More than bedtime story – Jesuit initiative fosters love of learning

WOMAN READS STORY TO STUDENTS IN CAMBODIA – Kol Seab of Jesuit Service Cambodia reads a story to students in a classroom in Kompong Speu, Cambodia, Aug. 10. Jesuit Service Cambodia runs a storytelling program for children in 21 villages in several Cambodian provinces. (CNS/UCAN)

9/20/2007
UCANews

KOMPONG SPEU, Cambodia (UCAN) – It is 9 o'clock on a Friday night and rain is about to fall, but 100 happy children aged 6-16 are waiting outside a school. "Let's go into the classroom. The teacher is coming!" a loud voice calls out from among the children running about in front of the school building in Kompong Speu, 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) west of Phnom Penh.

The children were not excited about another school lesson, but about a storytelling session by Jesuit Services Cambodia (JSC) staff.

In the classroom, some children sat on the floor while others sat on chairs. Those who can read held books in their hands, while the others just listened to the "teacher," storyteller Neang Thida. She asks the children what they learn from each story and how this can help them in their life.

After the hourlong session, she told UCA News all the children come from the nearby village of Phom Ra and most are in grades 1-3. "We have to get permission from this public school to use the classroom," the 24-year-old JSC staff member said.

Many of the children told UCA News they appreciate the storytelling sessions.

"I love this program very much, because I can hear many good stories," said Sok Ann, 13. At her public school, she explained, the teachers do not pay much attention to the students. Sambath, 15, said, "I like listening to the stories in this program and have never missed them."

Sitting on a motorcycle outside, waiting for the session to end, was Channy. The 35-year-old mother told UCA News her children enjoy the program and have not missed a Friday night yet.

JSC runs its storytelling program for 21 villages in Kandal, Kompong Chnang and Kompong Speu provinces.

This program, started in 2005, grew out of the Jesuits' village-library project, under which libraries for schoolchildren have been set up in the 21 villages. That project, which started in 1996, involves JSC staff writing storybooks for these libraries.

According to staff members, it embarked on the storytelling program because it found there are children who cannot read even though they are studying in grade 3 or 4.

The storytelling sessions take place in homes and under trees aside from inside school classrooms.

Some of the JSC library staff are also the storytellers. One of them, Sorn Korn, told UCA News the job is not difficult. "I am very happy when I see a lot of children interested in our program and their parents encouraging them to come," Korn said.

Another staff member, Kol Seab, has written many children's stories for the JSC project. "We want the rural children to be literate in their Khmer language. After we tell the stories, we ask questions. We want them to develop their intellect," she told UCA News. One of her stories deals with the futility of taking drugs.

She also acknowledged that though the response is generally enthusiastic, "we have to allow time for the children to do their own studies, and sometimes they are busy with their families."

Cambodian drug case suspects released on bail

September 03, 2007

The 14 Cambodia's Kompong Speu province men arrested following the April 1 raid on an illicit drug production lab in Phnom Sruoch district have been released, though they have not been cleared of the charges against them, local media reported Monday.

The men were granted bail after an Aug. 27 appeal to Phnom Penh Municipal Court by provincial Governor Kang Heang, but the paperwork securing their release was only finalized Friday, Chan Soveth, investigator for the rights group Adhoc, was quoted by the Cambodia Daily as saying.

Adhoc transported the men by van from Prey Sar prison back to their families in Treng Trayoeng commune Saturday, Chan Soveth said.

Chan Soveth also appealed to the court to expedite the case of the 14, who claim they had only been employed for one hour prior to their arrest at the lab and had no knowledge of illegal activity.

On April 1, Cambodian police arrested 18 people during raids in Phnom Penh and Treng Trayoeng commune in Kompong Speu's Phnom Sruoch district, confiscating about 5.8 tons of precursor chemicals, which are technically estimated to be used for manufacturing one ton of methamphetamine.

