Universal Periodic Review Submission: Cambodia

December 1, 2009

Cambodia's human rights record comes under its first Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on December 1, 2009 at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Under the process, the rights record of each member state is reviewed once every four years. Human Rights Watch's submission to the Human Rights Council focuses on Cambodia's track record on several core human rights issues. These include freedom of expression, association and assembly; impunity; judicial independence and rule of law; prisons and arbitrary detention; forced evictions and land confiscation; and refugees and asylum seekers.

---

I. Summary

As a party to the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements and numerous international human rights treaties, Cambodia has committed itself to respect and protect the rights of all persons in Cambodia. While Cambodia has experienced strong economic growth since United Nations-brokered elections in 1993, the government has treated respect for human rights as an obstacle, rather than an aid, to development.
Cambodia's judiciary continues to lack independence, with authorities using the criminal justice system to silence critics. Freedom of expression and association are compromised as human rights defenders, journalists, trade unionists, and opposition party members face threats, intimidation and occasionally violence and imprisonment. Impunity is almost complete for human rights violations, whether on a large scale, such as the killing of hundreds of opposition party members in the run-up to the 1993 elections, the government's extrajudicial killing campaign after Prime Minister Hun Sen's 1997 coup, or in individual cases, such as the killing of journalists and labor activists. Many of those implicated in such abuses have been promoted to the highest ranks of the military and police.  As a result, government critics continue to operate in a climate of fear.

Violence against women goes unpunished. Trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is rampant. Thousands of urban poor are being forcibly evicted from their homes without proper redress, while farmers throughout the countryside are losing their land and their livelihoods to illegal logging and land concessions.
This submission focuses on core areas on which Human Rights Watch has conducted extensive research.
 
II. Human Rights Issues
 
A. Civil and Political Rights

The ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of Prime Minister Hun Sen continues to maintain its grip on power through control and politicization of the army, police, military police, bodyguard units, civil service, the courts, election machinery, and electronic media.
 
Freedom of Expression, Association, and Assembly

The Cambodian government controls all television and most radio stations and regularly suspends, threatens, or takes legal action against journalists or news outlets that criticize the government. Freedom of speech is hampered by provisions in Cambodian law that allow individuals to be criminally prosecuted for peaceful expression of their views. Reporters risk dismissal, physical attack, and even death for covering controversial issues; for example the murder in July 2008 of opposition journalist Khim Sambo. The government confiscates, bans, or suspends controversial publications, such as reports by the international organization Global Witness that alleged complicity of top government officials in illegal logging.
Human rights defenders as well as community activists involved in forest protection and opposing forced evictions regularly come under attack. In 2008 Prime Minister Hun Sen announced that the government would enact a law to regulate non-governmental organizations (NGOs). There are concerns the law will be used to restrict legitimate activities of NGOs and other civil society organizations.
A 2007 law on demonstrations requires organizers to give local authorities five days' notice and holds organizers responsible for any misconduct that occurs.  Authorities reject requests for or forcibly disperse many demonstrations. Workers who organize or strike for better wages and working conditions are subject to harassment, physical attacks, and unfair dismissal.
 
B. Administration of Justice
 
Impunity

A UN-backed Cambodian court created to bring justice to victims of the Khmer Rouge (the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia) has been plagued by credible reports of political interference in the court from the Cambodian government, corruption among Cambodian personnel, lack of sufficient victim and witness protection, and the limited number of cases brought to address the deaths of as many as 2 million people from 1975-1979.

While the Khmer Rouge period is the most serious example of impunity in Cambodian history, impunity has been the norm both before the Khmer Rouge period and after. In addition to the cases mentioned in section 1 above, more recent examples include:

• Three trade union leaders (Chea Vichea, Ros Sovannareth, and Hy Vuthy) have been murdered in recent years. None of their killers has been brought to justice.
• In 2008, Mean Sokchea, an army officer in Hun Sen's personal bodyguard unit, Brigade 70,  in a drunken stupor apparently mistakenly shot and killed a waitress. He was detained by police overnight but then released, allegedly after intervention by Brigade 70 commander Hing Bun Heang. The waitress's family, who were told by police that their daughter was shot while authorities were chasing robbers, received US$2,700 from Mean Sokchea.
• In 1999, Tat Marina, age 16, was severely disfigured in an acid attack allegedly committed by Khun Sophal, the wife of a senior government official, Svay Sitha, because she was angry her husband was having a relationship with Tat Marina. Neither Khun Sophal nor her suspected accomplices have been prosecuted.

Judicial Independence and Rule of Law

Cambodia's courts remain highly politicized and under government control. All key judges are CPP members, including the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Council of Magistracy, established to ensure judicial independence, remains politicized and ineffectual, as does the Constitutional Council, which is mandated to safeguard the constitutionality of legislation. The government has yet to pass a new criminal law, anti-corruption law, or other legislation critical to the protection of human rights.
 
Prisons and Arbitrary Detention

Prisons are overcrowded, with inadequate food, water, health care, and sanitation. Police routinely use torture to force confessions from criminal suspects. Police arbitrarily round up sex workers, homeless children and families, beggars, and people who use drugs and detain them in government-run "rehabilitation" centers, where they are subject to physical mistreatment and lack of food and medical care.

A government crackdown on prostitution after passage of an anti-trafficking law in 2008 that criminalizes prostitution focuses on closing brothels and arbitrarily detaining sex workers, rather than prosecuting traffickers. Many sex workers are sexually or physically abused during roundups and detention. People held in government-run drug treatment centers are subject to arbitrary detention; lack of access to health care, including drug dependency treatment; abusive measures imposed ostensibly for treatment; and physical abuse by guards.
 
C. Forced Evictions and Land Confiscation

Cambodia's rural and urban poor are increasingly losing their land to illegal concessions awarded to foreign firms, government officials, and those with connections to government officials. In Phnom Penh, at least 85,000 people have been unlawfully forcibly evicted during the last ten years, with another 70,000 currently facing eviction proceedings.  Authorities often provide insufficient notice of impending evictions and inadequate housing and compensation to displaced people afterwards. For example, three years after 1,000 families were forcibly evicted from Sambok Chap village in Phnom Penh, the government has yet to provide adequate health care, water, sanitation, schools, and other basic services to the evictees, relocated to a remote site far from the city. On numerous occasions police and soldiers have used unnecessary or excessive force in evictions, such as in 2007, when soldiers and police shot dead two unarmed villagers during a forced eviction of 317 families in Preah Vihear.
 
D. Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Cambodia continues to violate its obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention, to which it is a state party, by forcibly returning Vietnamese Montagnards before they are able to apply for refugee status with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Cambodians who help Montagnards exercise their right to seek asylum are subject to arrest. 

In 2008, UNHCR announced that Cambodian immigration police at the Ministry of Interior, and not UNHCR, would begin screening all asylum seekers in Cambodia other than Montagnards. This is a matter of concern because Cambodia has not, to date, provided sufficient protection for registered asylum seekers and recognized refugees, especially from Vietnam and China. 

• In June 2007, Cambodian authorities defrocked and deported to Vietnam Tim Sakhorn, a Khmer Krom (ethnic Khmer originally from southern Vietnam) Buddhist abbot in Cambodia.  Tim Sakhorn had immigrated to Cambodia from Vietnam in 1978 and was a naturalized Cambodian citizen.  Upon his deportation to Vietnam, he was sentenced to prison on charges of "undermining national unity."
• In May 2007, Le Tri Tue, a labor union activist from Vietnam, went missing after registering at the UNHCR office in Phnom Penh. He has not been heard from since. 
• In August 2002, Cambodian police arrested two Chinese asylum seekers who were members of the banned Falun Gong movement. It is thought they were deported to China.

E. Cooperation with Human Rights Mechanisms

Cambodia has failed to institutionalize human rights protections. Despite an enormous amount of aid, technical assistance and goodwill, it has failed to reform the criminal justice system; allow the judiciary to act independently;  create accountable and transparent administrative structures, such as in the police or gendarmerie; and establish an independent national human rights institution to promote and protect human rights. Ongoing threats and attacks on human rights defenders and community activists, the resulting climate of fear, and continued impunity make clear the need for continued UN engagement. Key to such an engagement is authoritative and independent assessments of the human rights situation to the international community and the Cambodian people by the special rapporteur through the UN Human Rights Council, as well as the rapporteur's support for Cambodian human rights defenders and cooperation with and technical assistance to the Cambodian government.

Four special representatives have worked on the human rights situation in Cambodia since 1993, submitting thorough and accurate reports. The Cambodian government and, in particular, Prime Minister Hun Sen, have responded with personal attacks on all four; publicly insulting them, at times refusing to meet them, and calling for their dismissal. The last representative, Yash Ghai, resigned in 2008, noting that Cambodia still faces serious human rights challenges and "deep-seated systematic deficiencies in the judiciary and other key institutions charged with upholding the rule of law and protecting the rights of individuals." In 2008 the UN Human Rights Commission replaced the special representative post with that of special rapporteur, though the functions are essentially the same.

Most importantly, the Cambodian government has systematically ignored the hundreds of thoughtful, constructive, and detailed recommendations offered by each special representative. They have provided a roadmap for reform - to protect the vulnerable, to end impunity, to ensure equality for women, to create a professional and independent judiciary - yet their recommendations have been almost completely disregarded. 
 
III. Recommendations to the Cambodian Government
 

Regarding freedom of expression, assembly, and association:

• Cease the harassment, arbitrary arrests, and physical attacks on human rights defenders, civil society activists, and opposition party members; and investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of such attacks.
• Ensure that the rights of individuals and organizations to defend and promote human rights are protected, including the right to peacefully criticize and protest government policies, in accordance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the 1998 UN General Assembly Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.
• Liberalize electronic media ownership rules, including allowing transmitters of private, critical media to be as strong as those of pro-government private stations.

Regarding Forced Evictions:

• Immediately enact a moratorium on forced evictions until the government has properly adopted and implemented a strict legislative framework on evictions and resettlement as well on land and housing rights.
• Immediately issue an order expressly prohibiting the involvement of any military personnel in all land disputes, including acting as guards for private companies.
• Develop alternate strategies to assist those being evicted and ensure them adequate housing and access to basic services, health care and employment.

