Foreign Minister, Clinton Meet Amid Growing Rights Concerns - រដ្ឋ​មន្ត្រី ​ការបរទេស​ កម្ពុជា ​អាមេរិក ​ជួបគ្នា​ ខណៈ​ពេល ​មាន ​ការ​ព្រួយ​បារម្ភ ​ពី ​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស

Cambodia’s foreign minister met with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington on Monday. Photo: by Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer

Wednesday, 13 June 2012
Reporters, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC

“We want to see the US with better friends, rather than seeking friendship with dictators who constantly exploit the US."

Cambodia’s foreign minister met with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington on Monday, amid growing concerns over Cambodia’s rights record and complaints of election irregularities in polls last week.

Clinton will travel to Cambodia for a major Asean conference in Phnom Penh next month, where she said the US has “many issues to discuss.”

Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said after the meeting the Cambodia was seeking greater US investment in Cambodia.

“Cambodia hopes that the volume of US investment and trade between the two sides will increase over time,” the foreign minister told a forum at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, in Washington.

A group of Cambodian-American protesters gathered outside the State Department during the meeting, demanding the release of 15 demonstrators from prison and improved human rights.

Ou Kim Huot, a protester from Pennsylvania, said the relationship with Cambodia and US has improved, but Cambodia still must improve its rights record.

“We want to see the US with better friends, rather than seeking friendship with dictators who constantly exploit the US,” Ou Kim Huot said.

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ថ្ងៃពុធ, 13 ខែមិថុនា 2012

ដោយ ម៉ែន គឹមសេង វីអូអេ ខ្មែរ

ជំនួប​រវាង​​លោក​ហោ ណាំ​ហុង​ រដ្ឋ​មន្ត្រី ការបទេស​កម្ពុជា​​​ជាមួយ​នឹង​លោក​ស្រី​ហ៊ីលឡារី គ្លីនតុន​​កាលពី​ថ្ងៃ​អង្គារ​មាន​គោល​បំណង​ពង្រឹង​ទំនាក់​ទំនង​ការទូត​និង​ពាណិជ្ជកម្ម​រវាង​ប្រទេស​ទាំងពីរ​ប៉ុន្តែ​មន្ត្រី​នានា​បញ្ជាក់​ថា​ប្រទេស​ទាំងពីរ​ក៏​បាន​ពិភាក្សា​បញ្ហា​ផ្សេង​ទៀត​ក្នុង​នោះ​បញ្ហា​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​និង​ប្រាក់​បំណុល​ដែលកម្ពុជា​ជំពាក់​ផង​ដែរ។

លោក​ស្រី​ហ៊ីលឡារី គ្លីនតុនបាន​បញ្ជាក់​ប្រាប់​ក្រុម​អ្នក​រាយការណ៍​ព័ត៌មាន​នៅ​ឯ​ក្រសួង​ការបរទេស​សហរដ្ឋ​អាមេរិក​ថា​លោក​ស្រី​ក៏​នឹង​ត្រូវ​ទៅ​ចូល​រួម​កិច្ច​ប្រជុំ​ថ្នាក់​តំបន់​របស់​អាស៊ាន​​នៅ​ខែ​ក្រោយ​​បន្ត​ទៀត។

Cambodian-Americans protest against Comrade Ho 5 Hong in Washington DC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jIO0erZRiM

Demonstrations Planned for Hun Sen’s New York Visit

Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Washington, D.C Friday, 24 September 2010

Click here to listen to the audio program in Khmer (MP3)

A group of US Cambodians plans to stage a demonstration against the government on Friday, while Prime Minister Hun Sen is visiting New York for a US-Asean summit.

The protest comes as Hun Sen is expected to hold talks with Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva over an ongoing border dispute and while they and other Asean leaders are scheduled to meet with US President Barack Obama.

Michael Duong, the main organizer of the demonstration, said the government has failed to implement certain accords within the 1991 Paris Peace Agreement that would have shored up the border and prevented disputes.

Both sides have troops amassed along the border where each claims ownership of a 4.6-kilometer stretch of land west of Preah Vihear temple. And opposition lawmakers have said villagers have lost land in recent years to Vietnamese encroachment.

