Cambodia Khmer Angkor News: March 2012

SEOUL — Five years ago, South Korea mapped out a plan to transform its
education system into the world's most cutting-edge. The country would
turn itself into a "knowledge powerhouse," one government report
declared, breeding students "equipped for the future." These students
would have little use for the bulky textbooks familiar to their
parents. Their textbooks would be digital, accessible on any screen of
their choosing. Their backpacks would be much lighter.

By setting out to swap traditional textbooks for digital ones, the
chief element of its plan for transformation, South Korea tried to
anticipate the future — and its vision has largely taken shape with
the global surge of tablets, smartphones and e-book readers.

But South Korea, among the world's most wired nations, has also seen
its plan to digitize elementary, middle and high school classrooms by
2015 collide with a trend it didn't anticipate: Education leaders here
worry that digital devices are too pervasive and that this young
generation of tablet-carrying, smartphone-obsessed students might
benefit from less exposure to gadgets, not more.

Those concerns have caused South Korea to pin back the ambition of the
project, which is in a trial stage at about 50 schools. Now, the full
rollout won't be a revolution: Classes will use digital textbooks
alongside paper textbooks, not instead of them. First- and
second-graders, government officials say, probably won't use the
gadgets at all.

The newest thinking, in the eyes of some education experts here, calls
into question South Korea's long-held tenet that technology
automatically brings progress. The JoongAng Ilbo, one of Seoul's major
daily newspapers, warned in an editorial about the country's
"exaggerated trust" in digital education and the wrongful assumption
that wireless education means better quality.

Other countries are watching closely, because no other nation,
according to government officials here, has a similarly ambitious
digital plan. The nearest comparison might be in Florida, where
officials last year proposed phasing out traditional textbooks by
2015.

But South Korea's education system has long been known for pushing the
limits. It is among the world's most demanding: Most students meet
with private tutors or attend cram schools. Parents obsess over their
kids' achievement. South Korea has among the world's highest literacy
levels and highest private education spending.

"The concern about the digital textbook," said Kwon Cha-mi, who runs
the digital program at one of the pilot elementary schools in Seoul,
"is that young students won't have as much time to experience real
life and real things. They'll just see the whole world through a
computer screen."

At first glance, some of the trepidation sounds like the typical
concerns of an older generation that doesn't understand the new. But
South Korean students are showing the downside of uber-stimulation.

About one in 12 students between ages 5 and 9, according to a
government survey, is addicted to the Internet, meaning they become
anxious or depressed if they go without access. Some experts suggest a
similar problem in the United States, where between 8 percent and 12
percent of children show signs of Internet addiction, according to the
American Academy of Pediatrics.

Education officials here fear that if tablets and laptops become
mandatory in the classroom, students could become even more
device-dependent. They might also suffer from vision problems. Some
parents, officials say, have expressed the concern that their kids
will struggle to keep their focus on studying when using an
Internet-connected device.

Before making a complete transition to digital books, the government
should study the "health effects" on students, said Jeong Kwang-hoon,
chief of the online learning division at the Korea Education and
Research Information Service, a government-sponsored institute that is
working with private companies to create digital textbooks.

Scaled-down ambitions

South Korea's education ministry never said explicitly that paper
textbooks would disappear. But the 2007 plan spoke in sweeping terms
about "overcoming the limit" of traditional learning, so education
experts here assumed as much.

Only last summer did the government unveil the specifics. South Korea
said it would introduce the first set of e-textbooks nationwide by
2015 at the latest. The content would be accessible on any device — on
tablets or laptops, in classrooms or at home, on Apples or Samsungs,
the homegrown electronics company whose rise corresponds with Korea's
economic emergence. But the plan was scaled back, too, with officials
saying paper textbooks still need a prime place in classrooms.

"There have been some changes in ambition," said Ra Eun-jong, the
deputy director of textbook planning at the education ministry. "In
some way, paper and digital textbooks will be used together. But we
still haven't figured out the best mix. . . . It might just depend on
the teacher's personal style."

Students in classes using digital textbooks — at the beginning, they
might be used only for a few subjects, such as science and social
studies — will be able to retrieve their homework from a "cloud"
computing network, the education ministry says. Conceivably, they will
be able to access their homework in any place with Internet service or
cellphone service; they could even finish up their assignments on
their smartphones while riding Seoul's subway, where the service
network reaches underground.

At least 10 South Korean publishing companies are building digital
textbooks. The crudest versions are much like copied pages of a
traditional textbook; the pages are digital, but you can't play around
with them. The more advanced versions, though, are packed with 3-D
animation and video clips. There's also the possibility that the
textbooks can be updated in real-time — although textbooks here are
government-approved, and any changes would require a bureaucratic
review.

Most of these publishing companies have their background in
traditional textbooks, and for the moment, their developers find
themselves torn between an old model and a new one. Despite higher
upfront development costs, e-textbooks, stripped of the costly
printing process, are typically cheaper than traditional ones. South
Korea's government has always insisted on affordable textbooks, unlike
in the United States, where the market is more lucrative (South
Korea's paperbound textbooks cost about $9). But the fear among
publishers is that the move to e-textbooks will cause the entire
industry to shrink.

For now, one publishing executive says, companies are developing
e-textbooks only because the shift is inevitable.

A changing classroom

From surveys of the pilot schools, government officials here say
digital textbooks help the attitude of students. But there's no
evidence that they help or hurt grades or retention.

Digital textbooks do, though, change the very nature of the classroom.
Teachers who embrace the digital textbooks, education experts say,
become more like "companions" in the education process, not just
lecturing, but also helping students to conduct their own Google
searches and to make sense of simulations featured in the e-textbooks.

At Seoul's Guil Elementary School, where fifth- and sixth-graders
participate in the trial, every student in the digital classrooms has
a Hewlett-Packard laptop. Students toggle between their digital
textbook and the Internet, which they use like an encyclopedia for
fact-checking and research.

On this particular day, students are learning about pinhole cameras —
a simple device that captures images upside-down.

When teacher Lee Yeon-ji asks her 24 students how the device works,
she sends them to the Internet.

"I think I found something that sounds true," one student says.