Regarding refugees and asylum seekers:

• Implement the 1951 Refugee Convention, to which Cambodia is a party, through national asylum legislation and asylum procedures that are fair and transparent and that provide refugees with all of the rights in the Refugee Convention, including, most fundamentally, the right  of nonrefoulement, not to be returned to a country where their lives or freedom would be threatened.
• Provide durable solutions for refugees in Cambodia; in cases where durable solutions cannot be assured in Cambodia, facilitate third-country resettlement. 
• Clearly establish whether the Law on Nationality affords Khmer Krom the status and protection of Cambodian citizens. Provide Khmer Krom who have fled from Vietnam and who are not granted Cambodian citizenship the right to seek asylum. Do not deport to Vietnam Khmer Krom with a well-founded fear of persecution in that country.

Regarding impunity:

• Investigate and prosecute longstanding cases of impunity and other human rights violations such as the deadly 1997 grenade attack on an opposition rally and summary executions committed after the 1997 coup; as well as more recent rights violations, such as excessive use of force by soldiers and police in forced evictions and the assassinations of labor leaders and journalists.
• Reformulate the Supreme Council of Magistracy as an impartial body, independent of the Ministry of Justice and political parties, so that it can implement its constitutional mandate to ensure judicial independence.
• Investigate and act upon credible reports of kickbacks and corruption at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia and publish the findings. 

Regarding prisons and arbitrary detention:

• Ensure that Cambodian prison conditions meet the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
• Investigate and prosecute traffickers, rather than focusing on street sweeps of sex workers and brothel closures in which sex workers -- not traffickers -- are treated as perpetrators.
• Close drug treatment centers that are extra-judicially detaining alleged drug users and expand access to evidence-based, voluntary, affordable, community-based outpatient drug dependency treatment.
• Provide due process protections to alleged drug users and sex workers detained in government-run centers and ensure that proper regulations and monitoring are in place to prevent the mistreatment of detainees.

Regarding human rights mechanisms:

• Continue the mandate of the UN special rapporteur for human rights in Cambodia.
• Continue to cooperate with the Cambodia Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.  

Source: Human Rights Watch

How to Escape Materialism and Find Happiness

Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city. - George Burns

Money can’t buy you love. It can’t buy you happiness either. Today’s materialistic world often urges us to buy the coolest gadgets, the trendiest clothes, bigger and better things, but research shows that possessions and purchases don’t buy us happiness. According to an article on CNN, "by and large, money buys happiness only for those who lack the basic needs. Once you pass an income of $50,000, more money doesn’t buy much more happiness [according to happiness studies]." So while we are being pushed towards materialism, it’s for monetary gain by corporations, not for our own happiness.

All around us, there are messages telling us to buy stuff. On the internet, we see continuous advertising trying to get us to purchase a product or service. It’s the main reason for television, and movies are continually made with products placed throughout, so that we aren’t always sure what is advertising and what was put in there by the director. Flip on the radio or open up a newspaper or magazine, and you’re bombarded by more advertising. Go to a shopping center/mall, and the urge to buy comes from every direction. This message to continually buy, buy, buy and that it will somehow make us happier is drilled into our heads from the days of Happy Meals and cartoons until the day we die. It’s inescapable. Well, almost. You could go and live in a cabin in the woods (and that actually sounds nice), or you could still live in our modern society, but find ways to escape materialism.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to escape the trap of materialism, and find happiness in ways other than buying stuff online or finding joy in the mall. But it’s possible. Here’s a guide to finding a materialism-free life and discovering true happiness.
Steps

1. Limit television. Do you really enjoy watching TV for hours? Think about which shows you really, really love, and only watch during that time. When the commercials come on, go do something else. Or use Tivo to watch TV. You can even give up cable TV entirely, if you’re brave — you may just discover it’s one of the best things you’ve ever done.
2. Eschew the news. Journalists will never tell you this, but if they’re completely honest, they’ll confess that the most important part of any news company, from TV or radio news to internet or print news, is the advertising division. It’s the division that provides the paychecks for the rest of the company. The news is important in driving traffic to the advertising. So when you’re watching or reading news, you’re really being sucked in to advertising. Try this instead: boycott the news for a week. It won't hurt you; it will help you a lot in finding reliable and worthy news sources minus advertisements; it'll also decrease your exposure to negative stories 99% of the time.
3. Limit Internet reading. This isn't asking you to cancel your cable internet subscription or anything. Just check out the sites that you truly love reading, that give you the most value, and limit your reading to those. And just do it once a day, for 30 minutes or so. If you can do that, you’ve gone a long way towards tearing yourself away from advertising. And support sites that do not advertise with your devoted readership.
4. Give up magazines for books. Magazines are also designed with advertising in mind. And they rarely give you much value. Try reading an ad-free book instead. It’s a much better use of your time.
5. Don’t go to the mall or Walmart. The only purpose of these places is for you to spend money. If you just want a place to spend your Saturday afternoon, find a place where you don’t need to spend money to have fun — a park, the library or a beach, for example. If you need to buy something, go to a single store (not the mall) and go in and get what you need. Don’t browse and walk around looking at stuff. You’ll get sucked in.
6. Monitor your urges. When you’re online, or watching TV, or at a store, keep track of the number of times you want to buy something. Keep a little notebook or index card, and just put tally marks. Once you become more aware of your urges to buy things, you can start to control them. If you could control them, limiting your consumption of media (see above tips) isn’t really necessary — although arguably doing so still gives you a better quality of life.
7. Use a 30-day list. If you still really want to buy something, put it on a list, and write down the date you added the item to the list. Now tell yourself you cannot buy that item for 30 days. It might be difficult, but you can do it. When the 30 days have passed, if you still want it, then buy it. But you can’t buy anything (besides essentials like groceries) without putting it on the list for 30 days first. Many times, our urges to buy something will pass during this waiting period.
8. Declutter. You will find it pretty amazing to see all the rubbish you buy over a period of years, when you go through closets and other possessions and start getting rid of stuff you don’t use or want any more. It’s a gratifying process, and at the same time, it makes you realize how useless all our consumer shopping is. You don’t need any of the stuff! When you do this, you may be less likely to buy more stuff. Especially if you enjoy the decluttered look of your house - most people do!
9. Find other forms of entertainment. There are other things to do besides watching TV or movies or reading magazines, newspapers or the internet. Try playing sports or exercising, or playing board games, creating art, writing or reading a book. Try doing fun things with your kids or visiting relatives and other loved ones. Try volunteering with a charity. Come up with 100 free or cheap things to do and do them!
10. Buy used. When you get the urge to buy something, and you’re convinced that it’s needed, try finding it used instead of new. Look in thrift shops, recycling depots, second-hand dealers or garage sales, flea markets or similar places. Provided it works, it'll do the same job as a new one and cost you much less and you spare the Earth a little longer from additional junk being thrown away or produced.
11. Find the true Path to Happiness. So, if you’re able to escape materialism, how can you find true happiness? There are many ways, and each of us is different, but here are some things to try:
    
    
    • Grateful list. Make a list of things about which you’re grateful in your life. Give thanks for them daily.
    • Think positive. Try eliminating negative thinking from your life, and think positive instead.
    • Small pleasures. Make a list of small things that give you great pleasure. Sprinkle them throughout your day. Notice other small pleasures as you go through your day.
    • Kindness. Practice random acts of kindness and compassion. Do it anonymously. Help those in need. Volunteer. Make someone smile.
    • Love. Make an intimate connection with your loved ones. Develop your friendships. Spend time with them, converse, understand them, make them happy.
    • Health. Exercise and eat healthy — it sounds trite, but it can bring great happiness to your life.
    • Meaning. It’s often useful to find meaning, either through a church or spiritual way, or through those we love in life or through the things we’re passionate about. Give yourself a purpose.
    • Flow. Eliminate distractions, and really pour yourself into whatever you’re doing, until you forget the outside world.
    • Know yourself. Become attuned to what brings you happiness. Study yourself. Learn about what you love, and about your ability to love. Increase your capacity for compassion.
    • Experience the natural world.
    
    Source: wikiHow
    

CEDAC urges Cambodian farmers to follow ways to increase rice crops

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC) issued a statement Tuesday urging Cambodian farmers to follow ways on to increase their rice crops.
    
CEDAC is an independent organization specializing in agricultural sector was established in 1997 for the purpose of helping Cambodian farmers to knowledge themselves on how to make better agricultural crops.
    
CEDAC made the statement just in a time that Cambodian farmers are starting their rice harvest, but at the same time finds that farmers still not yet understand well the importance of rice seed selection.
    
As it is the right time for farmers to select rice seeds for the next season, CEDAC is calling for some urgent technical measures for farmers and other stakeholders so that the rice yield can be increased, it said.
    
"With knowledge on how to have good rice seed selection, farmers can increase their yield up to 20 percent," said Dr. Yang Saing Koma, president of CEDAC.
    
Some 80 percent of Cambodia's 14 million populations are living in rural areas and are farmers.

Cambodia needs 'systematic overhaul' of society

UPI Asia.com

By Gaffar Peang-Meth
Guest Commentary

Washington, DC, United States, — A “progressive and systematic overhaul” of its society is what Cambodia needs, according to Dr. Naranhkiri Tith, a specialist in country risk analysis, former civil servant with the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development and a former professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Overhaul Khmer society? Tith says that only by freeing itself from its past can Cambodia gradually resolve its economic, institutional, legal, political and social problems.

Cambodia has been a monarchy since the first century A.D. – except briefly under the 1970-1975 Khmer Republic under Lon Nol, and the 1975-1979 Democratic Kampuchea under Pol Pot. That is the legacy Tith refers to, although he knows that criticizing something that has been the only way and the only thought of a people for 2,000 years will not make him popular.

Yet Cambodia is the land of his birth, he insists, and no one is going to prevent him from thinking and applying his best thoughts to help bring change, even if he has to step on toes.

Actually, that’s what leaders do, says bestselling author, entrepreneur and blogger Seth Bodin. Leaders have curiosity, they ask questions, they challenge what is, and they commit to working to bring about change.

