Living on the edge

Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Written by HENG CHIVOAN
The Phnom Penh Post

A home stands perilously close to collapsing into the Tonle Sap river in Prey Leap, just outside Phnom Penh, on National Road 6 earlier this month. The owner has since fled the property, which is no longer safe to live in. River dredging has left homes along the river at risk from eroding riverbanks. (Photo by: DAP-News)

Living on the edge

Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Written by HENG CHIVOAN
The Phnom Penh Post

A home stands perilously close to collapsing into the Tonle Sap river in Prey Leap, just outside Phnom Penh, on National Road 6 earlier this month. The owner has since fled the property, which is no longer safe to live in. River dredging has left homes along the river at risk from eroding riverbanks. (Photo by: DAP-News)

Eight Cambodians missing, suspected murdered by Thai soldiers

Cambodian villagers cross to work illegally in Thailand everyday.

Reported by Khmerization

Eight Cambodian villagers went missing while they went to cut trees near the borders with Thailand, reports Deum Ampil newspaper.

Deum Ampil reports that on 21st April, eight Cambodians went to cut trees in the areas located on the borderlines with Thailand in Tropeang Prasath of Ouddor Meanchey province. They have disappeared and failed to return.

Among the eight missing, one was credibly suspected to be shot dead by Thai border guards and the other seven were also suspected to be killed by Thai border guards.

The eight villagers went missing when they entered Chup Roun Point located on the borderlines with Thailand to cut the trees there, reports Deum Ampil..... Read the rest of the article here.

Caught offside in Cambodia

FOREIGN TALENT: Joe Morrison overseeing construction work in Cambodia (above) and trying to stay onside in a local football match. PICTURES: COURTESY OF JOE MORRISON

April 23, 2009
By Joe Morrison
Electric New Paper (Singapore)

I WAS IN Cambodia recently and by a twist of fate ended up playing football with the local team of Siem Reap which was playing the neighbouring town.
Now despite the fact that I was unable to speak any of the local lingo and they were not too good at the Geordie variation of The Queen's English, we still managed to win.

Now the reason I am telling you all this is that I love discovering how different cultures play the game because they all have different priorities on the pitch.

For example each week I play with a bunch of African lads who love to run with the ball. Great! Well not exactly, because they can't shoot and they never know when to pass.

So here I am on an uneven mud pitch watching the ball sail over my head.

This I understood because the pitch was so bumpy it makes sense to not indulge in playing it on the deck out of defence.

But there is another problem here because route one football is no good if your most advanced striker is 1.3 metres tall!

So I moved up front to provide the knockdowns and it worked. However, I was constantly caught offside.

OK I should have been more careful but the thing you must remember if like me you are ever caught in a situation whereby you are playing a game of football in a foreign land: Local Rules Always Apply.

So after I had managed to understand that there was no such thing as a corner-kick and that all throw-ins somehow were to be taken under arm, I had adapted to the match in question.

There is a moral to this story. The same principles apply to the English Premier League which is why fans should go easy on the likes of Pavlyuchenko, Quaresma, and Robinho to name just three, in the Premiership. Local Rules Also Apply and that means you have to track back and defend when without the ball.

Now, come to think of it, I believe the 200 or so 'supporters' who turned up to watch our match in Cambodia booed me off the pitch.

But I can't be sure!

Eight Cambodians missing, suspected murdered by Thai soldiers

Cambodian villagers cross to work illegally in Thailand everyday.

Reported by Khmerization

Eight Cambodian villagers went missing while they went to cut trees near the borders with Thailand, reports Deum Ampil newspaper.

Deum Ampil reports that on 21st April, eight Cambodians went to cut trees in the areas located on the borderlines with Thailand in Tropeang Prasath of Ouddor Meanchey province. They have disappeared and failed to return.

Among the eight missing, one was credibly suspected to be shot dead by Thai border guards and the other seven were also suspected to be killed by Thai border guards.

The eight villagers went missing when they entered Chup Roun Point located on the borderlines with Thailand to cut the trees there, reports Deum Ampil..... Read the rest of the article here.

Caught offside in Cambodia

FOREIGN TALENT: Joe Morrison overseeing construction work in Cambodia (above) and trying to stay onside in a local football match. PICTURES: COURTESY OF JOE MORRISON

April 23, 2009
By Joe Morrison
Electric New Paper (Singapore)

I WAS IN Cambodia recently and by a twist of fate ended up playing football with the local team of Siem Reap which was playing the neighbouring town.
Now despite the fact that I was unable to speak any of the local lingo and they were not too good at the Geordie variation of The Queen's English, we still managed to win.

Now the reason I am telling you all this is that I love discovering how different cultures play the game because they all have different priorities on the pitch.

For example each week I play with a bunch of African lads who love to run with the ball. Great! Well not exactly, because they can't shoot and they never know when to pass.

So here I am on an uneven mud pitch watching the ball sail over my head.

This I understood because the pitch was so bumpy it makes sense to not indulge in playing it on the deck out of defence.

