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NAGARA แฟชั่นโชว์ Elle Fashion Week 2009

2009-10-31T05:56:00.000-07:00

NAGARA ; EFW’09
นคร สัมพันธารักษ์ ดีไซเนอร์แบรนด์ Nagara เตรียมคอลเล็กชั่นพิเศษสำหรับโชว์บนแคทวอล์คในงาน ELLE Fashion Week ด้วยการรวบรวมทีมดีไซเนอร์ระดับท็อปมาออกแบบคอลเล็กชั่น

Nagara Elle Fashion Week 2009

โดยอาศัยพลังความคิดสร้างสรรค์มาจากรูปร่างที่สวยงาม และ สีสันของขนนกยูง นอกจากนี้ ยังมีการนำเอาเทคนิคใหม่ เช่น การใช้วัสดุใหม่ๆ มาปักร้อยลงบนผ้าไหมและผ้ายืด เพื่อสร้างความเป็นเอกลักษณ์ให้กับผืนผ้า

Thai Supermodel Contest

2009-10-31T05:46:00.000-07:00

ไทยซูเปอร์โมเดล คอนเทสต์ 2009

เปิดตัว 20 นางแบบ ดาวรุ่ง รวมมืออาชีพ แห่งวงการ แฟชั่น

“ไทยซูเปอร์โมเดลคอนเทสต์ 2009” โชว์เต็มรูปแบบครั้งแรก-เปิดตัว 20 นางแบบดาวรุ่งรวมมืออาชีพแห่งวงการแฟชั่น ตัดสินตำแหน่ง Editors’ Choice พร้อมประกาศผล 2 ตำแหน่งพิเศษจาก แพนทีน และ กิฟฟารีน

สถานีโทรทัศน์สีกองทัพบกช่อง 7 โดย คุณพลากร สมสุวรรณ ผู้จัดการฝ่ายรายการ และ ผลิตภัณฑ์สก๊อต ชูการ์ ฟรี ผสานมือ 4 ผู้สนับสนุนหลัก ได้แก่ ผลิตภัณฑ์บำรุงผมแพนทีน ผลิตภัณฑ์กิฟฟารีน ผลิตภัณฑ์นีเวียบอดี้ ยูวี ไวท์ รีแพร์ และ โรงแรมโซฟิเทล เซ็นทารา แกรนด์ กรุงเทพฯ เปิดตัว 20 นางแบบดาวรุ่งที่ผ่านเข้าสู่รอบสุดท้าย “ไทยซูเปอร์โมเดลคอนเทสต์ 2009” และหนูน้อยหรรษา Happy Kids ทั้ง 15 คู่ ด้วยแฟชั่นโชว์เต็มรูปแบบครั้งแรก โดยรวมมืออาชีพแห่งวงการแฟชั่นเมืองไทย ร่วมตัดสินตำแหน่ง Editors’ Choice พร้อมประกาศผล 2 ตำแหน่งพิเศษ ได้แก่ สาวผมสวยสุขภาพดี โดย ผลิตภัณฑ์บำรุงผม แพนทีน และ Giffarine Most Beautiful Skin Model เมื่อวันพฤหัสบดีที่ 22 ตุลาคม ที่ผ่านมา ณ โรงแรมโซฟิเทล เซ็นทารา แกรนด์ กรุงเทพฯ

คุณพลากร สมสุวรรณ ผู้จัดการฝ่ายรายการ สถานีโทรทัศน์สีกองทัพบกช่อง 7 ในฐานะประธานกรรมการดำเนินงานจัดการประกวด ไทยซูเปอร์โมเดลคอนเทสต์ 2009 เปิดเผยว่า “ไทยซูเปอร์โมเดลคอนเทสต์ จัดขึ้นเป็นครั้งที่ 8 ติดต่อกัน โดยมีเป้าหมายหลักเพื่อค้นหานางแบบหน้าใหม่มาประดับวงการแฟชั่นเมืองไทย และยังส่งเสริมให้มีโอกาสก้าวสู่เวทีนางแบบระดับสากล สิ่งที่น่ายินดีและน่าภูมิใจ คือ ไทยซูเปอร์โมเดล ทุกคน รวมไปถึงผู้ผ่านการประกวดจากเวทีนี้ ได้ทำงานบนแคทวอล์กตามที่ทุกคนใฝ่ฝัน บางคนได้ก้าวสู่อาชีพนักแสดง บางคนได้สังกัดโมเดลลิ่งต่างประเทศ จึงถือได้ว่าเวทีนี้สามารถค้นหานางแบบหน้าใหม่ได้สำเร็จตรงตามเป้าหมาย”

“ในปีนี้ เริ่มรับสมัครตั้งแต่เดือนกันยายน รวมจำนวนผู้สมัครทั้งสิ้น 1,156 คน และคัดเลือกผู้เข้ารอบไว้ 20 คน เมื่อวันที่ 27 กันยายน ที่ผ่านมา ซึ่งกองประกวดฯ เตรียมความพร้อมในทุกๆ ด้านสำหรับการทำงานในระดับนางแบบมืออาชีพ เราเชิญผู้เชี่ยวชาญในวงการแฟชั่นมาเป็นผู้ฝึกสอนและถ่ายทอดประสบการณ์ในการ ทำงานให้แก่ ผู้เข้าประกวดทั้ง 20 คน ที่สำคัญในปีนี้ กองประกวดฯ เปิดโอกาสให้นางแบบหน้าใหม่ ทุกคนได้สร้างสรรค์ตกแต่งเสื้อผ้าในแนวคิด รีไซเคิลแฟชั่น ตามแบบฉบับของตนเอง โดยมี Guest Stylist เป็นผู้ให้คำปรึกษา และจะนำไปร่วมแสดงบนเวทีประกวดในรอบตัดสิน”

“สำหรับในวันนี้ กองประกวดฯ จะเปิดตัวนางแบบที่ผ่านเข้ารอบบนเวทีแฟชั่นโชว์อย่างเต็มรูปแบบครั้งแรก โดยผู้เข้าประกวดไทยซูเปอร์โมเดลคอนเทสต์ 2009 จะปรากฏตัวด้วยเครื่องแต่งกายจาก Tube Gallery รองเท้าจาก Vincci พร้อมจัดให้มีการตัดสิน 2 ตำแหน่งพิเศษ ได้แก่ Editors’ Choice ซึ่งคัดเลือกโดยคณะกรรมที่เป็นผู้เชี่ยวชาญในแวดวงแฟชั่น บรรณาธิการนิตยสาร บรรณาธิการแฟชั่น สไตล์ลิสต์ และช่างภาพแฟชั่น รวมถึงตำแหน่งผมสวยสุขภาพดี โดยผลิตภัณฑ์บำรุงผมแพนทีน และ Giffarine Most Beautiful Skin Model อีกด้วย” คุณพลากร กล่าว

โดยผลการตัดสินปรากฏว่า ตำแหน่ง “Editors’ Choice” ได้แก่ หมายเลข 18 สกาวรัตน์ ครุยทอง จะได้รับเงินรางวัล 30,000 บาท กรมธรรม์ประกันอุบัติเหตุส่วนบุคคล จาก บริษัท เมืองไทยประกันชีวิต จำกัด ด้วยทุนประกัน 5 แสนบาท นาฬิกา Baby-G รุ่น MSG-163C-4DR พร้อมผลิตภัณฑ์จากผู้สนับสนุนต่างๆ ใช้ตลอดปี ส่วนตำแหน่ง “สาวผมสวยสุขภาพดี โดยผลิตภัณฑ์บำรุงผม แพนทีน” ได้แก่ หมายเลข 7 วิรัญญา ขำสุวรรณ จะได้รับเงินรางวัล 30,000 บาท พร้อมผลิตภัณฑ์บำรุงผมแพนทีน ใช้ตลอดปี ในขณะที่ตำแหน่ง “Giffarine Most Beautiful Skin Model” ได้แก่ หมายเลข 20 สคราญกมล อุทัยศรี จะได้รับเงินรางวัล 30,000 บาท พร้อมผลิตภัณฑ์กิฟฟารีน ใช้ฟรีตลอดปี

ก่อนหน้านี้ กองประกวด ได้ประกาศผลตำแหน่งพิเศษ Scotch Sugar Free Body Perfect ไปแล้ว ซึ่งผู้ได้รับตำแหน่งคือ หมายเลข 1 นางสาวจรัมพร สันธิศิริ รับเงินรางวัล 30,000 บาท พร้อมผลิตภัณฑ์รังนกสำเร็จรูป สูตรไม่มีน้ำตาล ตรา สก๊อต (สก๊อต ชูการ์ ฟรี) ดื่มตลอดปี

คุณพลากร สมสุวรรณ กล่าวเพิ่มเติมว่า “นอกจากการคัดเลือกนางแบบแล้ว ในปีนี้ยังจัดให้มีการค้นหา หนูน้อยหรรษา Happy Kids เพื่อนคู่หู หรือคู่พี่น้อง ที่มีความน่ารักสดใส อายุระหว่าง 5-10 ปี ซึ่งเปิดรับสมัครและคัดเลือกแล้วเมื่อวันเสาร์ที่ 3 ตุลาคม ที่ผ่านมา มีผู้สมัครถึง 1,112 คู่ คัดเลือกไว้ 15 คู่ โดยในวันนี้จะนำเสนอความน่ารักสดใสด้วยเครื่องแต่งกายจาก ซีพีเอส โฟร์ ทเวลฟ์ (CPS 4/12)”

       “รอบตัดสิน ไทยซูเปอร์โมเดลคอนเทสต์ 2009 กำหนดให้มีขึ้นในวันศุกร์ที่ 30 ตุลาคม 2552 ณ ห้องบางกอกคอนเวนชันเซ็นเตอร์ ชั้น 5 เซ็นทรัลพลาซา ลาดพร้าว ช่อง 7 สี ถ่ายทอดการประกวด ตั้งแต่เวลา 22.30 น. เป็นต้นไป โดยศิลปินรับเชิญในปีนี้ประกอบด้วย K-OTIC วงไทยเทเนียม มิ้นท์-อรรถวดี จิรมณีกุล รวมถึง ไทยซูเปอร์โมเดล ตั้งแต่ปี 2002 ถึงปัจจุบันให้เกียรติมาร่วมงานด้วย” คุณพลากร กล่าวปิดท้าย

      สำหรับผู้ชนะเลิศตำแหน่ง ไทยซูเปอร์โมเดล 2009 จะได้รับเงินรางวัล 300,000 บาท รถยนต์ TOYOTA ALTIS รุ่น 1.6 G A/T กรมธรรม์ประกันอุบัติเหตุส่วนบุคคล จาก บริษัท เมืองไทยประกันชีวิต จำกัด ด้วยทุนประกัน 1 ล้านบาท นาฬิกา Baby-G รุ่น MSG-301C-4BDR มูลค่า 6,500 บาท 1 เรือน พร้อมของรางวัลจากผู้สนับสนุนต่างๆ ใช้ตลอดปี ส่วนตำแหน่ง Photogenic Model จะได้รับเงินรางวัล 30,000 บาท บาท กรมธรรม์ประกันอุบัติเหตุส่วนบุคคล จาก บริษัท เมืองไทยประกันชีวิต จำกัด ด้วยทุนประกัน 5 แสนบาท นาฬิกา Baby-G รุ่น MSG-163C-4DR พร้อมผลิตภัณฑ์จากผู้สนับสนุนต่างๆ ใช้ตลอดปี

     ในขณะที่ หนูน้อยหรรษา Happy Kids จะได้รับทุนการศึกษา มูลค่า 30,000 บาท ทุนส่งเสริมกิจกรรมพิเศษด้านกีฬา สนับสนุนโดย Fisho มูลค่า 20,000 บาท พร้อมผลิตภัณฑ์รับประทานตลอดปี Casio Baby-G มอบนาฬิกา Baby-G รุ่น BG-3003V-3DR และ รุ่น BG-3003V-4DR รวม 2 รางวัล

     ไทยซูเปอร์โมเดลคอนเทสต์ จัดขึ้นเป็นปีที่ 8 ติดต่อกัน นับตั้งแต่ปี 2002 เป็นต้นมา ซึ่งมีเป้าหมายชัดเจนที่จะค้นหานางแบบหน้าใหม่มาประดับแคทวอล์กเมืองไทย โดยมี วรัญญา กิจวัฒนะ / ณัฐนันทร์ โกรฟ / เขมนิจ จามิกรณ์ / วรวรรณ ชันกิ่ง / พิชญ์สินี ตันวิบูลย์ / ปัณฑิตา ภูวิจารย์ เคาวเวลล์ และ ศุจินทรา โสตถิวันวงศ์ ได้รับตำแหน่ง ไทยซูเปอร์โมเดล 2002-2008 ตามลำดับ

Thai Supermodel Contest 2009

2009-10-31T05:38:00.000-07:00

น้องแพร มณฑิรา เปี่ยมรัตนวงศ์ คว้าตำแหน่งชนะเลิศ

Thai Supermodel Contest 2009

รู้ผลแล้ว สำหรับรอบตัดสิน Thai Supermodel Contest 2009 โดยนางแบบสาวหุ่นดี ที่คว้ารางวัลชนะเลิศในปีนี้ไปครอง ได้แก่ น้องแพร มณฑิรา เปี่ยมรัตนวงศ์ อายุ 18 ปี มาติดตามชมภาพบรรยากาศ งานตัดสินในค่ำคืนนี้กันเลยค่ะ

น้องแพร มณฑิรา เปี่ยมรัตนวงศ์

รางวัล Editors's Choice

รางวัล Photogenic Model

รางวัล หนูน้อยหรรษา Happy Kids 2009

คุณ พิมล บัวเพชร Digital Content Manager / www.mthai.com มอบรางวัลแก่ 9 นางแบบสาว

ที่จะเป็นตัวแทน ร่วมประกวด The Asia pacific Supermodel Contest 2009

9 นางแบบสาว ที่จะเป็นตัวแทน ร่วมประกวด The Asia pacific Supermodel Contest 2009

โดยมี www.mthai.com เป็นผู้ส่งเข้าประกวด

บรรยากาศ การประกวด

การแสดแด๊นซ์สตรีท

โชว์จาก ศิลปิน KOTIC

พิธีกรในงาน

สาวๆนางแบบ เดินโชว์

การแสดงจาก ไทเทเนี่ยม

สาวๆนางแบบ เดินโชว์

Supermodel รุ่นพี่ๆ มาร่วมเดินแฟชั่นโชว์

Thailand to return seized Cambodian artefacts

2009-10-31T01:00:00.000-07:00

Thailand to return seized Cambodian artefacts

By The Nation
Published on February 25, 2009

The Cabinet yesterday agreed to return seven artefacts to Cambodia in a yet to be scheduled handover ceremony.

Fine Arts Department director-general Kriangkrai Sampatchalit said yesterday that the other 36 items wanted by Cambodia could not yet be returned because more evidence was needed to prove their origin.

