More and More Cambodians Going Online for Advocacy, Blogger Says

Chak Sopheap, a Cambodian Web log user, or blogger, surfs her blog during the Cambodian Bloggers Summit in Phnom Penh.

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

Monday, 02 July 2012
Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC

“We see Internet surfers using it for sharing information and joining discussions on human rights and other social issues.”

Cambodian Internet users are increasingly going online for more than mere socializing, a popular blogger says.

Chak Sopheap, who is currently in the US on a blogging fellowship, says more and more Cambodians are using the Internet as a tool for advocacy, especially on issues of corruption and rights abuses.

Internet usage remains low, but it is increasing, said Chak Sopheap, a 2012 Internet Freedom Fellow. Recent statistics show Internet penetration in Cambodia at only about 3 percent, but growing.

“We see Internet surfers using it for sharing information and joining discussions on human rights and other social issues,” she told VOA Khmer. “They also share videos on corruption-related issues, human rights violations and those who fall victim to land grabbing.”

Cambodia: Demolition of Houses in Borei Keila

9 February 2012 
By Sopheap Chak
Global Voices Online

The problem of forced evictions is turning for the worse in Cambodia while citizen dissatisfaction over existing resettlement schemes is also rising. While land grabbing is a nationwide problem, it's most evident in the urban areas. In fact, residents of Monivong Hospital, Sombok Chap, Dey Kraham, Group 78, Borei Keila, and Boeung Kak have been evicted already from their homes.

The recent record of forced eviction, which grabbed global attention, happened in Borei Keila, located opposite Bak Tuok High School in central Phnom Penh. This community is home to roughly 1,776 families, including 86 families with members who are HIV positive.

A press statement issued by human rights organization Licadho gives a brief history of the struggle of the residents of the community to assert their land and housing rights:

Demolition in Borei Keila. Photo from blog of Faine Greenwood

Cambodia: Women Entrepreneurs and Social Media

10 June 2011
Written by Sopheap Chak
Global Voices Online

The Cambodian Women in Business page was established on Facebook in November 2009 to share the experience of women in doing business and networking in Cambodia. Since then, a number of formal gatherings has been held by the network through the support of the International Finance Cooperation of Cambodia. Last week, the first informal gathering was successfully organized through individual contributions.

About 40 network participants showed up at the gathering last June 3 to discuss the role of Facebook in facilitating their various businesses. The event was participated by bloggers, e-entrepreneurs, business women, and civil society organizations.

Photo courtesy of @homePhotography by Jerry

Reporters With Thought Borders

Ross Dunkley reads The Myanmar Times newspaper that he works for, before a hearing in his trial at Kamaryut township court in Yangon April 4, 2011. (Photo: Reuters)

Monday, April 18, 2011
By SIMON ROUGHNEEN
The Irrawaddy news

To compare, a Cambodian World Food Program staff member was given a six-month jail sentence in Cambodia, after downloading and printing material from KI Media, a political blog that runs material critical of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and Prime Minister Hun Sen. While the sentence was light compared to those handed out in Burma, the fact that it was issued at all is a cause for concern, said Sopheap Chak.

PHNOM PENH—Ross Dunkley, the sole foreign owner invested in Burma's state-controlled media, faces charges of assaulting a woman and breaches of the country's immigration laws, in what many observers, including some of Dunkley's own business partners, view as a power play aimed at ousting the Australian from his stake in the Myanmar Times.

Dunkley has since been released on bail, part of which was paid by his Burmese business partner, Tin Tun Oo, who was named CEO of the Myanmar Times in the days after Dunkley's initial arrest. Dunkley has subsequently downplayed the conspiracy angle, and hopes to be acquitted soon.

He is well known in media circles in Cambodia after buying into the Phnom Penh Post, one of the country's two English language dailies, back in 2007.

Cambodia is a challenging media market with freedom of expression under threat from a combination of formal and informal codes that inhibit the country's press, according to several observers.

Prime Minister Hun Sen and other senior officials do not shy from suing media, and the Phnom Penh Post has been hit with lawsuits in the past, while a local NGO, the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), points to numerous cases of journalists being threatened with violence or worse, in a scenario akin to the Philippines, where guns are used to cow reporters operating in an otherwise free media environment.

Songs about Facebook abound in Cambodia

13 Apr 2011
By Sopheap Chak
Global Voices Online

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkEuLZB7DVU&feature=player_embedded

The role of social networking site Facebook in facilitating protest actions has been affirmed in the Tunisia and Egypt uprisings; governments in many countries, including China, are wary of the political activities of their citizens on Facebook. But in Cambodia, Facebook is not yet considered a threat by the government.

Politicians led by Prime Minister Hun Sen (who has been in power since 1985) have created their own Facebook pages where they interact with Cambodian citizens and netizens.

There is however, a newer and interesting Facebook trend in the country: Cambodians are creating songs about Facebook. For example, 'Facebook ends love‘, uploaded to YouTube by user lotusresortandspa on March 11, 2011.

Bloggers, Media Students Push for Free Speech in Cambodia

April 5, 2011
By Simon Roughneen
PBS (USA)

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA -- A blog criticizing Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Cambodian People's Party (CPP) has been at the center of a recent controversy in Cambodia, shedding light on a deteriorating environment for freedom of expression in the Southeast Asian country. World Food Programme (WFP) employee Seng Kunnaka received a six month sentence for handing out copies of material from the KI Media blog, which came soon after Hun Sen berated the WFP for suggesting that Cambodia is vulnerable to food shortages.

KI Media has been blocked by some ISPs since the dispute, though the government has not formally banned the site. In Phnom Penh last week, the site was available in some places, depending on the ISP, but in others a message appeared saying the web page was unreachable.

Whatever his feelings about KI Media, Hun Sen has long had a tetchy relationship with UN agencies, principally due to tensions over the hybrid Cambodian-international court set up to try the four main surviving Khmer Rouge leaders. The Cambodian government has not shied from confronting the UN, or from seeking the ouster of UN representatives whom are regarded with distaste. The WFP apologized to Hun Sen, an act of contrition which was in turn ridiculed as weak by civil society groups in Cambodia.

A Voice for Cambodia's Youth [-Cambodia's "Tumpaing Snorng Russey" New Bamboo Shoot]

Undated photo of Chak Sopheap. (RFA)

2010-12-02
RFA

A writer and activist talks about her work and her hopes for Cambodia.

Chak Sopheap, 25, holds a Master’s Degree in Peace Relations from the International University of Japan and has published English-language articles on the international website Global Voices Online, focusing on corruption, the democratic process, and freedom of expression. She also works with the Cambodian Center for Human Rights and is a founder of Youth Network for Change, a voluntary group dedicated to social change through participation in community events and youth camping. Born in Cambodia’s Kompong Cham province, she now lives in Phnom Penh with her parents and siblings.