But there is another problem here because route one football is no good if your most advanced striker is 1.3 metres tall!

So I moved up front to provide the knockdowns and it worked. However, I was constantly caught offside.

OK I should have been more careful but the thing you must remember if like me you are ever caught in a situation whereby you are playing a game of football in a foreign land: Local Rules Always Apply.

So after I had managed to understand that there was no such thing as a corner-kick and that all throw-ins somehow were to be taken under arm, I had adapted to the match in question.

There is a moral to this story. The same principles apply to the English Premier League which is why fans should go easy on the likes of Pavlyuchenko, Quaresma, and Robinho to name just three, in the Premiership. Local Rules Also Apply and that means you have to track back and defend when without the ball.

Now, come to think of it, I believe the 200 or so 'supporters' who turned up to watch our match in Cambodia booed me off the pitch.

But I can't be sure!

NGO: Border families should ask Thailand to pay $9 mln for property damage

April 23, 2009
Source: Xinhua

Border families should ask for nine million U.S. dollars from Thailand to compensate for their damaged houses and markets as a result of recent bilateral armed clashes, national media said on Thursday.
Direct asset loss was estimated at 1.2 million U.S. dollars, but Thailand should pay much more for the trauma of the residents, so the total amount of Thai compensation should top nine million U.S. dollars, Chinese-language daily newspaper the Commercial News quoted the Khmer Civilization Fund (KCF) as saying.

KCF and other non-governmental organizations had visited the border area to study the residents' loss, and a report has been lodged to country leaders and officials at various levels, said KCF which represented the compensation seekers.

On Tuesday, KCF told reporters that 147 Cambodian families near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple had asked Thailand to pay for the damage of their properties.

The houses with 260 inhabitants were burnt down, as two rounds of heavy gunfire exchange occurred on April 3 near the temple, according to KCF.

Rocket bombs hit their houses and then led to total damage, it said, adding that the house owners were strongly dissatisfied with such behavior and demanded that Thailand should pay for the loss.

The April 3 military confrontations took place after well-armed Thai troops intruded on Cambodian lands.

"It is very regrettable that Thai armed intrusions continue to occur repeatedly in the same areas" near the border, and "these acts of violation have compelled the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) to exercise their rights to self-defense and to protect the Cambodian territorial integrity," said a statement issued by the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation right after the accidents.

Since July 2008, troops from both sides have stationed near the Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and two armed confrontations last year sparked brief concerns of war.

The two neighboring countries have never fully demarcated their disputed 800-km-long border, mainly due to their different interpretations of historical maps and the landmines left over from decades of civil war in Cambodia.

NGO: Border families should ask Thailand to pay $9 mln for property damage

April 23, 2009
Source: Xinhua

Border families should ask for nine million U.S. dollars from Thailand to compensate for their damaged houses and markets as a result of recent bilateral armed clashes, national media said on Thursday.
Direct asset loss was estimated at 1.2 million U.S. dollars, but Thailand should pay much more for the trauma of the residents, so the total amount of Thai compensation should top nine million U.S. dollars, Chinese-language daily newspaper the Commercial News quoted the Khmer Civilization Fund (KCF) as saying.

KCF and other non-governmental organizations had visited the border area to study the residents' loss, and a report has been lodged to country leaders and officials at various levels, said KCF which represented the compensation seekers.

On Tuesday, KCF told reporters that 147 Cambodian families near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple had asked Thailand to pay for the damage of their properties.

The houses with 260 inhabitants were burnt down, as two rounds of heavy gunfire exchange occurred on April 3 near the temple, according to KCF.

Rocket bombs hit their houses and then led to total damage, it said, adding that the house owners were strongly dissatisfied with such behavior and demanded that Thailand should pay for the loss.

The April 3 military confrontations took place after well-armed Thai troops intruded on Cambodian lands.

"It is very regrettable that Thai armed intrusions continue to occur repeatedly in the same areas" near the border, and "these acts of violation have compelled the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) to exercise their rights to self-defense and to protect the Cambodian territorial integrity," said a statement issued by the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation right after the accidents.

Since July 2008, troops from both sides have stationed near the Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and two armed confrontations last year sparked brief concerns of war.

The two neighboring countries have never fully demarcated their disputed 800-km-long border, mainly due to their different interpretations of historical maps and the landmines left over from decades of civil war in Cambodia.

How khmer celebrate the new year

The history of the Khmer New Year is closely connected to the seven signs of the zodiac for the week. The legend of the New Year is detailed in the Almanac which says: In ancient, happier times, a young man by the name of Thoamabal, the son of a tycoon, had an extensive knowledge of three Vedas (ancient books on Hinduism) by the age of seven. Thoamabal's father built a temple under the spread of a large Chrey tree (a fig tree) on the banks of a river that was home to many species of birds. He had an innate ability that enabled him to understand the languages of birds. He had an innate ability that enabled him to understand the languages of birds.

