Bridget Di Certo Monday, 06 February 2012
In the wake of the Khmer Rouge tribunal’s landmark life sentence for former S-21 prison director Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, rights groups have expressed concern that the sensational appeal decision masks worrying human rights implications.
VICTIMS OF THE KHMER ROUGE PARTICIPATE IN A PRAYER CEREMONY AT THE CHOEUNG EK KILLING FIELDS ON FRIDAY FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF DUCH’S APPEAL VERDICT. MENG KIMLONG
KAING GUEK EAV, ALIAS DUCH, PRISON CHIEF AT THE NOTORIOUS S-21 DETENTION FACILITY, HAD HIS PRISON SENTENCE INCREASED TO LIFE ON FRIDAY AT THE ECCC. ECCC POOL
Victims rejoiced on Friday as the Supreme Court Chamber at the UN-backed tribunal scratched the original sentence against Duch and awarded him the maximum penalty under Cambodian criminal law – the rest of his life behind bars – for crimes the chamber called “undoubtedly among the worst in recorded human history”.
However, rights groups and monitors are concerned the chamber’s dramatic sentence contains elements which could have dark ramifications for fair trial rights and the court’s remaining three cases. “The decision to overturn the legal remedy for Duch’s unlawful detention and to provide no alternative may be perceived as a case of public opinion trumping human rights,” Amnesty International’s Rupert Abbott said on Friday. The former chairman of the notorious interrogation facility was illegally detained by the Cambodian Military Court for eight years, a breach of human rights the Trial Chamber at the court had originally sought to remedy through a sentence reduction of five years. However, in a decision disputed by two of the international appellate judges, the chamber counted Duch’s illegal detention by the Cambodian Military as time served. The Cambodian Center for Human Rights considered this “a dangerous precedent for the Cambodian judiciary, who may be encouraged to ignore human rights abuses by other branches or institutions of government”. “Such a decision [to not remedy illegal detention] pangs of a lack of understanding of the role of judicial institutions in upholding human rights standards,” CCHR programs director Chak Sopheap said. CCHR has repeatedly reported on rampant excessive pre-trial detention in Cambodian prisons. Rights groups also raised a red flag over the “life sentence” awarded by the Supreme Court Chamber, which in fact allows for the possibility of parole for the 69-year-old Duch in fewer than eightyears. “Another concern with the judgment is the apparent decision to leave the issue of Duch’s eligibility for parole to the Cambodian justice system, which has been criticised for its lack of independence,” Amnesty International said in a news release on Friday. The Ministry of Interior, in conjunction with the tribunal’s co-prosecutors, will determine in which national prison Duch will serve his sentence, ECCC legal affairs spokesman Lars Olsen said yesterday. Duch will apply for parole with the court of first instance in the jurisdiction of the national prison he will be imprisoned at. Officials from the department of prisons were not available for comment yesterday. However, Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, who chairs the government’s tribunal task force, said on Friday that “the ECCC has followed due process, and conducted a fair trial in Case 001”, with the delivery of the verdict being a “historic day for our country and for all humanity”. Court monitors raised additional concerns with another ruling that has potential ramifications for two controversial cases in the hands of investigating judges. In rejecting Duch’s argument that he did not qualify as a “senior leader” of the regime and therefore did not fall within the court’s jurisdiction, the Supreme Court Chamber said jurisdiction
is a policy determination to be made by co-prosecutors and co-investigating judges. Open Society Justice Initiative’s Clair Duffy said this was not an “expected outcome”, and that it could adversely impact cases 003 and 004, which are opposed by the government. The Supreme Court Chamber said jurisdiction was not an issue any of the judges from the tribunal’s three tiers of chambers could weigh in on. “My view is that this is very disappointing, particularly given the known controversies which already exist on this issue,” Duffy said yesterday, adding that there was a “small window open” for review of any abuse of this discretion. The two co-prosecutors have already registered disagreement over whether cases 003 and 004 fall within the court’s jurisdiction of “senior leaders” and “those most responsible” for the Khmer Rouge regime atrocities. International co-prosecutor Andrew Cayley alone submitted the two case briefs to the Office of the Co-Investigating Judges for investigation. The two co-investigating judges similarly appear divided on the progression of their workload.
Child trafficking: Midwife sells baby for $100 Phak Seangly Monday, 06 February 2012
Authorities in the capital’s Russei Keo district are investigating a case in which a midwife sold a newborn for US$100 last week. Tuol Sangke commune police chief Huy Hean said that Srey Sorei filed a complaint on Thursday accusing her midwife of selling her baby. The police chief told the Post that the suspect had confessed to selling the male newborn, but said she had received the mother’s permission. Huy Hean said the mother had approached the midwife two months ago seeking an abortion, because she was too poor to raise the child. However, the midwife said the procedure would be too dangerous and instead suggested that she take care of the baby. On Wednesday, after the mother gave birth, the midwife sold the newborn for US$100 to another woman who had previously approached the midwife about getting a baby. Neither the mother nor the midwife have been arrested, Huy Hean said.
