Sabtu, 23 Julai 2011

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Anak Cucu Nabi Adam


Malaysias Political Awakening: A Call for US Leadership

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 11:32 PM PDT


On elections, the US Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights Practices declares that Malaysian opposition parties are unable to compete on equal terms with the governing UMNO-dominated coalition because of restrictions on campaigning and freedom of assembly and association.

by John R. Malott, Asia Pacific Bulletin
A Malaysian recently wrote to me, Most Americans dont know or even care where Malaysia is. Even among the so-called foreign policy elite, little attention is paid to Malaysia. There are few American academics who specialize in domestic Malaysian politics, and except for hosting visits by senior Malaysian leaders, think tanks and universities hold few Malaysia-themed programs. US newspaper and magazine reports are few, with most articles focusing on tourism and the delights of Malaysian cuisine. As a result, there is a tendency among Americans to hold an idealized (and outdated) image of Malaysia as a successful multi-racial and multi-religious paradise, an Asian economic dynamo, and a stable and moderate Muslim democracy. As a result of this deficit of informed analysis of Malaysia, there has been a failure to notice the internal political and economic changes unfolding within Malaysia over the past few years. The reality today, as one Australian expert puts it, is that the situation is the most fluid and dangerous in Malaysias history.

The Events of July 9 A Date for the History Books

Because of this attention shortfall, the events of July 9, 2011 came as a surprise. On that day, tens of thousands of Malaysianswho have been ranked on Hofstedes Power Distance Index as the most submissive to authority of any people in the worldchose to defy their government! and joi n a Walk for Democracy. They heeded the call of Bersih 2.0, a coalition of 62 non-governmental organizations that calls for free and fair elections. In the days before the rally, the Malaysian government cracked down. It rounded up 200 leaders associated with the movement, claiming that they were waging war against the King and planning to overthrow the government. It declared both the Bersih coalition and the planned rally illegal, and in a truly bizarre action, it declared the color yellowBersihs signature colorillegal. Malaysian citizens were arrested for possessing Bersih literature or wearing yellow T-shirts. The police established roadblocks around the city and banned 91 Bersih and opposition leaders from entering the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. By the morning of July 9, the city was in total lockdown.

Then something remarkable happened. As Ambiga Sreenevasan, the distinguished attorney who leads Bersih put it, the Malaysian people showed that they no longer would be intimidated by their government. They chose to march, knowing that they would be met by tear gas, chemical-laced water cannon, and police batons. Even after Bersihs leadership was arrested, Malaysians of all ages, races and religions continued their Walk for Democracy through the streets of Kuala Lumpur. They locked arms, they sang their national anthem and We Shall Overcome, they blew bubbles and carried flowers. They were peaceful. The only muscle seen that day was the heavy hand of the police. Human Rights Watch later called the use of force excessive, the 1,670 arrests unwarranted, and the police attacks on marchers unprovoked.

This repression by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his government drew international condemnation, and it also put a lie to Najibs two-year effort to portray himself as a modern, liberal-minded leader. More importantly, and of greater concern to Najib and his United Malays National Organization (UMNO) partythe main party that has ruled Malaysia continuously since independence in 19! 57is tha t it awakened a new generation of Malaysians. It is too soon to know whether the movement for electoral reform and the establishment of true democracy in Malaysia will be sustained. If it is, then July 9 will be remembered as a turning point in Malaysias history.

Just How Free and Democratic is Malaysia?

Why should a government be so afraid of a call for fair elections? Like his predecessors, Najib claims that demonstrations will lead to chaos, even though the right of assembly is guaranteed by the nations constitution and is commonplace in any true democracy. As for free and fair elections, Najib says that Malaysia already has them; if not, then opposition parties would not have achieved the gains they made in the 2008 elections, when they received 47% of the popular vote and took control of five states. Opposition parties counter that if elections truly were fair and free, they would form the government and not the UMNO-led coalition.

Political rhetoric aside, Malaysias electoral system has been analyzed by academics in Australia, Malaysia, the United States, and elsewhere. In addition, the state of Malaysias political freedom has been assessed by many international groups. The Economist Intelligence Unit, for example, labels Malaysia a flawed democracy in its Democracy Index. Freedom House says that Malaysia is only partly free. Reporters Without Borders places Malaysia 141st out of the 178 countries in its Press Freedom Index. On elections, the US Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights Practices declares that Malaysian opposition parties are unable to compete on equal terms with the governing UMNO-dominated coalition because of restrictions on campaigning and freedom of assembly and association. News of the opposition, the report says, is tightly restricted and reported in a biased fashion. Academics point to the Election Commissions gerrymandering, which creates highly imbalanced districts that favor the ruling party, where the number of! voters per electoral district can range from 7,000 to over 100,000.