Thoamabal's attributes allowed him to become a layman in charge of religious ceremonies for all classes of people. Upon hearing this news another religious leader Kabel Maha Prohm, decided to challenge Thoamabal with tree riddles. He vowed that if Thaomabal could successfully answer the riddles he, Kabel Maha Prohm, would be beheaded; however if Thoamabal could not answer the riddles correctly then it would be Thoamabal who would be beheaded. Thoamabal insisted on having seven days to answer the puzzling enigma until Kabel Maha Prohm agreed.

For six days Thoamabal could not solve the problems and knew that he faced the prospect of being killed by Kabel Maha Prohm the next morning. He therefore decided ton hide himself and let his life fade away by natural causes. He hid himself beneath a pair of sugar palm trees in which a pair of eagles were nesting, that night Thoamabal overheard the eagles talking.

The female asked, "What will we eat tomorrow morning?" The male eagle replied, "We will eat the flesh of Thoamalobal because tomorrow he is going to be beheaded by Kabie Maha Prohm due to his inability to solve the riddles". The female then asked, "What are the riddles?" The male answered, "The first riddle is, where is luck to be found in the mornine?" Of course the answer is that luck is on the face because people always take water to wash their faces.

The second riddle asked, where is luck located at noon? It is on the chest because people always take water to wash their chests. Finally, the third question asked, where is luck located in the evening? The answer is that luck is on the feet because people always wash their feet in the evening. Thoamabal overheard all of the conversation and so happily returned to his temple. In the morning Kabel Maha Prohm came to ask Thoamabal if he could answer the three riddles.

Thoamabal successfully answered each of the riddles. Kabel Maha Prohm realixing he had failed, called his seven daughters, who were maids of Branma, to learn of his fate.Kabal Maha Prohm said, "Your father is foing to be beheaded in front of Thoamabal. If my head is set on the earth , if will set fire to Earth, if my head is thrown into the air, the rain will evaporate, if my head is thrown into the sea, the sea will dry up. Therefore I ask you, my seven daughters to get a holy metal tray on which to set your father's head". Having said this, he beheaded himself and his head was passed to Neang Toungsa, the eldest of his daughters. She placed her father's head on the holy tray and then proceeded to walk around Mount Meru for one hour, respectfully keeping the tray on her right hand. She then took the tray to the temporary sanctuary of Phnom Kailas. At Phnom Kailas, Preah Visakam created a hall where seven holy glasses (Pheakabatei Saphea) were set. The glasses were for use by angels during ceremonies. Each year the seven angels took turns to invoke the head of Kabel Maha Prohm to and complete a holy procession around Mount Meru. Following the holy procession the angels returned to their heaven.

The Seven Angels of the Almanac: If the annual procession talls on a Sunday then the day will be known as Toungsa. The other days are, Monday is Kooreak, Tuesday is called Reaksa, Wednesday is named Monday, Tuesday will be Kereney, Friday is known as Kemera and Saturday is Mahaotra.

Tanai Lieang Saka is the name of the third day of the New Year celebration. Buddhist cleanses the Buddha statues and elders with perfumed water. Bathing the Buddha images is the symbol that water will be needed for all kinds of plants and lives. It is also thought to be a kind deed that will bring longevity, good luck, happiness and prosperity in life. By bathing their grandparents and parents, children can obtain from them best wishes and good advice for the future.


The Three Days of Khmer New Year

Moha Songkran is the name of the first day of the New Year celebration. It is the ending of the year and the beginning of a new one. People dress up and light candles and burn incense sticks at shrines. The members of each family pay homage to offer thanks for the Buddha's teachings by bowing, kneeling and prostrating themselves three times before his image. For good luck people wash their face with holy water in the morning, their chests at noon, and their feet in the evening before they go to bed.

Wanabat is the name of the second day of the New Year celebration. People contribute charity to the less fortunate, help the poor, servants, homeless people, and low-income families. Families attend a dedication ceremony to their ancestors at the monastery.

Tanai Lieang Saka is the name of the third day of the New Year celebration. Buddhist cleanses the Buddha statues and elders with perfumed water. Bathing the Buddha images is the symbol that water will be needed for all kinds of plants and lives. It is also thought to be a kind deed that will bring longevity, good luck, happiness and prosperity in life. By bathing their grandparents and parents, children can obtain from them best wishes and good advice for the future.

Khmer New Year Traditions

In temples, people erect a sand hillock on temple grounds. They mound up a bigpointed hill of sand or dome in the center which represents Culamuni Cetiya, the stupa at Tavatimsa, where the Buddha's hair and diadem are buried. The big stupa is surrounded by four small ones, which represent the stupas of the Buddha's favorite disciples which are Sariputta, Moggallana, Ananda, and Maha Kassapa. There is another tradition, that is pouring water or plaster on someone.
Khmer New Year is a time to prepare special dishes. One of these is kralan, a cake made from steamed rice mixed with beans or peas, grated coconut and coconut milk. The mixture is stuffed inside a bamboo stick and slowly roasted.


