A Change of Guard

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Monday 31 March 2014

Cambodian police thwart opposition rally over TV license





PHNOM PENH Mon Mar 31, 2014 
Protesters clash with police officers during a demonstration in central Phnom Penh March 31, 2014. REUTERS-Samrang Pring
1 OF 2. Protesters clash with police officers during a demonstration in central Phnom Penh March 31, 2014.
CREDIT: REUTERS/SAMRANG PRING

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(Reuters) - Cambodian police used batons to break up a protest on Monday by opposition party supporters demanding a license be granted for a new television channel, clashes that rights groups said left two people wounded.
The demonstration by about 100 people was the latest to turn violent in Cambodia, where the ruling party of long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen is facing an unprecedented slew of challenges over issues from factory wages and land grabs to graft and alleged vote-rigging in an election last year.
Police and guards working for Phnom Penh city authorities beat protesters with batons, local rights groups Licadho and Adhoc said.
It was the second time in two months the opposition had gathered to urge the Information Ministry to approve the new channel, which is being spearheaded by popular radio personality Mam Sonando, a government critic.
"Authorities implemented the law to prevent anarchy. This rally was illegal," Long Dimanche, a spokesman for the city authorities, said of the dispersal. He said a protester was detained for incitement.
The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) says the country's fast-growing broadcast media are under the control of its adversaries in the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), whom they accuse of fixing last year's election to retain power.

Cambodian police beat opposition demonstrators demanding TV license



Published March 31, 2014Associated Press
Police in Cambodia beat anti-government demonstrators who tried to defy a ban on public demonstrations to demand a license for an opposition television channel.
At least people were injured in the clash in the capital, Phnom Penh, on Monday.
Prime Minister Hun Sen's government has refused to issue a television license to Mam Sonando, a fierce government critic, saying there is no frequency available.
All existing stations are closely linked to Hun Sen, who has been in power for decades.
Cambodia's government has faced increasingly frequent street protests since July when elections were held that the opposition says were rigged in favor of the ruling party.

the alleged grenade thrower in the 1997 grenade attack named Brazil confessed to the FBI agents that he was ordered to assassinate Sam Rainsy twice in 1997

Watch more video of Brazil confessing in 1997.
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The most rudest police/security guard សូមស្តាប់ប៉ូលិសឈ្លើយ!




Police tried to arrest actor Sophorn Lary for participating in Mr. Mam Sonando's peaceful protest to demand an independent TV licence តារាសម្តែង សុភ័ណ ឡារី ត្រូវសន្តិសុខសាលាក្រុងតាមចាប់ ព្រឹកនេះ

Post by Dara Nita.


Cambodia Police Beat Protesters for TV License Bid

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia March 31, 2014 (AP)

Police in Cambodia on Monday beat anti-government demonstrators who tried to defy a ban on public demonstrations to demand a license for what would be the Southeast Asian nation's first opposition television channel.
Several hundred supporters of Mam Sonando, a fierce government critic, came out to protest and at least two people were injured in the clash while several more were punched and kicked by security forces.
Prime Minister Hun Sen's government has refused to issue a television license to Mam Sonando, saying there is no frequency available.
All existing stations are closely linked to Hun Sen, who has been in power for decades.
The government has faced increasingly frequent street protests since July when elections were held that the opposition says were rigged in favor of the ruling party.
Am Sam Ath, of the local rights group of Licadho, said one protester was clubbed in the head with a baton and another was punched in the eye.
In January, Man Sonando led hundreds of supporters in a similar protest outside the Ministry of Information. That demonstration was also broken up by riot police, and at least eight people were injured.