"I am very much interested in writing the way researchers do—not leaning toward any one group in civil society or in human rights. I like to write to express the viewpoint of an independent researcher … I have noticed that a lot of people are interested in what I’ve written for Global Voices Online. People from Bangladesh, France, and Russia have translated them into their own languages and have contacted me in person to learn about the situation in Cambodia.

"My family was not well-off. We lived in need, because when my father left Kompong Cham for Phnom Penh, he came alone. By then, he only had one old bike. He struggled to earn a living and later saved up enough to buy a row house, which cost quite a lot at the time. I think that if it had not been for my father’s efforts, this day would not have come for me.

"I received my Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations at Cambodia University, and in Economics at the Pannasastra University of Cambodia. Later, I continued my studies overseas—I had always longed to further my studies in Japan and the United States … I was so proud to be able to study in Japan.

"For the time being, I want to put the knowledge I received during my studies in Japan to use in my country by continuing the work of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights and by working with friends and other civil-society groups, sharing the experience and knowledge that I have. In the meantime, I want to become an independent analyst.

"I am convinced that the more we human beings come to know each other, the more we will reduce our misunderstandings and disputes, and thus help our country become more tolerant. We can help to build peace among us, which is my first goal. The second goal I long for is to see our youth share their experiences so that they can generate more ideas and initiatives to help develop our society."

Original interview by Naline Pea. Khmer service director: Sos Kem.

Cambodia: Mixed views on Duch Verdict

2 August 2010
Written by Sopheap Chak
Global Voices Online

More than 30 years after the fall of the Khmer Rouge Regime in Cambodia, the first guilty verdict was handed out last 26 July 2010 by the Trial Chamber of The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC)-popularly known as the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. It was the conviction of Kaing Guek Eav aka Duch, one of four people including Nuon Chea aka Brother Number Two, Ieng Sary, Ieng Thirith (aka Khmer Rouge First Lady) and Khieu Samphan who have been brought to court for genocide, crime against humanity and other war crimes.

Duch, Tuol Sleng prison chief, was sentenced to 35 years in prison; however, it was reduced to 19 years since he has been in detention in the past 16 years including the illegal detention for five years ordered by the military court in 1999. This verdict sparked mixed reactions from various institutions and individuals particularly those who suffered during the Khmer Rouge period. These reactions can be categorized into three groups.

First, a group of people who are looking forward to the outcome of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal welcomes this verdict by highlighting the event as a historical moment for Cambodia especially to human rights victims. Sovachana Pou, a volunteer teacher and blogger who attended the trial session, immediately wrote a post sharing his feelings:

In the court chamber, I personally witnessed the hybrid justice proceeding live with more than 500 people, most of them are victims. It was a moving experience and historic event for all the victims to wait more than 30 years to finally having some sort of justice.

On one hand, Sophal Ear, a survivor of the genocide and who once gave a remarkable talk for TED on ‘escaping the Khmer Rouge,‘ in February 2009 in Long Beach, California, remembered the words of his mother when the Duch Verdict was announced:

On this momentous occasion, I'd like to step back by reflecting upon and give voice to one victim of the Khmer Rouge: my late mother, Cam Youk Lim […] She didn't live to see this day, but no matter, for her justice would inevitably be rendered the Buddhist way. She decided long ago the Khmer Rouge were Karmic pestilence who would pay the price for their crimes, if not in this lifetime, then in their next life.

Another group of reaction refers to those who are disappointed with the verdict claiming that the sentence is too light for a criminal who supervised the execution of more than 14,000 people. In a letter titled “ECCC brought no fairness to the people of Cambodia” to editor of Phnom Penh Post, Jeffrey Serey Hola highlighted the a press statement of Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR). While CCHR welcomes the reduction of Duch's prison sentence as a good model for domestic courts whose detention practices remain a serious concern, Jeffrey questioned the “light” sentence if the intent is to provide justice to victims. The demand is at least a life sentence for Duch while the death penalty is not legalized in Cambodia.

It is understandable that many wanted him to face the death penalty, even though capital punishment is illegal in Cambodia. The reduced sentence of 19 years for Duch is too lenient for such a vicious mass murder. Duch should at least serve a life sentence […] For those who have lived and experienced such horrors, how could this sentence ever be considered justice? For them, it is just a slap on the wrist. Justice was not served for the people of Cambodia.

This sentiment is similarly shared by Bernard Krisher, chairman of American Assistance for Cambodia and publisher of a local foreign newspaper named Cambodia Daily. Writing from Tokyo, he said that the tribunal sentence is too light and demanded that Duch should be hanged.

As a survivor of the Nazi Holocaust against the Jewish people in the 1930s where many of my relatives, including a number of my father's siblings, perished in Hitler's gas chambers, I followed the Khmer Rouge war crimes tribunals and was disappointed at the relatively light sentence given to the German and Japanese war criminals at their war crime trials, I feel that Duch should have been hanged[…]

On the other hand, there is another group which neither supports the Khmer Rouge Tribunal nor the Duch verdict. In an interview with BBC, two Cambodian survivors pointed out the credibility problem of the UN-backed tribunal given the fact that it was established only to make good impression in the international community.

Both want to see the top leaders sentenced, they don't care much about punishment for minions like Duch, who would have been killed himself had he not followed orders from above.

Interestingly, even government ministers shared contrasting views on the Duch verdict. While Cambodia's Information Minister Khieu Kanharith is pleased with the verdict, the Foreign Affairs Minister Hor Namhong is disappointed with the light sentence on Duch.

Khieu Kanharith, in an interview by Radio VOA Khmer Service, said:

«វា​បាន​បង្ហាញ​ថា​ ទីមួយ​គឺការ​ប្តេជ្ញា​ចិត្ត​របស់​រាជ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​កម្ពុជា ក្នុង​ការ​ស្វែងរក​យុត្តិធម៌​ជូន​ប្រជា​ពលរដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ ​និង​ទីពីរ​ ​វាបាន​បង្ហាញ​អំពី​កម្រិត​ផ្នែក​វិជ្ជាជីវៈ​របស់​អង្គ​ចៅក្រម​របស់​យើង​ ក្នុងការ​ស្វែងរក​យុត្តិធម៌​ជូន​ប្រជាពល​រដ្ឋខ្មែរ»។

Firstly it indicate the government commitment in searching for justice for Cambodians and secondly this show the professionalism of the chambers.

