Montebello Regional Library hosts book talk with author Navy Phim

08/09/2009
Whittier Daily (Whittier, California, USA)

The Asian Pacific Resource Center at the Montebello Regional Library, 1550 W. Beverly Blvd., is sponsoring a book talk at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

The book being discussed is "Reflections of a Khmer Soul" and author Navy Phim will join in the discussion.

Phim was born in Cambodia in 1975, the year that the Khmer Rouge took over the country. Four years later she fled with her family to Thailand, then immigrated to the United States in 1984.

The event is free and open to the public.

For more information call (323) 722-6551.

LB exhibit shares visions of Khmer lives

04/11/2009
By Greg Mellen Staff Writer
Long Beach Press Telegram (California, USA)

LONG BEACH - On the walls are multimedia, photographic and painted works. In a side room is a photo collage of transgender life in Cambodia along with several books by Cambodian-American authors, including Long Beach's Navy Phim and Oni Vitandham. In the center of the main room is a traditional-looking Cambodian figure with the Superman "S" on its chest.

The 2nd City Council Arts and Performance Space is into all things Khmer with the debut of a new show called "Transformation II: Bringing Contemporary Khmer/American Art to Long Beach."

The show features Khmer and Khmer-inspired paintings, sculpture, photography, dance and performance art. There will also be documentary films and a writers' forum with published Cambodian-American writers.

The event is being presented at the 2nd City Council space at 435 Alamitos Ave.

The show builds upon a show that was presented in July, 2008, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, at the Meta House Gallery.

That show paired the work of five California and five Cambodian artists, most of whom had never been in each other's countries.

Lydia Parusol, the art manager of Meta House, described the shows as the "first dialogue in an artistic way" between artists from the two countries.

In Cambodia, where most of the population is under the age of 30, in the wake of the Killing Fields Genocide of the late 1970s, a new and vibrant artistic movement is under way and artistic expression is blooming from its ancient but often constrictive roots.

"In Cambodia there are young artists who are trying to go from traditional sculpture to more critical thinking," Parusol said. "They are reflecting society and themselves in the present Cambodian culture."

And on the walls of the gallery, the fusions of old and new Cambodia are represented in many ways, reflecting a "bridge between traditional and modern art," according to Parusol.

Denise Scott, who splits time between the United States and Cambodia, saw the original "Transformations" show and knew she had to bring something similar to the U.S. and specifically to Long Beach because of its large Cambodian-American population.

Furthermore, she wanted to present the show over the Cambodian New Year which occurs in mid-April.

"Transformation II" includes the work from the original show, but then builds on it with performance art and plans to show 12 documentary films that look at the vibrant emerging arts scene in Cambodia, including some major public arts projects and individual artists.

Scott says the two Transformation shows are just the beginning of what she hopes will be an ongoing exchange.

Plans are already in the works for another show at Meta House, with five to seven American artists traveling to Cambodia to not only show work, but engage in artistic exchanges and possibly working with Cambodian artists to create new works.

Scott also plans to have a return show in Long Beach next April.

At this year's Long Beach show, only one of the Cambodian artists was able to obtain travel documents.

The artists featured have studied at Cal State Long Beach, the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh, the Chicago Art Institute and Brown University, among others.

greg.mellen@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1291

United We Stand! - A Poem by Yim Guechse

Poem by Yim Guechse (on the web at http://KamnapYimGuechse.blogspot.com)
Illustration by Sacarava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

The Parade Objectives As of Today

Observation by Navy Phim
Originally posted at http://navyphim.com/blog/

The Cambodian New Year Parade objectives have seemed to change right before our eyes. Thanks to web archives, we are able to see what it used to be.

http://web.archive.org/web/20070701232029/
http://www.cambodiannewyearparade.com/Objectives.htm

Parade Objectives

• Highlight Cambodian Culture
• Focus on the Community and businesses on the Anaheim Corridor
• Spotlight on "Cambodia Town", the largest Cambodian Community outside Cambodia
• Improve community relationships among people of different backgrounds
• End the isolation and begin the participation of Cambodian-Americans in mainstream events
• Show unity in Cambodian community

As of today, the parade objectives have been changed to coincide with the invitation that was given to Deputy Prime Minister Sok An. I am not sure when exactly that change took place, but it must be very recent.

http://www.cambodiannewyearparade.com/Objectives.htm

Objectives of the Cambodian New Year Parade

The New Year Parade committee maintains a strict policy of non-discrimination regarding participation in the parade. The parade's main objectives are to promote Cambodian culture, harmony among diverse local communities, area businesses and neighborhoods, and particularly Cambodia Town USA. Political slogans and election campaigns are strickly prohibited.

In reference to the democratically-elected and internationally recognized Cambodian Government, we follow the official policy as defined by the U.S. Department of State. We believe past parade made positive impressions on participating Camboidan officials: they observed the joy and pride of the Long Beach Cambodian-Americans and the personal freedoms enjoyed by all citizens under the United States law.

Official Cambodian delegations participating in past parades and celebrations have included: H.E. Than Pok (Former-Secretary of State of Ministry of Education), H.E. Vora Kanthoul (Secretary of State of Ministry of Foreign Affairs), H.E. Sin Neung (Former-Parliament Member), H.E. Song Chhang (Former-Senator and current Advisor to the Royal Government), H.E. Dr. Widhya Chem (Former-Ambassador to UN and current Ambassador to Germany). Also participated from the economic and nongovernmental sectors, Mr. Sokha Kem (Former-Director of NGO Center for Human Rights), and Representatives from Cambodian Rice Miller Association and Small and Medium Size Enterprises.

While we acknowledge the current Cambodian government is not perfect, we follow the example demonstrated by Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, promoting constructive dialogue and advocating change through peacefull means.

Regardless of the Cambodian government's political party affiliation, we will continue to invite official Cambodian delegations to participate in the parade. We promote freedom, democracy, and free trade activity in Cambodia by presenting the best of the American value system in action.

We welcome all participants who believe in our objectives. We will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on race, color, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion or political affiliation. We also prohibit discrimination based on any other factor prohibited by federal, state or local law.

Long Beach Mayor dismissed Sok An’s invitation

Socheata Has addressing the Long Beach City Council (Photo: Angkor Borey)
Arun Thach addressing the Long Beach City Council (Photo: Angkor Borey)
Paline Soth addressing the Long Beach City Council (Photo: Angkor Borey)
Navy Phim addressing the Long Beach City Council (Photo: Angkor Borey)
Frank and Ratana Lim addressing the Long Beach City Council (Photo: Angkor Borey)

04 March 2008
By Ly Diep
Excerpt from Angkor Borey – Khmer Voice Overseas
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

In the evening of 04 March 2008, at the meeting room of the Long Beach city council, under the presence of a group of about 30 Cambodian-Americans who oppose the presence of Mr. Sok An at the inauguration for the opening of Cambodia Town, Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster clearly indicated that his office did not issue any invitation letter to “anyone” in Cambodia to participate in any event taking place in Long Beach.