Source: Xinhua

Cambodia finishes neutralizing hazardous drug lab chemicals

Symbolic burning of the chemical products by the participants in the ceremony (Photo: Bunry, Koh Santepheap)

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- About three tons of the most hazardous chemical found by police at a Cambodia's Kompong Speu province drug production lab have been neutralized and disposed of, local media reported Friday.

"I am relieved that the first phase of the cleanup has been completed," Lars Pedersen, officer in charge of project office for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), was quoted by the Cambodia Daily newspaper as saying.

According to a statement issued Wednesday by the UNDOC, 25 tons of reagent chemicals and 15 tons of water were used to neutralize 3.2 tons of thionyl chloride, a highly corrosive chemical that could explode if it comes into contact with water.

In the second phase of the chemical cleanup, 550 kg of acetone and 1.4 tons of other chemicals will be disposed of through incineration, the statement said.

The chemicals, said to be precursors for the production of amphetamines, were discovered during a police raid in April and are being disposed of by the UNODC and the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) of Cambodia, the newspaper said.

Nhiek Bun Chhay proposes the closing of NRP radio program

Friday, August 31, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Nhiek Bun chhay, Funcinpec secretary-general, proposed to Mam Sonando, the manager of Sambok Khmum (Beehive) radio station, to temporarily stop the “voice of the royalists” program after a NRP made a comment during this program, accusing him of being involved in the illegal drug production in Kompong Speu. In a letter sent on Tuesday, Nhiek Bun Chhay who is also the government vice-prime minister, said that the 1-hour program, in which Noranarith Anandayath is its commentator, criticized him and provided explanations that are contrary to the events by trying to link him (Nhiek Bun Chhay) to the (Kompong Speu) drug problem. In this letter, Nhiek Bun Chhay proposed to Mam Sonando to temporarily stop this program because it severely affects his name and his honor, and he is also preparing to bring a lawsuit in this case, in order to seek justice, soon. Noranarith Anandayath said that Funcinpec wants to silence the NRP voice, but he said that he will stop discussing about Nhiek Bun Chhay on the airwave.

US Official Pushes for Prosecution of Drug Suspects

Chiep Mony, VOA Khmer
Original report from Kampong Speu
30 August 2007

The suspects arrested in an April raid of a drugs lab in Kampong Speu province need to be prosecuted, but a case against them should be legal and proper, a US political officer said.

Jennifer Spande, who attended a ceremony where drug-making chemicals was destroyed Thursday, said the US was counting on Cambodia's emerging rule of law to fairly prosecute the men behind the methamphetamine production.

"Certainly we would hope that the trial would be speedy and that it would be impartial," she said, adding that the suspects should have competent defense.

The April raid led to the arrest of a handful of workers at the drug lab in Kampong Speu province, as well as at least two suspected ring leaders. One of those, Oum Chhay, apparently leapt to his death from a police building in Phnom Penh during interrogation. A second man, Chea Long, is still under arrest.

Approximately 2.8 kilograms of six different drug-making chemicals were burned in the ceremony Thursday.

Lt. Gen. Keng Savong, deputy director of the national anti-drug authority, said authorities would continue pursuit of the drug production "criminal group" and "send it to the court in the near future."

UN Office on Drug and Crime representative Lars Pedersen said he was encouraged by the commitment government authorities showed in the drugs clean-up.

A Gaur (Khting) killed 1 in Kompong Speu

Villagers look at a wild gaur ("khting" in Khmer) in Kampot province (Photo: Neay Keb, Koh Santepheap newspaper)

Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

In an unusual incident, a gaur went on rampage after five men who were collecting woods on top of the Phnom Thom Mountain, located in Oral district, Kompong Speu province, causing one dead and one seriously injured among the group of five. Koh Santepheap reported that the gaur went on a rampage after the men at around 10:00 AM on 26 August. The injured man and the other three men who survived, told the police that a large gaur was going after them, trying to gore them with its antlers, when the five men were resting after collecting woods and setting traps to catch wild animals. Those who climbed up the mountain and ventured into the deep forest were people who usually went in to collect woods and catching wild animals, sometimes they would catch wild boars or wild animals which are sometimes injured from the traps, and these animals would sometimes go after them to try to gore or hurt the humans. Gaurs are currently very rare in the Oral Mountain, and only under this circumstance, that the gaur involved in the incident – which may be injured by traps or shot at – became mad and went on a rampage and killed one man and injured another.

