Koh Pich poem: No one responsibl​e for the Tragedy?

A stampede on a bridge in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh killed hundreds of people late on Monday and wounded hundreds more many after thousands panicked on the last day of a water festival. Photo courtesy AFP / Tang Chhin Sothy

A poem on Koh Pich Stampede on Pich Bridge at Koh Pich composed by an Unknown Poet; Photos by The Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community and Google; Read by Jendhamuni Sos

On Monday November 22, 2010, 353 people died in the annual Cambodian Water Festival.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqXwdLLIMlc

Mr. Ouch Leng, Urgent Appeal for Fact Finding of Justice for Hundreds Innocent Dead and Injured in the night of the 22nd Nov 2010

Mr. Ouch Leng, Urgent Appeal for Fact Finding of Justice for Hundreds Innocent Dead and Injured in the night of the 22nd Nov 2010

On behalf of victim’s family, Human Rights Defenders in Cambodia and as all over the world I am pleased to appeal to all compatriots, national and international media, embassy, human rights and democracy practitioners, justice makers, politicians, NGO, OI, UN; to take action in fact finding even though there have been information or a lot of rumor said that they were died and injured vitally by suffocation, footing each other or by electrocution. Notwithstanding that they are human being not the animals; their spirits need meaningfulness for their lives and fair reason of death. As we can see on the CNN, Phnom Penh Post news and other news around the world broadcasted and shown the motive of the incident. These are also the evidence to be background for a criminal investigation, forensic analysis. Therefore please all criminal police both Cambodian and Interpol, FBI, CSI investigate with transparency and independence to bring justice for innocent victims.

Urgent Appeal from Mr. Ouch Leng on behalf of victim’s family 

Koh Pich Bridge or Death Bridge - by Khmer Guardian

http://www.box.com/s/ffactzn7nm4vs6nr5q75

Bye Bye damning evidence

Cambodian military police carry a body from a bridge in Phnom Penh after at least 330 people died in a stampede during the country's annual Water Festival.

A rescue team carries a body from a suspended bridge after a stampede. Millions were out on the streets of Phnom Penh to enjoy the final day of the three-day Water Festival.

A Cambodian military policeman examines a body near the bridge after a stampede killed hundreds during the country's annual Water Festival.

People reach for help among others who are unconscious near the bridge. A stampede killed hundreds on the final day of Cambodia's Water Festival.

Cambodian police officials examine the bridge where at least 330 people died in a stampede during the country's annual Water Festival.

Bye-bye cursed Cambodian stampede bridge

"Bad luck" bridge will be dismantled

December 28, 2011
Patrick Winn
Global Post

Cambodia's Diamond Bridge, where more than 350 died in a horrific 2010 stampede, is being torn down, according to the Phnom Penh Post.

The construction of two other nearby bridges, which lead to the same island, partly explains the bridge's early demise.

But an AFP report suggests its dismantling is explained, in part, by a widespread preception that the bridge is cursed.

Since the tragedy, the bridge has been used "only reluctantly by superstitious locals who thought it brought bad luck," according to the report.

Global Post's photo series on the tragedy is here.

Damning evidence destroyed!!!

Cambodia dismantles bridge where 353 lost their lives in a stampede

27 December 2011 (AFP) - Cambodian workers on Tuesday began dismantling a notorious bridge where 353 people lost their lives in a stampede last year, following the completion of two new crossings nearby.

The country’s annual water festival ended in tragedy in November 2010 when crowds panicked on the narrow crossing leading to Phnom Penh’s Diamond Island, one of the main event sites.

The bridge has since then been used only reluctantly by superstitious locals who thought it brought bad luck.

“The bridge is not necessary anymore since the construction of the twin bridges nearby has finished,” Diamond Island project manager Touch Samnang told Agence France Presse, adding that it would take around two months to dismantle the structure.

Cambodia dismantles stampede bridge

Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Australia Network News

Cambodian workers have began dismantling a notorious bridge where 353 people lost their lives in a stampede last year.

This follows the completion of two new crossings nearby, leading to Phnom Penh's Diamond Island.

The stampede on the narrow crossing happened during the water festival in November last year, when people panicked following rumours that the eight-metre wide, 100-metre long bridge was unstable.

Last month, local authorities marked the first anniversary of the disaster by unveiling a memorial for the victims at the foot of the crossing.