Mayor Bob Foster made this declaration after 5 community activists (Socheata Has, Arun Thach, Paline Soth, Navy Phim and Frank) addressed the city council about the displeasure of Long Beach Cambodian-Americans, as well as other Cambodians from all over the world, to the opportunistic use of “Cambodia Town,” which has just been officials recognized by the city of Long Beach on 03 July 2007, to serve to spread the political influence of the Hun Sen government, and in particular, to spread the influence of the Cambodian People Party (CPP) among various Cambodian communities overseas.

In the name of Cambodian-American activists who oppose Sok An, Ms. Socheata Has handed over a petition bearing more than 1,100 signatures to the city. Tonia Reyes Uranga, District 7 councilwoman, asked the question to the mayor about this invitation. Dee Andrews, District 6 council member, also asked: “If the mayor (did not issue the invitation), could it be that his deputy did?” (Dee Andrews wanted to point to Bonnie Lowenthal, District 1 city councilwoman and the deputy of the mayor. Everybody knows that she is a close friend of lawyer Evan Braude, a member of the Cambodian Town delegation who met with Sok An in Cambodia). Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal immediately answered that she did not invite such person.

Therefore, it is still unknown who was the person who actually made the invitation. However, Mayor Bob Foster promised that he will find the truth on the event that took place, as well as the misuse of his name (to make the invitation).

It should be noted that, during the Long Beach council meeting, I (Ly Diep) asked Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga to help arrange for a request for a city authorization to hold a demonstration against Mr. Sok An’s inauguration of Cambodia Town and his presence of the Cambodian New Year parade. She ordered one of her employees to take me to meet Mr. Phil T. Hester, Director of the Department of Park, Recreation & Marine. Mr. Hester told me that there was no problem, he will make the arrangement to issue this authorization to me.

Long Beach City is home to the largest group of Cambodian political refuges overseas since 1975, after Cambodia turned into a savage “Killing Fields” in the world at the end of the 20th Century. In addition to other surrounding cities, the number of Cambodian refugees amounts to more than 100,000. Along Anaheim Blvd, which divides Cambodia Town in two, there are several Cambodian shops and restaurants which attract customers from all over the place. If one were to drive along this street, one feels as if it is located inside a small Phnom Penh also.

The idea of forming “Cambodia Town” came in 2000 by Mr. Lee Bunny (Harrison Lee), a former Cambodian Air Force pilot, and 2-3 of his close friends. In 2001, Mr. Lee Bunny decided to hold a meeting to obtain the public opinion. The result of the meeting indicated overwhelmingly that the Cambodian community has reached a point where it wanted its own town, just like other nationalities (Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, Japanese, etc…) who immigrated here. Chinatown, Little Saigon, Thai Town, Korean District, Little Tokyo all existed already, with the exception of Cambodia town. At the beginning, there was opinion exchange about the selection of the Cambodia Town name, a number of Cambodian people asked to choose the name Little Phnom Penh, but the majority asked to select Cambodian Town instead, as it stresses on the country rather than the capital.

We take this opportunity to thank and to praise Mr. Lee Bunny (Harrison Lee) who came up with this idea, and who put a lot of effort, such as going door to door with his wife, going store to store, to collect more than 4,000 signatures to form “Cambodia Town.”

At the official recognition of “Cambodia Town,” Mr. Lee Bunny became an Advisory Council member of the “Cambodian Town, Inc.” organization. In the past few weeks, he expressed his displeasure on the executive committee of “Cambodia Town, Inc.” which took action opposite to the original idea for the formation of Cambodia Town, and he resigned from his position as Advisory Council member of “Cambodia Town, Inc.” (In fact, among the 10 founding members of this organization, 8 have already resigned, and more recently, Mr. Phillip Thong, “Cambodia Town Inc.” first vice-chairman, also asked to resign from the board of directors also) because of internal dissension. According to Mr. Lee Bunny, the original idea for forming Cambodia Town was to push for the development of the Cambodian community in Long Beach, in terms of commercial and cultural developments, similar to other minority groups. There was no intention of pushing “Cambodia Town” into the political arena in any way shape and form.

Cambodian immigrant shares hardships

Navy Phim during a book exhibit

3/4/08
By Virginia Huitrado
Talon Marks (Student newspaper at Cerritos College, Norwalk, Calif., USA)

"I am an earth child in Cambodia," is one of the lines in Navy Phim's biography entitled "Reflections of a Khmer Soul," about her life and finding who she is in Cambodia.

She presented the book to students, Tuesday in S201. She said it took one year to write and was published in August 2007 through Wheatmark Publishing.

A Khmer is a Cambodian citizen.

The book explains her being born in the killing fields, being a refugee in Cambodia and living in America.

She tries to understand Cambodia and why something like killing the fields took place.

She also has pictures of her life in Cambodia with her family in her biography.

She left Cambodia in 1979 when she was 4 years old and her first visit back to Cambodia was in 1998 when she was about 20 years old.

She now lives in Long Beach, where she's been living since 1990.

Long Beach has one of the biggest Cambodian populations in the U.S.

There are two main big events that happen in Long Beach for Cambodians.

One event which is Cambodian New Year that is held in Long Beach at El Dorado park, and Long Beach gave them the day to have a parade on Anaheim Street to celebrate and have a good time.

To learn more about Navy Phim, or if you are interested in reading her biography, go to her web site: www.navyphim.com.

In response to the article in the Downtown Gazettes

On Monday, February 25, 2008, the Downtown Gazettes published an article entitled, Controversy Surrounds Cambodian Parade

Below are 2 letters to the editor in response to it:

Dear Editor,

I want to thank you for including an article about the controversy over Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister’s Sok An appearance in the upcoming Cambodian New Year Parade. I would like to respond to a few of the comments in it. First is a comment by Heam that “Cam-CC has done its best to answer Phim’s questions and address her concerns.” After CAM-CC invited us to a closed-door meeting, my colleague sent an email asking that the meeting be open to the community and that a town hall meeting would be more appropriate. I also responded to the email on February 5 and asked three basic questions, 1) What organization and/or person issued the invitation? 2) If it is Sister Cities of Long Beach, who within that organization issued the invitation and what is the requirement and procedure for approval? 3) Was there a discussion within the Board of Cam-CC and the New Year Parade committee before the invitation was issued?

CAM-CC never responded to or acknowledged our emails and to date, has not answered those questions. For Heam to say that they have done their best is very sad indeed when their best is to ignore and pretend that it is only a handful of people who are creating this controversy.

The controversy over this invitation was raised by members of the community even before I knew about it and a petition was already being circulated before I posted the online petition. Beside myself and a group of my colleagues, there are many different Cambodian organizations, such as the Cambodian Veterans and the Killing Fields Memorial Center that are against it. Members from these organizations alone would surpass the few handfuls that Heam mentioned.

In addition, this invitation appears to be in direct violation of the parade committee’s own parade entry rules:

1. All entries should have a positive theme which respects diversity, is non-controversial, and does not advocate any political candidate.

Mr. Sok An’s participation in the parade (in an election year—2008 Cambodian elections) is the very definition of a political and controversial entry, as evidenced by the community response.