Minutes later, she asks them to double-click on a video, embedded in
the digital textbook, illustrating the process. Students watch the
video either on their laptops or on a high-definition monitor at the
front of the classroom, in place of a chalkboard.

The Guil principal, observing in the back of the classroom, marvels at
the way the students follow along, speeding between searches and
simulations. "The students are focusing," Yoon Taek-joong, the
principal, says, and that sort of focus requires a digital brain.

"My brains and their brains must be totally different," Yoon says.

By Chico Harlan
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Special correspondent Yoonjung Seo contributed to this report.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/in-south-korean-classrooms-digital-textbook-revolution-meets-some-resistance/2012/03/21/gIQAxiNGYS_print.html
© The Washington Post Company

Friday, March 23, 2012

BarCamp Angkor 2012 Siem Reap

BarCamp Angkor 2012
ជាឱកាសពិសេសសម្រាប់យុវជន យុវនារីក្នុងខេត្តសៀមរាបជួបជាមួយ
វាគ្មិនដែលអញ្ជើញមកពី សៀមរាប រាជធានីភ្នំពេញ សិង្ហបុរី ម៉ាឡេស៊ី ថៃ
វៀតណាម ។

"BarCamp Angkor 2012 offer a great opportunity for local youth both
male and female in the Siem Reap town to associate with key speakers
from the town, Phnom Penh capital, and other countries including
Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam."

Since 2008, BarCamps in Cambodia have been organized in Phnom Penh.

But this year's BarCamp will take place in the provincial town of Siem
Reap, the gateway to the world-famous Angkor temple complex.

Build Bright University in Siem Reap Province is the venue of the event.

Similar to other BarCamp events, the BarCamp Siem Reap aims to gather
IT enthusiasts and students in order to share and learn new
innovations and ideas in technology, software development, and
business solutions.

BarCamp is brought to Siem Reap town in order to allow and attract
participation from youth and other IT enthusiasts living in the town.

Attendance is expected to reach 500 and out of this figure about 80
individuals from Phnom Penh have confirmed their attendance.

BarCamp Angkor will help in bridging the digital divide in the country.

News group Sabay, one of the sponsors of the event, encouraged the
participation of young people in the province to interact with
prominent IT enthusiasts from the capital and neighboring countries.

A team from Sithi.org, the first human rights portal in Cambodia
facilitated by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, will participate
in the event to highlight the right to internet access and media
freedom.

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/03/24/cambodia-the-first-barcamp-angkor/

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Cambodia’s stock market

Min Sovannry wasn't born when the Communist Khmer Rouge took power in
1975 and abolished Cambodia's money, markets and financial system. Now
the 21-year- old college student can't wait to embrace capitalism.

One of thousands of Cambodians who have attended more than 200
stock-trading seminars in Phnom Penh, Min said she plans to invest as
much as one-third of the $300 monthly salary she expects to earn next
year in the country's stock exchange, which is scheduled to begin
trading its first shares April 18.

"I'm very excited," Min said in an interview. "I'm happy to have this
market because it's a chance for me to make money from buying stocks
instead of putting it in the bank."

Enthusiasm about the start of trading at the exchange, which opened
last July without a single listed company, extends beyond the borders
of the Southeast Asian country. Investors including Templeton Emerging
Markets Group Chairman Mark Mobius said they plan to participate in
Cambodia's stock market after state-owned Phnom Penh Water Supply
Authority has its initial public offering next month.

"The potential for investors in Cambodia is excellent," Mobius, who
oversees about $50 billion, wrote in an e-mail. "The listing of
publicly traded stocks will drive up interest and demand. If a country
can list its state-owned enterprises and list enough stocks so that
foreign investors can get involved, then it can be very, very good."

Phnom Penh Roadshow

Demand for Phnom Penh Water's shares is more than 10 times the amount
available, according to a person with knowledge of the matter who
declined to be named because he wasn't authorized to speak about the
IPO. The company, which plans to raise as much as 82.8 billion riel
($20.7 million), held a two-week roadshow in the nation's capital
starting Feb. 29 with about 400 potential investors crammed into a
conference hall with seating capacity for half that number.

Two more state-owned companies are expected to list in the coming
year: Telecom Cambodia and Sihanoukville Autonomous Port.

With two dozen computers in an air-conditioned room on the 25th floor
of Phnom Penh's tallest office building, Cambodia Securities Exchange
Co. is a joint venture with Korea Exchange Inc. (KOSPI), the operator
of the Seoul bourse.

"I have met more than 100 foreign investors who came to Cambodia
because of the stock exchange," said Han Kyung Tae, managing director
of Tong Yang Securities (Cambodia) Plc, which is managing the Phnom
Penh Water IPO. "They are very serious. They see the potential, and
they're very, very positive about Cambodia's economy."

Spurring Development

Economic growth in Cambodia, sandwiched between Thailand, Vietnam and
Laos with a population of 14.3 million, may reach 6.5 percent this
year, according to the Asian Development Bank. That's less than the
average of 8 percent it experienced from 2001 to 2010 and compares
with the development bank's estimate of 8.8 percent expansion for
China and 6.3 percent for Vietnam.

The Cambodian government has said it wants to spur economic
development by privatizing its state-owned companies and encouraging
private enterprises to expand with new funding. The three share
offerings, with the possibility of two more after that, are expected
to encourage private companies to list.

Within five years, the market value of traded shares could constitute
a quarter of the country's gross domestic product, or more than $3
billion, said Kao Thach, 39, deputy director general of the Securities
and Exchange Commission of Cambodia. Banks, telecommunications
companies, rice millers, garment firms and mining companies could seek
public listings, he said in a February interview in Phnom Penh.

"If we have a complete financial system, the economy can grow very
fast and be stable," he said. "Small or big, at least we have a
complete financial system."

Abolishing Money

That system was fractured in 1975 when the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom
Penh during the final stages of the Vietnam War. Its Communist
guerrillas blew up the central bank, declared currency worthless and
outlawed private property and trading.

During leader Pol Pot's reign, Cambodia's fertile countryside became
the killing fields where 1.7 million people, or 20 percent of the
population, perished. The currency, the riel, was reintroduced in 1980
following a Vietnamese invasion to rout the Khmer Rouge.

