Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Japan-supported Cambodian villagers give back with disaster aid donation

Cotton threads produced by Cambodian villagers supported by Japanese NPO Nature Saves Cambodia are seen in this recent photo. (Mainichi)

April 19, 2011
Mainichi Japan

Large amounts of financial and material aid have poured into Japan since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami ripped into the country's northeast, and while amidst such a huge volume a mere 80,000 yen may tend to go unnoticed, the donation from poor villagers in Cambodia, who have been helped by Japanese aid in the past, is worthy of special mention.

"The amount may be small, but for the poor people who gave it, this is a great deal of money," Japanese non-profit organization Nature Saves Cambodia -- which is helping the villagers build a small-scale cotton industry -- told the Mainichi. "We were deeply moved that these people in such difficult circumstances would think of Japan in its time of crisis. We want to communicate their feelings to the disaster area."

The money was collected from villagers in Cambodia's mine-ridden northwest and the outskirts of Phnom Penh. Many of these villagers, now raising organic cotton and making it into finished products like stoles, have lost a limb to the mines that dot the countryside -- a grim remnant of the country's long and bloody civil war. Nature Saves Cambodia began its support program for the impoverished villagers in 2009, helping them build a steady income through cotton products.

The 80,000 yen was collected over the course of about a month from the 30-some artisans and dyers working in the small cotton industry. The sum is about 10,000 yen more than the average annual income for a family in this poor district.


After the March 11 disaster, women from the outskirts of Phnom Penh apparently went to local temples to make offerings and pray for the victims. People from a village still surrounded by a minefield also sent a message to the NPO reading: "We landmine victims were shocked and saddened by the news that so many Japanese had died in the earthquake and tsunami. Please let us share in your sadness in some significant way."

Nature Saves Cambodia spokeswoman Maki Ishii told the Mainichi, "These people who have benefited from Japanese aid asked to give us support of their own. Considering how deeply they sympathized with Japan, we decided to accept the donation. It's really something to be proud of."

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

yes, this is the way khmer are, we are honest, ethical people, unlike viet/youn thugs and siem thugs, always steal and rob lands, territories, temples, etc, etc from cambodia, you know! of course, cambodia beg to be different from youn thugs and siem thugs, really! cambodia will always be cambodia, ok!

Anonymous said...

Japanese has been good to Cambodian. I wish Cambodian government do some more to send donation to Japan not monetary but produce such as vegetable, rice-grains...

Anonymous said...

3:09AM! every thing are monetary!!!! interm of country!

Anonymous said...

3:09AM! you amy end up send thing that japan's beguar would not use them!

Anonymous said...

Mr. Sam Rainsy is the sun that shine bright in all Cambodians heart and mind unlike Dr. Hun Sen murdered thousands khmer lives and cut off 30 000 km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam as personal gift.

So Who is the bad guy now?

Anonymous said...

Var Kim Hong does recognize that Cambodia, if compared to the colonial Service Geographique de l’Indochine scale map 1/100,000 and the 1985 delimitation treaty, will loses 9,000 hectares; and compared to U.S Army Mapping Service scale map 1/50,000 with the 1985 Treaty, would lose about 7,900 hectares to Vietnam. This statement was confirmed by Var Kim Hong to Mr. Touch Bora Esq through a telephone conversation on 30 August 2002 at 4:30 p.m. (Sydney time), which Mr. Touch Bora Esq wrote in his letter dated on 9 September 2002 sent to Sam Dach Ta Noroudom Sihanouk concerning over border affairs.
In fact, the loss is absolutely more than the 1000 square kilometers stated by MP Sam Rainsy in his statement, if we add the size of the historical water of 30000 square kilometers awarded to Vietnam under the 1982 Agreement which has been into affect and now already become under the full control of Vietnam. And this would not be the last if the equidistance principle be used to delimit the maritime boundary, Cambodia will lose an additional area of sea and seabed measuring at least 860 square nautical miles from the Brevie Line to the north, analyzed by Mr. Touch Bora Esq or another 10000 square kilometers confirmed by Mr. Sean Pengse, the President of the Cambodian Border Committee Worldwide, which exclusively include another Koh Poula Wai to Vietnam added to the previous lost islands- Koh Tral (Dao Phu Quoc) and Koh Poulo Panjang (Dao Thu Chu).

This is why sVar Kim Hong said in front of Students´s Movement for Democracy (SMD), and Sam Dach Ta Norodom Sihanouk on 22 Janaury 2000 during our audience with him concerning the border resolution with Vietnam that; “If we want peace, we must sacrifice our flesh to the tiger.” The truth is discovered now that, “Sacrifice the flesh to tiger actually means cutting our land to the Viet.” This word was clearly spoken out from his mouth and there were Sam Dach Ta as witness and 31 members.

We must condemn this Var Kim Hong for his role in helping the traitorous regime of Hun Sen.

Smart Khmer Girl Ms. Rattana Keo,

Anonymous said...

Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten

By Ms. Rattana Keo

Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 10,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?

Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 on the Thai border and what's about over 10,000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?

Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 10,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?

The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer everyday.

Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 10,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?

Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?

Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,

The Great Khmer Empire said...

A true friend will not let a friend drowned. Japan have supported Cambodian through thick and thin. Now it's time to give back even if it is so insignificant. It's the thought that counts.

The Great Khmer Empire

Anonymous said...

Don't trust and think, the smart Khmer girl is a real Khmer girls.
She or he is playing the same games as other traitors.

Anonymous said...

I love Japan people and government because they have been so kind to an and helped us Khmer from the world war I until today.

Yes, it is times to give back to Japan during the killer earthquake. Please Khmer people give more to Japan during the tough time.

My heart goes deeply to Japanese people.

Anonymous said...

well, japan should invest more in cambodia so we can sell to them more produce, food and fish and other agricultural products, etc, etc. also, cambodia love japan made electric, cars, machineries, etc, etc... japan, please come invest and train more khmer people in cambodia. god bless cambodia.