Monks head online in Phnom Penh.March 16, 2009
WorldFocus.org
Several decades ago under the communist Khmer Rouge, Cambodia was isolated and cut off from much of the outside world. While the Internet has since expanded the range of global communication, most Cambodians still lack Internet access — only about 70,000 people are online.
Tharum Bun is the information technology manager at The Asia Foundation in Cambodia and writes at the “In Asia” blog that while Internet access may be scarce, those who have embraced the Web — including a former king — have used blogs to engage in dynamic and open dialogue.
Cambodians Embrace Online Dialogue
By Tharum Bun
Cambodia has over 13 million people, but currently, less than 2 percent have regular access to the Internet. Cambodia’s official language is Khmer, but these Cambodians who chat, e-mail, and blog on the Internet – and the approximately 23 percent of Cambodians who text with their mobile phones – find it easier to use English. While low Internet penetration, language barriers, and technical issues with using the Khmer scripts limit the amount of Cambodians who can engage in online dialogue, those Cambodians who are entering the international blogosphere are breaking a pattern of devastating silence and isolation.
The former King (or King Father), Norodom Sihanouk, now 86, makes regular postings about Cambodia’s past and present on his website. The former Prince – fluent in Khmer, French, and English – posts communiqués and reactions to media reports regularly. Originally launched in 2002, the King’s website became a new digital medium for global visitors. Cambodian media largely use their websites as a source for information, taking the King’s comments and those of his critics, and translating them into Khmer. The King’s online conversation and personal digital medium is inspiring young Cambodians to engage the Internet as a forum for discussion and debate, and to learn English as a second language.
After the Khmer Rouge fell in the 1980s, Cambodia experienced a big baby boom; today 60 percent of the population qualifies as youth. Because of their English language skills and affinity for technology, Cambodian youth make up the largest number of Internet users in the country and are, like the King, engaging in online debate. This group of active Internet users writes mostly in English, given both the technical difficulties of inputting Khmer characters, as well as the widespread use of English among their audience: their own peers and the international online community.
This dynamic online dialogue has helped pave the way for a more open discussion in a country torn by civil wars in recent decades. The trauma inflicted by the Khmer Rouge regime (1975-1979) is still a major point of discussion in Cambodia. Cambodian intellectuals, who were once the target of mass killings, and their surviving children, use their knowledge of the English language and technology to express their opinions and views. To move Cambodia past years of silence, this is essential. The King has used his website to post his thoughts on social order and past politics, encouraging today’s Cambodian youth to use online forums, chat rooms, and blogs to discuss issues from everyday life to larger, social issues.
While this new emergence of online voices, in a language other than their own, doesn’t necessarily reflect the progressive thinking of the entire nation, it is a starting point of voiced, diversified opinions.
Unlike in neighboring Thailand and Vietnam, computer and Internet technology came late to Cambodia. Conflict destroyed the country’s telecommunication infrastructure. Software to support Khmer computer scripts began in the early 1990s, when e-mail communication was first introduced to the nation. At that time, most documents and texts written in the Khmer language and published on the Web were either scanned graphics or converted to another format to maintain readability.
While English is still the dominant language for Cambodian bloggers, in late 2006, global search engine giant Google released a Cambodian domain using a standardized set of Khmer scripts and fonts, commonly called Khmer Unicode. The move was significant for Cambodians, and they have quickly adopted the standard Khmer characters to exchange information in Khmer more conveniently. This progressive move is allowing for a greater number of Cambodians to join the virtual conversation and discussion. The lack of Intranet infrastructure inhibiting 98 percent of the Cambodian population from logging on remains a major problem, but the increase in online discussion and dialogue is a promising trend for Cambodia.
Tharum Bun is the information technology manager at The Asia Foundation in Cambodia and writes at the “In Asia” blog that while Internet access may be scarce, those who have embraced the Web — including a former king — have used blogs to engage in dynamic and open dialogue.
Cambodians Embrace Online Dialogue
By Tharum Bun
Cambodia has over 13 million people, but currently, less than 2 percent have regular access to the Internet. Cambodia’s official language is Khmer, but these Cambodians who chat, e-mail, and blog on the Internet – and the approximately 23 percent of Cambodians who text with their mobile phones – find it easier to use English. While low Internet penetration, language barriers, and technical issues with using the Khmer scripts limit the amount of Cambodians who can engage in online dialogue, those Cambodians who are entering the international blogosphere are breaking a pattern of devastating silence and isolation.