"Once more evidence is provided to us, the department will identify and verify these [36] items," he added.

The sandstone artefacts to be returned are an 86-centimetre bust of a goddess and six of demons varying in height from 60cm to 81cm. The busts date back to the 18th century and some are cracked or damaged.

Culture Minister Teera Slukpetch said the artefacts had been intercepted by customs in Samut Prakan province in May 2000, while they were being smuggled into Thailand in sea-freight cargo. They have since been in the custody of the Fine Arts Department pending completion of legal and customs procedures.

There are no details over whether anybody was arrested.

The items will be put on display at the National Museum from today before they are handed over. The Fine Arts Department's permanent secretary Weera Rojphojjanarat said it had not been decided if Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen would be invited to the handover ceremony.

The Culture and Foreign Ministries of both countries are working on diplomatic protocol to have the artefacts returned to Cambodia as soon as possible, reportedly as a sign of goodwill aimed at strengthening bilateral relations that have soured after the Phrea Vihear dispute.

Kriangkrai said the department was pursuing some 100 artefacts of Thai heritage that have reportedly surfaced in other countries.

at 8:20 AM

Khmer-language radio programs for Chams in the works

2009-10-31T00:58:00.000-07:00

Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN
A Cham muslim queues up at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal last week.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Khouth Sophak Chakrya
Tuesday, 24 February 2009

President of Muslim development foundation says deal with Malay nonprofit group will bring programming on-air by July.

THE president of the Cambodian Muslim Development Foundation (CMDF) said Monday that his organisation was cooperating with a nonprofit organisation based in Malaysia to produce Khmer-language radio programming geared towards the Cham community that could begin airing as soon as July.

CMDF President Othsman Hassan said the programming would include music as well as news reports on Cham culture and other slots on more general issues such as education and health.

He said the Malaysian organisation, Yayasan Salam, would send experts to the Kingdom in the next few months to train Cambodian Muslim staffers.

He said he has contacted three local radio stations, adding that he hopes to begin broadcasting with Bayon Radio on a trial basis in July.

"We plan to pay [US$40,000] to broadcast our programs in the first year on one station, and we plan to pay $60,000 to expand to two stations in the second year," said Othsman Hassan, who is also a secretary of state at the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training. The second station will be Radio Phnom Penh, he said.

The programming will also include a focus on Malaysia, including news on the Malaysian economy, Muslim culture in Malaysia and the situation of Cambodian workers who have migrated there.

Othsman Hassan said Malaysian programming would appeal to the local Cham community because of the strong ties between the two countries.

But he also said he hopes aspects of the programming would appeal to "all people in Cambodia".

An untapped marketed

Sles Nazy, program director of Radio Sap Cham, a Cham-language radio station, said he hopes Othsman Hassan will be successful in broadcasting news about Cambodian Muslims throughout the country.

His own station was founded in 2004 but did not reach all 24 provinces and municipalities until early 2008.

Sos Kamry, the grand mufti of Cambodia, said Khmer-language programming geared toward the local Cham population would fill an untapped market niche.

He said he believed that Othsman Hassan would get his project up and running soon.

But Ahmad Yahya, the president of Cambodia Muslim Community Development and the founder of Radio Sap Cham, said Othsman Hassan previously said the programming would launch in 2008 and had therefore failed to deliver on time.

at 12:49 AM

Semalam. Hari ini. Esok

2009-10-31T00:26:00.000-07:00

gambar diedit menggunakan curve > image adjustment dalam photoshop cs4 utk menggelapkan sikit gambar yang over exposure. Hargailah matahari anda.

Jemaah kini sudah mulai membanjiri persekitaran masjidilharam.

Gambar yang diambil dari tepi bukit Safa (Kawasan Saie), sebelum tiba-tiba ada beberapa polis lalu ditepi. Fuh! Mencabar betul.

Encik Zainuddin seorang Chef yang dilahirkan di Kuala Berang, Terengganu. Kini memasak di tepi Masjidilharam. Gordon Ramsey pon dengki kalau dia tahu.

3 Orang abam dari Pakistan sedang berehat memerhatikan mas'a (tempat saie) yang kini telah diperbesarkan dan dipertingkatkan kemudahan. Sangat selesa. Macam highway Utara Selatan.
Jika aku dikurniakan lensa wide angle, pasti lebih cantik gambar ini. Tapi apapun, 35mm memang best.

Pakcik2 dari India, Pakistan dan Bangladesh sudah mula memenuhi bumi Makkah.

Pakcik ini sebenarnya adalah anak kepada ayah dia.

Pakcik ini memberikan renungan tajam. Takut2 aku publish gambar dia dalam majalah mingguan wanita.

Fly over yang menghubungkan Malawi dan Jarwal. Dibawahnya terdapat bulatan 'gila'.

Untuk Uncle. Saya sudah tidak perlu bersusah payah ke Jepun. Jepun hanya di tepi rumah saya.

"Yang, janganlah merajuk. Muka U kalau merajuk, macam burung." "#$%&*!"

Mauqif Sayyarah Hujun. Tempat letak kereta bernama Hujun.

Menara Masjid Jin.

Gambar2 diatas diambil ketika aku dalam perjalanan pulang kelmarin. Banyak sangat fenomena dan moment yang cantik untuk aku abadikan di dalam D80 ini. Cuma.. takut. Sejak mula terjebak dengan fotografi ini, aku mulai menghargai cahaya, komposisi, perkara pelik, dan masa. Bagi aku, setiap perkara sangat berharga dan jika boleh, ingin aku abadikan di dalam kamera.

Semalam. Semalam kami (Persatuan Pelajar Makkah) mengadakan Kursus Haji bersiri yang disampaikan oleh kawan aku, si Tuan Bad. Ustaz Man bertanya, kenapa aku tidak kedepan? sedangkan akulah yang sepatutnya memberikan kursus dan ceramah. Jawapan aku ialah, aku tidak dikurniakan bakat untuk berceramah dan bersyarah. Untuk sembang, itu memang tugas aku. Tapi, untuk mengendalikan beberapa siri ceramah berat, aku tak mampu. Mungkin masanya belum lagi tiba. Benar, expectation orang sangat tinggi jika anda seorang pelajar dari Umm alQura. Orang tetap memanggil anda 'ustaz' walaupun anda cuma boleh ingat 3 Qul sahaja. Bagi aku, siri haji adalah satu tanggungjawab yang besar untuk dilaksanakan penerangannya. Tuan Bad adalah orang selayaknya dalam membicarakan dan menyampaikan amanat ini. Tak salah orang lebih muda dari kita ke depan dan memberikan ilmu pengetahuan kerana kita sangat jahil dan 'bodoh'.

Tentang siri semalam, terima kasih di atas sambutan dan sokongan yang diberikan. Walaupun aku tak terlibat dalam pengendalian serta persiapan, tapi aku berbangga dengan komitmen dari anda semua. Gambar2, mungkin diupload di Facebook sahaja. Nanti pulak sambung. Waseem berak!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

en route to Makkah 2

Sampel buku yang boleh dibeli di Muzium Kesenian Islam. Entah berapa tak tahu diorang jual. Mungkin 20,300 ribu ringgit kot? hahaha.

kata2 penghargaan dari Syed Muhammad AlBukhary. Rasa dihargai betol.

an evening in arafah. my 35mm

Serius, gambar2 kawin yang saya ambil ini, saya langsung tidak mengenali apakah nama pengantin lelaki mahupun perempuan. Apatah lagi ingin ambil tahu mengenai kegemaran dan hobi masing-masing. Cumanya saya menjadi photographer bidang terjun untuk seketika sebelum jurukamera yang diupah datang. Sebab itulah, saya tak hantar langsung gambar ini kepada mereka. Tapi insya allah nanti saya akan cari cara untuk menghantar gambar2 ini kepada mereka. Mereka mesti ingin melihat gambar2 yang saya ambil.

Gambar diambil di Kampung Bendang Raja, Pendang, Kedah Darul Aman ketika raya baru2 ini. Raya keempat kalau tak silap.

Perkahwinan bukanlah satu perkara main-main dan menyeronokkan. Cuma jika kena gayanya, agak menenangkan dan memeriahkan hati.

Perkahwinan menjadikan anda mempelajari segala perkara baru dalam hidup. Nahas jika anda belum puas lagi menjadi muda-mudi. Banyak perkara yang kebanyakan ketika bujang kita sentiasa lakukan, tak boleh dilakukan ketika menjadi suami orang. Apatah lagi menjadi ayah kepada seorang budak kecil.

Hakikat perkahwinan memang mengikut sunnah Rasulullah S.A.W. Nanti sambung. Publish dulu.

Gambar2 sekitar Pameran di Muzium Kesenian Islam, Kuala Lumpur.

cari mana waseem.

Jutaan terima kasih kepada Kak Nurul atas kiriman gambar2 ini. Nanti aku upload lagi gambar dan cerita lain.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Kursus Haji

model : Asnawi Ismail
lokasi : Masjid Namirah, Arafah.

Masa semakin suntuk. Hari semakin menipis. Esok belum tentu tiba lagi. Ayuh kuatkan dirimu ke program kursus haji 2009. Apa2 hal pon, teponlah dulu hotline tuh. Takut tempat penuh ker, program bertukar ker, kena bawak makanan ker apa2lah. Insya allah kalo takdak masalah, aku akan berada di sana.

Petugas hotline : alFadil Syeikh Falahuddin alFandani. (ambik hang. Yang jawab tepon tu satgi syeikh tu. Jangan lupa bagi salam dulu)

Haji telah datang!~ Labbaikallahumma labbaik.. Labbaikala syariikalaka labbaik.. Innalhamda.. Wa nni'mata.. Laka wal mulk.. Laa Syariikalak..

Saturday, October 24, 2009

pengalaman saya bermain hujan di tepi Kaabah

Seorang lelaki warga India membalut kepalanya dengan plastik dari Supermarket Bin Dawood. Balutan itu dipercayai dapat menghalang kepalanya dari mendengar leteran isteri.

Seorang lelaki warga Pakistan sujud syukur di dalam hujan menandakan tanda kesyukurannya kepada Allah kerana menganugerahkan hujan tatkala dia datang menunaikan haji. Musim haji kini telah tiba.

Lelaki yang berkepala plastik Bin Dawood tadi meredah hujan untuk memasuki masjidilharam.

Photos by Najwa.

By Lutfi.

Amacam saya punya tajuk? gempak semacam jer. Tapi itulah hakikatnya. Bukan selalu saya berpeluang main hujan. Ditambah lagi di dalam masjidilharam. Ianya disebabkan Makkah disirami hujan hanya sekali setahun.

Nantilah saya ceritakan detik cemas bagaimana saya sujud di dalam air yang hampir menenggelamkan bucu hidung saya dan membasahkan dahi saya ketika menunaikan solat asar berjemaah di Masjidilharam. Cemas dan sangat saspen. Ditambah dengan solat yang diimami oleh Syeikh Maher alMu'aiqily.

Tak kurang juga cerita mengenai seorang lelaki terjatuh akibat licin ketika bangun dari sujud di sisi saya. Nantilah. Saya tersangat letih dan sangat memerlukan rehat yang cukup demi meneutralkan otak saya akibat tak sehat bermain hujan di sekitar masjid dan sekitar Kaabah.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Glow In The Dark

muka penuh satu kamera.

sutuh - merujuk kepada tingkat paling atas dalam sesebuah binaan pangsapuri di Saudi Arabia.

jabal - bukit di dalam bahasa arab. Bukit ini terletak berhampiran dengan mina dan gua hira'.

dush - parabola yang dipasang di kebanyakan rumah di Saudi Arabia. Parabola mempunyai minimum 100++ free channel. Apa lagi mau?

budak-budak jakun bermain riang melompat-lompat di atas karpet yang kebasahan dihujani hujan rahmat dari Allah. - Shishah, Makkah.

2 anak dara yang hampir setanding dengan olsen twin.

Asma dan Husna. Tapi jangan tanya aku mana satu Asma dan mana satu Husna.

Model yang tak payah arahkan nak posing macam mana. Siap ajar aku suruh ambik gambar dari sudut nih, dari sudut tuh. &**^^

Langit diedit pakai HUE dalam KedaiGambar cs4.

Pencawang yang sampai sekarang aku duk pikir depa angkut pakai apa pi naik atas bukit.

Dari Abu Hurairah r.a mengatakan, bahawa Rasulullah S.A.W pernah bersabda : "Barang siapa yang mandi hari Jumaat seperti *mandi Janabah, kemudian dia pergi jumaat (sebagai orang pertama datang), sama halnya seperti orang yang berkorban seekor unta ; dan barang siapa yang datang nombor dua, sama halnya seperti orang berkorban seekor lembu ; barang siapa datang nombor tiga, sama halnya seperti orang berkorban seekor biri-biri yang bertanduk ; siapa yang datang nombor empat, sama halnya dengan seorang yang berkorban seekor ayam ; dan siapa yang datang nombor lima, sama halnya dengan seorang yang berkorban sebutir telur. Apabila imam telah naik mimbar, maka para malaikat yang hadir ikut pula mendengarkan khutbah. "

____________________________
*mandi janabah : ialah mandi wajib kerana bersetubuh, keluar mani, sesudah haid, nifas dan sebagainya.

Sahih Bukhari : 475 ( Bab Jumaat)

Sapa nak buat korban pada tahun ini, bolehlah tempah dengan kami. :p

Takde kena-mengena dengan pemahaman hadis di atas.

JUMAAT

Bercerita mengenai jumaat, seingat aku hari jumaat adalah hari yang paling best untuk kami ketika time asrama di tingkatan 2 dulu. Time tuh makanan tengahari adalah ayam goreng. Fuh! Balik mesti berebut punya sapa sampai dulu. Biasanya senior2 form4 n form 5 yang akan sampai sudah ada di depan beratur dengan tray dan tersengih-sengih kepada adik2 junior macam kami.

Aku masuk asrama di Sheikh Abdul Malek School (SHAMS). Masuk pun sebab nak sertai program PAC 4141. Sampai sekarang aku tak berapa nampak point yang penting yang menyebabkan kami ketinggalan banyak silibes penting dalam matapelajaran hasil dari kem PAC tuh. Benar, ianya sebuah program kecemerlangan. Ada jugak perkara yang aku pelajari time tuh. Antaranya ialah berkenan dengan seorang budak nama Haziq Hazira sebab muka dia sebijik macam Siti Nurhaliza. Tuh dia. Nama pon boleh ingat lagi. Tapi aku memang sorang yang pemalu. Syok sorang2 jerlah. Hari2 semangat nak pergi kelas kecemerlangan yang ada campur laki dan pompuan sebab nak tengok dia. Bukan nak pergi belajar pon. Belajar pon sikit jer masuk dalam kepala macam cara nak buat peta minda, cara nak buat summary dan sebagainya lagi yang tak berapa penting pada budak yang dah kemaruk tengok pompuan. Form 2. Mana ada fikir pasal nak PMR lagi. Baligh pon rasanya tak lagi. Isk.