Man Injured in Clash Between Sonando Supporters, Security Guards

BY  | the cambodia daily, MARCH 31, 2014
One man was injured and another detained during a clash Monday morning between supporters of independent radio station owner Mam Sonando and district security guards near Phnom Penh’s Wat Phnom.
Last week, Mr. Sonando and his supporters announced their plans to protest Monday in front of the Ministry of Information, demanding a TV station and more relay stations for Beehive Radio.
Pheng Leng, 46, after being beaten over the head by Daun Penh district security guards on Monday. Mr. Leng joined dozens of supporters of independent radio station owner Mam Sonando in a protest calling for a TV station and stronger radio frequency. (John Vink)
Pheng Leng, 46, after being beaten over the head by Daun Penh district security guards on Monday. Mr. Leng joined dozens of supporters of independent radio station owner Mam Sonando in a protest calling for a TV station and stronger radio frequency. (John Vink)
At about 8 a.m., Pheng Leng, 46, was standing with about two dozen protesters on Norodom Boulevard—awaiting the arrival of Mr. Sonando—when the group was surrounded by baton-wielding Daun Penh district security guards, according to Am Sam Ath, head of monitoring for local rights group Licadho.
Mr. Leng failed to heed warnings—coming from loudspeakers mounted on a nearby municipal security truck—to refrain from verbally protesting, and was set upon by a dozen members of the black-helmeted security force, according to journalists at the scene.
In a video posted to Facebook, the security guards can be seen striking Mr. Leng repeatedly over the head with their fists and batons before onlookers intervened, stepping between Mr. Leng and the security guards.
Another protester, Sreng Sophal, 37, was detained following the clash with security guards and is being held at the commune police station, according to Mr. Sam Ath.
Independent radio station owner Mam Sonando speaks to his supporters during a protest near Wat Phnom on Monday. (John Vink)
Independent radio station owner Mam Sonando speaks to his supporters during a protest near Wat Phnom on Monday. (John Vink)
Khim Vutha, head of the Daun Penh security force, said authorities were detaining Mr. Sophal because they suspected him of intending to cause property damage.
“We had a small confrontation and we have held one man and we are now questioning him because he bought gasoline to burn a car,” Mr. Vutha said.
Asked to elaborate, Mr. Vutha declined to comment further.

Vannak Meas's response to Mr. Ear Kimsreng regarding his criticism of Mr. Sam Rainsy




Dogtor Chhim Phalvirun calls Sam Rainsy "a rebel leader" ឈឹម ផល​វរុណ ហៅ​លោក សម រង្ស៊ី ជា​មេដឹកនាំ​ឧទ្ទាម​​

Watch how the people welcomed "Dr." Chhim Phalvirun. He was nearly lynched.

ដោយ៖​ ស៊ុន ណារិន​ | ថ្ងៃអាទិត្យ ទី30 ខែមិនា ឆ្នាំ2014, VOD

​ឈឹម ផល​វរុណ ប្រធាន​វិទ្យាស្ថាន​ពលរដ្ឋ​វិជ្ជា ក្នុងបទសម្ភាសន៍ជាមួយទូរទស្សន៍CNC
បណ្ឌិត​ឈឹម ផល​វរុណ ប្រធាន​វិទ្យាស្ថាន​ពលរដ្ឋ​វិជ្ជា ហៅ​លោក សម រង្ស៊ី ប្រធាន​គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះ​ជាតិ ថា​ជា​មេដឹកនាំ​ប្រើ​នយោបាយ​ឧទ្ទាម មិន​ឲ្យ​តម្លៃលើ​ប្រទេស​ជាតិរប​ស់​ខ្លួន​។​
​ក្នុង​កម្មវិធី​បទ​សម្ភាសន៍​លើ​ទូរទស្សន៍​CNC នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​អាទិត្យ ដែល​ដឹកនាំ​ដោយ​លោក ជុំ កុសល ទីប្រឹក្សា​របស់​នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី លោក ឈឹម ផល​វរុណ មានប្រសាសន៍ថា លោក សម រង្ស៊ី កំពុង​ប្រើ​នយោបាយ​ឧទ្ទាម​និយម មិន​ទទួលស្គាល់​រដ្ឋាភិបាល ច្បាប់ និង​ជំទាស់​នឹង​ព្រះមហាក្សត្រ ។ លោក​បន្តថា ពួក​ឧទ្ទាម មិន​ដែល​ទទួលស្គាល់​ប្រមុខរដ្ឋ រដ្ឋាភិបាល ស្ថាប័ន​ផ្សេងៗ និង​ច្បាប់ទម្លាប់​ទាំងអស់​។​លោក​រិះគន់ លោក សម រង្ស៊ី ដែល​សរសេរ​លិខិត​ទៅ​ប្រទេស​ផ្សេងៗ កុំ​ឲ្យ​ផ្តល់​ជំនួយ និង​ទិញ​ផលិតផល​មក​ពី​កម្ពុជា ដែល​នេះ​ជា​ការ​មិន​ឲ្យ​តម្លៃ​ជាតិ និង​ពលរដ្ឋ​ខ្លួនឯង​។ លោក ក៏​បាន​ស្នើ​ឲ្យមាន​ការប្រុងប្រយ័​ត្ន​នឹង​មេដឹកនាំ​គណបក្ស លោក សម រង្ស៊ី ដែល​មាន​សញ្ជាតិ​ពី​រ​។​
​លោក ឈឹម ផល​វរុណ ចាត់ទុក​លោក សម រង្ស៊ី ជា​មេដឹកនាំ​ឧទ្ទាម តែ​មិនមែន​ដឹកនាំ​នៅក្នុង​ព្រៃ​ទេ គឺ​ដឹកនាំ​នៅក្នុង​ប្រទេស​លទ្ធិប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ​។​
VOD មិនទាន់​អាច​ទាក់ទង​លោក សម រង្ស៊ី ដើម្បី​បកស្រាយ​លើ​ការលើកឡើង​នេះ​បាន​នៅឡើយ​ទេ​៕