From the standpoint of former Czech playwright and dissident Vaclav Havel, who became the first president of the Czech Republic in 1993-2003, that’s what an intellectual does: to “constantly disturb … bear witness to the misery of the world … be provocative by being independent, rebel against all hidden and open pressures and manipulations … be the chief doubter of systems.” An intellectual “stands out as an irritant wherever he is,” says Havel.

And to borrow Burmese human rights activist Aung San Suu Kyi’s words, it is important for a person to have a “questing mind” that is always questioning and always seeking for ways and means to get out of and solve problems. For Suu Kyi, a questing mind is necessary to help withstand violence and oppression, especially in a society in which people are generally conditioned to obey without questioning the situation.

Khmer-born and Western-educated in Europe and the United States, Tith migrated to the United States in 1960-1961 because “I felt that I was not allowed to be myself,” he says. In other words, he could not grow.
Tith sees the “pervasive and crushing role of the monarchy,” combined with the conservative nature of Khmer society – “such as the belief in prophesies and the rigidity in social organization and behavior” – as contributing to the “inertia and the inability to allow new ideas and capable leadership and entrepreneurial spirit to emerge.” In the final analysis, this keeps Cambodia “perpetually underdeveloped,” he says.

For nearly five decades now I have reflected on Cambodia, which is also the country of my birth and of my primary and secondary education. I have thought about Tith’s descriptions of inertia and the inability to allow new ideas, capable leadership and entrepreneurial spirit to grow in Cambodia.

I remember reading a Cambodian statesman’s political analysis of Khmer history while doing research for my doctoral dissertation in the early 1970s, about Khmer valor, the Khmer Empire and the builders of Angkor, the Khmer “warrior race,” when Hindu influences were paramount. Then Buddha’s doctrine of peace, kindness, compassion and acceptance came to replace the old ways.

I have asked myself if there is a dichotomy within a person with an inner tug-of-war between the combative warrior personality and the peaceful Buddha-like personality.

I have read the late Khmer professor Sar Sarun’s “Proloeng Khmer” (1973) – and re-read time and again the translation, “Khmer Mentality,” in Tith’s website. Sarun describes the Khmer mentality as insensitive to social and legal rules except where there is coercion; an artistic spirit in a soft, fanciful and romantic state with a tendency to be confused about commitments.

I have asked myself, who and what is this Khmer whom Sarun was describing?
Visna Sann, author of “Who is Khmer?” (2005) wrote in Tith’s website, “Some Cambodians adhere to a policy of exclusion in which only 100 precent ethnic Khmers may be considered Khmer.” He described prejudices recounted by a Cambodian of Chinese heritage.

"I am disturbed by these examples of exclusion,” he wrote, “We cannot afford to exclude our own people.” Sann charged that Cambodia’s “policy of exclusion … has contributed to our country’s decline in the same way as Khmer fighting against Khmer.”

Tith includes in his website Marie A. Martin’s “Cambodia: a Shattered Society” (1994). She writes that, “respect for elders and for hierarchy remains sacrosanct” in Cambodia, and reminds us that, “In the traditions of Khmer moral training, to protest against a parent’s decision, to criticize one’s boss or spiritual master, to rebel against a husband is inadmissible.”

"It is understandable how such a mentality can lead to an abuse of power but also how dangerous a lack of wisdom and scruples can be, for once the link of confidence is broken, the divorce is irreparable and the authority is forever rejected. Younger persons must keep quiet,” wrote Martin.

"And adolescents have no chance to express themselves, much less to argue. It is not surprising if later they allow themselves to be trampled by an ‘elder’ who is in the wrong or less competent than they are, if they remain defenseless in the face of a national tragedy or prefer to let a foreigner speak or act in their place,” said Martin.

Of course, all these are not really pleasant to hear. But Tith isn’t afraid to confront them. As the saying goes: “The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.”

--
(Dr. Gaffar Peang-Meth is retired from the University of Guam, where he taught political science for 13 years. He currently lives in the United States. He can be contacted at peangmeth@gmail.com. Copyright Gaffar Peang-Meth.)

Concerns over the land dispute in Kror ya commune, Santouk district, Kampong Thom province

Statement

Concerns over the land dispute in Kror ya commune, Santouk district,

Kampong Thom province

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 21 NGOs, expresses its regret and concerns over the violence that happened on November 16, 2009, caused least 9 people injured and 7 people arrested and still there are some more people that authorities are searching for the arrest, the violence has also caused the destruction of other properties.

Based on actual monitoring on the site found that after the eruption of violence, the joint competent authorities some of more than 70 people have been deployed and surrounded and closed the road access for with the aim to search for suspects for arrest and, therefore, created the situation for those people who live in that area a grave fear. Until this time, a number of seven people have been arrested by authorities under the charge of destruction of public properties and amongst of these arrested people, four of them were arrested in Kampong Cham province.

CHRAC noted that the land dispute in the area of Banteay rongeang has happened since there is presence of Vietnamese Company namely Tan Bien Kampong Thom Aphivath Caoutchouc Co LTD, this company has received land concession from the Cambodian government with the land size of 8100 hectares in 2007, the land concession is for the development and growing of agro-industry of rubber, this land dispute has not been resolved properly by local authorities and there was no any field study prior to the granting of land concession to this company. The land tenure by the affected people has started the year of 2004 and land was given through the land allocation by Association of disabled military for agricultural development before the arrival of Tan Bien Company.

CHRAC believed that the earlier resolution of land dispute between the people and Tab Bien Company did not perform according to the reality of living situation of people and principle for the exchange of land of authorities was not able to make people acceptable because of the land targeted to be exchanged or given to people is far away, with small size, lack of merits or elements in provision as a land possession. Furthermore, the authorities have caused fear against people such as shooting, threatening and secretly setting fire on the people’s houses, banning of people not to travel freely, all of these factors increased even more tensions in the land dispute area.

In order to solve this case sooner and acceptable, CHRAC wishes to recommend and appeal to the royal government, provincial authorities and all classes of competent authorities to act as follow:

• Stop using the armed forces for the suppression violently against the people and open road access for people to travel in the area. 
• Urgently stop the arrest of community people representatives including all forms of threatening. 
• Release the arrested and detained representatives of community people for them to re-gain their freedom. 
• Quickly resolve the land dispute for those affected and poor people fairly and acceptable or alternatively, undertaking of on-side upgrading by allowing people to grow rubber on their respective land and sell their rubber products to company. 
• Organize to have real negotiation and in person between people and authorities.
• Establishment of joint and independent commission for dealing with this land case.

Phnom Penh, November 23, 2009

Further information, please contact:

Mr. Hang Chhaya       CHRAC Chairman/Executive Dir. of KID         Tel: 012 865 910

Mr. Thun Saray          President of ADHOC                                       Tel: 016 880 509

Mr. Sok Sam Oeun     Executive Director of CDP                               Tel: 012 901 199

Ms. Sun Chansen       President of KYA                                             Tel: 017 788 955

___________________________
Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC)
Address: # 9E0, St. 330, Sangkat Boeung Keng Kong III,
Khan. Chamcar Morn, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Tel/Fax: (855) 23 218 759, Tel: (855) 23 301 415, 305 609
E-mail: chrac@forum.org.kh or chracsecretariat@yahoo.com
Web: http://www.chrac.org

---

This list was set up by the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee if you subscribe, or unsubscribe, please contact chrac@forum.org.kh

Ideas meaningless without commitment

PACIFIC DAILY NEWS
A Gaffar Peang-Meth, Ph.D

Last week I wrote in this space about bestselling author, entrepreneur and blogger Seth Godin's ideas on how personally to foment change.

When you seek to change what is into what you want to see, you cannot expect those who subscribe to the status quo not to be upset with you. You are seeking to change the world they think is good for them. Just as still water ripples in wider and wider circles when the surface is disturbed, your good idea will reach an expanding network of like-minded individuals as each passes it along to friends and colleagues.

As Newton's first law of motion says, a body in motion tends to remain in  motion and a body at rest tends to remain at rest. Sooner or later, even those who subscribe to the status quo will begin to accommodate themselves to that new idea as more and more people see it as a better alternative to the old world.

Recall the affirmation that what stands between you and your goal is your belief that it is possible and you can do it.

In the book, "The Voice of Hope," Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi said, in her conversations with Alan Clements, since many people have been conditioned to obey without questioning the situation, she
always urges people to keep a "questing mind" -- a mind that is not just questioning but seeking answers to what is and why it is so. She asserts that when people think and look for "ways and means of doing

something," they "will" find those means. For her, a "questing mind"  helps to withstand violence or oppression, or what is contrary to what one believes is right and just. "Action comes out of thought," she

asserts.

Suu Kyi, who believes every person is capable of having a questing mind, says she agrees with everything former Czech playwright and former dissident Vaclav Havel, who became the first president of the Czech Republic, had to say about the role the intellectual in society: "The intellectual should constantly disturb, should bear witness to the misery of the world, should be provocative by being independent, should rebel against
all hidden and open pressures and manipulations, should be the chief doubter of systems ... and for this reason, an intellectual cannot fit into any role that might be assigned to him ... and essentially doesn't
belong anywhere: he stands out as an irritant wherever he is."

Remember Godin, who sees in leaders men who have curiosity, ask questions and build a culture that gives people something to identify with. Leaders are leaders because they challenge the status quo and commit to working to make the change.

There was an interesting article, "The Power in 11/9," in the New York Times  last month by Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas L. Friedman. He talked about a manifestation of people power in Germany that brought down the Berlin Wall in November 1989 and united the East and the West: "Germans showed how good ideas about expanding human freedom -- amplified by people power -- can bring down a wall and an entire autocratic power structure, without a shot." And he sees the American "9/11" as "bad ideas -- amplified by a willingness of just a few people to commit suicide -- can bring down skyscrapers and tie a great country in knots."

Friedman sees the "low-grade civil war" in the Arab-Muslim world, as "bad ideas versus bad ideas amplified by violence, rather than bad ideas versus good ideas amplified by people power." There is "no true war of ideas ... just a war," in such places as Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan or Pakistan, with religious extremists fighting with state security services, while the ruling regimes don't take on "extremist ideas by offering progressive alternatives." And when the peoples in those countries take to the streets, Friedman wrote, they usually do so to demonstrate against another people "rather than to unify their own
ranks around good ideas."

