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Human Rights, ‘Gangnam’ Style…

About 400 human Rights activists (see also here for what happened on International Human Rights Day) gathered in front of the National Assembly to deliver a petition of over 40,000 signatures, collected by Amnesty International, regarding land issues and Human Rights. But it was done with a twist: the participants did it ‘Gangnam’ style and trained several hours beforehand to achieve a credible performance of ‘Gangnam’ dancing. The petition, being considered as ‘messy’ (it was delivered on signed t-shirts and hanging from artificial trees), had some trouble passing the gate especially as the security guards said they lost the key to the National Assembly… Finally it was loaded into the car of an opposition MP and carried inside.

Correction: the petition consisted of 258 t-shirts with 11,202 signatures from 24 Cambodian provinces. The 40,00 signatures collected by Amnesty International were shown in solidarity.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 17/12/2012: Human Rights activists wearing petition t-shirts at a demonstration, ‘Gangnam style’, to deliver a petition of over 40,000 signatures regarding Human Rights and land issues to the National Assembly.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 17/12/2012: Human Rights activists at a demonstration, ‘Gangnam style’, to deliver a petition of over 40,000 signatures regarding Human Rights and land issues to the National Assembly.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 17/12/2012: Human Rights activists dancing ‘Gangnam style’, when delivering a petition of over 40,000 signatures regarding Human Rights and land issues to the National Assembly.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 17/12/2012: Human Rights activists at a demonstration, ‘Gangnam style’, to deliver a petition of over 40,000 signatures regarding Human Rights and land issues to the National Assembly.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 17/12/2012: Ho Vann and Son Chhai, Sam Rainsy Party Parliamentarians at a Human Rights demonstration, ‘Gangnam style’, to deliver a petition of over 40,000 signatures regarding Human Rights and land issues to the National Assembly.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 17/12/2012: Human Rights activists spreading out signed t-shirts and postcards during ‘Gangnam style’ demonstration to deliver a petition of over 40,000 signatures regarding Human Rights and land issues to the National Assembly.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 17/12/2012: Several Civil Society organisations organised a Human Rights demonstration, ‘Gangnam style’, to deliver a petition of over 40,000 signatures regarding Human Rights and land issues to the National Assembly.

Posted Monday Dec 17, 2012, in Land Issues and Latest Productions | Comments Off

No Bail for Mam Sonando…

Mam Sonando, Director of the independent Beehive Radio station, condemned to 20 years of imprisonment for masterminding a so-called ‘secessionist movement’, saw his request for bail rejected by the judge on the following grounds: risk of disturbance of public order, possession of double nationality and possibility of influencing witnesses. A crowd of some 200 supporters then took to the streets, first trying to reach the Royal Palace to honour King Norodom Sihanouk, then to the office of the U.N. Human Rights to try and meet Special Envoy Surya Subhedi. See more about the Mam Sonando trial here…

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 14/12/2012: Police blocking access to road in front of the Court where Mam Sonando, Director of the Beehive Radio station, accused of supporting a secessionist movement, saw his request for bail rejected by the.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 14/12/2012: Sa Sovan, Mam Sonando’s Defense Lawyer before the trial of the Director of the Beehive Radio station, accused of supporting a secessionist movement. His request for bail was rejected by the Cambodian Court.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 14/12/2012: Mam Sonando, Director of the Beehive Radio station, accused of supporting a secessionist movement, arriving at the court which saw his request for bail rejected.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 14/12/2012: Supporters of Mam Sonando, Director of the Beehive Radio station accused of supporting a secessionist movement, saw his request for bail rejected by the Cambodian Court.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 14/12/2012: Mu Sochua, Sam Rainsy Party, Member of Parliament, addressing supporters of Mam Sonando, Director of the Beehive Radio station accused of supporting a secessionist movement, after hearing his request for bail was rejected by the Cambodian Court.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 14/12/2012: Supporters of Mam Sonando, Director of the Beehive Radio station accused of supporting a secessionist movement, after hearing his request for bail was rejected by the Cambodian Court, march through the streets towards the U.N. Human Rights office.