Khmer games

Cambodia is home to a variety of games played to transform the dullest days into a memorable occasion. Through-out the Khmer New Year, street corners often are crowded with friends and families enjoying a break from routine, filling their free time dancing and play. Typically Khmer games help maintain one's mental and physical dexterity. The body's blood pressure, muscle system and brain all are challenged and strengthened in the name of fun.
• 1. "Tres"
A game played by throwing and catching a ball with one hand while trying to catch an increasing number of sticks with the other hand. Usually, pens or chopsticks are used as the sticks to be caught.
• 2. "Chol Chhoung"
A game played especially on the first nightfall of the Khmer New Year by two groups of boys and girls. Ten or 20 people comprise each group, standing in two rows opposite each other. One group throws the "chhoung" to the other group. When it is caught, it will be rapidly thrown back to the first group. If someone is hit by the "chhoung," the whole group must dance to get the "chhoung" back while the other group sings.
• 3. "Chab Kon Kleng"
A game played by imitating a hen as she protects her chicks from a crow. Adults typically play this game on the night of the first New Year's day. Participants usually appoint a person with a strong build to play the hen leading many chicks. Another person is picked to be the crow. While both sides sing a song of bargaining, the crow tries to catch as many chicks as possible as they hide behind the hen.
• 4. "Bos Angkunh"
A game played by two groups of boys and girls. Each group throws their own "angkunh" to hit the master "angkunhs," which belong to the other group and are placed on the ground. The winners must knock the knee of the losers with the "angkunh." "Angkunh" is the name of an inedible fruit seed, which looks like the knee bone.
• 5. "Leak Kanseng"
A game played by a group of children sitting in circle. Someone holding a "kanseng" (Cambodian towel) twisted into a round shape walks around the circle while singing a song. The person walking secretly tries to place the "kanseng" behind one of the children. If that chosen child realizes what is happening, he or she must pick up the "kanseng" and beat the person sitting next to him or her.
• 6. "Bay Khom"
A game played by two children in rural or urban areas during their free time. Ten holes are dug in the shape of an oval into a board in the ground. The game is played with 42 small beads, stones or fruit seeds. Before starting the game, five beads are put into each of the two holes located at the tip of the board. Four beads are placed in each of the remaining eight holes. The first player takes all the beads from any hole and drops them one by one in the other holes. He or she must repeat this process until they have dropped the last bead into a hole lying beside an empty one. Then they must take all the beads in the hole that follows the empty one. At this point, the second player begins to play. The game ends when all the holes are empty. The player with the greatest number of beads wins the game
• 7. "Klah Klok"
A game played by Cambodians of all ages. It is a gambling game that is fun for all ages. There is a mat & dice. You put money on the object that you believe the person rolling the dice (which is usually shaken in a bowl type) and you wait. If the objects face up on the dice are the same as the objects you put money on. You double it. If there are two of yours you triple, and so on.

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Cambodia supports Russia to win ASEM candidacy

April 22, 2009
Source: Xinhua

Cambodia on Wednesday vowed to make efforts to help Russia join the upcoming Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).

"Cambodia will support Russia to win candidacy to attend ASEM, as we have been playing the role of co-coordinator for ASEM," Kuy Kong, spokesman and under secretary of state at Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, told reporters.
Kuy Kong made these remarks right after Hor Nam Hong, deputy prime minister and minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, met with Russian Ambassador Valery Y. Tereshchenko, who will finish his term in Cambodia soon.

Hor Nam Hong also invited Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to visit Cambodia at suitable time, he added.

Meanwhile, Kuy Kong stressed that Cambodia and Russia have enjoyed fundamental relationship during the past years and will support each other at the international stage in the future.

Cambodia established diplomatic relations with Russia in 1993.

Cambodia supports Russia to win ASEM candidacy

April 22, 2009
Source: Xinhua

Cambodia on Wednesday vowed to make efforts to help Russia join the upcoming Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).

"Cambodia will support Russia to win candidacy to attend ASEM, as we have been playing the role of co-coordinator for ASEM," Kuy Kong, spokesman and under secretary of state at Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, told reporters.
Kuy Kong made these remarks right after Hor Nam Hong, deputy prime minister and minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, met with Russian Ambassador Valery Y. Tereshchenko, who will finish his term in Cambodia soon.

Hor Nam Hong also invited Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to visit Cambodia at suitable time, he added.

Meanwhile, Kuy Kong stressed that Cambodia and Russia have enjoyed fundamental relationship during the past years and will support each other at the international stage in the future.

Cambodia established diplomatic relations with Russia in 1993.

Cambodian soldiers to join multi-national peacekeeping exercise in Indonesia

April 22, 2009
Source: Xinhua

Cambodia plans to send 61 soldiers to join multi-national peacekeeping exercise Garuda Shield 09 in Indonesia in the near future, said the official Agence Kampuchea Presse (AKP) on Wednesday.
Details can't be given right now, AKP quoted Sem Sovanny, General of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) and Director General of the National Management Center for Peacekeeping Forces, Mine and ERW (Explosive Remnants of War) Clearance, as saying.