On the other hand, Hor Nam Hong interviewed by Radio Free Asia, expressed his personal statement:

«ដោយសារ​នេះ​ជា​ភារកិច្ច​របស់​តុលាការ​ខ្មែរ​ក្រហម រាជ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​មិន​មាន​ជំហរ​អី​ទេ។ យោបល់​ផ្ទាល់​របស់​ខ្ញុំ ខ្ញុំ​ឃើញ​ថា វា​មិន​សមរម្យ បើ​ប្រៀបធៀប​ទៅ​នឹង​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា​ស្លាប់​ជិត ៣​លាន​នាក់។ ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា​ដែល​គេ​យក​ទៅ​ធ្វើ​ទារុណកម្ម​នៅ​ទួលស្លែង ហើយ​សម្លាប់​នៅ​ជើងឯក​រាប់​សែន​នាក់​នេះ។ កាត់​ទោស​នេះ​ហាក់​ដូច​ជា​ស្រាល មិន​សម​នឹង​ចំនួន​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា​ដែល​បាន​ស្លាប់»

Because this is the work of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, the government has no position (on this matter). My personal position is that it is not appropriate, especially if we compare it to the nearly 3 million Cambodians who had died. Hundreds of thousands of Khmer people have been tortured at Tuol Sleng and then executed at Cheung Ek (Killing Fields). This sentence seems a bit light, not comparable to the number of people who have been killed. translated by Khmerization.

Cambodia: Decline of Monk Morality?

Keat Chan Thuch (L), the provincial chief monk who got drunk and beat a clergymen, he was allegedly the protégé of Cambodia's Supreme Patriarch, comrade Tep Vong (R), himself a former member of the communist politburo
Neth Khay, the peeping tom monk who videotaped naked women, showing the police the location of his hidden video camera

9 July 2010
Written by Sopheap Chak
Global Voices Online

Since Buddhism is a state religion guaranteed by the Constitution and the fact that nearly all Cambodians are Buddhists, the recent reported decline of monk morality in the country is a cause of concern.

On several occasions, monks have been found of engaging in violent behavior or misconduct including having sex or watching pornography. There was a case where a provincial chief monk reportedly got drunk and beat a clergymen who didn't file a complaint for security reason since the bully monk is recognized as the king monk in the province. Recently, a monk was caught making a video of naked ladies who went to his monastery for religious watering, a belief that the water provided by the monk will release all bad incidents or bring luck to people. The investigation which led to an arrest was followed by an enormous sharing of that nude video via bluetooth from phone to phone. This apparently raised a question over the emerging development of technology infrastructure in Cambodia where people can widely access porn materials more easily. However, as suggested by Chan Nim, the issue is left to the conscience of the people on the proper use of technologies.

On the other hand, there are many well-behaved monks who understand the role of technology in promoting religious teachings. While it is now common to see many blogs initiated by young people who discuss social, technological or personal issues, there are now Buddhism-themed blogs such as Bodhikaram, Saloeurm, Khmerbuddhism. An extensive teaching of Buddhist philosophy is now accessible online in the form of short commentaries, dictionaries, podcasts, or textbooks in both English and Khmer. Moreover, there are a number of monks who are effectively maximizing the internet in order to reach a wider audience. Venerable Saloeurm Savath, for example, has been rigorously sharing many Buddhist teachings via face-book which acts as a natural linkage with his laypeople who can easily reach him for more explanation on certain Buddhist Principle or issues.

Pagodas and monks are part of Cambodia's cultural and educational heritage. They continue to contribute a lot in society. It is hoped that monk morality can be strengthened to encourage the people to affirm their trust and faith in Buddhism which has hugely contributed to national reconciliation and psychological peace, such as the case of survivors of the Khmer Rouge Regime that kept applying Buddhist teachings to transform their revenge and anger to hope and peace of mind.

Cambodia: Reactions to the 2010 World Cup Season

Argentina dazzle South Korea: Argentina's striker Lionel Messi (2nd left) celebrates with teammates Gonzalo Higuain (centre) and Sergio Aguero after Higuain scored his third goal of the match during their Group B first round 2010 World Cup match, on June 17, at Soccer City stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg. Argentina won 4-1 (Photo: AFP)
Japan's soccer player Marcus Tulio Tanaka attends a training session for the World Cup in George, June 17, 2010. Japan will play against Netherlands on June 19 in Group E of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa (Photo: Reuters)
Greece striker Dimitris Salpingidis (right) fights for the ball with Nigeria's defender Taye Taiwo during their Group B first round 2010 World Cup match, on June 17, at Free State Stadium in Mangaung/Bloemfontein. Greece won 2-1 (Photo: AFP)

17 June 2010
Written by Sopheap Chak
Global Voices Online

Cambodians are also celebrating the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Moto-taxi drivers, students, businesspeople, netizens, and even the Prime Minister are cheering for the Asian teams which are playing in the World Cup.

To attract more customers, bars have set-up big TV screens so that guests can enjoy watching the World Cup games. This is similar to how local business establishments often organize boxing matches to generate profit from sports fans.

“We have five screens and we hope to show every game. For every Tiger beer purchased we give a coupon, and five coupons gets you a commemorative World Cup shirt,” said Walkabout bar owner reported by the Phnom Penh Post.

At the same time, the World Cup also influenced much online coverage among Cambodian football fans. With the 2010 World Cup logo on his facebook profile picture, Sokhom Chheang keeps posting the match results and is happily cheering for winning Asian teams like South Korea and Japan.

Piseth Mao provided a subtitle to the video of the World Cup song for the benefit of his readers and other football fans. He also uploaded a picture of himself holding the World Cup ball. He has been following all match sessions regardless of his busy schedule and in one of his facebook status updates, he wrote:

“After the second Match:Argentina vs Nigeria, tonight, I have to finish my assignment then watch another match: USA VS England at 1:30am. Hope it won't be too much sleepy in class tomorrow.”

Female facebookers in Cambodia are also big fans of the World Cup. Aside from following up match results, Sophary Noy posted the world cup song, “Waving Flag”, in both English and Spanish versions and also the song by Akon and Keri titled “Oh Africa.” Similarly, Ramana Sorn, another female facebooker, became a fan of the Mexico team.

At the International University of Japan, Cambodian students also joined the celebration with Japanese friends who organized a gathering where students wore blue shirt dress representing the Japan national team to cheer together for the match between Japan vs Cameroon.

Acknowledging this frenzy event that previously attracted much betting activities, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen earlier warned people against betting on the World Cup. The Prime Minister said that he did not want to see “other countries win the football, but Cambodian people lose money.” Those who violate this order would face legal consequences. A few days ago, nine people were arrested for illegal gambling on the World Cup.

This order is similar to what Hun Sen issued during the 2009 crackdown on all football bookmakers whose gambling activities caused family disputes, domestic violence and robbery incidences. This was recalled by the Son of Khmer Empire who wrote that the Prime Minister also warned people during the 2006 World Cup that betting would make people lose their properties including cows, land and homes. The Son of Khmer Empire is impressed by the Prime Minister's order but also suggested that the government should also oversee the mushrooming of casinos around the country.

This anti-gambling ban has also alerted Cambodia's neighboring country, Thailand, where gambling is illegal. Thai Police are on high alert by setting up special 24-centers to crack down on betting ahead of the World Cup 2010. During this world cup season, crackdown on illegal football gambling reportedly has netted police over Bt500,000 and resulted in over 200 arrests.

