Ball rolling on KRT cases May Titthara and Bridget Di Certo with additional reporting by Shane Worrell Tuesday, 06 March 2012
Arter nearly four years of controversy and stalling, the Khmer Rouge tribunal has made moves to formally inform suspects in government-opposed cases 003 and 004 of the charges against them – a critical step in the momentum of the two cases.
KHMER ROUGE TRIBUNAL CASE 004 SUSPECT IM CHEM SPEAKS TO THE POST AT HER HOME IN ODDAR MEANCHEY PROVINCE IN 2009. ROBBIE COREY-BOULET
Im Chem, who oversaw the Khmer Rouge regime’s largest irrigation project, told the Post yesterday that five representatives from the court had come to her home last week and read out the case against her. “I denied all their accusations against me, because I did not kill people like they accused,” Im Chem said. “Their accusations were not true.” The now deputy commune chief in Oddar Meanchey province said two foreigners and three Cambodians had come to her house unexpectedly and handed her “many many documents”, including a notice that she has the right to “go to Phnom Penh to find a lawyer”. “I said I don’t need a lawyer and that I would not be going to Phnom Penh,” Im Chem said by phone from her home in Anlong Veng district, a former Khmer Rouge stronghold. Im Chem, one of three Khmer Rouge cadre suspects in Case 004, said she was surprised by the litany of atrocities she is named as committing during the Khmer Rouge regime because, she said, all she ever did was “urge a group of women who were to plant rice”. “After I denied all their accusations, they left my home,” she said. The court was tight-lipped yesterday about the activities of investigators and no official statement or information had been issued by the Office of the Co-Investigating Judges.
“I have received no information [about the notification of suspects],” tribunal legal affairs spokesman Lars Olsen said. Cambodian Co-Investigating Judge You Bunleng told the Post he had no comment on the notification of the suspects and stood by his previous statements in which he has said he does not acknowledge the legal authority of his international counterpart, reserve CoInvestigating Judge Laurent Kasper-Ansermet. Sources close to the court said Kasper-Ansermet was one of the foreigners who delivered the notifications at the end of February. Kasper-Ansermet did not respond to requests for comment yesterday. The two suspects in Case 003, Sou Met and Meas Muth, and the other two suspects in Case 004, Ta An and Ta Tith, could not be reached or declined to comment yesterday. The Defense Support section of the tribunal likewise had not heard official information about the notification of suspects, however, DSS officer-in-charge Nisha Valabhji said that a charged person could only be questioned in the presence of a lawyer. “It has been the long-held view of the DSS that the suspects in cases 003 and 004 are entitled to their fundamental right to individual legal representation,” Valabhji said by email. “Last year DSS made several requests to … represent the general interests of the suspects, but these requests were declined.” Documentation Centre of Cambodia legal advisor Anne Heindel called the development “significant” and echoed the sentiments of Valabhji that it would be appropriate for lawyers to represent the interests of the suspects. “Particularly in light of the year that has gone by, with the suspects being contacted by journalists but not the court itself,” Heindel said. “Their rights have already been prejudiced.” The acting international co-prosecutor submitted the introductory submissions to the Office of the Co-Investigating Judges in 2008, and the cases have since been embroiled in a political tug-of-war between the UN, which calls for “due process” and the Royal Government of Cambodia, which wants the two cases killed, allegedly for fear of inciting a civil war. Im Chem herself told the Post in 2009 that she knew she would never see the inside of a courtroom because Prime Minister Hun Sen would not allow any more Khmer Rouge to be arrested and sent to the tribunal. In 2010, Hun Sen told UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that the two cases would not be “allowed”. Several senior government ministers have echoed this position.
Ek Tha, of the Council of Minister’s Press and Quick Reaction Unit saidthe government’s position remains unchanged and that it is up to the Supreme Council of Magistracy to approve UN-nominated Kasper-Ansermet before he has any legal authority to act. UN Special Expert David Scheffer told the Post last week that the UN position is that Kasper-Ansermet “has the authority of a co-investigating judge”.
Fishermen to be freed Koeut Kuntheareak Tuesday, 06 March 2012
Two days after extending indefinitely a ban on commercial fishing in Tonle Sap Lake, Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday called for the release of all prisoners detained during the government crackdown, officials close to the premier said yesterday.