Meanwhile, the agency quoted U.S. Ambassador Carol A. Rodley assaying that the United States will continuously help train Cambodian soldiers for their participation in the multi-national peacekeeping exercise in Indonesia.

The United States will also sponsor Cambodia to host a multilateral peacekeeping exercise in 2010, she added.

In early April, Prak Sokhon, secretary of state at the Cambodian Council of Ministers, told reporters that 2,000 troops from 13 countries will take part in the U.S.- and UN-sponsored exercise to be held in Kompong Speu province in 2010.

The event will be conducted in the framework of the Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI), an annual Capstone training event attended by GPOI member nations and other regional and international partners.

GPOI once held such exercises in Bangladesh in 2008 and Mongolia in 2007. Garuda Shield 09 in Indonesia is the upcoming GPOI serial exercise.

According to official files, Cambodia respectively sent 40 soldiers to Bangladesh and 43 to Mongolia to take part in these GPOI exercises.

Cambodian soldiers to join multi-national peacekeeping exercise in Indonesia

April 22, 2009
Source: Xinhua

Cambodia plans to send 61 soldiers to join multi-national peacekeeping exercise Garuda Shield 09 in Indonesia in the near future, said the official Agence Kampuchea Presse (AKP) on Wednesday.
Details can't be given right now, AKP quoted Sem Sovanny, General of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) and Director General of the National Management Center for Peacekeeping Forces, Mine and ERW (Explosive Remnants of War) Clearance, as saying.

Meanwhile, the agency quoted U.S. Ambassador Carol A. Rodley assaying that the United States will continuously help train Cambodian soldiers for their participation in the multi-national peacekeeping exercise in Indonesia.

The United States will also sponsor Cambodia to host a multilateral peacekeeping exercise in 2010, she added.

In early April, Prak Sokhon, secretary of state at the Cambodian Council of Ministers, told reporters that 2,000 troops from 13 countries will take part in the U.S.- and UN-sponsored exercise to be held in Kompong Speu province in 2010.

The event will be conducted in the framework of the Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI), an annual Capstone training event attended by GPOI member nations and other regional and international partners.

GPOI once held such exercises in Bangladesh in 2008 and Mongolia in 2007. Garuda Shield 09 in Indonesia is the upcoming GPOI serial exercise.

According to official files, Cambodia respectively sent 40 soldiers to Bangladesh and 43 to Mongolia to take part in these GPOI exercises.

Child sponsorship update from Phnom Penh, Cambodia

22 Apr 2009
Source: SOS Children's Village

Update for child sponsors from the SOS Children's Village Phnom Penh, Cambodia from Summer 2008

With great pleasure we would like to share with you the latest happenings and recent developments that have taken place in the SOS Children’s Village Phnom Penh during the last 6 months. Without donations from the supporters our work would be impossible, and every money we are given is a great help towards the work we do.
A half years SOS Children’s Village Phnom Penh has been a home for 165 children among whom 125 are presently under our care in the Village. Currently, two Youth facilities are functioning nearby the village. 20 youngsters are living in the I Youth Facility, 20 youngsters in the II Youth facility where they still study at high school. At the SOS Nursery School inside the village you can hear children laughing in every group. The SOS Nursery School is attended by children from the community as well as from the SOS Children's Village. This is a place which is never quiet! Up to 120 children between the age 3-6 attend SOS Nursery School, out of them 11 are from SOS Village and 24 scholarship students whose family absolutely poor. The availability of suitable classrooms, games and toys ensures that the children are given the optimum conditions for developing their social, intellectual and creative skills and they are prepared for the primary school.

To make children’s life more interesting, purposeful and to promote their development a lot of activities and events are organized within as well as out of the Village. Education was the challenging part in the working process of children development program. We prepared for activities to educate our children. All our children from grade 3 to grade 8 were started reading book such as school, histories, joke, proverb books in our SOS library in everyday work in order to improve their basic and social knowledge which was leaded by our educator. Therefore, our educators have trained directly and smoothly cooperation with SOS mother to training the children by each family in everyday work in order solving their education problem and others additional training.

Developments at Phnom Penh, Cambodia

In addition, our children tried very hard in learning from school and others additional training classes like sewing, dancing Karate-Do and football. We have two football teams that trained by Cambodia Federation football. For football, our children’s football team under 13 years old had matched with children’s football team from High School as a result, they won second prize. This match have organise by Cambodia Federation Football especially, out of them 03 were selected to National team and they joined Asian Football Confederation under 14 Festival 2008-South East Region which was held in Kota, Sabah-Malaysia from May 31, 2008 to June 07, 2008. Additional, Our 09 children have successful finished Karate-Do with black belt and 26 children were passed Karate exam from green to blue belt.