The delegation that went to Cambodia took it upon themselves to issue this invitation without discussing it with the community first even though the New Year Parade is a community event. There are board members within CAM-CC who are against this invitation and are embarrassed by it.

One of the objectives of CAM-CC as stated in their bylaws is (b) To provide community leadership through consensus building activities, needs assessments, and effective programming. There was no consensus with this invitation at the board level or at the community level.

After violating their own parade entry rules and their objectives, they continue to disregard the community by refusing to rectify it.

Sincerely,

Navy Phim

-----------------

Dear Editor,

Mr Heam side tracked the issue by stating “I don’t think he [Mr. Sok An] is a controversial figure.” It is the hast, unsound decision of the Cam-CC delegation to Phnom Penh to invite officials of a corrupt and oppressive government that stirs up the controversy within the Cambodian community in Long Beach.

I find it excruciating to read Heam’s statement “These are speculations of human right violations?” when there are over decades of reports on Cambodia from multitude of sources. I guess it is ignorance like Heam’s statement within the Cam-CC leadership that leads to controversy and division within the Cambodian community like the 2005 parade where Cam-CC unilaterally charged ahead with April 17 despite repeated warning from elder members of the community that it should be a mourning date to commemorate love one and fallen veterans. Now, like the April 17 date in 2005, the Cam-CC board still charged ahead with their unsound decisions without regard to the community.

Sincerely

Ratana Lim

Controversy Surrounds Cambodian Parade [-Cam-CC Borann Heam: "I don’t think (Sok An) is a controversial figure" -sic!-]

Feb. 25, 2008
By Carla M. Collado
Staff Writer
Downtown Gazette (Long Beach, California, USA)

For additional info, visit: www.StopSokAn.com
Click here to sign petition to block Sok An's appearance in Cambodia Town

Plans for its largest annual celebration this April have Long Beach’s Cambodian community divided.

At issue is a scheduled appearance at the Cambodian New Year Parade by Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, who some in the community say they feel represents (and works for) one of the most corrupt governments in the world.

“He’s representing a government that is very corrupt, that oppresses people and violates so many human rights,” said Navy Phim, a resident who is leading the charge to rescind Sok An’s invitation and is circulating a petition protesting his appearance. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to put this person in a celebration.”

According to Borann Heam — vice president of the Cambodian Coordinating Council (Cam-CC), which organizes the parade — the decision to invite Sok An was part of an effort to start an open dialogue with the Cambodian government. With the United States continuing to do business with Cambodia, and with Long Beach’s Cambodian community being the largest outside of Cambodia, it is beneficial to establish that kind of dialogue with the country’s leaders, Heam said.

The delegation of local groups that visited Phnom Penh in December 2007 — including members of Cam-CC, Long Beach/Phnom Penh Sister Cities, Cambodia Town, Inc. and some Long Beach City Council members — first met with U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia Joseph Mussomeli, Heam explained. At Mussomeli’s recommendation that Cambodian-Americans engage the Cambodian government more, the delegation extended invitations to all government leaders to attend the New Year Parade, he added.

“This is an open invitation to anyone in the Cambodian government,” Heam said. “We’re not excluding any one party.”

When delegation members ran into Sok An, they personally invited him to the Long Beach event and he accepted, he said.

Phim said that Sok An’s participation in the parade also makes Long Beach appear to be taking sides in Cambodian politics, as it is a parliamentary election year in Cambodia (July) and Sok An is running for reelection in the ruling Cambodian People’s Party. She is now pushing for Cam-CC to organize a town hall meeting so residents can express their opinions on Sok An’s visit.

“It’s very important for everyone to express their concerns, not only in Cambodia Town but in all of Long Beach,” Phim said. “It (his visit) reflects on everybody in the city.”

Phim said she has gathered about 1,000 signatures through her online petition protesting Sok An’s visit (the petition is addressed to Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster and Cam-CC), and that there are other Cambodian groups circulating petitions as well.

She said she voiced her concerns at a Jan. 31 meeting of Cam-CC’s parade planning committee, but that committee members told her she was simply trying to make Sok An seem controversial when he’s not. Phim later was invited to speak at Cam-CC’s Feb. 10 board meeting and allowed to bring four people total, but declined the invitation.

“Four people don’t represent the whole community,” she said.

Heam said Cam-CC has done its best to answer Phim’s questions and address her concerns, and added that he understands why some Cambodian residents are worried about Sok An’s participation in the parade.

“There are speculations of human rights violations and a lot of corruption is linked to his name,” Heam said. “I don’t think he is a controversial figure. It’s just very sad that a few people are taking this opportunity to label certain figures controversial.”

Heam said Cam-CC encourages residents to express their opinions, as long as it is in a peaceful and nonviolent manner.

“We respect everyone’s opinion in the community,” he said. “People have the right to freedom of speech and if they feel that he is a controversial figure, then that’s okay. We encourage the community to engage with us.”

However, Cam-CC currently does not feel that it needs to revoke Sok An’s (or anyone else’s) invitation to the parade, and the community needs to respect that decision, Heam added.

Heam explained that Cam-CC has public meetings every month to update the community on plans for the New Year Parade and celebration, as it is the community’s largest event of the year. He said if residents organize a town hall meeting, the group would gladly attend to hear concerns.

He stressed the fact that Cam-CC has not decided whether Sok An will do more than just ride in the parade, and assured that the Cambodian leader will not get any special treatment.

The Fourth Annual Cambodian New Year Parade will take place April 6 along Anaheim Street (from Junipero Avenue to Orange Avenue), and the Cambodian New Year Celebration will take place April 12 at El Dorado Regional Park. Each event draws about 15,000 visitors.

To voice concerns over Sok An’s participation in the parade, e-mail Cam-CC at board@cam-cc.org. To sign Phim’s petition, visit www.stopsokan.com.

By the People, For the People

Op-Ed by Justin C. Sok
February 2008

Last year, I had the opportunity to join with thousands of spectators to witness the Cambodian New Year parade. The parade was on the Anaheim street corridor, Long Beach, California. It stretched between Junipero Avenue and Orange Avenue.

Under the cloudy and gloomy sky, the weather at the moment was somewhat chilly with light winds. The sky was masked in thin dark clouds that appeared to linger, which was an ominous sign of impending rain. As the clock was ticking closer to the commencement of the parade, the Buddhist monks were chanting loudly with Pali and Sanskrit languages (Sot-thor) became more persistent. The Buddhist monks chanted, prayed, and began using a brush-like item, made from tree branches and leaves to splash the holy water at the committee members, staff, and volunteers and blessed them with good luck and prayed the parade to be a success. The Buddhist monks chanted to commemorate and prayed farewell to the old Thevada for having brought the people in the city through out the year in good spirits and prosperity. In addition, the Buddhist monks were also chanting to welcoming the new Thevada for the New Year hoping that the Thevada for this New Year would bring people good luck, prosperity, harmony, and unity.

Fortunately, a change in the wind had pushed off the haze and the sky became clear, which allowed the radiance of sun to shine through to instill people with warmth and hope. All of the sudden, we could hear people effervesced into cheers, which signaled that the parade would soon to begin.