The former King (or King Father), Norodom Sihanouk, now 86, makes regular postings about Cambodia’s past and present on his website. The former Prince – fluent in Khmer, French, and English – posts communiqués and reactions to media reports regularly. Originally launched in 2002, the King’s website became a new digital medium for global visitors. Cambodian media largely use their websites as a source for information, taking the King’s comments and those of his critics, and translating them into Khmer. The King’s online conversation and personal digital medium is inspiring young Cambodians to engage the Internet as a forum for discussion and debate, and to learn English as a second language.
After the Khmer Rouge fell in the 1980s, Cambodia experienced a big baby boom; today 60 percent of the population qualifies as youth. Because of their English language skills and affinity for technology, Cambodian youth make up the largest number of Internet users in the country and are, like the King, engaging in online debate. This group of active Internet users writes mostly in English, given both the technical difficulties of inputting Khmer characters, as well as the widespread use of English among their audience: their own peers and the international online community.
This dynamic online dialogue has helped pave the way for a more open discussion in a country torn by civil wars in recent decades. The trauma inflicted by the Khmer Rouge regime (1975-1979) is still a major point of discussion in Cambodia. Cambodian intellectuals, who were once the target of mass killings, and their surviving children, use their knowledge of the English language and technology to express their opinions and views. To move Cambodia past years of silence, this is essential. The King has used his website to post his thoughts on social order and past politics, encouraging today’s Cambodian youth to use online forums, chat rooms, and blogs to discuss issues from everyday life to larger, social issues.
While this new emergence of online voices, in a language other than their own, doesn’t necessarily reflect the progressive thinking of the entire nation, it is a starting point of voiced, diversified opinions.
Unlike in neighboring Thailand and Vietnam, computer and Internet technology came late to Cambodia. Conflict destroyed the country’s telecommunication infrastructure. Software to support Khmer computer scripts began in the early 1990s, when e-mail communication was first introduced to the nation. At that time, most documents and texts written in the Khmer language and published on the Web were either scanned graphics or converted to another format to maintain readability.
While English is still the dominant language for Cambodian bloggers, in late 2006, global search engine giant Google released a Cambodian domain using a standardized set of Khmer scripts and fonts, commonly called Khmer Unicode. The move was significant for Cambodians, and they have quickly adopted the standard Khmer characters to exchange information in Khmer more conveniently. This progressive move is allowing for a greater number of Cambodians to join the virtual conversation and discussion. The lack of Intranet infrastructure inhibiting 98 percent of the Cambodian population from logging on remains a major problem, but the increase in online discussion and dialogue is a promising trend for Cambodia.
9 comments:
Buddhist monks, make sure that you do not go astray from the Buddha's disciplinary principles. I have seen some silly Buddhist monks in the US ignore disciplinary principles in searc for personal pleasure. Monks like such do not deserve respect or chaity.
Wow! 70,000 Cambodians online? This is a lot. I thought about 5000 or less.
you know cambodia appreciated who ever invented the computer. thanks to many years of civil conflict, during finally given the modern convenience of using wireless phone and computer. after all, it only takes a click of a button to send messages all across cambodia and the world for that matter. god bless cambodia.
it is hard that this actions are right or wrote. monk is the human being must go along with development and throught globalization...but....
Monk should not be online because Pouk Ah Scam Rainxy will destroyed them with all sorts of porns in there.
Oh no, no, no, it's not save for monk to browse the internet. The KI gangs will snatched them and turned them into spies, liars, politicians, and rapers.
Please do not allow monk to use the internet.
For the purpose of study alone, Buddhist monks can use it since the world technology goes this fast; but searching for personal pleasures, they are prohibited, because it violates the Buddha's disciplinary principles.
Alright, 8:29, have it your way, but someone is going to have to keep a close eyes on them. Once false move, they will be defrocked, no question will be asked, no buts, no second strikes, ... .
These monks enjoy watching bikini contest...one of the monk said WOW!
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