Friedman's concluding remarks: "Where there is people power wedded to progressive ideas, there is hope -- and American power can help. Where there is people power harnessed to bad ideas, there is danger. Where there is no people power and only bad ideas, there will be no happy endings."

Not long ago, my niece e-mailed me to ask if I really believe ideas can be so powerful they can bring down a dictator. My answer was an absolute yes, but ideas are meaningless unless they are put into action with
energy and commitment by those who want to make the change. Collective action is required for mutual benefit. All that's needed is the spark.

The trouble is while many see the goal as desirable, not everyone is willing to chip in to work toward a goal, but expects others to do something about it.

I cannot find a better quote -- and I quote because the words quoted are so inspirational they can move the earth under our feet, and I can never hope to say it better in my own words -- than the one by civil
right activist Martin Luther King Jr., when he pleaded with African-Americans not to remain still but to do something, anything:

"If you can't fly, run. If you can't run, walk. If you can't walk, crawl. But by all means, keep moving."

A Khmer proverb goes: A curved wood can make wheel, a straight wood, a spoke, and the wood that is twisting and crooked can make firewood.

No one is without usefulness.

A Gaffar Peang-Meth, Ph.D., is retired from the University of Guam, where
he taught political science for 13 years. Write him at peangmeth@yahoo.com.

http://www.guampdn.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200911250300/OPINION02/911250332
 

Japanese investors on tour in Cambodia

21:24:46

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- A delegation of Japanese investors has arrived in Cambodia to learn about the country's economic potentialities and investment opportunities, official news agency AKP reported on Tuesday.
    
The 21-member delegation was received here on Monday by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers Sok An.
    
During the meeting, Sok An talked about Cambodia's agricultural sector, a priority of Cambodia, saying that the royal government has paid attention to build agricultural infrastructure and seek for markets for the agricultural products.
    
Sok An further informed his guests of other potential sectors in Cambodia, including tourism, garment and construction. "Cambodia has benefited from the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) from many developed countries such as China, South Korea, Japan, the U.S and European countries", he said, adding that the royal government has been planning to operate the stock exchange market by 2010.
    

For its part, the visiting Japanese delegation said it has lots of investment experience in the fields of real estate and stock exchange market. Delegates also expressed their interest in the future Cambodian stock exchange. 

Source: Xinhua, China View

Cambodian PM highlights NGOs' contribution to country's development

2009-11-24 16:59:39

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday highlighted the contribution of the civil societies and non governmental organizations that have participated in restoration and the development of the country with the government.
    
"We have to develop the country together including each individual and the NGOs have to continue to process their work for participation in the country's construction as partnership with the government," he told hundreds of members of non-governmental organizations at the 30th anniversary of NGOs partnership with the people and Cambodian government.
    
"We have to focus on the health, education, environment, good governance for rule of law and other fields to serve the benefit of the people and the country," he added.
    
In 1979, there were about five non-governmental organizations in the country and most of them on health services. But now there are over 3,000 NGOs to help the society and people, he noted. Cambodia is heaven for NGOs, he said.
    
At the same time, he said that NGOs should not worry about the upcoming draft law of NGOs management. The government wants to know the sources of capital for the NGOs process. That law will help to be transparent for NGOs' work in development of the country, and we do not want to see the overlapping investment projects as well as the budget in each year we spent for country' s development, he added.
    
Meanwhile, Hun Sen pointed out that some NGOs are getting the fund from other countries for their work against the ruling government and others are serving political party's benefit. "Good NGOs won't worry about that law," he stressed.
    
The government does not put limitation on freedom but the government wants the NGOs to work effectively, and the government opened freely for NGOs to register smoothly at Council of Ministers or Interior Ministry or international organizations registering with the Foreign Ministry for operating their work in the country, he said. "However, the NGOs is still the partnership for government in development of the country," he said.
    
The single most important contribution of NGOs to Cambodia is in building social capital, said Eva Mysliwiec, executive director of Youth Star Cambodia and representative of the organization committee. NGOs has continued to improve the basic services for people and Cambodian society and economy, rehabilitation of infrastructure and other fields that counted endless, she said.

Source: Xinhua

Thai factory worker kills Cambodian colleague with an axe

Nov 20, 2009, 3:42 GMT

Bangkok - A Thai labourer allegedly killed a Cambodian co-worker with an axe early Friday after a heated and inebriated argument over the two countries' deteriorating diplomatic relations, police said.
  
Thai national Sinchai Namnon, 44, was the chief suspect in the slaying of Cambodian national Dieng, 40, who died shortly after midnight from a gash in the head and a nearly severed arm. Both injuries were inflicted with an axe.
  
The two men were employees at the Srimaharacha rubber processing company in Sri Racha, Chonburi province, 60 kilometres south-east of Bangkok.
  
'They were drinking together and got in an argument about the Thai engineer who was arrested on spying charges in Cambodia last week,' Police Lieutenant Colonel Praphan Wangkanom said.
  
Sinchai had fled the scene by the time police arrived.
  
'We are still investigating whether there were others involved in the attack,' Praphan told the German Press Agency dpa.
  
Thai engineer Sivarak Chutipong, an employee of the Cambodian Air Traffic Service (CATS), was arrested in in Phnom Penh on November 11.
  
The Cambodian government has accused Sivarak of passing on confidential information to the Thai embassy about the arrival of fugitive former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on November 10.
  
Sivarak's arrest was part of an escalating spat between the two neighbouring countries, triggered by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's decision to name Thaksin his personal adviser.
  
Thaksin, who was toppled in a 2006 coup, faces a two-year jail term in Thailand on an abuse-of-power charge and is the main political antagonist of the current Thai government.
  
Thailand recalled its ambassador from Phnom Penh following the official announcement of Thaksin's appointment and called for a review of all aid and economic agreements with Cambodia.
  
Cambodia also recalled its ambassador and expelled Thailand's second secretary on charges of recruiting Sivarak.
  
The spat is likely to harm both countries' economies.Cambodia is a major market for Thai exports, while Thailand is a major source of employment for Cambodian labourers.
  
According to a report released Friday by the International Organization for Migration, some 148,420 Cambodians had obtained permission for 'temporary stay' in Thailand as labourers as of early September.
  
Another 6,130 Cambodians have been granted work permits, allowing them to work in the country year round.
  
Cambodians account for about 10 per cent of the one million-plus migrants working legally in Thailand. Thousands more work illegally in the kingdom.

Source: Asia-Pacific News 

Read more: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1514433.php/Thai-factory-worker-kills-Cambodian-colleague-with-an-axe#ixzz0XNWqrjNq

How to Use "i.e." Versus "e.g."

The abbreviations "i.e." and "e.g." are very commonly misused. This is because many people do not know what they mean. This article should help improve your understanding of these little tidbits of grammar.

Steps: 

1. Become familiar with what i.e. and e.g. are abbreviating. "I.e." is an abbreviation of the Latin words id est, which mean "that is". "E.g." is an abbreviation for the Latin words exempli gratia, which mean "for the sake of example".
   
2. Associate each abbreviation with more easily remembered phrases. It's not easy to remember Latin words, so it may be helpful to pretend that "i.e." stands for "in essence" or "in other words" and "e.g." stands for "example given".
3. Use "i.e." to paraphrase. Make a statement, then add "i.e." to explain or describe what you just said in a different way:
   
   
   • The elephant is a pachyderm, i.e., an animal with thick skin and nails resembling hooves.
   • I went to the dentist (i.e., hell).

   Note that what follows "i.e." is some sort of definition. This can also be a metaphor. If you substitute "i.e." with "in other words" the sentences still make sense. If you plug in "for example" they do not.

   
   
   
   


4. Use "e.g." before giving one or more examples. Think of what precedes "e.g." as a category, and what follows it as something (or a few things) that would fall into that category:
   
   
   • Buy some vegetables, e.g., carrots.
   • I like power metal (e.g., Firewind, Iced Earth, Sonata Arctica).

   Observe how using "i.e." wouldn't make sense. "Carrots" is not another way to describe vegetables in general, it is just one of the many foods that are considered to be vegetables. If you wanted to use "i.e." you would write "Buy some vegetables, i.e., the edible part of any plant." Likewise, the bands given are examples of power metal, but not a description. If you were using "i.e." you would write something like "I like power metal, i.e., fast metal with symphonic elements and epic themes."

   
   
   
   


5. Use parentheses or commas with both. You can either insert a comma before "i.e." or "e.g." or you can use parentheses, both of which are shown in the examples above. If you use parentheses, open them right before the "e.g." or "i.e." and close them after you have given your example or alternate definition. Whether you begin with a comma or parentheses, you should always put a comma right after both "i.e." and "e.g.", as shown in the examples above.
   

Source: WikiHow

Japan: Press North Korea on Human Rights

Adopt Policy to Resettle Refugees and Former Japanese Residents

November 19, 2009 

(New York) - The new Japanese government should take a leadership role in helping to improve human rights conditions in North Korea, Human Rights Watch and three other nongovernmental organizations said today in a letter to Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama. 

Human Rights Watch, Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights, Life Funds for North Korean Refugees, and The Society to Help Returnees to North Korea also urged Japan to address the plight of North Korean refugees and the fate of those who migrated from Japan to North Korea between 1959 and 1984.

"Abuses against North Koreans take place right on Japan's doorstep, but Japan has been largely silent on human rights issues except for abductions of Japanese citizens," said Kanae Doi, Tokyo director at Human Rights Watch. "The new Japanese government should lead the way in raising wider human rights issues with North Korea."

The letter noted that Japan has raised awareness about North Korea's human rights conditions, especially the plight of Japanese abductees, by co-sponsoring several United Nations General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions condemning human rights violations in North Korea. Most recently, the European Union and Japan submitted a new resolution to the General Assembly in late October 2009. 

The letter notes that "Japan can play a stronger and more proactive role in promoting and protecting the human rights situation in North Korea by raising human rights issues in future dialogues with North Korea, pressing China to protect and recognize North Korean refugees, accepting North Korean refugees who do not have ties to Japan, and continuing to accept former migrants to North Korea who return to Japan."

