value education and have a tight family structure.
“You can do more with a little bit of money and a lot of relationship,” Grossman said during the Wednesday afternoon presentation at the high school.
The book
While in Summit County this week, Grossman also did a book signing at Next Page Bookstore in Frisco followed by a book discussion. Anyone interested in buying the book or finding out more, can visit www.bonesthatfloat.com. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds from “Bones That Float” go to help fund the Grady Grossman School.
“When we started it, I had no idea this would become kind of our life’s work,” Grossman said.
By LORY POUNDER
summit daily news
Summit County, CO Colorado
March 21, 2008
FARMER’S KORNER — Every day Kari Grady Grossman sees a sweet face of Cambodia starring back at her. She and her husband, George, adopted their son from the country, and it was the fateful trip to get him that led them to their calling of empowering a community for a brighter future.
Grossman is the author of “Bones That Float,” a memoir about adopting her son and then a village in Cambodia, intertwined with the story of survival from a native Cambodian woman. And this week, she spoke to a couple classes at Summit High School, sharing her personal story along with a short documentary and discussion.
In addition to raising awareness about Cambodia, Grossman’s presentation was one of the ways the students — sophomores in the Middle Years International Baccalaureate Programme — were exposed to community service and how a grassroots effort can be an effective catalyst for change.
A school is born
The Grossmans adopted Grady, who is now 7, in 2001. Completely taken by the country where he was born, they decided to create a school in his name by the highest mountain. However, what they realized is, simply building a school is not enough because without continued support it could become just a building.
Today, the school that started with 50 students educates 500 up through sixth grade.
In this rural area in the village of Chrauk Tiek, teachers had to travel from far away and therefore didn’t show up consistently or ended up sleeping on the school’s concrete floors. So the Grossmans started a non-profit organization, built housing for the teachers and provided a stipend to help them. Also, they hired three additional teachers, an English and computer teacher, a music teacher and a librarian, whom they pay instead of receiving the about $30 a month from the government. And now they are “giving in a way that’s empowering,” by trying to invent a model for the community to self-support the school, Grossman said.
“You’ve got to think of education and economic development hand in hand,” she added.
Kari and George Grossman, who met while living in Summit County in the early 90s, lived in Wyoming for a number of years and recently moved to Fort Collins with their son, Grady, and daughter, Shanti, 3, whom they adopted from India.
In 2002, the U.S. closed adoptions to Cambodia, Grossman explained to the Summit High students when asked if she was going to adopt more children from the country.
Teaching a community
Where the Grady Grossman School exists, illegal logging is a serious problem, Grossman explained. Wood is commonly used for cooking over open fires, but by cutting down the forest, the country’s water source is impacted because trees with large roots hold in water during the monsoon season and then release it.
So, combing this issue with trying to empower people, they are teaching the locals how to create alternative cooking fuel — a biomass briquette that can be made from the mounds of sawdust left from the illegal logging or from rice husk, dead leaves or coconut peel, Grossman said. It burns almost as hot as charcoal, she added, before passing around the briquette that was a bit larger than palm-sized with a hole in the middle.
The briquettes would be a way families could earn money, trees could be saved and children could stay in school, Grossman said.
Working kids
When Cambodian children are about 15 or 16, they are needed to contribute to the family income, she explained. Also, about 80 percent of the children do not finish primary school (through sixth grade) because at age 10 they often do agricultural work.
Still, a hurdle the Grossmans are working to jump is the distrust people have for each other. After the torturous, devastating reign of Khmer Rouge and multiple decades of war, survival mode is what they know.
In this country where people generally make less than $1 a day, oppression and fear is part of daily life, she said. However, they share a desire for a better future for themselves and their children, said Grossman. Also, they value education and have a tight family structure.
“You can do more with a little bit of money and a lot of relationship,” Grossman said during the Wednesday afternoon presentation at the high school.
The book
While in Summit County this week, Grossman also did a book signing at Next Page Bookstore in Frisco followed by a book discussion. Anyone interested in buying the book or finding out more, can visit www.bonesthatfloat.com. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds from “Bones That Float” go to help fund the Grady Grossman School.
“When we started it, I had no idea this would become kind of our life’s work,” Grossman said.
Ex-general made new U.S. life
OBITUARY: Former Cambodian chief of staff Chhong Ea went to trade school, put six kids through college.
By Greg Mellen, Staff Writer
03/21/2008
Chhong Ea went from being a brigadier general and the chief of staff for the Khmer Air Force during the Cambodian civil war to running a grocery store and later attending trade school in the United States to be an electrical technician. But the Cambodian emigrant never complained about his plight.
Ea died March 12 several months after suffering a stroke. He was 78.
Despite his high ranking in the deposed Khmer Republic, Ea lived a quiet and modest life in the United States.
"When we left we didn't have anything but our clothes," said Saraboth Ea, the youngest son of Chhong Ea. "Even his wedding pictures were left behind."
According to Saraboth Ea and his mother, Theng Van, after evacuating his family to safety, Chhong Ea stayed in Cambodia until the last possible moment on April 17, 1975, the day Cambodia fell, before leaving the country.
Although Chhong Ea had been encouraged to flee sooner, according to Saraboth Ea, "my dad told my mom the administration would be in chaos. There would be no one left to help the people."
Once he left Cambodia, however, the family said Chhong Ea never looked back.
"In my experience of my dad, it seemed like he lived a normal life," Saraboth Ea said.
After running the family grocery store, Chhong Ea enrolled in trade school and landed a job with NCR Corp., with which he worked for 20 years until his retirement.
"It was amazing, he raised six kids and put us through college," Saraboth Ea said.
After his fighting days, Chhong Ea neither talked about the war nor did he seem to harbor bitterness.
He also avoided postwar politics and even turned down an invitation to return to Cambodia when the government was being rebuilt.
Chhong Ea began his career as an aviator in 1954 and after being trained by France rose to the rank of captain by 1964.
With the formation of the Khmer Republic in 1970, following the removal of Prince Norodom Sihanouk, Chhong Ea rose quickly to the rank of brigadier general and would later be recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross by U.S. military peers. The medal can be awarded to members of friendly foreign countries during times of war.
Saraboth Ea said his father was appreciated by those who served under him because of his honesty and incorruptibility.
"He was never involved in corruption," Saraboth Ea said. "They all saw that and that's what they respected about him."
Chhong Ea is survived by his wife; six children, Ken, Peter, Saraboth, Sadeth, Sarina and Sariny; and 10 grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held today at 3 p.m. at the Memorial Chapel at Rose Hills Memorial Park, 3888 S. Workman Mill Road, Whittier.
By Greg Mellen, Staff Writer
03/21/2008
Chhong Ea went from being a brigadier general and the chief of staff for the Khmer Air Force during the Cambodian civil war to running a grocery store and later attending trade school in the United States to be an electrical technician. But the Cambodian emigrant never complained about his plight.
Ea died March 12 several months after suffering a stroke. He was 78.
Despite his high ranking in the deposed Khmer Republic, Ea lived a quiet and modest life in the United States.
