By Kathleen Hubert17th April, 2012
Words have power. This is something that seems to be forgotten until it is forcibly driven home in the most surprising ways. If the Occupy Protest and the Arabian Spring have not driven this point home, then the power of a laptop owned by a Khmer-American has been an education that is not soon to be forgotten. By logging onto a social media site through a laptop or home computer, they are affecting changes in their home country, even those that have emigrated elsewhere. All it takes is a laptop and a few clicks to aid in a revolution.
There is almost no national media outlet for Khmer-Americans. In order to make up for this there have been a number of sites dedicated to helping them to keep in touch; the concept of the amateur journalist has been fully embraced by the community. Not only that, but a number of blogs have been set up by professionals in order to ensure that support the community only takes a few clicks on a laptop to find. Social media has been embraced as well, as Khmer-Americans check in with others to see not only what is going on in the community to also find mates, restaurants, and other places of cultural interest.
It is worth noting that the Khmer-American community has taken full advantage of online resources in order to help one another. With access to not only articles but also experts, as well as sites that allow for other resources, such as legal and financial assistance, help on a wide variety of topics are easily available for anyone with a laptop or computer.
They are not only being social, however. There is an advantage to being half a world away, as witnesses to the Killing Fields incidents have found out. Prosecutors have relied on witness testimony, where the witnesses have stepped up to a computer microphone and given their testimony. Because they are not local to case there is an element of safety; they are protected from the distance from those that would kill them for testifying. In this way they are free to describe what they saw while being free from the penalties of giving testimony someone may not like. Presumably found by use of social sites, this is yet another example of how the community has come together online to help one another.
As you can see people have a lot more power than was once thought. When finding a wifi hotspot is as easy as going to a fast food restaurant, the portable laptop has enabled anyone to write to others. No longer is history written solely by the winners, as long as the losers can write a blog. They can then use social media to let others know, possibly creating an upset. The power of the individual has been enhanced by the use of the computer, making the ability to find and communicate with allies the most powerful use of the computer, and demonstrating that every day can be a revolution.
Kathleen Hubert is a blogger who writes on a variety of different sites. Check out more of her work at laptopcomputers.org and ledtv.org.
Words have power. This is something that seems to be forgotten until it is forcibly driven home in the most surprising ways. If the Occupy Protest and the Arabian Spring have not driven this point home, then the power of a laptop owned by a Khmer-American has been an education that is not soon to be forgotten. By logging onto a social media site through a laptop or home computer, they are affecting changes in their home country, even those that have emigrated elsewhere. All it takes is a laptop and a few clicks to aid in a revolution.
There is almost no national media outlet for Khmer-Americans. In order to make up for this there have been a number of sites dedicated to helping them to keep in touch; the concept of the amateur journalist has been fully embraced by the community. Not only that, but a number of blogs have been set up by professionals in order to ensure that support the community only takes a few clicks on a laptop to find. Social media has been embraced as well, as Khmer-Americans check in with others to see not only what is going on in the community to also find mates, restaurants, and other places of cultural interest.
It is worth noting that the Khmer-American community has taken full advantage of online resources in order to help one another. With access to not only articles but also experts, as well as sites that allow for other resources, such as legal and financial assistance, help on a wide variety of topics are easily available for anyone with a laptop or computer.
They are not only being social, however. There is an advantage to being half a world away, as witnesses to the Killing Fields incidents have found out. Prosecutors have relied on witness testimony, where the witnesses have stepped up to a computer microphone and given their testimony. Because they are not local to case there is an element of safety; they are protected from the distance from those that would kill them for testifying. In this way they are free to describe what they saw while being free from the penalties of giving testimony someone may not like. Presumably found by use of social sites, this is yet another example of how the community has come together online to help one another.
As you can see people have a lot more power than was once thought. When finding a wifi hotspot is as easy as going to a fast food restaurant, the portable laptop has enabled anyone to write to others. No longer is history written solely by the winners, as long as the losers can write a blog. They can then use social media to let others know, possibly creating an upset. The power of the individual has been enhanced by the use of the computer, making the ability to find and communicate with allies the most powerful use of the computer, and demonstrating that every day can be a revolution.
Kathleen Hubert is a blogger who writes on a variety of different sites. Check out more of her work at laptopcomputers.org and ledtv.org.
7 comments:
Khmer history:
- Vietnam created Khmer Vietminh and brainwashed them.