បក្ស​សង្គ្រោះ​ជាតិ​ប្រកាស​បន្ត​ធ្វើ​បាតុកម្ម​បើ​ការ​ចរចា​មិន​ត្រូវ​គ្នា Opposition warns of new protest if no fresh election [if negotiation does not move forward]

PHNOM PENH (The Cambodia Herald)- The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party today decided that if there will be no fresh election and the reform of the National Election Committee, it would restart the protest. The opposition also reaffirmed its position to demand the minimum wage of USD160 per month for the garment workers. Most of the decisions of today’s people’s congress led by the opposition are the demands which were denied already by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, leading to a concern that the two winning parties will not be able to break the political deadlock in the near future. 

ដោយ វណ្ណ វិចារ 2014-03-30
សង្គ្រោះ​ជាតិ ៦១០
អ្នក​គាំទ្រ​គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះ​ជាតិ ហែ​ក្បួន​ឡើង​លើ​ស្ពាន​អាកាស​ក្បាល​ថ្នល់ ឆ្ពោះ​ទៅ​ទីស្នាក់ការ​គណបក្ស​នៅ​សង្កាត់​ចាក់អង្រែលើ ធ្វើ​សមាជ​ប្រជាជន នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​៣០ មីនា ឆ្នាំ​២០១៤។
RFA/Van Vichar
គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះ​ជាតិ ប្រកាស​នឹង​បន្ត​ធ្វើ​បាតុកម្ម​ជា​ថ្មី​ទៀត​នៅ​ទូទាំង​ប្រទេស បើ​សិន​ណា​ការ​ចរចា​ផ្នែក​នយោបាយ​មិន​ត្រូវ​ទេ​នោះ។ ការ​ប្រកាស​នេះ​ធ្វើ​ឡើង​ក្នុង​សមាជ​អ្នក​គាំទ្រ​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​៣០ ខែ​មីនា នា​ទីស្នាក់ការ​កណ្ដាល​គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះ​ជាតិ សង្កាត់​ចាក់អង្រែលើ។
បាតុកម្ម​ជា​ជម្រើស​មិន​អាច​ខ្វះ​បាន បើ​សិន​ណា​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា មិន​ព្រម​តាម​សំណើ​របស់​បក្ស​ប្រឆាំង​ទេ​នោះ។
ពិធី​បង្សុកូល​រំលឹក​វិញ្ញាណក្ខន្ធ​ដល់​អ្នក​ស្លាប់​ដោយសារ​គ្រាប់បែក​កាល​ពី​ឆ្នាំ​១៩៩៧ ត្រូវ​បាន​បញ្ចប់។ មេដឹកនាំ​គណបក្ស​ប្រឆាំង បាន​ដឹកនាំ​អ្នក​គាំទ្រ​ដើរ​ដង្ហែ​ក្បួន​តាម​ដង​ផ្លូវ​ត្រឡប់​ទៅ​កាន់​ទីស្នាក់ការ​គណបក្ស ដើម្បី​រៀបចំ​សមាជ​ប្រជាជន។ សមាជ​ប្រជាជន​នេះ គឺ​គ្រោង​ធ្វើ​នៅ​ជិត​ វត្ត​បទុមវតី​ឯ​ណោះ​ទេ តែ​អាជ្ញាធរ​មិន​អនុញ្ញាត ហេតុ​នេះ គណបក្ស​ប្រឆាំង​ក៏​ប្ដូរ​ទីតាំង​ធ្វើ​សមាជ​តែម្ដង​ទៅ។
កំណាត់​ផ្លូវ​ដែល​ក្បួន​ហែ​ឆ្លង​កាត់​បាន​កក​ស្ទះ​ចរាចរណ៍​ដោយ​អន្លើ អ្នក​ដំណើរ​ខ្លះ​ខំ​ជិះ​ប្រជ្រៀត​ក្បួន និង​អ្នក​ខ្លះ​ទៀត​ឈប់​រង់ចាំ​ឲ្យ​ក្បួន​ហែ​ហួស។ តាម​បណ្ដោយ​ផ្លូវ​ក្រាល​កៅស៊ូ​ក្រោម​កម្ដៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ក្ដៅ​ហែង មេ​បក្ស​ប្រឆាំង​បាន​ដឹកនាំ​ក្បួន​ដង្ហែ​ដើរ​បណ្ដើរ​ស្រែក​បណ្ដើរ​ពី​ការ​ទាមទារ​ចង់​កែទម្រង់​ស្ថាប័ន គ.ជ.ប និង​ទាមទារ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​ឡើង​វិញ​ជាដើម។ សម្រែក​ដែល​ស្រែក​ឲ្យ​ដូរ​នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី​ក៏​បាន​ឮ​ជា​ថ្មី ហាក់​ដូច​ជា​បាតុកម្ម​ដែល​ត្រូវ​អាជ្ញាធរ​វាយ​បំបែក​កាល​ពី​ខែ​មករា នោះ កក្រើក​ឡើង​វិញ​ដូច្នេះ​ដែរ។
លុះ​ធ្វើ​ដំណើរ​ដល់​មុខ​ទីស្នាក់ការ​គណបក្ស ប្រធាន​គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះ​ជាតិ លោក សម រង្ស៉ី ថ្លែង​ថា គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះ​ជាតិ ផ្អាក​ការ​ចរចា​ជាមួយ​បក្ស​កាន់​អំណាច ក៏​ព្រោះ​តែ​ចង់​ដោះស្រាយ​បញ្ហា​ជាតិ​ឲ្យ​បាន​ឆាប់។ លោក​បន្ត​ថា ជំហរ​របស់​បក្ស​សង្គ្រោះ​ជាតិ គឺ​ប្តូរ គ.ជ.ប ឲ្យ​បាន​ជា​មុន​សិន មុន​នឹង​កែ​ទម្រង់​លើ​ផ្នែក​ផ្សេងៗ​ទៀត។