Factory workers testify to need for ‘living wage’ Vincent MacIsaac Monday, 06 February 2012
Garment and footwear workers began testifying yesterday at a “people’s tribunal” on working conditions and wages organised by a regional advocacy alliance that aims to establish a “living wage” for garment workers in Asia. “If I get sick, I don’t have any money for treatment,” a worker at a factory that supplies Adidas and Reebok told the meeting of more than 300 workers, unionists and rights advocates from around the globe. She can earn up to US$95 a month with overtime, but was in debt to her landlord to cover her expenses, she said. Jeroen Merk, a representative of the Clean Clothes Campaign, said that one of the tribunal’s aims was to reveal “the contradiction between what the buyers say to consumers and the reality of life on the factory floor”. The first tribunal was held in Sri Lanka last year, and two more will be held this year in Indonesia and India, he said, with findings from all four to be collected and presented at a global tribunal. Corporations have been driving down prices for 20 years, Jeroen Merk said, adding that “the race to the bottom” required strategic bargaining among unions in Asia as well as pressure from consumers in developed countries. Merk said there was a “common interest between the manufacturers and the workers”, because both were being squeezed by buyers. Dave Welsh, country director of the American Centre for International Labour Solidarity, agreed, saying that “strategically, the [Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia] and unions could work together” to push for higher payments from buyers. GMAC secretary-general Ken Loo told the Post last week that GMAC would not be attending the event. “A tribunal implies someone has committed a crime,” he said. He agreed, however, with many of the points raised by labour rights advocates. “Buyers are hypocrites,” he said, explaining that during the 2008-2009 global financial crisis Cambodia’s garment industry saw orders plunge 20 to 25 per cent, while exports from Bangladesh – where compliance with labour laws are far lower – remained “pretty constant
Investment in SEZs up 683% Sieam Bunthy Monday, 06 February 2012
The total values for investment projects in Cambodia’s Special Economic Zones (SEZ) increased about 683 per cent year-on-year in 2011, according to a report from the Council for the Development of Cambodia. The CDC approved 39 projects worth US$715.25 million in 2011. It was a 683.83 per cent hike compared with 2010’s figures, which totalled 22 investment projects worth $91.25 million. The CDC report revealed that between 2006 and 2011, Cambodia’s SEZs received 96 investment projects worth $1.15 billion, which created jobs for 61,400 workers. Several of the 2011 investments included electric equipment assemblers, something hailed by economists as Cambodia’s ascent up the manufacturing value chain. Japan’s Marunix, a supplier of electronic parts to companies such as Sony, IBM and Canon, set up an assembly plant in the Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone last year, according to the CDC report. Japan’s Sumi Wiring Systems Co Ltd also invested in Phnom Penh’s SEZ last year. While SEZs near Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville have seen considerable investment since the Kingdom began developing the areas in 2005, the majority of the SEZs – situated on the Thai and Vietnamese borders – have not attracted substantial industry developments. Cambodia has 21 of the preferential tax zones. Speaking at a seminar to promote SEZ development last week, General Secretary for CDC Sok Chenda Sophea said that SEZ investment has grown because of improving political, economic and social stability, coupled with skilled labourers, low prices, and the government’s efforts to encourage further investments. “Cambodian investment law is open and encouraging to investors, in addition to offering benefits in the Cambodian markets,” he said, adding that current SEZ investors came primarily from Japan and China. Nguon Meng Tech, general director of Cambodia’s Ministry of Commerce, said that the government had established the SEZs in order to attract investors to Cambodia, especially at border gates. “They wanted to invest in those [border] areas because it was easier to do business, and because of the tax exemption in those regions,” he said. He added that the SEZs attracting the most attention were primarily in Phnom Penh and Preah Sihanouk province, while in other distant border areas there was less investment due to bad infrastructure and problems with electricity. Nguon Meng Tech said he remained hopeful of further development at more the more distant SEZs, given last year’s high investment rate.
“Although drawing attention to SEZs along the border will take time, these areas do have their advantages, and the government will establish infrastructure and electricity works in the near future,� he said.
Judge wants to restart Case 003 Bridget Di Certo with additional reporting by Chean Sokha Friday, 10 February 2012
Investigations in the Khmer Rouge tribunal’s Case 003 are being resumed on the orders of UNnominated International Co-Investigating Judge Laurent Kasper-Ansermet, who has also applied for the disqualification of Pre-Trial Chamber president Prak Kimsan, the judge said in a statement yesterday. Swiss national Kasper-Ansermet said he is under a “legal obligation to investigate” cases 003 and 004 – both opposed by the government – according to the agreement between the UN and the Royal Government of Cambodia and the laws governing the Khmer Rouge tribunal. “The International Reserve Co-Investigating Judge therefore enjoys full legal authority to undertake his functions regardless of the Supreme Council of the Magistracy’s rejection of his appointment as standing co-investigating judge,” Kasper-Ansermet wrote in his statement. The UN supports this position, and UN Special Expert David Scheffer has said KasperAnsermet has “clear authority to fulfill” his duties as international co-investigating judge. On this basis, the judge issued an order to resume the judicial investigation in Case 003, which was closed in April 2011 amid much public outcry of political interference and inadequate investigations by the two investigating judges. The then-international co-investigating judge Siegfried Blunk resigned six months later, citing perceptions of political interference. Kasper-Ansermet has been at loggerheads with his Cambodian counterpart, Judge You Bunleng, since Blunk’s resignation in October, and the Cambodian Supreme Council of the Magistracy has refused to accept Kasper-Ansermet as Blunk’s replacement. Yesterday’s explosive statement from the Swiss judge is the latest in a series of combative public statements from the two investigating judges. Contacted by the Post last night, You Bunleng said he would not comment on his colleague’s statement in detail. “But, even until now, [Kasper-Ansermet] has no duty to do anything, as he has not been officially appointed to do his job,” You Bunleng said. “He has no right to do anything. I will check it [the statement] and decide how to respond to that.” Sources close to the matter told the Post that You Bunleng had already began drafting a retaliatory response last night. Kasper-Ansermet’s order to resume investigative action in government-opposed Case 003 was in line with requests made by international co-prosecutor Andrew Cayley in May 2011. Kasper-Ansermet’s statement also said he had submitted to the Pre-Trial Chamber two records of disagreement between himself and You Bunleng over the conduct of investigation into cases 003 and 004, but that the disagreements were seemingly dismissed in an unreasoned memorandum by the Chamber, which was apparently of the view Kasper-Ansermet did not have
any legal authority to act. Kasper-Ansermet said this raised “serious concerns about the lack of impartiality of Mr Prak Kimsan, President of the Pre-Trial Chamber”. “On these grounds, an application for his disqualification was submitted to the Pre-Trial Chamber, calling upon Mr Prak Kimsan to step down voluntarily from any proceedings related to CF003 and CF004,” Kasper-Ansermet said. Prak Kimsan, could not be reached for comment last night as his phone was switched off. Documentation Center of Cambodia legal adviser Anne Heindel said the issue of KasperAnsermet’s authority to act was more of a political issue than a judicial one. “[UN Special Expert] David Scheffer’s view is that Kasper-Ansermet should be able to act, and he has the authority to continue investigations, which he has the right to continue to do unless the Pre-Trial Chamber agrees by supermajority that he should stop,” Heindel said. Open Society Justice Initiative’s Clair Duffy told the Post that Kasper-Ansermet’s decision to resume investigations in Case 003 was the first decision in a “long time” to come from the Office of the Co-Investigating Judges that had any “integrity”. “His order outlines the absurdity of the rejection of Cayley’s investigative requests,” Duffy said.
