Foreigners 'step over the line' by taking part in protests
PHNOM PENH (Cambodia Herald) - Foreigners 'step over the line' by taking part in local political protests as some reportedly did this week, a self-described long-term Western observer of Cambodia says.
Referring to a photo reportedly showing a Western woman in a headband with Cambodian protestors including children on Wednesday, blogger Casey Nelson says
- Read more
- 10343 reads
Government’s spin on O’Brien visit rings hollow
The UN says it was not behind the surprise resignation of the controversial German judge Siegfried Blunk at the Khmer Rouge tribunal.
That much was made clear in an overnight email from Martin Nesirky, the spokesman for UNSG Ban Ki-moon.
Nesirky wrote: “The United Nations did not tell Judge Blunk to resign. The United Nations became aware of Judge Blunk's resignation upon receipt of his letter to the Secretary-General.”
- Read more
- 13952 reads
3 Reasons Why the Social Media Movement Wont Come to Cambodia
BROOKLYN, NY – If only Egypt’s Mubarak government was as strong as its iconic pyramids, the administration might withstand the ‘million-man march.’ But these were built by the pharaohs and Mubarak is far from godly through the eyes of the general populace. So as the inevitable nears, voices are emerging throughout cyberspace on how the role of social media, namely Twitter and Facebook have aided in the movement that will likely see a new Egypt in the coming days. Can revolutions be televised through these new unconventional forms of medias? We have seen it through Neda’s Iran (RIP) last year and recently in Tunisia. But can ‘tweets’ and ‘likes’ unravel another long serving ruler, Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia?
- Read more
- 18293 reads
Washington Seminar: Women’s Edition 2010
The Mirror, Vol. 15, No. 700
We are sure that the coverage of politics has received more importance in many developing countries than the importance that was given to the issues of reproductive health. As a journalist working here in Cambodia, I have heard less and written little about this issue on different media outlets, or maybe the media outlets have not stressed its importance enough. Therefore, as a result, this issue is almost unheard of, and no policy has been really put in place to tackle the problems in countries like Cambodia.
- Read more
- 8559 reads
Details
The Mirror, Vol. 15, No. 697
Looking ahead into the new year, many good wishes have been exchanged during the last couple of days, for happiness, better health, joy, long life, love, good luck, prosperity, and success. Dealing with public information, I would like to add some more wishes: for more openness, for more detail and attention to detail, which will surely add clarity and help to avoid misunderstandings. Or situations, where opinion is formed on the basis of a lack of information, which easily can lead to distrust or confrontation.
- Read more
- 9042 reads
Coming to America Has Always Been a Dream of Some Cambodian Kids
The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 695
Coming to the United States of America has always been a dream of some Cambodian kids back home. Every year, many Cambodians sort out various ways to come and reside legally in the USA. And that makes me wonder why more and more people, except for Cambodian students who come here for studies, are willing to leave their home country and comfort zone for a completely new place, environment, and life. What does the USA have to offer? Countless things, many can argue for.
- Read more
- 9471 reads
Gnashing of Teeth Among the Coheneem?
Ticket prices for the Leonard Cohen concert have been announced and tickets gone up for sale through Leonard's fan club site, and they range in cost after processing fees, from $281 to over $600 per ticket. That is a rather expensive night out in one of the poorest countries on the planet. I know of one person who has bought a ticket. Apparently that's not a problem as the vast majority of seats are not up for public sale anyway.
- 5 comments
- Read more
- 8843 reads
The Quest for Great Restaurant Service
Last Wednesday I took a potential partner for dinner at Saigon bistro The Refinery. The food and service were, as ever, amongst the best you’ll encounter anywhere in the country - unlike pretty much anywhere in Vietnam, the restaurant’s staff manage to provide service that’s confident, laid-back and friendly, while remaining efficient and professional. That’s something that Vietnamese waiting staff regularly fail to pull off, more on which shortly.
“Someone Explain Why” – Fighting Again at the Border
The Mirror, Vol. 15, No. 703
Mail from the Documentation Center of Cambodia – “Independently Searching for the Truth since 1997” – carries the reminder:
“…a society cannot know itself if it does not have an accurate memory of its own history.”
It’s mail dated 9 February 2011 makes two important historical documents available: a copy of then Foreign Minister Prince Norodom Kantol’s letter to the UN Security Council of 23 April 1966 on Thai attacks and the capture of the Preah Vihear Temple, and the letter of Huot Sambath, then Permanent Representative of Cambodia at the UN, addressed to the UN Security Council on 17 May 1966 on the same issue.
- Read more
- 9521 reads
Mirrors Reflect What They See – Everybody is Invited to Look at Them
The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 684
Tough some of our readers may have read the following exchange in the Comments section of The Mirror, I am lifting it here into the main section of The Mirror. I think it relates to the fundamental purpose of The Mirror, as it was produced since 1997, and it was also explained to our regularly increasing number of readers.