Masuk di asrama juga mengajar aku macam mana nak survive. Sebelum ni, masa form 1, memang mak yang selalu belikan aku nasi di kantin sebab mak mengajar sekolah yang sama. Baju sekolah jangan kiralah, memang konpem mak yang basuh dan seterikakan. Bila masuk asrama, segala-galanya berubah. Basuh baju sendiri, basuh kasut sendiri, gosok gigi pun sendiri. Mula belajar beranikan diri pergi tandas tengah-tengah malam. Aku dahlah tinggal dorm 18 yang terletak mula-mula sekali naik tangga. Tandas pulak kat hujung blok. Waduh, kalau setakat nak kencing sikit2, memang konpem tunggu esok jerlah.

Tapi alhamdulillah, aku takdak kena ragging-ragging neh. Sebab mak aku mengajar kat sekolah tu, dia pun tinggal sebilik dengan cikgu disiplin, cikgu Zainal, jadi aku selamat. Ragginglah aku, satgi aku report baru tau.

Berbalik pada cerita hari jumaat, pagi-pagi biasanya aktiviti main bola dulu. Aku pernah jugak score gol sambil lipat yang sampai hari ni aku berbangga sebab tersepak masuk dalam gol padahal posisi aku defender! Kemudian, sesudah selesai bermain bola dengan berkaki ayam, kami akan pulang ke asrama hampir2 pukul 11 pagi untuk bersiap ke masjid. Ada juga yang jenis basuh kolah time tu, memang meriahlah. Siap berenang dalam kolah lagi. Abang2 pulak jenis menghuni tingkat 3 kalo tak silap aku, duduk dekat hujung blok tandas, skodeng ke arah blok ASPURI. Blok pompuanlah. Nampaklah 2,3 orang yang duk jemur baju. Itu pun kebulur ke. Ntahlah. Mana boleh sound, dah nama senior, kita kena hormat jerlah sambil dengar2 cerita diorang. Sementelah kami sebelah-menyebelah dan dipisahkan oleh dewan makan.

Setelah siap mandi, basuh baju yang dah diperam minggu lepas lagi, kami diwajibkan pakai baju melayu dan bersampin. Seingat aku lagi, warna sampin masa time aku tuh warna merah dan baju melayu warna putih. Tak syok langsung macam putera amno jer rasa. Mujur aku tak ingat lagu amno macam mana.

Kami solat di satu masjid yang agak kejauhan.Letih juga berjalan kaki. Kena lintas satu tali air yang layak dipanggil parit jer sebenarnya. Dahlah panas, masjid pulak jenis kayu, atap zink dan lemas. Tidur dalam masjid adalah fenomena biasa. Melangkah masuk ke dalam masjid, mata dah separuh tertutup. Tapi time balik, kita yang paling cergas sekali. Sebab pikir ayam goreng dan lauk sayur yang boleh dikatakan paling mewahlah setakat tinggal di asrama neh.

Acara-acara waktu malam kalau kat 'dorm 18' aku biasanya ada macam-macam. Ada orang berlatih taekwando, ada orang berlatih silat gayung, ada orang berlatih bersyarah, berceramah, bergaduh dan macam-macam lagi perkara. Berdua-duaan antara lelaki dan lelaki pun ada. Isk. Semua itu pengalaman yang mengajar kita erti kedewasaan. Tak kurang jugak yang ambik kos bisnes administration dengan berlatih jual keropok pedas dan wafer. Laku tak ingat dunia!

Masuk ke Maahad Tahfiz, tune dia dah lain. Pergi masjid kena pakai jubah. Kalo berani, testlah pakai baju melayu. Satgi warden panggil masuk bilik dia, memang selamat... Ada yang pergi awal, ada yang pergi lewat. Kalo jenis lewat2 tu, aku dan group2 akulah. Tapi masa tu dah memang senior. Dah tahun 3 dan 4. Quran pun sebahagian dah tamat. Walaupun begitu, perangai lebih kurang dengan budak2.

Nak tahu lewat ke atau awal kita pergi, kalau time keluar pergi solat jumaat tuh, pelajar pompuan dah mula pergi ambik nasi di dewan makan, lewatlah tu jawapannya.

Tapi selaku budak2 jahiliah, pergi lewat sambil usha-usha pompuan macam perkara biasa. Harini baru aku rasa bodoh jer kerja aku dulu-dulu. Kepada pompuan-pompuan yang aku kacau dulu, ejas dan sebagainya, mintak maaf bebanyak. Semoga Allah mengampuni dosa aku.

Oleh sebab masa di maahad tahfiz, khutbah dia tak berapa menarik hati, maka aku selalu pergi jalan jauh. Adalah 2, 3 orang partner in crime yang selalu ikut jalan aku. Konon-konon time sampai, orang dah start solat. Takdelah rugi masa untuk tidor dalam masjid (pikiran masa tu). Time balik, lalu jalan paling short-cut sebab dalam kepala dah pikir lauk hari nih. Kadang-kadang balik tu, orang pompuan tak habis lagi selesai makan di dewan makan (kami makan waktu berlainan dengan orang perempuan). Mulalah mulut sound macam2 pada orang pompuan. Sekali lagi, aku mintak maaf pada banat (panggilan untuk pelajar pompuan) yang terasa hati dengan 'mulut busuk' kami.

Semakin dewasa, semakin aku mengerti apa erti jumaat. Jika dahulu, di rumah, time hari jumaat dah rasa lain macam. Macam tak best jer sebab terfikir kena pergi dengar khutbah jumaat yang amat 'membosankan'. Khutbah jumaat realitinya pada hari ini, takde perubahan pun dengan apa yang aku dengari berpuluh-puluh tahun yang lepas. (macamlah umur dah 56 tahun). Stereotaip. Cuma ada beberapa masjid yang pernah aku pergi, dapat menyentuh hati dengan khutbah mereka. Lebih-lebih lagi apabila kedatangan aku ke Saudi ini. Walau ada beberapa kalimah yang tak dapat difahami, namun, isi penyampaiannya cukup mantap dan berkesan! Mereka menyampaikan perkara yang menyentuh isu semasa, terkini dan relevan. Kita? Hangpa sendiri pun tau.

Dewasa kini, apabila banyak para ilmuan dan para imam yang muttakhir serta mempunyai pengetahuan tentang bagaimana meng'influence' orang dan mengajak orang kepada berminat dengar khutbah, membuat kelainan pada khutbah jumaat mereka, maka khutbah di sesetengah masjid ada perubahan. Ada peningkatan dan manfaat kepada para makmum. Itu yang kita inginkan. Selain institusi pendidikan, minbar jumaat juga memberi kesan kepada umat dalam membentuk rohani dan disiplin diri. Betapa pentingnya sesebuah institusi masjid dan minbarnya kepada umat Islam pada hari ini.

Contoh yang aku masih ingat lagi ketika aku menghadiri khutbah jumaat di masjid KUSZA kini dikenali dengan nama UDM (Universiti Darul Iman), khutbah jumaat disampaikan oleh Ustaz Suhaimi Mohamad AlBakri. Khutbah pertama memang ikut silibes. Khutbah kedua, beliau menyentuh tentang apa yang berlaku di sekitarnya. Antara perkataan beliau :

"Cuba kita diam seketika. Anda boleh dengar atau tidak bunyi bising yang dihasilkan?"

Kedengaran suara riuh-rendah budak-budak yang berada di dalam masjid sedang syok bermain guli, main polis sentri, main daun terup, main saidina dan sebagainya. Tak kurang yang menangis dan bergocoh (bahasa terengganu 101 yang bermaksud bergaduh) sesama sendiri.

"Itu semua suara anak-anak kita. Bukan suara burung. Anak -anak kita yang kita bawak ke masjid untuk solat jumaat. Tapi disebabkan kurangnya didikan agama, kurangnya penghormatan kepada masjid, maka mereka menganggap masjid sebagai satu medan untuk berjumpa rakan-rakan dan bermain. Tak malukah jika yang hero dalam kebisingan itu adalah anak-anak kita?"

Seketika masjid menjadi senyap dan sunyi.

Lalu beliau menegur beberapa lagi perkara lain seperti datang masjid lengkap pakai baju melayu dan bersongkok, tapi lepak kat luar atas motor, isap rokok ketika imam sedang menyampaikan khutbah. Kami banyak kali juga tersenyum mendengar apa yang disentuhnya. Perkara itu seolah-olah 'segar' dan sampai kepada pendengaran serta hati kami. Itu yang sebenarnya dimahukan oleh makmum. Bukan kepada perkara yang amat jauh dan seolah-olah bacaan buku teks oleh murid sekolah rendah. Pengisian khutbah itu sendiri amat penting dalam menjana generasi celik alQuran.

Dari Abu Hurairah R.A, mengatakan bahawa Rasulullah S.A.W pernah bersabda : " Pada hari Jumaat ada satu saat, apabila seorang muslim bertepatan solat pada saat itu dan memohon sesuatu dari Allah, nescaya diqabulkan Allah permohonannya itu. " Nabi memberi isyarat dengan tangannya yang bererti bahawa saat itu amat singkat.

Sahih Bukhari : 501 (Bab Jumaat)

Di hari yang mulia serta diberkati Allah ini dan juga penghulu kepada semua hari, marilah kita bersama2 memperbanyakkan selawat kepada Rasul Junjungan Sallallahu alaihi wasalam. Semoga diampunkan dosa kita dan dosa keluarga kita serta umat muslimin sekalian. Argh. Tiba-tiba sakit perut pula lepas pekena teh dengan uncle tadi. Tak glow in the dark betol.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

new house, new life

barang2 sumbangan hj amin nokia berlambak.

mekanik yang diimport khas dari US. si Rashid

model kontemporari.

waseem buat hal lagi. Sebab jumpa satu kamera kecit. Sedang mengambil aksi model sultan.

youre in candid camera!~

"hang bleh duk diam2 tak budak? focus susah nak dapat neh" - kata waseem.

cerita ceriti nanti sket.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Tong bukan Thong.

"In Progress"
Umm alQura University, Abidiyyah, Makkah.

"Ruang Pejalan kaki - besar gedabang"
Umm alQura University, Abidiyyah, Makkah.

"Menara masjid dan dewan kuliah"
Umm alQura University, Abidiyyah, Makkah.

"Papan tanda"
Umm alQura University, Abidiyyah, Makkah.

"Teratak usang putera raja saudi"
Al-Awali, Makkah.

"Lens flare"
Al-Awali, Makkah.

"Road To Muzdalifah"
Muzdalifah ring road, Makkah.

Maafkan saya. Ianya adalah Zhong 'TONG' Bus. Bukan Zhong 'THONG'.

'Pokok'
Surau Universiti Umm alQura,
Aziziyyah, Makkah.

Bila amatur bercerita

Percaya atau tidak, photographer sangat 'alert' atau 'sensitif' dengan cahaya. Ini berdasarkan pengalaman aku selama memegang kamera dSLR yang baru setahun lebih. Cahaya memainkan peranan penting dalam menerbitkan gambar2 berkualiti. Tanpa cahaya, gambar akan suram dan tidak mempunyai satu tarikan. Kecuali mereka yang amat mahir dalam penggambaran dan teknik lighting.

Pengalaman juga mengajar aku, jika anda ingin mengambil sesuatu gambar, jangan bertangguh. Jika bertangguh, peluang untuk mengetemukannya kembali sangat sukar. Kecuali jika kita mempuyai perancangan terhadap sesuatu gambar dan memerlukan beberapa peralatan penting sebelum penggambaran.

Sebelum ambil gambar. Pertama, aku lihat suasana sekeliling, dan aku bayangkan apa yang aku inginkan gambar terhasil. Kemudian, aku setup ISO agar kena dengan keadaan, siang 100-200, indoor 400-600, malam 800. Kemudian setting aperture dan shutter speed mengikut kehendak gambar. Akhir sekali, aku perhatikan White Balance (WB). Selalunya aku pakai Kelvin. semakin tinggi nombor, semakin kuning / merah gambar akan terhasil. Semakin sikit nombor, semakin biru gambar.

Aperture juga memainkan peranan penting dalam menentukan ke'sharp'an gambar dan penghasilan langit biru bak kata sifu nazif. Untuk f8 dan keatas, hasil yang menakjubkan akan ketara di langit. Cumanya, shutter speed perlu dikawal dengan merendahkan angka agar 'balance' dalam kawalan untuk menghasilkan gambar sempurna dan tidak gelap. Untuk menghasilkan 'blur' background, anda memerlukan lens yang mempunyai bukaan cahaya besar seperti f1.4, f1.8, f0.95 dan sebagainya lagi.

Itu jer secara mudah pemahaman kamera aku. Ada banyak lagi yang lain, cuma kadang2 kita tak perlu sangat bergantung kepada teknik dan mengikut 'rules'. Naluri hati pun penting juga untuk mewujudkan 'cerita di sebalik gambar'.

Kullu Sourah Hikaayah. Setiap gambar ada ceritanya.

Mengambil gambar ibarat membancuh nescafe. Jika terlebih letak nescafe, tambahkan susu dan air juga lebih. Jika terlebih letak susu, tambahkan nescafe dan air. Jika tak reti buat, order jer kat kedai. Senang.

Alfatihah buat Pok Su Nuar yang telah kembali ke Rahmatullah 4 am tadi. Semoga Allah mencucuri rahmat buat beliau dan meletakkan beliau di dalam golongan muqarrabin. Amin.

Renungan

Dari abu Sa'id alKhudri r.a, katanya Rasulullah S.A.W bersabda : "Ajarkanlah kepada orang-orang kamu yang hampir meninggal membaca kalimah La ilaha illallah."

Kitab Jenazah (sahih Muslim : 864)

Dari Abu Hurairah r.a katanya Rasulullah S.A.W bersabda : "Siapa yang bersedekah dengan sebutir kurma dari usaha yang halal, maka Allah akan menerimanya dengan baik, lalu dipeliharanya seperti kamu memelihara anak kambing atau anak unta, sehingga sedekahmu itu tambah besar menjadi sebesar gunung atau lebih besar dari itu."

Kitab Zakat (sahih Muslim : 970)

- Ucapan jutaan terima kasih didahulukan kepada mereka yang sudi bersedekah kepada sahabat saya si Diabati. Insya allah duit akan saya sampaikan kepada dia hari sabtu ini. Jazakumullahu khairan Jaza'.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Zhong Thong

fajar dari sakhra - sekadar gambar hiasan

Shishah, Makkah - early morning.

33C.

itu suhu yang ditandakan oleh aras pengukur bertempat di pintu masuk Malik Abdul Aziz. Gate no 1.

Berbalik kepada beberapa jam yang lalu..