"Development" does not justify land grabs

Clash between police and residents during an attempt of forced eviction in Kampong Speu (Photo: Uon Chhin, RFA)

April 08, 2010
By Chak Sopheap
Guest Commentary UPI Asia Online

Niigata, Japan — The problem of forced evictions and land grabs is growing worse in Cambodia, leading to violence due to deep dissatisfaction over existing resettlement schemes. Some 133,000 residents of Phnom Penh, or 11 percent of the city’s population of 1.2 million, have been evicted since 1990.

According to Amnesty International, there were 27 instances of forced urban evictions reported in 2008, affecting some 23,000 people. A further 150,000 are currently at risk of eviction, including approximately 70,000 in Phnom Penh.

Amnesty International reported that several urban communities had been evicted from their homes and relocated to areas that lacked the most basic infrastructure. Other communities facing eviction orders are crying out for legal and humanitarian support from the government and civil society groups.

This phenomenon is not unique to Cambodia; it occurs in both developed and developing countries where poor communities or informal settlements and slums are often targeted. People are evicted to make way for development and infrastructure projects, large international events like the Olympic games and urban redevelopment and beautification initiatives. Sometimes political conflict, ethnic cleansing and war are factors. However, “development” is the most common justification in all countries, including Cambodia.

Surprisingly, almost all regions have experienced forced evictions including Africa, Europe, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region. According to a global survey by the Center on Housing Rights and Evictions, covering 80 countries from 1998 to 2008, more than 18 million people were victims of forced evictions. Of this number, 47 percent occurred in Asia and the Pacific, followed by 44 percent in Africa, 8 percent in the Americas and 1 percent in Europe. The data showed that nearly 2 million people face eviction annually.

Cambodia ranks first among Asian countries in the number of evictions. These occur because of five key factors: 1) illegal construction and occupation of the land; 2) city development and beautification; 3) property market forces, gentrification and private development; 4) the granting of economic land concessions; and 5) the granting of social land concessions.

While the government justifies evictions for the sake of beautifying and developing the cities, there are many eviction cases where violence and legal abuses have occurred while little or no actual development has taken place. Strikingly, most of the areas that have been cleared to make way for development projects have been turned over to private companies owned or chaired by high-ranking officials and affiliated powerful businessmen.

Many areas cleared for the sake of “development” are yet to be developed. For example, the Sombok Chap area, from which more than 6,000 people were evicted in 2006, is still undeveloped. The same is true of the Monivong Hospital site, from which 168 families were forcibly evicted to make way for commercial development. This area is now being used for a parking lot and carwash.

There have been a few model resettlement cases, like that of Veng Sreng, where people were given enough time and allowed to choose their place of relocation. In this case there was close collaboration among the authorities, the community and local and international organizations in planning and coordinating a resettlement scheme. This positive approach meets the needs of the people and the government, while addressing the government poverty reduction program and advancing the millennium development goals.

In cases where the government urgently needs an area for development or investment projects, this model should be applied so that human security risks are avoided. The government’s current pursuit of development has often brought legal abuses and violations of peoples’ rights and produced little or no actual development. Thus it is important that the government reevaluate its development criteria.

Different people may define development differently. In traditional economic terms, it is strictly based on the capacity of a national economy valued in terms of gross national product. However, development as introduced by Michael. Todaro and Stepen C. Smith must “represent the whole gamut of change by which an entire social system, tuned to the diverse basic needs and desires of individuals and social groups within that system, moves away from a condition of life widely perceived as unsatisfactory toward a situation or condition of life regarded as materially and spiritually better.”

This concept includes three basic components of development: 1) Sustenance, or meeting basic needs including food, shelter, health and protection; 2) Self-esteem, or a sense of worth and self-respect; and 3) Freedom from servitude, including access to choices with minimal external constraints.

Based on these criteria, development must bring about certain goals. It must increase sustenance or life-sustaining goods including food, shelter, health and protection. It must raise living standards including the provision of more jobs, better education and greater attention to cultural and human values, contributing to greater individual and national self-esteem. And it must expand the range of economic and social choices.

In this context, the Cambodian and other governments that justify forced evictions for the sake of “national development” must reevaluate their development agenda in order to faithfully address the core values and objectives of development.
--
(Chak Sopheap is a graduate student of peace studies at the International University of Japan. She runs a blog, www.sopheapfocus.com, in which she shares her impressions of both Japan and her homeland, Cambodia. She was previously advocacy officer of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights.)

Cambodia: Reviewing the anti-corruption law

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010
By Sopheap Chak
Global Voices Online

While there is a signal that anti-corruption law is likely to be passed this April, followed the long-awaited approval of the draft by the Council of Minister last December 2009, the anti-corruption theme gained momentum of discussion in the blogosphere by inquiring to walk the talk of anti-corruption.

Just recently Prime Minister Hun Sen, in his speech at a conference on military reform, warned of harsh sanctions for soldiers and military commanders involved in corruption. Reported in the Phnom Penh Post, the Prime Minister identified the names of several officials found to be guilty of illegal activities ranging from logging, land grabbing, smuggling and illegal fishing. With his acknowledgment, the Prime Minister firmly denounced:

“It is time to stop every activity involving illegal business or the support of illegal business. [I] don’t care how many stars or moons you have – I will fire you, and nobody will keep corrupt commanders in their seats[…] I declare my absolute order [to stop illegal businesses] — otherwise military reform will not move forward,” said Hun Sen.

This report was circulated among bloggers like Morn Vutha, the Cambodia Tonight, and the Son of Khmer Empire who regularly bring up corruption cases and updates on the anti-corruption campaign.

In his previous blog entries, Vutha has raised many relevant corruption issues in various sectors including education and traffic police. He also brought the current debate of the anti-corruption law that not only requires the disclosure of assets from government officials but also NGO workers.

“Why does the anti-corruption law require NGO workers to declare their assets?” asked Vutha.

The explanation by the spokesman of the Council of Ministers who argued that the provision is applied to NGO workers because they serve as public servants has not convinced to Vutha who insisted that these two agencies have different powers and responsibilities.

“Although NGO staff serve the public, they cannot be categorized in the same level with government officials because NGO workers have no power and authority. They are working to help the poor and vulnerable people who are living under the exploitation of the rich and the powerful. By the way, the government officials get paid from the government which has high responsibility for the people because all officials’ salaries are money collected from people through tax. In addition, the NGO workers also have no power to control or manage the national budget or make policy”

Vutha further pointed out that the NGOs already have their external audit authority namely their donors:

“NGO workers’ salaries are funded by charity donors so that all financial budgets have been or controlled and audited by donors carefully. If donors found irregularity or corruption in organizations, they really determine or withdraw their funding. Therefore, NGO staff salaries are not related to government’s budget. Why does the government demand NGO workers to declare their property?”

Similarly, in the blog post on “Fight against corruption, not anti-government” by the Son of Khmer Empire, expressed his support to the anti-corruption advocacy who urged that the issue of anti-corruption effort should not be confused with the anti-government campaign. Interestingly, this blogger pointed out four factors leading to the spread of corruption:

“(1) a weak political will of the government officials in eradicating corruption, (2) a weak and incompetent head of the government in implementing the good governance, (3) the weak law enforcement, and (4) low salary.”