"When we left we didn't have anything but our clothes," said Saraboth Ea, the youngest son of Chhong Ea. "Even his wedding pictures were left behind."
According to Saraboth Ea and his mother, Theng Van, after evacuating his family to safety, Chhong Ea stayed in Cambodia until the last possible moment on April 17, 1975, the day Cambodia fell, before leaving the country.
Although Chhong Ea had been encouraged to flee sooner, according to Saraboth Ea, "my dad told my mom the administration would be in chaos. There would be no one left to help the people."
Once he left Cambodia, however, the family said Chhong Ea never looked back.
"In my experience of my dad, it seemed like he lived a normal life," Saraboth Ea said.
After running the family grocery store, Chhong Ea enrolled in trade school and landed a job with NCR Corp., with which he worked for 20 years until his retirement.
"It was amazing, he raised six kids and put us through college," Saraboth Ea said.
After his fighting days, Chhong Ea neither talked about the war nor did he seem to harbor bitterness.
He also avoided postwar politics and even turned down an invitation to return to Cambodia when the government was being rebuilt.
Chhong Ea began his career as an aviator in 1954 and after being trained by France rose to the rank of captain by 1964.
With the formation of the Khmer Republic in 1970, following the removal of Prince Norodom Sihanouk, Chhong Ea rose quickly to the rank of brigadier general and would later be recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross by U.S. military peers. The medal can be awarded to members of friendly foreign countries during times of war.
Saraboth Ea said his father was appreciated by those who served under him because of his honesty and incorruptibility.
"He was never involved in corruption," Saraboth Ea said. "They all saw that and that's what they respected about him."
Chhong Ea is survived by his wife; six children, Ken, Peter, Saraboth, Sadeth, Sarina and Sariny; and 10 grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held today at 3 p.m. at the Memorial Chapel at Rose Hills Memorial Park, 3888 S. Workman Mill Road, Whittier.
Cambodian emigres share pain
FORUM: Testimonials from the Long Beach gathering may be offered to war crimes tribunal.
By Greg Mellen, Staff Writer
03/21/2008
LONG BEACH - The pain is never far below the surface for Cambodian refugees. Their shared history informs much of what they do and how they see society.
While the recollection and sharing of survivor stories is nothing new, especially in Long Beach, it remains relevant and vital to recovery for individuals and the community.
The memories of the atrocities of the Killing Fields genocide of the late 1970s still run deep and few in Long Beach's Cambodian community escaped without being profoundly affected.
On March 29 at Cal State Long Beach, survivors and those interested in Cambodian social issues will be convening in a daylong event called "Shared Suffering, Shared Resilience: A Critical Dialogue Forum and Film Screening."
The event will have an added layer of relevance as testimonials and discussion may be relayed to the international tribunal in Cambodia that is currently prosecuting alleged perpetrators of the Killing Fields atrocities.
"Many Cambodian refugees say they feel helpless and victimized and unheard by the international community; now here's your chance (to be heard,)" said Leakhena Nou, an assistant professor of sociology at Cal State Long Beach and organizer of the event.
The Open Society Justice Initiative, which has a watchdog group monitoring the international tribunal being conducted by the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, will have a representative at the forum and will receive and review transcripts from the day.
A representative from the State Department's Office of War Crimes Issues may also attend.
Tracey Gurd, an associate legal officer with Open Society, says the event provides a rare opportunity for refugees in the U.S. to be heard in Cambodia, which really hasn't reached out to emigrants during the tribunal process.
Gurd said that by sharing experiences and giving feedback, Long Beach Cambodians can be engaged in the trial.
Nou, who is also the founder of the nonprofit Association for Social Research Institute of Cambodia which is sponsoring the forum, said this could be the first in a series of similar events both in the United States and overseas.
Nou and her nonprofit have been talking to Cambodian groups in Lowell, Mass.; Oregon; Virginia; and Washington, D.C., about presenting similar programs and seeing what patterns emerge in the Cambodian refugee experience.
The Cambodian-American professor, whose family was able to emigrate before the Khmer Rouge rose to power, stresses that her event is not at all political.
"This is an academic and public event," she said. "It has nothing to do with putting down the current regime."
Rather she says, it is a chance for Cambodians to begin redefining their history and their identity and moving past the suffering to solutions and reconciliation.
The all-day CSULB event will feature discussion panels with both younger and older Cambodians, cultural presentations by Cambodian artists and performers and a screening of the documentary film "Bombhunters" by Skye Fitzgerald.
"The experiences (of Cambodian refugees) have defined their current existence and their future, both positively and negatively," Nou said.
What matters, she says, is "how they use it as a basis to move forward."
By Greg Mellen, Staff Writer
03/21/2008
LONG BEACH - The pain is never far below the surface for Cambodian refugees. Their shared history informs much of what they do and how they see society.
While the recollection and sharing of survivor stories is nothing new, especially in Long Beach, it remains relevant and vital to recovery for individuals and the community.
The memories of the atrocities of the Killing Fields genocide of the late 1970s still run deep and few in Long Beach's Cambodian community escaped without being profoundly affected.
On March 29 at Cal State Long Beach, survivors and those interested in Cambodian social issues will be convening in a daylong event called "Shared Suffering, Shared Resilience: A Critical Dialogue Forum and Film Screening."
The event will have an added layer of relevance as testimonials and discussion may be relayed to the international tribunal in Cambodia that is currently prosecuting alleged perpetrators of the Killing Fields atrocities.
"Many Cambodian refugees say they feel helpless and victimized and unheard by the international community; now here's your chance (to be heard,)" said Leakhena Nou, an assistant professor of sociology at Cal State Long Beach and organizer of the event.
The Open Society Justice Initiative, which has a watchdog group monitoring the international tribunal being conducted by the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, will have a representative at the forum and will receive and review transcripts from the day.
A representative from the State Department's Office of War Crimes Issues may also attend.
Tracey Gurd, an associate legal officer with Open Society, says the event provides a rare opportunity for refugees in the U.S. to be heard in Cambodia, which really hasn't reached out to emigrants during the tribunal process.
Gurd said that by sharing experiences and giving feedback, Long Beach Cambodians can be engaged in the trial.
Nou, who is also the founder of the nonprofit Association for Social Research Institute of Cambodia which is sponsoring the forum, said this could be the first in a series of similar events both in the United States and overseas.
Nou and her nonprofit have been talking to Cambodian groups in Lowell, Mass.; Oregon; Virginia; and Washington, D.C., about presenting similar programs and seeing what patterns emerge in the Cambodian refugee experience.
The Cambodian-American professor, whose family was able to emigrate before the Khmer Rouge rose to power, stresses that her event is not at all political.
"This is an academic and public event," she said. "It has nothing to do with putting down the current regime."
Rather she says, it is a chance for Cambodians to begin redefining their history and their identity and moving past the suffering to solutions and reconciliation.
The all-day CSULB event will feature discussion panels with both younger and older Cambodians, cultural presentations by Cambodian artists and performers and a screening of the documentary film "Bombhunters" by Skye Fitzgerald.
"The experiences (of Cambodian refugees) have defined their current existence and their future, both positively and negatively," Nou said.