Over the years there have been numerous credible reports of the use of phantom voters, stuffed ballot boxes, vote-buying, and abuse of government resources to attract votes. In Sarawaks state elections this past April, Prime Minister Najib was caught on video, blatantly telling a village gathering that his government would give them US$1.5 million for a local project, but only if they elected his candidate.

What Should Be Done?

Malaysias government may assert otherwise, but the evidence is overwhelmingly on Bersihs side. Malaysia is not a full democracy, and its elections are neither free nor fair. Malaysian citizens have awakened to that fact. Now the worlds democracies need to stand on the right side of Malaysias future. The United States has a multitude of interests in Malaysia, one of which is to help strengthen democracy and the rule of law. Human rights groups have condemned what they call the US Governments lukewarm response to the events of July 9. This is a moment when the United States, which named Bersihs leader Ambiga Sreenevasan an International Woman of Courage in 2009, can show the same courage and make a difference in the life of a nation.

John R. Malott was the US Ambassador to Malaysia, 1995-1998, and continues to follow developments in that country closely.
The Asia Pacific Bulletin (APB) series is published by the East-West Center, which promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Established by the US Congress in 1960, the Center serves as a resource for information and analysis on critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to exchange views, build expertise, and develop policy options.

Australia and Malaysia 'to sign deal on asylum seekers'

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 08:32 AM PDT


A deal to send 800 asylum seekers in Australia to Malaysia in exchange for 4,000 refugees is to be signed on Monday, a Malaysian official has said.

The home ministry official said the one-off exchange of boat people would be formally agreed in Kuala Lumpur.

Many refugee claimants held at Australia's Christmas Island detention centre have expressed frustration at long delays and overcrowding.

Inmates have held a third night of violent protests there, police say.

A spokesman for Australian Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said of the deal: "It's close, we will be able to say more in coming days."
Shallow graves

The UN has previously criticised Australia for holding all asylum seekers while their applications are assessed.

The migrants are held for months at the Christmas Island centre, about 1,500 miles (2,400km) from the Australian mainland, and in other facilities.Malaysia is home to tens of thousands of illegal migrants and is not a signatory to UN conventions on refugees.

Australia currently has more than 6,000 asylum seekers in detention, originating from countries including Iran, Iraq, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

Last year, more than 25,600 refugees registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia to seek asylum, the highest among all countries where the refugee agency has offices.

Meanwhile, immigration officials said there had been "another significant incident" at the Christmas Island centre overnight involving up to 100 detainees.

"The detainees used improvised weapons and lit a number of fires in a number of locations within the centre," a police spokeswoman told AFP.

Refugee advocate groups said some detainees lay in shallow graves to symbolise their desperation.

"Asylum seekers in the Green compound have dug shallow graves in the courtyard of their compound," said refugee advocate Ian Rintoul, who keeps in regular telephone contact with detainees at the centre.

"Some asylum seekers have already staged mock burials and buried themselves up to their necks in a symbolic protest that detention is killing their bodies and their minds," he said.

Sexy Korean Girl Hwang Mi Hee

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 07:23 AM PDT

model advanced age she is still amazingly beautiful and sexy You can find her pics all over the place promoting not just cars, but other products as well, including Windows 7. Many guys say she is their favorite Korean girl and after seeing her pics you might just agree with them.

Sexy Korean Girl Hwang Mi Hee

Sexy Korean Girl Hwang Mi Hee

Sexy Korean Girl Hwang Mi Hee

Norway: Blast near prime minister's office in Oslo

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 07:18 AM PDT

A large explosion has hit near government headquarters in the Norwegian capital Oslo.

The blast is thought to have caused damage to the offices of Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and a number of other official buildings.

Witnesses have said several people were injured in the incident in the centre of the city.

There are reports of windows being shattered and smoke drifting in the streets.

Norway 'al-Qaeda' bomb plot: Three arrested in Oslo

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 07:17 AM PDT


Three people have been arrested in Norway on suspicion of preparing terrorist attacks.

Unnamed Norwegian and US officials told the Associated Press that the men were members of al-Qaeda and had been under surveillance for a year.

They said it was not clear whether the men had selected a target, but they were attempting to make peroxide bombs.

The BBC's security correspondent says Norway may have been targeted because it has troops in Afghanistan.

"The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) has today, July 8, 2010, arrested three people suspected of preparing acts of terror," the PST said in a statement on its website.

Prosecutors say the Norwegian case is linked to foiled bomb plots in New York and the English city of Manchester.
Twin plots

On Wednesday, US prosecutors charged five men in New York over a plot to bomb the underground system. The plot was foiled in September.

The New York plot also involved peroxide bombs, prosecutors said. One man, Najibullah Zazi, has already pleaded guilty.

"The charges reveal that the plot... was directed by senior al-Qaeda leadership in Pakistan," the US Department of Justice said in a statement.

One of those charged in New York is Abid Naseer, 24, born in Pakistan and arrested in the north-east of England on Wednesday. The US is now seeking his extradition.