A FISHERMAN REPAIRS HIS BOAT AT A VILLAGE ON THE BANKS OF THE TONLE SAP LAKE IN SIEM REAP PROVINCE. WILL BAXTER
Deputy Prime Minister Yim Chhayli told the Post yesterday the premier had made the statement at a Council of Ministers meeting. According to Yim Chhayli, Hun Sen said the release of the prisoners would allow them to return to their families and earn a decent living. The premier was also adamant that the pardon exclude fishermen who had illegally logged parts of flooded forest areas in order to use the timber to artificially create an environment that would attract fish, Yim Chhayli said. “The fishermen who are involved in illegal logging of flooded forest cannot be set free because they cut the forest to possess the land by their own,” Yim Chhayli said. It was unclear how many prisoners would be affected by Hun Sen’s mandate. Hy Sophea, secretary of state at the Ministry of Justice, estimated 19 were imprisoned in Siem Reap province, but failed to provide country-wide numbers. Nao Thourk, chief of fisheries administration at the Ministry of Agriculture, simply said officials had arrested “many” fishermen, without providing exact figures. Tonle Sap Authority spokesman Chan Yutha was also vague, saying that “at least 10” fishermen had been arrested.
Officials also failed to provide a specific timeline for the release beyond saying that it would happen “soon”. Hy Sophea said the prison release would follow appropriate legal procedures, including trials for detainees. After those trials, he said, the Ministry of Justice would ask King Norodom Sihamoni to pardon the convicted men, per Cambodian law. To fulfil Hun Sen’s request, Siem Reap authorities met yesterday with the detained fishermen to discuss the mandate. CPP lawmaker Sieng Nam told the prisoners they would be released “in the near future
Harassment out of shadows Cassandra Yeap Tuesday, 06 March 2012
A headline-grabbing sexual harassment suit filed late last year against the provincial director of an NGO faces what is likely an uphill battle, but observers say the very fact it exists could highlight how far Cambodia has come on the issue.
AN ANCHOR BEER PROMOTER POURS A GLASS OF BEER FOR A CUSTOMER IN PHNOM PENH LAST WEEK. HENG CHIVOAN
Hi Theavy, 25, brought the case against the Cambodian Mine Action Centre employee in November, saying he and a friend had made unwanted advances while she was working as a beer girl at Stung Sen restaurant in Preah Ponlea commune’s Kbal Spean village. After proceedings stalled for two months, allegations surfaced two weeks ago that the prime minister’s younger brother, Hun San, had lobbied the court to drop the case. Lim Mony, deputy head of the women’s section at Adhoc, said the single mother had changed her phone number and was worried for her safety after her abuser made threatening phone calls, telling her “she didn’t have the power to go against him”. It is an all-too common refrain in a country where sexual harassment is still undefined and under-reported compared to rape, domestic abuse and sex trafficking. But that may be changing. “This case is an important example for other women who want to raise their complaint to the court, to show perpetrators should be punished,” said Chuon Chamrong, head of the women’s section at rights group Adhoc, which is aiding Hi Theavy in her case. “It’s an example to show that women can exercise their rights, where there are few cases of harassment submitted to the court.” Rights groups and researchers believe that sort of empowerment is attributable on some
level to increasing awareness of the offence and its redresses. Dr Andreas Selmeci, team leader of a collaborative project GIZ, Germany’s international development arm, is undertaking with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs on access to justice for women in Cambodia. He said that just as domestic abuse and rape had come to the fore in the past 10 to 15 years, sexual harassment looked set to have its turn in the spotlight. “A lot of people are leaving the countryside, joining the urban areas, which leads to a lot of social change,” he said. “At a village level, families can protect from these things happening, but in urban areas isolated from the larger family, people are more vulnerable to transgressions.” The increase in women joining the workforce has also contributed, he said, as harassment largely happens in the workplace. “You have poor people in a high level of dependency . . . this is seen as different from rape, because that is not necessarily a situation of economic dependency.” Harassment was one response to the increasing population of female workers, said Dr Susan Lee, Assistant Professor of Social Sciences at Boston University. “Sexual harassment . . . often works to keep women ‘in their place’, especially when women are venturing into areas traditionally dominated by men,” she said. The problem was exacerbated by women – only just getting used to the changing nature of gender roles in society – being reluctant to speak up about the abuses. “Women often choose not to speak up because they may feel they have more to lose than to gain,” she said. CARE project manager Eart Pysal said the right of women to speak out about harassment was a new cultural concept. CARE has been working with beer promoters through the Solidarity Association of Beer Promoters in Cambodia over the past two years to set up education and measures addressing abuse. The project includes the training of beer promoters who act as role models and contact points for colleagues who suffer from harassment. To date, 378 beer promoters have received life-skills training, said Eart Pysal. Together, they reach more than 600 of Cambodia’s estimated 4,000 beer promoters. CARE is one of a network of 16 NGOs that collaborate with the government on sexual harassment issues. Other initiatives set up in recent years include community dialogues with commune authorities, police and outlet owners, hotlines and the prominent display of materials on
