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Posted by: | Posted on: December 21, 2012

Great Khmer Empire : King Jayavarman 7

Watching this movie clip remind me of a project released by the news on “shooting a movie by Hollywood team about the Great Khmer Empire Leader of King Jayavarman VII”.

Among other documentaries on Ancient Khmer and the Great Civilization of Angkor Wat, this movie/documentary is closest to the reality happened during the Angkorian Era especially the reign of King Jayavarman VII. The exposing on the records of base-relief, inscription, stone arts and description of a Mongolian ambassador officially visited the Kingdom including the feature of actual images during that period, make this movie clip extra-ordinary…All Khmers must watch this one.

 

Watch the movie clip below:

Posted by: | Posted on: December 20, 2012

Conclusion of Annual Meeting and Scholarship Awarding

Op-Ed: Khmer Youth

First of all, I would like to thank the Abbot and Bhikkhu monks of the temple, the executive committees of the Cambodian Canadian Association, the executive committees of the Khmer Canadian Buddhist Cultural Society, the executive committees of the Khmer Canadian Senior Association and the executive committees of the advisory board including all scholarship recipients, students, parents and participants today.

The annual meeting was overviewed and summarized by the President in his remark on how wonderful tasks have been accomplished within this 2012 and it is the concrete pavement for 2013 as well. There are 10 activities that KCYAA has undertaken. Among those, two activities were incorporated with other associations while the rests are proudly organized by the excellent team leaders.

For the overall presentation of the 2012 activities and accomplishment, please click on this link

More than this, Vichet who is the Secretary gave detailed speech to the audiences for the Action Plan 2013 that has been endorsed by the executive members. Future plan is the framework of the Khmer Youths Association. Without outlining future plan and achievable framework, we don’t think we have done a proper thing. Planning is very important to looking forward for change and minimize risk for that change.

Pleace Click this Link for Action Plan 2013 of the Khmer Youth Association

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Posted by: | Posted on: December 17, 2012

CAMBODIA: The country must not repeat Burma’s mistake

Contributors: Ou Ritthy

Op-Ed: Human Rights Asia

Many opposition politicians, NGO personnel, students, researchers, taxi drivers, vendors and city dwellers expected US president Barack Obama, who attended the 21st ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, to push the Cambodian government to better respect human rights and democratic principles, especially free and fair elections in the Kingdom. They hoped for a US pressure to release political prisoners, notably Beehive Radio owner Mam Sonando, land-dispute protestors, and to allow opposition leader Sam Rainsy in self-exiled in Paris, to return to Cambodia to participate in the 2013 election.

Sadly, even before President Obama’s visit, indications were clear that Phnom Penh had no genuine intention to stop its rights violations, embrace the rule of law, or combat rampant corruption.

Cambodia’s minister of information and government spokesman declared publicly that Obama is not Premier Hun Sen’s boss or Cambodian government’s guru. Such unwelcome and fighting words stand opposite of the Cambodian people’s culture of warmth and generosity toward all.

In Burma, thousands of Burmese wearing T-shirts with Obama’s portraits lined up the streets, and democracy icon Aug Sann Suu Kyi and reform-minded dictator president Thein Sein, welcomed the US president. Hundreds of students listened to Obama’s speech at Rangoon University. In Cambodia, eight citizens were arrested for displaying Obama’s portrait and an SOS message on the roofs of their homes. The citizens were facing eviction from their homes at Thmar Kaul village. Worse, people weren’t allowed to line up along the Russian Boulevard to welcome Obama. The government said this was due to security reason and traffic congestion.

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Posted by: | Posted on: December 4, 2012

CAMBODIA: Cambodian activists must believe in individuals’ capacity to accomplish the impossible

FOR PUBLICATION
AHRC-ETC-038-2012
December 1, 2012

An article by Dr. Gaffar Peang-Meth published by the Asian Human Rights Commission

CAMBODIA: Cambodian activists must believe in individuals’ capacity to accomplish the impossible

Initially, I planned to write about US President Barack Obama’s visit to Cambodia, during which he reportedly spoke forcefully to Cambodian premier Hun Sen regarding the administration’s abysmal record of human rights violations. But e-mails from Cambodians in the country and abroad reoriented my focus, hence, today’s article.

Don’t like to read

Last week, a young political science graduate from a foreign university vented his frustrations in an e-mail from Cambodia at many Cambodian compatriots who don’t like to read. If they don’t read, they don’t learn. And if reading articles is painful, they certainly won’t read an entire book!

He observed with frustration that there is no learning without reading, and life is not meaningful if one has no basis to compare, to understand, to improve. He dismissed suggestions that there is a dearth of reading material available in Cambodia. Cambodia, he said, lacks people who want to read. Across the oceans I can sense his irritation– vexations of a young man who has put hours of hard work into a second language, to earn a degree from a reputable university. Now, back in his homeland, he is working to sensitize his relatives, friends, and colleagues to value education as a key to personal and national development. I have never met this young man. He sought me out through the Internet when he was a student. We discussed political socialization and political culture as he considered ways to bring about change to Cambodia’s status quo and to better serve society.

Still young, must think of living longer

A few days ago, he wrote about the low price growers received for their rice harvest. This has negatively affected his parents’ livelihood. As a result he may have to forego advanced studies and continue working so that his four siblings may finish their education in Cambodia.

Nevertheless, this young man remains committed to improving governance in Cambodia. To that end, he attended a recent workshop in Phnom Penh on the topic of governance and reform. He was disheartened by this meeting of “civil servants, military, police and royal armed forces” personnel. They rejected the need for adherence to the rule of law by a politically impartial police and military, blindly citing the regime’s party line in support of that position. During the coffee break, some told him that he is an “extremist,” that he is still “too young and still has a long time to live”; they advised him to be careful and live longer!

I have been made aware of this kind of threat and intimidation before – orchestrated accidents that take lives. Some incidents like the story of an armored vehicle from a security unit deliberately hitting a driver who had exited his vehicle at a security checkpoint. The driver was hospitalized for three months as a result. Other Cambodians relate stories of food poisoning and break-ins, among other violations.

Human Rights Watch published a 68-page report, Tell Them That I Want to Kill Them: Two Decades of Impunity in Hun Sen’s Cambodia. It describes cases of unsolved killings of more than 300 political activists, journalists, opposition politicians, among others by Hun Sen’s security forces since the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements. It identifies many senior Cambodian government officials involved in serious abuses and their current positions in the administration.

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