What matters, she says, is "how they use it as a basis to move forward."
Motorcycle Journey from Siem Reap to Preah Vihear
Friday, March 21, 2008Carl Parkes -- FriskoDude
Almost all visitors to the famed Cambodian temple on the Thai/Cambodian border arrive from Sisaket on the Thai side, but some folks think it's good fun to spend several days on the back of a rented motorcycle, dodging horrible roads, and certainly hurting like hell to make the arduous journey from Siem Reap to Preah Vihear. I mentioned a Bangkok Post letter last month that described such a journey, and today I found another brave soul who describes the ordeal over at Matador Trips.
Whoever coined the term ‘dancing roads’ to describe Cambodia’s unmaintained thoroughfares was a master euphemist. Backpackers have supposedly made it to Preah Vihear via moped, but ruts a foot deep or more swallow tires to their axles and destroy shock absorbers. There’s a fine line between adventurous and crazy: don’t attempt this trip on anything less than a dirtbike (or a 4×4 if you have a bigger group).
Long days of riding will exhaust you, and it just takes one bad move to send you flying over the handlebars. With the nearest medical facilities hundreds of kilometers away in Siem Reap or Phnom Penh, this is best avoided.
Unless you’re an experienced rider, hire a driver who knows what he’s doing. Whatever you do, don’t attempt this trip in the rainy season. Depending on your budget, you have a few options for finding a driver and bike in Siem Reap. Hidden Cambodia is a western run outfit, and will set you up with safety gear, guides, and bikes…all at premium prices. Rates range from USD 155 to USD 185 per person/per day depending on the number of travelers.
On a tighter budget, consider Chaioffroadtrip. Chai is a safe driver, and you won’t meet a more friendly or honest Cambodian. Chai quotes USD 80 per person per day on his website. All of the above prices include bike, driver, gas, food, accommodation, and admission fees. Another option is to watch for locals riding around Siem Reap or Anlong Veng on dirtbikes. Most are amenable to negotiating impromptu trips for the right price.
Whoever coined the term ‘dancing roads’ to describe Cambodia’s unmaintained thoroughfares was a master euphemist. Backpackers have supposedly made it to Preah Vihear via moped, but ruts a foot deep or more swallow tires to their axles and destroy shock absorbers. There’s a fine line between adventurous and crazy: don’t attempt this trip on anything less than a dirtbike (or a 4×4 if you have a bigger group).
Long days of riding will exhaust you, and it just takes one bad move to send you flying over the handlebars. With the nearest medical facilities hundreds of kilometers away in Siem Reap or Phnom Penh, this is best avoided.
Unless you’re an experienced rider, hire a driver who knows what he’s doing. Whatever you do, don’t attempt this trip in the rainy season. Depending on your budget, you have a few options for finding a driver and bike in Siem Reap. Hidden Cambodia is a western run outfit, and will set you up with safety gear, guides, and bikes…all at premium prices. Rates range from USD 155 to USD 185 per person/per day depending on the number of travelers.
On a tighter budget, consider Chaioffroadtrip. Chai is a safe driver, and you won’t meet a more friendly or honest Cambodian. Chai quotes USD 80 per person per day on his website. All of the above prices include bike, driver, gas, food, accommodation, and admission fees. Another option is to watch for locals riding around Siem Reap or Anlong Veng on dirtbikes. Most are amenable to negotiating impromptu trips for the right price.
Life of a Landmine victim in Cambodia
Soeun Touen, 53, a landmine victim and former Cambodia royal arm force officer baths at a rice field in Kampong Chhang, 70 km (43 miles) south of Phnom Penh March 21, 2008 .REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea (CAMBODIA)
Soeun Touen, 53, a landmine victim and former Cambodia royal arm force officer gets water from a well at Kampong Chhang 70 km (43 miles) south of Phnom Penh March 21, 2008 .REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea (CAMBODIA) 
Soeun Touen, 53, a landmine victim and former Cambodia royal arm force gets water from a well in Kampong Chhang 70 km (43 miles) south of Phnom Penh March 21, 2008 .REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea (CAMBODIA) 
Landmine victim and former Royal Cambodian Armed Forces officer Soeun Touen, 53, gets water from a well at Kampong Chhang, 70 km (40 miles) south of Phnom Penh, March 21, 2008.REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea (CAMBODIA)
Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe visiting Cambodia
Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe offers gifts to a Buddhist monk at Kampong Tralach district, 70km (40 miles) south of Phnom Penh, March 21, 2008. Abe is in Cambodia to attend attend the opening of a school funded by the voluntary association of Japanese parliamentarians and the Japan Team of Young Human Power (JHP).REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea (CAMBODIA) 
Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe plants a tree with Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister Sok An (R) at Kampong Tralach district, 70km (40 miles) south of Phnom Penh, March 21, 2008. Abe is in Cambodia to attend attend the opening of a school funded by the voluntary association of Japanese parliamentarians and the Japan Team of Young Human Power (JHP).REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea (CAMBODIA) 
Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe shakes hands with Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister Sok An (R) after receiving an honorary medal at Kampong Tralach district, 70km (40 miles) south of Phnom Penh, March 21, 2008. Abe is in Cambodia to attend attend the opening of a school funded by the voluntary association of Japanese parliamentarians and the Japan Team of Young Human Power (JHP).REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea (CAMBODIA) Ex-Japnanese PM Opened A School in Cambodia
Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe speaks to Cambodian schoolchildren at Kampong Tralach district, 70km (40 miles) south of Phnom Penh, March 21, 2008. Abe is in Cambodia to attend the opening of a school funded by the voluntary association of Japanese parliamentarians and the Japan Team of Young Human Power (JHP).RREUTERS/Chor Sokunthea (CAMBODOIA) 
Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe waves upon his arrival at Kampong Tralach district, 70km (40 miles) south of Phnom Penh, to attend the opening of a school funded by the voluntary association of Japanese parliamentarians and the Japan Team of Young Human Power (JHP) March 21, 2008.REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea (CAMBODIA)
Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe poses for a photo with Cambodian school children at Kampong Tralach district, 70km (40 miles) south of Phnom Penh, March 21, 2008. Abe is in Cambodia to attend attend the opening of a school funded by the voluntary association of Japanese parliamentarians and the Japan Team of Young Human Power (JHP).REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea (CAMBODIA) Mr. Joseph Mussomeli Criticized that Over 25% of Accused Persons Are Tortured or Forced to Confess
His Excellency Joseph A. Mussomeli United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Posted on 22 March 2008.
The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 552
“Corruption in the judicial system of Cambodia is being strongly criticized by donors and local human rights organizations, as well as by civil society. In contrast, groups of high-ranking officials who committed serious crimes, are free from punishment, but poor citizens always suffer from unjust and corrupt courts.