Like drawing hummingbirds to flowers, the parade had brought thousands of diverse ethnic groups of people from within the city and as well as from other communities. The parade was lined with thousands of spectators cheering from both sides of the street. The people were pleasant and greeted one another. Some were sitting down, some were standing, and some people were slithering through the crowd in search of friends and families. Some small children were on their fathers’ shoulders for bird’s eyes view, and some other small children were sound asleep in their strollers, awaken once in a while to the loud cheers of the crowd. Some teenage children were trying to work their way through the crowd to the front for a better view of the floats. The peddlers were pacing back and forth on the street, yelling out selling their candies and toys, and promotional products such as New Year t-shirts, umbrellas, mats, paintings, and flags (American and Cambodian).

At the parade announcement booth, sound systems were blaring out Khmer music – Rom Vong, Saravann, Lam Leov, Rom Kbach, and some other Khmer New Year songs, etc. The parade was spectacular and the people were enthusiastically cheering as each float slowly passed by. I held the American flag in one hand and the Cambodian flag on the other. The flags were fluttering in the light wind, which symbolized the hope and dream for Khmer solidarity. Some people were waving their flags at the floats and screaming out, “Happy New Year!” and some people were dancing along with the music.

There were many community organizations from diverse ethnic groups that participated in the parade. The parade had over seventy floats. The Cambodian floats were decked out superbly with Khmer fabrics – Silk, Hol, and Pa-moung, and variety of colorful flowers. Each float had it own distinctive Khmer style. I enjoyed them all, especially, a group of Khmer men dressed up in the Khmer Angkorian era, Khmer women dressed up in traditional Khmer Sarong attire (Chong Pong), wearing leis, and carrying clay pots on their waists. A group of Khmer men dressed up in shorts were playing kick flying birdie game (Tort Sey). A group of Khmer elders dressed up in traditional farm attire and carried a bamboo sticks on their shoulders balancing bamboo buckets of palm juice on both ends.

As I watched the floats slowly passed by, my mind was also slowly reeling back into the past. I ruminated and reminisced about Cambodia and had flashbacks. It was not long ago that our Khmer people were living in a dark abyss. Although I was a young child, but I still have a vivid memories about the atrocities committed during the four years and eight months under the claws of the Black-clad Orders, Inc. It was not a dream or like in an animated movie. It was real. For centuries, Khmer people had suffered enormously. Our hopes, dreams and spirits were once shattered by carpet bombings, the Viet Cong, the invasion by the South Vietnamese, the Black-clad Orders, the invasion by the Hanoi government, the torture of our people in Thailand, and the civil war up to the late eighties. It happened so sudden that before I realized, I found tears filling my eyes and flowing down on my cheeks. I soon realized I was also one in among the survivors of the deadly storm, “The Killing Fields”. The parade had captured the attention of the world. It was a moment that we had spruced up of our Khmer culture image and to strut off of our Khmer pride.

I would like to take this window of opportunity to thank community organizations such as the Long Beach-Phnom Penh Sister Cities, the Cam-CC, the Cambodian American Chamber of Commerce, the committee members and their staff, the Cambodian student organizations, volunteers, the Hispanic community, the African American community, the Hmong community, the Long Beach Police Department and the Long Beach Fire Department, the Long Beach City council members, and the Honorable Mr. Bob Foster, Mayor of the City of Long Beach, for their continued support, dedication, and commitment for the annual Cambodian Cultural Parade. Most importantly, I would like to thank our Cambodian and Cambodian American people who are residing in Long Beach, and as well as the Cambodian people around the world, for their wholehearted cooperation and deep debt of gratitude to them for all their support, patience, and whose enthusiasm that provided the foundation for our voices.

The time is winding down and the Cambodian New Year is once again, fast approaching, and the spirit of our Cambodian New Year Celebration is here. I, and as well as, our Cambodian people that are living here and abroad, are anxiously anticipating for our big Celebration. Yes, the Cambodian New Year Celebration of April 13, 14, and 15! We are filled with excitement and anticipation.

I am optimistic that the annual Cambodian New Year Cultural Parade this year will sure to proceed as planned. But it would not happen without to wade through a horn of dilemma. After an officially approved and registered Cambodia Town in July of 2007, there was an avalanche of speculation and tidings that there were some committee members, with their own hidden agenda, that had gone overboard to invite His Excellency Mr. Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in charge of the Council of Ministers, as the Representative of the Royal Government of Cambodia, is scheduled to participate in the Cambodian New Year Cultural Parade and the ribbon cutting (inauguration) of Cambodia Town in April 2008. There have been rumors circulating in the Cambodian community that some committee members had exercised poor judgment when they invited His Excellency Mr. Sok An to participate in the Cambodian New Year Cultural Parade. The small lapse of their judgment has, indeed, amplified a tidal wave of disapproval from the Cambodian American community and as well as the Cambodian people around the world.

To my knowledge, it is a fair generalization to state that the annual Cambodian New Year Cultural Parade and Cambodia Town was established by the voices of the Cambodian and Cambodian American people that are residing in Long Beach. And we have the strong support of the Hispanic and African American communities, the local businesses, and other community organizations. The Cambodian New Year Cultural Parade and Cambodia Town was not established by a few Cambodian Community Congress delegates who claimed to represent Cambodian people living overseas. In the spirit of cooperation and fairness, this issue is being presented here for our concerned public and it is indeed, a thorny issue, which the public should be aware of. It is also fair to say that the Cambodian public, in general, would neither oppose any of the objectives of the annual Cambodian New Year Cultural Parade nor would we object to the proposal of inviting of any dignitary to participate in the inauguration of Cambodia Town. We, the Cambodian and Cambodian American people would want to embrace cultural diversity and would want to contribute to any possible action to help make the quality of life here in the city of Long Beach better (safe and secure, attract tourism, encourage cultural diversity, and economic and social development). More importantly, the Cambodian and Cambodian American people would want to make informed decisions about our heritage, cultural values, and ethnic pride.

However, it is outrageous and despicable to learn that the CCC delegates had made a decision to invite His Excellency Mr. Sok An to participate in the inauguration of Cambodia Town without an attempt to issue any public statement and/or hold any formal community forum or Town Hall meeting to open this issue for discussion and to receive input from the community. It is crystal clear that the delegates had undermined the people’s power and had completely disregarded the importance of the public opinion of the Cambodian community.

In late January 2008, a group of Koun Khmer intellectuals led by Ms. Navy Phim had attempted to create a dialogue with the board and/or committee members. Ms. Phim and her associates were invited to a meeting and they were not well received, however. The meeting was brief and the discussion was like “passing around the hot potato.” No one knew or could explain and/or elaborate about as to who had initiated the idea on the issue of the invitation. Instead, some committee members were steadfastly denied and provided a sketchy explanation. The verbal-knife throwing arguments started when Ms. Phim pressed the issue of the invitation, human rights violations, and corruptions of the Cambodian government. The next thing Ms. Phim and her associates realized was, they had gone frog-sticking without a light. The committee members refused to discuss the matter further and invited Ms. Phim and her associates to leave. When Ms. Phim and her associates did not leave, they left, turned off the lights, and closed the door. How selfish, unprofessional, and uncivilized they were!