Life sentence gives comfort to victims Chhay Channyda Monday, 06 February 2012
While court experts and monitors expressed concerns with underlying impacts of Friday’s verdict against S-21 chairman Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, for victims of the regime, a life sentence bought solace and justice.
ECCC Pool
Former S-21 detention facility operator Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, last Friday. “Our Buddhist culture says that if you kill someone, you must be punished,” S-21 survivor Bou Meng said outside the courthouse on Friday. “Now justice has happened. I have prayed to be able to tell my wife this news,” Bou Meng, whose wife was executed at the Choeung Ek killing fields during the Khmer Rouge regime, said. More than 800 spectators crammed into the public gallery of the courthouse and spilled out to
the small lawn adjacent to hear the words they had been waiting more than 30 years to hear. “Life sentence – it is justice for the victims,” Kim Huy, a 60-year-old civil party in the Khmer Rouge tribunal’s landmark first case, said after the verdict was announced. “I never expected this verdict because first the court sentenced him so he will serve only 19 years in prison, now my wish to see him sentenced to life imprisonment is true,” Kim Huy said, smiling through her tears. Encouraged by the delivery of a “just” sentence, victims said they now eagerly anticipated a repeat for Case 002, now before the tribunal. Chum Mey, 81, another S-21 survivor, said the ECCC was the top court delivering justice to Cambodians. “I notice Duch’s face turned black when he stood up to hear the announcement of his life sentence,” Chum Mey, whose wife and four children were killed during the regime, said. “I expect Case 002 to turn out like this,” Chum Mey said. “It must be a life sentence for all those leaders – if they do not receive a life sentence, then there is no justice.” Civil party Sum Rith agreed that Duch should not serve his life sentence alone. “Whether those leaders on trial now are telling the truth or not does not matter. Even if they don’t confess, the truth is the truth and I know the truth,” Sum Rith said. “All the crimes during the Khmer Rouge regime were not committed by Duch alone.” <div>Please enable JavaScript to post a new comment</div>
‘Trapped’ families await titles Khouth Sophak Chakrya and Shane Worrell Monday, 06 February 2012
When night falls at Srah Po village in Kandal province, Borei Keila evictees Joe Sreang, 32, his wife Touch Kanha, 28, and their four young children huddle together on planks of wood inside a small tent.
Shane Worrell/Phnom Penh Post
Former Borei Keila residents Joe Sreang, his wife Touch Kanha and their four young children in their tent at Srah Po village in Kandal province. The piece of canvas that drapes delicately over shaky wooden sticks has been their home since January 3, when development firm Phan Imex demolished more than 200 homes at Borei Keila. The family received $100 in compensation when they relocated to the village, in Ponhea Leu district’s Phsar Dek commune. Joe Sreang, a construction worker, hasn’t worked since – he has no vehicle or money to travel the 80 minutes to Phnom Penh and cannot find work where he is. “Sometimes I go to a nearby pond and rice fields to catch small fish and snails,” he said. “But I am concerned for my family. $100 is not enough.” Like other families, they feel trapped while they wait to be granted a land title, he said. Touch Khorn, a representative of Srah Po villagers, said 95 of 130 evicted Borei Keila families at the site had been granted a plot, while others had been left waiting. “They are really poor, so I want the company to provide land for them to build a house and make a living in the future,” he said.
Suy Sophan, the owner of Phan Imex, told the Post she would not give land to those who pretended to be Borei Keila residents or family members of those who had already received houses. “I do not have such ability,” she said. She did not say how long other familes would be made to wait. Meanwhile, about 50 former Borei Keila residents who refused to move to Srah Po gathered outside the Court of Appeals on Friday with a petition calling for the release of seven villagers from Prey Sar prison. Protester Chum Nguan said she was concerned the court had refused to release the villagers detained in clashes on January 3. “I will keep filing an intervention proposal until a resolution is reached,” she said.
Justice more than a verdict Bridget Di Certo with additional reporting by Deborah Seccombe Wednesday, 08 February 2012
The landmark closure of the Khmer Rouge tribunalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first case has drawn worldwide cheer and criticism, but for two journalists whose careers have been impacted by the crimes of S-21 jailer Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, justice and the healing of a nation takes many forms.
KHMER ROUGE SOLDIERS PREPARE TO LEAVE THEIR ZONE IN BATTAMBANG PROVINCE IN 1999. NIC DUNLOP/PANOS PICTURES
JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR ELIZABETH BECKER SPEAKS TO THE POST YESTERDAY IN PHNOM PENH. DEREK STOUT
THE ABOVE PHOTOGRAPH, BY ELIZABETH BECKER, WILL BE ON DISPLAY AT THE BOPHANA AUDIOVISUAL RESOURCE CENTRE. ELIZABETH BECKER
FORMER S-21 PRISON DIRECTOR KAING GUEK EAV, ALIAS DUCH, SPEAKS TO NIC DUNLOP IN BATTAMBANG PROVINCE IN1999. NIC DUNLOP/PANOS PICTURES
Irish journalist Nic Dunlop was only 30 when he was scrambling through the jungles of a Cambodia still deeply scarred by decades of conflict in 1999. “It was an accidental encounter,” Dunlop told the Post of his discovery of the notorious chief of the Khmer Rouge’s brutal interrogation facility.
“Yes, I was carrying his photo and asked of his whereabouts etc, but I never really expected to come face to face with him.” Dunlop described this chance encounter as bizarre in The Lost Executioner, his memoirs of his 1999 trip to Cambodia, and recalls how Duch initially approached him in the jungles of Samlaut. Duch was subsequently detained that year by the Cambodian Military Court before being arrested and sent to pre-trial detention at the Khmer Rouge tribunal. “I think it is important for ordinary people to see someone take a degree of responsibility for Khmer Rouge crimes,” Dunlop said by email yesterday from his base in Bangkok. “Success in this instance was a foretold conclusion,” Dunlop said of the outcome of Duch’s trial. “Most of the evidence was already in the public domain … and there was an accused who admitted his crimes. “It raises the question that, apart from addressing these crimes, what is the purpose of these trials? “With so much controversy surrounding the ECCC the increase in the sentence was perhaps a response to give a more positive sheen to a business that appears mired in accusations of corruption, lack of transparency, expense, etc,” he said. “There are some amazing people working on issues of conflict resolution and justice who hardly ever get credit,” Dunlop said. “And the work of several filmmakers . . . have been incredibly important in reaching people and opening debate about crime and punishment and confronting the past. “Which goes to show that trials are not the only component to addressing the past. Justice takes many different forms.” American journalist Elizabeth Becker, one of only a handful of journalists invited into Democratic Kampuchea for a two-week tour in 1978, shares a similar sentiment that justice, and the healing of Cambodia, is realised through increased public debate and discussion about Cambodia’s darkest hours. “Coming back and forth as I have since 1972, you just kept waiting for someone to say crimes were committed,” Becker told the Post yesterday. “Even during the Vietnamese occupation period and then when UNTAC came, no one would say it, no one would say what people went through.” Becker is in Phnom Penh for the opening of an exhibition at the Bophana Audiovisual Resource Centre of materials from her 1978 study tour, which she described as “frightening”. “We were under house arrest the whole time. We only saw what they wanted us to see – the whole thing was a set-up. “But you can talk about it now,” Becker said.