“During the report presentation of the Court Watch Project for the year 2007, a program of the Center for Social Development [CSD], held on 20 March 2008, the US Ambassador Mr. Joseph Mussomeli said, ‘Last year I admired the Cambodian judicial system. Obviously, the public and the citizens must be allowed to hear a trial freely. This is a crucial step toward transparency and the building of a culture of the rule of law. It is a priority to do so. Nothing is more important than to educate citizens to be aware of the rule of law. In human society, there are only two systems; one is dictatorship, where the most powerful and the richest are those who are in control; the other system is the rule of law, which accords equality and justice to all people. Therefore also those who are considered to be suspects are not different [they have also be treated with equality and justice], also if they are unjustly abused by the rich. Last week, I shared with law students a statement by Mr. Anarcharsis, a [sixth century before Christ] Greek scholar, who said, ”Laws are like spider webs; they will catch, it is true, the weak and poor, but would be torn in pieces by the rich and powerful.” But it is our job to prove that the statement of Mr. Anarcharsis is not true. It means that there must be a mechanism to evaluate and measure the work of the court system, in order to make sure that it is not like a spider web catching only the poor and the weak. If the rule of law is in progress, it will be transparent that it is implementing the work of the courts, and the work of the Center for Social Development will be more transparent keeping a close watch on the courts. This is a most praiseworthy and important service for Khmer society.’
“The annual report of the CSD clearly shows what is happening in the courtrooms. It indicates the lack of proper ‘judicial procedures’ defined by a democratic society. For instance, according to observations of the CSD, in more than half of the criminal cases, the accused persons did not have their defense lawyers in court. Therefore, the current judicial system in Cambodia should be improved and upgraded.
“The CSD reported that more than 25 percent of the accused persons said that they were tortured or forced to confess something. Mr. Joseph added, ‘I remember that this percentage is similar to the previous year, which indicates that there is not much difference, as the accused persons are still pressured during interrogation. I realize that it is difficult for the Court Watch Project to confirm that such accusations are real. Some suspects may tell a lie, but the number of such accusations can confirm that there are many mistakes in the court system. I notice that, according to the report, juvenile suspects are often detained for an indefinite period of time to be sentenced. Such cases seem to happen mostly in the juvenile courts. This is injustice.
“He continued, ‘News about the courts are not always bad. Cambodian courts are moving forward and improving. The CSD reported that more victims and witnesses appeared in court to respond to charges in 2007 than in 2006. This indicates that the judicial system is improving and providing opportunities to accused persons, so that they can defend themselves against what they are charged. Moreover, officials who serve as court watchers praised the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for not sending a 14-year-old boy to prison, but just sending him to a correction center instead.’ There are many more efforts that the judicial system needs to make so that they can win the trust of people. Even while some parts of the problem are due to failures of the government, some other parts are due to failures of the people. Everyone wants to have a judicial system governed by fairness and transparency, but some people start to make exceptions in case something happens to themselves, their family, or their friends. Many people who normally ask for transparency, will then want to have special attention. It is natural that everyone wants attention, but it is not good to ask for exceptions. This is also something where many organizations and the CSD can help.’
“The US ambassador praised the CSD for its efforts this year, and he also appreciated the struggle of government officials and their willingness to cooperate with the CSD and its Court Watch Project. ‘The US government has the honor to assist in this task.’”
Chuoy Khmer, Vol.2, #69, 21.3.2008
The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 552
“Corruption in the judicial system of Cambodia is being strongly criticized by donors and local human rights organizations, as well as by civil society. In contrast, groups of high-ranking officials who committed serious crimes, are free from punishment, but poor citizens always suffer from unjust and corrupt courts.
“During the report presentation of the Court Watch Project for the year 2007, a program of the Center for Social Development [CSD], held on 20 March 2008, the US Ambassador Mr. Joseph Mussomeli said, ‘Last year I admired the Cambodian judicial system. Obviously, the public and the citizens must be allowed to hear a trial freely. This is a crucial step toward transparency and the building of a culture of the rule of law. It is a priority to do so. Nothing is more important than to educate citizens to be aware of the rule of law. In human society, there are only two systems; one is dictatorship, where the most powerful and the richest are those who are in control; the other system is the rule of law, which accords equality and justice to all people. Therefore also those who are considered to be suspects are not different [they have also be treated with equality and justice], also if they are unjustly abused by the rich. Last week, I shared with law students a statement by Mr. Anarcharsis, a [sixth century before Christ] Greek scholar, who said, ”Laws are like spider webs; they will catch, it is true, the weak and poor, but would be torn in pieces by the rich and powerful.” But it is our job to prove that the statement of Mr. Anarcharsis is not true. It means that there must be a mechanism to evaluate and measure the work of the court system, in order to make sure that it is not like a spider web catching only the poor and the weak. If the rule of law is in progress, it will be transparent that it is implementing the work of the courts, and the work of the Center for Social Development will be more transparent keeping a close watch on the courts. This is a most praiseworthy and important service for Khmer society.’
“The annual report of the CSD clearly shows what is happening in the courtrooms. It indicates the lack of proper ‘judicial procedures’ defined by a democratic society. For instance, according to observations of the CSD, in more than half of the criminal cases, the accused persons did not have their defense lawyers in court. Therefore, the current judicial system in Cambodia should be improved and upgraded.
“The CSD reported that more than 25 percent of the accused persons said that they were tortured or forced to confess something. Mr. Joseph added, ‘I remember that this percentage is similar to the previous year, which indicates that there is not much difference, as the accused persons are still pressured during interrogation. I realize that it is difficult for the Court Watch Project to confirm that such accusations are real. Some suspects may tell a lie, but the number of such accusations can confirm that there are many mistakes in the court system. I notice that, according to the report, juvenile suspects are often detained for an indefinite period of time to be sentenced. Such cases seem to happen mostly in the juvenile courts. This is injustice.
“He continued, ‘News about the courts are not always bad. Cambodian courts are moving forward and improving. The CSD reported that more victims and witnesses appeared in court to respond to charges in 2007 than in 2006. This indicates that the judicial system is improving and providing opportunities to accused persons, so that they can defend themselves against what they are charged. Moreover, officials who serve as court watchers praised the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for not sending a 14-year-old boy to prison, but just sending him to a correction center instead.’ There are many more efforts that the judicial system needs to make so that they can win the trust of people. Even while some parts of the problem are due to failures of the government, some other parts are due to failures of the people. Everyone wants to have a judicial system governed by fairness and transparency, but some people start to make exceptions in case something happens to themselves, their family, or their friends. Many people who normally ask for transparency, will then want to have special attention. It is natural that everyone wants attention, but it is not good to ask for exceptions. This is also something where many organizations and the CSD can help.’
“The US ambassador praised the CSD for its efforts this year, and he also appreciated the struggle of government officials and their willingness to cooperate with the CSD and its Court Watch Project. ‘The US government has the honor to assist in this task.’”
Chuoy Khmer, Vol.2, #69, 21.3.2008
Cambodia still obtaining criminal confessions through torture: rights group
Friday, March 21, 2008
Brett Murphy
[JURIST] A quarter of criminal defendants in Cambodian courts are tortured or coerced into giving confessions, a statistic that has not changed since last year, according to an annual report [PDF text] released Thursday by Center for Social Development (CSD) [advocacy website]. The report found that:
Although duress is prohibited in Cambodia, CSD found a significant number of cases where defendants alleged of being victim of this inhuman practice to extract confession. At the six courts monitored by CSD, including the Appeals Court and the Supreme Court, 25.3% of defendants whose cases were monitored claimed having been coerced by judicial police officers...