NRP Denies Starting Rumor of Funcinpec Drug Link

Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
29 August 2007

Top officials of the Norodom Ranariddh Party Wednesday denied claims by a Funcinpec officer they had circulated rumors of Gen. Nhiek Bun Chhay's involvement in a huge drug production ring.

Nhiek Bun Chhay's involvement in a huge drug production ring. Nhiek Bun Chhay, Funcinpec's secretary-general, has said he is the victim of a smear campaign, following the recent arrest of his former aid on drugs charges.

The aid, Chea Long, was arrested this month on charges stemming from a raid on a drug "super lab" in April, which yielded a seizure of nearly 5 tons of drug-making material.

Since Chea Long's arrest, his link as a former adviser has been circulated in NRP-friendly media, Nhiek Bun Chhay said this week, prompting the latest row between the fractured royalists.

NRP spokesman Muth Chantha called Nhiek Bun Chhay's allegations groundless.

Court plans to release 14 people arrested during the Kompong Speu drug lab raid

Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The Phnom Penh municipal court plans to temporarily release 14 people from jail, based on the request and the vouching by the Kompong Speu authority. The 14 have been jailed for the past 5 months because they are suspected of being involved in the drug production in Kompong Speu. Chiv Keng, president of the Phnom Penh court, told RFA on Tuesday that the court investigation found that the 14 were victims of a cheating by drug producing criminals. Chiv Keng said that the Kompong Speu authority is vouching for their temporary release. Chiv keng said that the court could allow this requested release because these laborers are poor people who did not know anything about the drug issue. Chiv keng did not confirm the date when the 14 will be released, he only said that they will be released soon.

Nhiek Bun Chhay: Funcinpec spreads rumors

Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

On Monday, Nhiek Bun Chhay, Funcinpec secretary-general and vice-prime minister, accused the NRP of spreading rumors claiming that he is a suspect involved in the drug production in Kompong Speu. Nhiek Bun Chhay told The Cambodia Daily over the phone from Kompong Thom, that the rumors were spread by NRP officials because they want to frighten NRP party members from defecting to Funcinpec. Nhiek Bun Chhay said that the Phnom Penh municipal court, as well as the Ministry of Interior, told him that he is not a suspect in this case. Nhiek Bun Chhay said: “I am not involved in this drug case.” Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, said that this rumor can be seen in a report published by the pro-SRP Sralanh Khmer newspaper. Muth Chantha said that Nhiek Bun Chhay’s accusation was made for political gain.

Chea Chung, Nhiek Bun Chhay’s former advisor, arrested for drug production

Saturday, August 18, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

A former advisor of Nhiek Bun Chhay was arrested by the police on 14 August 2007 and charged with involvement in illegal drug production in Kompong Speu province. The Rasmei Kampuchea reported that Chea Chung was arrested by the police when he returned back from Vietnam to Cambodia. Chea Chung was sent to the Ministry of Interior for additional questioning on a number of issues in order to find out about additional leaders and accomplices. On 01 April, the police raided a large drug lab at a cow farm owned by Chea Chung, a former advisor of Nhiek Bun Chhay. One of the drug labs is located in Treng Troyoeung commune, Phnom Sruoch district, Kompong Speu province, and the other one is located in Tuol Svay Prey commune, Chamcar Mon district, Phnom Penh city. Regarding this drug affair, a group of police officers also arrested Oknha Oum Chhay, an advisor of Heng Samrin, president of the National Assembly, on 15 August, at the Poipet international border gate, located in O’Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province.