It is may be to the few that shared the same umbilical cords and have political affiliations to the Phnom Penh government but this is America. As the citizens of this country, Ms. Phim and her associates, the Cambodian public, and I, have our constitutional rights to participate and to have our voices heard. The parade will go on but the floats will set sail in high winds and uncharted waters. The Cambodian public is rightfully demanding a public hearing on the issue of the invitation and is planning to hold a peaceful demonstration if requested is ignored.

For additional info: http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2008/02/pursuing-dialogue.html

Pursuing Dialogue

February 5, 2008
A report by Navy Phim
Originally posted at Navy's Blog

Please post your comments at Navy's Blog by clicking here

Did you sign the petition to block Sok An's appearance in Long Beach New Year Parade yet? If not, please click here to sign it online

According to a press telegram article on December 26, 2007, the delegations that invited Deputy Prime Minister Sok An to participate in the Cambodian New Year parade included Cambodia Town, Sister Cities of Long Beach, the Cambodian Coordinating Council and the Cambodian New Year Parade Committee. I emailed a board member of Cambodia Town for a contact point to express concerns over the invitation and she informed me that the invitation was given by Sister Cities of Long Beach, not Cambodia Town.

I checked the website of Sister Cities, which shows Richer San as Vice-Chair and Cultural Liaison and the Chairperson representing Phnom Penh. He is also on the Advisory Council of Cambodia Town. According to the Cam-CC website, Richer San is the Vice-President and he is also the event co-chair for the Cambodian New Year Parade Committee.

It is unclear who has issued the invitation. At this point, regardless of who is responsible for the invitation, we are interested in talking to the committee that can listen to our concerns and revoke the invitation. We decided to contact the New Year Parade committee since they are responsible for putting the event together. On the Cambodian New Year Parade website, the person who was listed as a contact person is Nancy Prerk, Parade Coordinator.

On January 28th and January 29th, we sent email to Nancy, Richer San and a few other members of the community who may be interested in having a dialogue on the issue.

Below is the email that we sent:

We are writing to ask your reconsideration of Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An’s appearance at this year’s annual Long Beach Cambodian New Year Parade.

For over a decade, Cambodia has been under the administration of Prime Minister Hun Sen, a government that has violated an incalculable multitude of human rights with impunity since 1997, so much so that they have simply ceased to meet with the latest United Nations rights envoy this past December. Cambodia has one of the most corrupt governments in the world today, ranked 162nd out of 180 nations according to Transparency International (180 being most corrupt). This is as far from “perfect” a government as one can get.

We are deeply shocked and appalled that the right hand man of such a government has been invited to parade himself in an event purported to celebrate diversity, community, and personal freedom. How does one celebrate these values by welcoming the very figure that is a perpetrator against them? What community and freedom are our brothers and sisters celebrating in Cambodia , where Mr. Sok An and colleagues rule the people with forced evictions and rampant land grabs, where simple freedom of expression is met with incarceration and death?

In a press release on January 9, 2008, the parade committee stated: “[We] believe in open dialogs and making changes through peaceful means as taught by Dr. Martin Luther King.” We do not believe a parade is an appropriate venue for having such dialog. While Dr. Martin Luther King met with opposition figures to create open dialog and further understanding, we cannot imagine he would have invited members of the Ku Klux Klan to participate in a parade celebrating the African-American community as a means of opening this dialog.

In addition, the invitation appears to be in direct violation of parade entry rules:

1. All entries should have a positive theme which respects diversity, is non-controversial, and does not advocate any political candidate

Sok An’s participation in the parade (in an election year—2008 Cambodian elections) is the very definition of a political and controversial entry, as evidenced by the community response, which has been covered in the press.

Many Cambodians across the nation look forward to coming to Long Beach’s parade. Now many Cambodians all across the nation are deeply disturbed and dismayed by this turn of events. We understand and appreciate your work in bringing the community together. However, we simply ask that you do not tear asunder the very community that you are trying to serve.

We implore your understanding and compassion in this matter and fervently hope you will rescind Mr. Sok An’s unfortunate invitation.

Nancy Prerk replied to the email informing us that she was only the coordinator for the event and does not make decision concerning the issue. She said she would forward our email to the committee who make the decision. In the meantime, she invited us to attend the meeting on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008.

At this meeting, we stood up to make points based on the email that was already sent. We raised the issue of the human rights violations by the Cambodian government and their officials and the violation of the parade entry rule when the invitation was issued. The first point was sidestepped and the second was met with blatant denial. It is frustrating to say the least, when your opposition denies what is in front of them. The debate became heated and voices were raised. At first, we were too shocked to respond to the [equivocation] of what is common knowledge concerning the Cambodian government and their policy of abusing human rights. Richer San quickly adjourned the meeting and shut the door on the dialogue, but we continued to make our points as people filed out of the meeting and a few more responses were thrown at us before they exit the building in haste.

We were told that we should not use words like corruptions and violation of human rights unless we have proof of it. We included the statistic that was given by Transparency International (180 being most corrupt), which ranked Cambodia 162nd out of 180. Who is Transparency International? It is the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption, brings people together in a powerful worldwide coalition to end the devastating impact of corruption on men, women and children around the world.

Global Witness has plenty of articles on the issue of corruptions in Cambodia: http://www.globalwitness.org/index.php

As for human right violations, refusing to meet with the human rights envoy is an act that reveals much about the administration of the Cambodian government and the lack of value placed on standards set by the international community on human rights issues.

In this article, the title “For Cambodians, fear is a way of life” speaks volume on the situation of human rights in Cambodia:

CAMBODIA: University lecturer is allegedly dismissed for writing a book that is critical of government
http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2006/1933/
http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2006/1958/

CAMBODIA: Government’s alleged attack on three labor union activists
http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2006/1845/
http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2006/1902/

CAMBODIA: A journalist convicted for exposing alleged corruption of the deputy prime minister
http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2006/1982/

This article discusses the unfair trial and police brutality of forced confession through torture: http://blogs.amnesty.org/blogs/write4rights/2006/10/31/1162303620000.html

What I have listed are just a few examples of injustices that is committed under the current government where Sok An is the Deputy Prime Minister, including one where the Deputy Prime Minister himself was directly named and involved. The current administration in Cambodia has continued to violate key human rights issues that make democracy function, especially free press.

The violation of the entry rule was also met with denial by the parade committee. We were able to furnish the entry form after a bout of heated exchange.

1. All entries should have a positive theme which respects diversity, is non-controversial, and does not advocate any political candidate

We emphasize that a figure of a corrupt government that violate human rights is controversial and since this is an election year in Cambodia, there is political implication in inviting him to a parade in a Cambodian community overseas. It may look as though Cambodians overseas support the government of Cambodia and all its injustices. Our position that Sok An is a controversial figure fell on deaf ears with demand for proofs.

