Workers March in May Day Demonstration

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
01 May 2009

Thousands of garment factory workers took to the streets in Phnom Penh Friday, marking May Day with a set of demands for better pay and conditions for the government.

Hundreds of police were deployed to maintain security, as workers marched with placards demanding higher wages, the establishment of a labor court and a halt to discrimination against free trade.
Chea Mony, president of the Free Trade Union, said the goal of the march was to encourage the National Assembly to accept a petition with suggestions from improving conditions for laborers.

“I hope the Cambodian government will receive our petition of workers and consider our demands, because the garment sector is important in helping Cambodia’s economy,” he said.

Garment exports are one of Cambodia’s main earners, but the sector has been hit hard by the global financial crisis, as orders for goods from the US and other markets have slowed.

Tens of thousands of workers have been laid off since the onset of the crisis in September 2008, with some factories closing their doors or reducing their staff.

Art Thun, president of the Cambodian Laborer Confederation, said Friday the country needs to improve the conditions for workers, who are usually abused by garment factory owners.

Workers on Friday urged the government to “very quickly” put in place an arbitration court to handle labor conflicts. They also want the government to force garment factories to keep a deposit in the bank to prevent bankruptcy.

Workers March in May Day Demonstration

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
01 May 2009

Thousands of garment factory workers took to the streets in Phnom Penh Friday, marking May Day with a set of demands for better pay and conditions for the government.

Hundreds of police were deployed to maintain security, as workers marched with placards demanding higher wages, the establishment of a labor court and a halt to discrimination against free trade.
Chea Mony, president of the Free Trade Union, said the goal of the march was to encourage the National Assembly to accept a petition with suggestions from improving conditions for laborers.

“I hope the Cambodian government will receive our petition of workers and consider our demands, because the garment sector is important in helping Cambodia’s economy,” he said.

Garment exports are one of Cambodia’s main earners, but the sector has been hit hard by the global financial crisis, as orders for goods from the US and other markets have slowed.

Tens of thousands of workers have been laid off since the onset of the crisis in September 2008, with some factories closing their doors or reducing their staff.

Art Thun, president of the Cambodian Laborer Confederation, said Friday the country needs to improve the conditions for workers, who are usually abused by garment factory owners.

Workers on Friday urged the government to “very quickly” put in place an arbitration court to handle labor conflicts. They also want the government to force garment factories to keep a deposit in the bank to prevent bankruptcy.

Villagers Near Preah Vihear Temple To Be Moved

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
01 May 2009

Authorities in Preah Vihear province are preparing to move more than 700 families away from the ancient Preah Vihear temple, the site of a continued border standoff between Cambodia and Thailand that has seen violence and the destruction of civilian property.
Officials said the move was to help conserve the area, where the temple has been named a Unesco World Heritage site, and to make way for the development of a resort there.

Areas within 20 kilometers of the 11th Century temple will be off limits to individuals, and those families now living near the site will be moved to a nearby area called Sros Kdol, in Chaom Khsan district.

Around 300 families live in a market area near the temple that was completely destroyed in mortar fire during a border clash between soldiers along the contested border. Another 400 families live in a small town at the base of the Preah Vihear temple escarpment.

The Sros Kdol area is clear of landmines and has sufficient water and agricultural land, where it is hoped people will live in more security than they currently have.

“We cannot allow people living in the Unesco conservative area of Preah Vihear temple, in order to maintain and protect the World Heritage and the natural environment around the temple,” Preah Vihear Governor Preab Tann told VOA Khmer Friday.

The operation is being undertaken via royal decree, which establishes zones for protection, including areas around the temple, the mountain and the surrounding landscape, he said.

Cambodia and Thailand remain at odds over a small stretch of land near the temple, with each side using a different map to demarcate the border. Troops have been stationed along the border since July 2008, when the temple’s World Heritage listing sparked nationalist fervor on each side.

No civilians have so far been killed or injured in the small skirmishes that have since erupted, and some villagers said this week they were reluctant to leave.