SRP Village chief killed in a grenade explosion

Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

A recently elected SRP village chief in Kompong Speu province was killed from a grenade explosion on Monday morning when he was walking to his rice field. Kompong Speu SRP MP Nuth Romduol told The Cambodia Daily on Tuesday that Kong Khy, the 42-year-old Russei village chief, located in Svay Chachib commune, Borset district, was killed by a grenade explosion at about 100-meter from his home at 6:00 AM. Nuth Romduol said that “it looks like someone set a trap to kill him because he was recently elected as village chief.” However, Keo Pisey, the police commissioner in the province of Kompong Speu denied the claim made by Nuth Romduol. Keo Pisei said the grenade belonged to Kong Khy and he suspects that Kong Khy hid the grenade to illegally hunt wild animals.

SRP Nuth Rumduol: The court violates the law in the case of K Speu land eviction

Kampong Speu Villagers Protest Land Loss

Suon Kanika, VOA Khmer
Original report from Kampong Speu
24 July 2007

Twenty-six families in Phnom Sruoch town, Kampong Speu province, are protesting a decision by the provincial court late last week that they dismantle their homes and leave the land they are occupying.

The villagers say commune authorities colluded with merchants to sell the land from under them and they will not leave on such short notice.

The court ordered July 20 the families leave their homes, but villagers say they have a legal right to the land they are occupying near Kirirom National Park.

An opposition lawmaker from the area, Nuth Rumduol, said the court hid notices from the people along with plans to destroy their homes.

The court itself was violating the law, he said.

"I think it is illegal, and you use the law yourself, and you violate the law," he said. "What do you want to people to rely on?"

Japanese company to invest in Cambodia for bio-diesel

July 20, 2007

A Japanese company will invest 800 million U.S. dollars in Cambodia to plant castor bean and refine castor oil into bio-diesel, company source said here on Friday.

The Biwako Bio-Laboratory Co., Ltd. from Japan will plant castor bean on 48,000 hectares of land in Kompong Speu and Kompong Cham provinces and then establish a factory to refine castor oil into bio-diesel which is expected to replace gasoline, said Mitsuo Hayashi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company.

"Now we are waiting for the result of the oil sample test in the laboratory in Japan. We want to know what kind of seeds will be planted to provide high turnouts," he said.

Some 48,000 hectares of castor plants will yield 100,000 tons of castor oil annually and 40,000 tons of bio-diesel after refinery, he said.

The company needs 500,000 hectares of land for the project in 20 years and the Cambodian government is now helping to find land, he added.

Mitsuo is among the 30 representatives of the Japanese delegation currently on visit to Cambodia. Kozo Yamamoto, Deputy Minister of Economy of Japan, leads the team to find investment opportunities here.

Japan is the largest donor country for Cambodia but has little investment in the kingdom.

Source: Xinhua

Homeless, disabled ex-soldier fighting for his land [- Even Heng Samrin's intervention couldn't help]

By Vong Sokheng
Phnom Penh Post, Issue 16 / 13, June 29 - July 128, 2007

A disabled former RCAF soldier, 28-year-old Phorn Tran has for a year been seeking justice for his burned-down home and confiscated land, which he claims was stolen and subsequently sold by the head of a relief organization.

Tran told the Post on June 21 that Sin Vanna, a security officer in his home village of Kong Meas, torched his home. He further alleges that Touch Seour Ly, head of the Association for the Relief of Disabled Cambodians (ARDC) grabbed his land and sold it to a third party.

Tran said he filed a lawsuit at Kampong Speu Provincial Court in December 2006, but the case has never been brought to trial.

Now, Heng Samrin, president of the National Assembly, and Tep Ngon, second president of the Senate, have written letters to the Kampong Speu court and the provincial governor to help resolve "irregularities" in the case, according to a document obtained by the Post.

"I don't know where I should go now," Tran said.

"I've been seeking justice from the local authorities and the top lawmakers from the National Assembly and Senate for a year and this has remained an injustice for me."