I am aware that members of the Cambodian government have always been included in the parade. However, there is a big difference between inviting a member of the Cambodian government from different ministries versus inviting and parading the second man in power who is directly involved with making and effecting policy. For the last three parades, when a member of the Cambodian government come by in their float, my thoughts become sober as I think of the people in Cambodia and the oppression they live under. In last year’s parade, as one of the float was passing by with a member of the CPP government on it, people around me asked each other “Isn’t that the former president of UCC who embezzled money, ruined the organization’s credibility and ran off to Cambodia to become a minister?” I cannot verify this information, but if there is truth in it, I wonder why the committee saw it fitting to include him. Are we that lacking in inspirational figures to parade in our New Year celebration that we would include someone like that?

After the brief exchange we had with the parade committee, we received an invitation by the CAM-CC board to attend a close-door meeting with a request for us to bring only four people to their meeting. We do not believe this is the right venue for discussion. A town hall meeting that is open to the public is needed because we are not the only ones who want to express our feeling on the issue.

I sent an email to the board explaining this point and asked for clarification of the ambiguity surrounding the origins of the invitation. These are the questions I posted to the board:

1. What organization and/or person issued the invitation?
2. If it is Sister Cities of Long Beach, who within that organization issued the invitation and what is the requirement and procedure for approval?
3. Was there a discussion within the Board of Cam-CC and the New Year Parade committee before the invitation was issued?

I believe this type of decision should be transparent as it affects everyone in the community. I am awaiting the response from the committee(s).

I encourage anyone who has question concerning the invitation and the committee’s decision to email them directly. Their email can be found on their website under contact.

THE FUSION GENERATION: Long Beach artists born during the Killing Fields share their lives through music and literature

Prach Ly on stage

Navy Phim signing her books

THE FUSION GENERATION: Long Beach artists born during the Killing Fields share their lives through music and literature.

By Tiara Delgado
for the Khmer Post

Born during the Killing Fields… with childhood memories of Thai refugee camps.

They are the fusion generation. A fusion of two cultures. They are the middle generation of Khmer-Americans now in their late-20’s to early 30’s. Unlike older siblings who have extensive memories of Cambodia before and during the genocide, the fusion generation has limited or no memory of Cambodia. Unlike younger siblings born into peace and privilege, the fusion generation struggled with their parents to survive as refugees in their new American society.

Two young Long Beach artists from the fusion generation have chosen to share their lives with the world. One artist through music. One artist through literature. Both have incredible tales to tell. Their messages connect not only with Khmer communities but will resonate with audiences worldwide.

PRACH LY – Rap Artist – Dalama 3: Memoirs of an Invisible War


Prach Ly was born in 1979 at the end of the Killing Fields. His family made their way across landmine infested jungles to a refugee camp at the Thai border. After being sponsored to the US he struggled to survive the mean streets of Long Beach, California. He blossomed into a talented rap artist, writing powerful lyrics about his family’s escape from Cambodia and the hardships of being a refugee youth.

Prach became a huge success in Khmer communities across the US and even caught attention of Newsweek and the LA Times. Although Prach had never been back to Cambodia his music made its way over to the Kingdom. Bootlegged copies sold like crazy bringing him to superstar status. His first album, Dalama- the Endin’ is just the Beginnin’ was released in 2001. His second album, Dalama 2 – the Lost Chapter was released in 2003. Since then he has been busy producing and developing new musical talent and creating music for film soundtracks. He also made two journeys back to Cambodia (his trip was the subject of an award-winning documentary.)

Dalama 3- Memoirs of an Invisible War is expected to be released no later then April 2008, in time for Cambodian New Year. His new album is highly anticipated because it is the last in the trilogy. “The music is more mature than the previous two albums. The lyrics are more fierce. I took off the gloves and put on brass knuckles,” says Prach. “The last two Dalamas were more about the Killing Fields and my past. This Dalama is more about the present and future… yet it doesn’t forget about the past or my roots.”

The new album is definitely harder and darker than the previous albums. Masterful lyrics draw the listener into a tortured past, a complex present and – ultimately - a hopeful future.

Prach explains, “This album is called Memoirs of an invisible war. Everyone’s got their own invisible war inside their mind. This album is about mine.” His music never contains lyrics degrading women, obscene language or glorified violence. While other rappers express their “invisible wars” about gang life, drugs and girls, Prach raps about the legacy of Pol Pot, contemporary Cambodian politics and the culture clash of his generation.

“Hells Gate” is a powerful track on Dalama 3 that recalls his family’s experience in refugee camps at the Thai border:

“My sister waits in line to get us some food
while my brothers and others search for firewood.
Or water or whatever they could get.
While my mama watch me; I wasn’t even a year yet.
No blankets, I was wrapped in a Khmer sheet.
Turned into a hammock, I sleep while the family eats.”

The mesmerizing drumbeat and haunting melody of this track make it destined to be an audience favorite. The lyrics are merciless in detail, describing life inside the Thai border camps.

“Lucky for us we were all OK. Not like the others losing arms and legs.
Stepping on bombs, grenades…”

The upcoming album has 13 songs in Khmer and 13 songs in English compiled into a double-disc CD. Each song is different (not translated) with its own story and message. It will be available in Khmer music stores nation-wide and possibly Tower records. It can also be purchased online at Prach’s website www.mujestic.com. CD’s can also be purchased directly from Prach if you catch up with him on tour. (Check his website for 2008 tour dates.)

The anticipated album hasn’t been without controversy. Certain songs have caught negative attention with the government in Cambodia. There are rumors that if those songs are released on Dalama 3 that Prach himself will be banned from Cambodia. “I owe it to the people in Cambodia to let them hear the music. If I give in to the threats it’s a lost cause,” Prach states. “I’ve got to complete the album. The music’s gotta be heard.”

NAVY PHIM – Author – Reflections of a Khmer Soul

Navy Phim was born April 9, 1975 – a week before the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh and turned Cambodia into a bloodbath. From 1979 – 1983 Navy and her family lived in Thai refugee camps. At age six she sold French bread in the camps while dodging menacing Thai soldiers. In 1984 Navy and her family arrived in the USA. Navy accomplished what most would consider to be the American Dream. She excelled in academics earning a Bachelors in Anthropology and English and a Masters in Counseling from Cal State Long Beach. She traveled the world visiting exotic lands such as India, Nepal, Peru, Costa Rica and Scotland. She also traveled four times to Cambodia.

“The kind of love, heartache, and pain I feel for Srok Khmer is deeply embedded within my soul; these feelings are suffused with glorious memories and stories that are real, even if they are stories and distant memories that may not even be mine” (Phim, page 47).

In 2007 Navy published her memoirs in a passionate and intriguing autobiography titled Reflections of a Khmer Soul. The book accounts the timeline of her compelling life: beginning with her 9-months pregnant mother fleeing from encroaching Khmer Rouge, through her childhood in refugee camps, to her upbringing in Long Beach and self-discovery as a young adult.

“… my soul feels poetically Khmer. The past 20 years have been a process of assimilating, eliminating, and accepting different aspects of Khmer and American cultures” (Phim, page 64).

Snippets of endearing memories and interesting historical facts add depth to the book. The author reveals her personal opinions about the Khmer Rouge, Communism, racism, religion, ethnic cleansing and other sensitive topics with bold honesty.