For sure you are pleased with the information and developments that took place in our Village during last 6 months. We hope that you will continue to sponsor our Village and witness how children grow up and turn into independent happy persons only thanks to your generosity and kind will. Helping children in need is the responsibility of all the people. Your generous contribution helps us make our vision a reality, enables us to provide children with hope and opportunity for a better tomorrow. Together we can let the children know that they are not forgotten and they are still in our hearts. On behalf of all the children and the whole SOS organization we would like to express our gratitude for your help and support.

Wishing you all the best

Sincerely yours,

Mrs. Meas Mala
Senior Co-worker-Sponsorship

Child sponsorship update from Phnom Penh, Cambodia

22 Apr 2009
Source: SOS Children's Village

Update for child sponsors from the SOS Children's Village Phnom Penh, Cambodia from Summer 2008

With great pleasure we would like to share with you the latest happenings and recent developments that have taken place in the SOS Children’s Village Phnom Penh during the last 6 months. Without donations from the supporters our work would be impossible, and every money we are given is a great help towards the work we do.
A half years SOS Children’s Village Phnom Penh has been a home for 165 children among whom 125 are presently under our care in the Village. Currently, two Youth facilities are functioning nearby the village. 20 youngsters are living in the I Youth Facility, 20 youngsters in the II Youth facility where they still study at high school. At the SOS Nursery School inside the village you can hear children laughing in every group. The SOS Nursery School is attended by children from the community as well as from the SOS Children's Village. This is a place which is never quiet! Up to 120 children between the age 3-6 attend SOS Nursery School, out of them 11 are from SOS Village and 24 scholarship students whose family absolutely poor. The availability of suitable classrooms, games and toys ensures that the children are given the optimum conditions for developing their social, intellectual and creative skills and they are prepared for the primary school.

To make children’s life more interesting, purposeful and to promote their development a lot of activities and events are organized within as well as out of the Village. Education was the challenging part in the working process of children development program. We prepared for activities to educate our children. All our children from grade 3 to grade 8 were started reading book such as school, histories, joke, proverb books in our SOS library in everyday work in order to improve their basic and social knowledge which was leaded by our educator. Therefore, our educators have trained directly and smoothly cooperation with SOS mother to training the children by each family in everyday work in order solving their education problem and others additional training.

Developments at Phnom Penh, Cambodia

In addition, our children tried very hard in learning from school and others additional training classes like sewing, dancing Karate-Do and football. We have two football teams that trained by Cambodia Federation football. For football, our children’s football team under 13 years old had matched with children’s football team from High School as a result, they won second prize. This match have organise by Cambodia Federation Football especially, out of them 03 were selected to National team and they joined Asian Football Confederation under 14 Festival 2008-South East Region which was held in Kota, Sabah-Malaysia from May 31, 2008 to June 07, 2008. Additional, Our 09 children have successful finished Karate-Do with black belt and 26 children were passed Karate exam from green to blue belt.

For sure you are pleased with the information and developments that took place in our Village during last 6 months. We hope that you will continue to sponsor our Village and witness how children grow up and turn into independent happy persons only thanks to your generosity and kind will. Helping children in need is the responsibility of all the people. Your generous contribution helps us make our vision a reality, enables us to provide children with hope and opportunity for a better tomorrow. Together we can let the children know that they are not forgotten and they are still in our hearts. On behalf of all the children and the whole SOS organization we would like to express our gratitude for your help and support.

Wishing you all the best

Sincerely yours,

Mrs. Meas Mala
Senior Co-worker-Sponsorship

Retailer confidence rock bottom, new survey finds

A shopper pays at a Lucky Supermarket checkout in Phnom Penh on Tuesday. The majority of retailers in Cambodia have seen declining fortunes in the past six months, a new survey said. (Photo by: TRACEY SHELTON)

Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Written by Nathan Green
The Phnom Penh Post

Indochina Research survey finds that 87 percent of retailers think economy has worsened in past six months, but 59 percent expect improvements

CAMBODIAN retailers have been hit hard by the global economic crisis, but more than half expected conditions to improve over the next six months, a survey of retailer confidence released today by Indochina Research shows.
The company's second-quarter I-TRAK survey questioned 600 retailers in Phnom Penh, the Lao capital Vientiane, and Vietnam's two major cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. It covered convenience and grocery stores, other retail stores, and the hospitality, restaurant and catering sectors.

Eighty-seven percent of Cambodian respondents said economic conditions were worse in March compared with six months earlier. Only 2 percent said economic conditions had improved, and 11 percent said they had stayed the same.

Most retailers in Cambodia had suffered financially with falling customer numbers and decreasing spend-per-customer eating into profit margins, the survey showed. The decline came despite many dropping prices to boost sales.

But IndoChina Research General Manager Laurent Notin said the survey also contained good news for the sector. Of the Cambodian respondents, 59 percent said the worst was behind them and that the retail situation would stabilise or improve over the next six months.

"Yes, [retailers] are affected by the economic slowdown; yes, they have fewer customers and lower profits - but they do think the economic situation in the next six months will get better," Notin said.