Almost four decades after Pol Pot exterminated the country's educated
classes and emptied its cities, distrust of the currency and financial
system has remained high among Cambodians, who have one of the lowest
savings rates in Asia.

Savings Rate

As a percentage of economic output, Cambodia's savings rate was 14.4
percent in 2010 compared with 27 percent in neighboring Vietnam and 53
percent in China, according to the Asian Development Bank. The U.S.
dollar is still widely used, though the government is trying to
encourage acceptance of the riel. Shares of PPWSA and the other
companies will trade in riel.

The bourse itself has been delayed several times since 2009, derailed
by the global financial crisis, technical issues and lack of readiness
among Cambodia's companies.

"I feel like I'm constructing a highway with a couple of shovels, with
no experienced co-workers," said Han of Tong Yang Securities about the
difficulties of managing the country's first IPO. "But we tell each
other, we are a part of the history of capital markets. We encourage
one another like that. Otherwise it will be very, very frustrating."

Administrative 'Hoops'

Tokyo-based Asset Design Co. and Frontaura Capital LLC of Chicago said
that while they're interested in investing in Cambodia there are
hurdles. A high valuation for the PPWSA offering and administrative
hassles like having to turn up in person to transfer money are among
the drawbacks, said Nick Padgett, managing director of Frontaura,
which invests more than $90 million in countries such as Tanzania,
Serbia and Pakistan.

"Everyone is enthusiastic and eager, but this is a first- time
experience for the country and its institutions, and they have a lot
of learning to do," Padgett said. "There are a lot of hoops to jump
through for foreign investors and at the end of the day, some
investors will decide it is not worth it."

The SECC plans to hire 10 to 15 people a year to add to the more than
80 currently employed, Kao said. The regulator, established four years
ago, has already approved seven securities underwriters.

"When it's crowded with companies queuing for IPOs, you will see that
this number is not enough," said Kao. His goal is for the regulator to
implement adequate enforcement and education. "Market confidence will
be very crucial. If it fails one time, we'll need at least 20 years to
restore the confidence. We cannot afford it."

Stock Seminars

More than 5,000 Cambodians attended 200 trading seminars organized by
Phnom Penh Securities since June, said Chief Executive Officer Stephen
Hsu, a Taiwanese who moved to Cambodia and has hired 45 brokers,
underwriters, auditors, advisers and managers. He plans to add 50
staff by the end of the year and set up brokerage branches in Phnom
Penh and Siem Reap, close to the 12th century Angkor Wat temple
complex.

"Almost all the clients do not know how to trade and what a stock is,"
said Hsu, who moved to Phnom Penh two years ago. "The human character
is to make money, and the stock market is one of the key methods."

Ly Bora, 27, a broker for Phnom Penh Securities who has taught more
than 30 of the seminars, including one at a local business college
attended by Min Sovannry, said that government officials, foreign
investors and local businessmen as well as students were among the
attendees. His biggest presentation was to an audience of 300 in one
of the capital's hotels.

"This is the new era for Cambodia," said Ly, whose parents kept their
savings under the mattress and in cupboards. "Cambodians did not trust
the financial system before. They put their money at home. Now they
have options and can put it in the bank or invest."

'On the Move'

Ly said he has signed almost 300 customers since he started working at
the company last April and wants to open 1,000 accounts in three
years.

At Acleda Securities, a unit of the country's biggest bank with more
than $1 billion in deposits, managing director Svay Hay said he
expects 5 percent of its 700,000 depositors to be potential investors
in the stock market. The company's new six- story building in Phnom
Penh will attract more clients and contribute to the nascent sector,
Hay said.

"This is a country on the move," said Bretton Sciaroni, chairman of
the American Cambodian Business Council, whose Phnom Penh law firm,
Sciaroni & Associates, advises on investments. "They come from a very
tragic history, but what they've seen in the last 20 years is all
kinds of progress going on."

Booms, Busts, Boredom

Investor interest in Cambodia's new capital market may cool after the
initial euphoria, as evidenced by the experiences of exchanges in
neighboring Vietnam and Laos.

"A new emerging-markets stock exchange takes a decade to mature at
best, with booms, busts and boredom along the way," said Douglas
Clayton, founder and CEO of Phnom Penh-based Leopard Capital, whose
$34 million Leopard Cambodia Fund invests in closely held companies.
"The Cambodia stock exchange will explore all of these phases at
different times, but even so will help mobilize capital for
private-sector development."

Vietnam's stock exchange, started in 2000, now lists more than 300
companies with a market value of about 500 trillion dong ($24
billion). The Ho Chi Minh Index surged four-fold from 2006 to 2008 to
touch a high of more than 1,100 before tumbling during the 2008
financial crisis. It now trades at about 430.

Laos, Southeast Asia's smallest economy, opened its stock exchange in
January 2011. The two-stock Composite Index soared 86 percent in the
first three weeks of operation. It has since fallen 50 percent.

Lack of Trust

At the Cambodian exchange, a glass pane looking into the empty room is
printed with a graph of the stock-market index shooting to 15,000 over
the next 10 years.

"My parents say they don't trust this market," said Min, who is
studying business and finance. "Sometimes I try to explain, but they
still don't understand. I trust this because our government is trying
so hard to push this trend."

Investors in Cambodia's market face risks because of ineffective
financial and legal systems, Sam Rainsy, 62, a former fund manager
with Banque Paribas and onetime Cambodian finance minister, said in a
February interview in Paris. Cambodia was ranked by Transparency
International last year as 164th in the world by perception of
corruption, ahead of only North Korea, Myanmar and Afghanistan in
Asia.

Fleeing Cambodia

Hong Sok Hour, 37, head of the stock exchange, said his two biggest
challenges are to build public confidence in the bourse and to ensure
listed companies comply with all the requirements of transparency and
corporate governance.

"If I speak purely as the CEO of a stock exchange, I will say I'll try
to develop the market as fast as possible," he said. "But as a civil
servant of the government, I need to take into account government
priorities. I need to make sure that everything will operate
smoothly."