Mr Naseer was remanded in custody by a court in the UK on Wednesday night.

The former construction site worker is suspected of being the ringleader of a plot, thwarted in April 2009, to bomb targets in Manchester city centre

A bid to put him on trial in Britain was aborted last year and his deportation was blocked when a judge said Mr Naseer could face torture in Pakistan.

Mohamed bin Hammam aims to clear name at Fifa hearing

Posted: 22 Jul 2011 05:21 AM PDT


Suspended former Fifa presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam begins his attempt to clear his name of bribery allegations on Friday.

Fifa's ethics committee has started a two-day hearing to rule on claims the Qatari tried to bribe Caribbean delegates to vote for him as president.

Bin Hammam pulled out of the race in the wake of the allegations and was provisionally suspended on 29 May.

He has promised to provide "convincing evidence" to prove his innocence.

"There has been a campaign waged within certain quarters," he wrote in a blog.

"Why was the Fifa ethics committee in such a hurry to suspend me before the Fifa election took place and then begin to search for evidence to find if I am guilty or not?" he added.

"Why have I not been treated in a similar way to others who, according to the Ethics Committee, received inducements?"

Bin Hammam and former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner were suspended when a leaked report revealed four Caribbean Football Union (CFU) associations were either offered money, or saw the offence occur, during a meeting in May.

"Economic adviser" to Obama charged with forgery in Cambodia

Posted: 23 Dec 2010 11:56 PM PST

Ray Dam (C) and Suos Saroeun (R) (Photo: The Phnom Penh Post)
Dec 23, 2010
DPA

Phnom Penh - Police in Cambodia arrested a man claiming to be an adviser to US President Barack Obama and head of an international finance organization that stores its assets in caves and sunken ships.

Ray Dam and associate Soush Saroeun were charged with forgery Monday after being arrested at Dam's home in Phnom Penh. They were accused of forging documents alleging connections with HSBC Bank, the US government and the United Nations.

The pair had been operating a self-described international real-estate consultancy known as Asia Real Property out of modern offices in the Cambodian capital.

Asia Real Property's promotional materials identified the firm as a subsidiary of a group called the Office of International Treasury Control that claimed to be 'the largest single owner of gold and platinum bullion in the world,' holding cash and treasure in a variety of clandestine locations.

'Much of the treasure is buried in tunnels, bunkers and caves and in sunken ships,' the group said in an investment presentation. 'Further treasures are hidden all around the world.'


Dam is identified on the group's website as the 'sole arbiter ... of the Tripartite Gold Commission,' which was a post-World War II organization that searched for gold stolen by Nazi Germany and was dissolved in 1998. The website also said Dam was an adviser to Obama and his predecessor George W Bush.

Police said Dam and Saroeun had been advertising financial services to foreign joint venture partners in company documents claiming a connection to HSBC Bank. If convicted, they face a maximum of 16 years in prison.

According to an investigation report from police, Dam was born in Cambodia, fleeing the country for the US in the 1970s before returning in the early '90s. US embassy officials said they had been unable to confirm whether he holds US citizenship.

Officials from Cambodia's Ministry of Finance lodged a complaint against Dam and Saroeun after learning that the pair were operating without a real-estate licence. A government spokesman said Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had ordered an investigation after learning that Dam had been posing as an adviser to the president of Cambodia's Senate

Lakeside deadline looms [-How would Kep Chuktema like to be offered 5 million riels ($1,250) to be evicted from his house?]

Posted: 23 Dec 2010 11:55 PM PST

Residents of Village 23 on the edge of Boeung Kak lake dismantle their homes yesterday to make way for a controversial lakeside development. (Photo by: Pha Lina)
Thursday, 23 December 2010
Chhay Channyda
The Phnom Penh Post

Tuol Kork district authorities have given 18 families living in Boeung Kak lake's Village 23 one week to dismantle their houses, accept compensation and relocate to Dangkor district.

Affected residents say their homes, which lie in the path of a planned access road to the controversial Boeung Kak lake development, will be bulldozed if they fail to meet the deadline.

Resident Ou Norleak, 38, said on Thursday that in a Wednesday meeting between deputy district governor Pich Keo Mony and the families, authorities said they will take drastic measures against those who resist.



"We can't accept this because we have lived here for years," Ou Norleak said. "Please Samdech Hun Sen, help your children. We will not be able to build a new house with this compensation."

Huy Sokhon, another resident from Village 23, described the authorities' actions as "dictatorship".

In October, district governor Seng Ratanak told the families to remove their homes and accept a land plot in Dangkor district and 1 million riels (US$250), to make way for the widening of the access road R8 by developer Shukaku Inc.

Ek Yoeun, an official at the Tuol Kork district office, said Thursday that he did not join the meeting, but claimed the authorities had increased the compensation payout to 5 million riels ($1,250), up from the previous offer of 1 million.

"I heard some people asked for $50,000. The government's policy is only to give a land plot in Kork Ksach village [in Dangkor district] and a small amount of money," he said.