More than 93,000 people migrated from Japan to North Korea from 1959 to 1984 under a campaign by pro-North Korea groups that advertised North Korea as a "heaven on earth." The migrants include Japanese citizens, former citizens, former residents, and their spouses and children. According to North Korean escapees, the North Korean government eventually sent not a small number of them to labor camps where they died of hunger, lack of medical care, and physical abuse. Japan has resettled a small number of former Japanese residents who escaped, but has no explicit policy on their resettlement.

"Improving human rights conditions in a country such as North Korea is a daunting task, but Japan should not waste this opportunity to help North Koreans both in and outside the country," Doi said.

Source: Human Rights Watch

សមត្ថកិច្ច​ខែត្រ​កំពង់ធំ​បាញ់​បង្រ្កាប​ការ​តវ៉ា​របស់​ពលរដ្ឋ​ក្នុង​រឿង​ជម្លោះ​ដី

ដោយ ហ្សាការីយ៉ា, 2009-11-17

សមត្ថកិច្ច​ស្រុក​សន្ទុក ខែត្រ​កំពង់ធំ បាន​បញ្ជូន​កម្លាំង​ប៉ូលិស​និង​ប៉េអឹម ប្រើ​អំពើ​ហិង្សា​និង​បាញ់​ប្រហារ​បង្ក្រាប​ការ​តវ៉ា​របស់​ពលរដ្ឋ​ប្រមាណ​ ១.០០០​គ្រួសារ​ដែល​ការពារ​ដី​ចម្ការ​របស់​ខ្លួន បណ្តាល​ឲ្យ​រង​របួស​មនុស្ស​៩​នាក់។

លោក សម ប៊ុនធឿន បាន​ឃើញ​ហេតុ​ការណ៍​បាញ់​បង្ក្រាប​នោះ​បាន​រៀបរាប់​ថា កាល​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១៦ និង​ព្រឹក​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១៧ វិច្ឆិកា គឺ​ស្នងការ​ខែត្រ​កំពង់ធំ ឈ្មោះ នូ ថានី និង​អភិបាល​ស្រុក​សន្ទុក លោក ពេជ្រ សុធា បាន​យក​កម្លាំង​ទៅ​បណ្តេញ​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ចេញ​ពី​ដី​ដែល​មាន​គ្រឿង​ចក្រ​ជា​ ច្រើន​គ្រឿង​ឈូស​ឆាយ​ដើម្បី​ឲ្យ​ក្រុមហ៊ុន​គ្រប់គ្រង។

លោក សម ប៊ុនធឿន បញ្ជាក់​ដូច្នេះ ៖ «ប្រជាជន​ខឹង​លើក​គ្នា​មក​ទាំង​ ហ្វូង​មក គេ​ថា អ្ហែង​ចូល​មក​អញ​អត់​ដែល​បាន​បាញ់​យូរ​ហើយ ឥឡូវ​អញ​កំពុង​ចង់​បាញ់។ ប្រជាជន​ចេះ​តែ​ចូលៗ​ទៅ បាញ់​៣​គ្រាប់។ ខ្ញុំ​ថា បារមី​ពូកែ​ទៅ​ចុះ គ្រាប់​ដែល​វា​បាញ់​តម្រង់​ជើង​បាញ់​អត់​ផ្ទុះ ដល់​បាញ់​ទៅ​ដី​ផ្ទុះ»។

មន្រ្តី​នៃ​សមាគម​យោធិន​ពិការ​លោក ហៃ ហេន បាន​លើក​ឡើង​ថា ដី​នៅ​ចំណុច​បន្ទាយរនាង ឃុំ​ក្រយា ស្រុក​សន្ទុក​នោះ សមាគម​របស់​លោក​បាន​ទទួល​លិខិត​ពី​គណៈរដ្ឋមន្រ្តី ដែល​ភាសា​សាមញ្ញ​ហៅ​កាត់​ថា ស.ជ.ណ ពី​ឧប​នាយករដ្ឋមន្រ្តី ស ខេង រដ្ឋមន្រ្តី​ក្រសួង​មហាផ្ទៃ អនុញ្ញាត​ឲ្យ​យក​ផ្ទៃ​ដី​ជាង​១​ម៉ឺន​ហិកតារ​នោះ​ឲ្យ​សមាគម​របស់​លោក​ដើម្បី​ ចែក​ជូន​យោធិន​ពិការ​និង​យោធិន​រំសាយ​ជាង​១.៧០០​គ្រួសារ ទទួល​ដី​កាន់​កាប់​ក្នុង​មួយ​គ្រួសារ​ជាង​១​ហិកតារ​តាំង​ពី​ឆ្នាំ​២០០៥​មក។

លោក ហៃ ហេន បាន​ឲ្យ​ដឹង​ដូច្នេះ ៖ «ដី​ហ្នឹង​សមាគម​យោធិន​ពិការ​ហ្នឹង ​មាន​ស.ជ.ណ​ចេញ​ពី​ឧប ស ខេង តម្កល់​ឈ្មោះ​ភូមិ​នៅ​មហាផ្ទៃ គាត់​ទទួល​ស្គាល់។ ប្រធាន​សមាគម​នឹង​សុំ​បន្ត​មក​ដល់​រាជ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល មក​ដល់​សម្ដេច​នាយក​ទៀត សម្ដេច​នាយក​កំពុង​តែ​រៀបចំ​ឲ្យ»។

លោក​បាន​បន្ត​ថា ស្រាប់​តែ​ក្នុង​រយៈពេល​ថ្មីៗ​នេះ មាន​ក្រុមហ៊ុន​វៀតណាម​មួយ​ឈ្មោះ​ថា តាន់បៀន បាន​យក​គ្រឿងចក្រ​មក​ឈូសឆាយ​ដី​នោះ  ដែល​កាល​ពី​មុន​មាន​ការ​ទទួល​ស្គាល់​ពី​អាជ្ញាធរ​ខែត្រ​នោះ។

វិទ្យុ​អាស៊ី​សេរី​មិន​អាច​ទាក់ទង​សុំ​ការ​បំភ្លឺ​ពី​ប្រធាន​ក្រុមហ៊ុន​ តាន់បៀន ក៏​ដូច​ជា​ស្នងការ​ខែត្រ​និង​អភិបាល​ស្រុក​សន្ទុក បាន​ទេ​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១៧ វិច្ឆិកា។ ប៉ុន្តែ​អភិបាល​ខែត្រ​កំពង់ធំ លោក ឈុន ឈាន់ បាន​បញ្ជាក់​ថា យោធិន​ពិការ​ទាំង​នោះ​បាន​រស់​នៅ​លើ​ដី​រដ្ឋ ដែល​ដី​នោះ​រដា្ឋភិបាល​បាន​សម្បទាន​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​ឲ្យ​ក្រុមហ៊ុន​តាន់បៀន​ចំនួន ​៧០​ឆ្នាំ ដើម្បី​ដាំ​កៅស៊ូ។

លោក ឈុន ឈាន់ បាន​បញ្ជាក់​ដូច្នេះ ៖ «ក្រុមហ៊ុន​គេ​ប្ដឹង​ទៅ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល ដោយសារ​ថា រដ្ឋាភិបាល​បាន​ចេញ​សេចក្ដី​សម្រេច​ជូន​គេ​ហើយ»។

លោក​អភិបាល​ខែត្រ​កំពង់ធំ​ដដែល​បាន​ឲ្យ​ដឹង​ទៀត​ថា លោក​មិន​ទាន់​បាន​ដឹង​អំពី​ការ​ប្រើ​អំពើ​ហិង្សា​របស់​សមត្ថកិច្ច​នៅ​ឡើយ​ទេ។

លោក អំ សំអាត មន្រ្តី​ស៊ើប​អង្កេត​អង្គការ​លីកាដូ បាន​អំពាវនាវ​ឲ្យ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ធ្វើការ​ស៊ើប​អង្កេត​និង​ដោះស្រាយ​បញ្ហា​នេះ​ ឲ្យ​បាន​ឆាប់ ដ្បើម្បី​ជួយ​សម្រួល​ដល់​ជន​ពិការ​ទាំង​នោះ។ លោក​បាន​បញ្ជាក់​ថា រឿង​ទំនាស់​ដី​នេះ​ជា​រឿង​ចាស់​ដែល​កើត​ឡើង​កាល​ពី​ចុង​ឆ្នាំ​២០០៧​មក។

ក្រុម​យោធិន​ពិការ​ទាំង​នោះ​បាន​លើក​ឡើង​ថា ពួកគេ​កំពុង​មាន​ការ​ព្រួយ​បារម្ភ​ខ្លាច​មាន​ការ​ចាប់​ខ្លួន ហើយ​សុំ​អន្តរាគមន៍​ពី​លោក​នាយករដ្ឋមន្រ្តី ហ៊ុន សែន ដើម្បី​រក​ដំណោះ​ស្រាយ​ជូន​ពួក​គេ​ផង​ដែរ៕

ប្រភពព័ត៌មានៈ វិទ្យុអាស៊ីសេរី

Smallholder Agriculture and Social Protection Support Operation

The Smallholder Agriculture and Social Protection Support Operation Program complement the Royal Government of Cambodia's efforts to address weaknesses in smallholder agricultural production and social protection systems which have come to light during the food price crisis. 

When high food and agricultural input prices hit Cambodia in early 2008, it was clear that existing mechanisms were insufficient to support vulnerable consumers and farmers. These weaknesses garnered much greater attention by both the Government and development partners given the on-going effects of high food prices and as the impact of the global economic crisis are increasingly felt. 

The US$13 million Development Policy Operation (DPO) - consisting of a US$8 million grant from the Global Food Response Program and US$5 million in International Development Association (IDA) credits, is a stand-alone, single tranche operation intended to support key policy actions which strengthen the enabling environment for direct support poor households. 

It recognizes the actions taken by Government to stimulate a supply response amongst smallholder farmers, and to mitigate the impact on household food consumption among poor and vulnerable populations. The operation also supports medium-term efforts to improve social safety nets and agricultural production systems through better policies, strengthened institutional frameworks, and improved transparency and governance.