លោក​បញ្ជាក់​ថា បើ​ទាមទារ​មិន​បាន​តាម​ឆន្ទៈ​រាស្ត្រ​ទេ​នោះ បក្ស​សង្គ្រោះ​ជាតិ នឹង​ធ្វើ​មហា​បាតុកម្ម​នៅ​ទូទាំង​ប្រទេស៖ «រឿង​ដំបូង​បំផុត យើង​ត្រូវ​សម្រុក​ដោះស្រាយ​ប្តូរ គ.ជ.ប តែ​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​គេ​ថា អត់​ញ៉ាំ​ត្រី​អាំង​ទេ គេ​ញ៉ាំ​ផ្លែ​អាយ។ យើង​មិន​អាច​ញ៉ាំ​ផ្លែអាយ​មុន​ត្រី​អាំង​ទេ មិន​អាច​ញ៉ាំ​បង្អែម​មុន​ចង្អាប​ទេ»

A Passage to India

BY  | the cambodia daily, MARCH 30, 2014
One thousand years ago, Indian architecture and the Hindu religion influenced the construction of Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temples. Earlier this month, I did the reverse commute, visiting India with 20 other Cambodian and Asean journalists.
In a 21st century update of an old story, India’s government now follows a Look East policy. We traveled to India as part of the Asean Media Exchange Program, an annual event. 
Ramoji Film City, India (Creative Commons)
Ramoji Film City, India (Creative Commons)
India has 1.3 billion inhabitants, almost 100 times Cambodia’s 15 million. Over the centuries, our cultures and histories have diverged widely. But as I wandered the streets the country’s vast capital, New Delhi, for the first time, some things were familiar.
All along the chaotic streets, vendors selling various aromatic foods and colorful fruits piled up on wooden stalls reminded me of Phnom Penh. Traffic, too, was reminiscent of home. But like everything else in this vast country, its scale was dissimilar—more extreme, even overwhelming.
Yellow, three-wheeled auto-rickshaws jittered and darted for space amid the bleep and blare of horns like miniature, hyperactive versions of Cambodian tuk-tuks.
In place of Cambodia’s swarm of modern scooters were motorbikes, many of them decades old and as rusty and smoky as everything else on the roads. But what was really unusual about the traffic clogging the narrow streets was that unlike in Cambodia, the cars here were mostly small and old, covered with rust and peppered with dents, belching smoke as their gears clunked and spluttered in the gridlock.
The convoys of oversized luxury SUV’s that traverse Cambodia’s boulevards were visibly absent. The relative youth of Cambodia’s modernization was underlined by its comparison to New Delhi, a city showing its age.
India is a much richer nation than Cambodia. It is the largest democracy on earth and a country with a huge, billowing middle class and pretentions of becoming a world superpower. But our first impressions in New Delhi were of a city swelled with poor people and conspicuous poverty. Perhaps it is not surprising that in a quickly developing country with so many inhabitants some citizens will be left behind.