Unable to access the draft of the anti-corruption law, the Son of Khmer Empire suggests some lessons learned from Singapore by raising the role of anti-corruption legislative and executive bodies as well as the participation of the public in curbing corruption incidents.

More than this, a catchy article by Pou Sovachana, the Corruption Behind the Black Economy in Cambodia, also published on Cambodia Daily (February 02, 2010) and widely circulated among networks by e-mail, explicit many elements of old discussion but also a very comprehensive solution by stressing the role of qualified education, freedom of expression, and effective law enforcement. From his background as a vonlunteer teacher, he highlights that education is the medicine to the cycle of poverty and corruption:

“Schools, fire services, hospitals, the police, the army, the government officials, media reporters, the judiciary all began to demand bribes for their “supposed to be free” services. One can argue that poverty is the root cause of corruption while others say corruption the root cause of poverty. However one thing is certain that lack of education is the main cause of poverty. And quality education for ALL and the development of wisdom (law of karma) have been diagnosed as the best medicine of breaking the cycle of poverty and corruption.”

He adds that the zero tolerance through anti-corruption law enforcement is necessary:

“To become aid-independent and move the country forward in hope of beating the black economy to an open society of equality, justice, freedom, dignity, and progress, all kinds of corruption must be stopped and should be eliminated by adopting, implementing, and enforcing the anti-corruption law as soon as possible and to the fullest with zero tolerance from the highest to the lowest ranking.”

By conclusion, he insisted that the change can only take place when “people get more educated and learn to speak their own mind without fear of oppression. When the power of love (metta) overcomes the love of power, then real development will grow and last.”

Cambodia's deportations ordered by China

January 21, 2010
By Chak Sopheap
Guest Commentary
UPI Asia Online

Niigata, Japan — After decades of isolation due to genocide and political conflict, Cambodia has integrated with regional groups like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and adopted a free market system. However, the right to movement in the country is still restricted and issues related to refugees and migrants are highly politicized.

The deportation of 20 Uighur asylum seekers to China in December last year reveals the implications and challenges that face Cambodia.

Although many Cambodian refugees who survived the brutal Khmer Rouge regime were resettled in other countries thanks to the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, which is a legally binding treaty and a milestone in international refugee law, the Cambodian government, which is a signatory to the convention, ignored it in deporting the Uighurs. It has therefore violated its legal and humanitarian responsibilities.

Ethnic tensions between the Uighurs and China’s majority Han people in China’s northwest province of Xinjiang resulted in nearly 200 deaths and 1,600 injured in a July riot last year. Subsequently, hundreds of Uighurs were detained and many executed for their involvement in the riots.

According to Human Rights Watch, at least 43 Uighurs disappeared while 22 entered Cambodia with the hope of seeking asylum to flee persecution in China. Despite appeals from human rights activists and the international community, the Cambodian government, which previously had claimed it would cooperate with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees to provide asylum, promptly deported the Uighurs the day before Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping visited Cambodia.

This clearly indicates China’s strong political influence on the Cambodian government, which allegedly received a package of grants and loans worth approximately US$1 billion for deporting the Uighurs.

In addition, irregularities in the application of Cambodian laws were also evident in the deportation process. Two days prior to the deportation, a new decree signed by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen was issued making the processing of asylum cases the sole responsibility of the Ministry of Interior.

Although the government denied that the passage of this item, which was being drafted for more than six months, was not relevant to the Uighurs’ deportation, it seemed more than pure coincidence.

Furthermore, the deportation process was completed in a hurried manner on a late Saturday night when government officials do not work.

The government later justified its action by claiming that the deportation was based on immigration laws and that the Uighurs had illegally entered the country without valid passports or visas. If that is the case, then the government has failed to tackle the many cases of illegal migrants from Vietnam.

That the deportation of the Uighurs from Cambodia was influenced by China is evident from the remarks of its Foreign Ministry, which said at a press conference, “China’s stance is very clear. The international refugee protection system should not become a shelter where criminals stay to escape legal punishment.”

If the Cambodian government stands by China’s remarks, then why has it not deported former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is an economic adviser to the Cambodian government, despite repeated requests from the Thai government?

Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 military coup and faces a minimum two-year jail term for corruption, according to the Thai government. But the Cambodian government says that Thaksin’s conviction is politically motivated and that the extradition treaty between the two nations allows either party to deny extradition in cases of “political offenses,” among others.

But Cambodia is not the only country where deportation cases are politicized. Thailand has also been criticized for abusing the refugee convention following its late December deportation of an estimated 4,000 ethnic Hmong asylum seekers back to Laos where they face persecution.

Historically, the Hmong people supported the United States during the Vietnam War when the conflict spread to Laos. After the war ended and the communists resumed power in 1975, thousands fled to neighboring Thailand.

The Thai government has repeatedly ignored accusations of alleged killings of Cambodian loggers who illegally cross the border and stray into the forests of Thailand. In addition, it has also denied the abuse of refugees from Myanmar who were turned back to sea and left to perish without food and water.

Immigration laws have also been politicized in the United States. Several of its immigration laws in the past 20 years were introduced during periodic episodes of anti-migrant hysteria and have been a major political issue during presidential election campaigns.

For example, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, which applied retroactively to those convicted of deportable offenses, including some who had committed minor offences decades ago, was signed under former President Bill Clinton’s administration in September, shortly before elections in November that year.

Previously, immediate deportation was enacted only for offences that led to five years or more in jail. This included crimes such as murder, terrorism or threatening the president. However, the 1996 law expanded the scope of crimes meriting deportation to include even minor crimes such as shoplifting.

Moreover, the act stripped judges of nearly all discretion in determining whether permanent residents should be deported. There are limits on litigation that prevent individuals or groups from suing the government or appealing decisions by the Immigration Department or lower courts.

Under the expansion of this law together with the 2002 extradition agreement between the United States and Cambodia, signed after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, nearly 200 Cambodian refugees were deported by November 2008 and roughly 2,000 are waiting to be deported.

Beyond the unconstitutional law provision, the deportation has been done without any consideration on the impact of the deportees’ livelihood and their families.

In a nutshell, many states have abused the rights of migrants and refugees for political benefit despite being signatories to the U.N. refugee convention.

These ongoing violations are a signal to the international community to seek a more effective mechanism and willingness from governments to respect the rights of refugees instead of misusing them for political gain.
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(Chak Sopheap is a graduate student of peace studies at the International University of Japan. She runs a blog, www.sopheapfocus.com, in which she shares her impressions of both Japan and her homeland, Cambodia. She was previously advocacy officer of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights.)

