Monday, August 29, 2011

Cambodian men trafficked into Thailand as slaves

Taing and his cousin were told they would be gardeners in Thailand,
but instead they were forced to work on Thai fishing boats.

Each year, hundreds of Cambodian men, many impoverished farmers, are
lured from their homes with the promise of better-paying jobs in
Thailand, only to find themselves on Thai fishing boats plying the
waters of the South China Sea.

"We were told we would earn good money," Taing Ky, 37, a
father-of-five from Cambodia's Kampot Province, about 200km southwest
of Phnom Penh, told IRIN. After six months, they managed to escape
while the boat was offloading on Benjina island in northern Indonesia.
There they were picked up by local authorities.

Thousands of Cambodian men are now believed to be working against
their will in exploitative working conditions on long-haul trawlers
well beyond the reach of law enforcement agencies, and often alongside
Burmese men.

"It's slavery. There's no other way to describe it," Lim Tith,
national project coordinator for the UN Inter-Agency Project on Human
Trafficking (UNIAP), told IRIN.

Thousands exploited

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), about
125,000 Cambodians are registered as working legally in Thailand,
including more than 25,000 in the fishing sector.

But with formal migration costs becoming prohibitive and limited
economic opportunities for Cambodians at home, it is widely believed
the number of undocumented Cambodians in Thailand is significantly
higher; many are trafficked.

Of the 89,096 Cambodians deported from Thailand in 2009 for illegal
migration, more than 20,000 (23 percent) were reportedly trafficked,
according to a 2010 UNIAP Human Trafficking Sentinel Surveillance.

And while about 31 percent of Cambodian fishermen deported from
Thailand reported being trafficked, those on fishing boats far from
Thai shores for up to a year at a time are more difficult to track and
regularly drop off the radar.

"This is a big problem, but the cases we actually receive are really
just the tip of the iceberg," said Lim Tith. "The true number of men
being trafficked in this manner is much higher."

In addition, the problem appears to be shifting from Malaysia to
Indonesian waters, where more and more men are now being reported, 25
this year alone, he said.

Traumatized

Those lucky enough to escape report 20-hour work days, food
deprivation, regular beatings and threats at the hands of the crew,
many of whom are armed.

"The captain had a gun. We had no choice but to work," said one survivor.

So bad are conditions that those deemed expendable are tossed overboard.

"Many of these men have been badly traumatized by what's happened to
them," Mom Sok Char, programme manager for Legal Support for Children
and Women (LSCW), a local NGO and one of the first to monitor the
trafficking of men, explained. "After months of forced labour, that's
understandable."

Culturally, most men do not seek psychological support, he said,
making follow-up and adjustment back into the community particularly
difficult.

"More and more men are falling victim and this is a genuine concern of
the Cambodian government," San Arun, chairwoman of the Cambodian
Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative Against Trafficking (COMMIT)
taskforce, agreed. "It's not just women and children any more," she
said, calling for greater regional cooperation on trafficking.

Thai action urged

Earlier this month, the UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in
Persons, Especially Women and Children, Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, called on
the Thai government to "do more to combat human trafficking
effectively and protect the rights of migrant workers who are
increasingly vulnerable to forced and exploitative labour.

"Thailand faces significant challenges as a source, transit and
destination country," said the UN expert at the end of her 12-day
mission to the country.

"The trend of trafficking for forced labour is growing in scale in the
agricultural, construction and fishing industries," she said.

While commending the Thai government with the enactment of the
Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2008, she warned that the
implementation and enforcement of the law remained "weak and
fragmented", often hampered by corruption, especially among low-cadre
law enforcement officers at provincial and local levels.

"Thailand must do more to combat human trafficking effectively,"
Ezeilo concluded.

Thai authorities say there is little they can do about the trafficked
Cambodians working on Thai fishing boats, particularly when the
alleged crimes occurred outside Thai waters, if they do not report it.

According to UNIAP, most of the deportees who were exploited choose
not to report their cases due to fear of their broker, employer, or
the police; a lack of understanding of their rights; and/or inability
to speak Thai.

Source :
PHNOM PENH,
29 August 2011 (IRIN)
http://www.irinnews.org/printreport.aspx?reportid=93606

Free Ebooks

Free Ebooks :

http://khdown.blogspot.com/search/label/Free%20Ebooks

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Cambodia’s literacy

Cambodia's literacy has improved over the past decade, but key
challenges remain for girls, the rural poor and minorities, education
experts say.

According to government figures, the literacy rate stands at about 70
percent. But that may only be basic literacy, where another ability,
functional literacy, is harder to define.