Demonstrators were expected from Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Philadelphia and New York, organizers said. The Cambodian Embassy in Washington declined to comment Friday.

Duong said demonstrators plan to protest other issues, including land grabs, evictions, deforestation, and corruption in oil and gas.

“Mostly, those in power make decisions within their group of a few people and share the benefits among themselves,” he said.

Cambodian-Americans and Cambodian-Canadians’ demonstration against Hun Xen’s regime

A group of woman-protesters (Photo: Michael Duong)

25 September 2010
By Chun Chanbotr
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Soy

During Hun Xen’s visit to New York for a meeting, Cambodian communities from a number of US states and from Canada held a demonstration in front of the UN headquarters as well.

KI-Media Note: The demonstrators were heard shouting: “Down with the thieves of the nation!”, “Down with the thieves who rob their own people's land!”, “Down with those who use the court to oppress human rights!”, “Down with the corrupt!”, “Down with the Viet stooges!”. A woman by the name of Thavary who was present in the demonstration said: “I want Mr. Hun Xen, the strongman, the ‘cheung khlang’ [thug] man who uses the law to sit on, to open his eye and look at the suffering of the people.” She then led the shouting: “Hun Xen's dictatorship will fail!”

Click here to listen to the audio program in Khmer (MP3)

In Chicago, US-Cambodians Seek Political Voice

A group of Cambodians met in Chicago over the weekend to discuss ways their community might receive more attention. (Photo: by Men Kimseng)

Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Chicago Wednesday, 28 July 2010

“Essentially, Cambodians should register to vote and go vote, all the time, from local to presidential elections.”

Although they face a raft of problems from health to education, US-Cambodians say they remain underrepresented by policy makers. A group of Cambodians met in Chicago over the weekend to discuss ways their community might receive more attention.

Participants told VOA Khmer they want better representation, but that requires a stronger, more unified voice within their communities.

“There are two reasons why Cambodian community don't get much support and understanding,” said Van Sar, an organizer of the Chicago forum. “This is because, first, we don't have representatives within the US leadership. Secondly, we don't have a strong, joint voice from our civil society organizations to influence US policy.”

The forum, the first of its kind, was organized by the Cambodian Association in Illinois and the Khmer Alliance Foundation, in conjunction with the National Cambodian American Health Initiative.

A low percentage of Cambodians take advantage of opportunities in the US. Just more than 10 percent of Cambodian high schoolers graduate, according to statistics at the forum.

“Those who know the real need of our children's education are we the parents,” said Boeuy Te, a member of the National Education Association.

Of the Cambodians who do graduate with advanced degrees, he said, few work in government institutions where they might push to improve the lives of fellow Cambodians.

Low political participation in general was also discussed at the forum.

“Essentially, Cambodians should register to vote and go vote, all the time, from local to presidential elections,” Siv Sichan, a former US ambassador to the UN, said. “Here if we want our voice heard, we have to be active. And if we just stay home, our voice won't be heard.”

There are approximately 270,000 Cambodians living in the US. Only 60,000 have become full US citizens. That means a wide majority do not have the right to vote, an important part of gaining political attention.

That said, the Chicago forum did draw Mike Quigley, a Democrat for Illinois in the US House of Representatives.

“It's not one act,” he told VOA Khmer. “I think it's a relationship that builds from here. We've been in DC for a year now. We've learned a little bit about how to get things done. So I think working with my district office here and in Washington, DC, we'll sit down as often as we need to to work out individual cases and broader issues. It's not one thing; it's a series of things.”

Backstage - by Stephane Janin

Originally posted at http://stephanejanin.com

Click here to watch Stephane's slideshow

Once again, the Cambodian American artists from the Washington DC area are on the road. On May 8, they traveled to Richmond, Virginia, to perform at a fundraising event. For the artists who were born in Cambodia, it’s another routine, performing a classical dance they have surely performed hundreds of times before. For the younger ones, born in the US, it’s a sort of maiden voyage, as this time they are performing a folk dance on their own. They have made the trip to Richmond by themselves, without the elder ones, carrying a legacy that was passed from generation to generation. Little fish growing bigger…

Cambodian-Americans petition to US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on the lifting of Sam Rainsy's immunity

November 18, 2009

The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State of the United States
U.S. Department of State
2201 C StreetNW
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Madam Secretary:

On November 16, 2009 the Cambodian National Assembly hastily convened to remove the parliamentarian immunity of Mr. Sam Rainsy, an elected law maker and head of the only respectable opposition party, for defending rights of farmers losing their rice fields to border encroaching neighbor.