Tran came to Phnom Penh after losing his house and land in 2006 in Veal Thom, Treng Trayeoung commune in Phnom Srouch district of Kampong Speu province.

These days he sleeps at Wat Botum, and earns his living by carrying vegetables from trucks to the market.

"I have no rice to eat, if I don't get hired for the day," Tran said. "I can earn one dollar per day if I get hired."

Tran said that now he is too afraid to return to the village to fight for his land, and even the high-ranking members of the National Assembly and the Senate cannot help him.

"They burned my house and grabbed my land and threatened to kill me if I continue to struggle to get my land," Tran said.

"I am afraid to go back to the village now."

Insult and injury

In 1998 Tran lost his left leg to a land mine in Koh Kong province. After the injury, he returned to his RCAF Battalion 31, based in Kampong Speu. In 2003, Tran's commander helped him to attain a plot of land from ARDC.

However, Touch Seour Ly, head of ARDC and a disabled former Khmer Rouge soldier located the land in Veal Thom in 2003. Since then, some 2,000 hectares of bush and forest land surrounding the village has been converted to fields. Veal Thom is about 6 km from Route 4, at roughly the halfway mark between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. It's an area where disabled veterans from the four main factions of the country's civil war received land as social concessions.

Here, former Khmer Rouge cadre have joined with ex-Funcinpec resistance fighters and members of the late Son Sann's KPNLF to live alongside those who once served in the State of Cambodia army-which battled the three other factions throughout the 1980s.

Cambodia suffers one of the highest disability rates in world. In a population of some 13 million, more than 200,000 are disabled. Of these, one in four is a victim of landmines.

The high level of disabilities combines with a general disdain towards those who are afflicted, making the lives of the handicapped even more difficult.

ARDC's Ly told the Post on June 25 that Tran received a plot of land from the association, but he broke the conditions of ownership and forced the association to withdraw it for another disabled veteran. Ly said that Tran sold the land in 2004, and left the village. According to Ly, Tran returned in 2006 and claimed that the land belonged to him. "We had witnesses and thumbprints that Tran sold his land," Ly said. "We pitied him because he looked like he has health problems, but he failed to respect the conditions of the association."

Ly said that plots of land were contributed to disabled veterans who are not allowed to sell them. Further, the veterans were required to stay on the land permanently and farm. "We give the land to the disabled because we don't want them to be beggars. We want them to live in harmony and dignity," Ly said. "If they fail to respect the conditions, the land will be withdrawn."

Ly said that there are many problems in the ARDC because the disabled are poor and some have sold the land and tried to receive new plots from the association. "It is a disabled village, but now it is becoming not a disabled village when newcomers buy land in the area," Ly said.

In-fighting and the ARDC

San Kan, 56, chief of Veal Thom village agreed that the ARDC is beset with problems regarding land distribution, lingering partisan leanings and outright cheating amongst villagers.

Kan said that Tran became sick and he left the village for an operation on his leg. When he came back his land belonged to someone else.

Say Sok Heng, LICADHO's human rights monitor in Kampong Speu who helped Tran with the legal procedure, said that the court had just ignored to the case. "I don't know why it's taken such a long time to try Tran's lawsuit," Heng said. "Tran is the victim and I think that there is influence of the ARDC behind the court case."

Khut Sopheang, Kampong Speu's court deputy prosecutor told the Post on June 22 that he was not aware about the court case of Tran. Ven Yeoun, Kampong Speu's court prosecutor in charge for the case of Tran was not able to comment because he was relocated to another province.

Khieu San, Funcinpec parliamentarian and member of the National Authority for Resolving Land Disputes, said that he will write another letter to urge the court to investigate Tran's case.

"Even if the government has performed well on poverty reduction and economic growth, I think that the reform of public administration and good governance has remained slow and especially the poor people are vulnerable," San said.

Authority searching to arrest those involved in drug production

24 June 2007
By Phan Sophat
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

A Cambodian official said that the authority is continuing its search to arrest a number of people who are involved in a plan to conduct a large drug production in Kompong Speu province which was recently uncovered.