Conversations between convicts - By Anonymous

Calls For Justice Continue A Year After Cambodian Stampede

A Cambodian woman sobs as she looks at names of bridge stampede victims, etched on a memorial stupa, one year after the tragedy on November 22, 2011. (Agence France-Press/Getty Images)

November 23, 2011
By Shibani Mahtani
The Wall Street Journal

A year after more than 350 people died on a bridge stampede in Cambodia’s capital of Phnom Penh – an event that drew headlines across the world – a new report says the government hasn’t conducted a “meaningful” inquiry into the tragedy, and advocates are calling for new investigations.

The Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), responsible for the report, is recommending that the government reopen a “full investigation” into the incident, which Prime Minister Hun Sen himself labeled as the greatest tragedy to befall the country since the Pol Pot regime.

“The anniversary of this tragedy falls on International Day to End Impunity… a timely coincidence as despite the gravity of the event, no one has been held accountable,” said Ou Virak, the President of CCHR.

Don't forget Koh Pich Bridge, Don't forget the Killers - កុំភ្លេចស្ពានពេជ្រ និង កុំភ្លេចឃាតករ

Anniversary for the victims of Koh Pich

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwZcb7a7JGs

In Remembrance of the Koh Pich Tragedy

Cambodia remembers stampede victims one year on

A mother mourning her daughter

Tuesday, November 22, 2011
AFP

PHNOM PENH — Hundreds of tearful relatives burned incense and placed offerings of flowers, fruit and food Tuesday at the foot of a new memorial honouring 353 people who died in a bridge stampede one year ago.

"I feel fearful seeing this bridge," an emotional Tith Sam Ath, 40, whose 12-year-old son died in the disaster during a popular festival in the capital Phnom Penh, told AFP.

"I still miss my son every day. He was an outstanding student," she said, as Buddhist monks chanted and blessed the memorial, which carries the names of those who perished nearby.

22 វិច្ឆិកាសង្ខារលត់ (Cambodia Stampede Song) by Sokun Nisa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-DXxC302x4

The penh is mighty

PHOTOS: CATTLEYA JARUTHAVEE

The Cambodian capital is rising out of its troubled past as skyscrapers swank, night spots and mega-malls move in, but behind the facade of progress lies darker realities for some

20/11/2011

Cattleya Jaruthavee

Bangkok Post

Development on the [Koh Pich] island also led to the forced eviction of villagers there, say human rights groups.

It's common for Phnom Penh to be compared to "Bangkok as it was a few decades ago", and indeed there is the sense that the city, largely comprised of shophouses, low-rise buildings and temples, is on the metropolis trek. The city's broad promenades and French colonial buildings that led to it being dubbed the "Pearl of Asia" in the early half of the century are giving way to mega-malls and major commercial developments just as Bangkok's streets did.

In a country where the first escalator had its inaugural run to much fanfare only in 2003, development is hurtling forward and there are fears _ as there were in Bangkok 20 years ago _ that it is outpacing the city's ability to cope with the changes.

Fresh Koh Pich investigation sought

The covered bodies of victims lie outside Calmette hospital in the aftermath of the tragic stampede during last year’s Water Festival at Koh Pich, which killed 353 people. (Photo by: Pha Lina)

Monday, 21 November 2011
Mom Kunthear
The Phnom Penh Post

Late at night on November 22, 2010, some 80 bodies lay side by side in front of a crowd of onlookers who had gathered to peer through a gate at Calmette hospital, trying to understand who had died and why.

Inside, victims of what Prime Minister Hun Sen would later call the worst tragedy to befall Cambodia since the Khmer Rouge were being treated on the floor, while the dead were taken outside and added to the long rows.

A government investigation into the incident concluded that no one was specifically to blame for the Koh Pich tragedy and resulted in no resignations despite the death of more than 350 people on a bridge on the final day of Cambodia’s annual Water Festival.