“It is an atmosphere, a turning the corner – an opening up, and I think the tribunal has a big part of that. “No matter what you think of the tribunal, just the simple fact that it has been recognised that crimes were committed [is significant].” Becker, too, was personally touched by Duch’s crimes when she embarked on a project to find the story of someone “who could help people understand what it was like to be a Cambodian.” Becker visited Tuol Sleng and on the photo boards there found the picture of a young woman whom she thought was someone she “might have known” if she had been living in Cambodia. “She was joyful, she was pretty and she went through the tragedy,” Becker said of Huot Bophana, first introduced to readers in her seminal When the War Was Over and later the subject of her 2010 novella Bophana. “Duch personally supervised her torture, and she was ultimately killed. “If you want to understand the regime, come to Tuol Sleng,” Becker said. “If anything symbolises that regime, it is Tuol Sleng.” Becker, who attended court during the recent questioning of Documentation Center of Cambodia director Youk Chhang, is herself due to take the stand and give testimony in Case 002. Becker’s exhibition at the Bophana Centre, called A Reporter’s Dangerous Guided Tour Through Democratic Kampuchea, includes a variety of photos as well as recordings of interviews with Pol Pot, Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith. “Any Cambodian can come in off the street, press a button on a computer and listen to Pol Pot’s voice,” Becker said. “I don’t want mystery around these guys. I want total, complete transparency and public access.”
Broker bust on Thai border Sen David Thursday, 09 February 2012
Battambang provincial police detained four brokers and 51 migrant workers, including 19 minors, who were attempting to illegally cross into Thailand early yesterday morning, police said.
Photo Supplied/Phnom Penh Post
A group of would-be migrant workers wait at Battambang police station after being detained yesterday while attempting to illegally cross the Thai-Cambodian border with the help of four brokers. At about 3am yesterday, police stopped the brokers, who were driving two vans crammed with the 51 villagers, mostly from Pursat province, attempting to illegally cross the border into Thailand without documentation, Battambang anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection director Koy Heang said. “Investigating police hunted down the two trucks, because they were filled with people who looked strange, not like they were from Battambang, and when police detained them, they admitted they were trying to illegally cross into Thailand,” Koy Heang said. He said the four brokers will be sent to court for questioning and charging tomorrow, and the 51 villagers attempting to cross the border illegally will be sent to the social affairs department for reeducation. “So many of these victims are minors [under 18], and most paid the brokers between 2,000 and 3,000 baht [between US$65 and $98] for the crossing,” Koy Heang said, adding that all but one of the villagers, including the minors, had been told they would receive work in factories in Thailand. One man was told he was going to be a farmer.
Adhoc provincial officer Prak Sophima said the villagers were victims of human trafficking. “This is the first case this year in Battambang,” Prak Sophima said, adding that Battambang was a popular illegal border-crossing destination for people from many of the surrounding provinces. “But when these victims cross into Thailand illegally without any documentation, they usually end up going to work somewhere else like Malaysia or Indonesia, and this is the reason that nowadays so many families complain to Adhoc about their missing children abroad,” he said. “People put themselves at risk when they immigrate without enough information and they hurry to believe the broker’s lure.”
King’s support sought Khouth Sophakchakrya Thursday, 09 February 2012
About 30 former Borei Keila women filed a petition yesterday asking for King Norodom Sihamoni to intervene and release seven of their fellow evictees who have been locked in Prey Sar prison since violent clashes with police on January 3.
Khouth Sophak Chakrya/Phnom Penh Post
About 30 former Borei Keila women petitioned King Norodom Sihamoni yesterday to intervene and facilitate the release of seven other evictees detained at Prey Sar prison since last month. Chum Ngan, 40, one of the evictees filing the petition, said the Borei Keila evictees were turning to the royal family for a solution because their series of pleas to public institutions such as the National Assembly, City Hall and Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cabinet had been ignored. “We hope that the King will urge the local authority through Prime Minister Hun Sen to end our conflict,” she said. The Borei Keila evictees’ petition to the king calls for the release of the seven Borei Keila evictees arrested as development firm Phan Imex demolished their homes on January 3. It also asks for the company to honour the contract it signed by constructing two more buildings and for evictees to be compensated for their destroyed homes and property. Royal Cabinet officials could not be reached for comment. Sia Phearum, president of the Housing Rights Task Force, said evictees of Borei Keila had filed the petition because the local authority was not dedicated to resolving evictees’ problems. “This is their last choice. They need the King and [Hun Sen] to help them,” he said. Phnom Penh deputy governor Nuon Someth disputed claims that city officials did not care about people once
they were moved to relocation sites. “Phnom Penh municipality has been developing gradually by equipping clean-water systems and offering small loans,” he said. However, he acknowledged some faults in implementing the government’s resettlement policy. In 2003, Phan Imex Company signed an agreement with the government to construct 10 sixstorey buildings on two hectares of land to house 1,776 displaced families, in exchange for the right to develop the remaining 2.6 hectares.
KRT sidesteps victims' rights Theary Seng Thursday, 09 February 2012
When the initial Duch verdict was handed down in July, 2010, the Civil Parties of Orphans Class—a sub-group of the Association of Khmer Rouge Victims in Cambodia—launched a public campaign for ECCC inventory and provincial learning centres as part of the right to reparations for all Khmer Rouge victims.