An anonymous high-ranking official told RFA that the file for the drug case in Kompong Speu province is not complete yet, and that those involved are high-ranking government officials.

On Friday, the Phnom Penh municipal court issued an arrest warrant for another general who is accused of drug involvement in Kompong Speu province.

Chum Tong Heng, a 2-star general working at the RCAF headquarters, was arrested by the court and is temporarily jailed in Prey Sar prison for collusion in drug trafficking.

Phnom Penh municipal court cannot be contacted to obtain information about the charge leveled against the general. However, local newspapers indicated today that Chum Tong Heng denied the charges leveled against him by the municipal court.

General Luor Ramin, the secretary-general of the anti-drug trafficking authority, told RFA that the arrest of General Chum Tong Heng is indeed because of his involvement in the drug production in Kompong Speu province.

Luor Ramin said: “The current case is an extension of the Kompong speu case, however, regarding the charge, the investigating judge is the one who knows about it because he has the case file in his hands.”

At the beginning of April, the Cambodian authority raided a large drug production plant in Treng Troyeung commune, Phnom Sruoch district, Kompong Speu province, and it seized about 6 tons of raw ingredients for drug production.

During the police raid, several people was arrested including both Cambodian laborers and foreigners, however, at that time, the authority said that it did not find all the major ringleaders in this drug production yet.

Rural scene in Kompong Speu

A farmer ploughs a rice field ahead of the rainy season in Kampong Speu province 50 km (31 miles) west of Phnom Penh June 22, 2007. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Dengue fever kills seven Cambodian children in one village

Wed, 13 Jun 2007
DPA

Phnom Penh - Officials in a Cambodian province close to the capital said Wednesday that seven children had died of dengue fever in one village in recent weeks and they were bracing for more deaths as the rainy season set in. Meng Sothy, deputy director of Kampong Speu district hospital, 40 kilometres south-west of the capital, said the seven, whose ages were not given, had all come from the remote Borset village and had died despite being transferred to children's hospitals in Phnom Penh.

"We have seven children dead so far, but these are just the ones who have been reported and we have no idea how many have contracted the disease," he said.

He said officials were mounting an education campaign to try to educate villagers on how to contain the mosquito-borne virus, which kills mostly the very young and the elderly and whose symptoms include high fever and intense muscle and joint pain. The virus often kills by destroying blood platelets, resulting in massive haemorrhaging.

Kampong Speu hospital director Huot Thorn said the disease was a sad fact of life for rural Cambodians, especially during the monsoon season when the mosquitoes bred prolifically.

On Wednesday, Dr Beat Richner, a Swiss national who runs four Kantha Bopha hospitals in Cambodia, which provide free health care to children, placed a full-page advertisement in the English-language Cambodia Daily newspaper, calling dengue fever "an epidemic."

Richner said his hospitals had treated 1,254 cases of severe dengue fever in children in the first week of June alone and appealed to the Cambodian government and international donors for aid to assist his hospitals to cope with the problem.

King Norodom Sihamoni attended a gala in honour of the Kantha Bopha hospitals during his recent state visit to Switzerland.

Soldiers from K Speu ACO army unit used their tank to grab villagers' lands

Kompong Speu army tank unit grab villagers’ lands?

29 May 2007
By Keo Pech Metta
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Villagers from Phnom Sruoch district, Kompong Speu province, reported on Tuesday that a group of people believed to be members of the ACO army tank unit, used an army tank to clear several hectares of the villagers’ farmlands.

The land clearing took place in Sambuor village, Taing Tya commune. The villagers oppose such action but they were defenseless in front of these better equipped soldiers.

An anonymous villager who expressed his concerns about his personal safety, said that if the soldiers grab the villagers’ farmlands as they are doing now, the villagers will no longer have land to plant their rice crop in the upcoming rainy season.