“I’m very sorry that authorities plan to move my house,” said On Narith, a 40-year-old from Kor Muy village. “We don’t agree to leave our home in the village because we have real farmland, a house and a business. In the new location, we’ll remove our house and we will lose our money, and it is difficult to find a new job as well.”

Fellow villager Horn Meng Chu, 45, said she would leave her house at Kor Muy if she is paid proper compensation, “because it is in the national interest.”

“We struggled to demine for an orchard of fruit trees until we had fruit to eat,” she said. “It is not an easy thing.”

She asked that Prime Minister Hun Sen help them succeed in the new place.

“If Hun Sen does not help us in Kor Muy village,” she said, “we will fail.”

Villagers Near Preah Vihear Temple To Be Moved

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
01 May 2009

Authorities in Preah Vihear province are preparing to move more than 700 families away from the ancient Preah Vihear temple, the site of a continued border standoff between Cambodia and Thailand that has seen violence and the destruction of civilian property.
Officials said the move was to help conserve the area, where the temple has been named a Unesco World Heritage site, and to make way for the development of a resort there.

Areas within 20 kilometers of the 11th Century temple will be off limits to individuals, and those families now living near the site will be moved to a nearby area called Sros Kdol, in Chaom Khsan district.

Around 300 families live in a market area near the temple that was completely destroyed in mortar fire during a border clash between soldiers along the contested border. Another 400 families live in a small town at the base of the Preah Vihear temple escarpment.

The Sros Kdol area is clear of landmines and has sufficient water and agricultural land, where it is hoped people will live in more security than they currently have.

“We cannot allow people living in the Unesco conservative area of Preah Vihear temple, in order to maintain and protect the World Heritage and the natural environment around the temple,” Preah Vihear Governor Preab Tann told VOA Khmer Friday.

The operation is being undertaken via royal decree, which establishes zones for protection, including areas around the temple, the mountain and the surrounding landscape, he said.

Cambodia and Thailand remain at odds over a small stretch of land near the temple, with each side using a different map to demarcate the border. Troops have been stationed along the border since July 2008, when the temple’s World Heritage listing sparked nationalist fervor on each side.

No civilians have so far been killed or injured in the small skirmishes that have since erupted, and some villagers said this week they were reluctant to leave.

“I’m very sorry that authorities plan to move my house,” said On Narith, a 40-year-old from Kor Muy village. “We don’t agree to leave our home in the village because we have real farmland, a house and a business. In the new location, we’ll remove our house and we will lose our money, and it is difficult to find a new job as well.”

Fellow villager Horn Meng Chu, 45, said she would leave her house at Kor Muy if she is paid proper compensation, “because it is in the national interest.”

“We struggled to demine for an orchard of fruit trees until we had fruit to eat,” she said. “It is not an easy thing.”

She asked that Prime Minister Hun Sen help them succeed in the new place.

“If Hun Sen does not help us in Kor Muy village,” she said, “we will fail.”

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Cambodian hip-hop dance troupe started by ex-gang member plans local fundraiser

KK (Tuy Sobil) keeps an eye on breakdancers at Korsang, a center for returnees, in Phonm Penh, Cambodia, on February 13, 2008. (Jeff Gritchen / Staff Photographer)

04/30/2009
By Greg Mellen, Staff Writer
Long Beach Press Telegram (California, USA)

Want to go?

• What: Hip-hop community event featuring Cambodian break dancers
• When: Sunday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Where: Chuco's Justice Center, 1137 E. Redondo Blvd., Inglewood
• Admission: $5 - $10 donation requested

LONG BEACH - When Tuy Sobil, better known as KK, started teaching children and teens in the slums of Cambodia how to break dance, he couldn't have foreseen all this.

A former Crips gang member from Long Beach, who was deported to Cambodia in 2004 after serving time for armed robbery, KK was still coming to grips with his own travails when word spread in Phnom Penh that he was a talented breaker.
After turning down initial pleas by kids to teach his technique, KK relented and Tiny Toones was born.