At one of the stock-trading seminars in Phnom Penh, Paul Quach was
taking notes and mulling whether to seek a public listing for his
seven-year-old company, which operates seven school campuses in the
capital. Quach, chief financial officer and vice chairman of the firm,
Mengly J. Quach Group, majority- owned by his brother, ran through
Cambodia's jungles to Thailand when he was 17 to flee the turmoil in
his country. Now 48 and a U.S. citizen, he returned to Cambodia five
months ago to help build the company.

"After I understand more, we can think about an IPO," said Quach, who
added that he is amazed that the ravages of war have been replaced by
progress and that the country is drawing people from all parts of the
world.

"Cambodia is growing very rapidly, very fast," said Quach. "The same
jungle where I escaped from has become a casino, a playground where
tourists go."

Cambodia Embracing Capitalism With First IPO
businessweek.com
Joyce Koh
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-03-18/cambodia-embracing-capitalism-with-first-ipo-since-khmer-rouge

Laim Len at Wat Ounalom

Laim Len moved in to Wat Ounalom when he arrived in Phnom Penh from
Siem Reap to study. He has lived at the wat for more than one year,
while studying medical science at the University of Health and
Science, where he is in the first semester of his second year. Laim
Len talked to Abe Becker about his daily routine every day for one
week.

Seven days in the life of a pagoda boy

DAY ONE

I awake blearily at 5am to the sounds of the wat: the barking of dogs
and the putter of motos. I look around my small room in one of the
residences of Wat Ounalom and wonder what today will be like. I don't
eat breakfast because it costs too much, but I don't feel hungry. I
look across the room and see Thaich Chhorn, the monk I share my room
with. It's not a very big room, but I am very happy with it. I think
back to the room I lived in, in Siem Reap – the noises of 20 people
sleeping in one communal hall, no electricity and the danger of the
roof collapsing. I feel better about my current accommodation.

It is time to study, so I begin to browse through my medical textbook.
It's not easy – my mind is still lost in the fog of the early morning.
Soon it is 6:30 and I leave for the Phnom Penh Hotel. There is a free
securities trading training course today.

I have never been to the Phnom Penh Hotel before and I am feeling very
excited. When I arrive I am struck by the size of the hotel and its
cleanliness and order. At the course they tell us how to get an ID
card, open a bank account and when to buy and sell stocks. I talk to
many people from various businesses and banks. They think it is very
strange that a medical student would want to attend, but I feel it is
good to learn about different things and to understand various aspects
of life. At 9am we have a coffee break.

On my way back to Wat Ounalom I stop by Kandal market and I buy some
fish and vegetables for lunch. After lunch I study medical science
until 6pm, then go back to the market and buy fish and vegetables
again: they are very inexpensive, and quick and easy to cook. I study
French after dinner for one hour, English for one hour and then
medical science again because I have an exam tomorrow.

The temple always closes at 10pm so I cannot go out after this. At
eleven I have a bath, and then I send emails to some friends and study
medical science again. I fall asleep with the lights on.

DAY TWO

I awake and the lights are still on, it is 5am so I know I have to get
up. I roll out of bed and do a small amount of study, but as always it
is difficult to concentrate this early in the morning. I study for an
hour that seems like far longer. When I finish I take a hot, relaxing
bath and scrub the dirt from my body. I ride my bike to the
university. I know I have an exam at 8am so I think about that.

I begin to worry, as I was unable to attend extra classes because I
could not afford them. The rich students have attended these and so
have an advantage over me. I try to stay confident and positive. After
the exam, I feel much less nervous. I feel I did well.

I arrive home and give some money to another pagoda boy who lives in
my building and he gets some pork and beans. This makes me very happy
because usually we only have fish or eggs. Sometimes the monks get
given food by lay-people and after the monks have eaten we get to eat
what is left. I check my email again and I see that a friend in the
United States has sent me some money to fund Samrong School, a school
I help facilitate in Siem Reap. It is run with help from the NGO One
Degree Forward.

While I am reading I receive a call from my Japanese girlfriend Miki.
I am very happy to hear from her. We chat about our lives. She will
come to visit me sometime soon.

Later I feel hungry so I go to the market to buy fish heads and
tamarind leaves to make soup. After eating I chat casually with the
monks and with other pagoda boys. There are eight pagoda boys in my
building. I return to my room and read some books I have downloaded
from the internet about how to have a life plan and how to have a
positive vision for my future. After two hours of reading I take a
bath and then study medical science until very late.

DAY THREE

I awake at 5.30am today and read a French grammar book. I read it out
loud to help my understanding. I think it is very important to read
out loud so I can internalise the information and so I can become
accustomed to French pronunciation. At 7am I go to the building of the
NGO Khmer Youth and Social Development. I arrive and register and chat
with students from other universities around Phnom Penh and we go into
a small meeting room.

We are told to practice singing the national anthem and we prepare for
the arrival of the delegate. He says he is from the palace and he
talks about the importance of education. He says that rich students
often get bachelor degrees and it is important for poorer students to
also get accredited because it is a very free market and people are
looking for hard working people, not those who are rich. He says that
regardless of wealth, it is very important to improve our
understanding and education, and that Cambodia is a developing country
and that we need to interact with other countries to help Cambodia's
development.

I ride my bike back to the temple with a friend and a monk from my
building. I arrive at my building at 12pm and fry some morning glory.
The food is shared between three people in my building, but we decided
it was not enough so I go back to the market to buy eggs.

I study French for a while and then work on a blog about the school
that I set up in Siem Reap (samrongschool.blogspot.com). I also have
my own blog (lenlaim.blogspot.com). I am hungry, but I just drink
water and study English until midnight when I go to bed.

DAY FOUR

I awake at 4.30am. I feel energetic so I go for a run. After an hour
of running I find myself at the Riverside. I am struck by the urge to
meditate, so I sit down to meditate. I concentrate on making myself at
peace, relaxing and having good will to all creatures. I return to Wat
Ounalom and study French. After a little over an hour of study I take
a bath and clean my room and tidy up all the scattered books. I cook
pork with lettuce soup for lunch.