Judges rarely followed up on these allegations. Adequate follow-up would include conducting further inquiry into the allegation or to prosecute perpetrator. At Phnom Penh Court, for example, with only five defendants out of a total of 292 defendants alleging coercion did the trial judges request the prosecution to prove that the confession was given freely and voluntarily.
Speaking at a Thursday meeting to mark the report's release, US Ambassador to Cambodia Joseph Mussomeli criticized [speech text] Cambodian courts for not meeting procedural justice standards, saying that "there remains a good deal to be done before the people of the judicial system will earn the trust of the people of Cambodia."
The judicial review annual report is part of the CSD Court Watch Project [CSD backgrounder], which monitors courts to assure compliance with Cambodian and International standards of fair trial.
Brett Murphy
[JURIST] A quarter of criminal defendants in Cambodian courts are tortured or coerced into giving confessions, a statistic that has not changed since last year, according to an annual report [PDF text] released Thursday by Center for Social Development (CSD) [advocacy website]. The report found that:
Although duress is prohibited in Cambodia, CSD found a significant number of cases where defendants alleged of being victim of this inhuman practice to extract confession. At the six courts monitored by CSD, including the Appeals Court and the Supreme Court, 25.3% of defendants whose cases were monitored claimed having been coerced by judicial police officers...
Judges rarely followed up on these allegations. Adequate follow-up would include conducting further inquiry into the allegation or to prosecute perpetrator. At Phnom Penh Court, for example, with only five defendants out of a total of 292 defendants alleging coercion did the trial judges request the prosecution to prove that the confession was given freely and voluntarily.
Speaking at a Thursday meeting to mark the report's release, US Ambassador to Cambodia Joseph Mussomeli criticized [speech text] Cambodian courts for not meeting procedural justice standards, saying that "there remains a good deal to be done before the people of the judicial system will earn the trust of the people of Cambodia."
The judicial review annual report is part of the CSD Court Watch Project [CSD backgrounder], which monitors courts to assure compliance with Cambodian and International standards of fair trial.
Around Annapolis: Yoga workshop inspires woman to help Cambodian kids
Diane M. Rey - For The CapitalAnnapolis Cove's Suzanne Cary sits on her yoga mat, surrounded by letters and contributions she has received for her project to help Cambodian children.
By DIANE M. REY
Published March 21, 2008
Suzanne Cary values her yoga practice for the calmness it brings to her mind.
But lately, all she can think about are images of Cambodian children dressed in rags, picking through mountains of garbage for bits of metal that bring in a few cents a day, maybe enough for a bowl of rice.
Those mental images have propelled the stay-at-home mother of three into action.
The family's large, comfortable home in Annapolis Cove seems worlds away from the squalor and desperation faced every day by the children she's trying to help.
According to the Cambodian Children's Fund Web site, www.cambodianchildrensfund.org, Cambodian children are among the most deprived and abused in the world. There, child prostitution and domestic violence are commonplace.
Education is not a reality for many, and the country's high poverty level has forced many children into labor at a tender age.
"The more you read about it, you can't believe that it's actually happening," Suzanne said.
Suzanne first learned about the plight of impoverished Cambodian children in January at a yoga workshop in Pennsylvania run by Seane Corn, a nationally known yoga teacher and activist who started an organization called "Off the Mat, Into the World." It's part of the Engage Network, a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization that focuses on social change in the areas of the environment, education, health and children's issues.
Seane discussed an initiative called "Journey to Cambodia, A Seva Challenge," affiliated with the Cambodian Children's Fund, where volunteers will spend two weeks in Cambodia's capital of Phnom Penh next February, working with five local orphanages to rescue as many children as possible and building a well to bring in clean water.
"I know that one person can make a difference in the lives of others,"
Suzanne said. "Something about this story touched me and I know I have to go."
First, however, she has to raise $20,000 by the end of the year to make it happen.
Although Suzanne says she has no fundraising experience, "It's taking me completely outside my box." She's determined to stay upbeat and work steadily toward her goal.
The journey so far has been harder than she thought. A Long Island native and former asset manager with Freddie Mac in McLean, Va., Suzanne, 40, said she first approached large corporations to jump-start her fundraising efforts. But those she approached were reluctant to donate for causes outside the United States.
"I had to regroup," she said.
Since then, she has relied on her own network and word-of-mouth to spread the news. So far, she has been able to raise about $2,500 from individuals and businesses, with contributions ranging from $20 to $500.
Her children's dentist, Dr. Nilda Collins, contributed a check as well as 100 toothbrushes for Suzanne to distribute at the orphanages. She also has received support from Annapolis Painting Services and Bayside Pediatrics. Recently, Lynn Mosby, who received her flier through Heritage Learning Center, where Suzanne's youngest child, Patrick, 3, attends, connected her with the South Arundel Junior Women's Club, which gave a donation.
She figures she needs to raise an average of $500 per week to meet her year-end goal.
"It's a big task," Suzanne said. Unlike higher-profile causes, like cancer research or Special Olympics, the plight of children in Cambodia "might not be on the radar screen" for many people, Suzanne said. "But children are children ... and they truly have nothing."
She plans to pay her own travel expenses, with help from a matching fund program at Bank of America, where her husband, Miles, works, so that 90 percent of the donations she receives will go directly to support the housing, feeding, health care and education of as many needy children as possible.
Fortunately, she said, in Cambodia, a little can go a long way: It takes only $30 to feed one child for one month; $75 covers monthly education costs; $250 buys shoes for 50 children; $500 gives 90 children dental care for one month; and $1,200 covers one child's general expenses at the Cambodian Children's Fund facilities for one year.
Suzanne plans to use the remaining 10 percent of donations to start a scholarship fund to teach yoga to women in low-income areas in Annapolis. Details for that effort still are being worked out, she said.
To reach her goal, Suzanne has planned several fundraising events, starting next month.
She's holding a fundraising breakfast April 10 at her home for parents of kindergarten children at St. Mary's Elementary School, where her children, Austin, 9, and Shannon, 6, attend.
At 9 a.m. April 12, the Lotus Center is holding a special yoga class to benefit Suzanne's project. The center is at 820 Ritchie Highway, Suite 280, in Severna Park. To register, call 410-858-7925.
Suzanne also plans to sell lottery tickets for a $200 grocery gift card outside the Safeway in Edgewater from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 19 and May 4.
As soon as they arrive, the Evolve Yoga studio at Evolutions Body Clinic, 1834 George Ave., Annapolis, will sell tote bags made by Cambodian children out of recycled rice bags. The studio is where Suzanne studies vinyasa flow yoga with Tina Lanzoni. Proceeds from the sales also will help Suzanne close her fundraising gap.
Currently, Suzanne stays busy planning additional fundraising events to take place this summer, including a wine auction and more yoga benefit classes.
She's also looking for a business or restaurant to step forward as a sponsor. All the while, she's keeping the faith that things will come together to enable her to achieve her mission.