Mam Sonando plans to stage a peaceful protest today, 31th March, to demand a TV licence លោក ម៉ម សូណង់ដូ គ្រោង​ធ្វើ​បាតុកម្ម​អហិង្សា​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​៣១ មីនា

ដោយ ខែ សុណង 2014-03-30
បាតុកម្ម ម៉ម សូណង់ដូ ៦១០
កង​កម្លាំង​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​គប់​គ្រាប់​ឧស្ម័ន​បង្ហៀរ​ទឹក​ភ្នែក បំបែក​ក្រុម​បាតុករ​របស់​លោក ម៉ម សូណង់ដូ នៅ​ក្បែរ​ក្រសួង​ព័ត៌មាន កាល​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​២៧ មករា ឆ្នាំ​២០១៤។
RFA/Van Vichar
ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​រាប់​រយ​នាក់​គ្រោង​នឹង​ជួបជុំ​គ្នា​ធ្វើ​បាតុកម្ម​អហិង្សា​ក្នុង​រាជធានី​ភ្នំពេញ នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​៣១ ខែ​មីនា ដើម្បី​ទាមទារ​ជា​ថ្មី​ទៀត​សុំ​ឲ្យ​ក្រសួង​ព័ត៌មាន​ដំឡើង​រលក​ធាតុ​អាកាស​ផ្សាយ​បន្ត ឬ​ហ្វ្រេកង់​សម្រាប់​វិទ្យុ និង​ហ្វ្រេកង់​បង្កើត​ប៉ុស្តិ៍​ទូរទស្សន៍​សម្បុក​ឃ្មុំ។
ប្រធាន​វិទ្យុ​សម្បុក​ឃ្មុំ អេហ្វ.អឹម ១០៥ ម៉េហ្គាហឺតស៍ លោក ម៉ម សូណង់ដូ មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​៣០ មីនា ថា គម្រោង​នៃ​ការ​ជួបជុំ​គ្នា​នេះ គឺ​សុទ្ធ​សឹង​តែ​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ស្ម័គ្រ​ចិត្ត​មក​ជួប​ជុំ​ដោយ​ខ្លួន​ឯង។ លោក​ថា គម្រោង​ជួបជុំ​គ្នា​នេះ គឺ​ពួកគាត់​នៅ​តែ​ធ្វើ បើ​ទោះ​ជា​សាលា​រាជធានី​ភ្នំពេញ មិន​​អនុញ្ញាត​ក៏​ដោយ៖ «ខេត្ត​ឆ្ងាយៗដែលគេទាមទារ ដែលគេមិនបានទទួលការផ្សព្វផ្សាយរបស់វិទ្យុសម្បុកឃ្មុំហ្នឹង ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋទាំងអស់ហ្នឹងជំរុញឲ្យពូ​សុំក្រសួងព័ត៌មាន ធ្វើរលេ​បន្ថែម​កម្លាំង​ផ្សាយ​ហើយ​និង ហ្វ្តេកង់​ទូរទស្សន៍ ដែល​ក្រសួង​ព័ត៌មាន​មិន​បាន​ឲ្យ ប៉ុន្តែ​បើ​សិន​​ជា​យោង​ទៅ​តាម​វ៉ឹបសាយ​របស់​ក្រសួង​ព័ត៌មាន​ដែល​សុំ​តាំង​ពី​២០០៥​មក គឺ​គាត់​ចែកចាយ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ឆ្នាំ​២០១១ ឆ្នាំ​២០១២ អនុញ្ញាតឲ្យវិទ្យុ ទូរទស្សន៍ បើកច្រើន ហើយថែមទាំងឲ្យមានរលេថែមទៀត។ អ្វី​ដែល​ខ្ញុំ​ទាមទារ​តាំង​​ពី​២០០៥​មក គេ​អត់​ឲ្យ​អ្វី​ទាំង​អស់ អា​នេះ​វា​មាន​ភាព​អយុត្តិធម៌»
លោក ម៉ម សូណង់ដូ បន្ត​ថា កាល​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​៣ ខែ​មករា ឆ្នាំ​២០១៤ លោក​បាន​ដាក់​លិខិត​សុំ​ក្រសួង​ព័ត៌មាន​ដំឡើង​រលក​ធាតុ​អាកាស​ផ្សាយ​បន្ត ឬ​ហ្វ្រេកង់​សម្រាប់​វិទ្យុ និង​ហ្វ្រេកង់​បង្កើត​ប៉ុស្តិ៍​ទូរទស្សន៍​សម្បុក​ឃ្មុំ ជា​លើក​ទី​២ ប៉ុន្តែ​ត្រូវ​បាន​បដិសេធ។ បន្ទាប់​មក​លោក​បាន​ដាក់​លិខិត​មួយ​ទៀត​ទៅ​សាលា​រាជធានី សុំ​ធ្វើ​បាតុកម្ម​អហិង្សា​នៅ​ទីលាន​ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ​វិញ ហើយ​សាលា​រាជធានី​បាន​ហៅ​លោក​ទៅ​ពិភាក្សា​ប្រាប់​ពី​ហេតុផល​មិន​អនុញ្ញាត គឺ​ដោយ​ខ្លាច​មាន​ភាព​ចលាចល និង​ប៉ះពាល់​សណ្ដាប់ធ្នាប់​សង្គម៕