អាជ្ញាធរ​វៀតណាម​ហាម​ឃាត់​ខ្មែរ​ក្រោម​មិន​ឲ្យ​ធ្វើ​ស្រែ​លើ​ដី​ដូនតា

ដោយ សុខ សេរី 2009-11-17


ពលរដ្ឋ​ខែ្មរ​ក្រោម​នៅ​ស្រុក​ទិនបៀង ខេត្ត​អានយ៉ាង នៃ​ប្រទេស​វៀតណាម បាន​ឲ្យ​ដឹង​ថា មាន​ក្រុម​នគរបាល​វៀតណាម​និង​ក្រុម​ជើងកាង​ជា​ច្រើន​នាក់​ បាន​មក​ហាម​ឃាត់​ពួកគាត់​មិន​ឲ្យ​ធ្វើ​ស្រែ​នៅ​លើ​ដី​ដូន​តា កាល​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​១៦ វិច្ឆិកា។

ក្រុម​គ្រួសារ​ខែ្មរ​កម្ពុជា​ក្រោម​នៅ​ក្នុង​ឃុំ​អាងគឺ ស្រុក​ទិនបៀង ខេត្ត​អានយ៉ាង ឬ​ខេត្ត​មាត់ជ្រូក នៃ​ប្រទេស​វៀតណាម បាន​អះអាង​ថា ក្រុម​នគរបាល​វៀតណាម​ជាង​៣០​នាក់​និង​ក្រុម​ជើងកាង​ជា​ច្រើន​នាក់​ទៀត បាន​មក​ហាម​ឃាត់​និង​គំរាម​ពួកគាត់​មិន​ឲ្យ​ធ្វើ​ស្រែ​នៅ​លើ​ដី​ស្រែ​ដូនតា​ របស់​ពួកគាត់​ទេ នៅ​គ្រា​ដែល​គ្រួសារ​ទាំង​នោះ​បាន​ចុះ​ទៅ​សាប​ព្រោះ​ស្រូវ​នៅ​ថៃ្ង​១៦ វិច្ឆិកា។

គ្រួសារ​ខែ្មរ​កម្ពុជា​ក្រោម​ម្នាក់​នៅ​ក្នុង​ភូមិ​ពោធី ឃុំ​អាងគឺ ស្រុក​ទិនបៀង ខេត្ត​អានយ៉ាង ប្រទេស​វៀតណាម ទឹក​ដី​ខែ្មរ​កម្ពុជា​ក្រោម​នោះ បាន​ថែ្លង​ប្រាប់​វិទ្យុ​អាស៊ី​សេរី​តាម​ទូរស័ព្ទ​មក​ថា កសិករ​ចំនួន​១០​គ្រួសារ​បាន​ចុះ​មក​សាប​ព្រោះ​ស្រូវ ប៉ុន្តែ​រង​ការ​រារាំង ៖ «ខ្ញុំ​មក​តាំង​ពី​ម៉ោង​៦ ពួក​នគរបាល​គេ​ចុះ​មក​ប្រហែល​ជា​៣០​នាក់ ប៉ុន្តែ​គេ​មិន​ធ្វើ​អី​ទេ គ្រាន់​តែ​មក​មើល គាត់​ទើប​ចេញ​ទៅ​ម៉ោង​១២។ ឥឡូវ​ហ្នឹង​ស្រាប់​តែ​ជើង​កាង​មក​៧-​៨​នាក់​មក​រក​រឿង កាន់​ដំបង​កាន់​អី​មក ពួកខ្ញុំ​ក៏​ប្រុង​ដែរ បើ​អ្នក​ឯង​វ៉ៃ​ខ្ញុំ ខ្ញុំ​ត្រូវ​វ៉ៃ​វិញ ប្ដូរ​ស្លាប់​រស់​នៅ​ក្នុង​ស្រែ​ហើយ»។

គ្រួសារ​ខែ្មរ​កម្ពុជា​ក្រោម​ម្នាក់​ទៀត​ដែល​រង​ការ​រារាំង​មិន​ឲ្យ​សាប​ព្រោះ​ស្រូវ​នៅ​លើ​ដី​ស្រែ​ពី​ដូន​តា​នោះ បាន​ថែ្លង​ថា ៖ «វា ​មក​វ៉ៃ​កន​ខ្ញុំ វ៉ៃ​ឈ្មោះ អៀវ វ៉ៃ​គាត់​ម្នាក់ ឥឡូវ​គេ​កំពុង​តែ​មក...។ សំណូម​ពរ​ឲ្យ​ជួយ​ខ្ញុំ​ផង ឲ្យ​បាន​ដី​ធ្វើ​ស្រែ​ដូច​គេ​វៀតណាម​ទៅ ពួកខ្ញុំ​ពិបាក​វេទនា​ណាស់។ អត់​យក​ទេ ដី​ខ្ញុំ​សន្ធឹក​ហើយ​ឲ្យ​ផ្ទះ​ខ្ញុំ​មួយ​ខ្នង​ខ្ញុំ​មិន​ព្រម​ទេ»។

មិន​អាច​ទាក់ទង​លោក ទ្រីញ បាកឹម ជា​មន្រ្តី​អ្នក​នាំ​ពាក្យ​នៃ​ស្ថានទូត​វៀតណាម​នៅ​ក្នុង​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា​បាន ​ទេ ដើម្បី​សុំ​ការ​បញ្ជាក់​រឿង​នេះ ដោយ​មាន​អ្នក​ឆ្លើយ​ទូរស័ព្ទ​ថា លោក​កំពុង​តែ​ជាប់​រវល់។
គ្រួសារ​ខែ្មរ​កម្ពុជា​ក្រោម​ទាំង​នោះ​បាន​ឲ្យ​ដឹង​ថា ពួកគាត់​មិន​ព្រម​ទទួល​យក​នូវ​ដំណោះ​ស្រាយ​ដែល​អាជ្ញាធរ​វៀតណាម​សាង​សង់​ ផ្ទះ​ទទឹង​៤​ម៉ែត្រ​និង​បណ្តោយ​៨​ម៉ែត្រ​ជា​ថ្នូរ​នោះ​ទេ គឺ​ពួកគាត់​ចង់​បាន​ដី​ស្រែ​ដែល​រឹប​អូស​នោះ​មក​វិញ។

លោក ថាច់ សេដ្ឋា ប្រធាន​សហគមន៍​ខែ្មរ​កម្ពុជា​ក្រោម​នៅ​ក្នុង​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា បាន​មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​ថា ៖ «សូម ​អំពាវនាវ​ឲ្យ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ចាត់​វិធានការ​សង​ដី​របស់​ប្រជារាស្រ្ដ​មក​វិញ កុំ​ឲ្យ​មាន​អំពើ​ហិង្សា​កើត​ឡើង គឺ​សូម​ឲ្យ​មាន​ការ​អន្តរាគមន៍​ជូន​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ​កម្ពុជា​ក្រោម​ផង»។

គ្រួសារ​ខែ្មរ​កម្ពុជា​ក្រោម​ចំនួន​ប្រមាណ​៣០០​គ្រួសារ នៅ​ក្នុង​ឃុំ​អាងគឺ ស្រុក​ទិនបៀង ខេត្ត​អានយ៉ាង ប្រទេស​វៀតណាម ទឹក​ដី​ខែ្មរ​កម្ពុជា​ក្រោម​នោះ បាន​បាត់បង់​ដី​ស្រែ​ដោយ​ការ​រឹប​អូស​យក​តាំង​ពី​ឆ្នាំ​១៩៧៩​មក នៅ​គ្រា​ដែល​ពួកគាត់​បាន​រត់​គេច​ពី​ការ​វាយ​ប្រយុទ្ធ​គ្នា​រវាង​កង​ទ័ព​ ខ្មែរ​ក្រហម និង​កងទ័ព​វៀតណាម​នៅ​ពេល​នោះ៕

អ្នក​ជំនួញ​ស្រូវ​ត្អូញ​ពី​បញ្ហា​ទិន្នផល​ស្រូវ​មិន​សូវ​សំបូរ

ដោយ អ៊ុក សាវបូរី 2009-11-16

អ្នក​ជំនួញ​ស្រូវ​ក្នុង​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា​បាន​ត្អូញ​ត្អែរ​ថា នៅ​ដើម​រដូវ​កំពុង​ប្រមូល​ផល​នេះ ទិន្នផល​ស្រូវ​ឆ្នាំ​នេះ​មិន​សូវ​សំបូរ​ដូច​ឆ្នាំ​មុន​ដែល​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​តម្លៃ​ ស្រូវ​ថ្លៃ​ជាង​មុន​បន្តិច។

ការ​ត្អូញ​ត្អែរ​នេះ​បាន​ធ្វើ​ឡើង​នៅ​គ្រា​ដែល​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា បាន​រង​គ្រោះ​ធម្មជាតិ​រាំង​ស្ងួត ទឹក​ជំនន់ និង​ខ្យល់​ព្យុះ​ក្នុង​អំឡុង​ពេល​កសិករ​កំពុង​ដាំ​ស្រូវ​វស្សា​ទូទាំង​ ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា។

ឈ្មួញ​ទិញ​ស្រូវ​នៅ​ខេត្ត​ពោធិ៍សាត់ អ្នកស្រី សែម អៀត បាន​ឲ្យ​ដឹង​ថា ទិន្នផល​ស្រូវ​ថយ​ច្រើន។ អ្នកស្រី​ថា ដោយសារ​តែ​ផល​ស្រូវ​វស្សា​មាន​តិច​ហើយ​តម្រូវការ​ទិញ​របស់​ឈ្មួញ​ថៃ​និង​ វៀតណាម​ច្រើន​នោះ តម្លៃ​ស្រូវ​បាន​ឡើង​ថ្លៃ​ជាង​ឆ្នាំ​មុន​បន្តិច ពី​១.០០០ ទៅ​១.២០០​រៀល​ក្នុង​មួយ​គីឡូក្រាម។ អ្នកស្រី​ថា តម្លៃ​នេះ​ជា​ប្រភេទ​ស្រូវ​លេខ​១ មាន​ស្រូវ​សុមាលី ផ្កា​រំដួល និង​ស្រូវ​ផ្កា​ម្លិះ។

