By Andrew Buncombe, Asia Correspondent
The Independent (UK)
The karaoke bars of Phnom Penh are well known for very often being nothing more than fronts for brothels. They are the places where men from Cambodia, Thailand and further afield pay for sex with women who are often just girls.
But in the latest peculiar edict from a government purportedly keen to crack down on such vice, Cambodia has outlawed the public playing of songs that encourage "infidelity".
The titles of the first three songs to be banned leave little to the imagination. "If I Can't be First Can I be Second", "Love Another's Husband" and "May I Have a Piece of Your Heart Too", were all written to be sung by women looking to entice men who may be married. Having banished the songs from the thousands of karaoke bars across the country, the authorities are now seeking other similar tunes that may be deemed unsuitable.
"We are searching for other songs which might affect people's honour, especially that of women," Kep Chuktema, the governor of Phnom Penh, told a local Khmer language newspaper. Cambodia is outwardly a conservative culture, but the country's karaoke bars are notorious and have often been the focus of efforts by campaigners to act against child trafficking and prostitution. The campaign group End Child Prostitution, Abuse and Trafficking in Cambodia (Ecpat Cambodia) estimates that a third of sex workers in the country are children. The group says that in recent years there has been a surge "in the number of commercial sex centres in Cambodia, and increasing exploitation and abuse of children in the sex trade".
Against this backdrop, in September 2006 the Cambodian government introduced the controversial "monogamy law" which carries a punishment of a 1m riels, (£125), fine and a year in jail for anyone found guilty of adultery. But many believe the introduction of the law may have been politically motivated. One of the first people the authorities tried to prosecute was the opposition politician Prince Norodom Ranariddh, who was trying to divorce his wife after having long lived with a classical dancer. The case against the prince, who now spends most of his timein Malaysia, eventually stalled. Indeed, since the introduction of the law there has only been one successful prosecution, that of Khek Ravy, a cousin of Prince Ranariddh, who was fined 1m riels after his wife brought a case against him under the new legislation. The court was apparently lenient and took into account the fact that Mr Ravy had applied for a divorce 18 months earlier, but it had not yet been granted because of wrangling over division of the couple's finances.
One official told the Koh Santepheap newspaper: "People can still play the songs in private. I don't think music has much to do with it, but it is an official request that has to be followed."
But in the latest peculiar edict from a government purportedly keen to crack down on such vice, Cambodia has outlawed the public playing of songs that encourage "infidelity".
The titles of the first three songs to be banned leave little to the imagination. "If I Can't be First Can I be Second", "Love Another's Husband" and "May I Have a Piece of Your Heart Too", were all written to be sung by women looking to entice men who may be married. Having banished the songs from the thousands of karaoke bars across the country, the authorities are now seeking other similar tunes that may be deemed unsuitable.
"We are searching for other songs which might affect people's honour, especially that of women," Kep Chuktema, the governor of Phnom Penh, told a local Khmer language newspaper. Cambodia is outwardly a conservative culture, but the country's karaoke bars are notorious and have often been the focus of efforts by campaigners to act against child trafficking and prostitution. The campaign group End Child Prostitution, Abuse and Trafficking in Cambodia (Ecpat Cambodia) estimates that a third of sex workers in the country are children. The group says that in recent years there has been a surge "in the number of commercial sex centres in Cambodia, and increasing exploitation and abuse of children in the sex trade".
Against this backdrop, in September 2006 the Cambodian government introduced the controversial "monogamy law" which carries a punishment of a 1m riels, (£125), fine and a year in jail for anyone found guilty of adultery. But many believe the introduction of the law may have been politically motivated. One of the first people the authorities tried to prosecute was the opposition politician Prince Norodom Ranariddh, who was trying to divorce his wife after having long lived with a classical dancer. The case against the prince, who now spends most of his timein Malaysia, eventually stalled. Indeed, since the introduction of the law there has only been one successful prosecution, that of Khek Ravy, a cousin of Prince Ranariddh, who was fined 1m riels after his wife brought a case against him under the new legislation. The court was apparently lenient and took into account the fact that Mr Ravy had applied for a divorce 18 months earlier, but it had not yet been granted because of wrangling over division of the couple's finances.
One official told the Koh Santepheap newspaper: "People can still play the songs in private. I don't think music has much to do with it, but it is an official request that has to be followed."
30 comments:
Congratulations, First Lady!
We're with you all the way!
Make that two!
It is Bunn Ranny high culture to train dirt poor Cambodian women as housemaid to clean toilet! So much for her high culture!
If she has such a high culture and why can she tell her husband AH HUN SEN to pass anti-corruption law for a start!
She is a fucken hypocrite outdated grumpy old witch!
There is nothing so low about striving to survive by cleaning toilet, housekeeping, or cooking for someone. I am certain that many female gorilla all over the globe done this also, and still doing it at the time of this writing.
So what are you telling us?
Oppression of creativity and expression, she's crazy, hate people who use to be in the jungle and act like they are righteous.
I don't support former Khmer Rouges and their cultural reforms, like Bun Rany Hun Sen.