Dick Hagerty: Cambodia teaches us that traffic needs fewer stoplights and more civility

BY DICK HAGERTY columns@modbee.com
March 29, 2014
The view from the back of a “tuk-tuk,” an auto rickshaw. The vehicle was manuevering through Phnom Penh’s main drag, which has only five traffic lights in 12 miles. DICK HAGERTY
Sitting and waiting for the red light to turn green must be one of the most aggravating moments in our daily lives. On a recent drive down McHenry, I counted 16 traffic signals in four miles – and I think I hit a red light on at least 10 of them.
Our traffic engineers seem so fascinated with the proliferation of red lights that you wonder if it’s a fetish or if they all own stock in traffic-light installation companies. More roundabouts and a few extra lanes at four-way stops would seem to be a much better solution than our present pattern of seemingly random mandatory stoppages of traffic flow.
My little town of Oakdale has eight traffic lights in the 2-mile trip across town on our main street. No one I know has ever crossed Oakdale without hitting at least a couple, and sometimes it seems like you hit every one of them.
One of the ironies of this phenomenon is that often while sitting at the red I am hearing that guy on the radio from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District telling me to remember not to burn my pellet stove or light my fireplace to preserve the air quality. Can anything I am doing in that regard match the amount of air pollution we are sending up while we wait, en masse, for the next green light?
I just returned from spending two weeks in Cambodia working with some village development and mission projects. Some of that time was spent in the capital city, Phnom Penh, a bustling city of 2 million, half of them on the road at any given moment in a wide variety of vehicles. The transportation of choice is a wide array of motorized scooters and small motorcycles, but you see everything from bicycles to luxury SUVs tossed into the mix.
On my trip back to the airport, I rode in a “tuk-tuk” (a motorized rickshaw) for the 12-mile trip across the city. We took the main street all the way and I counted a total of five traffic signals in that entire journey. And yes, the only place where traffic was bogged down was at those five intersections.
The people in Phnom Penh have an uncanny ability to move, blend, dodge and dart around in moving traffic without the necessity of all our modern signalization. And it works!
Most major intersections have a roundabout, and there were easily 100 vehicles in each one, all moving and keeping up a steady pace. Stop signs are merely a suggestion, not a mandate.

Sunday 30 March 2014

Finding Pol Pot’s lost love


Statues in the ruins of Angkor Wat, photographed in 1952. Photo by Baron/Getty Images
Statues in the ruins of Angkor Wat, photographed in 1952. Photo by Baron/Getty Images

For most of his thirties, Cambodia's brutal dictator worked as a French teacher in Phnom Penh and his students adored him.