Aku berlari dengan begitu rakus sekali. Yerlah, terkejut dari tidur tengahari tepat pukul 3.12 pm. Bas akan bertolak ke universiti Abidiah tepat pukul 3.30pm. Aku ada 18 minit lagi utk berlari kejar taxi dan menuju ke universiti di Aziziyah. Aku makin menambahkan kelajuan berlari. Sampai rambut pun lupa nak sikat. Mujurlah ada orang prihatin yang reka fesyen rambut orang kini jenis pacak2 dan macam tak sikat rambut. Jadi takdelah malu sangat bila orang tengok rambut aku. Mesti diorang kata aku ikut fesyen terkini.

Sesampainya di sana, aku lihat mad cenok dan atiq sudah tersengih kerang busuk di dalam bas yang menghala ke universiti. Alhamdulillah, aku sempat naik dan terus duduk di sebelah member afrika bernama Diabati. Dia rakan sekelas aku. Sudah berkahwin dan mempunyai 2 orang akan perempuan serta isteri yang tinggal bersama-sama di Misfalah.

Aku belek kembali kita Uddah yang dah banyak kali aku belek semalam sebab hari ni Syeikh Siddiq alFaki akan tanyakan soalan berkenaan hukum, dalil dan illah dari apa yang telah dipelajari. Aku dah makin blur sebab banyak sangat nak kena hafal dan nak kena semak. Belek punya belek, aku terperasan yang member sebelah aku ni macam cool jer tak bawak kitab dan kertas pon takdak. Aku tanya dia secara berhikmah :

" Kenapa ko tak bawak kitab? Dah hafal semua ker matan dan dalil?

"Aku takde kitab." Jawab Diabati perlahan dan merenung jendela tingkap bas jenama Zhong Thong yang diimport dari China. Melebarkan pandangannya menghala ke Bandar Aziziah.

"Ha? takdak kitab? dah 3 minggu kita mengaji hang takdak kitab lagi?" Aku bertanya macam seorang reporter.

"Aku sebenarnya takde duit nak beli kitab. Duit scholarship pon tak masuk lagi. Aku cuma ada simpanan sebanyak SR500. SR400 aku bayar duit sewa rumah, lagi 100 aku belikan barang masakan dan makanan untuk anak perempuan dan isteri aku. Aku cuma ada 20,30 riyal sahaja utk hidup bulan ini." Terang Diabati sambil mengalihkan mukanya menghadap aku.

"Erk." Aku raba poket aku. Kami ada duit yang cukup untuk beberapa bulan ini.

Bas meneruskan perjalanan merentasi Muzdalifah, padang pasir kering kontang dalam perjalanan menuju ke destinasi di Abidiyah yang memakan masa selama 25 minit perjalanan. Bas China. Apa nak bawak laju2.

Sesampainya di Abidiyah, kami bergegas menuju ke Masjid Universiti yang berdekatan dengan dewan kuliah Syariah. Kami solat asar berjemaah. Usai solat, aku lepak bersama2 Mad Cenok dan Abdullah Atiq dari Indonesia di dinding belakang. Mata kami masih tidak lekang menatap kitab Uddah karangan Bahauddin AbdulRahman bin Ibrahim alMuqdasi. Beberapa dalil dan hukum Fiqh yang dirasakan penting, aku tandakan dan cuba hafal dalam masa yang tidak sampai beberapa minit lagi sebelum kelas bermula. Hati dah mula dup-dap dup-dap.

Tiba-tiba tak semena-mena kedengaran bunyi dentuman yang kuat dari arah luar masjid. Kami tersentak. . .

Abdullah Atiq seraya berbisik. Hujan! Katanya.

Mad cenok menepis. Takkanlah hujan tengahari rembang macam nih.

Selang beberapa minit kemudian, kedengaran titisan hujan mula menimpa bumi. Subhanallah! Kami menjengukkan kepala ke luar pintu masjid. Subhanallah! Jerit kami lagi. Hujan rahmat telah menimpa bumi Makkah. Alhamdulillah.

Betapa hujan itu satu nikmat yang amat besar bagi penduduk Makkah dan sekitarnya. Hujan yang jarang sekali turun itu, turun pada hari ini dengan lebatnya. Kalo di Malaysia, konpem aku dah tarik waseem ajak main hujan sama. Yerlah, kalo main sorang2 satgi orang kata budak takdak akal. Jadi aku bawak waseem konon-konon waseem yang nak main.

Kami meneruskan pengajian kami dan sejurus kemudian, ketika jarum jam menghampiri 4.40 pm, kami keluar. Hujan menitik dengan lebatnya. Selebat-lebatnya seolah-olah ingin mencuci bumi ini dari segala debu dan kekotoran.

Kami meredah hujan dengan menyinsing jubah dan berlari sekuat hati sambil muka tersenyum sebab boleh main hujan.

Mad cenok aku lihat hampir-hampir nak rebah sebab licin. Kalo jatuh, pasti gelak paling kuat akan kedengaran dari aku lah. Menonton orang tua gelecoh (bahasa terengganu 101 yang bermaksud tergelincir). wakakaka

Kami menyusuri laluan pejalan kaki dari bangunan masjid ke bangunan berhuruf 'Shin' yang menandakan bangunan menempatkan dewan bagi pelajar kuliah Syariah. Ruang pejalan kaki di sini dicipta oleh kontraktor yang langsung tidak memikirkan hujan akan menimpa tanah Arafah ini. Jenis pikir Makkah akan selama-lamanya panas dan kering lalu mencipta bumbung berlubang-lubang. Jadi kami pun tetap ditimpa hujan bertalu-talu.

Lagi 15 meter untuk sampai ke pintu bangunan 'Shin', kami melalui sekeping zink yang ditinggalkan berdekatan dengan laluan pejalan kaki itu. Ditinggalkan kesan pembinaan yang rancak berjalan untuk melengkapkan kampus Abidiyah, Arafah itu untuk menjadikannya sebagai kampus utama di Universiti Umm alQura ini.

Aku terdengar bunyi 'tuk-tuk-tuk-tuk' dengan begitu kuat sekali. Seolah-olah ada orang melemparkan batu ke arah zink itu. Takkanlah arab seronok sangat sampai main baling-baling batu kat besi zink tuh. Tak semena-mena sebiji benda keras telah menerjah telinga aku. Aku tunduk dan mendapati ianya adalah ketulan ais! Wahhh! Jerit aku jakun!

Abdullah Atiq kembali berpusing sebab aku panggil dia suruh dia lihat ketulan ais itu. Rupa-rupanya kami dihujani dengan ketulan ais. Subhanallah! Jerit aku di dalam hati. Ini kali pertama aku tonton 'live' ketulan ais yang kecik sikit dari lubang hidung waseem. Bayangkanlah betapa sakitnya aku bila kena ketulan tu pada telinga.

Mad cenok berlalu dengan selamba dan bercakap sorang-sorang nada hero yang dia dah banyak kali tengok peristiwa tu. Jadi tak heran sangatlah. Ceh.

Aku terus menerus berdoa supaya Allah merahmati kami dan memberkati ilmu yang kami dapati dan semoga Allah mengetemukan kami dengan akidah yang shahih dan selamat. Tak lupa juga aku doakan supaya Syeikh tak jadi tanya soalan hari ini. :p

Doa itu maqbul. Syeikh hanya tanya 1o orang yang terawal sahaja. Hahaha. Minggu depan sambung lagi.

Pulang dari universiti, aku masih lagi terngiang-ngiang perihal Diabati dan aku sampaikan pada najwa. Dia menyarankan supaya aku memberi sedikit dari kewangan kami kepada Diabati agar dapat digunakan untuk keluarganya dan diri dia sendiri. Insya allah. Jawabku lemah.

Najwa kata, dia teringat Abg Rahman (Perth) berpesan : "rezeki apa yang kita dapati hari ini, biarlah kita bahagikan sama kepada orang lain kerana orang lain juga berhak merasakan nikmat yang Allah kurniakan kepada kita. Semoga dengan perkongsian itu, kita akan lebih diberkati dan ditambahkan rezeki. Lebih-lebih lagi, dengan pengagihan yang sedikit kita rasakan sebenarnya adalah satu nikmat yang sangat besar bagi mereka yang berhajat."

Subhanallah. Bisikku lagi. Dah jadi macam orang baik hari ni. Asyik sebut Subhanallah sahaja tentang apa pengalaman dan pengajaran yang didapati.

Ketika di Abidiyah, sempat meng'update' status facebook mengatakan kami ditimpa hujan bertalu-talu di sini. Antara komen yang didapati adalah dari Abg Arshad mengatakan bahawa di masjidilharam pagi tadi ada dibuat solat minta hujan (istisqa') dan dari nurul hafiz berbunyi Makkah tetap panas dan hujan selalunya hanya turun dan berhenti di sempadan antara tanah halal dan tanah haram. Memikirkan akan dosa penduduk tanah haram yang menghalang hujan dari dituruni di dalamnya. Wallahualam. Aku tak tahu apa hikmah dan pengajaran.

Semuanya mempunyai kesinambungan dan akan berterusan sehingga ke Hari Perhitungan.

Kami meneruskan perjalanan menuju ke bongkah hitam yang dikenali dengan nama Kaabah itu. Waseem alhamdulillah sudah boleh kenal mana satu Kaabah dan mana satu burung merpati. Tawaf sunat dan mencium Hajaratul Aswad yang hanya ada 20 orang sahaja beratur dengan baik-baik tanpa rebut-rebut.

Takziah diucapkan pada saudara Awie Zawawie dari Dubai yang telah kehilangan ayahanda tercinta beberapa jam yang lalu. Semoga arwah dicucuri rahmat dan ditempatkan di dalam golongan mereka yang muqarrabin. Amin. Alfatihah.

Dari Ummu Salamah r.a, katanya Rasulullah S.A.W bersabda : "Apabila kamu menghadiri orang sakit atau orang meninggal, maka ucapkanlah ucapan (doa) yang baik, kerana malaikat mengaminkan ucapan kamu itu." Selanjutnya Ummu Salamah bercerita, " ketika Abu Salamah meninggal, aku datang kepada Rasulullah S.A.W mengkhabarkannya. Kataku : " Ya Rasulullah! Abu Salamah telah meninggal. " Jawab Rasulullah S.A.W " Doakan : *Allahummaghfirli walahu wa a'aqibni minhu 'uqba hasanatan " Apa yang diajarkan Rasulullah itu kulakukan sebaik-baiknya. Tidak beberapa lama kemudian, Allah menukarnya dengan orang yang paling baik bagiku, iaitu Muhammad S.A.W sendiri."

* Ya Allah! Ampunilah aku dan ampunilah dia. Dan tukarkanlah kematiannya itu bagiku dengan tukaran yang lebih baik.

Hujan Es!

2009-10-30T23:56:00.000-07:00

Baru beberapa menit yang lalu, ada hujan es di Adelaide!!! Bagi yang belum pernah melihat yang namanya hujan es, check these out!!

Mobil bokap

Jalan gue... ada ribuan batu es kecil

Bentuknya beda dengan salju

Informasi tentang hujan es --- kadang2 ada batu hujan es yang segede bola golf. Kaca mobil bisa dipecahin lho!

Kalau dikumpulin, batu hujan es lumayan buat bikin es teh manis.

Kalau dilemparin batu es, SAKIT!!!!!!!

Tadinya gue mau nulis sesuatu di jalan, tapi ternyata batu hujan es beda dengan salju huahaha.... Rasanya seperti ice skating di TA!! LICIN ABIS!!!

Anyway, that's my random 2am posting! Enjoy!

Boss Gue Ngehe... Lagi

2009-10-30T23:49:00.000-07:00

Udah lama banget gue ngga blogging... Seperti gue udah cerita, kuliah gue agak berat pada saat ini. Untungnya pada tanggal 9 November assignmen2 terakhir mau dikumpul dan gue bebas lagi. Ngga sabar neh!!!

Anyway, meskipun sibuk terus, gue tetap sering mengalami yang bisa disebut 'ngehe'. Minggu yang lalu nasib memperingatkan gue bahwa boss gue itu ngehe... again! Gue dan boss gue mempunyai persahabatan aneh: dia selalu melakukan sesuatu yang bikin gue bete, dan gue selalu balas dendam (tapi ngga pernah sengaja! Baca terus kalau ngga percaya) Bagi Part 1 dari cerita ini, silahkan membaca di sini.

Now, soal boss gue minggu lalu. Boss gue adalah raja 'upps-gue-lupa-kasihtau'. Misalnya loe lagi santai2 aja beresin barang2 di bar, waktu si boss (yang lagi main golf kali) nelepon untuk bilang 'Oh ya, Richard, by the way, sebentar lagi ada pesta di bar. Tolong siapin barang2 ya...' Sering banget gue baru dikasih tau 5 menit sebelum pesta mulai, padahal bookingnya udah 3 minggu. BEUHHH!!

Nah, pada malam Minggu kemarin, pada jam 10.50pm tepatnya, gue baru selesai membersihkan dan beres2 bagian gue di bar. Seluruh bar rapiii banget. Meja2 udah gue membersihkan, udah buang sampah, botol2 kosong dan air besar gue. Waktu itu boss gue lagi berdiri di situ menonton TV, dan gue bilang...

Gue - Gimana, boss? Rapi kan?
Boss - Lho, ngapain lo beres2in sekarang?
Gue - Udah jam 10.50. Kan bentar lagi mau tutup?
Boss - Bukan... Malam ini ada pesta untuk orang Jepang di sini!
Gue - Lho, sejak kapan?!
Boss - Oh ya, maaf, tadi gue lupa kasihtau lo Cad.
Gue - Lo becanda bos?!

Tiba2 terdengar bunyi pintu di belakang gue. Gue menoleh kepala gue dan melihatan puluhan orang Jepang lari ke dalam bar, teriak2 "O-GENKI-DES-KAAAAAAAAAAA", "JAPAN ICHI-BAAAAAN" sama "I LOP MIYABI YUHUUUUUU!!!!"

Jadi bar gue yang baru beres 100% dihancurkan oleh orang Jepang. Rasanya seperti udah kembali ke tahun 1942 --- bar gue adalah kota Darwin yang diserbu pesawat tempur Jepang huaauhahahahahahhaha!!! (ngga politically correct banget deh hahahaa)

Alhasil, gue kelar kerja jam 12.30, bukan jam 11 seperti biasa. Emang okay-okay aja sih, harus kerja 1.5 jam lagi, tapi gue paling sebel kalau udah membersihkan sebuah ruangan yang agak gede dan harus mengulangkan semuanya. Kalau gue tau dari tadi gue bisa istirahat dulu. Bah! Ngehe juga lo, boss!

Nah, cara gue membalas dendam adalah:

Adelaide lagi Daylight Savings. Kayaknya di Indonesia ngga ada DLS, jadi gue menjelaskan sedikit. Basically, DLS itu berarti waktu dipermajukan 1 jam, biar nanti kalau udah musim panas kami bisa lebih menikmati cuacanya malam2. Enak banget deh, udah habis kerja dan mau jalan2 jam 8 malam dan matahari baru mau hilang. Romantis deh pokoknya : P

Anyway, orangtua gue lagi libur camping sama kakak gue, dan karena ngga ada yang ingetin gue kalau Adelaide udah mulai DLS, gue LUPA MEMPERMAJUKAN WAKTU DI ALARM GUE. Hasilnya - Hari Minggu kemarin gue 1 jam telat masuk kantor!