"As the midpoint between manufacturers and customers, retailers are the centre of everything. They are closely connected to the economy and their confidence is a good sign for future growth."

Lam Sopheap, general manger at Sorya Shopping Centre in Phnom Penh, said April was even worse than March for retailers, with the New Year period unusually slow. "This Khmer New Year, everywhere was quiet because nobody wanted to spend money," he said.

Sales at Sorya have been down 30 to 40 percent in April compared with a year earlier, he added, but he said he expected the retail situation to improve by the middle of 2010.

Confidence among retailers in Vietnam was stronger than in Cambodia, but 68 percent of respondents still said economic conditions were worse in March than six months earlier. A further 12 percent said the economic situation had improved for retailers and 20 percent said it had remained unchanged.

Laos bucked the trend with 52 percent of respondents saying conditions had improved for retailers, compared with just 22 percent that said conditions had worsened.

Unlike in Cambodia and Vietnam where retailers lowered prices to attract customers, prices for retail goods in Laos were higher in March compared to six months earlier.

The second-quarter I-TRAK report followed a consumer confidence survey in late February that showed that 39 percent of Cambodian consumers thought economic conditions had worsened, compared with 37 percent that thought they had improved.

"By definition, retailers are always less confident than consumers so I am not surprised to see lower confidence levels than consumers," Notin said.

The retail confidence survey confirmed a Phnom Penh Post report in March that found sales had dropped by up to a half at four of Phnom Penh's main supermarkets in the first quarter of 2009. Sales at Pencil Shopping Centre had dropped by around 20 percent, Sorya Shopping Centre reported a 25 percent sales decline, Sydney Shopping Centre 30 percent and Sovanna Supermarket 50 percent, the Post found.

Chhoy Chhunly, owner of the Lovely clothing shop in Pencil on Sothearos Boulevard, also reported a sales decline in recent months, but said economic conditions were not behind the slump. Rather, Hun Sen's decision in February to outlaw sports and electronic gambling had led to a marked decline in the number of women buying clothes for work in the sector.

"Before, one girl would buy two, three or even four dresses at a time," she said. "Now they say they have no money so they maybe buy one dress or none at all."

Notin said retailers that looked to the future and understood their market would come out the slump the strongest.

"The main message is to do your homework even more than before," he said. "We know the economy is slowing down globally so take that into account, but don't be afraid to invest. It's about long-term thinking."

Retailer confidence rock bottom, new survey finds

A shopper pays at a Lucky Supermarket checkout in Phnom Penh on Tuesday. The majority of retailers in Cambodia have seen declining fortunes in the past six months, a new survey said. (Photo by: TRACEY SHELTON)

Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Written by Nathan Green
The Phnom Penh Post

Indochina Research survey finds that 87 percent of retailers think economy has worsened in past six months, but 59 percent expect improvements

CAMBODIAN retailers have been hit hard by the global economic crisis, but more than half expected conditions to improve over the next six months, a survey of retailer confidence released today by Indochina Research shows.
The company's second-quarter I-TRAK survey questioned 600 retailers in Phnom Penh, the Lao capital Vientiane, and Vietnam's two major cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. It covered convenience and grocery stores, other retail stores, and the hospitality, restaurant and catering sectors.

Eighty-seven percent of Cambodian respondents said economic conditions were worse in March compared with six months earlier. Only 2 percent said economic conditions had improved, and 11 percent said they had stayed the same.

Most retailers in Cambodia had suffered financially with falling customer numbers and decreasing spend-per-customer eating into profit margins, the survey showed. The decline came despite many dropping prices to boost sales.

But IndoChina Research General Manager Laurent Notin said the survey also contained good news for the sector. Of the Cambodian respondents, 59 percent said the worst was behind them and that the retail situation would stabilise or improve over the next six months.

"Yes, [retailers] are affected by the economic slowdown; yes, they have fewer customers and lower profits - but they do think the economic situation in the next six months will get better," Notin said.

"As the midpoint between manufacturers and customers, retailers are the centre of everything. They are closely connected to the economy and their confidence is a good sign for future growth."

Lam Sopheap, general manger at Sorya Shopping Centre in Phnom Penh, said April was even worse than March for retailers, with the New Year period unusually slow. "This Khmer New Year, everywhere was quiet because nobody wanted to spend money," he said.

Sales at Sorya have been down 30 to 40 percent in April compared with a year earlier, he added, but he said he expected the retail situation to improve by the middle of 2010.

Confidence among retailers in Vietnam was stronger than in Cambodia, but 68 percent of respondents still said economic conditions were worse in March than six months earlier. A further 12 percent said the economic situation had improved for retailers and 20 percent said it had remained unchanged.

Laos bucked the trend with 52 percent of respondents saying conditions had improved for retailers, compared with just 22 percent that said conditions had worsened.

Unlike in Cambodia and Vietnam where retailers lowered prices to attract customers, prices for retail goods in Laos were higher in March compared to six months earlier.