Still, education experts say that still leaves 30 percent of the
population without the ability to read or write, though that
percentage could improve as the younger generation goes through school
to learn to read and write.

Ministry of Education officials say they count a total enrollment of
3.2 million students, with about 607,000 in urban areas and more than
2.5 million in rural areas.

"This gathering of students at school means it is serving literacy,"
Ou Eng, director general of the ministry, told VOA Khmer Thursday.
"Cambodian students must get an education, and the first education is
literacy."

The literacy rate has improved greatly in the last 10 years. Unesco
said in 1999 only about 37 percent of the population was "functionally
literate," with another 26.6 percent only "semi-literate."

Santosh Khatri, an education specialist at Unesco, said Thursday that
no further functional literacy tests have been conducted, so the rate
now is unknown.

"Basic literacy is very important to build up on the functional
literacy," he said, but functional literacy has many levels and is
hard to test.

Literacy is an important factor in quality of life, he said. It can
improve one's livelihood, skills and abilities, and help maintain
peace.

Key challenges remain for Cambodia, including reducing the disparity
of literacy rates among different groups.

Khatri said the adult literacy rate of Cambodia was 77.6 percent, but
there was a wide gap between male (85.1 percent) and female (71
percent). The gap is even wider between urban dwellers (90.4 percent)
and those in rural areas (74 percent). Minority groups, too, struggle
with literacy.

Kan Kal, country director for Room to Read, a literacy NGO, said that
urban-rural gap remained "worrisome."

Other experts worry that the progress in literacy has slowed.

"We need to strengthen the process," said Naoko Arakawa, an education
specialist at Unesco.

And teachers say they worry as well.

"Among my 24 students in Grade 6, there are six students who cannot
read," said Ros Tith Malay, a teacher at Boeung Traboek primary
school. Those who cannot read often come from poor homes or live with
domestic violence, she said.

Rong Chhun, who is head of the Cambodian Independent Teachers
Association, said Thursday that many girls and boys only attend lower
level classes, but they soon fall out of the system. The Cambodian
education system does not aim for "quality," he said.

However, Ou Eng of the Ministry of Educaiton said the government is
now putting more focus on literacy, especially for children.

"Now we are prepared to publish new books to make it easier than
before for children to read and write," he said.

Cambodia Facing Ongoing Literacy Challenges
Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh

Find this article at:
http://www.voanews.com/khmer-english/news/Cambodia-Facing-Ongoing-Literacy-Challenges-128470623.html

Monday, August 22, 2011

Activist Monk Banned From Pagodas

Activist Monk Banned From Pagodas

2011-08-22

Buddhist institutions in western Cambodia are ordered to close their doors to a monk who protested forest development.

http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/monk-08222011181332.html

A prominent Cambodian environmental activist monk has been barred from entering pagodas in his home province after he participated in protests against rainforest destruction in the country.

In an April 26 directive, Non Ngeth, the supreme patriarch of the Maha Nikaya branch of Cambodian Buddhism, said Loun Sovath's participation in land protests ran "counter to the teachings of the Buddha" and was "damaging to the religion's reputation."

Ou Virak, the director of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said at the time that Non Ngeth's letter also represented a political abuse of Buddhism, which he said does not prohibit social activism.

In June, the New York-based Human Rights Watch awarded Loun Sovath with the Hellman/Hammett grant for his work supporting communities facing forced evictions and land-grabbing in Cambodia.

Cambodia Laws & Regulations (English and Khmer)

Laws & Regulations : English and Khmer Downloads
http://www.opendevelopmentcambodia.net/laws-regulations/

List of downloads :

Cambodia Constitution :
Constitution Of The Kingdom Of Cambodia 2004

Law On Land :
Land Law 2001
Sub Decree On State Land Management
Concession Law
Sub Decree on Forest Concessions Management
Sub Decree on Economic Land Concessions
Amendment to the Sub Decree on Economic Land Concessions
Sub-Decree On Rules and Procedures on Reclassification of State
Public Properties and Public Entities
Joint Prakas On Determination Of Competence Of The Court And
Cadastral Commission Regarding Land Disputes

Law On Forestry :
Forestry Law
Forest Concession Management
Sub Decree On Community Forestry Managment
Sub-Decree On Procedure Establishment Classification and
Registration of Permanent Forest Estate

Law On Fishery :
Law on Fishery
Sub-Decree of Community Fisheries to Council of Ministers FINAL
Law On Water Resources
Law on Management of Water Resources in Cambodia

Law On Investment :
Law On The Investment Of The Kingdom Of Cambodia
Law On Amendment To The Law On Investment Of The Kingdom Of Cambodia

Law On Mining Resources :
Law On Mineral Resource Management And Exploitation

Law On Protected Areas :
Protected Area Law
Preah Reach Kret (Royal Decree) On The Protection Of Natural Areas
Law On Protected Area In Tonle Sap Lake

Law On Environment :
Law on Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Management
Environmental impacts assessment process

Petroleum Regulations :
Decision On The Amendment Of The Petroleum Regulation 1991

Other Laws :
International Covenant on Economic Social and-Cultural Rights
Law on Commune Administration

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Building with Bamboo

Forget steel and concrete.