Meng Kimlong/Phnom Penh Post
A woman takes part in a ceremony for victims of the Khmer Rouge at the Choeung Ek killing fields earlier this month. Three days after that verdict, the ECCC Trial Chamber offered this as full reparation: “To compile and post on the ECCC’s official website all statements of apology and acknowledgements of responsibility made by [Duch]” Unsurprisingly, the hollowness and insensitivity of this “reparation” triggered public outrage. It also raised these rhetorical questions: How many victims own a computer? And of those who own a computer, how many have access to the internet? A year later, we issued a similar demand with an open letter to the tribunal’s lead co-lawyers and the 40 intermediary lawyers representing the civil parties to advocate at the ECCC hearings on reparations. We acknowledged the scope of our demands as follows: “It is also our understanding that (i) the Chambers may award only “collective and moral reparations to Civil Parties”; (ii) Article 39 of the ECCC Law to “be awarded against, and be borne by, convicted persons” not to exclude the Cambodian government and the United Nations, parties to the laws and agreements establishing the ECCC in the provision of this collective and moral reparation as owners of the inventory; and (iii) any sensitive materials and
data can be easily removed and protected before the handing-over of the inventory “In addition, we demand that provincial learning centres-memorials be established in each of the 24 provinces of Cambodia as part of our right to reparation and the legacy of memorialising and education. “With all due respect, Phnom Penh was not the only crime scene; memorialising and resources need to include, and respect, the 85 per cent of Cambodian victims who reside in the provinces.” A few days after this open letter, the elite club of ECCC officials (civil-party lawyers, administrators, judges) met—presidents and representatives of victims’ associations don’t matter in this high-minded discussion on reparations, as we can’t possibly know what we want—and decided to seal shut any possible interpretation of government and UN responsibility. This club amended Article 39 of the ECCC Law, stripping it of the language quoted above, but with the document falsely stating that it had last been amended on August, 26, 2007 (which opened up the possibility that I had invented the above-quoted language). As it stands now, the full Article 39 reads: “Those who have committed any crime as provided in Articles 3 new, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 shall be sentenced to a prison term from five years to life imprisonment. “In addition to imprisonment, the Extraordinary Chamber of the trial court may order the confiscation of personal property, money and real property acquired unlawfully or by criminal conduct. The confiscated property shall be returned to the State.” The vacuity of past discussions by the ECCC elite club on victims’ reparations was given the final seal of approval with the ECCC Supreme Court Chamber’s summary decision of February 3 “that awards are borne exclusively by convicted persons”, thus shielding the Cambodian government and the United Nations from any responsibility. I won’t go into the other serious concerns raised by the final decision on Duch, except to say that we, the victims, and we, the larger Cambodian society, have had to pay an extremely high price for his life sentence. A life sentence fits with the gravity of the crimes and should have been handed down in the first instance without the high drama in such a simple case as this, in which the defendant confessed and co-operated, mounds of corroborating documents existed and survivors of Tuol Sleng testified. But that’s not the point. The price we have to pay comes in the serious consequences of (i) the Supreme Court Chamber’s erasure of the illegality of Duch’s pre-trial detention at the Cambodian Military Court; (ii) the SCC’s uneasy language on personal jurisdiction in light of the imbroglio of Cases 003/4, stating that “whether an accused is a senior leader or one of the most responsible are exclusively policy decisions for which the Co-Investigating Judges and Co-Prosecutors, and not the Chambers, are accountable” where history, resources and power are not on our side; and (iii) making Duch the sole scapegoat of the Khmer Rouge regime and its crimes. By any interpretation, this is manipulation of victims. This is exploitation of our suffering.
This is disempowerment, whereby the tools of “justice” are used to perpetrate injustice. The danger now is that it comes with a United Nations insignia. It comes with Japanese yen and the high-minded rhetoric of Western ambassadors for vacuity. It doesn’t matter how many billions Western donors and Japan continue to spend on “rule of law” via the various aid agencies, because what they are embracing at the Khmer Rouge tribunal will undo any benefits they may have produced. We’re talking about the embedding of dark mentalities by the tribunal with United Nations insignia that will wash through the larger Cambodian society for decades to come – long after the KRT has closed the gates on its military-situated compound and the UN has left on another genocide-chasing mission.
KRT victims support section given boost Bridget Di Certo Thursday, 09 February 2012
Germany has provided about US$1.59 million in voluntary funds to support the work of the victims support section at the Khmer Rouge tribunal, tribunal officials said yesterday. “Germany is strongly committed to the success of this court,” German Embassy Chargé d’Affairs Horst Triller told the Post yesterday. “We have been funding the VSS for quite a few years and I believe this motivation is because we also have some experience in our own history in this area,” Triller said. VSS is considered to fall under the Cambodian side of the court and the voluntary funds are an ad hoc contribution auxiliary to the tribunal’s budget, tribunal press officer Neth Pheaktra said. “Germany is the third-largest international donor to the court and including this contribution has donated 3.1 million euros (about $4.1million) to the work of the VSS since it began operations in 2008,” Neth Pheaktra said. Officials from the VSS could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Living wage a ‘human right’ Mary Kozlovski Thursday, 09 February 2012
Panellists at the first “Permanent People’s Tribunal” on wages and conditions for Cambodian garment workers yesterday released their findings, declaring that a living wage for workers should be considered a “human right”. The hearing included two days of testimony by workers, labour experts and brand-name buyers.