The view from outside the city

Posted: 23 Dec 2010 11:55 PM PST

Thursday, 23 December 2010
Neang Sokchea & Kounila Keo
The Phnom Penh Post

Ever since urban centres were formed in Cambodia, usually around centres of trade and industrythere has been an understanding gap between people living in the rural areas and people who became accustomed to life in the city.

Ethnic groups tended to stay in the rural areas, and because they have been separated from places like Phnom Penh, they are seen, and often see themselves as foreigners in their own country when they come to the capital city.

In order to facilitate a greater sense of understanding and community between rural and urban populations, Khmer Community Development, officially established in 2005, invited 750 youth from 7 minority groups in Cambodia to join each other for a weekend of dialogue, activities and developing relationships.

Ngach Pheaktra, a tenth grader from Mondulkiri province, took part in the camping activity and said that, because this was his first trip to Phnom Penh, he sometimes felt like an outsider.


"I feel strange walking along the buildings and houses here. They are all made of brick, while our houses back in our villages are made of wood," he said, adding that his home doesn't have too many mosquitoes and he rarely goes on difficult journeys, but his homeland does have mountains, trees and wild animals.

Ngach Pheaktra says Phnom Penh seems much more dangerous, with all of the vehicles moving around the city. "I do not feel secure at all when I am in Phnom Penh. I heard of robbery and rape," he said. "Compared to Phnom Penh, my village is much better off and safer," he added.

For Kham Sopheap, a 17-year-old and twelfth grader from Rattanakiri province who is part of one of the ethic minorities in the area, told Lift that she can hardly breathe in Phnom Penh, unlike here village where there are plenty of trees and therefore lots of fresh ait. As a child, she faced a discrimination from students who asked her why she even came to school when she could not speak any Khmer. By the time she was eight, however, she was able to speak Khmer well enough to converse with her classmates.

"There are some things I like about Phnom Penh and other things I don't like," she said. "I like it for its amusement parks and the Royal Palace, but I certainly do not like when Phnom Penh is too crowded."

Lat Bunart, an eleventh grader from Ratanakiri, said that she feels like Phnom Penh is a place only for wealthy people, whereas her village doesn't require people to be rich. "People in my village are so friendly and welcome the poor and the rich, but people here seem so busy with their businesses and work," she said. "In our village we spend the day farming and have much more free time to enjoy life."

Cambodia: New Penal Code Undercuts Free Speech

Posted: 23 Dec 2010 11:54 PM PST

Seng Kunnaka, a Cambodian employee of the World Food Programme in Phnom Penh, was imprisoned for incitement under article 495 of the penal code after he shared articles with two co-workers that he had printed from the internet. (Source: KI-Media)
Man Jailed for Sharing Web Articles With Co-Workers

December 23, 2010
Source: Human Rights Watch
"Charging someone with incitement for sharing web articles is a profound setback for free expression in Cambodia." - Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
(New York) - The Cambodian government's use of its new penal code against a man who shared web articles with his co-workers is a huge step backward for free expression in Cambodia, Human Rights Watch said today. The man was quickly convicted on incitement charges and sentenced to prison.

Human Rights Watch called on the Cambodian government to amend the penal code, which went into effect on December 10, 2010, to remove provisions that limit the peaceful expression of political views so that the law fully complies with international standards.

"Charging someone with incitement for sharing web articles is a profound setback for free expression in Cambodia," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Cambodia's new penal code should have put an end to abusive practices, not encouraged new ones."

On December 18, Seng Kunnaka, a Cambodian employee with the United Nations World Food Program in Phnom Penh, was arrested on charges of incitement under article 495 of the new penal code after he shared an article with two co-workers. While the contents of the article are unclear, it was printed from KI-Media, a website that publishes news, commentaries, poetry, and cartoons that are sharply critical of the government, including a recent series of opinion pieces lambasting senior officials regarding a border dispute with Vietnam.



On December 19, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court hastily tried and convicted Kunnaka, sentencing him to six months in prison and fining him 1 million riels (US$250). December 19 was a Sunday, when the courts are normally closed.

During the last two years, more than 10 critics of the government, including journalists and opposition party activists, have been prosecuted for criminal defamation and disinformation based on complaints by government and military officials under the former penal code.

The new penal code places greater restrictions on free expression, Human Rights Watch said. Responding to media inquiries about the case, Cambodia's information minister, Khieu Kanharith, said: "Before, using the argument of 'freedom of expression' and opposition party status, some people could insult anybody or any institution. This is not the case now."

"A dubious arrest so soon after the new penal code came into effect shows that the Cambodian government is ready to use its new legal powers to criminalize peaceful expression and political dissent," Robertson said. "And Cambodia's pliant courts seem all too willing to throw any perceived government critic in prison after a rushed trial."