After I have washed the lunch dishes I send an email to One Degree
Forward. At the start of every month I have to buy books and supplies
for Samrong School. I send them pictures showing how the students are
doing and inform them of the exams and activities they are
participating in. I have to take pictures of the receipts I get to
show I am not wasting funds.

Later in the evening, when I get back to the wat I feel very hungry so
I eat huge amounts of dried fish and watermelon. I eat so much and
feel so full I cannot sit down and have to lie down instead. I feel
like a sausage that is about to split. I fall asleep studying
biophysics and French.

DAY FIVE

I awake at 4.30 am. I feel less energetic today, but I go for a run
anyway. After about an hour I get back to the wat and read about
biophysics and have a bath. I wash my uniform for school and hang it
out to dry. I leave for the market and buy some morning glory and fish
to make a soup. I'm still hungry after I eat it, but not hungry enough
to go all the way back to the market. I study biophysics for a while
and hang out with other pagoda boys.

Later, I go to the wat and buy some chicken and lime to make a soup.
After eating, I study biophysics until very late.

DAY SIX

I awake at four, and study biophysics, but it is difficult to study
because I am nervous about the exam I have today. I take a bath at
6.30am, bike to school and chat with some friends until it is time for
the exam. The exam is stressful, but when it is over I feel I did
quite well. I go back to the temple and have beef with bitter-melon
soup.

Two of my fellow pagoda boys have very strong political opinions and
we discuss politics for a while. I take a bath and then chat with the
monks about studying at university and about charity. The monks
collect a lot of books to give to people.

I get very annoyed by two monks in my building who smoke around two
packs a day. The other pagoda boys and I make jokes about them trying
to get honey out of our building because there must be some bees they
are trying to smoke out. Sometimes I say to them that I will build a
room with no windows and they can smoke in there, and they could save
on cigarettes because the smoke would build up and they can just sit
in the smoke-filled room.

DAY SEVEN

I wake up at 4am and study histology for awhile. I get a haircut and
talk with another pagoda boy. We eat fish, pork and cabbage soup. I
look into scholarship options at various universities including
Harvard. I read a biography about Marie Curie and then lift some
homemade weights.

To me there seems to be a kind of despondency in some aspects of
Cambodian culture, it seems almost a mindset. Often Cambodian people
will think poorly of their own capabilities because of a perceiaved
lack of education or wealth.

I think this can affect Cambodians in a negative way because in my
communications with people from some other cultures it seems that they
have greater belief in their own abilities. I think this greater
self-confidence is empowering.

Seven days in the life of a pagoda boy
Post Staff
Friday, 16 March 2012
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012031655094/7-Days/seven-days-in-the-life-of-a-pagoda-boy.html

Friday, March 16, 2012

Cambodia government land concessions to wealthy Chinese investors

A disturbing story appeared in Reuters last week:

China's economic boom over the past 20 years has raised the standard
of living for many, but as in the US, it's benefited the very rich the
most.

Chinese investors, flush with money, are razing a pristine rainforest
for a gambling casino.

Cambodia's government sold 130 square miles of untouched Botum Sakor -
home to tigers, elephants and other endangered animals - to a Chinese
real estate company, Tianjin Union Development Group.

It's transforming the vast area to a city-sized gambling resort for
"extravagant feasting and revelry," say its website. A 40 mile highway
that cuts right through the forest is almost complete.

Last year, the Cambodian government sold 2946 square miles of land
concessions to wealthy Chinese investors - most of it in national
parks and wildlife sanctuaries - according to research by the
respected Cambodia Human Rights and Development Organization.

People who have lived on those lands for generations are being moved,
and they're beginning to protest.

"Such protests could ratchet up anti-Chinese sentiment in Cambodia,
where China is both the largest foreign investor and source of foreign
aid. That aid, often in the form of no-strings-attached infrastructure
projects, has made Hun Sen less reliant on Western donors, who
generally demand greater transparency and respect for human rights,"
says Reuters.

Foreign conservation groups have been afraid to fight back in fear of
being kicked out.

So much money is coming in from the Chinese that non-profits have
little leverage. Although land-grabbing, illegal logging and forced
evictions have long been common, by granting land concessions, the
government has effectively legalized these practices in the country's
last remaining wilderness, say activists.

The group that's building the casino has much bigger plans that
include a road network, international airport, a port for large cruise
ships, two reservoirs, condominiums, hotels, hospitals, and golf
courses.

The government's contract with Union Group is "shocking," says Mathieu
Pellerin, a researcher with the Cambodian human rights group Licadho.
"Cambodia is giving away 36,000 hectares to a foreign entity with
little if any oversight or obvious benefit to the people."

Adding even more insult, Union Group pays no fees for the first decade
of its lease.

Recently, Myanmar cancelled a $3.6 billion Chinese dam project because
of widespread protests, and a proposed pipeline that would move oil
and gas to China could meet the same fate.

China gave $1.19 billion in aid to Cambodia last year, about 10 times
that of the US. Although China gives the aid without strings attached,
its companies are being rewarded with non-transparent "access to
mineral and resource wealth," a US diplomat told Reuters.

SustainableBusiness.com News
03/16/2012
http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/23516

Leadership of Suu Kyi and Mandela good example for Cambodians

Cambodia suffers from poor leadership, with poor prospects not just in
the ruling party, but among opposition leaders, a former Cambodian
professor in the US says.

South Africa had Nelson Mandela, Burma has Aung San Suu Kyi, but
Cambodia has "Class Z" leaders like Prime Minister Hun Sen, said
Naranhkiri Tith, a former professor at Johns Hopkins University.

"Where on Earth can a country like that survive?" he said.

The country also lacks strong leadership amongst its opposition, said
Naranhkiri Tith, who fled the country in the 1960s and settled in the
US.

Sam Rainsy, the main opposition leader, is in exile and faces more
than 10 years of imprisonment over charges related to the destruction
of markers near the Vietnamese border in Svay Rieng province.

Naranhkiri Tith said Sam Rainsy had incited people against the
Vietnamese "the cheap way" and would not be able to compete with the
ruling party and Hun Sen without more struggle.