Cambodia: Bloggers promote Khmer Literature

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
By Sopheap Chak
Global Voices Online

អក្សររលត់ ជាតិរលាយ អក្សរពណ្ណរាយ ជាតិថ្កើងថ្កាន
Aksar roluat jeat roleay Aksar ponnareay jeat thkeung thkan.
“If letters disappear, the nation will disappear, if letters are brilliant, the nation is excellent.”

This is one of the prominent Cambodian proverbs used mostly in Cambodian literature classes from primary to higher education level. It is the most influential message that inspires the young generation to promote Khmer literature. Strikingly, young Cambodian bloggers have transformed this proverb into action by promoting the achievement of past generation authors as well as creating their own literature and developing talents through the publication of digital and hard-copy materials.

Established in 2007, Khmer Youth Writers is initiated by young authors who are talented in Cambodian literature with the purpose of promoting and improving Khmer literature and its market. Many of the young team members have won in the National Khmer Literature Competition, which is annually organized by the Ministry of Education.

Also, they were further trained by literature associations like the Nou Hach Literary Association whose motto is to strengthen and promote Cambodian literature. Their publications have gained admiration from readers who are curious to know more about how to become talented authors.

Asked about his interest in writing and becoming a literature author, 26 year-old Chanphal Sok, who claims to be the oldest in the team (the average age in the group is between 19 to 22), replied in Khmer language:

ខ្ញុំ!ចាប់អារម្មណ៍ព្រោះយល់ថាជាសិល្បៈដែលមិនងាយនឹង
ធ្វើបានទាល់តែមនុស្សពូកែទើបអាចសរសេរស្នាដៃបាន
ចង់ក្លាយជាមនុស្សពូកែក៏ចង់ក្លាយជាអ្នកនិពន្ធគិតថា
មិនមែនមនុស្សគ្រប់គ្នាអាចអ្វើការងារនេះបានទេ
បើខ្លួនឯងមាននិស្ស័យអាចទៅរួចគួរតែខំប្រឹង
I am interested in this work for the fact that literature is a difficult artistic task. Only few talented people can do so. With special talent in literature, I therefore want to become an author.

Sophal also expresses the significance of his team’s literature work on Khmer reader and the whole society:

ទីមួយ ខ្មែរមានអក្សរសិល្បអាន។
អប់រំតាមស្នាដៃនិពន្ធ។មនុស្សអាចសិក្សាពីសង្គម
មួយតាមស្នាដៃអក្សរសិល្ប៍ ។ខ្ញុំសង្កេតឃើញថា
បើប្រទេសណា មានអ្នកនិពន្ធពូកែច្រើនប្រទេសនោះ
ក៏រីកចម្រើនដែរ ។ មនុស្សរៀនតាមសៀវភៅ
បើមានសៀវភៅល្អច្រើនប្រាកដជាល្អ។
Firstly, Khmer readers can benefit from Cambodian literature. It can be used for educational purposes. People can understand a society through literature. I observe that a country is prosperous when there are many talented authors. People learn by reading books; therefore, it is great if there are many books published.

Some members who live in the provinces could not join the team meetings regularly. The internet facilitates instant communication in the group. Sophal considers blogs as great communication tools. “A blog is like our officewhich we can share and make our works widely visible,” said Sophal.

One of the initiators of this Khmer Youth Authors, Archphkai or Asteroid, in his profile gave a brief history of the group as the following:

«ក្រុមអ្នកនិពន្ធវ័យក្មេង»
ត្រូវបានបង្កើតឡើងដោយក្រុមសិស្សនិស្សិតមួយក្រុម
ក្រោយពីបាន ឆ្លងកាត់វគ្គសិក្សារឿងខ្លីនៅសមាគម
អក្សរសិល្ប៍នូហាចរួចមក។ ក្រោយមកក្រុមនេះត្រូវ
បានដូរឈ្មោះជា «ក្រុមយុវអ្នកនិពន្ធខ្មែរ»
វិញម្តង ដោយបានទទួលការផ្តល់យោបល់ពី
អ្នកស្រីប៉ិចសង្វាវ៉ាន អ្នកនិពន្ធខ្មែរនៅប្រទេសបារាំង។
“Young Authors Group” is established by a group of students who took literature training course at Nou Hach Literary Association. This group later changed its name to “Khmer Youth Authors” with the advice of Khmer author, Mrs. Pich Sanvavan.

Here are the links to the blogs of these young team members as well as literature authors who have written various short stories and poems: Archphkai, Boran, Chanphal Sok, Chetra, Khmeng Toch , Narath , Nimol

Notably, Cambodia is fortunate to have many scholars and authors who are talented in literature. These writers employ chbap, or didactic codes, Reuang Preng, or folktales, and novels, for example, in order to educate and reflect the reality of society during their lifetime. For instance, the most popular novels published during late 1930s, which have been used as main school texts are Phka Srapon or Faded Flower by Nou Hach, Sophat by Rim Gin [KI-Media note: Rim Kin] and Koulap Pailin or Pailin Rose, by Nuk Thiem [KI-Media note: Nhok Them]. These novels have film adaptations. Also within the period of 1950s to 1975, about 50 books per year were published (Nepote, Jacques and Khing Hoc Dy, “Literature and Society in Modern Cambodia,” 1981: 64).

However, much of Cambodian literary heritage was destroyed during the rule of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979) when the National Library was maintained to raise pigs instead. It was estimated that about 80 percent of written works in Khmer were destroyed (read “A Building Full of Books” by Ledgerwood in Cultural Survival).

Cambodia lacks its own text materials, especially since the fall of the Khmer Rouge Regime. Hopefully, the inspiring works of young Cambodian authors will help reawaken the past golden era of Khmer literature.

Thai miltary killing Cambodian loggers

December 23, 2009
By Chak Sopheap
Guest Commentary
UPI Asia

Niigata, Japan — Phorn Sarith, a 37-year-old Cambodian logger, died when Thai soldiers reportedly fired indiscriminately on 25 loggers working in the Dangrek mountains in Oddar Meanchey, a Cambodian province on the Thai-Cambodian border, last Saturday.

Since September Thai soldiers have killed six Cambodian loggers, wounded several more and arrested others. While loggers are warned by authorities in the province not to stray across the porous border into Thailand, most end up crossing it to earn more money from illegal logging, in order to feed their families.

Although such cases have increased, the Thai government has done little to understand the situation or conduct proper investigations into the cross-border intrusions.

According to an October report released by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, several cases of killings and mistreatment of Cambodians by the Thai military were reported in the three-month period from August to October. One case mentions that 12 Cambodians, reportedly missing for nearly a month, were later found to have been arrested and detained by Thai soldiers in August 2009 on suspicion of illegal logging. Two other allegedly illegal loggers were found dead in the same month; the Thai military claimed to have shot them in self-defense.

In another case, 16 Cambodian loggers were arrested, tried and handed prison terms ranging from three months to nine years by the Ubon Provincial Court in Thailand, for illegal logging. The sentences were excessive and Thai authorities reportedly mistreated the loggers. Some were brought to court with their hands and legs chained and shackled, the CCHR report said.