Under the new penal code, incitement is vaguely defined in article 495 as directly provoking the commission of a crime or an act that creates "serious turmoil in society" through public speech, writings or drawings, or audio-visual telecommunication that are shared with, exposed to, or intended for the public. It does not require the alleged incitement to be effective for penalties to be imposed, which include prison terms of six months to five years and fines.

The new penal code also allows criminal prosecutions for defamation and contempt for peaceful expression of views "affecting the dignity" of individuals and public officials, as well as of government institutions. It makes it a crime to "disturb public order" by questioning court decisions.

"The new penal code makes it more risky for civil society activists to criticize corrupt officials, police, and military officers who commit abuses or question court decisions," Robertson said. "This is particularly troubling in Cambodia, where the judicial system is weak and far from independent, with court decisions often influenced by corruption or political pressure."

KI-Media is a controversial website that describes itself as "dedicated to publishing sensitive information about Cambodia." The website's editors, who have never publicly identified themselves, compile information from a variety of sources, including leaked and public government documents, Cambodian-language newspaper articles, and Chinese, Cambodian, and Western wire service reports. It also posts hard-hitting commentaries, blog articles, cartoons, and poetry from its readers - most of whom are sharply critical of the government.

Duch appeal hearings set for March

Posted: 23 Dec 2010 11:54 PM PST

(Photo: Reuters)
Thursday, 23 December 2010
James O'Toole and Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post

The Khmer Rouge tribunal's Supreme Court Chamber will hear the appeal of former Tuol Sleng prison chief Kaing Guek Eav in March of next year, the court said in a statement Thursday.

The notorious jailer, better known as Duch, was sentenced to 30 years in prison in July by the court's Trial Chamber after being found guilty of crimes against humanity and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions. The court said his appeal hearings will take place "during the last week of March 2011", adding that the exact dates and times of the hearings will be announced "in due course".

"We expect that [the hearings] will be public," court spokesman Reach Sambath said. "I think the court will always be full of people."


Duch's lawyers filed an appeal against the judgment last month, charging that their client falls outside the court's mandate to investigate "senior leaders" and those "most responsible" for crimes committed under the regime of Democratic Kampuchea.

The appeal followed the shocking turnabout last year during closing arguments when, after accepting limited responsibility and essentially pleading guilty through months of hearings, Duch asked to be acquitted and released.

The court's prosecutors have also appealed against the July verdict, claiming that judges had given "insufficient weight to the gravity of Duch's crimes and his role and his willing participation in those crimes".

They have called on the Supreme Court Chamber to sentence the defendant to 45 years in prison, reduced from a life sentence due to Duch's unlawful pre-trial detention.

"There comes a point where the crimes committed are sufficiently grave and the offender sufficiently notorious, or in such a position of authority, that the highest sentence must be imposed," the prosecutors wrote in their appeal. "That point was reached and passed here."

41 civil parties have also appealed, requesting either that the court declare their claims admissible or amend their reparations award.

Phnom Penh groovers

Posted: 23 Dec 2010 11:53 PM PST

Street dancers show their moves at Phnom Penh's Sisowat Quay. JOHN CLEWLEY
Purveyors of classic Khmer rock'n'roll, The Cambodian Space Project plan to take on the world

24/12/2010
John Clewley
Bangkok Post

It's been eight years since I last made a trip to Cambodia and had the chance to stock upon some Khmer sounds. Last week I was in Phnom Penh for a few days, and I must say, the capital is buzzing; it's a veritable hive of activity and commerce.

I went for a walk down Sisowat Quay on the banks of the Mekong at dusk one evening, always a good time to take photographs, and I thought for a moment that I had been transported back to Harajuku in Tokyo on a Sunday, when all the wannabe bands and poseurs play and strut to groups of dancing fans. Down on Sisowat the scene was bustling with groups of dancers, some doing aerobics to dance grooves, while other more exclusive groups focused on the latest K-Pop moves. People of all ages joined in the public groups or chatted while they watched the K-poppers.

In that area there are music stores but they don't sell Khmer music, so on Saturday morning I headed for the so-called Russian market, where among the tourist stalls and DVD shops, you can find vendors who have a good selection of different kinds of Khmer music. I stocked up on some Sin Sisamouth collections (the top musical icon of popular music), along with a compilation featuring his duets with top female singers from the '60s and '70s, Ros Sereysothea and Pan Ron. I found a tasty phleng kar (wedding song) collection, as well as songs by Meng Pichanda, who sings a local moody style, not unlike Thai luk thung music, called ramkbach, and some interesting Khmer rap.


Later I found myself in the back of a cyclo with one of Pan Ron's biggest fans, Srey Thy, singer with the new band The Cambodian Space Project and the band's founder and leader, Australian guitarist Julien Poulson. Srey, upon finding out that my son's relatives are from Buri Ram in Thailand's lower Northeast, launched into several stirring renditions of kantrum hits, which Cambodians call "Khmer Surin" music.