harassment at beer gardens and pubs. Secretary of State for the Ministry of Interior Chou Bun Eng said the government was focusing on prevention by disseminating information through the Ministry of Tourism and local authorities. The difficulty proving sexual harassment could discourage victims from filing complaints, said Cambodian Defenders Project executive director Sok Sam Ouen. “Sexual harassment is usually only known by the two – perpetrator and victim – with no physical evidence,” he said. Lee highlighted how even in the US, it was hard for women to bring such charges. “A key question is how authorities respond to sexual harassment . . . it helps to have special police and judicial units to deal with such cases,” she said. Public education was important, she said, as she had found that women with even just five or six years of elementary education felt more empowered. Whatever steps are taken in the future, it seems likely that the handling of Hi Theavy’s complaint will be a litmus test for where the country stands on this issue now.
Indonesia ‘ready’ for Preah Vihear Vong Sokheng Tuesday, 06 March 2012
Indonesia is ready to deploy observers to the provisional demilitarised zone between Cambodia and Thailand, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said after a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart yesterday.
INDONESIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MARTY NATALEGAWA (LEFT) AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH CAMBODIAN FOREIGN MINISTER HOR NAMHONG IN PHNOM PENH YESTERDAY. HENG CHIVOAN
“I was assured by Marty that Indonesian observers in this circumstance will meet the demands of ASEAN and the demands of ICJ [International Court of Justice],” Hor Namhong said after the closed meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “I am prepared to sign an agreement over the TOR [terms of references] and this can take place anywhere . . . in Phnom Penh, Bangkok or Indonesia,” he said. A ruling by the ICJ in July ordered Cambodia and Thailand to withdraw military troops from a 4.6 square-kilometre area around the disputed Preah Vihear temple and appointed Indonesia as observer. Indonesian foreign minister Marty Natalegawa said discussions between Indonesia and Thailand about the deployment of observers were ongoing. Hor Namhong said the General Border Commission had last year established a Joint Working Group to set a date for the deployment, but Thailand had so far been unavailable to convene a meeting. Natalegawa said ASEAN’s consideration of East Timor’s application to join the regional grouping had also been discussed. “I expressed confidence that under Cambodia’s chairmanship, ASEAN will make good progress on this very important issue,” he said.
Issues such as the South China Sea dispute and the setting up of a Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone were also broached, he said. Other matters discussed included a possible direct flight from Indonesia’s ancient temple complex to Siem Reap.
Thailand’s gem industry may move to Cambodia Rann Reuy Tuesday, 06 March 2012
Cambodia could overtake Thailand’s gem export market to the United States within five years, officials said yesterday.
CHOM PRASIDH IS PRESENTED WITH LABORATORY TOOLS. MENG KIMLONG
Thailand’s growing economic status could soon disqualify it for tax exemption when exporting gems to the US market, but Cambodia’s standing as a Least Developed Country would allow it to continue trading tax free. “US officials have told me it will likely happen within the next five years,” said Cham Prasidh, senior minister at the Ministry of Commerce, referring to Thailand’s gem trade being taxed. He said that the move would likely attract Thai traders to move their businesses to Cambodia. “I believe that some Thai traders may run to Cambodia to produce gems and jewellery, and then export from here because they would lose some customers if they were forced to increase their prices. They will have to come to Cambodia.” Cham Prasidh added that the move would likely help Cambodian gem traders increase their own profits, as businessmen and Cambodian gem traders could form partnerships with Thais who already had business in the States. Jiranun Wongmonkol, the ministry counselor at the Office of Commercial Affairs at the Royal Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh, confirmed that Thailand would lose its tax-exemption status when selling gems, but did not know exactly when the measure would be implemented.
