A new breeze
“If I have tourist friends come to visit me, I always have to take them to see the water puppets; that’s all I can do. But they don’t really understand what’s going on. Now I can take them to something like this. It is such a wonderful opportunity for tourists to gain an understanding of Vietnamese culture. The play is hilarious, funny and they can understand what happening, without having someone Vietnamese to explain the concept or what the story about.
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16-Day Campaign to Promote Gender Equality to Combat Violence against Women and Children
"In order to promote gender equity and the empowerment of women, and to reduce all forms of violence against women and against children, and to increase the percentage of citizens with a clearer awareness about violence, the Open Institute held a women's forum under the topic: 'Best Practice of ICT Use to Combat Violence against Women and Children.'
"25 November is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and the Open Institute will participate in an international campaign 'Reclaiming Information and Communication Technology to End Violence against Women' focusing on all activities considered as violence against women and children which come from a wrong attitude and lead to crimes. This campaign will take place until 10 December 2009, which is the International Human Rights Day.
Cambodian-Thai Relations - Present and Former Prime Ministers
Returning to Cambodia, on the way to the airport in Bangkok on 6.11.2009, the driver of the taxi I took – as soon as he knew that I was going to Cambodia - spoke almost the whole way about his surprise and anger that the former Thai prime minister, who was convicted to go to prison for being implicated in big, illegally land dealings in the Ratchadapisek area of Bangkok, and who lied to the court when he left the country on bail “for some days only” but never came back, is now invited by the Cambodian Prime Minister to come to Cambodia as adviser to the government. “Are there no laws against corruption in Cambodia?” - Surely, another taxi driver might have had a different evaluation; but it was an impressive outburst of firm convictions.
Knowing – Using – or Disregarding the Law
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 634 - Sunday, 18.10.2009
Discussions about the law, or actions without much awareness or even disregard for the law, are reaching the media regularly, sometimes in increasing numbers – just like now. This reflects, of course, also a general awareness in certain sections of the public.
Whoever mentions the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia is mostly happy about it, and since the introduction of the Senate into to political structures of the country, there was hardly any suggestion that the Constitution should be changed – though there have been repeated pleas that its implementation should be improved. Though one member of the National Assembly is reported to have said recently he regrets that the death penalty is excluded by the Constitution - an opinion quite contrary to international developments during the last decade.
Cambodia as a Member of the International Community of States
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 633 - Sunday, 11.10.2009
Serious questions surfaced during the week about the meaning of the consequences when a state has resolved to sign international covenants, and has entered into certain agreements of international cooperation.
The discussion of the draft Penal Code in the National Assembly, during several days on the way towards its adoption, revealed some surprising elements - some of a formalistic nature, others relating to substantive understandings.
During the Three Quarters of 2009 so Far, 61% of Rape Victim Were Underage Persons
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 633 - Saturday, 10.10.2009
“Phnom Penh: The increasing number of rapes indicates that Khmer tradition is falling apart under the influence of bad foreign culture, spread through porn videos played at some coffee shops, and through drug abuse.
“Based on news from five local newspapers, Koh Santepheap, Rasmei Kampuchea, Kampuchea Thmey, The Phnom Penh Post, and The Cambodia Daily, information collected by End Child Prostitution, Abuse and Trafficking in Cambodia - ECPAT-Cambodia - shows in a Media Analysis of Rape, Trafficking for Sexual Purpose, Indecent Cases in Third Quarter 2009 [in Khmer] that there were 69 cases of rape involving 70 victims.
Reports from and Rumors about the UN Human Rights Council
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 632 - Sunday, 4.10.2009
Whoever observed the history of the UN special rapporteurs on the human rights situation in Cambodia - Michael Kirby (Australia, 1993-1996), Thomas Hammarberg (Sweden, 1996-2000), Peter Leuprecht (Austria, 2001-2005), Yash Ghai (Kenya, 2005- 2008) – was probably not surprised that the new rapporteur appointed in March 2009, Dr. Surya Subedi from Nepal, a Professor of International Law, with an impressive career as a scholar and also as an expert on international investment law and the World Trade Organization, was greeted, as reported in the Cambodian press, with the advice “to act faultlessly” and “not to be biased.”
As he presented his first report to the session of UN Human Rights Council on 1 October 2009, we present information, mainly by quoting UN documents and press releases, about this work – it is not the work just of an individual, and it is not shaped just by some UN bureaucrats, but by representatives of member states of the United Nations.
Lanterns for the Mid Autumn Festival
The mid-autumn festival, or Tet Trung Thu as it is known in Vietnam, is a major festival celebrated on the 15th of the 8th Lunar Month every year. This year, it falls on Saturday 3rd October.
The Highlight of the Past Week
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 631 - Sunday, 27.9.2009
In some weeks, there is some important event attracting the attention of many people – a kind of theme of the week. In other weeks, there are even several items which compete for top attention – though different people are interested, or even affected differently, and it may not be easy to agree what can be considered for special attention.
Sex and Siem Reap City
Sex and Siem Reap city
So one of my Khmer pals has a young French man pursuing her. He's not the first one. My friend has never agreed to go out with barang men because she is suspicious of them -- with good reason. One of her friends has been dumped by a string of Western expats after going to bed with them. One of these men left her with a child before returning to his country of origin. The poor Khmer girl keeps asking what is wrong with her, why do men all leave her. It does not occur to her to stop seeing the expat men she favours.
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