"These leaders, I am not saying they are worse than Hun Sen, but they
are not that good," he said. "Cambodians need the quality of Aung San
Suu Kyi and Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, who have great moral strength."

Sam Rainsy declined to comment, but he has said in the past he has
been forced to lead the opposition from abroad. He has said he was
protecting Cambodian land from Vietnamese encroachment.

Kem Sokha, head of the minority opposition Human Rights Party, who is
touring Australia to find support for his party, said he distrusted
the main opposition and so had created his own party.

"If we have only politicians and leaders who incite people and run
away, we see it is impossible to solve problems," he said. "Today, the
ruling party knows how to frighten people, and Sam Rainsy alarms
people, but the Human Rights Party makes people understand and feel
warm, in order to take victory in changing the dictatorial leaders."

Government spokesman Phay Siphan told VOA Khmer the administration was
gradually resolving the country's most important problems with human
rights and democracy, but its main focus is on peace.

"This is the very highest value for the Cambodian nation," he said.
The government "is establishing Cambodia as independent and neutral
and not receiving sanctions from China or the West or neighboring
countries."

Meanwhile, Ou Virak, head of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights,
said Cambodian politics have not developed but that could change in
the next generation.

Political infighting now is about individuals, he said, not social or
political policies for national problems.

Hun Sen, who has held power for three decades, has not had a real
political rival. The Sam Rainsy Party has slowly grown its influence
and now holds 26 of 123 National Assembly seats. The Human Rights
Party has three seats. The ruling Cambodian People's Party has 90
seats.

Naranhkiri Tith said the leadership of Suu Kyi and Mandela could serve
as a good example for Cambodians.

While acknowledging Vietnamese influence as a threat to the country's
national security, he said violence should be avoided. "To cry wolf"
or to appear racist against the Vietnamese is to lose international
support, he said.

"So we should concentrate on trying to fight for our freedom inside
the country, to protect human rights, to protect liberty, to protect
freedom, to protect our land and our people, without referring to the
Vietnamese," he said. "That's what all the leaders should do."

Friday, 16 March 2012
Poor Leadership Threatens Cambodia's Survival: Professor
Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC
http://www.voanews.com/khmer-english/news/Poor-Leadership-Threatens-Cambodias-Survival-Professor-142506065.html

Cambodia Muslims and Islamic Finance

Aspiring to a better standard of living, Cambodia's Muslims are
dreaming of introducing the Islamic finance to the Buddhist country to
lure investments from the Muslims-majority states in the Middle East
and Asia.

"Most investors in the Middle East are certainly looking for
Islamic-compliant business in countries that aren't majority Muslim,"
Ashraf Bin Md Hashim, head of consultancy at the International Sharia
Research Academy for Islamic Finance, told the Phnom Penh Post on
Monday, March 12.

"This could open an Islamic banking window here."

Speaking on the sidelines of Cambodia's first conference on halal
finance, hosted by Cambodian Intelligent Investor Organization, Hashim
said the Islamic finance is almost nonexistent among Cambodia's
Muslims.

Cambodian Muslims hope that by introducing Islamic finance, already
booming in Malaysia and Middle Eastern countries, they could dominate
trade with those countries and attract investment from Islamic banks
in the region.

This trade would help in improving living standards for Cambodian
Muslims, who generally have a lower standard of living than their
Khmer countrymen.

"If we look at the Muslim population in Cambodia, we don't have
anything," Hashim said.

"In business, we have to start from the bottom. We need more resources."

Muslims make up around 2 percent of Cambodia's 13 million populations,
who are mainly Buddhists.

Cambodian Muslims are generally located in towns and rural fishing
villages on the banks of the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers and in Kampot
Province in the south.

The majority of Cambodian Muslims belong to the ethnic group known as
Cham– a reference to an ancient empire of warriors.

Islam forbids Muslims from receiving or paying interest on loans.

Islamic banks and finance institutions cannot receive or provide funds
for anything involving alcohol, gambling, pornography, tobacco,
weapons or pork.

By introducing Islamic finance, Cambodia's Muslims hope they would
live closer to Islamic law.

"There's a demand from the Muslim community here," Cambodian
Intelligent Investor Organisation CEO Sles Nazy told the Post.

"I have seen some problems because right now Muslims can't follow
Islamic law when they borrow money, even if they want to."

According to Nazy, Islamic finance would most likely first appear in
Cambodia in the form of microfinance that would not collect interest
on loans.

Sharia-compliant microfinance would also invest small businesses and properties.

The Islamic finance is also expected to boost relations between Cham
Muslims and the Middle East.

Muslim-run businesses in Cambodia could attract financing from Islamic
banks in Southeast Asia if a better understanding of the practices was
developed, said Sulaiman Muhammad, who imports halal food from
Malaysia.

"Muslim companies in Cambodia are short on capital," he said.

"If there was more Islamic finance here, Islamic banks in Malaysia
might invest in our companies."

Islamic banks have proved a success because of rules that forbid
investing in collateralized debt obligations and other toxic assets
that cause financial crises.

The Islamic banking system is being practiced in 50 countries
worldwide, making it one of the fastest growing sectors in the global
financial industry.

Starting almost three decades ago, the Islamic banking industry has
made substantial growth and attracted the attention of investors and
bankers across the world.

A long list of international institutions, including Citigroup, HSBC
and Deutsche Bank, are going into the Islamic banking business.

PHNOM PENH, 14 March 2012
International Islamic News Agency (IINA)
http://iina.me/wp_en/?p=1007284

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Television Programming for Youth in Cambodia

Young Cambodians are considered a crucially important resource and a
rigorously strong pillar for the country's development. To keep our
youth and general public up-to-date and active in society, the media,
through television, has become a powerful tool to disseminate
information.

In the last several years, we've noticed more incentives from
television producers to screen programs relevant to youth and that
gives them an opportunity for direct participation, such as 'You're
the man! Show', 'Clever Youth' and more.

Kong Sovandeth, 20, a first-year student at Royal University of Law
and Economics said that, from what he observed, there are a number of
TV programs which are related to young Cambodians and some of which
have urged and encouraged youths to participate and share their
knowledge.