She agreed that Thai traders would likely relocate business to Cambodia. The Kingdom’s gem business also received a boost yesterday when Intertek, a Londonbased company providing gem-authentication services, opened a new laboratory in Phnom Penh. Intertek’s director in Cambodia Khuth Sothy said the new laboratory would increase the confidence of potential buyers and investors, especially foreign tourists coming to buy gems in Cambodia. “The lab and the standards it aims to ensure would “contribute to protecting tourists’ interests and will help them avoid fraudulent business made by dishonest traders”, Khuth Sothy said.
Borei Keila residents herald pledge of aid Khouth Sophakchakrya Wednesday, 07 March 2012
Borei Keila evictees who have been sleeping in stairwells near where their houses once stood said yesterday the Phnom Penh municipal authority had promised to help them find homes.
PEOPLE EVICTED FROM THE BOREI KEILA COMMUNITY SPEAK TO A POLICE OFFICER OUTSIDE THE PHNOM PENH MUNICIPAL COURT YESTERDAY. HENG CHIVOAN
Ka Rohanny, 35, a representative of the evicted residents, told the Post Kiet Chhe, deputy administrative president of city hall, had told her that authorities, including representatives of the Anti-Corruption Unit, would again investigate the Borei Keila dispute to try to resolve the evictees’ housing problem. “He claimed he would deal with ‘house offerings’ for those who have enough documents and will do charity for those who do not have documents,” Ka Rohanny said. The evictees, however, were not convinced this offer meant they would soon be given the flats that development firm Phan Imex promised to build them in 2004. “We are really happy after being informed, but we still wait to see if what they have said is true,” Ka Rohanny said. Sixty former Borei Keila evictees, some of whom were detained in Prey Sar prison and the Prey Speu social affairs centre early this year for protesting, gathered near the Phnom Penh city hall yesterday as city hall officials and five Borei Keila representatives discussed the offer. “This time, I believe that the municipal authority will really put in an effort to help us find justice,” Yann Phoeun, 39, a representative of the evictees, said. Tim Saka, who was representing her disabled son Un Kongpiseth, said she was happy the municipal authority had offered to find him a solution.
“I hope the authority will provide a house in Borei Keila for my son,� she said. Kiet Chhe could not be reached yesterday. The residents also launched a criminal complaint against Suy Sophan, the owner of Phan Imex, to the Phnom Penh municipal court yesterday. The group wants her charged over the demolition of their homes on January 3. The same residents launched civil action against Suy Sophan last month, demanding she compensate them for her employees using bulldozers to knock down their houses and destroy their property. Suy Sophan could not be reached by the Post for comment yesterday.
Concerns with ASEAN declaration of rights David Boyle Wednesday, 07 March 2012
The International Federation for Human Rights has warned that ASEAN’s opaque drafting of its human-rights declaration with little engagement of civil society could lead to a document that contradicts international standards. In a press statement yesterday, FIDH, which represents 164 rights groups worldwide, said the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights had given no disclosure to civil society groups of the draft it was working on. “By resisting civil-society input, AICHR is squandering valuable expertise and resources that independent civil society organisations could bring to the work of the Commission”, the release quoted FIDH deputy secretary-general Debbie Stothard as saying.
