Border police takes money from cassava vendors
While the prime minister ordered to clean up all illegal checkpoints set up along the national roads in order to take money from Cambodian farmers who transport their vegetable and products to the market. By the way, the premier also ordered all border policemen to stop taking money from people who export their agricultural products crossing border to Vietnam. Farmers were also pleased with his order but it has happened again and again.
During three-day Chinese New Year, I visited my parents in Memot district in Kampong Cham province. And then I heard my relatives to tell me that now they have to pay to border police at least 90,000 riel ($22) per time when they transport dry cassavas crossing Cambodian-Vietnam border in Memot district.
My cousin told me that he was so pleased by what the premier ordered all police not to take money from cassava vendors transporting to Vietnam market. At the time, he added that border police dared not take any money, even a package of cigarette. But now everything happens like before.
In addition, my cousin said that when he transported dry cassava crossing border in Snoul distircit in Kratie province, he just pays 10,000 riel ($2.5) to border police per transport. And then he doubts why paying to border police is different and then he added that it is because the Kampong Cham’s governor is the premier’s brother, so he does not care of what the premier ordered.
It is noticed that when the premier ordered to destroy all illegal checkpoints and not to take money from farmers, all local authorities followed his order but when the prime minister stopped shouting out, they restart to take money from farmers as what they did before. How to crack down on corrupt border police?
Tourist resort in Kampi
Kampi is the Natural resort in Kratie province
During the Chinese New Year this year, I and my family visited natural resort, Kampi, in Kratie province. There are a crowd of domestic tourists flooding into the resort. Many local travelers from different provinces visited here during public holiday, especially Khmer New Year and other events.
Kampi is the kind of natural resort situated in Sambo commune, Kratie district in Kratie province. And it is about 16 km from Kratie town. People can visit this place in dry reason from January to May. During the rainy season, this area is flooded by Mekong river.
Most of people visiting this resort is to swim, bath, especially they meet their families, relative and friends in order to have lunch together and drinking beer and wine.
I visited this place three times. By the way, local people who are the food vendor is lucrative during big festivals. And the price of food is expensive a little bit. Some people took their own food and beer because they do not want to spend on expensive food and soft drinks over there.
Education ads on Valentine’s Day
Before the Valentine’s Day celebration on February 14, Cambodian teenagers seem to express their pleasures and they are also prepared already gifts for their loves. But what is important is that they do not understand well the meaning of Valentine’s Day. Therefore, the ministry of women’s affairs produces the five-minute education spots in order to show them that Valentine’s Day is for their family, teachers and then friends.
The Phnom Penh Post quoted Sivann Botum, Ministry Secretary of State said that “we decided to created the advertisement to reach out to young people because we want to make them understand that most teenagers do the wrong thing on Valentine’s Day, which can impact the respect people have for Cambodian women.”
She added that women often offer their virginity to their partners without thinking about their future and the honour of their family and culture.
Tong Soprach conducted research for his master degree in public health on “Young People Talking About Valentine’s Day in Phnom Penh, 2008.” Conducting in-depth interview with Cambodian youths aged from 15 to 24.
At the mean time, his study showed that 76.6 percent of respondents in a relationship planned to give their partner gifts and 50 percent of which would be flowers.
Tong Soprach attributes the growing popularity of Valentine’s Day in Cambodia to the changing sociopolitical dynamic within the country.
Cambodian Democracy under pressure
Recently, Comfrel, local NGOs, which is monitoring democracy and election process in Cambodia, released its report by saying that Cambodian democracy is undermined by ruling party such as freedom of expression, ability of debate in the Assembly, without reform of the election system and also pressure on critical civil society groups and members of the media.
At the mean time, the report called on the government to reverse course to ensure the rights of all Cambodians are respected and that systemic factors of democracy are in place.
The report read that “the government has become increasingly intolerant of the exercise of freedom of expression in criticizing corruption, impunity, land grabbing and forced evictions… although parliamentarians have special impunity from prosecution, they too have found their freedom of expression restricted.”
“We understand that the oppression of free expression, of whatever sort, makes a negative picture for Cambodia,” VOA Khmer quoted Mr. Ou Virak, president of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights
“Recently the government has used the court to oppress and threaten its critiques. The court is an issue because it is not independent; it cannot protect people fairly before the law. I think the government is taking advantage of a biased judicial system to oppress its critiques,” he added.
“Cambodia’s democratic system currently still suffers from a lot of deficits, especially, the functioning of the National Assembly is worse than in previous government mandates,” Koul Panha, Comfrel director, was quoted by the Cambodia daily as saying.
The Southeast Asian Press Alliance and other concerned groups sent an open letter signed by 12 advocacy groups to Prime Minister Hun Sen July 17, denouncing a “rapidly and palpably deteriorating environment for free expression in Cambodia.”
The open letter also marked concerns that political speech and press freedom have been severely restricted after harsh attacks against parliamentarians, advocates, lawyers and journalists over the past year.
Premier called Thai leader: stupid and crazy
Celebration of Preah Vihear Temple
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen who has taken power more than 30 years, is visiting disputed borders between Cambodia and Thailand on Saturday last week. The tension of both countries’ armed forces occurred when Cambodia’s Preah Vihear temple was registered as The World Heritage Site in Canada under support from UNESCO. Thai armies have invaded Cambodia’s territory and sovereignty since July 15, 2008.
During the four-day visit to provinces bordering Thailand, the premier also gave speech on the invasion of Thailand over Cambodia’s land. The premier criticized strongly Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva by calling him “STUPID” and “CRAZY,” according to VOA Khmer.
“We have never invaded any place which is not ours. We have the evidence to confirm that the area, including Wat Kaew [Sikha Khiri Sawara] or other areas in the 4.6 sq km [of disputed territory] are under Thai sovereignty,” The Bangkonk post quoted Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, assistant to the foreign minister as saying.
At the mean time, during the remark at the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Base 42 in Oddar Meanchey’s Banteay Ampil district, the prime minister Hun Sen again accused Thailand and Thai ruling premier Abhisit Vejjajiva of invading Cambodian territory. In addition, he also pointed to the Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvarak pagoda where has been occupied by Thai troops last year.
During his visit, dressed in military uniform, he told all Cambodian soldiers stationed over there to defense the border against the potential invasion.
The diplomatic ties between Cambodia and Bang Kok’s government was cut off after Cambodia appointed former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Sinawatra as economic advisor to Cambodia’s government and prime minister Hun Sen.
It is not expected that the diplomatic relationship between Cambodia and Ahisit’s government will not be restored and the border dispute also will not be solved soon.
Cambodia criticized Google Earth Map
Dispute between Cambodian and Thai armed forces is because of border, but recently, Cambodia blasts the world’s leading Search Engine over the Google Earth by calling it as “radically misleading” map of the disputed Thai-Cambodia border, and accusing google company of being “professional irresponsible,” according to Reuters.
At the mean time, Cambodia also mentioned that the Google Earth map was “devoid of truth and reality”, calling for its immediate removal because it is not internationally recognized.
Google Earth Map