In another case, Thai soldiers burned 16-year-old Yon Rith to death during an illegal logging mission with other villagers in September. Although the Thai government denied the cause of death, evidence shows that soldiers killed him.

Such cruel killing by the Thai military, which enjoys impunity, was seen in a number of incidents during the late 1970s and 1980s. While the killings have not stopped, the Cambodian government has also been negligent in its role to prevent citizens from illegally crossing over to neighboring Thailand.

Although the media and human rights organizations have reported many incidents of Cambodians killed by the Thai military after illegally crossing the border, there has been no satisfactory explanation by the Thai government. Instead, it has proclaimed that the rule of law prevails in the country and that it has an independent judiciary.

Thai authorities have also failed to employ preventive measures to stop illegal crossings of its border. The issue has been overshadowed to some extent by border disputes and military skirmishes between the two nations.

The continuous arbitrary killing and mistreatment of Cambodians are clear violations by the Thai government of U.N. rights conventions and of basic principles of human rights, including the right to life, the right to a court hearing on criminal charges and the right to be protected from cruel punishment, as guaranteed by the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, to which Thailand is a signatory.

Article 1 of the Convention Against Torture precisely defines the term “torture” as “any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind.”

Article 2 of the CAT also asserts that “no exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture.”

As a signatory to CAT, the Thai government must take immediate and unconditional steps to fulfill its legal obligation to respect human rights, especially as it says that the rule of law prevails in the country.

If the Thai government says that it has an independent judiciary, then it must end impunity for those who kill and mistreat civilians, including Cambodian illegal loggers or any such immigrants.

At the Bangkok launch of the United Nations Development Program’s report on “Overcoming barriers: Human mobility and development,” on Oct. 5, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva proudly impressed audiences by saying that Thailand respects migrants’ rights.

“We realize that the most effective way to protect these migrants is to legalize their status and bring them into the formal labor market,” he said. “The migration is simply an expression of the freedom and desire of each individual to seek better opportunities in life.”

If what Abhisit said is true, then the Thai government must acknowledge the rights of the poor Cambodian loggers who cross into Thailand looking for better opportunities to sustain their families. As a civilized nation, the Thai government must fulfill its commitment and obligation to respect human rights.
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(Chak Sopheap is a graduate student of peace studies at the International University of Japan. She runs a blog, www.sopheapfocus.com, in which she shares her impressions of both Japan and her homeland, Cambodia. She was previously advocacy officer of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights.)

Cambodia: Anti-Corruption Advocacy of Bloggers

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
By Sopheap Chak
Global Voices Online

In denoting the International Anti-Corruption Day, annually celebrated on December 9th, the United Nation Office on Drug and Crime posted:

“Attitudes on corruption are changing. As recently as ten years ago, corruption was only whispered about. Today there are signs of growing intolerance toward corruption and more and more politicians and chief executives are being tried and convicted”

This phenomenon is reflected to some degree in Cambodia due to the fact that there are many discussions and awareness raising on corruption.

Borin who originated from Sihanouk Ville opened a critical discussion on the government’s claim that “Corruption is every where, even in the developed countries.” He accepted that corruption exists everywhere and varies in degree. While his blog’s commentators offered that there is the situation that corruption can be either acceptable or unacceptable, Borin resisted the fallacy of justification of corruption.

“Corruption is every where, but there are places that it is worse, and places that are better. So to say, a government is good enough because corruption is everywhere, is not acceptable. To say you’re good you must be ranked among the cleanest, not the dirtiest. To me there’s no acceptable corruption,” said Borin.

While acknowledging that corruption is hard to eliminate, Borin suggested that there must be an effort to reduce the degree of existing corruption, so that Cambodia will be ranked better in terms of anti-corruption.

KI Media recently posted a short article on the release of Transparency International's 2009 Corruption Perception Index (CPI):

“Cambodia's rank moved to 158 out of a total of 180, a slight improvement over 2008 when Cambodia ranked 166. Among ASEAN countries, Cambodia ranks lowest along with Laos.”

Such ranking improvement signals a positive reform in the country while the Prime Minister Hun Sen also publicly announced that the long-awaited Anti-Corruption Law will be passed by December 11, which is apparently to coincidence with the celebration of the Anti-Corruption Day.

“I officially announce that the anti-corruption law will not be delayed anymore,” he said. “Within this year, the Cabinet will pass the long-awaited anti-corruption law,” reported VOA.

It is maybe also contributed by many efforts of the civil society movement ranging from the NGOs working group on anti-corruption to individuals who keep raising public awareness and advocating for the rule of law respect and “say no to corruption.” There is also an emerging blog advocacy initiated by more than 40 local NGOs with the funding from USAID through Pact-Corruption. This blog, with technical support from Open Forum, appears in both Khmer and English language under the name “Kampuchea Deumbey Pheap Saat Saam” or “Corruption-Free Cambodia.” Reading from the blog’s project, it says:

“The website, in short, is the important means to pave the way for the people, an information source to provide knowledge about the impacts of corruption, and an opportunity to all interested people to participate in the struggle to alleviate corruption and promote integrity.”

In his blog, Morn Vutha, a blogger and Project Coordinator of Open Forum of Cambodia, also launched a campaign to introduce the above Saatsam website with the appeal to the public to participate and give him feedback on blog design, so that it can better serve the public.

Similarly, a prominent blogher, Kounila Keo dedicates one of her blueladyblog.com’s content on corruption alone. In some posts, she shares her experience on facing corrupt officials and she keeps impressing that there are those who could become rich with honest business. In one of her anti-corruption articles, she ponders the root cause of corruption in Cambodia of which she attempted to link the role of trauma caused by the impact of civil war, poverty, and mainly the lack of certain education and greed. In her blog, she says:

“Between POVERTY and CORRUPTION, which one comes first? […] They both in fact complement each other. But in my point of view, a lack of certain education and moral value, greed and fear of anything bad that will happen to people again like wars are big contributors to corruption.”

She finally shared similar opinion to Borin that corruption does exist everywhere in the world and it is hardly to be stopped. However, she suggests the way that individuals can hugely contribute to reduce corruption by firstly stopping the evil within ourselves and persisting not to fall into the traps of corruption. In her ending post, she appeals:

“The nationals must feel sad about this ranking of Cambodia as such– or we can say, “Who cares?” .. But well, who cares for us if we don’t care for ourselves?… Without corruption, human rights value will be increased.

Cambodians waking up to climate change

October 28, 2009
By Chak Sopheap
Guest Commentary
UPI Asia Online

Niigata, Japan — Cambodia held its first National Forum on Climate Change in Phnom Penh on Oct. 19, to raise awareness of climate change issues and their effects on socioeconomic development. This is a positive development for Cambodia, where issues related to climate change are likely to be incorporated into its national development plans.