The building material of choice for the 21st century just might be bamboo.

This hollow-stemmed grass isn't just for flimsy tropical huts anymore — it's getting outsized attention in the world of serious architecture.

From Hawai'i to Vietnam, it's used to build everything from luxury homes and holiday resorts to churches and bridges.

Boosters call it "vegetal steel," with clear environmental appeal. Lighter than steel but five times stronger than concrete, bamboo is native to every continent except Europe and Antarctica.

And unlike slow-to-harvest timber, bamboo's woody stalks can shoot up several feet a day, absorbing four times as much world-warming carbon dioxide.

"The relationship to weight and resistance is the best in the world. Anything built with steel, I can do in bamboo faster and just as cheaply," said Colombian architect Simon Velez, who created the largest bamboo structure ever built.

More :

http://poorbuthappy.com/colombia/post/bamboo-is-catching-on-among-green-architects/

http://www.bamboocarboncredits.com/

Monday, August 8, 2011

Experiments in tech entrepreneurship

Most people who want to start their own business
don't have a ton of money laying around and it's
probably one the most common questions I get
emailed about: How can I get started without a lot
of cash?

Well I've put together a list below of the best
ideas I've heard and personally used. I hope you
find it useful!

The three basic strategies to starting a business
without much money are:

Delay the normal "business starting" activities
like incorporating, hiring, renting office or
retail space, etc until AFTER your business has
started earning money. This is known as
bootstrapping.

Doing everything yourself and spending your
personal time instead of hiring an expert.
(Takes longer but costs less.)

Using some neat tricks and little known deals below.

More :

http://www.startbreakingfree.com/273/46-ways-to-start-a-business-with-no-money/

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Baseball gets fresh start

The nine-member executive committee of the Cambodian Baseball Federation (CBAF) voted into office yesterday morning has unanimously elected Phin Sarun as its president in place of two-term incumbent Joe Cook, who is based in the US.

The elevation of Phin Sarun, a veteran administrator from Banteay Meanchey who is well known in sporting circles, followed a day of hectic activity at the federation's general assembly, held at the headquarters of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia.

During the assembly, the strength of the executive committee was raised from seven members to nine at the behest of the NOCC.

For the first time in the history of Cambodian baseball, Japanese baseball officials Shigeaki Anthony Nishimura and Yu Motoo were co-opted to the committee.

Later, the panel endorsed Nishimura, who is based in Ho Chi Minh City, as one of the two vice-presidents along with Nhem Thavy, and installed Yu Motoo as treasurer.

The erstwhile secretary of the federation, Chea Theary, was replaced by Pan Phean.

Speaking to reporters at the NOCC offices after the executive committee meeting yesterday, Nishimura hailed the change at the top.

"We wanted a baseball icon to take charge as president, and there is no one better qualified than Phin Sarun," he said.

Nishimura acknowledged the "great sacrifices" made by founder Joe Cook, who will continue to serve the federation as a committee member.

"I believe Joe Cook met with an accident in the US and had to cancel his proposed visit,'' Nishimura said.

"His wife called up Ms Chea Theary to convey this news, and we couldn't establish contact with him.

"He has made it clear he will continue to support the game."

The newly elected vice-president revealed that the national baseball team seemed destined not to go to the SEA Games, but were keeping their hopes alive.

"The chances are slim, but we're not giving up," he said.

Nishimura confirmed that the national team's base would move from Kampong Thom to Poum Kokors, 58 kilometres from Banteay Meanchey town.

"The playing facilities in the new venue are not so good. They are basic, but we have no choice. When the time is ripe, we may shift back to Kampong Thom," he said.

"My priority is to ensure that we cut spending. As for the funding for our activities, I am confident that help could come from Japan."

Reacting to the latest developments, NOCC secretary- general Vath Chamroeun said he was happy to note a positive new outlook for the CBAF.