Posted Friday Dec 14, 2012, in Latest Productions | Comments Off

Yay!!!

Yay!!! ‘Quest for Land’ is in the ‘Top Digital Photobooks‘ on Martin Brink’s blog…

Posted Friday Dec 14, 2012, in Land Issues and Schedule | Comments Off

Intersection 2012…

The projection of ‘Intersection’, sponsored by the E.U., took place on the rooftop of the Faculty of Fine Arts exhibition hall in Phnom Penh. Christian Caujolle, curator of the PPPhoto festival, pairs a Khmer and and a foreign photographer to work on a common theme for three days. The theme was ‘5’, for the fifth anniversary of the festival. I was paired with Dareth Rosaline and we decided to work on street Nr 5. Rosaline took portraits of people living in street Nr5 and talking about it. She added the comments of the people as a layer on top of their portrait, like a second skin. I looked for signs of vegetation in this very urban street, which crosses a market where goods from the countryside are being sold. It is also the end of my freedom: my first assignement since over a year…

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 9/12/2012: Street Nr 5.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 10/12/2012: Street Nr 5.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 11/12/2012: Street Nr5.

Posted Wednesday Dec 12, 2012, in Latest Productions and Phnom Penh Vegetation | Comments Off

‘Quest for Land’ Goes Public…

Yesterday night was the first time a projection with about 50 photographs from ‘Quest for Land’ was shown in a Cambodian public venue: the Royal University of Phnom Penh, accompanied by the Ponleu Selapak musicians. And guess what? There was no riot… Thank you PPhoto and Christian Caujolle for your ignorance of self-censorship.

Tonight the ‘Intersection’ projection will be held. It pairs two photographers, one Khmer, one foreigner, working on a common theme for three days. This year the theme was ‘5’. Dareth Rosaline and myself will bring you ‘Street Nr5 as you’ve never seen it before’…

‘Quest for Land‘ is available as an iApp on iTunes.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 11/12/2012: Projection of ‘Quest for Land’ at the RUPP during PPPhoto festival.

Posted Wednesday Dec 12, 2012, in Land Issues and Latest Productions | Comments Off

Interview in “The Digital Photobook”…

There is a long interview about and around “Quest for Land” in Martin Brink’s “The Digital Photobook” blog…

‘Quest for Land‘ is available as an iApp on iTunes.

Posted Tuesday Dec 11, 2012, in From the Archive and Land Issues | Comments Off

International Human Rights Day, Khmer Style

The Boeung Kak Lake community (here and here) was of course not going to sit still and was hoping to celebrate International Human Rights Day in a normal fashion. They planned to exercise their freedom of movement right but were prevented from doing so by numerous police forces.

This is a follow-up post on the ‘Quest for Land‘ story which is available as an iApp on iTunes.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 10/12/2012: Boeung Kak Lake community members sprinkling holy water after having prayed with the monks on International Human Rights Day.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 10/12/2012: Police preventing Tep Vanny Boeung Kak Lake community representativr to leave her neighbourhood on International Human Rights Day.

CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh. 10/12/2012: Police blocking the Boeung Kak Lake community members of reaching the Council of Ministers to deliver a petition on International Human Rights Day.

Posted Monday Dec 10, 2012, in Land Issues and Latest Productions | Comments Off

PPPhoto 1

The Phnom Penh Photo festival is under way. It is the 5th edition, curated by Christian Caujolle. Photography exhibitions in many places (Georges Rousse, Binh Dang, Vandy Rattana, Wang Lin are the ones who I’ll remember for now… haven’t seen everything yet), projections (I’ll have one on the funeral of King N. Sihanouk and one on land issues). One more component is ‘Intersection’, pairing a Cambodian photographer with a foreigner, working on a common theme for 3 days. The theme is ‘5’. I am paired with Dareth Rosaline. After probing many different ideas, we decided to do something on street Nr5… Here are my first takes… Street Nr 5 as you’ve never seen it. And never will again…