Reaksi boss gue: Ngga bilang apa-apa. Rasain itu dendam gue boss! Mwahahahaha!!! = D

Anyway, that's all from me. Maaf ya udah lama ngga blogging... Bagi yang sekolah dan kuliah, SEMANGAAAT YAAA! SALING MENDUKUUUUNG YU! hahahaha

Cheers!

Nama Bayi....

2009-10-30T23:47:00.000-07:00

Halo Halooo

Waduh seminggu udah lewat lagi dan gue belum sempat posting. Ke mana ya dia yang namanya waktu? Ngga terasa satu minggu udah lewat! Gue akhir2 sibuk bikin tugas kuliah, kerja dan latihan joget di kamar mandi. Perkembangan gue sedikit demi sedikit - meskipun gue ngga gitu jago dancing, pinggul gue udah bisa goyang kayak pesawat Adem Air. Pokoknye muantap gan!

Well, in other news, tadi pagi gue ke gereja buat merayakan baptism keponakan gue, si Dimetri. (Anak Australia-Cina pertama di dunia yang mempunyai nama Yunani kali huahahaha) Ceritanya dia diberi nama Dimetri karena salah satu teman dekat dari bokap gue itu keturunan Yunani -- meskipun begitu, gue belum terbiasa dengan nama itu hahahaa.....

Anyway, gue tetap bersyukur, Dimetri itu keponakan gue yang ke-lima! KELIMA!!! Hari Natal di rumah gue tahun ini pasti rame banget -- tapi kayaknya dompet gue bakal sepi banget, abis mahal membeli hadiah untuk 5 anak hehehehe...... But hey, ntar kalau mereka udah gede gue bisa bikin tim futsal keluarga hehehehe... Pokoknye gue bersyukur anak itu sehat dan bahagia. Semoga dia menjadi anak yang baik dan sukses deh!

Ngomong2 soal cara bayi dikasih nama, gue baru ingat joke dari bokap gue. Waktu gue masih muda banget dia menceritakan ini kepada gue....

Suatu hari ada seorang anak pendekar American-Indian (seperti yg di film cowboy gt). Pagi2 dia membangunkan bokapnya untuk bertanya sesuatu yang sudah lama dia fikirkan...

Anak - Pa, mau nanya...

Ayah - Ada apa, anakku?

Anak - Pa, darimana aku mendapatkan namaku?

Ayah - Baiklah... Dalam tradisi orang kita, saat seorang wanita melahirkan bayi, ayah bayi itu keluar dari tenda dan hal pertama yang dilihat ayah itu menjadi nama bayi itu.

Anak - Hmm... seperti kakakku "Rajawali Terbang", atau adek "Rusa Minum"

Ayah - Betul sekali! Emang kenapa, "Dua Anjing Bersetubuh" anakku?

Ckckckck.....

Anyway, gue kembali bikin tugas dulu ya!!! Keep on bloggin'!!!

Menikmati Tikus Mati...

2009-10-30T23:46:00.000-07:00

Gue baru pulang kerja, dan hari ini NGEHE ABIS! Selama beberapa minggu terakhir ini, ada tikus gede yang suka gila-gilaan di bar gue. Selama 3 MINGGU kami belum berhasil menangkapnya. Sampai hari ini gue melupakannya sama sekali - sampai tadi siang gue udah mulai anggap tikus itu sebagai salah satu customer langganan aja : P

Saat gue masuk bar, yang lagi menjaga bagian gue bilang

P - Gini deh Richard, hari ini barnya agak bau...
Gue - Lho... bau kenapa? (gue belum bisa mencium baunya)
P - Kamu tau kan, akhir2 ini ada tikus yang belum kami tangkap?
Gue - Oooh, udah ditangkap ya?
P - Hmm.. kurang lebih begitu
Gue - Lho... kok pakai kurang lebih?
P - Well... kami berhasil gebukin kepalanya, tapi dia ngga mati
Gue - Terus gimana dong?
P - Kayaknya dia masuk ke lobang itu di dinding, lalu dia mati. Makanya bau... Kami ngga bisa ambil mayatnya, abis dia udah pergi ke bawah lantai.
Gue - Oh great! Tapi ngga apa-apa, belum keciuman kok rasanya...

Beberapa menit kemudian gue berdiri di tempat biasa dekat komputer waktu tiba2.... PWAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Bau tikus mati sampai di hidung gue! MAMPUUUUUUS! Gue hampir muntah... Gue memutuskan untuk berdiri di ujung bar sambil nonton TV. Masalahnya, setiap kali ada customer, gue mesti kembali ke kuburan si tikus itu. Jadi setiap kali ada customer yang ajak gue ngobrol, muka gue jadi ijo2 dan badan gue mulai goyang karena gue berusaha ngga muntah.

Akhirnya gue menyarankan boss gue pergi mencari dupa di salah satu toko dagangan Cina. (Gue kebetulan kerja di pusat dagangan Cina) Sebentar lagi dia kembali membawa sepaket dupa dan gue langsung membakarnya di dekat lobang tikus itu. Mmm... baunya hilang.... tapi ternyata bau dupa itu ngga enak juga! Gue jadi takut serangan asthma!

Yang lebih parah lagi, ada customer yang mengadu karena ada bau tikus mati... lalu waktu gue membakar dupa itu, ada customer yang mengadu karena ada mau dupa... Hehhh... Mendingan gue pakai tusuk dupa itu untuk bikin sate tikus, biar semuanya senang!!!

Urgh... dan besok gue mau kerja lagi... Yang tentu baunya bakal lebih parah lagi! Beuhhh!! Ada saran ngga gimana caranya gue bisa melindungi idung gue dari bau tikus mati

Billiar sama Cewek

2009-10-30T23:44:00.000-07:00

Tadi malam gue nelepon Darius sekitar jam 9.30. Dia lagi makan malam di rumah temannya dan ntar malam pengen jalan2. Seperti hampir tiap minggu, kami memutuskan untuk main billiar di tempat langganan kita - Matchroom. Gue senang banget main billiar di situ - tempatnya sepi, ngga ada yang minum2, ngga ada yang berantam. Pokoknya tempatnya ngga macam2 banget. Kalau di situ kayak tempat latihan orang professional.

Kami nyampe di Matchroom sekitar jam 12 ditemani teman kerjanya si Darius, yaitu anak Korea yang namanya Yoon. Terus pacar si Yoon juga ikut ditemani temannya. Jadi yang main 1 orang Australia reinkarnasi tukang gudeg dari Jogja, 1 orang Indonesia, 1 orang Korea dan 2 cewek dari Taiwan.

Nah, temannya pacar si Yoon itu orang keciiiiiil banget. Pendek, kurus kayak anak kecil, padahal umurnya 25 thn lhoo... terus dia pura2 ngga tau caranya main 9-ball. Ternyata dia lumayan jago. Atau, jago... Atau, JAGO BANGET! Well, inilah hasil tandingan semalam:

1. Gue vs Yoon = Gue menang
2. Gue vs Darius = Darius menang
3. Darius vs Yoon = Darius menang
4. Darius vs Anak Kecil yang bukan anak kecil = ANAK KECIL
5. Gue vs Anak Kecil = ANAK KECIL
6. Yoon vs Anak Kecil = ANAK KECIL

Nagabonardudukdiatasnanas! Kami, 3 cowok yang sering banget main billiar, KALAH SAMA CEWEK!!! Tapi, kalau gue boleh kasih satu atau dua alasan kenapa gue bisa kalah, ehem ehem... Tadi malam di Matchroom, stik 9-ball cuman ada satu dan itu kami kasih kepada anak kecil yang bukan anak kecil itu (kan we're all gentlemen), jadi kami, yaitu laki-laki sejati, terpaksa pakai stik 8-ball.... Ngaruh lah! Beda tuh stiknya... Rasanya ngga sama gitu... SummmpaAAAaah!!! (ala logat Arab)

Meskipun Anak Kecil itu bisa menang gara-gara di pakai stik yang cocok dan gue terpaksa pakai stik 8-ball (bohong banget neh.. ngga ngaruh juga tuh hahahaha), mulai sekarang kami udah ngga mau ajak kaum hawa main billiar lagi hahaha....

*****

Semoga gue bisa lebih sering blogging, karena S2 gue tinggal 15 hari nih = ) Gue tinggal ngerjain beberapa assignment, melempar sepatu pada si nenek bawel itu dan lari2 di kampus sambil pakai kolor di kepala. Habis itu udah selesai! Sedaaap bro!

In other news, kayaknya bau tikus itu udah mulai menghilang!!! Boss gue beli "dempul" (is that the right word for "putty"???) - terus dia menutupi lobang2 di lantai. Semoga baunya segera hilang, karena besok gue mau kerja di situ!!! Arghhh!!

By the way, turut berdukacita atas meninggalnya teman kita Meggy Z. Gue ngfans banget ama lagu2 dia, khususnya "Anggur Merah" yang "sungguh teganya dirimu teganya teganya teganya teganya teganya teganya". Mantab bener! = ) Sayang sekali dunia kita kehilangan artis lagi... Selamat jalan, Meggy Z
Ah well, semoga loe semua baik-baik aja! Catch ya later!

Aids Info Schweiz – Schweizer Ärzte für HIV-Prävention

2009-10-30T23:33:00.000-07:00

Diese Website ist von Ärzten der AIDS-Aufklärung Schweiz aufgebaut worden.

Das Anliegen der AIDS-Aufklärung Schweiz ist, allen Interessierten umfassende und verständliche Informationen über die HIV-Erkrankung und Aids zu vermitteln.

Ein Teil der Texte stammt von der US-amerikanischen Gesundheitsbehörde Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), die sie uns zur Verfügung stellt. Die CDC spielten bei der Bekämpfung der HIV-Epidemie von Anfang an weltweit eine herausragende Rolle.

Die AIDS-Aufklärung Schweiz ist eine Nichtregierungsorgnistation (NGO) „in Spezial Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations“.

Heritage at the heart of Cambodia Heritage at the heart of Cambodia

2009-10-30T22:45:00.000-07:00

Born in the time of the Khmer Rouge and later badly maimed when he stepped on a landmine, Bouth Rithy has come to symbolise the resilience of Cambodians who are moving forward and rebuilding their lives. Based at the remote temples of Koh Ker in northern Cambodia, the project manager for Heritage Watch is managing the impact of tourism on the local community, many of whom are still waking from the nightmare of the Khmer Rouge

Monday February 23rd 2009

Lead article photo

Rithy in the doorway of one of the Koh Ker temples. Photograph: Anthony Anderton

My father was in the Cambodian army; then one day when I was very young the Khmer Rouge came and took him away. He said he was only going to study, but he never returned. I don't know what happened, I only know that if he was alive he would have come back for us.

I remember a little of that time under the Khmer Rouge. Us children had to bring water to the workers and at one point I was chosen to be a guard at the watermelon farm – but I just sat there. I don't remember the Khmer Rouge itself very clearly. My younger brother fell ill and died during that time and my mother was sent to a farm near the Thai border.

When I was eight I went to school in Phnom Penh. A few years later I enrolled in a police training programme. I was underage, but in Cambodia it's easy to get around that. A year and a half later, as a police officer, I was moved to a patrol near the Thai border. That's where I stood on a landmine.

The mine took my leg off and destroyed my life. I had to start again from zero. It seemed that my family and friends didn't want to communicate with me. In those days it was very hard for disabled people; charities and the government have since done a lot to improve awareness. I moved back to Phnom Penh and received treatment in the police hospital. I was given a prosthetic limb and gradually I began to find a new life.

Before long I got a job as a security guard with a Catholic organisation called Maryknoll. I was bought a bicycle and sent to English classes. That's when my life started again. Now I can ride a motorbike, too, and even drive a car.

That was more than 10 years ago. Now I work for a preservation organisation called Heritage Watch. I'm based in northern Cambodia, among the temple ruins of Koh Ker. My job is to help raise money from tourism to help the local people.

The villagers here in Koh Ker are very poor – they suffer from a lack of education and bad living conditions. They were once firmly under the control of the Khmer Rouge, so they don’t talk very much. They're closed up and it's as if they don't understand communication very well; if you ask them a question they answer with only one or two words. If you don't ask, they don't talk.

However, in the time that I've been here the people seem to have become friendlier and more open. I try to work with them to give them emotional support and to make them less scared of talking to people.

Not long ago Heritage Watch decided to provide them with some training. We taught them about Khmer culture and literature, how to read and write and how to run a business. People here don't know about business. If they sell a chicken, for example, they don’t care how big the chicken is, it will be the same price. We also gave them English lessons to help them communicate with the tourists. We did well, but ran out of funding.

When visitors come to Koh Ker they tend to be on organised tours, and they don't have enough time to see all of the temple complex. We would like to see tourism agencies scheduling in visits to the village so that tourists can see the daily activities of the community. That way the locals might gain some benefit from the visits – even if it's only one dollar.

When I first arrived here the villagers didn't seem interested in the temples, and they certainly didn't understand that they could make money from them like in Angkor Wat. We explained to them why they should be more active in protecting their local heritage, and that when they went into the fields and saw looting or illegal logging they should tell the police or the relevant protection authorities.

We bought them bicycles and set up a "community heritage patrol", encouraging them to go out every day and report any illegal activities. We don't ask them to interfere with the looters or loggers, however, as they might have guns and it would be too dangerous.

My biggest success so far has been getting the local people to understand and work together with the protection and management authority for Angkor and Siem Reap, known as Apsara. Before, if the locals witnessed looting, they wouldn't know who to tell. Now, between 50 and 70 villagers are employed by the authority. The money helps to buy clothes for the children or pay for hospital visits.

There are still some landmines around, but not as many as before. The Cambodian Mine Action Centre, or CMAC, has been busy removing unexploded ordinance from the war. It's a dangerous job for them and their children, who live with them all the time as they move from place to place. Mines are the main cause of disability in Cambodia, although traffic accidents are becoming another big cause.

I got married seven years ago and have two children – one daughter, six, and one boy, four. They have the same birthday. They don't live here with me, but I call my wife every day on the mobile phone and see them when I visit Phnom Penh. Three months ago they came to visit me. They thought the temple was impressive, but couldn't understand how I live here. It's very quiet, there is no market and no healthcare; I have to do everything for myself. Before I came here I couldn't cook or prepare food, but now I can. I've learned a lot.

Vietnam, Cambodia discuss security, extradition pacts

2009-10-30T04:28:00.000-07:00

Thursday, October 29, 2009
Thanh Nien News (Hanoi)

Vietnam and Cambodia on Thursday discussed an agreement to strengthen public security ties as well as an extradition treaty to deal with crimes along their border areas.

Police said border crimes have become more complex and serious than previous years. Since the beginning of last year, more than 1,890 smuggling cases were detected involving goods worth US$6.2 million.