Gender gap in dispute Cassandra Yeap with additional reporting by Phak Seangly Wednesday, 07 March 2012
Cambodian women have less chance of being promoted to positions of power than women in any other East Asian country, a report by the NGO Social Watch International has found. But government officials have rejected the findings and maintained the number of females in Cambodia’s civil service has jumped by more than a third in the past four years. The Gender Equity Index released by SWI on Monday measures gender disparity across the world in terms of literacy, economic participation and empowerment. Thida Khus, executive director of the Cambodian NGO SILAKA, a network member of Social Watch International, said the Kingdom’s low ranking could largely be explained by social pressures that push women out of the education system. “Many women fall through the cracks . . . culturally, women have a lot of pressure to support the family, and are forced to abandon school. The education system is not addressing the needs of these girls,” she said, calling for the government to rethink macro-economic and education policy to keep girls in school. The index scored Cambodia 55 on an aggregate scale of 100, leaving it behind neighbours Laos, 56, Vietnam, 70, and Thailand, 71. The Kingdom also fell well below the East Asia and Pacific regional average of 69. Ministry of Interior secretary of state Chou Bun Eng scoffed at the findings. “The evaluation is wrong,” she said, pointing to government data that showed that the number of women in the country’s civil service had increased by 34 per cent since a “gender mainstreaming strategy” was adopted in 2008. In the political arena, female participation had also dramatically increased in the past decade, with the ratio of women elected as commune councillors rising from eight to 16 per cent between 2002 and 2007, she said. “There are women in decision-making positions in almost all the ministries, and there are at least female deputies in all the ministries,” Chou Ben Eng said, but conceded women had yet to rise above deputy positions. “As they have the chance to learn, year by year, when there is retirement of male officials, maybe they can take over,” she said. Opposition Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Mu Sochua said she recognised that some major appointments of women in important positions had been made, but they were not indicators that Cambodia was improving in gender equity.
“They are political appointments and have not allowed these high-ranking officials to make major differences for women and for society as a whole,” she said. These appointees had “said nothing, done nothing” for women who were victims of land grabs and forced evictions, she said, and the heads of the parliamentary commissions on human rights and women’s affairs had “done close to nothing in terms of showing their accountability to women”. But Mu Sochua said there had were positive signs as well. “Women in the private sector – banking, telecommunications, tourism, medium-size enterprises – the number is increasing. There are more women in private schools.” Still, she echoed concerns that women remained at a disadvantage because of a low quality of education, which led to “limited skills for employment”. Adviser to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports Bouy Bunna said that while the number of female and male students in primary school was almost similar, the number of females began to decrease from grade seven. “The number of female students goes down in middle school, high school and university,” he said, adding this was due to the tradition of parents giving priority to boys in education and concerns for their daughters’ safety at universities.
Student fashion: is a uniform too uniform? Oum Vannak and Dareth Rosaline Wednesday, 07 March 2012
In recent years, student uniforms are becoming more and more fashionable with many creative designs appearing.
This new wave of fashion seems to have changed school as place for learning into a fashion catwalk. If you visit schools and universities in Phnom Penh, you’ll notice students dressing up or altering their uniforms with fashionable accessories and styles. Some students style their uniforms in Thai or Korean fashions. Despite styling their uniforms to be more attractive, students do not break school policy because they still use their school colours, and they do not dress in a revealing manner. They also abide by the rules by tucking their shirts into their trousers of skirts. Wearing a high-waisted black skirt with a special design sleeve and collar, Tourt Bopha, 23, a Norton University student, says her university uniform is a Korean design. Since she did not like her university’s original uniform, Tourt Bopha had it re-designed. She said she is happy and proud whenever her schoolmates admire her uniquely designed uniform. “My school has never said anything about the design of my uniform because it is not sexy, and it is black and white- so it still abides by school policy,” she said. And it’s not just girls who like to re-design their uniform. Boys are also just as fashionable. Chhun Bory, 22, a fourth-year student at Royal University of Law and Economics said that his uniform has different tailored features, such as pockets, sew lines, colour mixtures or buttons. Chhun Bory copies designs from clothes shops or model books; he gets his clothes made in the same way so he will look unique and cool in front of his classmates.
“As I am a trendy person, if I dress up very normal, I feel very shameful, ” Chhun Bory admitted. However, there are some teachers who do not welcome this fashion wave. Chun Leng Orn, a biology teacher at a Phnom Penh high school, said she doesn’t approve of students altering their uniform because it looks clumsy and interrupts other students’ studies. “I do not care how fashionable they are outside of school hours. During school period, they should respect school policies by dressing in their normal uniform. It does nothing to their study if they focus too much on dressing up,” Chun Leng Orn said. Pheng Phanaka, 20, a third-year student at Royal University of Law and Economics, also shared his impressions on altering the student uniform. He says that at his university, all students are required to wear a uniform, but some of them are always trying to alter it because they want to be fashionable and attractive. He stressed that schools and universities are places to gain knowledge, not to portray how fashionable you are. “I don’t think those styles of uniform can make them look attractive if their studies are failing,” Pheng Phanaka said. Kim Socheata, an economic lecturer at National University of Management blames this fashion wave on the media, for broadcasting foreign cultures to Cambodia. “For sure, university students are over 18 years old; they have freedom to wear whatever they want – but, they ought to limit that freedom particularly during school hours,” Kim Socheata said. Iv Sao Sokha, deputy director of Sisowath High School, a school known for its strict policies, said that controlling student uniforms is not easy amid the modern generation. He said his school has been doing everything they can to keep the school uniforms under control - even forbidding students from changing something as simple as a button. Wearing a school uniform is a requirement of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport in order to form student identity. Having a uniform means students are treated fairly, and are not judged by their teachers or classmates based on what they wear, the Ministry says.