The goal was to "provide a safe, positive environment for at-risk youth to channel their energy and creativity into the arts and education" and away from the rampant drugs, gangs and criminal activity that infect the streets.

From meager beginnings, Tiny Toones has enjoyed rapid growth and become something of a media phenomenon.

The group has a drop-in center in Phnom Penh and offers educational and social services to needy kids.

Now Tiny Toones has gone global.

And a half-dozen dancers and a rapper are getting a chance of a lifetime.

On Sunday, the Tiny Toones crew concludes a U.S. tour as headliners at a hip-hop community fund-raiser in Inglewood. The event will also feature a live video conference from Cambodia with KK, who is barred from returning to the United States.

However, his dancers were granted visas and have spent the last two weeks traveling the United States, competing in hip-hop battles and packing in a lifetime of experiences that were once unimaginable.

Organizers had hoped to stage the event in Long Beach but ran into complications.

Those who can't make it to Inglewood can meet Tiny Toones at noon Sunday at Cesar Chavez Park, 401 Golden Ave. where a hip-hop/reggae community picnic will be staged with DJs, graffiti artists, b-boys, drum circles, fire dancers, and other artists.

The members of Tiny Toones may wear sideways ball caps, baggy clothes and strike American urban poses, but "Suicide," "T-Boy," "Diamond," "Fresh," "Honey, "Sokha" and "K-Dep" are pure Cambodian.

Dara Chan, a grad student and child of Cambodian immigrants, spearheaded the effort to get Tiny Toones to the U.S.

He said he was "blown away," when he saw the Cambodian crew perform.

Although the dancers, who range in age from 16 to 23, have only been at it for a couple of years, Chan says "they really pushed themselves. They created a really original show."

The routine begins as a traditional Cambodian "Monkey Dance," before transforming into a modern and urban interpretation of the classic tale.

Chan says he has been amazed at the love and welcome the Cambodian crew has received.

The idea of bringing Tiny Toones began with an invitation to an annual international dance battle called "Breakin' the Law," sponsored by the University of Wisconsin as part of its Hip Hop as a Movement week.

After strings were pulled and letters of support from numerous charities and law firms written, the Tiny Toones kids were granted visas.

Chan said efforts to get a temporary waiver for KK were unsuccessful.

After the show in Wisconsin, Tiny Toones traveled to New York, Philadelphia and Seattle. They return home after Sunday's performance.

In addition to Tiny Toones, the event will include art demonstrations and workshops, live graffiti and silk screening and performances by dancers, rappers, spoken word artists and DJs.

June Kaeswith, a student at Cal State Long Beach, organized the event.

"We want to bring back what hip-hop was originally about, which is peace, love, unity, having fun and knowledge," Kaeswith says. "This event is to revive that."

Information about the events is available by e-mail at jumakae@gmail.com. Information about Tiny Toones can be found online at www.tinytoonescambodia.com.

$4 million from Japan to sustain corruption at the Cambodian side of the ECCC

Japan donates $4 million to Khmer Rouge tribunal

Friday, May 01, 2009
By SOPHENG CHEANG

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Japan has donated $4.17 million to the U.N.-backed genocide tribunal trying former Khmer Rouge leaders on war crimes charges, just as the troubled court was running out of funding, a court official said Friday.
The money will be used to offset a salary shortfall for 251 court staffers until at least the end of the year, tribunal spokesman Reach Sambath said. The court has been troubled by political wrangling and allegations that some Cambodian officials were demanding kickbacks from people trying to secure jobs with it.

The tribunal is tasked with seeking justice for atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge during their four years in power in the late 1970s. An estimated 1.7 million Cambodians died under the radically communist regime from forced labor, starvation, medical neglect and executions.

"The donation arrived on time since the Cambodian side of the court was running out of budget. We really appreciate what the Japanese government has done," Reach Sambath said.

The donation comes as Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, is being tried by the tribunal for crimes against humanity, war crimes, murder and torture.

The 66-year-old Duch (pronounced Doik) commanded the Phnom Penh prison, where as many as 16,000 men, women and children are believed to have been tortured before being sent to their deaths. Only a handful survived.