We were on our way to a birthday party for the band's Breton accordionist, during which I met the revolving personnel of this unusual music collective. The band plays covers of Khmer rock'n'roll from the late '60s to early '70, when Phnom Penh was a regional entertainment centre, but with a multinational twist. Many of the great Khmer musicians of the period perished during the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime but interest was revived with the Cambodian Rocks compilations of the '90s, and then by the US-based Khmer/US band, Dengue Fever. Unlike Dengue, though, The Cambodian Space Project is actually based in Phnom Penh.

Julien said that he originally went to Cambodia to make some music documentaries but was so taken with the singing ability of Srey after he saw her sing in a karaoke bar, that he decided to set up a band. Cambodian, French-Cambodian and French members make up the rest of the band. Interest was generated immediately, not only among the expat population but also among local Cambodian music fans. In the just a year, the band has played over 200 gigs in Cambodia, as well gigs in France and Hong Kong. In the new year, the band will jet off for its first major tour that will encompass Australia, Europe and the US. Total world domination can't be far way.

The band's first recording has just been released, a 7" vinyl maxi-single that features, on the A-side, a killer version of Pan Ron's hit, I'm Unsatisfied. The B-side features a catchy song written by Srey called If You Go, I Come Too. Julien says that he noticed that Srey is a natural songwriter, so the band usually plays a mix of covers and self-penned songs. He says that the single is the first vinyl to be released in Cambodia since the early '70s.

Here's how he describes the global process: "The single was recorded in Cambodian at Cambodian Living Arts - a small studio which boasts a collection of mics donated by Peter Gabriel. It was mixed by Lindsay Gravina of Birdland Studios in Australia. The mixes were sent to London, then the masters sent via Rough Trade to the Czech Republic. We picked up our 'band copies' from a little record store in Bretagne, France called Rockin' Bones. A round-about kinda production but very rewarding to launch this vinyl in Cambodia... not too many turntables here but the vinyl's thick enough to mash chilli and chop vegetables in the village kitchen."

I've just heard an advance copy of the band's debut album, the title of which, in translation from the original Khmer goes something like The Moon's Apsara Rides The Cosmic Golden Swan-Goose. Groovy.

The album's standouts are a distinctive cover of Pan Ron's I'm Sixteen, which features some great blues harp and the two Srey penned songs, Kangaroo Boy (great for pogo-ing to and I predict will go down a storm in Australia) and Have Visa, No Rice. It's a fun album that is likely to raise the band's international profile.

The Cambodian Space Project is not the first band to rediscover and play '60s/'70s Khmer rock'n'roll but it is the first one based in Cambodia. If you liked all those great Cambodian Rock compilations and Dengue Fever, you'll certainly enjoy The Cambodian Space Project, several members of whom are stretching their wings to fly into Bangkok to play on Christmas Day.

The Cambodian Space Project play at the WTF Bar on Sukhumvit Soi 51 on Dec 25 at 9pm. For more information, call 02-662-6246.

The Viet ambassador meets Viet businesses in Phnom Penh, would the Xmer ambassador dare to meet Khmer Krom in Prey Nokor?

Posted: 23 Dec 2010 11:53 PM PST

Meeting with Vietnamese businesses in Cambodia held

12/23/2010
VOV News (Hanoi)

A meeting with Vietnamese businesses took place in Cambodia on December 23.

Addressing the event, Ngo Anh Dung, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia, reviewed the achievements and advantages in multifaceted cooperation between the two countries in 2010.

Two-way trade turnover in the first 11 months of 2010 reached over US$1.5 billion. Vietnam's exports turnover to Cambodia gained US$1.3 billion, up 36 percent compared to the same period last year.

Currently, Vietnamese investments in Cambodia are worth nearly US$570 million, mainly in such fields as rubber planting, industrial crops, aviation, banking, services and tourism.

At the meeting, Vietnamese businesses expressed their hope that in 2011, the two governments will continue to simplify the trade and investment procedures to increase the value of trade exchange to reach US$2 billion.

More Appeals for Thai Approval of Border Agreements

Posted: 23 Dec 2010 11:52 PM PST

Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Thursday, 23 December 2010

"I will try to promote a full border resolution between the two countries."
The National Assembly is now urging for its Thai counterpart to approved a series of documents necessary for both sides to move ahead on border demarcation.

National Assembly Nguon Nhel told a Thai parliamentary delegation here on Thursday that the approval of a series of border meeting minutes was crucial for stability between the two countries.

"Through the visit of Thailand's National Assembly delegation, we would like to urge and to demand the National Assembly of Thailand to approve the minutes of three joint border commission meetings to eliminate the conflict between our two countries and two peoples, so that we can build up a peaceful and friendly border demarcation," Ngun Nhel said.


Thai parliament has not ruled on the meeting in part due to extreme political instability there. But officials in Phnom Penh have continued to push the Thais to do so.