"There are a lot of key strategies of study to be shared among
students and youths who watch tv programs. For instance, there is a
program called 'YOU and ME'. We can learn something new in addition to
what we have learned at school."

But he criticised some entertainment programs.

"Youths sometimes spend their study time watching entertainment
programs and ignore their study."

Kong Sovandeth prefers to watch debating programs, or quiz-like
programs aimed at educating and providing knowledge to youth.

For Lim Sreytoch, 20, an English major at Pannasastra University of
Cambodia, those educational programs for youth are not as popular
amongst young Cambodians as they should be.

"They spend all their free time hanging out with friends and they
sometimes get up to mischief as well. Because of that, I hope TV
stations will produce more programs related to youth in order to
attract them so they focus more on their study and learn something
from the programs," she said.

Per a UNDP study in 2010, out of 2000 Cambodian youths across the
provinces, 87 per cent watch international TV film series, 65 per cent
of youths watch Khmer TV shows, while concert and comedy shows make up
for 55 per cent and news attracts 43 per cent of youth.

On the other side of the spectrum, the percentage of youths watching
educational programs is a stark two per cent. According to UNDP
website, International Youth day – on August 12, 2011 – aims to
produce a mass media campaign in Cambodia to empower young adults aged
15 to 24 to get involved in community-level volunteerism.

The campaign includes a TV drama and discussion show, radio call-in
programs and so on.

In a speech given by UNDP's Youth Advocacy Officer, Gregory Lavender,
the campaign "will feature young people making a difference in their
communities and will help other youngsters realize their own
potential".

Elena Tischenko, country directory of UNDP, said that young people all
over the world – especially in countries with a young population like
Cambodia – are vital to media initiatives because of the vast
contributions that they can make to national development.

"Working with youth is among key priorities for UNDP in Cambodia in
the years to come. This is simply because young people have huge
potential, great energy and can make very valuable contributions to
Cambodia's future," she said.

Sot Rin, program manager of Youth Council of Cambodia, said that
producing programs related to teens and young adults is essential.

"Youths can improve their leadership skills and knowledge about the
issues that happen around them, especially social issues," he said.

"Youths are important human resources for developing our society, so
by developing their leadership skills, they can convey their knowledge
and ideas to other people in order to avoid committing something bad
in society."

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012031455030/LIFT/young-cambodians-focus-their-lens-on-tv-education.html
Young Cambodians focus their lens on TV education
Sun Narin and Dareth Rosalin
Wednesday, 14 March 2012

Cambodia's First International Art Auction

Cambodia has held its first international art auction, with the
backing of the well-known art house, Christie's. Though Khmer
antiquities are highly sought-after on the global stage, the country's
modern art remains relatively unknown.

Madeleine de Langalerie has watched the country's art scene slowly
grow over the last decade and a half. When the French journalist first
moved there about 15 years ago, she saw talent in the work of young
artists, but originality was more difficult to find.

"I think at the very beginning they try to copy, because it is the
only thing to do," Langalerie said. "But with the television, with the
influence of the outside, of Thai, of Vietnamese, of Japan, mainly
Japanese, I think they start to see other things."

These days, new boutique galleries have sprung up throughout the city,
showing homegrown work by local talent. A handful of Cambodian artists
are already gaining notice abroad.

But what many young artists need is an extra push for international
buyers to take notice.

That was the idea behind staging an international art auction here in
Phnom Penh. On March 11, an auctioneer from Christie's presided over
the country's first high-level art auction. Proceeds from the charity
auction will be donated to a local arts group.

But de Langalerie says the real value will be the exposure for the
country's lesser known artists and the local galleries that support
them.

"I think this push should be in help to try and put Phnom Penh as a
good place for artists," she said. "If you think about artists, maybe
you should come and see galleries in Phnom Penh."

Artists like painter Peap Tarr stand to benefit. The Cambodian-New
Zealander has two collaborative works for sale, including an
intricately detailed acrylic-on-canvas piece measuring more than four
square meters.

Tarr started out as a graffiti artist in in New Zealand, where he grew
up. But he gradually began to fuse styles and elements from his
Cambodian ancestry into his work.

"There is a uniqueness that comes out of Cambodia. There is a long
heritage," Tarr explained. "Over a 1,000 year heritage here of art and
culture. Hopefully people will learn that. In some ways I think it
gains more respect for the Khmer culture. And also I think it gives
back more pride to the Khmer people. Culture and art, it does in some
way give culture and dignity back to a people."

On this afternoon, the busy hotel ballroom is almost full, but most
are onlookers watching as a handful of buyers bid on the artwork. At
the front of the room, auctioneer Lionel Gosset playfully encourages
the buyers to inflate their bids.

The crowd applauds as the most sought after piece, a large morning
glory plant sculpted in rattan wood, sells for $9,000.

By the end of the afternoon, buyers have snapped up about 40 works of
art, at a cost of $40,000 in all. Gosset says, it is a promising sign
for the Cambodian art scene.

"I think the room was crowded. It's a good signal for Cambodia. That
means that Khmer are very interested by art," Gosset said. "And the
results are good. It's a good result."

For painter Lisa Mam, it was the first time she has sold her work at
auction. She says she wants to show that her country's artists are
able to fuse their well-known traditional art with a new vitality.

"Cambodian art would be something really fresh," Mam declared. "Just
like what I'm doing right now is fresh and new. We're trying to take
the art of the ancient time and also the modern society to come
together and create something new."

For now, Mam wants to use the exposure from the auction as a
springboard for her career. And she hopes her work will play a role in
growing Cambodia's modern art scene.

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/asia/Successful-International-Auction-Raises-Hopes-for-Cambodias-Artists-142606006.html
March 14, 2012
Successful International Auction Raises Hopes for Cambodia's Artists
Irwin Loy
Phnom Penh

Organisation to nurture female entrepreneurs

Women-owned businesses will soon get a boost in Cambodia, with the
founding of a new organisation set to nurture female entrepreneurs.

The Cambodia Women Entrepreneurs Association (CWEA) will officially
launch on March 17, just one week after the 101st International
Women's Rights Day, under the patronage of the Minister of Women's
Affairs at Raffles Hotel le Royal, Phnom Penh.