Four other former Khmer Rouge leaders, aging and infirm, are being held for trial on charges of crimes against humanity and war atrocities. The are likely to be tried in the next year or two.

The tribunal operates under the joint administration of Cambodia and the U.N., which have separate budgets. In January, Japan gave $21 million to the U.N. side of the operation.

In March, Japan donated $200,000 to the Cambodian side for that month's payroll.

"Japan places a great emphasis on the progress of the Khmer Rouge tribunal, as it believes that this process will promote peace, democracy, the rule of law and good governance in Cambodia," a statement from the Japanese Embassy said.

Cambodian hip-hop dance troupe started by ex-gang member plans local fundraiser

KK (Tuy Sobil) keeps an eye on breakdancers at Korsang, a center for returnees, in Phonm Penh, Cambodia, on February 13, 2008. (Jeff Gritchen / Staff Photographer)

04/30/2009
By Greg Mellen, Staff Writer
Long Beach Press Telegram (California, USA)

Want to go?

• What: Hip-hop community event featuring Cambodian break dancers
• When: Sunday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Where: Chuco's Justice Center, 1137 E. Redondo Blvd., Inglewood
• Admission: $5 - $10 donation requested

LONG BEACH - When Tuy Sobil, better known as KK, started teaching children and teens in the slums of Cambodia how to break dance, he couldn't have foreseen all this.

A former Crips gang member from Long Beach, who was deported to Cambodia in 2004 after serving time for armed robbery, KK was still coming to grips with his own travails when word spread in Phnom Penh that he was a talented breaker.
After turning down initial pleas by kids to teach his technique, KK relented and Tiny Toones was born.

The goal was to "provide a safe, positive environment for at-risk youth to channel their energy and creativity into the arts and education" and away from the rampant drugs, gangs and criminal activity that infect the streets.

From meager beginnings, Tiny Toones has enjoyed rapid growth and become something of a media phenomenon.

The group has a drop-in center in Phnom Penh and offers educational and social services to needy kids.

Now Tiny Toones has gone global.

And a half-dozen dancers and a rapper are getting a chance of a lifetime.

On Sunday, the Tiny Toones crew concludes a U.S. tour as headliners at a hip-hop community fund-raiser in Inglewood. The event will also feature a live video conference from Cambodia with KK, who is barred from returning to the United States.

However, his dancers were granted visas and have spent the last two weeks traveling the United States, competing in hip-hop battles and packing in a lifetime of experiences that were once unimaginable.

Organizers had hoped to stage the event in Long Beach but ran into complications.

Those who can't make it to Inglewood can meet Tiny Toones at noon Sunday at Cesar Chavez Park, 401 Golden Ave. where a hip-hop/reggae community picnic will be staged with DJs, graffiti artists, b-boys, drum circles, fire dancers, and other artists.

The members of Tiny Toones may wear sideways ball caps, baggy clothes and strike American urban poses, but "Suicide," "T-Boy," "Diamond," "Fresh," "Honey, "Sokha" and "K-Dep" are pure Cambodian.

Dara Chan, a grad student and child of Cambodian immigrants, spearheaded the effort to get Tiny Toones to the U.S.

He said he was "blown away," when he saw the Cambodian crew perform.

Although the dancers, who range in age from 16 to 23, have only been at it for a couple of years, Chan says "they really pushed themselves. They created a really original show."

The routine begins as a traditional Cambodian "Monkey Dance," before transforming into a modern and urban interpretation of the classic tale.

Chan says he has been amazed at the love and welcome the Cambodian crew has received.

The idea of bringing Tiny Toones began with an invitation to an annual international dance battle called "Breakin' the Law," sponsored by the University of Wisconsin as part of its Hip Hop as a Movement week.

After strings were pulled and letters of support from numerous charities and law firms written, the Tiny Toones kids were granted visas.

Chan said efforts to get a temporary waiver for KK were unsuccessful.

After the show in Wisconsin, Tiny Toones traveled to New York, Philadelphia and Seattle. They return home after Sunday's performance.