Whenever I meet people who knew Pol Pot before he became Cambodia’s brutal communist dictator, I am puzzled by how much they liked him. For most of his thirties, he worked as a French teacher in Phnom Penh and his students adored him.
How do you explain Pol Pot’s transformation from popular schoolteacher into the man responsible for Cambodia’s 1975-79 genocide, in which as many as two million people died? Keng Vannsak, his former mentor, told me that he believed the revolutionary suffered from a broken heart.
According to Vannsak, in 1949 Pol Pot fell in love with a princess and one-time beauty queen, Son Maly. Around five years later, she left him for Sam Sary, his political rival and the second most powerful man in the kingdom – and Pol Pot gradually lost faith in both romantic love and democracy, devoting his life to revolutionary struggle.
While researching my latest novel, which is set in Phnom Penh in 1955, I wondered what had become of Son Maly. Keng Vannsak had told me that she left for London with Sam Sary (as well as his wife and children), after he was appointed Cambodian ambassador. The pair apparently made tabloid headlines after she escaped from the embassy with her newborn baby and sought asylum, claiming that Sam Sary had whipped her. He was recalled to Phnom Penh and stripped of his privileges. A few years later, he died, most likely killed by his former allies.
I found an article about Sam Sary’s disastrous spell as ambassador in Timemagazine, dated 21 July 1958. There is no mention of Son Maly. The piece claims that Sam Sary brought two women from the 1955 Miss Cambodia beauty contest with him: the winner, Tep Kanary, and another competitor, Iv Eng Seng. Iv Eng Seng was the woman who claimed asylum. Changing your name is common in Cambodia, yet when I met Sam Sary’s son, Sam Rainsy, the leader of Cambodia’s opposition party, he denied that Iv Eng Seng had ever been in a beauty contest or been called Son Maly.

Sam Rainsy's and Kem Sokha's speeches regarding negotiations with the CPP សន្ទរកថារបស់លោក សម រង្ស៊ី និងលោក កឹម សុខា ពាក់ព័ន្ធនឹងការចចារជាមួយនឹងបក្សប្រជាជន

Post by Sam Rainsy.
Post by Kem Sokha.



Marchers call on Hun Sen to step down! អ្នកដង្ហែរក្បួនទាទាេឲ្យហ៊ុនសែនចុះចេញពីដំណែង!


Post by Rapsberry Maqui.





Sam Rainsy denies link between father and Pol Pot's lost love

Give our kids a better deal 
PHNOM PENH (The Cambodia Herald) -- Opposition leader Sam Rainsy has denied that one of his father's mistresses, while serving as ambassador to London, was Pol Pot's lost love, according to the New Statesman.

The British magazine reported Friday that the love triangle surrounding the former beauty queen was the focus of a new novel by Peter Froberg Idling, the author of "Pol Pot's Smile" published in 2006.

Writing in the New Statesman, the Swedish writer said that Pol Pot's former mentor Keng Vannsak "told me that he believed the revolutionary suffered from a broken heart.

"According to Vannsak, in 1949 Pol Pot fell in love with a princess and one-time beauty queen, Son Maly. Around five years later, she left him for Sam Sary," he said, referring to Sam Rainsy's father.

Sam Sary's term as ambassador to London was cut short in 1958 after he admitted "whipping" one of two beauty queens he had reportedly brought from Cambodia.

In an autobiography published last year, Sam Rainsy said his father's term was "interrupted when one of his mistresses, Iv Eng Seng, who was also a family governess and therefore lived with us, was admitted to a London hospital after having been beaten up."

'IT WAS OUR LONG-SUFFERING MOTHER WHO CAUSED THE INJURIES'

The opposition leader said his father "accepted public responsibility for the incident" but that "in fact, it was our long-suffering mother who caused the injuries."

Froberg Idling said that when he met Sam Rainsy, "he denied that Iv Eng Seng had ever been in a beauty contest or been called Son Maly."

So he focused on the other reported mistress, Tep Kanary. "I wrote once more to Sam Rainsy, who replied: 'Tep Kanary, whom I know little of, was not a part of my father’s household in London'," the Swedish writer said. 

Marchers call Hun Sen a traitor and ask on him to step down! អ្នកដង្ហែរក្បួនហៅហ៊ុនសែនថាជាជនក្បត់ជាតិ ហើយសូមឲ្យលោកចុះចេញពីដំណែង!