Heng Chivoan/Phnom Penh Post
Gianni Tognoni speaks yesterday at the conclusion of the three-day Permanent People’s Tribunal. While panellists did not specify what a living wage was, they called on the government to develop “standards and methods” for calculating one and found that the “minimum living wage should clearly identify food costs to be no more than 50 per cent of the overall wage package”. A representative from the Asia Floor Wage Campaign, which organised the hearing, took it a step further, telling the Post that the monthly minimum wage for garment workers in Cambodia should be US$281. That figure represents more than four times the current monthly minimum wage for garment workers of $66, which includes a $5 health bonus added last month. AFW coordinator Anannya Bhattacharjee said the $281 calculation was based on a worker’s monthly nutritional needs according to figures obtained from governments and international institutions. She added that such an increase would rely to some extent on clothing brands and retailers
paying more for the finished product. “There is enough money in the global supply chain for brands to pay Cambodian manufacturers enough so that garment workers can earn that,” she said. Panel member Gianni Tognoni yesterday said that a wage is one way for workers to enjoy their basic human rights. “Wage is not simply part of a contract,” he said. Tognini said that while there were legal principles in place to govern the sector, there was “vast evidence of impunity”. “Everything is well known, everything is well legislated and nothing happens,” he said, citing an “absence of investigation” of mass fainting episodes in factories. Another panel member, former professor Gill H Boehringer, said that buyers were “violating the norms of your country and international norms which are universally recognised”. The panel concluded with recommendations for the government, trade unions and consumers. “Consumers should support the global efforts of trade unions and other labour organisations and NGOs … to pressure Multinational Corporations and (‘Brands’) to adopt…the living wage in their supply chain,” the findings read. It called multinational corporations to move “beyond good intentions” and commit to “a mandatory living wage at all levels and sectors of the supply chain”, and recommended that unions adopt the “living wage concept” as part of their bargaining strategy. Dave Welsh, country director for the American Center for International Labor Solidarity, said that while the AFW’s $281 figure would be a “great wage”, it was “probably not realistic overnight”, adding that there was “definitely room for brands to negotiate”. “It shouldn’t be on [the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia] necessarily,” he said. “It’s also really in the brands’ corner, where they’re benefiting hugely from being in Cambodia, not only financially, but also from a PR vantage point.” While GMAC did not attend the tribunal, the group’s secretary-general, Ken Loo, told the Post last week that there were “numerous calculations” for determining a living wage.
NGO hot seat: DARPO duo questioned over abuses Phak Seangly Thursday, 09 February 2012
Two former staff members of the much-maligned and now defunct NGO Drugs and AIDS Research and Prevention Organisation (DARPO) appeared before the Preah Vihear provincial court yesterday for questioning in connection with several human-rights abuses, including rape. Last month, four former employees of the NGO were summonsed to appear before the court after 54-year-old Khin Khun of Choam Ksan district alleged they had beaten her, causing serious injury, and raped her 13-year-old daughter in July, 2010. Provincial court judge Saso Savuth said yesterday only two of the four men summonsed to the court had shown up for questioning, but failed to provide any further details about the court proceedings or if the remaining two men would ever be forced to appear before the court. “Only two of them appeared in court, but please don’t worry about this case; we are working on it,” the judge said. Lor Chann, provincial co-ordinator for the rights group Adhoc, identified the two men who appeared at the court for questioning as Yeng Vanny and Thi Thuon, adding that they had been released after questioning. “They claimed they knew nothing about the accusations,” Lor Chann said. DARPO was granted more than 500 hectares of land in 2007, with instructions to distribute it to families in need. Adhoc claims that the NGO instead charged villagers for plots of land, leading it to eventually file for bankruptcy and disband
Orphanages set for closure David Boyle Thursday, 09 February 2012
Children belong, first and foremost, with their families, not in institutions – that was the central message delivered by Minister of Social Affairs Ith Sam Heng yesterday as he announced that 70 orphanages would be closed. Presenting the findings of With the Best Intentions, a study into attitudes to residential care, primarily focusing on orphanages, Ith Sam Heng announced a new progressive policy on alternative care aimed at keeping children out of institutions. “Family care is the best option; no one loves children like their families,” he said, stressing that residential care for at-risk children would now be considered only as a last resort. Only 23 per cent of children found inside Cambodian orphanages had actually lost both parents, the minister said, citing the report. The majority of parents who sent their children to orphanages did so because they were poor and held the misguided assumption that an institution could provide better care, he said, urging orphanages not to exploit these misperceptions. “Before you think about gathering children for the centre, please think first about keeping them in their families. And forget that a source of funding is pretending to support the children; this is a kind of exploitation.” Stressing the need for orphanages to more stringently abide by minimum standards of care, Ith Sam Heng said 70 of the 93 such facilities run by an organisation called Good News would be turned into community centres, but did not specify when. Contact details for Good News could not be found. Richard Bridle, country representative of the UN Children’s Fund in Cambodia, which provided technical support for the study, said the new policy amounted to three key points. Proper standards needed to be implemented, child-care institutions held to account and funds redirected from residential care institutions to families to make sure they had the capacity to care for their children. “What the minister has outlined today are a series of measures with which we fully agree – first, that we should be prioritising keeping children in their families,” Bridle said. “I have small children, I want them to stay with me. And if I were poor, I would want someone to help me, not take them away, and certainly would not like to have an organisation that is pressuring me to give up my children to go into an institution.” While Cambodia’s adult death rate dropped between 2005 and 2010, the number of children in orphanages more than doubled – to about 12,000 – during the same period, he added. The study found that more than 60 per cent of surveyed villagers felt a poor family should send their children to residential care if they could not pay for education, but that young people inside
those orphanages felt they lacked love, freedom and opportunities. In September, the Siem Reap province-based Cambodia Orphan Fund was shut down amid allegations from the Ministry of Interior that staff members had molested children and the revelation that its director, Nicholas Griffin, had been convicted of raping a child in 2007. That followed the revelation in August that 30 children were unaccounted for at the Australianfunded Hope for Cambodian Children orphanage, which had failed to meet the Minimum Standards on Alternative Care for Children set by the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation. In October, Friends International, Childsafe and UNICEF launched the “Children are not tourist attractions” campaign, urging visitors to Cambodia to think twice before visiting an orphanage. Sarah Chhin, a program manager at the social welfare group International Cooperation Cambodia, said tourists need to think about what sort of conduct would be acceptable at orphanages in their own countries. “Having people coming and going constantly doesn’t help them, and actually does more harm than good,” she said. “Actually, the children within orphanages already have attachment issues, they have rejection issues, they have all sorts of other issues. They have all sorts of other issues that come with the trauma they have experienced.” Hengchhea Chheav, founder and president of the Siem Reap town orphanage Assisting Cambodian Orphans and the Disabled Organisation, said his orphanage was trying to move away from foreign donations-based funding but was not finding it easy. “I think from the beginning of when I created ACODO orphanage, I found that the problem was the income, I couldn’t find the income that I would say was sustainable for supporting the children,” he said. “Some of the local organisations in Cambodia, they couldn’t help themselves, and then they opened to make like a business or something.”
Security Council bid pursued Vong Sokheng Thursday, 09 February 2012
The European Union and British ambassadors pledged yesterday to take Cambodia’s campaign for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council to their respective governing bodies, officials said after meetings with Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong.