“Cambodia is the home of memories, the taste and scent of tropical fruits, the call of childhood… California is a home that provides many reasons to disregard Cambodia, but Cambodia is not easily forgotten” (Phim page 49).

Reflections of a Khmer Soul can be purchased through many retailers:

1. Directly from the publisher www.wheatmark.com.
2. Through online bookstores like Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Borders.
3. autographed copy from www.khmerhut.com.
4. At local coffee shops in Long Beach: Portfoilo Coffee House and NuArt Café.

The book has already received rave reviews by many top academic scholars across the country. Even with the growing success of her book, the author has remained humble and even contributes a portion of book sales to charitable fundraisers.

On October 20, 2007 Navy sold and autographed copies of her book at a cultural event held at CSULB. The public event - Cambodia 30 years after the Killing Fields - was hosted by the Dr. Haing S. Ngor Foundation. Excerpts from Navy’s book were read aloud. The audience, comprised of Khmer and non-Khmer- listened… captivated… contemplative. This book is highly recommended for audience of any ethnicity because it is ultimately a story about humanity. For more information please visit the author’s personal website www.navyphim.com.

A Response to the New Year Parade Statement

January 19, 2008
Opinion by Navy Phim
Orignally posted at: http://navyphim.com/blog/?p=147

Please post your comments on Navy's website also

On Wednesday, January 9, 2008, the Cambodian New Year Parade Committee had a meeting to continue the parade planning. At this meeting, they passed out a press release entitled “Objectives of Cambodian New Year Parade.” Even though the press release does not acknowledge the expressed outraged against the invitation given to Sok An, the Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, the language and points made in the writing functions as a rebuttal and justification for the invitation. The press release begins by discussing a policy of non-discrimination and the final paragraph opens with the statement, “We know that the current Cambodian government is not perfect, but we believe in open dialogs and making changes through peaceful means as taught by Dr. Martin Luther King.” The statement that the Cambodian government is not perfect is an allusion to and an acknowledgement of the destructive practices of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), a corrupt and oppressive government that is presently controlling Cambodia. To use the phrase “not perfect” to describe the CPP is an understatement. This is a government that has engaged in numerous violations of human rights and the oppression of the Cambodian nation including the murders of journalists who dared to speak against them. CPP polices have mistreated and used violence against villagers to evict them from their land. Having an official member of this government in the parade is tantamount to condoning their actions and turning a blind eye to the injustice that occurs in Cambodia, injustices that are committed by the current government.

A parade does not offer the opportunity to discuss or have “open dialog”. A discussion forum is needed for an open dialog to be possible and effective. If the Cambodian New Year Parade Committee and Cambodia Town is interested in creating an open dialog to encourage changes through peaceful means, they should create an event that is separate from the parade. In opening this dialog, they should invite CPP government officials, representatives from the Cambodian Center for Human Right (CCHR) (http://www.cchr-cambodia.org/en/), organizations that work to eliminate human right violations, and members of the community. The open dialog topics that need to be addressed with the government of Cambodia are human right issues and freedom of expression, to name a few. The CCHR has implemented many forums in Cambodia to engage in open dialogs and could provide recommendations on how to do this.

The parade is not a place for “open dialog” because it is not a forum discussion. The majority of the community is participating as spectator and the government official would be sitting on a float waving to spectators who are attending the parade to celebrate Cambodian New Year and culture. The people sitting in these floats should be inspirational figures who bring pride and joy to the community. A member of a corrupted government can only bring forth anger and resentment in a time for celebration.

The director of CCHR, Virak Ou received the 2007 Reeboks Human Rights Award for Young Activists for his human rights work in Cambodia. He was one of four recipients to receive the award worldwide. This is something that the Cambodian community is proud of and this is the person that should be invited to attend the Cambodian New Year Parade. He represents open dialog and change through peaceful mean. To learn more about his work, click on this link:

http://www.reebok.com/Static/global/initiatives/rights/awards/recipients/virak.html

I believe Dr. Martin Luther King would be willing to meet with oppositional figure to create open dialog and understanding, but I cannot imagine that he would invite members of the Ku Klux Klan to participate in a parade celebrating the African-American community as a mean of encouraging open dialog.

Below is the press release that the Cambodian New Year Committee passed out on January 9, 2008

Objectives of Cambodian New Year Parade

LONG BEACH, CA -The new Year Parade committee has a policy of non-discrimination for participation in the parade. The parade’s main objectives are to promote the Cambodian culture, area businesses, and particularly Cambodia Town. Political slogans and election campaigns are strictly prohibited.

We have followed the official US policy in dealing with the Cambodian government which is recognized by all nations in the world. We believe past parades have made major impacts on the participating Cambodian officials: to witness the joy and pride of Long Beach Cambodian-Americans, and the personal freedom that people enjoy under US laws. High Cambodian officials who have participated in the past parades and celebrations include: Sokha Kem (NGO Human Right Activists), H.E. Than Pok (former-secretary of state), H.E. Vora Khunthoul (Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs), H.E. Sin Neung (Parliament Member), H.E. Chang Song (Senator), H.E. Widhya Chem (Ambassador to UN), H.E. Sreywath Ek (Ambassador to USA), and Cambodian Rice Miller Association.

We know the current Cambodian government is not perfect, but we believe in open dialogs and making changes through peaceful means as taught by Dr. Martin Luther King. We will continue to invite the Cambodian government regardless of the officials’ political party to participate in the parade because the parade will help promote freedom and democracy in Cambodia.

A petition to protest the parade has been circulated online and within the community, but a group of my friends and colleagues have decided to create a shorter one. We also want to obtain the support of people outside of the Cambodian community and write the petition with them in mind as they may not know anything about Cambodia or the reasons for our protest. This is a human rights issues and it requires attention and support from all members of society.

Having more than one petition is acceptable. Even though, it serves the same purpose, people may want to express themselves differently. You can choose to sign either one or write your own. The existing petition can serve as a guideline.

Please download, sign the petition, and get as many signatures as possible:
http://navyphim.com/SokAnPetition.pdf

Email me for further instruction on where to send the petition:
navyphim@gmail.com

Reflections of a Khmer Soul: A review in the Gazettes My.Style

January 7, 2008

Navy's Blog
http://www.gazettes.com/khmersoul1072008.html
Please post your comments at the author's blog

BOOK REVIEW
“Reflections of a Khmer Soul”
Published Jan. 7, 2008

By K. Joy Wood
my.style Contributor

“Dear World,” begins Navy Phim’s memoir-like exploration of experiences, thoughts and questions. “I cannot fight and die for you, but I can speak a little on your behalf, examining the sentiments of war and the wasted blood that has spilled over you. I am an earth child rooted in Cambodia. I have lived a life that requests expression and understanding.”

It is this Cambodian-American’s journey to find personal expression and understanding that is Phim’s primary and passionate mission in her autobiographical debut, “Reflections of a Khmer Soul.” From recollections of her childhood in Cambodia to revelations of her current life in Long Beach, the author poignantly reflects on what it means to be of two different cultures, half a world apart, and to find meaningful reconciliation with historical tragedy as well as with the demands of modern living.