"Seane Corn has a quote I like: 'If not me, then who?'" she said. "I have the power to help create a legacy in Cambodia. Why wouldn't I take this challenge? I am so excited about this opportunity," Suzanne said in an e-mail.
For more information about the project, or to donate online, visit Suzanne's Web site at www.offthematintocambodia.org.
You also can send a check payable to the Exchange Network, with Suzanne Cary in the memo line, to 3204 Britania Court, Annapolis, MD, 21403. All donations are tax deductible.
Her name was Grace, and she brought the grace of classical ballet to generations of students in a 42-year teaching career, breaking down racial and cultural barriers along the way.
'Annapolis Anthologies' ballet
Annapolis dance legend Grace Clark retired in 1991 at the age of 79 and passed away in 1997, but her legacy lives on in the students she influenced.
Now, the Ballet Theatre of Maryland is trying to locate those students and incorporate their stories and experiences into an original ballet to be held in conjunction with the Annapolis Alive! program that celebrates the 300th anniversary of the city's charter.
"Annapolis Anthologies" will be performed at 7 p.m. April 19 and at 2 p.m. April 20 at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, 801 Chase St., Annapolis.
Dianna Cuatto, BTM artistic director, described Grace as "a courageous Annapolitan woman who gave women, African Americans and students from all cultural backgrounds the power of dance to break down the barriers to freedom."
Grace's daughter, Victoria Waidner, remembered the many locations throughout the city where her mother taught, beginning in 1949: the Stanton Community Center on West Washington Street; Parole Elementary School during the days of segregation; the old Keeney and Sons music store on West Street; the Annapolis YWCA, as well as in her home on Franklin Street.
Grace was the founder of the Annapolis Civic Ballet Company. She even taught ballet to football players at the Naval Academy to help them with their coordination, Victoria recalled.
"She did so much for the community of Annapolis ... She danced to the very end," said Victoria, a former principal who's now retired after 44 years in local public schools.
To contribute input to the project, call the Ballet Theatre of Maryland at 410-263-8289 or 410-224-5644.
Published March 21, 2008
Suzanne Cary values her yoga practice for the calmness it brings to her mind.
But lately, all she can think about are images of Cambodian children dressed in rags, picking through mountains of garbage for bits of metal that bring in a few cents a day, maybe enough for a bowl of rice.
Those mental images have propelled the stay-at-home mother of three into action.
The family's large, comfortable home in Annapolis Cove seems worlds away from the squalor and desperation faced every day by the children she's trying to help.
According to the Cambodian Children's Fund Web site, www.cambodianchildrensfund.org, Cambodian children are among the most deprived and abused in the world. There, child prostitution and domestic violence are commonplace.
Education is not a reality for many, and the country's high poverty level has forced many children into labor at a tender age.
"The more you read about it, you can't believe that it's actually happening," Suzanne said.
Suzanne first learned about the plight of impoverished Cambodian children in January at a yoga workshop in Pennsylvania run by Seane Corn, a nationally known yoga teacher and activist who started an organization called "Off the Mat, Into the World." It's part of the Engage Network, a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization that focuses on social change in the areas of the environment, education, health and children's issues.
Seane discussed an initiative called "Journey to Cambodia, A Seva Challenge," affiliated with the Cambodian Children's Fund, where volunteers will spend two weeks in Cambodia's capital of Phnom Penh next February, working with five local orphanages to rescue as many children as possible and building a well to bring in clean water.
"I know that one person can make a difference in the lives of others,"
Suzanne said. "Something about this story touched me and I know I have to go."
First, however, she has to raise $20,000 by the end of the year to make it happen.
Although Suzanne says she has no fundraising experience, "It's taking me completely outside my box." She's determined to stay upbeat and work steadily toward her goal.
The journey so far has been harder than she thought. A Long Island native and former asset manager with Freddie Mac in McLean, Va., Suzanne, 40, said she first approached large corporations to jump-start her fundraising efforts. But those she approached were reluctant to donate for causes outside the United States.
"I had to regroup," she said.
Since then, she has relied on her own network and word-of-mouth to spread the news. So far, she has been able to raise about $2,500 from individuals and businesses, with contributions ranging from $20 to $500.
Her children's dentist, Dr. Nilda Collins, contributed a check as well as 100 toothbrushes for Suzanne to distribute at the orphanages. She also has received support from Annapolis Painting Services and Bayside Pediatrics. Recently, Lynn Mosby, who received her flier through Heritage Learning Center, where Suzanne's youngest child, Patrick, 3, attends, connected her with the South Arundel Junior Women's Club, which gave a donation.
She figures she needs to raise an average of $500 per week to meet her year-end goal.
"It's a big task," Suzanne said. Unlike higher-profile causes, like cancer research or Special Olympics, the plight of children in Cambodia "might not be on the radar screen" for many people, Suzanne said. "But children are children ... and they truly have nothing."
She plans to pay her own travel expenses, with help from a matching fund program at Bank of America, where her husband, Miles, works, so that 90 percent of the donations she receives will go directly to support the housing, feeding, health care and education of as many needy children as possible.
Fortunately, she said, in Cambodia, a little can go a long way: It takes only $30 to feed one child for one month; $75 covers monthly education costs; $250 buys shoes for 50 children; $500 gives 90 children dental care for one month; and $1,200 covers one child's general expenses at the Cambodian Children's Fund facilities for one year.
Suzanne plans to use the remaining 10 percent of donations to start a scholarship fund to teach yoga to women in low-income areas in Annapolis. Details for that effort still are being worked out, she said.
To reach her goal, Suzanne has planned several fundraising events, starting next month.
She's holding a fundraising breakfast April 10 at her home for parents of kindergarten children at St. Mary's Elementary School, where her children, Austin, 9, and Shannon, 6, attend.
At 9 a.m. April 12, the Lotus Center is holding a special yoga class to benefit Suzanne's project. The center is at 820 Ritchie Highway, Suite 280, in Severna Park. To register, call 410-858-7925.
Suzanne also plans to sell lottery tickets for a $200 grocery gift card outside the Safeway in Edgewater from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 19 and May 4.
As soon as they arrive, the Evolve Yoga studio at Evolutions Body Clinic, 1834 George Ave., Annapolis, will sell tote bags made by Cambodian children out of recycled rice bags. The studio is where Suzanne studies vinyasa flow yoga with Tina Lanzoni. Proceeds from the sales also will help Suzanne close her fundraising gap.
Currently, Suzanne stays busy planning additional fundraising events to take place this summer, including a wine auction and more yoga benefit classes.
She's also looking for a business or restaurant to step forward as a sponsor. All the while, she's keeping the faith that things will come together to enable her to achieve her mission.
"Seane Corn has a quote I like: 'If not me, then who?'" she said. "I have the power to help create a legacy in Cambodia. Why wouldn't I take this challenge? I am so excited about this opportunity," Suzanne said in an e-mail.
For more information about the project, or to donate online, visit Suzanne's Web site at www.offthematintocambodia.org.
You also can send a check payable to the Exchange Network, with Suzanne Cary in the memo line, to 3204 Britania Court, Annapolis, MD, 21403. All donations are tax deductible.