Heng Chivoan/Phnom Penh Post
European Union Ambassador Jean-Francois Cautain (left) speaks with Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong during a meeting yesterday in Phnom Penh. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Koy Koung said the deputy prime minister had, in separate meetings, requested that newly appointed British Ambassador Mark Gooding and European Union Ambassador Jean-Francois Cautain lobby other nations to support Cambodia, as the Kingdom seeks votes in an election later this year for one of 10 non-permanent spots on UNSC in 2013 and 2014. “Mark Gooding has pledged that he will take Cambodia’s request to the British leaders, and he also requested Cambodia’s support as Britain seeks membership of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in the Southeast Asia,” said Koy Koung. Hor Namhong held talks with Kurt Campbell, US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, last week. A press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs afterward said the US had also pledged to support Cambodia’s UNSC bid. Cheang Vannarith, executive director of the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, said that increasing Cambodia’s international involvement in UN peacekeeping duties and its role as the chair of ASEAN would help Cambodia to successfully campaign for a seat on the UNSC. “Cambodia has played a leading role sending approximately 1,000 peacekeeping troops to the
UN thereforeâ&#x20AC;Śthe image of Cambodia at the UNSC will build confidence for an international investment in Cambodia,â&#x20AC;? he said.
Judge wants to restart Case 003 Bridget Di Certo with additional reporting by Chean Sokha Friday, 10 February 2012
Investigations in the Khmer Rouge tribunal’s Case 003 are being resumed on the orders of UNnominated International Co-Investigating Judge Laurent Kasper-Ansermet, who has also applied for the disqualification of Pre-Trial Chamber president Prak Kimsan, the judge said in a statement yesterday. Swiss national Kasper-Ansermet said he is under a “legal obligation to investigate” cases 003 and 004 – both opposed by the government – according to the agreement between the UN and the Royal Government of Cambodia and the laws governing the Khmer Rouge tribunal. “The International Reserve Co-Investigating Judge therefore enjoys full legal authority to undertake his functions regardless of the Supreme Council of the Magistracy’s rejection of his appointment as standing co-investigating judge,” Kasper-Ansermet wrote in his statement. The UN supports this position, and UN Special Expert David Scheffer has said KasperAnsermet has “clear authority to fulfill” his duties as international co-investigating judge. On this basis, the judge issued an order to resume the judicial investigation in Case 003, which was closed in April 2011 amid much public outcry of political interference and inadequate investigations by the two investigating judges. The then-international co-investigating judge Siegfried Blunk resigned six months later, citing perceptions of political interference. Kasper-Ansermet has been at loggerheads with his Cambodian counterpart, Judge You Bunleng, since Blunk’s resignation in October, and the Cambodian Supreme Council of the Magistracy has refused to accept Kasper-Ansermet as Blunk’s replacement. Yesterday’s explosive statement from the Swiss judge is the latest in a series of combative public statements from the two investigating judges. Contacted by the Post last night, You Bunleng said he would not comment on his colleague’s statement in detail. “But, even until now, [Kasper-Ansermet] has no duty to do anything, as he has not been officially appointed to do his job,” You Bunleng said. “He has no right to do anything. I will check it [the statement] and decide how to respond to that.” Sources close to the matter told the Post that You Bunleng had already began drafting a retaliatory response last night. Kasper-Ansermet’s order to resume investigative action in government-opposed Case 003 was in line with requests made by international co-prosecutor Andrew Cayley in May 2011. Kasper-Ansermet’s statement also said he had submitted to the Pre-Trial Chamber two records of disagreement between himself and You Bunleng over the conduct of investigation into cases 003 and 004, but that the disagreements were seemingly dismissed in an unreasoned memorandum by the Chamber, which was apparently of the view Kasper-Ansermet did not have
any legal authority to act. Kasper-Ansermet said this raised “serious concerns about the lack of impartiality of Mr Prak Kimsan, President of the Pre-Trial Chamber”. “On these grounds, an application for his disqualification was submitted to the Pre-Trial Chamber, calling upon Mr Prak Kimsan to step down voluntarily from any proceedings related to CF003 and CF004,” Kasper-Ansermet said. Prak Kimsan, could not be reached for comment last night as his phone was switched off. Documentation Center of Cambodia legal adviser Anne Heindel said the issue of KasperAnsermet’s authority to act was more of a political issue than a judicial one. “[UN Special Expert] David Scheffer’s view is that Kasper-Ansermet should be able to act, and he has the authority to continue investigations, which he has the right to continue to do unless the Pre-Trial Chamber agrees by supermajority that he should stop,” Heindel said. Open Society Justice Initiative’s Clair Duffy told the Post that Kasper-Ansermet’s decision to resume investigations in Case 003 was the first decision in a “long time” to come from the Office of the Co-Investigating Judges that had any “integrity”. “His order outlines the absurdity of the rejection of Cayley’s investigative requests,” Duffy said.