Other crimes, including drugs, arms and human trafficking, have also thrived along the Vietnam-Cambodia border, which stretches for nearly 1,200 kilometers.

Vietnam has 10 provinces bordering Cambodia with a total population of 12.65 million.

Thais To Explain Thaksin Charges to Hun Sen

2009-10-30T04:27:00.001-07:00

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
29 October 2009

The Thai government said this week it will send an official document to Prime Minister Hun Sen regarding ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, following a war of words between Phnom Penh and Bangkok over Cambodia’s right to refuse extradition.

Thaksin, who lives in exile, but not in Cambodia, faces a prison term on corruption charges if he returns to Thailand.

Hun Sen angered the current Thai government earlier this month by hosting a Thaksin supporter of the opposition party, then declaring Thaksin welcome in Cambodia, despite an extradition treaty with Thailand.

Thailand’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said Tuesday it will outline the facts of Thaksin’s case for Hun Sen, who it said may have obtained incorrect information.

“We will receive the documents relating to Thaksin to read if the Bangkok government sends the documents to us,” government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said. “It is no problem. We will have our legal experts examine the documents.”

Thaksin was ousted from power in a bloodless coup in 2006, but he still enjoys wide support among Thais, and Hun Sen has called Thaksin a political victim and thereby outside extradition requirements.

Koy Kong, a spokesman for Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the ministry had not yet received documentation from Bangkok, but relations otherwise continued as normal.

2009-07-25T22:59:00.001-07:00

Chinese students from quake-hit areas fly to Russia for rehabilitation

2009-07-23T04:40:00.000-07:00

School children wave goodbye before aboarding an airplane to Russia for a three-week recuperative holiday in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 23, 2009. (Xinhua/Sun Yang)

BEIJING, July 23 (Xinhua) -- A total of 550 children from southwest China's earthquake zone flew to Russia's Far East Thursday for a three-week rehabilitation program at the invitation of the Russian government.
School children wave goodbye before aboarding an airplane to Russia for a three-week recuperative holiday in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 23, 2009. A total of 550 students from China's earthquake-hit areas, at the invitation of the Russian government, will start a three-week recreational trip at a Russian children's care center in the coastal city of Vladivostok on July 23. (Xinhua/Xu Zuhua)
"I'm very happy because I will have three weeks to spend with Russian friends," said Wang Yuxiong, from Sichuan Province's Mianzhu City, at the Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan.

At the "Ocean" All-Russia Children's Care Center that is in the coastal city of Vladivostok, the children, 340 from Sichuan, 100 from Shaanxi and 110 from Gansu, will study Russian, and learn songs, dances and handcrafts and meet Russian children.

"We rehearsed Qiang ethnic folk dances for the get-togethers and prepared small hand-made gifts for our Russian friends," said middle school student Liu Wenfeng, who was of the minority Qiang ethnic group.

The magnitude-8 earthquake struck Sichuan and the neighboring provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu on May 12 last year, leaving more than 87,000 people dead or missing and more than 370,000 injured.

School children wave goodbye before aboarding an airplane to Russia for a three-week recuperative holiday in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, July 23, 2009. A total of 550 students from China's earthquake-hit areas, at the invitation of the Russian government, will start a three-week recreational trip at a Russian children's care center in the coastal city of Vladivostok on July 23.

School children wave goodbye before aboarding an airplane to Russia for a three-week recuperative holiday in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, July 23, 2009. (Xinhua/Han Chuanhao)
Photo Gallery>>>

During his visit to China last year, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev invited students from quake-hit areas to take rehabilitation programs in his country. A total of 1,570 Chinese children will take part in the programs over two years.

The children are aged from 10 to 16. They have learned some Russian and will be accompanied by interpreters, teachers and doctors.

"Last year's rehabilitation program was very successful and helped the Chinese children to cope with their experiences," said Yu Jihai, an official with the Ministry of Education who was

from quake-hit areas fly to Russia for rehabilitatio

2009-07-23T04:37:00.000-07:00

"I'm very happy because I will have three weeks to spend with Russian friends," said Wang Yuxiong, from Sichuan Province's Mianzhu City, at the Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan.

At the "Ocean" All-Russia Children's Care Center that is in the coastal city of Vladivostok, the children, 340 from Sichuan, 100 from Shaanxi and 110 from Gansu, will study Russian, and learn songs, dances and handcrafts and meet Russian children.

"We rehearsed Qiang ethnic folk dances for the get-togethers and prepared small hand-made gifts for our Russian friends," said middle school student Liu Wenfeng, who was of the minority Qiang ethnic group.

The magnitude-8 earthquake struck Sichuan and the neighboring provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu on May 12 last year, leaving more than 87,000 people dead or missing and more than 370,000 injured.

School children wave goodbye before aboarding an airplane to Russia for a three-week recuperative holiday in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, July 23, 2009. (Xinhua/Han Chuanhao)

During his visit to China last year, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev invited students from quake-hit areas to take rehabilitation programs in his country. A total of 1,570 Chinese children will take part in the programs over two years.

The children are aged from 10 to 16. They have learned some Russian and will be accompanied by interpreters, teachers and doctors.

"Last year's rehabilitation program was very successful and helped the Chinese children to cope with their experiences," said Yu Jihai, an official with the Ministry of Education who was heading the group.
School children walk to aboard an airplane to Russia for a three-week recuperative holiday in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, July 23, 2009. (Xinhua/Han Chuanhao)

Chinese students from quake-hit areas fly to

2009-07-23T04:33:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, July 23 (Xinhua) -- A total of 550 children from southwest China's earthquake zone flew to Russia's Far East Thursday for a three-week rehabilitation program at the invitation of the Russian government.

School children wave goodbye before aboarding an airplane to Russia for a three-week recuperative holiday in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 23, 2009. A total of 550 students from China's earthquake-hit areas, at the invitation of the Russian government, will start a three-week recreational trip at a Russian children's care center in the coastal city of Vladivostok on July 23. (Xinhua/Xu Zuhua)

Heavy rains pour

2009-07-23T04:29:00.000-07:00

Vehicles queue up to pass by a tree broken by strong wind in a heavy rainfall as the traffic is blocked on a road in Beijing, capital of China, July 22, 2009. A heavy rainfall hit China's capital city Wednesday evening. (Xinhua/Li Jiami

Heavy rains pour in

2009-07-23T04:26:00.000-07:00

Vehicles and cyclists drive in water after a heavy rain hit Beijing, capital of China, July 22, 2009. A summer heavy rain hit China's capital city Wednesday evening. (Xinhua/Li Jiaming)

2009-07-23T04:22:00.000-07:00

Costa Rican President Oscar Arias reads the Declaration of San Jose at the presidential palace in San Jose, capital of Costa Rica, July 22, 2009. Arias on Wednesday announced a Declaration of San Jose as a solution to Honduras' ongoing political crisis.(Xinhua/Esteban Datos)

SAN JOSE, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Costa Rican President Oscar Arias on Wednesday announced a Declaration of San Jose as a solution to Honduras' ongoing political crisis.

The Costa Rican presidency confirmed to Xinhua that the declaration demands ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya's return to Honduras within 24 hours.

Total insolar eclipse seen in Chongqing, SW Chin

2009-07-23T04:18:00.000-07:00

-Solar eclipse is seen in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, at 9:19 a.m. on July 22, 2009.(Xinhua/Zhou Hengyi)The Baily's Beads of solar eclipse is seen in Xinyang, central China's Henan Province, in this combo photograph taken respectively at 9:25:17, 9:25:18 and 9:25:31 (from L to R) a.m. on July 22, 2009.(Xinhua/Zhao Peng)
Photo Gallery>>>

The total solar eclipse and Baily's Beads of solar eclipse are seen in Jiujiang, east China's Jiangxi Province, in this combo photograph taken respectively at 9:29:54, 9:30:04, 9:30:25 and 9:30:37 (from L to R) a.m. on July 22, 2009.(Xinhua/Zhang Wu)

Solar eclipse seen in China

2009-07-23T04:11:00.000-07:00

-Costa Rican President Oscar Arias reads the Declaration of San Jose at the presidential palace in San Jose, capital of Costa Rica, July 22, 2009. Arias on Wednesday announced a Declaration of San Jose as a solution to Honduras' ongoing political crisis.(Xinhua/Esteban Datos)

he Baily's Beads of solar eclipse is seen in Xinyang, central China's Henan Province, in this combo photograph taken respectively at 9:25:17, 9:25:18 and 9:25:31 (from L to R) a.m. on July 22, 2009.(Xinhua/Zhao Peng)
Total solar eclipse is seen in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, at 9:16 a.m. on July 22, 2009.(Xinhua/Zhou Hengyi)

Royal oxen signal worry for Cambodian rice farmers

2009-06-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

May 12, 2009

PHNOM PENH (AFP) — Cambodia's royal oxen performed an ancient ceremony to predict the country's agriculture fortunes -- and raised fears of a low rice harvest by refusing to eat any of the grain.

King Norodom Sihamoni presided over the ceremony in a park outside the palace where thousands of people watched royal astrologers observing the animals' behaviour.

After a symbolic ploughing of a portion of the field, a pair of royal oxen were led to seven dishes -- rice, corn, beans, sesame, grass, water and alcohol -- laid out on trays.

They were seen eating only beans and corn, allowing the palace's chief astrologer Kang Ken to declare that this year "beans and corn harvests will be bountiful."

The astrologer did not spell out to the crowd what it meant for the rice harvest -- but he later told reporters that it would be only about 30 percent of the expected amount.

"I am extremely worried. As the oxen did not eat the rice, I fear that I cannot have (a) good harvest of rice," said farmer Vong Sak, 53, after the ceremony, which marks the start of Cambodia's planting season.

While still taken seriously by many rural Cambodians in this deeply superstitious country, ploughing ceremony predictions have been called into question in recent years.

Prime Minister Hun Sen, who did not attend the ceremony, rebuked the royal astrologers for failing to predict deadly floods in 2001 that claimed 59 lives.

Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved

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2009-06-25T13:06:00.003-07:00

2009-06-25T13:06:00.001-07:00

Muzzled opposition in front of the National Assembly (Photo: SRP)

2009-06-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

Jun 26, 2009
By Sam Campbell
Asia Times (Hong Kong)

PHNOM PENH - Science fiction author Philip K Dick once explained reality as "that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away". As sensible as this may sound, it is a definition unlikely to take hold in Cambodia, where recent events have shown the government's tendency to obstinately dismiss anything but the most convenient information.

The denials have come from the highest ranks of government to the lowest rungs of social entertainment and conscripted the judicial system to fend off criticism. Experts and economists say the government backlash risks driving away the vital foreign investment and international aid the country now desperately needs to keep the economy afloat.

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have both predicted a 0.5% contraction in Cambodia's 2009 gross domestic product (GDP), while the independent Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) estimated an even sharper 3% drop. The government sees things differently and announced last month a beaming 6% GDP growth projection, down only slightly from its 7% projection in April.

That optimistic spin, economists and experts say, is totally out of whack with Cambodia's on-the-ground economic realities, as well as regional and global trends. The crucial garment industry, usually the country's main export engine, saw exports plummet 25% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2009. The foreign revenue-generating tourism sector is equally troubled, with air arrivals in the first four months of 2009 down 16% over the same period last year.

The kingdom's rapid economic growth - GDP increases were measured in double digits for several years - seems to have made officials reluctant to concede that the downturn is having serious effects in Cambodia.

Indeed, Prime Minister Hun Sen's economic lieutenants have been slow to acknowledge the impact of the global crisis on Cambodia's until recently rising fortunes, opting instead to discredit or clamp down on critical news and assessments.

Minister of Economy and Finance Keat Chhon said in early June that a US$6.6 million training program and a $1 million micro-loans program would be adequate to mitigate the 60,000 garment factory workers who recently lost their jobs - a claim greeted with skepticism from economic analysts. Keat Chhon did not respond to an Asia Times Online request for an interview about the programs.

Hun Sen has responded to downcast projections with a characteristic sharp tongue. When the EIU this year rated Cambodia among global countries at high risk of political instability due to the economic crisis, the strongman leader questioned the report's "political orientation" and said the experts that compiled it wore "glasses with prescriptions too strong for their eyes".

In an April 6 speech, the premier went further, claiming that the report was "a political attempt to stop the flow of investments". Meanwhile, Cambodia's ambassador to the United Kingdom, Hor Nambora, dismissed the report as based on "sketchy and unconvincing" evidence. In a letter to the EIU, he called the report "perverse" and "insulting".

"Your scare-mongering allegations are highly dangerous, as they could be construed as actively inciting unrest," wrote Hor Nambora, son of Cambodia's veteran Foreign Minister Hor Namhong. "They also happen to be a gross distortion and misrepresentation of Cambodia's true position, and there can be no justification for these claims."

He also upbraided the EIU for having "arrogantly dismissed" Hun Sen's vow that Cambodia would maintain its economic growth this year: "You seem to have ignored this reassurance from the highest possible level, preferring to rely on your own evidence."

Comedic criticism

The government's protestations peaked in early June following a May 30 concert organized by rights organizations to bring attention to the thorny issue of corruption.

At the so-called "Clean Hands Concert", newly appointed United States ambassador Carol Rodley called corruption one of the main obstacles to socio-economic development in the country, claiming the scourge "costs Cambodia up to $500 million per year in terms of forgone state revenue that could otherwise be spent on public services in education and health care and jobs for Cambodian youth".

She claimed that the sum was "equivalent to the cost of constructing 20,000 six-room school buildings or the ability to pay every civil servant in Cambodia an additional US$260 per month". Her arithmetic, however, was not well received by the government.

"The Royal Government of Cambodia absolutely refutes the politically motivated and unsubstantiated allegation made by the United States diplomat in contradiction of the good relations between Cambodia and the United States Government," read a stern letter the Cambodian Foreign Ministry sent to the US Embassy.

Cambodia's UK ambassador Hor Nambora again entered the fray, saying Rodley seemed to have allied herself "with the discredited views of the international pressure group Global Witness which continually engages in virulent and malicious campaigns against the Royal Government of Cambodia". Global Witness has long been an irritating antagonist to Hun Sen's administration, once labeling its leaders as a "kleptocratic elite".

Pointing to a conspiracy to undermine the government is becoming a common theme when responding to critics of the government. The eventual aims of this unnamed group of conspirators - which encompasses such diverse organizations as environmental watchdogs like Global Witness, economic think-tanks such as the EIU and human-rights groups - is unclear.

One conspiracy theory was put forth publicly by Chy Koy, a performer with the popular Koy comedy troupe. Although Koy had performed at the Clean Hands anti-graft concert, he appeared on June 6 on a Cambodian People's Party-owned television station to ridicule anti-corruption NGOs (non-governmental organizations) as money hungry fabricators of non-existent corruption.

"Some NGOs accuse the government of being corrupt without thinking about its achievements," he explained to the local press after the parody. "You can say that the government is corrupt if nothing had developed in our country, but the government is working and everything is developing." Although Cambodia is officially one of the world's least-developed countries, the comedian claimed: "Now we have everything. Some families have two SUVs, some have three."