Earlier this week, the same message was delivered to a delegation led by Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Pirumya and Thai army chief Paryuth Chan-ocha.

Ngun Nhel's appeal went straight to parliament, with the delegation led by Gittipot Viriyaroj, the head of the foreign affairs committee and chairman of the Thai National Assembly's Thailand-Cambodia Friendship Group.

Gittipot told reporters on Thursday he would push for approval of the meetings.

"I will try to promote a full border resolution between the two countries," he said. "Our only purpose is to bring development and progress to our respective countries."

Tribunal To Decide on Duch Appeals in March

Posted: 23 Dec 2010 11:51 PM PST

Duch was arrested in May 1999 and was later charged by the tribunal for war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture and homicide.
Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Thursday, 23 December 2010
"The public needs to know the final decision on the punishment of Duch."
The Supreme Court Chamber of the Khmer Rouge tribunal is scheduled to rule on all appeals in the case against torture chief Duch in March 2011, the court announced Thursday.

The chamber must decide on an appeal by prosecutors to lengthen his sentence; an appeal by defense to release him; and an appeal by civil complainants for some kind of public reparation.

Duch was sentenced to a commuted 19 years earlier this year, but prosecutors say this was too lenient for a man accused of overseeing the torture and execution of more than 12,000 people at Tuol Sleng prison. They want a sentence of 45 years.



However, defense lawyers claim Duch was following orders of the regime and shold be released.

Tribunal spokesman Reach Sambath said the chamber had determined a detailed schedule and would begin informing interested parties and the public.

Latt Ky, a tribunal monitor for the rights group Adhoc, said the final decision must be well disseminated.

"The public needs to know the final decision on the punishment of Duch," he said.

Survivors of the prison and those who lost family there say they want him sentenced for life, said Chum Mey, who lived through his incarceration at Tuol Sleng and has formed a support association for other victims.

Khmer Surin Get Support From US Group

Posted: 23 Dec 2010 11:51 PM PST

Khmer Surin child learning Khmer language
Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC Thursday, 23 December 2010
"All Khmer overseas have come together as one voice to support Khmer Surin in teaching Khmer language and safeguarding Khmer culture."
A group of US Cambodians has begun looking for ways to encourage an increase in interest of the Khmer language in the Thai province of Surin.

That province was once part of a wider Khmer empire that encompassed parts of modern-day Thailand and Vietnam.

On Saturday, the Supporting Khmer Surin Committee held its first meeting, after a visit by some of its member to the province earlier this year. Members discussed the need to promote Khmer language in the area and the challenges faced by the so-called Khmer Surin people.



"There are many Cambodians doing business across the borders, so it will be easy for them to communicate," said Srey Ayuthyia, the committee's vice president, from Los Angeles.

Srey Ayuthyia said he had met with a Buddhist monk who taught the Khmer language and a number of Khmer Surin who expressed their need for more support.

While some Khmer Surin can speak Khmer, few can write it, but the there is a program that started four years ago that Srey Ayuthyia said he strongly supported.

The Supporting Khmer Surin Committee was only recently created, but its founders say they have already raised some funds to help their cause.

"We are not alone," said Eang Bunthan, president of committee. "We are united around the world. All Khmer overseas have come together as one voice to support Khmer Surin in teaching Khmer language and safeguarding Khmer culture."

Former Argentine Dictator Gets Life in Prison [-This should serve as a lesson to the current dictator in Phnom Penh!]

Posted: 23 Dec 2010 11:50 PM PST

Former Argentine general and dictator Jorge Rafael Videla (L) and former army general Luciano Benjamin Menendez await for their sentence in the trial for the murder of 31 political prisoners. (AFP/Getty Images)
DECEMBER 23, 2010
By MATT MOFFETT
The Wall Street Journal

BUENOS AIRES—Former Argentine dictator Jorge Rafael Videla, on trial for the first time since the country's Supreme Court rescinded his amnesty, was sentenced to life in prison by a federal court for the murder of 31 political prisoners in 1976.

Mr. Videla ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1981 and presided over the so-called Dirty War in which at least 10,000 people suspected of working against the regime, and perhaps as many as 30,000, were "disappeared" and killed, according to historians and human-rights groups.


After the country returned to democracy, Mr. Videla was sentenced in a landmark 1985 trial to life in prison for abuses committed during his rule. He served five years before he and other figures from the dictatorship were pardoned by President Carlos Menem, who said he was trying to close the book on a divisive era in Argentine history. The Supreme Court struck down the pardons in 2007, paving the way for new cases to be brought against officials from the dictatorship.

Wednesday's sentence was the culmination of a six-month trial in the city of Cordoba revolving around the case of 31 prisoners suspected of opposing the regime, who were rousted from their cells and executed following the coup that brought Mr. Videla to power. A three-judge panel issued the sentence, which it specified should be served in a common prison facility, as opposed to in a military jail or under house arrest.