"Once the list of elected office-bearers reaches NOCC with a report on the general assembly, the process to affiliate the Baseball Federation will begin," he said.

"As an affiliate member of the NOCC, baseball will be entitled, like any other discipline, to support from both the NOCC and the Ministry of Education for conducting national championships and for training national teams," Vath Chamroeun added.

Baseball Fed gets fresh start
Friday, 05 August 2011
H S Manjunath
Phnompenhpost.com

Source :
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2011080550885/Sport/baseball-fed-gets-fresh-start.html

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Cambodian Capital Modernizing Fast

Ten years ago, the infrastructure in Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, was in poor condition. Power outages were frequent. Heavy rains and poor telecommunications slowed commerce and limited outside contacts.

But in the past decade, new roads and high-rise buildings have changed the landscape. And in July, the nation's first stock exchange and a multiplex cinema opened.

Phnom Penh has several active cinemas dating from the 1950s, but they mainly screen the small number of domestically produced films or translated Thai imports. Pirated DVDs have cut into their business, keeping people at home.

Until July, the only way to see the latest Hollywood blockbuster in a theater was to catch a plane to Thailand or Vietnam.

But now, for $6, one can go to the new air-conditioned, three-screen Legend cinema in central Phnom Penh, grab a box of popcorn and settle down to watch Kung-Fu Panda 2 in 3D (three dimensions).

Michael Chai, a director at WesTec Media, which built the cinema, is aiming at a young, internet savvy Cambodian market.

"If I look at Facebook for example, I've been looking at the numbers. In May 2010 there were only about 50,000 of them on Facebook. May 2011 we had almost 400,000. So that figure alone, that kind of growth, speaks a lot already. And most of them on Facebook are communicating to each other in English."

While it would take most Cambodians several days to earn the price of the $6 ticket, the owners are betting that a growing middle-class will become regular customers.

Prum Seila, a 24-year-old office worker, is in Chai's target demographic. Just a few weeks after the theater opened, Seila has visited twice.

"I went there to see the Transformers 3. And I've never seen 3D in my life. I just saw the Transformers 3, and I know that in Transformers 3 there is a scene in Cambodia and [so] we should have seen it. And it is just kind of supporting stuff like that in Cambodia," Seila says.

The growth in Phnom Penh has been fueled in part by garment factories, an economic pillar in Cambodia, that are located around the capital, drawing young workers to the city.

The jobs and new technology are changing things quickly. A recent survey indicates more than 90 percent of young Cambodians have access to a mobile phone. Internet usage, though low, has doubled in a year to 6 percent.

Prum Seila, the eager movie-goer, grew up in the capital. He says he and his friends now spend their free time hanging out in food halls, scores of gleaming new coffee shops and entertainment venues named Diamond Island and Dreamland, where you can sing karaoke.

He says shopping is popular.

"The people like me they have jobs, they have money," he says. "They save money to buy expensive brands like Apple, iPhone. Some of the girls they try to buy the clothes from internet, from Facebook."

In July, officials opened the country's first stock exchange. Although no companies have yet listed, the government says three state-owned firms will do so later this year. Others are expected to follow.

[ Stephen Higgins heads ANZ-Royal Bank, a joint venture between the Australian banking giant and a Cambodian firm. ]

"Long-term the stock exchange will be a positive for Cambodia," Higgens says. "It will help raise funds for development. It provides a means for private equity firms to exit their investments, which is very important for them when they first decide to invest. But these things are going to take time. Anyone who has a short-term horizon with the stock exchange, they're going to be disappointed."

Ten years ago only a handful of banks had the ability to dispense cash over the counter. Now there are hundreds of cash machines from around 30 local banks, and some offer electronic payment of utility bills.

"Cambodia is coming from a long way back, in terms of its development generally but including financial services," says ANZ's Higgins. "It's catching up rapidly."

Despite the changes in the capital, what happens here generally does not affect the 80 percent of Cambodians who live in rural areas. Income inequality has worsened in recent years as economic growth benefited the wealthy more than the poor.

The country's hospitals and health clinics still offer poor quality healthcare; corruption is rampant; and the judiciary is woefully inadequate. Poverty hovers around 30 percent.

But some changes do help: better roads and access to mobile phones, for instance, make a profound difference to the lives of the majority of the country who rely on agriculture for their livelihood. And the government hopes that the improvements that have come to the Phnom Penh will eventually ripple out across the rest of the country.

July 29, 2011
Cambodian Capital Modernizing Fast
Robert Carmichael

Find this article at:
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/asia/southeast/Cambodian-Capital-Modernizing-Fast-126394343.html