Cambodia cancels Water Festival as floods worsen

October 14, 2011
ABC Radio Australia

The Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has cancelled the annual Water Festival celebrations because this year's severe flooding.

He says money that would have been spent on the mid November Festival - which feature dragon boat races in Phnom Penh - could be better used to help those affected by flooding.

The prime minister says the water levels of the Tonle Sap could pose a risk for the million or so Cambodians who usually migrate to the capital to celebrate.

Last year's event ended in tragedy when more than 350 people were killed in a stampede on a narrow bridge.

Presenter: Liam Cochrane

Speaker: Seda Douglas, head of Radio Australia's Khmer Service

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Khmer Krom Dragons Wins Gold at Tampa Bay [-Congratulations to our Khmer Krom brothers and sisters!]

Khmer Krom Dragon, Boat 5 races to the finish line and takes home Gold.

Written by: Cathleen Phimorong Kim
Long Beach, California
Source: http://www.khmerkrom.net/node/4271

The 2011 International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) held their 1st Pan American Club Crew Championship (PACCC) in Tampa, Florida on July 30-31. It was a two day competition where it consisted of 200 meters, 500 meters and 2000 meters at the Seddon Channel in front of the convention center. This was the first time IDBF had made this competition a 10 man dragon boat (small boat) consisting of 12 paddlers (including steer person & drummer). There were different Club dragon boat teams throughout the Pan American regions and international countries that participated in this competition.

This was a new race venue for me and for the Khmer-Krom Dragons (KKD). The KKD team is from Seattle/Tacoma, Washington with members ranging from 16 years old to early 50s. While some of the paddlers were of a different ethnicity, they paddle together in unity to represent Khmer-Krom. I was their guest female paddler from Long Beach, California, who paddles with Los Angeles Racing Dragon (LARD). I am also Khmer-Krom and to be invited to paddle with KKD was an honor to me.

KKF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Tampa, Florida, 30-31 July 2011

កម្មវិធីប្រណាំងទូក ង ខ្មែរក្រោម ជាលក្ខណៈអន្តរជាតិ នៅរដ្ឋផ្លរីដា

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Hok Lundy's spirit rose from his death to propel his Dysencheyborameibopia boat to early victory, Bravo!?!?

The boats sponsored by Hok Lundy and Sok Saem are prepared for racing. (Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN)

Hok Lundy boat wins early heats at festival

Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Written by Sam Rith
The Phnom Penh Post

WATER festival boats sponsored by the former National Police Chief Hok Lundy, who was killed in a weekend helicopter crash, and RCAF General Sok Saem, who died alongside Cambodia's top cop, both won their early heats in Tuesday's Water Festival races after organisers decided they would compete, despite the deaths.

Soun Bun Oeurn, committee director of Hok Lundy's boat Dysencheybaromeibopia, and Saemsencheybaromeisvaychhrum, the boat sponsored by Sok Saem, said, "We are very sorry for losing our best supporters, if compared to other boats we got the best support".

"We would like their spirits to help both of these boats achieve victory," Soun Bun Oeurn told the Post.

With a long history of successes, the two boats were expected to do well in this year's races. With the deaths of their patrons, they claimed they were more determined than ever.

Both craft were built in 1998 and are crewed by 85 rowers.

They represent Hok Lundy's native Svay Rieng province, where his helicopter crashed on Sunday evening.

US Cambodian Boatmen Lose Will to Race

By Taing Sarada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Massachussetts
19 August 2008

Every third week of August, in the city of Lowell, Massachusetts, Cambodian, Laotian, Thai and Vietnamese residents celebrate a boat racing festival. This year, six racing groups used two boats to compete, without the Cambodian teams.

The race included two American groups, two Laotian and two Thai. Cambodian-Americans were represented by traditional dancers, but no racers.

"I am so sad, you know," said Souen Sayon, who leads a Cambodian boat racing program. "Since 2005 Cambodian boat racing groups do not care anymore to join the competition."

Souen Sayon had tried many times to encourage boat racers, "to keep our culture and tradition alive."

Each attempt met with failure, he said. "They don't even want to preserve our Cambodian reputation and civilization."

The boat-race festival began in Lowell in 1997, and, held in the summer month of August, has slowly gained in popularity.

"There were around 3,000 people participating in the boat racing festival during the start of this event, but now there are more and more people who come and are aware of this event," said Khoeun Samkhan, former head of the Cambodian Mutual Assistant Association. "Some people are from many different states, and some are from other, neighboring countries."

Chea Bun Heak an out-of-town visitor from Takoma, Washington, said he'd learned about the festival from relatives in Lowell.

"I have so much fun down here," he said. "I am so proud that our Cambodian people are able to celebrate this wonderful event."