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Archive for October, 2012

30 Years for a Trial coming…

Wednesday, October 10th, 2012

A couple more weeks and my eBook for the iPad about the Khmer Rouge trial, and more precisely the Duch trial as well as some of its its background should be available on iTunes. Meanwhile ‘Quest for Land’ for the iPad is still available for download on iTunes at 6.99€. There will be a free […]

World Habitat Day (belated)…

Monday, October 8th, 2012

Communities threatened by an eviction gathered in front of the Cambodian National Assembly to celebrate U.N. World Habitat Day and to submit a petition requesting Cambodia be an ‘Eviction Free Zone’. U.N. World Habitat Day is held on the first monday of October, but Mam Sonando’s verdict was due that day. And there are only […]

On the Edge 2

Sunday, October 7th, 2012

People start going to the pagoda, ahead of the Pchum Ben festival which is the time of the year the Cambodians honour the deceased in their families. It is the occasion for many streetchildren to try and make some money by selling flowers or birds, used to carry wishes to the spirits, to the worshippers. […]

World Teacher’s Day

Friday, October 5th, 2012

The CITA (Cambodian Independent Teacher’s Association) organised a demonstration at ‘Freedom Square’ in Phnom Penh to celebrate World Teacher’s Day. A teacher’s salary in Cambodia, depending on qualifications, is between 30$US and 60$US, less than a factory worker. Obviously this salary is far from sufficient to live a decent life and it incites to corruption. […]

Mam Sonando not the only condemned…

Friday, October 5th, 2012

Besides Mam Sonando, the 71 year old Radio Beehive owner, sentenced to 20 years of prison for having masterminded a so-called secessionist movement, and 13 other co-defendants sentenced from 30 years to suspended sentences, the Cambodian judicial system is being condemned as well. Be it local Human Rights organisations like LICADHO, ADHOC, CCHR, international organisations […]

Jailbreak Blues…

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012

With ever more inventive props, the Boeung Kak Lake community today carried a locked jail around during their demonstration at the Ministry of Justice and the Royal Palace to request the liberation of their fellows Yorm Bopha and Tim Sakmony, imprisoned at Prey Sar for their land rights activism. This is a follow-up post on […]

Luon Sovath honoured…

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012

Luon Sovath, the ‘multimedia monk’ and land rights activist, was awarded the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders. Follows the Martin Ennals text about Loun Sovath’s nomination: ‘Venerable Luon Sovath, Cambodia. In March 2009, Luon Sovath, a Buddhist monk from Siem Reap, Cambodia witnessed his family and fellow villagers being forcibly evicted from their […]

The ‘trickling strategy’…

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012

A small group of about 30 members of the Boeung Kak Lake community was prevented by the police to leave their neighbourhood to go and ask someone in charge at the municipality building if any progess was made about the outlining of the 12,44 Ha for an on site development promised by Prime Minister Hun […]