Analysis: Employed, empowered Douglas Broderick Thursday, 08 March 2012
Today is International Women’s Day, and there is no better occasion to shine a light on the valuable contributions of women and girls in Cambodian society.
A WOMAN ENGRAVES A COPPER BOWL AT A LOCAL BUSINESS IN KANDAL PROVINCE THAT PRODUCES HANDICRAFTS. MORE THAN HALF THE ADULT FEMALE POPULATION OF CAMBODIA IS SELF-EMPLOYED. NINA LOACKER
According to the National Institute of Statistics, 52.4 per cent of Cambodian women in 2009 were self-employed, but just 0.3 per cent of the women in Cambodia were classified as employers. Women are also twice as likely to face wage discrimination or find themselves in unpaid work. The garment industry is one of the biggest employers in the country, with an estimated 350,000 employees. According to the International Labour Organisation, 90.7 per cent of them are women, and their remittances support an estimated 1.7 million Cambodians. As the stories published on a new United Nations-sponsored “New Waves” blog today clearly illustrate, there is no shortage of incredibly inspiring women and girls in Cambodia. The personal stories featured on this blog tell of the fierce spirit, determination and perseverance of so many women and girls in this country who have not simply settled for the conditions they were dealt in their lives. They have worked and struggled to change their lives, and the realities in their community, for the better.
These are women who seek economic empowerment and to strengthen their community and their country. Essential to economic empowerment is the ability to believe in oneself. It is through sharing these positive stories of women that we will inspire the continual growth of better protection of women’s rights, recognise women’s achievements and build stronger economic development in this country. Minister of Women’s Affairs Dr Ing Kantha Phavi has often referred to the very substantial contributions of women to Cambodia’s economy—citing the fact that a great majority of businesses in the informal sector are women-owned. For that reason, today is an opportune moment to reflect on the economic empowerment and entrepreneurship of Cambodian women. Entrepreneurship is a path to the creation of jobs and incomes, and entrepreneurs play an important role in a country’s growth and its market economy. Studies have shown that engaging women in business leads to fairer employment, improved corporate social responsibility and greater investment back into local communities. In many emerging economies, women are setting up businesses at a faster rate than men, and women in Cambodia should be further encouraged and supported to do the same. Cambodian women entrepreneurs are charting a new course in their economic pursuits. They should be recognised for their resilience and determination in adapting to change, and for their strong leadership qualities in both the informal and formal sectors. Considering the needs of their families, communities and businesses, Cambodian women entrepreneurs have demonstrated courage, technical skill and the capacity to build strong relationships. But although many women are actively engaged in economic activities, most of them are working in the informal sector, particularly in the agricultural and manufacturing industries. Improving the economic empowerment of women in Cambodia will require particular efforts to address a lack of direct market linkages; a lack of production capacity; a lack of businessmanagement and data-management skills; and the low level of co-operation with the private sector. Between 2011 and 2015, the United Nations in Cambodia plans to spend $33 million to address the needs of women in this country. Part of this effort is aimed at strengthening the economic participation of women. ThIs year, the UN will be working to strengthen women in business, producers’ groups and
self-help groups. We will also be supporting women to improve their productivity and the quality of their products. Furthermore, we will continue our collaboration with social partners and NGOs to form and sustain more women’s business associations and promote the rights of women migrant workers seeking jobs abroad. These efforts must be supported by the government, development partners and, especially, the private sector.
