© John Vink / Magnum Photos

‘Hatred Day’… or is it ‘Anger Day’?

john vink — Sun, 20 May 2012 21:00:10 +0000

Back in 1989 it was called ‘Hatred Day’ (see this and the following 5 pictures). Today I don’t know for sure… But it takes place still. The surroundings have changed in 23 years, and now the parking lot is filled with big SUV’s. The trees have grown. The pits are shallower.

Initiated in 1984 by a regime seeking legitimacy, ‘Hatred Day’ (or ‘Anger Day’ today) commemorates the directive of collectivism declared by Pol Pot in 1975 during a meeting with all the CPK cadres in Phnom Penh. The Cambodian nightmare began for real… The commemoration was stopped after the 1991 Paris Peace accords but was still attended to in the provinces. Phnom Penh reinstated it in 1999. It is the occasion for the ruling CPP (Cambodian People’s Party) to remind Cambodians that the party claims the victory over the Khmer Rouge, particularly now that the Communal Election campaign is under way.

CAMBODIA. Choeung Ek (Phnom Penh). 20/05/2012: Actors impersonating Khmer Rouge victims during 'Hatred Day' or 'Anger Day' commemoration by the ruling CPP (Cambodian People's Party) at the 'Killing Fields' memorial of Choeung Ek.

CAMBODIA. Choeung Ek(Phnom Penh). 20/05/2012: Actors impersonating Khmer Rouge soldiers during 'Hatred Day' or 'Anger Day' commemoration by the ruling CPP (Cambodian People's Party) at the 'Killing Fields' memorial of Choeung Ek.

CAMBODIA. Choeung Ek (Phnom Penh). 20/05/2012: Actors impersonating Khmer Rouge soldiers during 'Hatred Day' or 'Anger Day' commemoration by the ruling CPP (Cambodian People's Party) at the 'Killing Fields' memorial of Choeung Ek.

CAMBODIA. Choeung Ek (Phnom Penh). 20/05/2012: KEP Chuktema, Governor of Phnom Penh, praying during 'Hatred Day' or 'Anger Day' commemoration by the ruling CPP (Cambodian People's Party) at the 'Killing Fields' memorial of Choeung Ek.

CAMBODIA. Choeung Ek (Phnom Penh). 20/05/2012: Officials praying during 'Hatred Day' or 'Anger Day' commemoration by the ruling CPP (Cambodian People's Party) at the 'Killing Fields' memorial of Choeung Ek.

The road to the ballots is open…

john vink — Fri, 18 May 2012 07:24:58 +0000

Well… hopefully it is for everyone.

Victory is going to be easy for some, difficult for others. Cambodia legally is still a democracy. Fine. But what is at stake is how not to be arrogant towards the loser…

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 18/05/2012: Sam Rainsy Party militants at first election campaign parade in front of the ruling CPP (Cambodian People's Party) headquarters on Norodom Blvd.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 18/05/2012: Tioulong Saumura, Sam Rainsy Party MP, dancing with militants at first election campaign parade through the streets of Phnom Penh.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 18/05/2012: Ruling CPP (Cambodia People's Party) militants at first election campaign parade through the streets of Phnom Penh.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 18/05/2012: Ruling CPP (Cambodian People's Party) militants watching Sam Rainsy Party convoy pass by at first election campaign parade through the streets of Phnom Penh.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 18/05/2012: Ruling CPP (Cambodian People's Party) militants waiting for their convoy to pass at first election campaign parade through the streets of Phnom Penh.

I am now using that bulky 5D again. How I hate using that camera. One nice things is that at least I don’t have to spend time cloning the dust spots I had on the M9-P sensor…

Quest for Land on BJP

john vink — Thu, 17 May 2012 01:24:24 +0000

Olivier Laurent published an article about the release of ‘Quest for Land‘ for the iPad on iTunes in the ‘British Journal of Photography’.

You can read it here…

BJP is also an early adopter of the iPad. It is available here.

‘Quest for Land’ is available

john vink — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:00:49 +0000

‘Quest for Land’ is available on iTunes… It has been a long 11-year road, but there it is, ready to be scrutinised by your eyes…The dice have rolled, the story doesn’t belong to me only anymore.

Here is a Youtube movie showing you how it works…

And here are a few mock-ups of what you can expect…

Quest for Land approved…

john vink — Mon, 14 May 2012 22:35:50 +0000

Available 24h from now on iTunes…

Stay tuned here…

Rain v.2.0

john vink — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:00:59 +0000

Heavy rain again. Mao Tse Toung Blvd flooded. Wat Phnom flooded. I have a feeling that the heavy Japanese investment in installing drainage pumps is not really effective.

These pics are with the 5D-II. The M9-P suffers from a severe bout of proliferating and sticky dust particles on its sensor making the camera useless…

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 14/05/2012: Second heavy rain of the season floods the area around Wat Phnom.

Windy Kep

john vink — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:33:34 +0000

Kep was windy. Kep was cool…

CAMBODIA. Kep (Kep). 12/05/2012: Widening of the seaside road near Kep Beach.

CAMBODIA. Kep (Kep). 12/05/2012: Crab market on a windy day.

Kepping W.E.

john vink — Fri, 11 May 2012 21:00:20 +0000

I am Kepping/ crabbing/ eating/ resting/ napping/ doing nothing this W.E…

CAMBODIA. Kep. 9/03/2009: Crab market.