- Vietnam invaded Cambodia after March 18th 1970 along with Khmer Vietminh. Vietnam taught the Khmer rouge to fight Lon Nol’s regime. Vietnam made Khmer fight with Khmer, made Khmer kill each other.
- After April 17th 1975, the Khmer Vietminh and the Khmer Rouge started killing Khmer people.
- After the mass killing was completed, Vietnam came in, pretending to save Khmer people from the Khmer rouge.
- After Vietnam took over Cambodia on January 7 1979, the killing continued through the K5 project orchestrated by Vietnam.
In brief: Vietnam is the real Khmer killers by using the Khmer Vietminh to kill Khmers. Khmer people must stop wondering why Khmer people have always suffered.
The creator of Khmer suffering is Vietnam. Look at the current situation, how many million Vietnamese have already infiltrated into Cambodia after its invasion and how much Khmer natural resource have these new Vietnamese comers destroyed?
Khmer people have no bad Karma. The “bad karma” has been generated by Vietnam in an attempt to accomplish its goal of swallowing Cambodia, like Vietnam did to Champa and Kampuchea Krom.
Wake up Khmer people and look at the bad karma creator Vietnam in the eyes. This monster Vietnam has never wanted Cambodia to live peacefully. And don’t confuse with the present peace in Cambodia. This peace has a heavy tag price: Khmer people will become the minority in Cambodia in the near future, and then Khmer people will cry and say “Khmer has bad Karma or “Khmer mearn Kam”.
The end.
A revolution of new thinking indeed and that revolution is made possible by the Internet!
The power of the Internet in spreading new ideas and empowering the people to take the destiny of their lives into their own hands can never be overestimated.
It is only through spreading new ideas and empowering people with new thought and knowledge by the Internet and on the ground, can a society as old as that of Cambodia be changed for the better and change will happen from within!
The change has already come and no force can stop or prevent it from happening. Slowly, but surely dictatorship will die away; in fact, it has already started dying and being replaced by modern concept of rule and governance.
In the same manner as no new religion can take root in our modern time due to the inability of religions to prove fact with concrete evidence and rely solely on faith, dictatorship will die away one by one and that includes the one in Cambodia despite the careful and preparatory work of Mr. Hun Sen for his son to continue after him.
KI Media Team, especially Mr. Heng Soy and School of Vice, if you ever for one minute feel being let down and doubt your efforts in changing Cambodia, please remember that your effort is appreciated by the silent majority of visitors to this site and I believe your website certainly makes a contribution to the changes in Cambodian society, especially among the young Cambodians who can read English and have access to the Internet.
Only through the dissimination of thought and information, can we hope to see changes in our beloved motherland of Cambodia, a country we all cannot forget and always love to the end of our lives.
Long live Cambodia! Your children will never give up their struggle to see you become truly a nation of independence, with budding democracy and prosperity!
You (cambodia) survived the past, you shall survive the present and you will move into the future with new hope that will come from the slow changes and every attempt by concerned citizens to make sure that good changes will continue despite every attempt by those who want to see the status quo continued.
Pissed off
this is good way to alleviate fear of politics or threats of some form when witnesses are testifying via the blog, etc from the distance. this way, people are willing to share their witness or experience from living under the KR regime then. good thinking for this type of communication in cambodia.
If I understood "Piss Off" correctly, you are not implying that all religions will die off slowly as dictators are due to lack of evidental proof and not soley relying on faith? I understand your saying that, "no new religions is able to take hold in this modern age concept". Because all religions to you maybe or is just fictions.
But the Bible says there will be a world Dictator preparing to come on the scene soon. Whether you believe the bible or not, the bible have you trumpt. The bible says, "a snare has been set to take the world by surprise".
Since President Obama been elected to office 4 years ago, a search in the Hebrew Scripture revealed his name in Ezekiel 38. This is very telling that he will likely be reelected for the second term to fulfill what he's been called to accomplish. If anyone want to see the proof go here:http://www.sidroth.org/site/News2?abbr=tv_&page=NewsArticle&id=11177
Also 9/11 and Twin Towers is in the bible code also. The Bible is more than a fiction book.
Wild~Wisconsinite
Dear All,
Let's use the cyber tool to educate, change,and revolutionize Khmers to DEVIETNAMIZE
CAMBODIA.
Time may run out.
A Khmer Patriot
How Khmer-Americans influenced by rap music, gone crazy and get deported. Education and hard working mean nothing, coolness means everything.
Pissed off too.
social media is the future; this is where the future is heading, i think.
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