Chea Sim scandal: Sentence too harsh, lawyer says Chhay Channyda Thursday, 08 March 2012
The defence lawyer of the convicted former chief bodyguard of Senate President Chea Sim yesterday appealed the verdicts of Phnom Penh Municipal Court and a military court and asked the courts to drop the charges against his client. Put Theavy, defence lawyer of Chhoeun Chanthan, said he asked the courts to overturn his client’s sentence of more than 30 years in prison on 9 charges including illegal distribution of weapons, embezzlement, faking public documents and destroying military materials. “I disagree with the whole verdict because it’s ironic,” he said. “The verdicts (with those charges) are more serious than the verdict for a person killing more than 10,000 people in the Khmer Rouge regime. My client did not commit like the accusation,” Puth Theavy added, referencing the initial sentence of 35 years handed to Duch, prison chief of the S-21 detention facility. The Khmer Rouge tribunal has since increased it to a life-sentence.
Prey Lang protectors warned May Titthara Thursday, 08 March 2012
Member of the Prey Lang Network said yesterday that Ouch Sam On, the deputy governor of Kampong Thom province, had told them he would not be responsible if they were shot while protecting Prey Lang forest.
VILLAGERS BURN WOOD CONFISCATED FROM ILLEGAL LOGGERS IN PREY LANG FOREST LAST MONTH. PHOTO SUPPLIED
Kim Cheng, 50, a member of the network, said villagers would not obey an order to stay out of the forest and would continue patrolling for illegal loggers. “Ouch Sam On threatened villagers and told us we were not allowed to patrol anymore,” he said. “Maybe he is cooperating with businessmen who are illegally cutting trees, so he is afraid our patrols will expose his interest.” More than 30 companies have been granted economic land or mining concessions in the forest, which covers 3,600 square kilometres in four provinces in the country’s north, and villagers say illegal loggers regularly cut down trees for luxury timber. Villagers want to protect the forest and end the “anarchy”; however, the deputy governor had refused to take responsibility if the villagers were shot doing so, Kim Cheng said. “What they seem to be doing is abandoning villagers and trees in order to protect businessmen.” Chheang Vuthy, a villager representative, said the commune chief, district governor and provincial governor had threatened to arrest villagers who defied the ban. “They care only about the companies’ interests. We care about the trees, so we still keep
doing our action.” Ouch Sam On denied the accusations, saying villagers had entered the forest to burn trees cut down by companies licensed to do so. “Two times already we have banned them, because they have burned companies’ property and other villagers’ property. We need to protect the trees, companies who are licensed to work in the forest and villagers,” he said. Villagers and members of the Prey Lang network outraged police by burning 40 cubic metres of luxury timber on February 8, the Post reported. No charges were laid. Chut Wutty, director of the Natural Resources Protection Group, said authorities were not working for the interest of local villagers.
Women take to the streets Bridget Di Certo with additional reporting by Phak Seangly, Cassandra Yeap, Khouth Sophak Chakrya Friday, 09 March 2012
From prisons to the pavements of Phnom Penh, women had a strong message for the Cambodian government on International Womens’ Day: Stop the violence and stop the discrimination.