One year on, CCHR issues a report into the tragedy on Koh Pich Bridge on 22 November 2010

http://www.box.com/s/crsakb9p4qabxt609vts


http://www.box.com/s/fei8pjjkr3g7p8curv61


http://www.box.com/s/rus14y58l0nz6yb3r6fe

1st Year Koh Pich Tragedy 22-11-2011​

Dear All,

ក្នុងនាមជាមនុស្ស​ជាតិ​ញាតិមិត្តនិង គ្រួសារជនរងគ្រោះ ដែលបាត់បង់ជីវិត និងរបួសនៅ ស្ពាន កោះពេជ្រ។ ខ្ញុំសូម ជំរាប ជូនជា ពត៌មាន អំពីការប្រារព្ធពិធី ខួប១ ឆ្នាំ ចំពោះ ជនរងគ្រោះ ទាំងនោះ ដូចខាងក្រោម:

១.គោលបំណង:​​"ដើម្បីរំលឹក ខួបមួយឆ្នាំ ចំពោះ ឩបទ្វហេតុ គ្រោះថ្នាក់ សោកនាធកម្ម ដែលបាន កើតឡើង លើស្ពានកោះពេជ្រ​​​​"

២.​ ពេលវេលា ​កាលបរិច្ឆេទ ​និងទីកន្លែង: ជួបជុំគ្នានៃម៉ោង៥ល្ងាច ថ្ងៃទី​២២ខែវិច្ឆិកា​ឆ្នាំ២០១១ និងធ្វើ ដំណើទៅ កាន់ស្ពានកោះពេជ្រ។ ចំពោះ អ្នកដែល មានបំណង ចូលរួម ហើយ មិនអាច មកទាន់ ម៉ោង៥បាន អាចអញ្ជើញ មកចូលរួម នៅម៉ោង៥:៣០ ល្ងាចនៅ ស្ពាន កោះពេជ្រ តែម្តង។

៣.​របៀបវារ: (មើលឯកសារភ្ជាប់)

ដោយសេចក្តីគោរព!

On behalf of family, friends of the victims at Koh Pich and as human being, i would like to inform you that we will celebrate an event for 1st year of the tragedy at Koh Pich as below:

1. The objective: "The 1st year tragedy purposes to remind about accident, and tragedy at Koh Pich"

2. Time, Date and Place: Meet at 5pm at Korean Center on 22 November 2011 and walk towards the Koh Pich bridge.​ If you cannot make your time for 5pm, you can come directly to Koh Pich bridge at 5:30pm

Your sincere,

Srorn

Festival haunts survivors

Security officers and bystanders pick their way through discarded shoes and sandals on the bridge to Diamond Island after the deadly stampede last November. (Photo by: Heng Chivoa)

Thursday, 10 November 2011
Mom Kunthear
The Phnom Penh Post

Chomrieng Samnoak Spean Pich - Diamond Bridge Tragedy Song

Click here to download the song in MP3

The annual Water Festival is reviving memories of the hundreds of people killed last year in the stampede on the bridge to Diamond Island. Many survivors say they cannot block the images of tragedy from flashing in their minds and creeping into their dreams.

“Images of the stampede are racing through my mind,” Ung Nget said. “I’m still afraid of crowded places.”

The 27-year-old repairman said he was lucky to survive but remained haunted by what he saw.

“I was one of the people who were tangled in the pile of victims on the bridge,” he said.

When Ung Neget thinks of the Water Festival, he still sees the corpses.

Lessons learnt from Cambodia's bridge stampede tragedy

November 9, 2011
ABC Radio Australia

As Cambodia begins to celebrate its annual Water Festival, the country will also remember the victims of a bridge stampede that killed more than 350 people.

Cambodia's Prime Minister described it as the second biggest tragedy since the Khmer Rouge regime, but a new investigation says the deaths could have been avoided.

Presenter: Liam Cochrane

Speaker: Srey Pov, Cambodian bridge stampede survivor; Phai Siphan, Cambodian government spokesman; Oeun Narin, from the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights; Kep Chuktema, Phnom Penh governor;

Click here to listen to the audio program (Windows Media)

COCHRANE: Nineteen-year-old Srey Pov remembers the day almost a year ago when she was caught in the Koh Pich bridge stampede.

POV: (translation): I saw the people falling on each other and passing out. Some people were still alive, but others trampled over them and they died.

COCHRANE: Srey Pov survived, but her older sister, 24-year-old Sum Chung Tuin was killed, leaving behind two young children.

Kingdom of "Shock and Awe" Wonder

Koh Pich: A new bridge is being built next to the one where the stampede took place

Looking at the Monument of Independence from near Koh Pich bridge. Tower 42 can be seen in the background