The second-quarter I-TRAK report followed a consumer confidence survey in late February that showed that 39 percent of Cambodian consumers thought economic conditions had worsened, compared with 37 percent that thought they had improved.

"By definition, retailers are always less confident than consumers so I am not surprised to see lower confidence levels than consumers," Notin said.

The retail confidence survey confirmed a Phnom Penh Post report in March that found sales had dropped by up to a half at four of Phnom Penh's main supermarkets in the first quarter of 2009. Sales at Pencil Shopping Centre had dropped by around 20 percent, Sorya Shopping Centre reported a 25 percent sales decline, Sydney Shopping Centre 30 percent and Sovanna Supermarket 50 percent, the Post found.

Chhoy Chhunly, owner of the Lovely clothing shop in Pencil on Sothearos Boulevard, also reported a sales decline in recent months, but said economic conditions were not behind the slump. Rather, Hun Sen's decision in February to outlaw sports and electronic gambling had led to a marked decline in the number of women buying clothes for work in the sector.

"Before, one girl would buy two, three or even four dresses at a time," she said. "Now they say they have no money so they maybe buy one dress or none at all."

Notin said retailers that looked to the future and understood their market would come out the slump the strongest.

"The main message is to do your homework even more than before," he said. "We know the economy is slowing down globally so take that into account, but don't be afraid to invest. It's about long-term thinking."

Khmer Rouge torturer says Jesus helped find him in hiding

Wed, 22 Apr 2009
DPA

Phnom Penh - The Khmer Rouge's former chief torturer told Cambodia's UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal Wednesday that Jesus Christ had ordained his discovery by a journalist a decade ago when he was a fugitive with an assumed identity living in a remote village. Kaing Guek Eav, known by his revolutionary name Duch, faces charges of crimes against humanity, premeditated murder, torture and breeches of the Geneva Conventions allegedly committed while he was the warden of the S-21 torture prison in Phnom Penh.

In the third week of the tribunal's first trial, Duch said Jesus led journalist Nic Dunlop to find him in a town near the Thai border in 1999.

"I spoke to Nic Dunlop and said, 'It was Christ who brought you to meet me,'" he said. "Nic Dunlop quoted those words, and those are the words that I told him."

The 66-year-old born-again Christian recounted an interview he gave to Dunlop and fellow journalist Nate Thayer shortly before he was arrested and detained in a military prison.

He said he told Dunlop that Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot's claim that S-21 was fabricated by Vietnam after it invaded Cambodia in 1979 was a lie.

"I was chief of S-21," he said. "All the crimes there were under my responsibility."

Duch is one of five former Khmer Rouge leaders facing trial for their roles in the deaths of up to 2 million people through overwork, starvation or execution during the Maoist group's 1975-79 reign.

At least 15,000 men, women and children are believed to have been imprisoned, tortured and interrogated at S-21 before being sent to be murdered at the Cheoung Ek "killing fields" outside the Cambodian capital.

Duch earlier in the trial apologized to his victims, their families and the country but maintained that he was simply following orders.

On Wednesday, he maintained that he was mostly acting on the orders of fellow detainee and former Khmer Rouge chief ideologue Nuon Chea.

Duch's trial was expected to run into mid-June, and he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Khmer Rouge torturer says Jesus helped find him in hiding

Wed, 22 Apr 2009
DPA

Phnom Penh - The Khmer Rouge's former chief torturer told Cambodia's UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal Wednesday that Jesus Christ had ordained his discovery by a journalist a decade ago when he was a fugitive with an assumed identity living in a remote village. Kaing Guek Eav, known by his revolutionary name Duch, faces charges of crimes against humanity, premeditated murder, torture and breeches of the Geneva Conventions allegedly committed while he was the warden of the S-21 torture prison in Phnom Penh.

In the third week of the tribunal's first trial, Duch said Jesus led journalist Nic Dunlop to find him in a town near the Thai border in 1999.

"I spoke to Nic Dunlop and said, 'It was Christ who brought you to meet me,'" he said. "Nic Dunlop quoted those words, and those are the words that I told him."

The 66-year-old born-again Christian recounted an interview he gave to Dunlop and fellow journalist Nate Thayer shortly before he was arrested and detained in a military prison.

He said he told Dunlop that Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot's claim that S-21 was fabricated by Vietnam after it invaded Cambodia in 1979 was a lie.

"I was chief of S-21," he said. "All the crimes there were under my responsibility."

Duch is one of five former Khmer Rouge leaders facing trial for their roles in the deaths of up to 2 million people through overwork, starvation or execution during the Maoist group's 1975-79 reign.

At least 15,000 men, women and children are believed to have been imprisoned, tortured and interrogated at S-21 before being sent to be murdered at the Cheoung Ek "killing fields" outside the Cambodian capital.

Duch earlier in the trial apologized to his victims, their families and the country but maintained that he was simply following orders.

On Wednesday, he maintained that he was mostly acting on the orders of fellow detainee and former Khmer Rouge chief ideologue Nuon Chea.

Duch's trial was expected to run into mid-June, and he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.