Invitation to celebrate 19th anniversar​y of Cambodia constituti​on

Dear KUC, KVD's members and friends,

After the agreement on the comprehensive settlement of the Cambodian conflict and the national elections of the people’s representatives to the National State Assembly which supported by the United Nations Transitional Authority (UNTAC) inCambodia, the Cambodia Constitution has been promulgated and adopted a policy of liberal democracy and pluralism.

This year Khmer Unity for Cambodia has a great honor to organize a 19th anniversary of Cambodia Constitution Promulgation. Please see attached flyer for more information. The celebration will be held on Sept 22nd 2012 from 6:00PM to 12:00AM at Asia Pacific Cultural Center at 4851 So. Tacoma Way 98409.

Note: Please come to join us we want to take this opportunity also celebrating our communities leaders for their time volunteering to serve Khmer communities. Please help to invite friends and family so that we can celebrate this special occasion together.

Tithia Sum

Thank-You Message from HRP-WA

Dear Friends, Families, and HRP Supporters:

Let me start by "Thank-you for coming to support" and "Thank you to all members, supporters and friends who made all these events happen!!!"

We, the Human Rights Party (HRP) Executive Committee of Washington State, are pleased to see you all coming out to support, congrate, and observe our Human Rights Party's President, H.E. Kem Sokha, during his trip in Seattle-Tacoma, WA from Tuesday August 21-Sunday August 26, 2012. We've seen a big turnout at each and every place we held an event (home, temple, library, restaurant,...etc.).

We cannot achieve these successes alone, but with your support and the help of many supporters, volunteers, and friends.

For those who were not able to attend the meetings and wish to make some contribution/donation, we have attached the instructions on how to support the Human Rights Party in order to fulfill our mission to rescue our beloved country, Cambodia, from corruption, human rights violation, and dictatorship.

Feel free to share your observation, comments or constructive input to make our party better and the best to serve our people.

For general questions and details, please contact: Raksa Sok: 206 850 7565, Sokmakara Hang: 206 226 6015, Samoeun Van: 206 931 4886 & Chanvong Kim: 206 713 2083. Email: FREEDAMRA@yahoo.com OR Khmerforumwa@gmail.com

Your support and future participation are very important for us. We look forward to seeing you around.

Sincerely Yours,

Human Rights Party (HRP)

Executive Committee, State of Washington

Email: Khmerforumwa@gmail.com

Cambodian New Year celebration enjoys some sun [in West Seattle]

Merchants offered a variety of clothing and other items at the Cambodian New Year Festival in White Center April 30. (Kimberly Robinson)

By Patrick Robinson
2011-04-30
West Seattle Herald (Washington, USA)

The Cambodian New Year Festival came back to White Center on April 30 taking place on the block between 15th and 16th s.w. on 98th Street s.w.

Sopha Dahn with the White Center Community Development Association in charge of the event spoke and served as the host for the event. 22 booths offering food, information and neighborhood interaction and goods for sale plus cultural dances, music, poetry and performances and demonstrations rounded out the event.

Included in the program were traditional dances, a banana eating contest, and a kickboxing demonstration.

West Seattle/White Center protest highlights Cambodia/Thailand dispute

February 12, 2011
In West Seattle news, White Center
West Seattle Blog...

You’ve heard a lot about what’s going on in the Middle East – but have you heard about what’s going on in Southeast Asia? A border clash between Cambodia and Thailand is about to come to a head in front of the United Nations, and today Cambodian-Americans came to West Seattle and White Center for a demonstration aimed at bringing it to your attention and demanding the U.S. government get involved. West Seattle Blog/White Center Now contributor Deanie Schwarz noticed the protest, took these photos and talked to spokesperson Sokmakara Hang, who explained that the demonstrators came from all over the state, and came here because this area has the state’s highest concentration of Cambodian-Americans. They stood on corners all around 16th/Roxbury:

Also on hand was Meach Sovannara from the Khmer Post Media Center in Long Beach (Calif.). The dispute is over a border area near the Preah Vihear Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is more than a millennium old. The Cambodian-Americans say the most recent skirmishes killed Cambodian soldiers, and are demanding that the Thai government stop what they call an “invasion.” They want United Nations intervention as well as President Obama and the rest of the international community. According to this story from the Bangkok Post, this issue will be brought to the UN Security Council on Monday, and reportedly Cambodia will claim it’s at war with Thailand. There’s more background on the century-long conflict over the temple in this Jakarta Post story.

Event brings together all things Cambodian

Khmer conference: Attendees share culture, learn about legal issues

08/16/09
JOYCE CHEN
The News Tribune (Washington, USA)

Cambodians from across the Puget Sound mingled with community leaders Saturday in Tacoma at the first statewide Khmer conference.

Highlights of the all-day conference included bilingual presentations on social services, women’s health, immigration and deportation processes, and several traditional dance performances. Among the guest speakers were Sen. Rosa Franklin, D-Tacoma.

Booths promoted everything from education programs to church groups, with tables covered with gold jewelry, ceremonial masks and cowhide-bound Bibles.

Cambodian Women’s Networking Association President Sok-Khieng Lim said that the conference arose from a need to “re-educate each other about Cambodian culture, religion and history.”

Tacoma was chosen as the host city because of the South Sound’s sizeable Cambodian population.

Lim said that one of the aims of the event was to bridge the gap between older and younger generations.

“Cambodian people are very religious, and the elders were concerned that the younger people didn’t understand,” Lim said.

More than 90 percent of Cambodians practice Theravada Buddhism, the state religion in Cambodia since the 1300s.

About 200 people attended the conference at La Quinta Inns and Suites hotel. Organizer Hak-Ry O’Neal said she was pleased by the cross-section of community members who attended.

“It’s wonderful to see people joining us from Oregon and California,” she said.

For those who couldn’t make the drive, the proceedings were broadcast live on the Internet.

Kayomi Wada of Federal Way said her favorite part of the conference was a public service panel discussing Asian Pacific Islander coalitions.

“I thought it was exciting to see so much programming on Khmer history and culture,” she said. She added that she particularly enjoyed the cultural dances.

Monthy Chea of Issaquah hoped that the conference would motivate younger Cambodians to get in touch with their roots.

Chea added that the event inspired her to teach her 11-year-old daughter more of the Cambodian language.

“I’ve been here 34 years, and there was a point growing up when I didn’t want to associate with being Cambodian,” she said. “When I got older, I started valuing the culture.”

Joyce Chen: 253-597-8426
joyce.chen@thenewstribune.com