DEMONSTRATORS CARRY PHOTOGRAPHS OF WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN THE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DURING A MARCH TO MARK INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY YESTERDAY IN PHNOM PENH’S TUOL KORK DISTRICT. THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE STREAKED WITH RED TO REPRESENT BLOOD AND THE SUFFERING OF WOMEN AT THE HANDS OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND THEIR HUSBANDS. PHA LINA
VOLUNTEERS AND PRISONERS UNLOAD DONATIONS FOR AN EVENT TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY AT PREY SAR PRISON YESTERDAY. PHOTO SUPPLIED
BOEUNG KAK LAKESIDE RESIDENTS ARE BLOCKED BY POLICE DURING A PROTEST YESTERDAY TO DRAW ATTENTION TO CASES OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN DURING EVICTIONS IN PHNOM PENH. THE DEMONSTRATORS HAD INTENDED TO MARCH TO THE ROYAL PALACE, BUT WERE TURNED BACK BY POLICE. MENG KIMLONG
SINGER SOK PISEY FROM THE SUNDAY PRODUCTION MUSIC COMPANY PERFORMS DURING A CONCERT TO MARK INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY, WHICH WAS HELD AT OLYMPIC STADIUM IN PHNOM PENH ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. NINA LOACKER
Four hundred Boeung Kak lake and Borei Keila evictees marched through Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh district with placards emblazoned with images of eviction violence used against their communities by authorities. “We, the residents of Boeung Kak and Borei Keila, request the local authority and company owners to stop evicting us and stop using violence against women,” villager representative Tep Vanny said. However, the womens’ march against police brutality was cut short by a 100-strong force of military and national police, who ejected the villagers from the streets due to their impact on traffic congestion. In Tuol Kork district, along railway tracks that wind through a slum, a group of 30 university students, dressed in sashes and skirts made from newspaper articles of domestic abuse, carried signs and chanted anti-domestic abuse slogans. “There are a lot of policies and legal rights to protect women, but the number of domestic
violence cases decreases too slowly, and in 2011 and 2012, there have been many cases of violence against female demonstrators,” said Hem Nareth of Empowering Youths in Cambodia. “There is no respect,” she added. Licadho president Pung Chhiv Kek put the number of women experiencing domestic violence at at least 25 per cent and said that “more than 80 per cent of cases” are believed to go unreported due to reasons including tradition, shame and fear of public reaction. “Cambodia is still an agrarian society, where the tradition of male supremacy is at the core of common thinking,” Pung Chhiv Kek said yesterday. “A key factor [in slow and small improvement to women’s rights] is a very hesitant political will of the male elites to improve the situation,” Pung Chhiv Kek added. The Kingdom’s theme for International Women’s Day was “my eminent mother”, a theme many women’s rights workers saw as fitting in the context of problems plaguing rural mothers and daughters, such as sexual violence, discrimination and health disadvantages Ruling Cambodian People’s Party spokesman Cheam Yeap said that 30 per cent of CPP candidates in the upcoming June 3 commune elections will be women, adding that all political parties will be pushing women candidates. “It is our CPP policy to take care of women, both rural and in the city,” Cheam Yeap said. Gender and Development for Cambodia executive director Ros Sopheap pointed out that while more women are entering government positions, they are rarely decision-makers. “This year is the year to achieve our millennium development goal [of 30 per cent] for elected women,” Ros Sopheap pointed out. Rights NGO Licadho delivered care packages to 500 female prisoners detained at Prey Sar yesterday to mark the day. President Pung Chhiv Kek encouraged the women detainees to look at the facility as one for correction, not punishment. “We are born equal and the same, the only difference is if we are born male or female,” Pung Chhiv Kek told the prisoners. “Women can do everything the same as men if they are given the opportunity.” While celebrations of International Women’s Day were numerous and vibrant in Phnom Penh, the majority of Cambodia’s women, those living in rural areas, are unlikely to see any improvement to their status until there is a change of political will, observers said. The WHO yesterday stressed the UN’s Women’s Day theme of “Empower rural women: end hunger and poverty” by emphasising the dire situation of Cambodia’s rural population. Only 39 per cent of births in rural areas are attended by skilled personnel, the WHO said, adding that Cambodia has one of the highest adolescent fertility rates in the West Pacific, a
fact complicated by high percentages of stunted growth and anaemia. Che Katz, program director at Marie Stopes International Cambodia, told the Post by email that while access to family planning services in Cambodia is a high-profile government initiative, modern contraceptive prevalence is only 35 per cent, compared to upwards of 70 per cent in Vietnam and Thailand. “If family planning was more accessible to these women, then we could prevent many unnecessary abortions in Cambodia,” Katz said. “There are also many traditional family planning beliefs [and] cultural barriers, along with myths and misconceptions about modern family planning,” Katz said, adding that men need to actively engage in family planning decisions. The UN, WFP, CCHR and Australian Embassy each announced new projects to support women’s rights yesterday; however, a report released by Adhoc last week pointed out that there are lots of efforts, but few results in improving the situation of women and children’s rights in Cambodia. “The Royal Government of Cambodia has made significant efforts … however, according to Adhoc’s research and observation, there has been little improvement in the situation in 2011,” the report states, adding that what is needed most is a large-scale attitude change toward women’s rights from men and women alike. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY PHAK SEANGLY, CASSANDRA YEAP, KHOUTH SOPHAK CHAKRYA