Well, we don't expected Gorilla to support anything here, not to mention we don't even wanted them here in the first place.
there is nothing wrong with Cambodian culture. These idiots leaders should understand about the different between entertainemnt industry and Cambodian culture. If the government is caring about National culture, they should pay all public servant with a liveable salary so that they will not sell their wife and their daughters to sex indudtry to survive. At present they pay the same kind of salary like Pol Pot as one bowl of watering porridge per day.
Well, we will pay everyone decent had we have the cashes, but we don't.
And what do you mean by, "there is nothing wrong with Cambodian culture."? Why is it that so many of your people living in Jail, on criminal probation, and living in roach infested apartment?
Watch the banned song "Give me a piece of your heart" here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XktYp1TuEv4
Thanks mate. I love that rythm, but why can we make the lyric more acceptable. I hate to see it all go to waste.
Anyhow, I knew the rythm from the Lao version of it. I didn't even know we have it in Khmer also, hehehe. Check it out, and see if you like it as much as I do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BA9I5hD5yM
Here's a guy version of that song that is a little faster, hehehe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0msASvXiQ8&feature=related
These retarded gorilla bastards should not have any objections while they're doing the same work (cleaning bathrooms, and other disgusting works)in the United States.
We love your work, First Lady!
Again, congratulations!
Now, the First Lady should propose a new ban on YouTube in the Kingdom of Cambodia.
We were with you when you had successfully banned the 3G ... and we will always be with you all the way!
Thank you for your work!
I think we need to find the responsible persons who filmed these songs, and then we can drag his ass to Prey Sar to give them a little education behind the closed door.
The First Lady was right then, and she is right today!
Actually, the gorilla would have done the same thing oversea, but they can't because have to live with African, Irish, English, ... or what have you.
So get lost gorilla. We don't have your restriction here. We can do what we want. Eat your heart out, monkeys!
I am no ordinary gorilla but an 800 pounds gorilla and for those Vietcong slave fools who stand in my way will bear my brute force of 800 pounds of torque per square inch and you will sink 6 feet under like quick sand in Sub-Sahara desert!
Sorry mate, a 6 oz mouse can't sink in quick sand, but an 800lb gorilla will.
To 7:04AM
By the way an 800 pounds gorilla like me can jump like Incredible Hulk and I can still escape the ill-fated like the 6 oz mouse!
Stay out of my way all of you Vietcong slave fools!
Bullshit, no fat, lazy, and hairy gorilla can jump as far as you claimed, dude.
Stop pulling our leg here, will ya?
8:47,
Take off your paid-for-by my PM and 1st lady monkey suit and go get a real job! It is bad for both your physical and psychological well being to keep on sniffing ugly people's arses, mate. I know you can find a more decent job downunder because your economy is better. Leave the ass-kissing job to the poor CPP members in Phnom Penh.
Come on mate, we are not in heaven here. On earth, if you don't know how to kiss asses, you can't reach your full potential. I am telling you, no shit. Therefore, if you are smart, you better start to learn from me right away, if you know what's good for you.
It is not your full potential, mate, but what they give you for making their ugly arses look pretty. The danger with these bad arse people is they can cut you out at any moment when they have any tiny amount of distrust in you.
Just keep watching over your shoulders, and know when to quit while you are still ahead.
For Chumteav who need nore fuck:
They are many young "big cock" ready to serve you at anytime, and ensure you a great pleasure.
They are ready to replace your husbands who love young girls and don'have time to fuck you.
Hello Mee Chumreav, chumted, chumteng Kded!
True, but life is full of risk everywhere, and you know it, 10:13.
11:13, you also know several "oknhas" had already died misteriously while in police custody/protection. These are the kinds of risk you have to take, and that is why many opportunists have to keep on kissing those asses becuase they know their destiny rest precariously in the hands of a few powerful people.
Come on, dude, let me have it strait. What is wrong it kiss ass. It is nothing more then show respect to successful people. They deserved it for working hard to help develop the economy and provided jobs to many people and allowed them to raise their family...
3:55 PM,
No, nothing is wrong with trying to get ahead in life or career, some do it with more integrity than others, and it ahppens all over the world. I just don't see that Cambodian powerful people are playing by the rules yet. I can change my mind later when I start to see some sign of fair play. Right now, it looks like it is all about a group of related people setting up control of the country's resources, and a handful of opportunists who could provide these people the legitimacy and connection to outside money while they enrich themselves a long the way.
It will make me a believer if I see that the opportunity is fairly given to everyone who could also create successes.
6:06, the reason you are seeing what you seeing is because you are in the opposition theater. What else is there to see here but negative attribute of things in Cambodia.
Yes, there are some bad people here, but they are being capitalized by the opposition to make it look like the entire country is full of them. It is up to your ability to sort thing out for yourself, and some can while other can't.
Now if you want the truth, you will have to do you own independent work. There are ove 10 thousands businesses here. How many of the 10 thousands do you think is doing bad business in Cambodia?
Please!!! just do the right thing and all of you will be happy.
You got it, mate (5:58)! and we will not let anyone down.
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