អ្នកស្រី សែម អៀត បាន​ឲ្យ​ដឹង​ដូច្នេះ ៖ «ស្រូវ​ហ្នឹង​គេ​ក៏​រក យើង​ក៏​រក ពេល​ខ្លះ​យើង​ទៅ​ទិញ​អត់​បាន ស្រូវ​វា​ឡើង​(ថ្លៃ)»។

ឈ្មួញ​ទិញ​លក់​ស្រូវ​ខេត្ត​បន្ទាយមានជ័យ អ្នកស្រី ដា សុមាលី បាន​អះអាង​ថា ផល​ស្រូវ​ឆ្នាំ​នេះ​បាន​ថយ​ច្រើន​នៅ​តំបន់​ផលិត​ដំណាំ​ស្រូវ​ច្រើន​ជាង​គេ មាន​ខេត្ត​បន្ទាយមានជ័យ បាត់ដំបង ពោធិ៍សាត់  និង​ខេត្ត​កំពង់ធំ។ អ្នកស្រី​ថា ទោះ​បី​ជា​ជម្លោះ​នយោបាយ​ការទូត​រវាង​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា​និង​ថៃ កំពុង​កើត​មាន​ក៏ដោយ ជំនួញ​ស្រូវ​មិន​ទាន់​ប៉ះពាល់​ឡើយ ដោយសារ​តែ​ឈ្មួញ​ថៃ​នៅ​បន្ត​ទទួល​ទិញ​យក​ស្រូវ​ពី​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា។ គាត់​បាន​ទិញ​ស្រូវ​ច្រូត​ហើយ​ភ្លាមៗ ឬ​ហៅ​ថា ស្រូវ​សើម​ប្រភេទ​លេខ​១ មាន​ពូជ​ផ្កា​ម្លិះ សុមាលី និង​ផ្កា​រំដួល ១​គីឡូក្រាម​តម្លៃ​ពី​៨​ទៅ​៩​បាត។

អ្នកស្រី ដា សុមាលី មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​ដូច្នេះ ៖ «វា​អត់​ទៀង ជួន​កាល​ខ្ញុំ​និយាយ​តម្លៃ​ក្នុង​ថ្ងៃ​នេះ ដល់​ស្អែក​ឡើង​ចុះ​វិញ ឬ​ក៏​ឡើង​ទៅ​ទៀត ហ្នឹង​វា​អត់​ទៀង​ទេ។ ជួនណា​កន្លែង​ណា​ដែល​គេ​ចេញ​បាន​ស្រួល គេ​មក​ដេញ​ថ្លៃ​យើង យើង​ក៏​តាម​គេ បើ​មិន​តាម​គេ​យើង​ទិញ​មិន​បាន​ទេ»។

ចំណែក​ឈ្មួញ​ទិញ​ស្រូវ​នៅ​ខេត្ត​កំពង់ធំ អ្នកស្រី និន មុំ បាន​ឲ្យ​ដឹង​ថា ៖ «ខាង ​កំពង់ធំ​ដូចជា​រាង​ស្បើយ​ជាង​ឆ្នាំ​ទៅ ឆ្នាំ​នេះ​វា​លិច​ទឹក។ ស្រូវ​ផ្កា​ម្លិះ ផ្កា​រំដួល​ទិញ​មួយ​គីឡូក្រាម​១.២០០​រៀល សុមាលី ១.២០០រៀល ស្រូវ​ចម្រុះ​ធម្មតា​មួយ​គីឡូក្រាម​៩៥០​រៀល។ ខេត្ត​ព្រះវិហារ​គេ​ដឹក​ចេញ​មក​លក់​នៅ​ខេត្ត​កំពង់ធំ​ដែរ យើង​នៅ​ចាំ​ទិញ​នៅ​កំពង់ធំ ចាំ​អ្នក​ព្រះវិហារ​ដឹក​មក»។

នាយក​មជ្ឈមណ្ឌល​សិក្សា​និង​អភិវឌ្ឍន៍​កសិកម្ម​កម្ពុជា លោក​បណ្ឌិត យ៉ង សាំងកុមារ អះអាង​ថា តាម​ការ​ស្រាវជា្រវ ទិន្នផល​ស្រូវ​ឆ្នាំ​នេះ​អាច​ប្រហាក់​ប្រហែល​នឹង​ឆ្នាំ​មុន គឺ​ប្រមាន​៧​លាន​តោន ដោយសារ​ភ្លៀង​ធ្លាក់​ដើម​ដៃ​ល្អ​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​កសិករ​ពង្រីក​ផ្ទៃ​ដី​ដាំ​ស្រូវ​ ដើម​ដៃ​ច្រើន​ហិកតារ​ជា​រៀង​រាល់​ឆ្នាំ  បើ​ទោះ​បី​ជា​ក្នុង​រដូវ​វស្សា​មាន​រាំង​ស្ងួត​និង​ជំនន់ ដោយសារ​ព្យុះ​កេតសាណា​ក៏ដោយ។

លោក​បណ្ឌិត យ៉ង សាំងកុមារ មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​ថា ៖ «សម្រាប់​ផល​ស្រូវ​រដូវ​ វស្សា​មាន​ពីរ មាន​ដើម​ដៃ គឺ​ប្រមូល​ផល​ខ្ទង់​ខែ​៥ ខែ៦-​៧​ហ្នឹង ហ្នឹង​វា​ច្រើន​ជាង​រាល់​ឆ្នាំ ហើយ​បើ​ស្រូវ​ជា​រដូវ​វស្សា ផល​វា​អាច​ប្រហាក់​ប្រហែល​ឆ្នាំ​ទៅ ឬ​តិច​ជាង​ឆ្នាំ​ទៅ​បន្តិច​បន្តួច ប៉ុន្តែ​យើង​បូក​ជា​រួម ផល​ស្រូវ​រដូវ​វស្សា​សរុប​ទាំង​ដើម​រដូវ​និង​ក្នុង​រដូវ ខ្ញុំ​គិត​ថា វា​អាច​ប្រហាក់​ប្រហែល​ឆ្នាំ​ទៅ»។

លោក​បណ្ឌិត​បាន​ឲ្យ​ដឹង​ទៀត​ថា ដី​សម្រាប់​ដាំ​ស្រូវ​វស្សា​ក្នុង​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា តាម​តួលេខ​ពី​ក្រសួង​កសិកម្ម រុក្ខាប្រមាញ់​និង​នេសាទ មាន​ប្រមាណ​ពី ២,៣​លាន​ហិកតារ ទៅ ២,៥​លាន​ហិកតារ៕

VN investment in Cambodia reached US$1.5 bn

By By Rasmei Kampuchea
Asia News Network

Phnom Penh : Vietnamese investors consider Cambodia as a big potential investment destination in the future. So far, its investment in Cambodia has reached US$1.5 billion in the last few years in different sectors such as construction, agriculture, and banking sector. 

Tran Bac Ha, chief of a delegation of Vietnamee investors told Prime Minister Hun Sen on October 16 that Vietnam government allowed three Vietnamese companies to invest in Cambodia in real estate, construction and agriculture.

Tran Bac Ha added that Vietnamese company planned to buy in 2010 between 300 000 and 400 000 tonnes of paddy from Cambodia to boost Cambodian economy and reduce poverty.

Recently, Vietnamese investors planned to plant rubber trees on 50 000 hectare in the Northeast of the country and they put in place the mobile phone company, Viettel, and at the same time, Vietnamese airline company has invested in running the Cambodian National Airline called "Cambodia Angkor Air". The joint venture investment costs $100 millions, of which , Cambodia holds 51 per cent and the rest belongs to Vietnamese side.
 
While the diplomatic row has increased between Thailand and Cambodia, Some Thai leaders threatened to close the border. But, in his reaction, Prime Minister Hun Sen threatened to stop buying Thai products and in stead   using products from other countries.

Condemn the lifting of parliamentary immunity from Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) President Sam Rainsy

CCHR, CLEC, NICFEC and LICADHO

November 16, 2009

We, the undersigned members of Cambodian civil society, condemn the lifting of parliamentary immunity from Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) President Sam Rainsy by the National Assembly on November 16, 2009. The Assembly’s action is yet another blow to Cambodia’s faltering democracy, and continues the government’s disturbing trend of using the courts to intimidate and weaken political opponents.

Rainsy is the third SRP member to be stripped of parliamentary immunity – the second time this year only - in the past five months. Fellow SRP Parliamentarians Mu Sochua and Ho Vann were stripped of their immunity by the National Assembly on June 22, 2009. The latter was acquitted by the Phnom Penh court on September 22, 2009; yet, the National Assembly has failed to restore his parliamentary immunity back.

The Assembly’s practice of routinely stripping opposition party MPs of immunity raises grave doubts about Cambodia's democracy. Even more disturbing is the nature of the charges against these politicians, whose alleged crimes all stem from public expression of opinion on sensitive topics to the ruling party.  

The Svay Rieng court is considering charging Rainsy with incitement and destruction to public property in relation to the uprooting of wooden posts set to mark Cambodia’s newly-agreed border with Vietnam which took place on October 25, 2009.  The Cambodian government alleges that this act “incited” villagers to commit crimes; Rainsy claims that the markers were on Cambodia’s soil. Accusations were brought against Sam Rainsy after complaints by the Vietnamese government which enjoys a long history with the ruling party.

The Cambodia-Vietnam border issue is a sensitive issue. In late 2005, Beehive radio owner Mam Sonando was charged and sent to Prey Sar prison after Sonando broadcasted an interview in which Seang Pengse was critical of a border treaty signed by the Cambodian Government. Shortly after, Cambodian Independent Teacher Association (CITA) President Rong Chun joined Sonando in jail when the government accused him of incitement in relation to a joint statement signed by civil society leaders calling for the “mourning of lost land” to Vietnam.

Today’s events are a testament to Cambodia’s shrinking democracy, and the willingness of the ruling party – with the support of their partner National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC) and the Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP), it seems – to quash political dissent. This morning, all 87 members of parliament present at the National Assembly voted to lift the parliamentary immunity of Sam Rainsy. Members of National Assembly from SRP and Human Rights Party (HRP) were not present at the NA.

