Dealing with the Past
The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 682
As I live in Cambodia already since 1990, I am no more constantly aware of what is different in Cambodia from what I knew or experienced before coming to Cambodia. But when I have visitors from abroad, meeting them is often a reminder. One regularly repeated experience with visitors is that they want to visit the genocide memorials of Tuol Sleng in Phnom Penh and Choeung Ek about 15 km out of town. Mostly this led to a surprise and subject of discussions, as the visitors observe that there are hardly
SLIDESHOW: Asia’s Fragile Corners
Conflict and fragile governance present enormous challenges for development and security in Asia. In places where violence is widespread and government ceases to function, the pace of development falls dramatically and conditions can deteriorate to extreme levels. Conflicts often include disaffected minorities or marginalized populations at odds with the central government and political establishment. Other elements that can heighten conflicts include limitations on local identity and culture, a lack of accounting for past abuses, and poor access to justice and security.
Improving Communication by Communicating
The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 667
The major event during the week was the meeting of the Cambodia Development Cooperation Forum, which brought more than 100 representatives from donor countries and from international financial organizations to Cambodia, to meet with representatives of the Cambodian government. One newspaper quoted a Cambodian official as saying, before the meeting: “Cambodia Hopes to Get US$1 Billion Aid as Expected.”
About the Clear Separation of Functions and Responsibilities
The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 666
According to the Preamble of the Constitution, the Kingdom of Cambodia is a multi-party liberal democracy. That different people make different observations and have different information and different opinions is natural – that these can also be expressed and discussed openly is legal under such a constitution, unless there is any criminal intent involved.
National Holidays: Labor Day – Sunday – Royal Ploughing Ceremony
The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 662
While the time runs and runs evenly, the different calendars – related to the year of the sun, or related to the phases of the moon, or related to cultural history and social-political events – have their own ways. And sometimes they lead to interesting crossings.
The Royal Ploughing Ceremony, roughly at the beginning of the rainy season, marks the start of the planting time. And royal astrologers will observe the preferences of the draught animals during the ceremony, which food they prefer – offered to them on seven trays, with beans, corn, grass, rice, sesame seeds, water, and wine – to predict the coming season’s harvest.
Glimpses on the Social and Political Culture of Hong Kong
The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 660
Participating in the Internet Society Asia Regional Chapters Meeting and the INET Asia Regional Conference: Opportunities and Challenges in the Next Generation Internet: IPv6, Security and Privacy, Multilingualism, and Search Engine Optimization, provided the participants also the opportunity to visit the International ICT Expo 2010 taking
“Copyright Enforcement Will Cost Jobs and Prevent Access to Education and Entertainment”
The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 658
The past week brought quite a number of reports on the follow-up to the Prime Minister’s order to crack down on rampant illegal activities – especially deforestation – and on the sudden results of activities by the authorities, who before did not seem to know much about the warehouses of stored luxury grade wood, probably cut illegally. But now, in a couple of days, thousands of cubic meters of such wood is found. And there are questions considering the Prime Minister’s speech: “Are Oknhas Who Own and Operate Wood Storehouses in Siem Reap [also] Considered Betraying the Nation?” And: “Why Do the Authorities Not Arrest the Owner of the Tiger Beer Company Like They Arrested Yeay Mab for Illegal Wood Trading?” The next days and weeks and months will show more clearly if the present campaign is only a short-lived campaign, or if it is the beginning of some real change, that laws will be applied clearly, publicly, and strongly in future.
When the Law is Not Being Followed
The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 656
It was early in March, when Prime Minister Hun Sen was quoted having said that the year 2010 is the year in which brothels and illegal gambling sites shall be eliminated. And there were additional warnings, saying that such campaigns are for real: “Police and military chiefs had better leave their positions if they do not dare to crack down on brothels and gambling sites, being afraid of interventions.” That there would be resistance from people who benefit from the related trade is obviously expected. Even that such resistance can come from persons ‘higher up’ who scare lower level officials so that they do not do their duty.
The Order of Hun Sen to Prohibit Khmer Citizens from Gambling in Casinos Is Not Applied by the Owner of the Naga Casino
The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 656
“The Naga Casino, located in Phnom Penh, is operating to extract money from people addicted to gambling in Cambodia, earning colossal profits, while small casinos had been shut down by the Cambodian government, and those addicted to gambling include some officials, and even parliamentarians who frequently appear there.
Violence against Women Becomes More Cruel
The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 655
“Reports presented by women’s organizations show that violence against women appears more cruel, where even fathers rape their daughters.
“In the morning of 12 March 2010, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, in collaboration with the Open Institute, organized a consultative meeting about wider participation to develop the National Action Plan to Prevent Violence against Women, and many women’s organizations attended the meeting, presided over by a Secretary of State of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Ms. Sy Define.