“I’ve tried to make sense out of where I came from in terms of the stigma of the Killing Fields, the issue of identity and the process of assimilation here in the states,” shares Phim. “I believe that sharing myself helps me connect to others, and my hope is that this book offers to Cambodians living in Long Beach, and to the greater community, a better understanding of how we live and how we want to participate in and contribute to our community.”

In addition to providing insights to her personal journey, Phim also offers a window to past and current conflict among Cambodians both in their native land and here in Long Beach. Her recollections include the April 2005 dispute about the date for a New Year’s parade in what is now Cambodia Town in Long Beach.

The initial date had coincided with the date that Khmer Rouge had claimed victory in Cambodia, leaving about one million people dead.

While the conflict was resolved with a date change, it stirred many issues within Phim, including her focus on humans and their biases.

“We need to remember to evaluate our own biases and perspectives, not only politically but even about what our idea of beauty is,” Phim states.

Indeed, not only does Reflections of a Khmer Soul examine local and international bias across multiple cultures, but also rhetorically questions the existence of cruelty among humankind; ultimately, she finds that pity overrides anger after discovering the often frail, bewildered souls beneath the exteriors of those who have committed atrocities against fellow beings.

The author closes with honoring the need for dignity and respect for all humans, rather than allowing the filling of shallow graves.

To purchase a copy of the book or for more details, visit www.navyphim.com. Phim frequently offers a percentage of her book sales for Cambodian-related fundraising and educational events, and she is available for speaking engagements.

Parade Controversy 2008

December 31, 2007
Op-Ed by Navy Phem
A Writer's Journey - Blogging Reflection

Please post your comments on the author's blog by clicking the link below:
http://navyphim.com/blog/?p=144

There is yet another controversy surrounding the Cambodian New Year parade in Long Beach. In 2005, it was because the chosen date happened to be April 17, which marked the 30th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge victory. People who opposed the date protested, held candle vigils and attended the city council meetings to request a date change. Even though, I did not protest the chosen date, I attended the meeting to listen to the opposition and tried to understand their views. The discussions that took place during the conflict were heated and many things could have been handled differently. The community was divided on the issue but the people who opposed the date organized themselves and made their point known. In the end, it was resolved and the community was able to come together to celebrate New Year and made the parade a success.

This year, the controversy is surrounding the invitation that was given to Sok An, a corrupted official in the Hun Sen government, to attend the parade by a delegation from Long Beach visiting Phnom Penh recently. The delegation included representatives from Cambodia Town Inc., Long Beach Sister Cities, the Cambodian Coordinating Council and the Cambodia New Year Parade.

The article can be read on the Press Telegram Website.

It was also posted in KI-Media and you can also read the comment on it.

I first read about it here and it is also being discussed.

Some years ago, after I was over my initial shock that there are Cambodian-Americans who supported the Hun Sen government, I tried to understand why. One of the answers is that it was a lesser evil than the Khmer Rouge regime, but evil is evil whether something else is more evil than it. I also noticed that some of the supporters have relatives in Cambodia who are government officials or rich individuals who greatly benefit from a government that exploits the poor. There are also those who values power and wealth at all cost whether it was obtained through corruption or exploitation. They are opportunists who will turn a blind eye to the suffering of others as long as they benefit. They support high-ranking officials in Cambodia and brag about staying at five-star hotel and how they know people with big mansion who are driven around Cambodia in limousine with bodyguards surrounding them at all times. It never occurred to them that those individuals are the destroyers of Cambodia and many of us do not admire who they know and what they do in Cambodia when we see them as blood-sucking leech.

As for the present conflict in Long Beach, it is providing the Cambodian community an opportunity to voice their opinions and inform our so-called community leaders who they represent. As individuals, if they support the Hun Sen government and want to kowtow or kneel down in front of Hun Sen and their cronies, they have the right to do it. They should do it in the privacy of their own house or when they are visiting Cambodia. In term of inviting them to the parade, this should be a community decision. These representatives should have taken the time to understand the people they represent and know how many of us would appreciate (or not appreciate) seeing members of Hun Sen government at our event. The community leaders may know someone personally and think the person is an inspirational figure, but the greater community may not and in those instance, they should also refrain from forcing these so-called inspirational figure on us.

The invitation has been given but with the petitions being circulated, we will know too how many of us do not want Sok An to be at our event. After seeing the result of the petition, I hope these leaders will amend their actions and listen to the people they represent.

I would be surprised if there is a higher number of people who would condone having Sok An at the parade. We’ll find out. For those who oppose, please sign the petition.

Reflections of a Khmer Soul - a book by Cambodian-American Navy Phim

Paperback, 5.5x8.5 in, 164 pages
Wheatmark, August 2007
ISBN: 9781587368615
Click here to purchase the book online

Endorsements

"In Reflections of a Khmer Soul, Navy Phim explores what it means to be a child of the ‘Killing Fields’ raised in the United States. In the thirty years since the Khmer Rouge came to power in Cambodia, many personal narratives of that horrific period have been written, but Navy offers a new point of view on this tragic story. Hers is the story of the middle generation growing up with, and trying to make sense of, two cultures and two worlds—the beauty and tragedy of her Cambodian past (her Khmer soul) and the comfortable restlessness of her American present. Through stories, memories, and ‘snippets,’ Navy shares her life journey from her birthplace in Battambang, Cambodia, to Kao-I-Dang refugee camp on the Thai-Cambodian border, to a refugee processing center in the Philippines, to Long Beach, California, home to the largest population of Cambodians outside Southeast Asia. Told from the perspective of a seasoned world traveler, this book offers a unique perspective on both Cambodian and American cultures and history. ”

—Dr. Susan Needham, associate professor, anthropology, California State University, Dominguez Hills

“Navy Phim brilliantly weaves a story of being Khmer and American like an intricate pattern of the Sampot Hole (Khmer Silk Skirt). Her narrative represents many Khmer-American voices of the post Khmer Rouge generation searching for identity. She writes with a candor and passion that expresses a faithful soul.”

—Sovathana Sokhom, former consultant to the United Nations in Cambodia

“With a passion for speaking the truth, Navy delivers a well-written book that touches on the global issues of political correctness, skin color, class status and socioeconomic background. Her narrative takes readers on a journey through her past and present and engages them on discussions of cultural diversity, spirituality, beauty and justice for all. I highly recommend this personal story of success and stigma faced by immigrants in America to educators of immigrant students.”

—Alex Morales, university instructor, multicultural education

Description

A lyrical journey of self-acceptance as the author questions and comes to term with the Killing Fields and other genocides. This journey involves traveling inside oneself and to a distant past to discuss what it means to be Khmer, a hyphenated American, and different misconceptions about Cambodians and Cambodia, a place that still haunts and inspires her.

About the Author

Navy Phim came to the United States in 1984 when she was nine years old. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1999 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Anthropology. She also received a Master of Science in Counseling, Student Development in Higher Education from California State University, Long Beach in December 2006. Navy is a world traveler and has returned to Thailand and Cambodia. She has also visited England, Scotland, India, Nepal, Peru, Mexico, Costa Rica and Canada.

To learn more about the author, the book and her future endeavors, visit:
http://www.navyphim.com.