The CNRP Resolution after the people's congress on 30th March 2014 សេចក្តីសម្រេចនៃសមាជមហាជនលើកទី២ ថ្ងៃទី៣០ ខែមីនា ឆ្នាំ២០១៤

20140330_People's Congress_2nd_Page_1

STATUS OF THE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE CPP AND THE CNRP

29 March 2014
 
 
I- NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES
At their summit meeting on 16 September 2013 the two parties agreed to discuss and jointly work out xan electoral reform.
The starting point of any serious electoral reform is related to the electoral commission known in Cambodia as National Election Committee (NEC).
At the latest bilateral talks, the CNRP made a proposal based on recommendations issued by the European Union in 2008 and by the United Nations in 2012, which were intended to make the NEC an independent body (*).
This CNRP’s proposal is to make the NEC a constitutionally mandated institution and to get NEC members elected by a two-third majority at the National Assembly.
The CPP rejected last week that proposal from the CNRP. The latter is now awaiting a counterproposal or any constructive idea from the CPP that would take into account the E.U. and U.N. recommendations (*).
 
II- FREEDOM TO ASSEMBLY
Since January this year the constitutional right to freedom of assembly has been denied to all groups of citizens having any grievances to express. The ruling CPP has therefore imposed a de facto martial law corresponding to an illegal and unconstitutional state of emergency.
Evoking the risk of violence is ludicrous on the part of the Government given the fact that all CNRP-organised demonstrations, with hundreds of thousands of participants, have always been peaceful.
Tomorrow, Sunday 30 March will be a test. While always strictly abiding by the principle of non-violence, the CNRP will hold in the park across from the National Assembly old building a ceremony commemorating the 17th anniversary of the deadly 30 March 1997 grenade attack, followed by a people’s congress to be attended by only a few thousands people. National and international observers are welcome to witness any act of provocation on the part of CPP-controlled forces whose objective would be to create violence so as to have a pretext to further reduce the democratic space in Cambodia.
 
Sam Rainsy
CNRP President

Cambodian opposition marks 17th anniversary of grenade attack amid tight security



People march on 30th March 2014 to commemorate the victims of the 1997 grenade attack. ទិដ្ឋភាពនៃការដង្ហែក្បួន ពីកន្លែងប្រារព្ធខួបនៃការគប់គ្រាប់បែកដៃ ៣០ មីនា២០១៤
Xinhua | 2014-3-30 
By Agencies

The opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) on Sunday morning held a religious ceremony at a memorial stupa in a park, just south of the Royal Palace, in remembrance of the victims of a grenade attack 17 years ago.


Some 60 Buddhist monks were invited to chant at the ceremony, which was attended by CNRP's president Sam Rainsy and some 700 party supporters as well as family members of the victims.



The attack on an opposition rally on March 30, 1997 killed 16 people. So far, no one was arrested for the killing.



Security has been tightened on Sunday as all roads around the ceremony site have been blocked to ensure safety of the participants.



"They hold the ceremony with permission from the City Hall, so our forces have been deployed to maintain security and public order for them," Gen. Kheng Tito, spokesman for the National Military Police, told Xinhua over phone.



Sam Rainsy said at the event that after the commemoration ceremony, the CNRP will hold a people's congress at the party's headquarters on the outskirts of the capital in the afternoon because the Phnom Penh Municipality did not allow the party to conduct the congress at the Freedom Park.



Sam Rainsy's announcement has ended speculations about confrontation or clashes between authorities and opposition supporters.



Kheng Tito said the CNRP can hold its people's congress at its headquarters.



"It's good that the CNRP complies with the law. This can avoid confrontation," he said.



On Sunday morning, steel barricades have been used to block roads surrounding the Freedom Park as hundreds of anti-riot police, armed with shields and batons, have been deployed inside.

Democracy Park on 30th March 2014




Marchers call on Hun Sen to step down! Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha march on the street after the commemoration service for the 1997 grenade attack victims ក្បួនហែ លោកប្រធានទាំងពីរដើរសំដៅ ទៅទីស្នាក់ការ ចាក់អង្រេលើ



Post by I Love Cambodia Hot News II.




Commemoration service for the victims of the 1997 grenade attacks ទិដ្ឋភាពទូទៅ នៅរោងវិទិកាគណបក្សសង្រ្គោះជាតិ មុខមន្ទីររដ្ឋសភាចាស់នាម៉ោង ៨: ១៧ ព្រឹកនេៈ




Police preventing people without badge to attend CNRP commemoration