Her name was Grace, and she brought the grace of classical ballet to generations of students in a 42-year teaching career, breaking down racial and cultural barriers along the way.
'Annapolis Anthologies' ballet
Annapolis dance legend Grace Clark retired in 1991 at the age of 79 and passed away in 1997, but her legacy lives on in the students she influenced.
Now, the Ballet Theatre of Maryland is trying to locate those students and incorporate their stories and experiences into an original ballet to be held in conjunction with the Annapolis Alive! program that celebrates the 300th anniversary of the city's charter.
"Annapolis Anthologies" will be performed at 7 p.m. April 19 and at 2 p.m. April 20 at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, 801 Chase St., Annapolis.
Dianna Cuatto, BTM artistic director, described Grace as "a courageous Annapolitan woman who gave women, African Americans and students from all cultural backgrounds the power of dance to break down the barriers to freedom."
Grace's daughter, Victoria Waidner, remembered the many locations throughout the city where her mother taught, beginning in 1949: the Stanton Community Center on West Washington Street; Parole Elementary School during the days of segregation; the old Keeney and Sons music store on West Street; the Annapolis YWCA, as well as in her home on Franklin Street.
Grace was the founder of the Annapolis Civic Ballet Company. She even taught ballet to football players at the Naval Academy to help them with their coordination, Victoria recalled.
"She did so much for the community of Annapolis ... She danced to the very end," said Victoria, a former principal who's now retired after 44 years in local public schools.
To contribute input to the project, call the Ballet Theatre of Maryland at 410-263-8289 or 410-224-5644.
Former Khmer Rouge matron requests delay in appeal hearing
dpadpa - International News Service in English
Mar 21, 2008
Phnom Penh (dpa) - The only woman to be held in pre-trial detention by the Khmer Rouge tribunal in Cambodia has requested her appeal for bail be delayed in the interests of justice and human rights, the joint UN-Cambodian court said in a statement Friday.
Legal advocates for Ieng Thirith, also known by her maiden name of Khieu Thirith and revolutionary names of Phea and Hong, asked for a stay of her scheduled appeal in April until late May.
The defense said Diana Ellis, whom Thirith has selected as her international co-lawyer, would be unable to attend the April 21 hearing because of prior commitments.
The inability for Ellis to attend would "lead to a violation of her [Thirith's] fair trial rights" and breach human rights stipulations, according to a defence statement made public by the court.
As the sister-in-law of the movement's late former leader Pol Pot, the former Khmer Rouge social affairs minister Thirith, who is in her late 70s, is accused of being one of the inner circle of the 1975-79 regime.
Her husband and former former foreign minister Ieng Sary is also one of five former Khmer Rouge leaders who have been arrested and charged by the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.
Up to 2 million Cambodians perished under the Khmer Rouge's Democratic Kampuchea regime, and the five have been charged with human rights abuses and in some cases war crimes by the court.
Thirith's defence request was dated Friday. The court did not say when a decision might be handed down. Thirith has denied the charges against her and faces a yet-to-be-scheduled trial.
Abe opens Japan-funded school in Cambodia+
AP2008-03-21
KOMPONG CHHNANG, Cambodia, March 21 (Kyodo) - Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday opened a Japan-funded elementary school in the country's central province of Kompong Chhnang.
Abe, who heads a voluntary association of Japanese parliamentarians set up in 1997 to donate schoolhouses to Asian children, participated in an inauguration ceremony in Paches, a village located some 70 kilometers northwest of capital Phnom Penh.
He said the school is the eighth that the association has established in Cambodia so far, and that he hopes through this education project, friendly relations between Japan and Cambodia will be strengthened.
The association has also established schools in Laos and Myanmar.Abe, who stepped down as premier in September last year amid political pressure, arrived in Cambodia on Thursday as head of a 23-member delegation.
Later Friday, he is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Hun Sen and have an audience with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni.
He will leave Cambodia on Saturday after a sightseeing trip to Siem Reap, hometown of the famed ancient temple of Angkor Wat.
In June last year, during a visit to Japan, Hun Sen invited Abe, then prime minister, to visit Cambodia during the year to mark 50 years since a visit to the country by Abe's grandfather Nobusuke Kishi, who was then prime minister.
But the visit did not materialize until now.
Cambodia's Khmer Rouge Tribunal Threatened By Funding Crisis
Security guard stands at entrance of courtroom with judges of UN-backed genocide tribunal look on in background
By Rory Byrne
Phnom Penh
21 March 2008
Byrne report - Download (MP3)
Byrne report - Listen (MP3)
There are growing concerns that a lack of funds could threaten the future of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge tribunal, just months before the first trials are expected to begin. The burgeoning costs of the joint United Nations/Cambodian court have not been met with fresh funds from donor countries, which means that the long-awaited tribunal will run out of money by the end of April. Court officials however, are hopeful that the international community will come up with the millions of dollars needed to keep the court running. Rory Byrne reports for VOA from Phnom Penh.
Like a slow burning fuse, the threat to Cambodia's Khmer Rouge Tribunal has been building for months. The projected cost of the court has more than tripled from $56.3 million to about $170 million. At the same time, concerns about alleged mismanagement and corruption at the court have left donor countries slow to donate more money.
Helen Jarvis is a spokeswoman for the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, officially known as the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.
"We are really down to a pretty tight situation because on the Cambodian side we expect the funds to run out at the end of April - on the international side some months later," she said. "And indeed, even when the Cambodian funds run out we can't expect that the court would operate only with international staff. After all we are a mixed-court, and in the courts of Cambodia we really need both sides. As our director says: a bird needs two wings to fly, and that certainly applies to us."
The Khmer Rouge Tribunal has struggled to raise donor funds from the beginning mainly because of concerns about political interference in the trials.
Some leading members of the current Cambodian government, including the prime minister Hun Sen, are themselves former Khmer Rouge members. However, Reach Sambath, the press officer for the tribunal, says the Cambodian government deserves credit for supporting the trials.
"In the beginning, they got bullets of accusations saying that [the] Cambodian side had no commitment to let this court move forward because many of them were former Khmer Rouge, but on the contrary, within four months the five suspects were brought to the court, and that is why we have to express our satisfaction with the commitment of the Cambodian side of the court," he said.
The funding shortfall comes at the same time as the projected cost of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal has skyrocketed.
According to court officials, the trials are now expected to take about five years - not the three years allocated for in the original budget.
Plus the tribunal belatedly set up a Victims Unit to allow thousands of victims of the Khmer Rouge to take part in the trials as civil parties. The cost of gathering and processing evidence from the large number of potential plaintiffs is expected to run into the millions of dollars.
In addition, the expansion of the role of the pre-trial chamber to include pre-trial appeals, plus the cost of translating thousands of documents into English, French and Khmer have worsened the court's money woes.
Evidence of the tribunal's predicament came last week, when the Cambodian side of the court told its 200-plus staff that they would not be paid beyond April.
To prevent the court from closing, court officials are urgently appealing to donors to pledge more money. Press Officer Reach Sambath.
"I think funds should be provided as urgently as possible because otherwise we don't want - and the Cambodian people - none of them want to see the defendants get free," Sambath said.