The lifting of parliamentary immunity and the increase in defamation, disinformation and incitement charges against journalists, civil society members and opposition party leaders is reminiscent of the 2005 crack down on opposition and nongovernmental voices. In that year, Sam Rainsy and two other SRP MPs, Chea Poch and Mr. Cheam Channy, also had their parliamentary immunity removed so they could face criminal charges filed by the government. Mr. Cheam Channy was subsequently imprisoned for a year after being unlawfully convicted by the military court on bogus criminal charges.

We urge the National Assembly to respect its principle of parliamentary immunity and for the Cambodian government and courts to cease harassment and end groundless legal attacks against opposition party politicians and other critics.

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Ou Virak, President of Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), 012 404 051

Mr. Yeng Virak, Community Legal Education Center (CLEC), 012 801 235
Mr. Hang Puthea, Executive Director of Neutral & Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Election (NICFEC), 012 959 666

Ms. Pilorge Naly, Director of Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), 012 803 650

have ants in your pants

ពាក្យ​សម្រាប់​ថ្ងៃ​នេះ

ប្រភេទពាក្យៈ វោហារស័ព្ទ​ទាក់​ទងនឹង​សត្វ​ល្អិត

ពាក្យ​ថ្ងៃ​នេះ​សម្រាប់​ថ្ងៃ​ទី១៦ ខែ​វិច្ឆិកា ឆ្នាំ​២០០៩​គឺ៖ 
have ants in your pants (មាន​ស្រមោច​ចូលក្នុង​​ខោ)

(ជាកំប្លែង​បែបសម័យបុរាណ)​ មាន​ន័យថា “ដែល​មិនអាចនៅស្ងៀម​បាន ព្រោះ​គេមាន​សេចក្ដីរំភើប​ ត្រេក​អរ​ពេក ឬ​មាន​សេចក្ដី​បារម្ភ​ខ្លាំង​ពេក​អំពី​រឿង​អ្វី​មួយ”​។
(to not be able to keep still because you are very excited or worried about something) 

សូមប្រិយមិត្ត​​អ្នក​អាន​ទាំង​អស់ មេត្តា​ជួយ​ផ្ដល់​យោ​បល់​ និង​រក​ពាក្យ​ខ្មែរ​ដាក់​ឲ្យ​ត្រូវ​តាម​ន័យ​ពន្យល់​ខាង​លើ​នេះផង។ ម៉េចដែរ​ ខាន់?

 

Cambodia says row should stay off US-ASEAN summit agenda

Bangkok/Phnom Penh - Cambodia said Friday that deteriorating relations between it and Thailand should not be discussed at this weekend's summit between the US and the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Both countries are members of the ten-nation regional bloc.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Koung said Cambodia would like ASEAN to help resolve the row, but felt the summit was not the appropriate venue.

'[Cambodia] will not get this issue involved in the US-ASEAN summit on Sunday,' Koy Koung said. 'Also we request that the other ASEAN leaders also not get this issue involved.'

Koy Koung said Cambodia wants the summit 'to proceed successfully' and remains open to any solution to the row with Thailand.
 
'Cambodia welcomes all means of solution - bilateral, multilateral, regional or international - we are prepared for all means of settlement,' he added.

The comments came after days of high political drama that followed the appointment last week of Thailand's fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to advisory positions in Cambodia.
 
Thaksin arrived in Phnom Penh Tuesday before giving a speech to government officials and businessmen on Thursday.
 
Thailand was further angered when its request to extradite Thaksin was rejected by Phnom Penh, which regards his outstanding two-year jail term as politically motivated.
 
Earlier on Friday Thailand's Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya rejected as 'defamation and slander' Cambodian government claims that a Thai mechanic had spied on Thaksin.
 
Cambodian authorities on Thursday detained Siwarak Chothipong, 31, who is employed by flight control firm Cambodia Air Traffic Services, accusing him of seeking Thaksin's flight details and passing them on to unnamed government officials in Thailand.
 
Kasit said on Thai television the arrest was 'absurd' and 'a mischievous frame-up.'
 
Cambodia's national police spokesman, Kirt Chantharith, told the German Press Agency dpa late Friday that Siwarak Chothipong was in breach of national security laws and would be prosecuted. He faces up to 5 years in jail if convicted.

'He tried to get and transmit information abroad relating to the flight of Excellency Thaksin Shinawatra,' Kirt Chantharith said. 'We consider this activity is relating to the national security of Cambodia.'
 
The arrest of Siwarak Chothipong was swiftly followed by the expulsion of the first secretary at the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh for 'performing his duty contrary to his position,' Koy Koung said.
 
Some media reports have linked the two events, but neither Koy Koung nor Kirt Chantharith would confirm that.
 
The two kingdoms have already expelled each others' ambassadors.
 
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said his government would not be lured into a trap by the Cambodian authorities, but would move cautiously.
 
Thaksin remains popular with much of the rural poor in Thailand due to his populist economic policies.
 
On Friday, 22 members of parliament and 15 senators signed a letter demanding that Ramkhamhaeng University revoke an honorary degree it awarded to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.
 
One government legislator also demanded the Thai army should stop providing Hun Sen and his family with free health care, an arrangement that has allegedly been going on for decades.

Read more: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1513157.php/Cambodia-says-row-should-stay-off-US-ASEAN-summit-agenda-Roundup#ixzz0WkCvvdT1

ការ​ប្រើប្រាស់​បច្ចេកវិទ្យា​ គមនាគមន៍​ ​ព័ត៌មាន​វិទ្យា​ដើម្បី​ចូល​រួម​លុប​បំបាត់​អំពើ​ហិង្សា​លើ​ស្ត្រី

ប្រភព​ព័ត៌មានពី​៖ អង្គការ​វិទ្យាស្ថាន​បើក​ទូលាយ

US/ASEAN: Obama Should Press Asian on Rights

Prioritize Burma, Free Speech, and Accountability at ASEAN-US Summit
November 12, 2009

Source: Human Rights Watch 

(New York) - US President Barack Obama should urge Asian leaders at the first ASEAN-US summit to unite in addressing the region's most pressing human rights concerns, Human Rights Watch said today.
Human Rights Watch called on Obama, in his meetings with leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to raise the lack of democratic change in Burma, restraints on freedom of expression across the region, widespread impunity for rights violations, and a weak regional human rights institution.

Obama, on his first visit to Asia as president, will meet with ASEAN leaders on November 15, 2009, the day after the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Singapore.
"Obama should use his first trip to Southeast Asia as president to put human rights on the ASEAN agenda," said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Burma is the obvious place to start, but media repression and unpunished rights violations are rampant throughout the region."

The Obama administration has undertaken a dual approach to Burma by beginning talks with Burma's senior generals to press them to accept democratic change, while maintaining sanctions until there are genuine improvements. Senior US State Department officials visited Burma earlier this month, and on November 11, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the APEC summit, "We would like to see countries individually and through ASEAN reach out to the Burmese leadership, persuade them that it's time to start planning for free, fair and credible elections in 2010." Clinton also reaffirmed that sanctions will not be lifted until there is progress on democracy in Burma.

Human Rights Watch urged Obama to call on all ASEAN leaders to speak forcefully and with one voice to call for the release of all political prisoners in Burma, including the democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as for an inclusive political process ahead of the 2010 elections.
Obama should also urge ASEAN leaders to meet international standards of refugee protection, considering the large numbers of asylum seekers from Burma seeking sanctuary in Southeast Asian countries, Human Rights Watch said.

"ASEAN leaders have long sent mixed messages on Burma, so Obama should encourage them to unite in a strong statement of support for real democratic reforms," Pearson said. "All ASEAN countries should oppose repression in Burma and adopt basic refugee protections to promote the rights of the Burmese people."
For ASEAN to be an effective force for human rights, Obama should urge leaders to resolve ongoing human rights problems in their own countries, Human Rights Watch said. Obama should publicly reiterate the importance of freedom of expression and media freedom as an integral part of democratic society.

A major problem is the widespread use of legal systems in Southeast Asia to silence peaceful government critics, journalists, and human rights defenders, in violation of international law. Cambodia, Indonesia, and Singapore use criminal defamation laws, Malaysia and Vietnam take advantage of overbroad national security laws, and Thailand makes arbitrary use of the lese majeste law and the Computer Crimes Act.
On Cambodia, Human Rights Watch urged Obama to openly challenge Prime Minister Hun Sen's increasingly authoritarian practices, in which he and other ruling party officials use violence, threats, and the country's notoriously corrupt judiciary to silence and imprison opposition party members, journalists, land rights activists, and other government critics.

Human Rights Watch also called on Obama to urge Vietnam, which will assume the chair of ASEAN in 2010, to set an example by improving its human rights practices. The government could start by releasing the hundreds of peaceful government critics, independent church activists, bloggers, and democracy advocates imprisoned in violation of international law on groundless national security charges for expressing peaceful dissent.

Human Rights Watch also noted that in Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand, security forces continue to commit serious abuses without fear of punishment. Despite assurances from leaders that they intend to bring the perpetrators to justice, abusive officials are not being prosecuted successfully. Past violators go unpunished, while those implicated in abuses remain in the security forces and may even be promoted.

In Thailand, military and police officers known to have been involved in abuses during the 2003 "War on Drugs" and counterinsurgency operations have been promoted rather than punished. In Indonesia, human rights violators continue to be promoted within the Indonesian special forces branch, Kopassus, and the masterminds behind the 2001 murder of the human rights advocate Munir bin Thalib remain free.
Human Rights Watch urged Obama to make a firm commitment that US agencies will review information about units and individual members of security forces participating in US-funded programs to ensure that none have been implicated in human rights violations, particularly torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings. Obama should also consider conditioning a greater amount of the US's security aid on progress in prosecuting those abuses.

ASEAN members have ratified a charter that commits member states to protect human rights, but the Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, introduced at the 15th ASEAN Summit in October, is weak. Several of the commissioners lack independence from their governments, and the commission's mandate is largely limited to allowing members to promote human rights, rather than protecting them.
"Obama should let ASEAN know that the regional grouping can be a formidable force for human rights," Pearson said. "But this means the new ASEAN human rights commission should have the power to protect people from abuses, not just pay lip service to human rights."