The same villager added that the soldiers cleared the lands three times already including the most recent land clearing on 29 May. “Soldiers of the ACO unit started to clear the lands this morning, they cleared both rice fields and orchards, they even knocked down my fence … and demolish everything. They brought a tank to clear the land. When the land is valuable and its price increases, the ACO came in and grabbed the villagers’ lands. And, this morning they came in to push me when I was giving an interview with VOA, they took my phone from my hand, and they wanted to beat me up and shoot me. I don’t know this soldier’s name, but the name of their chief is Lanh Kao.”

Today, RFA could not obtain clarification to the villagers’ accusation from the army ACO tank unit.

Tep mean, the Phnom Sruoch district governor, said that he did not know that the soldiers used a tank to grab lands and violate on the villagers farmlands and rice fields. He said that he will travel to the incident location later.

Satyavuth, the Kompong Speu deputy-provincial also said that he did not know about this incident, and he told RFA reporter to go ask the question to Touch Sarun, another deputy-provincial governor in charge of land issues in Kompong Speu province. However, RFA could not contact Touch Sarun over the phone today.

Cambodian souvenir trade wounded by peace

Feb 15, 2007

DPA

Kampong Speu, Cambodia - After the war, scrap metal was hard to find, until resourceful Cambodian artisans like Jay Ny found that spent copper bomb and bullet casings could be recycled to make their traditional musical instruments instead.

In doing so, they unwittingly created one of the country's more popular tourist curios - gongs and bells made from Khmer Rouge-era munitions.

But Cambodia's continued stretch of peace after 30-years of civil war has finally brought that industry to an end, according to the craftsmen and women. Ny, 36, said Thursday her family had run out of bombshells.

'I haven't seen a bomb casing for nearly four years,' she said from her modest home about 50 kilometers from the capital. 'The days of bombshell gongs are over.'

A second family in the bombshell gong capital of Batdung district also said the discarded waste of war had dried up. Their father, formerly the chief bombshell artisan of the family, had retired to pursue a career in music, they said.

A third family which had once made a living forging cow bells from M-16 casings said even when those could be found, they were now too rusted to be of use and they, too, had turned to more conventional scrap to work with.

Delicate bells and tuneful gongs are still sold as genuine at markets in the capital to tourists eager for a memento of the war, and at a mark-up of up to 500 per cent on the seven to 10 dollars Ny charges per 30-centimetre gong. Ny said it was possible, but highly unlikely, they were still genuine.

The genuine souvenirs had long fallen victim to the outbreak of peace and a successful campaign to curb small arms and weapons ownership in the community, she said, but few people besides the tourists would be sorry.

'I am the only person in the country still turning out these gongs to my knowledge, and I use copper off rolls that I buy in the capital. I have to say it is a lot easier to work with than bombshells. I don't have any regrets,' she said.

The ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge regime fell to Vietnamese-backed forces in 1979 but the movement conducted a protracted guerilla war from mountain areas such as Kampong Speu until as late as 1998.

Land Disputes in Kampong Speu

Over 200 people gathered in Khlaing village, Kampong Thom province over a similar land disputes case (Photo: VOA)

Thida Win
VOA Khmer
Washington
14/02/2007

A group of locals representing 10 villages in Kampong Speu province say that they will form a mass demonstration, if no resolution is found regarding their claims of land disputes.

The villagers had alleged the ACO army unit of land grabbing, and claimed that they have occupied the land since 1979. Now, they have filed formal complaints to local authorities and to Prime Minister Hun Sen.

In 1993, the armored unit headquarter was erected on the land, which led to ACO demanding a 30 percent annual profit from crop harvested by local villagers.

Loy Samouth, a representative for the villagers, says that he has asked NGOs officials to resolve the issues, but so far nothing has been done.

The Human Rights Watch’s (2006) report shows that about 1000-1600 families have been forced with evictions in Phnom Penh. And in 10 provinces alone, another 1231 families have also experienced forced evictions. Active land dispute cases are currently pending in Mondul Kiri, Kratie, Kampong Speu, and Koh Kong provinces.