On the final day of the three-day forum, Cambodia issued its draft position ahead of December’s Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. It said it would do "its utmost" to reduce greenhouse gases, but developed countries must help in its efforts.

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen said that developed nations must do more for their poorer cousins as they have more resources. He said Cambodia was not responsible for climate change but is a victim. Although natural disasters ranging from typhoons, earthquakes and tsunamis have hard hit countries like the Philippines, Taiwan and Indonesia, among others, the impact on Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos has been fairly low. But apparently it is believed that they are signs of the impending impact of climate change.

Cambodia’s present actions toward combating climate change can help the country achieve sustainable development so the next generation will not have to bear the cost of its current natural resource depletion. The U.N. Human Development Report 2007/2008 said, “Humanity is living beyond its environmental means and running up ecological debts that future generations will be unable to repay.”

But the Cambodian government must reexamine its current practices, which often neglect or bypass regulations on environmental protection. For example, no environmental impact assessment report was filed before the government granted a contract to a private company to fill the Boeng Kak Lake in Phnom Penh.

Although the company recently obtained an EIA stating that the said structure is a “dead lake” and the project would have “no major impact on the environment,” the lake is prone to flooding during the rainy season and no estimate on the severity of risk due to flooding has been provided.

There must also be a proper cost-benefit analysis that does not place weight on economic gains alone, but also embraces a sustainable development plan where risk estimations are carefully projected. For example, the government authorized a private company to pursue a development project of palm oil, cassava plantations and livestock farms in the Bokor Mountain region, but the project is expected to affect the natural beauty as well as the quality of land and the environment.

Without risk reduction and protective mechanisms, the state and its citizens will have to bear the risks and costs of future adjustments, which could be higher than the current predicted economic benefits.

Therefore, the government must seek to enhance a resilient environmental risk management plan and invoke existing principles and laws. One is Precautionary Principle 15 of the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, which is one of the guiding principles of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The Cambodian Ministry of Environment ratified this convention on Dec.13, 1993: “In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation,” it said.

This places the burden on the state, and not the community that is the victim of environmental damage, to prevent environmental degradation. But in most cases, the state and the companies it tasks to environmental projects are never held responsible for disregarding laws and causing damage to the environment. So the government must take responsibility to implement the convention it has ratified.

All stakeholders, including individuals, groups or organizations that can affect, be affected by, or perceive themselves to be affected by the risk of environmental degradation, must involve themselves in determining and taking decisions on any tolerable risk. Access to information must be ensured as provided by the precautionary principle as well as the 1996 Cambodian Law on Environmental Protection and Natural Resource Management.

Article 11 of the environmental law clearly states, “The Ministry of Environment shall immediately inform concerned ministries whenever the Ministry of Environment finds that natural resources are not being conserved, developed, or managed [or] used in a rational and sustainable manner.” Articles 16, 17, and 18 also elaborate and encourage public participation and access to information.

All this should not be viewed as going against development projects of the Cambodian government, but rather as seeking to emphasize the framework for action by all stakeholders to protect the environment.

Cambodia has a weak social infrastructure, so the poor are more prone to be hard hit by the impact of climate change and environmental damage. Therefore they deserve the right to participate and benefit from the government’s so-called development projects.

On the other hand, people must not take the government’s action for granted, but must try to preserve the natural resources and environment through action within their power. For example, households can use reusable bags rather than plastic bags while shopping.

There must be greater awareness of the fact that natural resources cannot be easily renewed and the cost of environmental reconstruction is higher than preservation. Every citizen must make environmental protection his or her civic responsibility.
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(Chak Sopheap is a graduate student of peace studies at the International University of Japan. She runs a blog, www.sopheapfocus.com, in which she shares her impressions of both Japan and her homeland, Cambodia. She was previously advocacy officer of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights.)

Monks' morality important to Cambodia

Kiet Chan Thouch, the ‘biting, drunk and now lying monk’ from Wat Leu in Preah Sihanouk province and also an advisor of Hochimonk Tep Vong (Photo by: Deum Ampil)

Hochimonk Tep Vong

September 30, 2009
By Chak Sopheap
Guest Commentary
UPI Asia

Niigata, Japan — In Cambodia Buddhism is the state religion, guaranteed by the Constitution, and about 95 percent of the people are Buddhists. However, in recent times, a gradual decline in moral standards among Buddhist monks and the political affiliations of some of their leaders have raised serious concerns.

The current Great Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia Tep Vong has been accused of favoritism toward the ruling Cambodian People’s Party. Some of his controversial orders include the February 2005 ban on the use of pagodas for public forums hosted by non-governmental organizations, particularly the Cambodian Center for Human Rights.

Instead of believing that public forums on human rights create chaos, Tep Vong should view them as a platform for people to voice their concerns and appeal to the government to look after their needs. Buddhism supports such a peaceful approach and nonviolent means to highlight problems and seek solutions.

Tep Vong usually makes speeches on political holidays – such as Liberation Day on Jan. 7, the day the former Khmer Rouge regime was toppled – to reaffirm his support to the ruling party. He rarely touches on issues such as moral standards or the role of monks in Cambodian society.

Several reports of monks having sex, watching pornographic materials and other social misconduct have largely gone unnoticed by the supreme patriarch. Recently a chief monk reportedly got drunk and beat some of his followers, who did not file a complaint out of fear for their safety.

Unlike the case of Tim Sakhorn – a monk who was charged with misconduct and defrocked in 2007 for allegedly destabilizing relations between Cambodia and Vietnam – the supreme patriarch has not reacted to the recent issue involving the drunken monk. This shows that the decision to defrock Sakhorn was politically motivated, and that the Buddhist leader is unconcerned about the decline of morality among the monks under his charge.

If such abuses continue, Buddhism will be less respected in the Cambodian community. This will affect other monks who devotedly follow and respect Buddhist principles. Besides, it would create a dangerous society if citizens were to lose faith in their religion, which contributes to people’s behavior and social conduct.

Buddhism has also played a significant role in national reconciliation and peace for survivors of the former dreaded Khmer Rouge regime. Cambodian people are likely to advise their children to apply Buddhist teachings as a way to solve conflicts in a peaceful manner and also to attain inner peace.

Therefore, the supreme patriarch and other monks need to maintain their gracious role and morality so that the religion is respected and valued. Monks should look back on their past roles in developing the community and the country.

Throughout history, pagodas and monks have contributed immensely to Cambodia’s cultural and educational sustainability, despite civil conflicts. However, their roles and contributions are diminishing in present times.

There are many issues like poverty reduction, corruption, social injustice, land disputes and social conflicts that confront Cambodia’s government as well as civil society. Monks should play a greater leadership role by introducing peaceful mechanisms to solve problems. This would go a long way toward helping Cambodians build a better society and future.
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(Chak Sopheap is a graduate student of peace studies at the International University of Japan. She runs a blog, www.sopheapfocus.com, in which she shares her impressions of both Japan and her homeland, Cambodia. She was previously advocacy officer of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights.)