Mr. Videla, 85 years old, sometimes appeared to doze off during the trial. He was defiant when he did speak.

"I don't speak of 'Dirty War,' I prefer to speak of 'just war,' " he said on Tuesday, asserting that his government had implemented a legitimate defense strategy against leftist guerrilla groups.

He took thinly veiled swipes at the government of President Cristina Kirchner, who has acted aggressively to bring former officials of the dictatorship to justice. "The enemies of yesterday achieved their goal and govern the country and they try to set themselves up as champions of human rights," Mr. Videla said.

Convicted along with Mr. Videla were 29 other security officials from the dictatorship, including former Gen. Luciano Benjamin Menendez, who headed anti-guerrilla operations in a large section of the country.

Yuri Kitatani gym class dress

Posted: 23 Dec 2010 11:03 PM PST

Hello everyone I sorry to tell you that this is last post today please see more tomorrow.About this set we will come back to school in gym class she is in pink gym uniform and her name is Yuri Kitatani.




















Risa Aika in sexy tight dress

Posted: 23 Dec 2010 05:34 PM PST

Her shape is reinforced by that tight dress look incredible this is Risa Aika in sexy dress then remove show her really good shape lets see.









Iyo Hanaki in two bikini

Posted: 23 Dec 2010 05:33 PM PST

Iyo Hanaki sexy girl in two different bikini black and flower-print bikini lets see.










Mikie Hara in jean

Posted: 22 Dec 2010 06:31 PM PST

The quality of pics is not so good but girl is best quality This mikie Hara in sexy jean set can increase your blood pressure.







Anri Sugihara in black

Posted: 22 Dec 2010 06:30 PM PST

She is a big girl lol.Anri Sugihara come out in sexy black see trough dress lets see.








Obama signs bill to end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

Posted: 22 Dec 2010 01:34 PM PST


President Obama has signed a bill to end the ban on openly gay troops in the US military.

Two years after he promised to end the controversial policy in his election campaign, the president signed the bill during a ceremony at the Interior Department.

Today, he said that the change would "strengthen our national security and uphold the ideals that our fighting men and women risk their lives to defend".

Referring to the sacrifices made by servicemembers, he said: "None of them should have to sacrifice their integrity as well."

An estimated 14,000 troops have been dismissed under the 1993 ban.

Last weekend, the Senate voted to repeal the bill.

However, it may take months before gay soldiers are permitted to serve openly and those fired can re-apply to join the military.

Military officials must consider and rewrite policies related to the issue over the next few weeks.

Then, President Obama, Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen must certify that the ban can be lifted without damaging the military.

Following this certification, 60 days must pass before repeal officially takes place.

Parents of gay suicide student will sue university

Posted: 22 Dec 2010 11:33 AM PST


The parents of a New Jersey student who jumped to his death after his roommate allegedly broadcast his gay sex session are to sue his university.

Tyler Clementi, an 18-year-old student at Rutgers University, killed himself by jumping from the George Washington Bridge in September.

His roommate Dharun Ravi of Plainsboro, New Jersey, and Molly W Wei of Princeton, both 18, deny secretly recording him having sex with a man and broadcasting it online.

They have both been charged with invasion of privacy and have left campus.

Associated Press reports that Mr Clementi's parents filed notice to sue last week and their attorney Stephen DeFeo said they will argue that Rutgers failed to implement or enforce policies that would have prevented or deterred the alleged invasion of privacy.

A Rutgers spokesman said that while the university was sympathetic to the Clementi family, it was not responsible for the student's death.

Mystery remains over spy’s death

Posted: 22 Dec 2010 11:32 AM PST


Police are still mystified over the death of British spy Gareth Williams, whose body was found padlocked inside a sports bag in August.

Mr Williams, 31, was a GCHQ code-breaker who was on secondment to MI6 at the time of his death.

His naked body was found locked inside a holdall at his Pimlico flat with the keys inside the bag. He is thought to have been dead for a week.

According to Press Association, police revealed today that he had visited bondage websites and had a £15,000 collection of women's designer clothing.

They also said that a witness saw him at a gay bar in Vauxhall several months before he died and that he had visited a drag show a few days before his death. He also had tickets for two more drag shows.

Mr Williams is rumoured to have been gay, but police say they have not been able to speak to any of his sexual partners. He is said to have been intensely private.

Today, Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who is leading the inquiry, said she believes Mr Williams was locked in the bag by another person and that police would continue to study his private life for clues.

Speaking at New Scotland Yard today, she said: "We remain completely open-minded about how he died.

"We are appealing today to someone who is out there to come forward and tell us more."

No traces of drugs or alcohol were found in Mr Williams' body. Experts found that he would have died after 30 minutes inside the bag from suffocation.

Police are seeking a man and a woman who visited his flat several weeks before his body was found and say that forensic evidence shows that other people were in the property.

His death is still being treated as suspicious and unexplained and an inquest will be held in February.

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