"Because they waited for this chance [for] thirty years and now we don't want to see they are suffering more because there would be no budget and the court is going to close."
Almost two million people died under the Khmer Rouge's brutal 1975-1979 rule. Prosecuting those deemed 'most responsible' has taken decades.
For court officials, and for many Cambodians, the thought that the trials could collapse at this stage from a lack of funds is unimaginable. Court spokeswoman Helen Jarvis.
"We really can't imagine that we would close our doors in a month from now - I don't think anyone is really entertaining this possibility," Jarvis said. "I think it has been recognized that we have made substantial achievements, and our work is too important to just let go at this point."
Donor countries, known as the Group of Interested States, are scheduled to meet in New York on March 27. Court officials are hopeful that fresh funds will be pledged at that meeting, or shortly after.
Tribunal Weighs Needs of Defendants, Victims
By Mean Veasna, VOA Khmer Original report from Phnom Penh
21 March 2008
Khmer audio aired March 21 (980KB) - Listen (MP3)
Decisions by the Khmer Rouge tribunal Thursday on Nuon Chea's detention and the rights of victims to participate in hearings highlight a fine line judges are now walking.
On the one hand, they must respect the rights of the defendants, to fair and speedy trial; on the other, they must fulfill the needs of the country, of national reconciliation in the face of one of the worst atrocities of the 20th Century.
A panel of judges said Thursday that civil parties can join in every hearing of a defendant's process. In doing so, they put a value on national reconciliation for civil parties.
Judge Prak Kimsan said the participation was necessary for investigations and as part of national reconciliation.
Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, cited the decision as proof of the quality of the tribunal courts.
Civil parties are the victims that can join a hearing after they file a suit with investigating judges, tribunal spokesman Reach Sambath said.
The participation of the civil parties can provide psychological compensation and common compensation, he said.
A defense lawyer for Nuon Chea, Son Arun, said he did not disagree with allowing civil parties in certain hearings, but participation should be distinguished where the civil parties can only join hearings in the prime case.
"I do not oppose, but they should not participate and make a protest in the penal case," he said.
In the case of his client, they should have observed only the pre-trial release hearing, and not participated, he said, and should not have been allowed to suggest Nuon Chea not be released.
On the other hand, Youk Chhang said, "It is very interesting that the civil parties can join the hearings, and it explains some quality of the tribunal that depends on the participation of the citizen."
"But this participation must be limited by the co-judges or by representatives" of the parites, he said.
Council Defines Arms Licenses for Civilians
By Win Thida, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
21 March 2008
Khmer audio aired March 21 (703KB) - Listen (MP3)
The Council of Ministers passed a sub-decree Friday allowing for the licensing of very limited arms and munitions by civilians.
Under the new sub-decree, civilians can apply for licenses of arms and munitions for sports, art, fireworks, and engineering.
The licensing follows the passage of the Cambodian Arms Law in April 2005 and the subsequent closure of several weapons reduction programs.
Article 4 of the Arms Law prohibits weapon possession, ownership and transport by civilians.
Original report from Phnom Penh
21 March 2008
Khmer audio aired March 21 (703KB) - Listen (MP3)
The Council of Ministers passed a sub-decree Friday allowing for the licensing of very limited arms and munitions by civilians.
Under the new sub-decree, civilians can apply for licenses of arms and munitions for sports, art, fireworks, and engineering.
The licensing follows the passage of the Cambodian Arms Law in April 2005 and the subsequent closure of several weapons reduction programs.
Article 4 of the Arms Law prohibits weapon possession, ownership and transport by civilians.
Two SRP Supporters Charged With Arson
By Chiep Mony, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
21 March 2008
Khmer audio aired March 21 (769KB) - Listen (MP3)
Two Sam Rainsy Party activists have been charged by Battambang provincial court for arson, following a complaint from a Pailin resident, officials said Friday.
Im Lim, a resident of Bras village, O'Tawao commune, Pailin, filed suit in the Battambang provincial court, claiming two men, Tep Nom and Yean Sopheaktra, set fire to her house, according to a local human rights group and a court official who asked not to be named.
The official said the men were sent to Battambang court March 19, were they were charged.
Sam Rainsy Party officials said the arrests were a form of political persecution.
Pa Thea, deputy police chief of Pailin, said the dispute was between common people only and denied that any of the three involved belonged to a political party.
Original report from Phnom Penh
21 March 2008
Khmer audio aired March 21 (769KB) - Listen (MP3)
Two Sam Rainsy Party activists have been charged by Battambang provincial court for arson, following a complaint from a Pailin resident, officials said Friday.
Im Lim, a resident of Bras village, O'Tawao commune, Pailin, filed suit in the Battambang provincial court, claiming two men, Tep Nom and Yean Sopheaktra, set fire to her house, according to a local human rights group and a court official who asked not to be named.
The official said the men were sent to Battambang court March 19, were they were charged.
Sam Rainsy Party officials said the arrests were a form of political persecution.
Pa Thea, deputy police chief of Pailin, said the dispute was between common people only and denied that any of the three involved belonged to a political party.
Local Group Backs UN Envoy's Rights Report
By Ker Yann, VOA Khmer
Washington
21 March 2008
Khmer audio aired March 20 (5.57MB) - Listen (MP3)
A human rights report delivered by a special UN envoy to the Human Rights Council in Geneva this week was accurate and in line with reports from other agencies, a human rights worker said Thursday.
The Rights Council report, delivered by UN envoy Yash Ghai, outlined widespread human rights abuses, especially in land thefts.
Rural displacement remained a problem, as well as the shooting, wounding and killing of protestors, Kek Galabru, founder of the rights group Licadho said Thursday.
Ghai, who has been denied official meetings on trips to Cambodia in the past, also met with Om Yentieng, head of Cambodia's Human Rights Committee, on the sidelines of meetings this week.
Speaking from Geneva on "Hello VOA," Kek Galabru called the meeting a positive sign that will hopefully lead to more cooperation in the future.
"In the end Mr. Yash Ghai told the conference he was very pleased to have Mr. Om Yentieng meet with him outside the conference to discuss different issues," she said.
Washington
21 March 2008
Khmer audio aired March 20 (5.57MB) - Listen (MP3)
A human rights report delivered by a special UN envoy to the Human Rights Council in Geneva this week was accurate and in line with reports from other agencies, a human rights worker said Thursday.
The Rights Council report, delivered by UN envoy Yash Ghai, outlined widespread human rights abuses, especially in land thefts.
Rural displacement remained a problem, as well as the shooting, wounding and killing of protestors, Kek Galabru, founder of the rights group Licadho said Thursday.
Ghai, who has been denied official meetings on trips to Cambodia in the past, also met with Om Yentieng, head of Cambodia's Human Rights Committee, on the sidelines of meetings this week.
Speaking from Geneva on "Hello VOA," Kek Galabru called the meeting a positive sign that will hopefully lead to more cooperation in the future.
"In the end Mr. Yash Ghai told the conference he was very pleased to have Mr. Om Yentieng meet with him outside the conference to discuss different issues," she said.
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