The Koy performance was followed - again on CPP-controlled TV - on June 13 by the Krem comedy troupe, which portrayed NGOs and journalists as conspiring to stage fake forced evictions - another bete noir of the Cambodian government. The well-documented and sometimes violent evictions of impoverished communities, according to Krem's sketch, are merely an invented tool to enable greedy foreigners to indulge their appetites for luxury hotels and local women.

With official denials and social satire fending off criticism on one front, another battle was playing out in a very different sphere: home decoration.

In what many viewed as one of the most peculiar assaults on free speech so far this year,

2009-06-25T12:56:00.000-07:00

The Banyan Tree: Untangling Cambodian History

2009-06-12T08:43:00.000-07:00

Bibliography

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Barnett, Anthony. "Inside S21," New Statesman, May 2, 1980.
Becker, Elizabeth. When the War Was Over. Simon and Schuster, New York, 1986.
Bekaert, Jacques. Kampuchea Diary 1983 - 1986. DD Books, Bangkok, 1987.
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Kiernan, Ben. "Denying Peace In Cambodia," 1990.
Kiernan, Ben. How Pol Pot Came To Power. Verso, London, 1986.
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Ledgerwood, Judy. "Cambodia Since April 1975," http://www.seasite.niu.edu/khmer/Ledgerwood/Part6.htm
Jackson, Karl D., ed. Cambodia 1975 -1978: Rendezvous With Death. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ 1989.
Ngor, Haing. Cambodian Odyssey. Macmillan Publishing Company, New York, 1987.
Owen, Taylor, and Kiernan, Ben. "Bombs Over Cambodia," The Walrus, October 2006, http://www.yale.edu/cgp/Walrus_CambodiaBombing_OCT06.pdf.
Ponchaud, Francois. Cambodia Year Zero. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1978.
Schanberg, Sydney. The Death and Life of Dith Pran. Penguin, New York, 1985.
Shawcross, William. The Quality of Mercy. Simon and Schuster, New York, 1984.
Shawcross, Willliam. Sideshow. Touchstone, New York, 1987.
Stuart-Fox, Martin, and Ung, Bunhaeng. The Murderous Revolution. Tamarind Press, Bangkok, 1986.
Summers, Laura. Personal communication.
UNICEF. Cambodia: The Situation of Women and Children. United Nations Children's Fund, Phnom Penh, 1990.
U.S. Committee for Refugees. Cambodians in Thailand: People on the Edge. USCR, 1985.
Vickery, Michael. Cambodia 1975 - 1982. South End Press.
White, Peter T. "Kampuchea Wakens From a Nightmare," National Geographic, May 1982.
Yathay, Pin. Stay Alive, My Son. Touchstone, New York, 1987.

Interviews:

Huot Ken, Veoung Kroch, Samnang May, Rin Ngeth, Sophia Srey Sharp, Narath Tan, Chan Khoun, Rouhn Nhy, Son Em

News Articles:

Bangkok Post: 6/19/90
Chicago Tribune: 7/27/87, 1/17/90, 7/18/91, 2/29/92, 11/14/91, 6/10/92, 8/18/92, 2/17/92, 12/21/92, 1/14/93, 1/18/93, 1/20/93, 3/3/93, 3/12/93, 4/1/93, 4/5/93, 4/9/93, 4/14/93, 4/29/93, 6/11/93, 6/22/93
Christian Science Monitor: 3/30/92, 12/4/92, 12/21/92, 6/1/93, 5/20/94
Indochina Digest: 7/16/93, 8/13/93, 8/20/93, 8/27/93, 9/10/93, 9/24/93
Reuters: 11/1/94
Refugee Reports: 7/15/88
Time: 4/13/64, 4/14/75, 4/28/75, 1/16/78, 1/15/79, 6/25/79, 10/22/79, 11/19/79,

The Banyan Tree: Untangling Cambodian History

2009-06-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

Part Five: New Roots, New Growth, New Upheaval

Within Cambodia, a sense of normalcy slowly returned. But the coalition continued to occupy Cambodia's seat in the U.N., and the crushing effects of war and international embargo kept the country one of the poorest in the world. In 1987, per capita income was estimated to be only $160 annually -- ranking 195th out of the world's 203 countries. It was a situation that could not continue indefinitely. The isolation carried a heavy price for Vietnam as well as Cambodia. Bogged down by the continuing fighting, and faced with the prospect of diminishing Soviet support as the global political situation changed, in June 1988 the Vietnamese announced plans to begin a gradual troop withdrawal. Their stated goal was to have all of their forces out of Cambodia by 1990.

The Vietnamese announcement cleared the way for real progress toward peace. In July 1988, leaders of the four warring factions held their first face-to-face meeting, in Indonesia. The talks were inconclusive, but they did pave the way for future progress.

The announcement of a Vietnamese withdrawal had another effect, as well: it sent supporters of the guerrilla coalition scrambling for a new policy. After years of propping up an alliance formed around the Khmer Rouge, they were now faced with the horrible prospect that Pol Pot might return to power in the vacuum created by the Vietnamese withdrawal. They had forgotten the old adage: Be careful what you wish for. You might get it.

As the Vietnamese troops pulled out, however, the situation on the battlefield remained largely unchanged. The Phnom Penh government's army consisted of about 35,000 troops; they held their own in most areas, and the guerrillas made only minor inroads into their territory.

Gradually a framework for peace began to emerge. In 1990 the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council put forth a plan calling for the creation of a Supreme National Council (SNC) to be composed of six representatives (two from each faction) of the guerrillas. As negotiations continued, a series of ceasefires were declared and more or less ignored. A formal ceasefire was finally adopted in May 1991, and despite constant violations by the Khmer Rouge, the agreement held.

Norodom Sihanouk, meanwhile, after "retiring" and "returning from retirement" several times, was elected to a position as the thirteenth member of the SNC, as its nonvoting chairman.

On October 23, 1991, the agreement was at last signed and formally accepted by all sides. The plan called for each army to demobilize 70% of their troops, while the interim functioning of the government would be handled by the U.N. until elections could be held in May 1993. It was the largest and costliest peacekeeping operation ever undertaken by the U.N., calling for nearly 22,000 soldiers and administrators.

It was also in October 1991 that an internal shakeup within the Phnom Penh government led to the removal of Heng Samrin from his position as General Secretary of the communist party. Samrin, who had opposed a U.N. role in Cambodia, was replaced by Chea Sim. Hun Sen, who had long held the post of Foreign Minister, was chosen to represent the Phnom Penh government in the upcoming election for Premier. Like Heng Samrin, Hun Sen was a former Khmer Rouge cadre who had defected from the Eastern Zone in 1977.

By November 1991, U.N. personnel began arriving in force. Sihanouk, too, returned to Cambodia, greeted by cheering crowds. Khmer Rouge representatives to the SNC arrived as well, but were greeted less warmly: their villa was attacked by a mob, and Khieu Samphan, the leader of their delegation, was beaten and nearly murdered. He fled the capital in an armored car.

Against this uncertain backdrop, the U.N. began the massive task of repatriating the nearly 370,000 refugees from the camps in Thailand. Sporadic fighting continued in the countryside, however, and the Khmer Rouge grew increasingly intransigent. They first denied U.N. peacekeepers access to areas under their control, then refused to disarm. The Phnom Penh government, too, was accused of violence directed at Sihanouk and Son Sann loyalists. Their actions, however, paled in comparison to those of the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge began a campaign of harassment directed at the U.N. Several peacekeepers were kidnapped, and others were murdered. Several civilians, particularly ethnic Vietnamese, were also massacred. In April 1993, the Khmer Rouge closed their offices in Phnom Penh and sent a letter to the U.N. withdrawing from the peace process, under the pretense that there were millions of Vietnamese still in the country illegally. Still, however, the other parties moved forward as planned. By the end of April, the last of the refugees had been repatriated.

As the Khmer Rouge stepped up their threats to disrupt the elections scheduled to begin on May 23, many observers feared that the specter of violence would keep the voter turnout low, enabling the Khmer Rouge to claim that the winner of the elections did not in truth have wide popular support.

The dire predictions turned out to be unfounded. Despite the threats, 4.2 million of the 4.7 million registered voters went to the polls. The FUNCINPEC party, headed by Sihanouk's son Norodom Ranariddh, won 58 of the 120 seats in the National Assembly; the Phnom Penh faction won 51 seats, Son Sann's faction won 10 seats, and a right-wing party won the remaining seat. Initially, however, the Phnom Penh government contested the results, and it was not until June 21 that Hun Sen formally conceded that they had lost the election. However, fearing that the country would be ungovernable without some semblance of a consensus, Ranariddh consented to allow Hun Sen to assume the role of "co-prime minister." The Khmer Rouge, meanwhile, began stepping up their attacks against the fledgling government.

Despite the prominent roles played by Hun Sen and Ranariddh, there remained a part for Cambodia's consummate politician: Sihanouk himself. Reviled by many, but revered by still more, Sihanouk declared that he had "no right to resist the will of the Cambodian people" who were calling on him to return to the throne. On September 24, 1993, he signed a new constitution and once again assumed the position of King of Cambodia. His powers, however, were limited. Under the terms of the constitution, the king was selected by a five-member throne council. In poor health, Sihanouk spent much of his time outside the country, seeking medical treatment, and the majority of power remained in the hands of the two Prime Ministers.

The Khmer Rouge, meanwhile, continued their attacks, routinely targeting civilians, and sowing land mines in rural areas. They still enforced their policies through mass murder: In October 1994, for example, a group of seventy villagers in Battambang province were captured by the guerrillas, who opened fire on them for no apparent reason. Fifty were killed.

Still, it was clear that the balance of power had shifted. Isolated diplomatically and economically, the Khmer Rouge at last began to disintegrate. Defections took a heavy toll on their ranks in the wake of the 1993 elections. In August 1996, Ieng Sary, one of the highest ranking members of the Khmer Rouge (by some accounts second or third in rank, below Pol Pot) defected to the government in exchange for amnesty, taking many of his soldiers with him.

Unfortunately, violence between the factions in Phnom Penh escalated drastically as the Khmer Rouge disintegrated. Hun Sen still controlled the strongest segment of the military, and he did not hesitate to exploit his power. In one particularly brutal attack, dozens of supporters of a popular opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, were killed in a grenade attack on a peaceful demonstration in Phnom Penh in March 1997. The violence underscored a disturbing truth: the demise of the Khmer Rouge would not necessarily mean the onset of peace.

In June 1997, rumors began to suggest that several more high-ranking Khmer Rouge officials were considering peace negotiations. Determined to continue fighting, Pol Pot responded in typical fashion: He executed his longtime Defense Minister, Son Sen, and ten members of Son Sen's family. The execution further splintered the remaining guerrillas. It was Pol Pot's final mistake: the last of his devout followers could no longer deny the brutality and futility of their leader's methods. Pol Pot was effectively overthrown by an internal rebellion in the fall of 1997, and was "convicted" in a Khmer Rouge show trial. Confined to "house arrest" in the last enclave of Khmer Rouge control, he died on April 15, 1998. Official accounts claimed that he succumbed to illness. Others suggested that he was murdered by his former followers.

In Phnom Penh, meanwhile, the collapse of the Khmer Rouge led to a cynical contest between Ranariddh and Hun Sen. Each man courted the defecting Khmer Rouge, knowing that the last of the guerrillas could tip the balance of power in his favor.

In July 1997 Hun Sen dispensed with the any pretense of cooperation. He overthrew Ranariddh in a coup. Ranariddh went into exile, while a handful of outnumbered, outgunned soldiers held on to a small stretch of territory close to the Thai border. Meanwhile, the UN estimated that at least 90 members of Ranariddh's party were murdered during and immediately after the coup.

The coup, however, once again left Cambodia diplomatically isolated. Under a Japanese-brokered peace plan, Ranariddh was tried in absentia on the Hun Sen government's charges that he was conspiring with the Khmer Rouge and smuggling arms; after his conviction, he was pardoned by the King and allowed to return to Cambodia to participate in the elections scheduled for July 1998. However, Hun Sen's forces continued their campaign of intimidation: A dozen opposition candidates were murdered in the weeks preceding the elections. The violence made a mockery of the international community's pledges to uphold "free and fair" elections. Hun Sen won the elections, but the opposition protested the results. Again responding with force, Hun Sen dispatched riot police to quell the protests. At least 18 persons were killed. The protests, however, brought the country's government to a virtual halt. In November of 1998, an agreement was reached under which Hun Sen became the Prime Minister, while Ranariddh accepted a position as President of the National Assembly.

In the wake of the agreement, a measure of stability has returned to Cambodia. Meanwhile, attempts to establish a tribunal to try former Khmer Rouge officials have stagnated. A climate of corruption, intimidation, and impunity remains, and the country's dismal human rights record shows few signs of improvement.

More than twenty-five years after Year Zero, the Cambodian people are still waiting for a future where their hopes will be fulfilled. The greatest obstacle is the legacy of the last three decades. If the future is to be brighter, Cambodia must build upon her greatest asset: the resourceful of her people. Her fate rests on whether the new government chooses to harness the Cambodian people, or to bind them.

No tree can survive when cut from its roots. But the roots which sustain the tree may destroy the foundation of all structures in their path. It is this which must be remembered, when the seeds are sown.

The Banyan Tree: Untangling Cambodian History

2009-06-12T08:40:00.000-07:00

Part Four: Twists and Uncertainty

For many Cambodians, the early months of 1979 were marked by chaos and confusion. In many areas, no one knew about the fighting with Vietnam; in some towns villagers awoke one morning to find that the Khmer Rouge had suddenly vanished in the night. Others, less fortunate, found themselves caught, literally, in the crossfire of battle. Still others were held captive as slaves and porters by the retreating Khmer Rouge. All semblance of order vanished.

As the Khmer Rouge withdrew, they often confiscated and destroyed rice to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Vietnamese. In some areas, the Vietnamese, too, were accused of having confiscated much of the existing harvest. Much more simply rotted in the fields as liberated Cambodians abandoned their collectives en masse. Some returned to their homes from the days before the revolution. Hundreds of thousands of others fled toward Thailand. By October and November 1979, what had been a trickle of refugees became a torrent. The terrible mismanagement by the Khmer Rouge, the war and the dislocation had suddenly brought a new agony to Cambodia: Famine.

The refugees who poured into Thailand were a testimony to the torment: skeletal apparitions cloaked in tattered rags; children with brittle limbs and distended stomachs; weary mothers, their breasts dry from malnutrition, clutching starving infants who had not the strength to lift their heads. Witnesses to the exodus grappled for a way to describe what they saw. They could only invoke the names of Auschwitz, of Dachau, of Belsen. A brace of crude, fetid refugee camps sprung up along the Thai border. Hundreds died in the first horrid weeks, their bodies laid to rest in mass graves.