This undoubtedly paves the way for more drummed up charges against Mr. Sam Rainsy. In a way Cambodia is under attack by its own government through willful negligence in preserving its territorial integrity and by persecuting its own citizens for standing up to defend rights of the people.

Earlier this year we followed the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission testimonies by three respected public figures from Cambodia with much interest and we are appreciative of the United States Congress for giving attention to the sad chapter in Cambodia's fledgling democracy.

Despite candid testimonies on many abusive accounts to the highest institution, the Cambodian government continues to shamelessly persecute its own citizens. America is a great democracy that world under-privileged citizens such as Cambodia look up to for hope and leadership.

Please do not leave them behind to defend themselves without a voice. Please condemn the coward acts of the Cambodian government for turning on its own citizens.

Sincerely yours,

Cambodian-American Community in America

Cambodian-American activist Chan En Hopson honored by the Conference for Equality and Justice

Conference for Equality and Justice will honor 3 activists in LB

09/10/2009
By John Canalis
Staff Writer
Long Beach Press Telegram

LONG BEACH - Three men and women known for work on behalf of struggling families, social causes and promoting greater understanding among races and religions will be feted next week by the California Conference for Equality and Justice.

The organization formerly known as the National Conference for Community and Justice, or NCCJ, will give its Gene Lentzner Human Relations Award to three people who have made "exceptional contributions to improving human relations at a grass-roots level in Long Beach."

The honorees are Chan En Hopson, founder and president of the Khmer Parent Association; Dora Jacildo, executive director of the Children Today; and the Rev. Sunshine Daye, a community activist.

Hopson founded the Khmer Parent Association in 1995 to help motivate Cambodian youths to pursue higher education. A survivor of Cambodia's Killing Fields era, she is also involved in health-related awareness campaigns in the Cambodian community.

"It's very meaningful because the CCEJ is a prestigious organization that is quite well known," Hopson said. "I am very honored and very humbled to receive this award."

Jacildo's work with Children Today focuses on running child-care centers for homeless children in North and West Long Beach.

"She is an amazing example of someone who not only works tremendously hard to oversee the curriculum, staff and programs that Children Today provides, she also works tirelessly in the Long Beach community to create awareness and partnerships that enrich the lives of homeless children in Long Beach," said Theresa Bixby, a board member of Children Today, of Jacildo.

Daye is identified as "a human advocate" who focuses on drug and alcohol recovery, HIV and AIDS awareness, gay and lesbian rights like marriage equality, and other social causes. She works with the Eastside's Namaste Science of Mind Center.

"It's one of the highest honors to get a Lentzner Award," Daye said of the award named for the man who has promoted tolerance through his work with the Jewish Federation of Long Beach and West Orange County. "Gene has been a local icon and an advocate. For me to get an award with his name on it is truly an honor for me."

Narong Ngeth and Francisco Rodriguez are to receive the CCEJ Anthony B. Rogers volunteer of the year award for CCEJ service. The laurel is named for the late Tony Rogers, who taught at Poly High School.

The CCEJ will also introduce its new board officers: Eleanor G. Aguilar, Bank of America; James Normandin, Memorial Medical Center Foundation; Avygail Sanchez, HDR Engineering Inc.; and Jim Zehmer, TABC Inc.

The CCEJ's stated mission is to eliminate bias, bigotry and racism by promoting understanding and respect among races, religions and cultures through education, conflict resolution and advocacy.

The CCEJ's 46th dinner begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m. - dinner is an hour later - at the Hyatt Regency, 200 S. Pine Ave., Long Beach. Guests are asked to RSVP today.

Tickets are $75. For information, call 562-435-8184.

john.canalis@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1273