KRT spotlight returns to current leadership Kristin Lynch Friday, 10 February 2012
The defence team of Brother No 2 Nuon Chea continued in its attempts to link National Assembly president Heng Samrin to its client, and, by extension, the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime, during yesterday’s Khmer Rouge tribunal. Despite a brief showdown between Trial Chamber president Nil Nonn and defence counsel Michiel Pestman, when Pestman refused to be seated as ordered, Nil Nonn granted the lawyer 30 minutes to interview his client. That right was taken away from Pestman on Wednesday after the chamber president ruled that Pestman had disrespected the bench. The defence lawyer used his re-allotted time to ask questions about Nuon Chea’s relationship with the future CPP chairman. The defendant said he had first met Heng Samrin some time in 1959 when he was tasked with serving as Nuon Chea’s escort to Vietnam. “He was close to me and he was rather courageous. He provided me with protection,” Nuon Chea said, adding that such trips, “sometimes once every two months”, up until the country was “liberated” in 1975. Pestman was rebuffed, however, in his attempt to ask Nuon Chea about the role played by the senior CPP lawmaker in the liberation of Phnom Penh. “Is it correct that Heng Samrin was a division commander in April 1975 and that he participated in the liberation of Phnom Penh?” Pestman asked. “Nuon Chea, you may not respond to the question since it is ruled irrelevant,” chamber president Nil Nonn interjected. Yesterday’s attempt was the second time this week that Nuon Chea’s defence team has tried to link its client to senior CPP lawmakers. On Monday, defence counsel Jasper Pauw produced an academic article, which stated that “various evidence implicates Heng Samrin in war crimes” and that “Chea Sim has been accused of being responsible for the murders of people in the district in which he was secretary”. Also during yesterday’s proceedings, co-prosecutors attempted to disprove Nuon Chea’s consistent assertions that he never held the position of acting prime minister of Democratic Kampuchea. Co-prosecutors produced a speech made on the 9th anniversary of the founding of the Revolutionary Army of Kampuchea that two international media outlets attributed to “acting premier” Nuon Chea. Prosecutors said that, next week, they will introduce “numerous documents” showing “congratulatory messages” to Nuon Chea on his ascent to the premiership, as well as documents he signed as “acting premier
Ministry tells girls to keep their knickers on Sen David Friday, 10 February 2012
The Ministry of Women Affairs will release a 30- minute video on February 14 urging girls to resist pressure to have sex, Secretary of State for Women’s Affairs Sivann Botum said yesterday. The video is part of a campaign to buck the recent trend of young girls looking to consummate their relationships on Valentine’s Day. “One bunch of flowers does not mean we have to have sex with our boyfriends,” said Sivann Botum. “I beg women to please maintain our Khmer traditions because virginity is very important,” she said, adding that girls should focus on their studies when young.
Cambodia seeks to curb youth sex on St. Valentine's Day PHNOM PENH (Kyodo) -- Cambodian authorities have launched a publicity campaign to curb sex among young people and students during St. Valentine's Day celebrations as the government seeks to limit unwanted pregnancies among young girls. Sivann Botum, secretary of state for Women's Affairs, told Kyodo News that the ministry has produced a 30-minute video aimed at educating youth on the meaning of St. Valentine's Day within the context of the Khmer culture. "Some young people do not understand the meaning of St. Valentine's Day, and they date and spend their time together in hotels and guest houses," she said. Celebrations of St. Valentine's Day on Feb. 14 have become increasingly popular among the nation's youth and some students skip classes to go on a date. Vendors flock to the vicinity of schools to sell flowers and St. Valentine's gifts. Sivann Botum said the video features episodes on how to spend St. Valentine's Day, including one in which students hand food to their retired teacher as a way of honoring their loved ones. To discourage students from skipping classes on Feb. 14, some schools have scheduled examinations for that day, Sivann Botum said.
Authorities have also banned vendors from selling flowers and gifts near schools around St. Valentine's Day, she said. The Cambodian media are filled with stories of sexual misconduct by young people on St. Valentine's Day, prompting warnings from social critics over youthful sexual exuberance. (Mainichi Japan) February 9, 2012
Orphanage tag lost, but group still offering help David Boyle with additional reporting by Khoun Leakhana Friday, 10 February 2012
The vice-president of a Christian organisation that Social Affairs Minister Ith Sam Heng said on Wednesday would have to “cut” 70 of its 93 orphanages and turn them into community centres, yesterday denied the homes were being closed. Sou Mountha, vice-president of the Foursquare Children of Promise, an organisation that runs church-based religious homes and is sometimes referred to as Good News, told the Post the 70 centres that were formerly orphanages had changed status but would continue to provide services to those in need. “We are not going to close the homes down. The homes will be open and will be like a pagoda. We will welcome anyone who needs to be there – who needs food, shelter. And we pay for them to go to school,” she said. FCOP has begun moving children out of residency from within the 70 centres in 22 provinces, though some cannot simply be relocated until her organisation was “very sure” a safe place could be found for them to live. The centres had been reclassified into alternative care facilities because they could not meet strict government criteria for orphanages – including that all residing children were actually orphans – which did not account for realities in the impoverished areas where FCOP worked, she said. At Wednesday’s launch of a study titled With the Best Intentions, Ith Sam Heng pointed out that only 23 per cent of those in orphanages had actually lost both parents and called on NGOs to stop using children to attract foreign donations. Seventy orphanages run by Good News (FCOP) would be “cut”, changed into community-based centres and made to stop providing residential care to children, Ith Sam Heng said. Yesterday, Prak Chanthoeun, director-general at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, said FCOP’s 70 orphanages would not be “completely closed” but rather changed into community-based child-care centres. Ros Yeng, national facilitator at Chab Dai, a coalition of Christian organisations, said many of the children in FCOP’s orphanages were not actual orphans, though this was not necessarily a bad thing. “The good thing is they [children] can come and are provided a living and education, and the negative is the children live in the shelter for a long, long time, and it’s very hard when we take them back to their families,” he said. Sou Mountha said FCOP sought to eventually reintegrate children with their families and did not attempt to religiously indoctrinate them. “We’re not going to make anyone do that ...We love the Buddhist people and we have no problem with them at all,” she said. A copy of FCOP’s project agreement with MOSVY shows the organisation will spend US$3,058,968 running the 70 community centres over the next three years.
Training urged for poor youths Mom Kunthear Friday, 10 February 2012
Phnom Penh Munici-pal Hall had issued an appeal to community leaders in the city’s nine districts to recruit young, unemployed and unskilled men to attend technical training with the NGO Caritas, an announcement posted on the city hall website yesterday said. The announcement, signed by governor Kep Chuktema and dated February 6, called on community leaders to conduct the recruitment drive. “Select the poor youth who are children living in the poor communities in Phnom Penh city,” Kep Chuktema said in the announcement. “By co-operating with the Caritas Cambodia organisat-ion, these poor youths will get the training and skills they need to find work and improve their family’s living standard.” Caritas Cambodia executive director Kim Ratana said yesterday the training course would begin early next month at the training centre in Kandal province’s Takmao town. “We can accommodate 200 trainees a year and have 14 different skills to teach,” Kim Ratana said, adding that the skills were mechanics, accounting, painting, restaurant management and beauty services. He said the group had a 90 to 95 per cent employment success rate for those who finished its training courses. Sam Vanna, 50, an evicted villager from Beoung Kak lake who has been relocated to live in Borey Santepheap II, will be selecting eligible youths from her relocated community to send to Caritas for training. “It is good that the city hall pays attention to the poor in the community to give them lifelong knowledge and skills,” Sam Vanna said, adding that most young people in her community did not have a job.