Seng Katakneary, managing director of Sentosa Silk and the newly
appointed president of CWEA, said that the group has been two years in
the making.

"Cambodia's investment conditions are not easy for any entrepreneur,
whether male or female, but it is even more difficult for women
because of their traditional role. Moreover, staying at home is also
requirement for women in Khmer society," she said.

The association will provide support to women business owners through
the provision of business services, networking, and representing
women's common interests to relevant stakeholders, she said.

Saturday's inaugaral Gala Dinner will also serve as a fundraiser for
the new organisation. Over 200 invitations have been sent, and among
those invited are representatives of various government ministries,
foreign embassies, and international non-government organisations,
according to Katakneary.

Tickets to the event are available to the public for US$45 per person.
The organisation is also seeking large-scale sponsors who can
contribute between $1000 to $3000.

Katakneary said the event is open to all women entrepreneurs operating
in Cambodia who are interested in learning more about CWEA's services,
and will include food and a products exhibition, as well as a
performance by Cambodian Soprano Bosba Pahn and opera singer Khuon
Sethisak.

Panh Meng Heang, Bosba Panh's father, said that for the occasion, the
soprano will be performing several Cambodian and foreign songs with
her teacher, Khuon Sethisak.

"There will also be a song which describes the poor living standard of
fishermen in Bak Prea village in Battambang," said Panh Meng Heang,
adding that his daughter has been involved in other charitable
endeavours such as raising money to support clean water supply and the
purchase of mosquito nets for 300 families in Bak Prea village.

Panh Meng Heang noted that Bosba's performance at the CWEA launch
event will serve to highlight the diversity of Cambodian women, and
encourage girls to participate in social activities.

CWEA's Gala Dinner will take place this Saturday, March 17th at 6pm in
the ballroom of the Raffles Hotel le Royal in Phnom Penh.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012031455009/Lifestyle/gala-dinner-honours-women-entrepreneurs.html
Post Staff
Wednesday, 14 March 2012

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Japanese entrepreneurs in Cambodia

A group of 25 young Japanese entrepreneurs are in Cambodia to explore
business opportunities.

The entrepreneurs are involved in businesses in the fields of
education, consultancy, real-estate, telecommunication, banking and
finance.

The group led by Hideo Okubo, Chairman and CEO of Forval Corporation,
met with Cambodian officials led by the minister of commerce Cham
Prasidh on Thursday.

Hideo Okubo said it was the first time the delegation came to Cambodia
to seek business opportunities after they were aware that the country
is politically stable and has a lot of potential for investment.

Cham Prasidh also said the country enjoys political stability,
macro-economic stability and preferential law and regulations for
investors.

Moreover, he said, this Southeast Asian nation has a lot of potential
in the sectors of industry, agriculture, tourism, mining, oil and gas,
energy, transportation and telecommunication.

"Except land ownership, foreign investors can invest up to 100 percent
of their stake in Cambodia -- they have no need to partner with local
investors," he said.

"Investing here, you can get duty free on the exports of your products
to European countries, the United States, China, India and even
Japan," he said.

Japan is one of Cambodia's key donors, however, the country's
investment in Cambodia is still relatively insignificant. According to
the figure of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, from 1994
to the end of 2011, Cambodia received only 154 million U.S. dollars
investment from Japan.

Japanese entrepreneurs eye investment in Cambodia
March 02, 2012
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90777/7745672.html

Free Film Camp in Cambodia - March 24

In another sign of the domestic film industry's gradual resurgence,
the Canadia Tower will soon host the country's first Film Camp event.

The small Tonle Bassac-based outfit Kon Khmer Koun Khmer – or
Cambodian Films, Cambodian Generations – has been preparing for the
introduction of the Film Camp concept in Cambodia after its successful
reception in Laos and Singapore.

Participants in the March 24 event will be given a one-day crash
course in screenwriting, operating a 16mm camera, sound recording and
editing, along with the opportunity to meet and work with other
potential aspiring filmmakers. Chan Soratha, a member of 4K and Film
Camp Cambodia's project manager, said the free and multilingual event
hoped to attract a diverse set of applicants.

"Film Camp is targeted towards everyone who loves film. So we are open
to everyone: they can be high school or university students or from
another place in life."

Chan Soratha said the event was ideal for people showing an interest
in film who have no budget or ability to produce something of their
own accord. Chan Soratha is hoping that the amount of work 4K have
done establishing Film Camp will be met with a strong interest from
Phnom Penh's potential auteurs.

"We started organising Film Camp in October of last year, which meant
contact with universities, contact with potential sponsors, and
finding people to help with its organisation," he said.

"It is something new for this country, so just to organise this
one-day event, we needed to speak to many different people, to find
sponsors, and to organise audience participation. The film industry in
Cambodia is not very strong at the moment, so for us, it has been
quite challenging to attract the audience and bring people together."

4K is devoting the next month to appearances at schools and
universities to find Film Camp recruits. To tempt participants, the
group has organised some impressive guest speakers, including renowned
actress Dy Saveth, a star of Khmer cinema's golden age in the 1960s
and '70s who has returned to the silver screen in recent years.

Recruiting Dy Saveth was quite the coup, with the actress taking time
off her busy schedule between an appearance at the Berlin Film
Festival and acting duties. 4K were fortunate to benefit from a long
history of collaboration with the star.

"We have been working with her for a long time," says Chan Soratha of
the collaboration. "Since 2008 in fact. We organised an exhibition
that collected Cambodian films from the 1960s and '70s, which we
showcased alongside promotional posters and stars of the films."

Film Camp will also feature guest lectures from German filmmakers Ingo
Hoffmann, who will demonstrate the use of Steadicam equipment, and
Peter Ristau, who will instruct participants in the use of editing and
production software.

Film Camp Cambodia will take place on Friday, March 24th at the
Canadia Tower in Phnom Penh.

The event is free but advance registration is required at the Film
Camp website:
www.filmcampkh.org

Sean Gleeson
Thursday, 01 March 2012
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012030154785/Lifestyle/film-camp-seeks-to-spark-renaissance.html

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

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