In addition to Tiny Toones, the event will include art demonstrations and workshops, live graffiti and silk screening and performances by dancers, rappers, spoken word artists and DJs.

June Kaeswith, a student at Cal State Long Beach, organized the event.

"We want to bring back what hip-hop was originally about, which is peace, love, unity, having fun and knowledge," Kaeswith says. "This event is to revive that."

Information about the events is available by e-mail at jumakae@gmail.com. Information about Tiny Toones can be found online at www.tinytoonescambodia.com.

Marking World Labor Day in Phnom Penh

ldCambodian garment workers hold banners as they march on the street to mark World Labor Day in Phnom Penh May 1, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Cambodian garment workers hold banners as they march on the street to mark World Labor Day in Phnom Penh May 1, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodian garment workers hold banners as they march on the street to mark World Labor Day in Phnom Penh May 1, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodian garment workers hold banners as they march on the street to mark World Labor Day in Phnom Penh May 1, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodian garment workers hold banners as they march on the street to mark World Labor Day in Phnom Penh May 1, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodian garment workers hold banners as they march on the street to mark World Labor Day in Phnom Penh May 1, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodian garment workers hold their national flags as they march on the street to mark World Labor Day in Phnom Penh May 1, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodian garment factory workers hold banners while attending May Day celebrations in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Friday, May 1, 2009. Hundreds of Cambodian garment factory workers walk on the street in Phnom Penh to mark May Day celebrations, asking the government to enhance the minimum wage and their working condition. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
Cambodian garment factory workers hold banners while attending May Day celebrations in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Friday, May 1, 2009. Hundreds of Cambodian garment factory workers walk on the street in Phnom Penh to mark May Day celebrations, asking the government to enhance the minimum wage and their working condition. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
Cambodian garment factory workers stand under banners while attending May Day celebrations in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Friday, May 1, 2009. Hundreds of Cambodian garment factory workers walk on the street in Phnom Penh to mark May Day celebrations, asking the government to enhance the minimum wage and their working condition. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
Cambodian garment factory workers march on the street to mark May Day celebrations in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Friday, May 1, 2009. Hundreds of Cambodian garment factory workers walk on the street in Phnom Penh to mark May Day celebrations, asking the government to enhance the minimum wage and their working condition. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Marking World Labor Day in Phnom Penh

ldCambodian garment workers hold banners as they march on the street to mark World Labor Day in Phnom Penh May 1, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Cambodian garment workers hold banners as they march on the street to mark World Labor Day in Phnom Penh May 1, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodian garment workers hold banners as they march on the street to mark World Labor Day in Phnom Penh May 1, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodian garment workers hold banners as they march on the street to mark World Labor Day in Phnom Penh May 1, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodian garment workers hold banners as they march on the street to mark World Labor Day in Phnom Penh May 1, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodian garment workers hold banners as they march on the street to mark World Labor Day in Phnom Penh May 1, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodian garment workers hold their national flags as they march on the street to mark World Labor Day in Phnom Penh May 1, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodian garment factory workers hold banners while attending May Day celebrations in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Friday, May 1, 2009. Hundreds of Cambodian garment factory workers walk on the street in Phnom Penh to mark May Day celebrations, asking the government to enhance the minimum wage and their working condition. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
Cambodian garment factory workers hold banners while attending May Day celebrations in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Friday, May 1, 2009. Hundreds of Cambodian garment factory workers walk on the street in Phnom Penh to mark May Day celebrations, asking the government to enhance the minimum wage and their working condition. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
Cambodian garment factory workers stand under banners while attending May Day celebrations in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Friday, May 1, 2009. Hundreds of Cambodian garment factory workers walk on the street in Phnom Penh to mark May Day celebrations, asking the government to enhance the minimum wage and their working condition. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
Cambodian garment factory workers march on the street to mark May Day celebrations in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Friday, May 1, 2009. Hundreds of Cambodian garment factory workers walk on the street in Phnom Penh to mark May Day celebrations, asking the government to enhance the minimum wage and their working condition. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)