Filed under: Land Grabbing by the Rich & Powerful
Villagers in ‘Vanishing Forests’ are Losing Hope
by Moeun Chhean Nariddh
Once upon a time during the French colonial rule more than 100 years ago, it is said that two outlawed families were on the run after being hunted down by the French for a crime the husbands had committed in Kampot town.
They ended up at a remote mountain on the edge of Kampot province, where elephants, tigers and other wild animals were still roaming around in the dense forests. As time went by, more people settled in the area and paved the way for the creation of a village near the foot of the mountain. (more…)
Filed under: Uncategorized
“If There Is Really A Next Life, I Want To Marry a Khmer Man”
Around 2,800 Cambodian Women Married to Taiwanese
Denied Taiwanese Citizenship
By Yim Kimse and Chea Kimsan
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More than 10 years ago, Samnang decided to free herself from being hired to transplant rice seedlings and harvest rice under the burning sun in Sdao commune, Kang Meas district, Kompong Cham province, in the hope that she would enjoy a better life when a matchmaker persuaded her to marry a Taiwanese man who they had told her was a wealthy man.
Samnang hoped that after the marriage, she would get some money to support her aged parents after she had gone to live in Taiwan. However, all her hopes were dashed when she eventually became the one who earned money to support her husband’s family in Taiwan.
However, Samnang is not the only Khmer girl who has turned out to be victims due to her cross-border marriage with the Taiwanese or Korean men. (more…)
Filed under: International Issues
Opinion
Cambodians are not just for McCain
The Phnom Penh Post, Wednesday, November 5, 2008
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t’s interesting to read about the different schools of thought regarding the future president of the United State of America in Kay Kimsong’s story, “McCain comes out on top in Cambodia,” Monday, 3 November 2008.
For Cambodians, we would support any US president who can help us build our democracy and free economy.
However, like many other Cambodians, I would prefer Senator Barack Obama to Senator John McCain for his own history and the history of Cambodia. (more…)
Filed under: International Issues
Comment
Neither Side Has Advantage In Border Conflict
by Moeun Chhean Nariddh
The Cambodia Daily, Tuesday, October 21, 2008
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t’s interesting to read about observers’ comments on the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia in article “Defense Analysts: Thais in Advantage at Temple,” October 17, page 29.
Regardless of advantage or disadvantage for Cambodia or Thailand, we can say that both sides will be the great losers unless this conflict ends soon.
During the past several decades, Cambodia has experienced an immense tragedy: from a harsh civil war to genocide and to another civil war. Almost two million people have lost their lives as a result. (more…)
Comment
Cambodia’s Magic War With Thailand
by Moeun Chhean Nariddh
Phnom Penh Post, Tuesday, 12 August, 2008
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arly this month, The Nation newspaper in Bangkok reported that many Thai residents in Si Sa Ket province which borders Cambodia wore yellow to help protect Thailand from black-magic spells cast by Khmer “wizards” who met at Preah Vihear Temple during the solar eclipse early this month.
On August 1, Bun Rany, the wife of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, led Buddhist monks and soldiers to the ancient Hindu temple to call upon their ancestors to protect the temple.
The Nation wrote that Thai media reports said that the mysterious black-magic spells by Khmer wizards would not only protect the temple but also weaken Thailand. Meanwhile, some Thai astrologers were reported to have urged local people to wear yellow to deflect the spells.
Whether the Thai astrologers considered the solemnly organized prayer at the temple Cambodia’s cast of magic spells on Thailand, the use of magic by Cambodians has prevailed for centuries. (more…)
Filed under: Corruption
Comment
Cambodian altruism in the face of poverty
By Kurt A. MacLeod
The Cambodia Daily, July 10, 2008
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n the streets of the capital of Phnom Penh, I recently passed a shiny new black Rolls Royce Phantom with a sparkling silver grill. The US$400,000 vehicle was absolutely beautiful as it coasted down the streets cluttered with small entrepreneurs eking out a living on a per capita GDP of just over US$550 per year.
The previous week I had seen a 2007 Bentley with leather interior, and which sells for a quarter of a million, plying the chaotic streets of the city. As the Rolls Royce rumbled by, I thought not only about the value of the car but also about the wealth of the family that bought the car as a show of opulence in face of poverty.
I was on my way to a meeting called by a Cambodian youth organization (YRDP) that had been collecting donations for the survivors of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. Soon after the cyclone hit the southern Delta of Myanmar and left more than 135,000 dead or missing, 15 members of the youth group wanted to show their solidarity with the people of Myanmar. When the devastating earthquake hit China, they added the plight of those families affected. (more…)