A massive campaign to aid the Cambodians took shape. The United Nations, the Red Cross, and a brace of smaller organizations began providing food and medical assistance to the refugees at the border. But inside Cambodia, providing aid was more difficult. Despite the appalling brutality of Pol Pot's regime, the international community still considered the Khmer Rouge to be the legitimate government of the country. Heng Samrin was seen as a puppet, brought to power by an invading foreign army. The U.N. refused to confer recognition on the new government.

The Phnom Penh government's bitterness toward the U.N. was compounded by the fact that the relief efforts along the Thai border were clearly aiding the Khmer Rouge. Some of the refugee camps, in fact, were under direct control of the Khmer Rouge. Civilians trapped in those camps were in desperate need of food, but there was no way to insure that any aid they received would not ultimately fall into the hands of Khmer Rouge guerrillas.

Similarly, there were also concerns that aid sent to Phnom Penh might wind up in the hands of Vietnamese soldiers. The Vietnamese often seemed to be deliberately hampering efforts to provide aid. The few relief officials who were allowed into Phnom Penh were not allowed to set up radio communications, and since there were no working telephone lines out of Phnom Penh, the only outside contact was through the daily Red Cross flight to Bangkok. They were instructed not to speak to anyone in the street, and the government's propaganda radio accused them of being spies. The government also insisted that the distribution of aid be handled not by international personnel, but by their own officials. The government also refused to allow any aid to be shipped overland from Thailand.

Ultimately, much of the aid that did reach the interior of the country was distributed along the Thai border to Cambodians who carried it back into their own country in oxcarts and on rickety bicycles. While malnutrition continued to be a problem, by the end of 1979 the worst of the food shortages had passed.

As the months passed, the Vietnamese consolidated their hold on Cambodia. By the end of the year, there were nearly 225,000 Vietnamese troops occupying the country. But as time passed, many Cambodians began to suspect that the Vietnamese had no intention of ever leaving. Others noted bitterly that many, if not most, of the officials of the new government were former Khmer Rouge; the new government even continued to celebrate the anniversary of the Khmer Rouge takeover as a national holiday. And while conditions inside the country had improved infinitely since the horrors of previous years, Heng Samrin's government was frequently accused of widespread human rights violations.

Along the Thai border, the remaining Khmer Rouge forces soon regrouped and stepped up guerrilla attacks against the Vietnamese. Prince Sihanouk, meanwhile, withdrew from the Khmer Rouge and announced the formation of his own resistance group, and Son Sann, a former Prime Minister under Lon Nol, formed a third group. The Khmer Rouge, with extensive support from China, were the strongest of the three groups militarily. But they could scarcely hope to win much support diplomatically. The United States and other Western nations were determined to keep the Vietnamese isolated politically, but to do so by supporting the Khmer Rouge was virtually unthinkable. The solution ultimately reached by the West was scarcely better. Under unrelenting pressure from the United States, the three groups banded together into a single coalition in 1982 -- with Sihanouk once again serving as the titular head.

As the Third Indochina War dragged on, a pattern soon became apparent. During the rainy season, the guerrillas would step up their activity, only to be driven back by Vietnamese offensives during the dry season. The refugee camps, often used as bases by the guerrillas, frequently came under artillery fire from the Vietnamese; once again innocent women, men, and children were caught in the middle.

The Banyan Tree: Untangling Cambodian History

2009-06-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

Part Three: Toppling the Past

Throughout Cambodia the announcement of the government's surrender was met with relief. The fear, hunger, and exhaustion that had characterized life during wartime would at last be over. In Phnom Penh, particularly, the news was seen as cause for jubilation. The population of the city, about 600,000 before the war, had swollen to roughly two million with the constant flow of refugees generated by the war. For the refugees in particular, living conditions had been horrid. Many had no jobs; they lived in fetid camps, suffering from malnutrition and disease as the Khmer Rouge rained rockets and artillery fire into their midst. Now, crowds lined the streets, hailing their liberators.

The victorious soldiers did not share the sense of joy. Grim and unsmiling, still weary from battle, they made their way toward the center of the city. Having consolidated their positions, they immediately issued an order to the population: Evacuate the city.

Under the pretense that the Americans were going to bomb the city, the Khmer Rouge forced the bewildered population out into the streets. In many cases entire families were given only ten minutes to prepare for what they were told would be a three-day journey. The same scenario was played out in nearly all of the country's major cities and towns. No one was exempted; even hospitals were emptied. Patients staggered into the streets, their wounds untreated; families pushed along their loved ones, still strapped in their beds, bottles of blood and plasma held aloft in a desperate bid to fight off death. Doctors performing surgery were ordered at gunpoint to abandon their patients. Stragglers and those who refused to obey were often executed on the spot. The roads out of the cities were clogged with the exodus.The stocks of food and water accumulated for the refugees were inadequate; many succumbed to heat and exhaustion, with infants, the old, and the sick the first to die. Their relatives were forced to leave the bodies at the roadside. (Time Magazine's article describing the evacuation can be seen by clicking here.) All in all, it is estimated that some 20,000 people died in the evacuation.

Khmer society was about to be re-invented. The Khmer Rouge proclaimed it to be "Year Zero." Immediately upon the surrender of the republican government, Pol Pot put forth an eight-point program:

1. Evacuate people from all towns.
2. Abolish all markets.
3. Abolish Lon Nol regime currency, and withhold the revolutionary currency that had been printed.
4. Defrock all Buddhist monks, and put them to work growing rice.
5. Execute all leaders of the Lon Nol regime beginning with the top leaders.
6. Establish high-level cooperatives throughout the country, with communal eating.
7. Expel the entire Vietnamese minority population.
8. Dispatch troops to the borders, particularly the Vietnamese border.
As the people made their way out of the cities and into the countryside, it became clear that the Khmer Rouge did not intend to allow them to return. Evacuees were ordered to write their biographies, explaining who they were and what type of work they had done under the old regime. The Khmer Rouge were not looking for technical expertise. They were looking for enemies.

High officials of the deposed government, including Prince Sirik Matak and Premier Long Boret, were executed immediately. Military officers -- generally all those above the rank of lieutenant -- were also executed. In many cases their families were killed as well.

Pol Pot's goal was to transform Cambodia into a completely self-sufficient agrarian communist state. The revolution justified everything; human life was expendable. A Khmer Rouge saying made the point clearly: "To preserve you is no gain, to destroy you is no loss."

Though the Khmer Rouge claimed that their revolution tore down class barriers and made everyone equal, in practice the new system created two very distinct classes: "old people" and "new people." The old people were rural people who had come under the control of the Khmer Rouge before the end of the war; new people were the city dwellers who had been evacuated from the cities after April 17. The new people were viewed with hatred and suspicion by the Khmer Rouge.

Khmer Rouge leaders were obsessed with the idea that their revolution be "pure." This absolutism was made manifest in many ways. With no markets and currency, the population was entirely dependent upon "Angkar" -- the organization -- for their needs. Books and all printed materials were forbidden. Virtually all private property was banned; except for clothing and a handful of personal effects, everything was the property of the state. Communism became the new national "religion"; monks were defrocked or even executed, and Buddhism was outlawed. No travel was allowed without expressed permission from Angkar. A curtain of darkness enveloped Cambodia; the outside world vanished beyond a border sown with mines and armed guards. Even Prince Sihanouk was uncertain about what was happening inside the country; the Khmer Rouge kept him in Beijing until December 1975, insisting that they were not yet ready for his return. When he did finally return, he became for all intents and purposes a prisoner, confined within the royal palace in the virtually deserted capital.

Within Cambodia, conditions varied widely from region to region. Some areas had been decimated by the war, while others had been spared the worst of the fighting. New people sent to relatively undamaged areas were fortunate: others were deported to virgin forest, where they were first ordered to build their own shelter, then to clear the land and plant rice. Conditions also varied depending on the manner in which local cadres chose to implement the central government's decrees. Not all of the Khmer Rouge surrendered their humanity to the revolution, and they tempered their orders with a sense of realism and mercy.

Generally, however, life under the Khmer Rouge did follow certain patterns. The cultivation of rice -- for centuries the foundation of Khmer civilization -- was the cornerstone of the communists' vision for the future. A propaganda slogan stated the premise clearly: "With rifles in one hand and hoes in the other, our workers, peasants, and revolutionary armed forces are striving grandly to build democratic Kampuchea."

Typically, men and women were organized into separate work brigades, and families were often split up as members were sent to work in different areas. In most areas, "schooling" (more accurately: indoctrination) was available only for very young children; children as young as six were assigned to "weak strength" work groups which also included the elderly. The weak strength groups performed such tasks as collecting manure, tending small gardens, or raising chickens. The "full strength" groups did the heavy work: digging canals and reservoirs, building dikes, logging, planting and harvesting the rice fields. They often worked from sunup to sundown, or even well into the night if there was enough moonlight, or if they had not met their work quota. Most areas followed a schedule of ten days of work, then one day of rest. They toiled in identical all-black clothing; expressions of individuality were not tolerated.

The idea that the people of Cambodia could have any use beyond that of a draft animal seemed to have never occurred to the Khmer Rouge. Anyone who offered advice to the Khmer Rouge was implicitly suggesting that Angkar's plan could be improved upon, and that perhaps Angkar was not infallible. Such a suggestion could easily lead to death. The Khmer Rouge saw intelligence not as a virtue, but as a threat. In many areas, educated persons were marked for execution as enemies of the state; many "new people" would later attribute their survival to having hidden their intelligence. College students, teachers, and doctors in particular were singled out as targets. Of approximately 270 doctors who remained in Cambodia after 1975, only about 40 survived Pol Pot's reign.

Many other groups were also at risk. Former republican soldiers were often executed, along with their families. Civil servants and members of ethnic minorities, too, often fell victim to the violence. As many as 100,000 ethnic Vietnamese were executed, and about 225,000 ethnic Chinese and 90,000 Chams are believed to have died of disease, starvation, or execution. Publicly speaking a language other than Khmer was punishable by death.

Executions were carried out in a number of different ways. Often victims were taken away to "killing fields" where they were forced to kneel in front of trenches before being killed by a blow to the head with a pickaxe or shovel. At times large groups of people were shot together; other individuals were suffocated by a plastic bag tied over their heads. Executions were also sometimes performed publicly. Some victims were beaten to death; others were disemboweled, and their livers were cooked and eaten by their killers. Whole families were often killed for the minor infractions of a single person. The Khmer Rouge did not want to leave surviving relatives who might harbor a grudge against Angkar. At times, the methods employed matched the darkest propaganda of wars gone by: Infants were smashed against trees, or thrown into the air and impaled on bayonets or bamboo stakes.

Nowhere was the brutality of the Khmer Rouge more clearly exemplified than at Tuol Sleng prison in Phnom Penh. Tuol Sleng had originally been built as a secondary school during Sihanouk's regime. When the Khmer Rouge came to power, the buildings were converted to a prison -- or, more accurately, a torture and interrogation center.

Most of those incarcerated at Tuol Sleng were Khmer Rouge cadres who had fallen under suspicion during a series of purges. Many were women, and about 2,000 were children who had been taken to the prison along with their parents. Records from the prison indicate that at least 14,000 persons had been imprisoned there by January 1979.

Of those 14,000, there were seven known survivors.

Generally, Tuol Sleng held between 1000 and 1500 inmates at a time. Prisoners were brutally tortured in an attempt to extract "confessions" detailing counter-revolutionary plots masterminded by the Americans, the Soviets, or the Vietnamese. Among the preferred methods: pulling out fingernails, suffocating victims by temporary hanging, or crushing their nipples with pliers. Once a confession had been completed to Angkar's satisfaction, the prisoner was taken away to be killed. Prison records, which are incomplete, indicate that the highest single-day total of executions was on May 27, 1978, when 582 persons were sent to their death.

Death was coming to those in the countryside as well. In addition to the ever-present threat of execution, malnutrition and disease began to take a heavy toll on the population. The communal eating that Pol Pot had called for was instituted throughout most of the country by 1976. Seated together at long tables sheltered under thatch roofs, all of Angkar's slaves ate together. In prosperous regions, the food was generally rice, occasionally with some fish as well. In other areas, the only food was a watery rice soup. Only the Khmer Rouge ate their fill; others went hungry. In some areas people were allowed to forage for food when they were not working; they sometimes managed to catch fish or rabbits, and they could occasionally pick fruit. The less fortunate settled for field crabs, rats, lizards, or snakes. In still other areas, however, foraging for food was strictly forbidden. As men, women, and children starved to death, Angkar murdered people for the crime of trying to feed themselves. The welfare of the population often seemed completely irrelevant to the Khmer Rouge. One refugee recalled that, in order to kill the sparrows who ate the rice at harvest time, his work group was ordered to cut down the trees where the birds nested. "While people were dying of hunger a mile away, we were out chopping down fruit trees."

The main cause of the food shortages was not that insufficient rice was grown; the problem was that the rice was not distributed. Production quotas for each region were determined by the government in Phnom Penh, and local authorities were expected to send a set amount of rice to the central government. The quotas, however, were wildly unrealistic, and when they were not met local leaders were faced with a choice: send the amount requested to Phnom Penh and let their people starve, or admit failure to their superiors. Given the manner in which the regime dealt with failure and dissent, it is not surprising that many chose to pretend that the quota had been met.

The lack of food was compounded by a lack of medical care. Having emptied the hospitals during the evacuation of the cities, and having targeted doctors for elimination, the Khmer Rouge left the responsibility for treating the sick and injured in the hands of untrained young "revolutionaries" with predictably disastrous results. At the local level, cadres explained that only the methods of their ancestors would be used to treat illness; nothing would be taken from Western science. The leaders of the central government, like Pol Pot, Ieng Sary, and Khieu Samphan, were certainly well-educated enough to know that such folk remedies did not represent a viable substitute for modern medical science. But Cambodia could not produce modern pharmaceuticals domestically, and purchasing them abroad would have compromised the "purity" and "self-sufficiency" of the population.

Conditions worsened in 1977 and 1978. While there were fewer executions in 1976 and 1977 than there had been in 1975, the atmosphere was still one of brutality, repression, and fear. With a demoralized work force succumbing to disease and malnutrition, the country could no longer sustain itself. As their failure became apparent, the Khmer Rouge began to search for scapegoats. Intellectuals and persons with ties to the former government were still targets, but now the main focus shifted: Thousands of communist party members were imprisoned and executed as the Khmer Rouge began to devour their own ranks in a series of bloody purges. But internal purges were not enough. Without an external threat, the Khmer Rouge could not hope for internal support. Pol Pot had always manipulated the hatred of others to his own ends, and he would do so again now. Vietnam became the new enemy.

The Khmer Rouge had not forgotten their bitterness at the way the Vietnamese had given their own struggle against the American's precedence over the Cambodians communists' struggle against first Sihanouk and then Lon Nol. Ideology, too, was a factor; Vietnam was firmly rooted in the Soviet camp, while the Khmer Rouge were allied with the Chinese. Vietnam's own relations with China were particularly strained, mainly because of Vietnam's crackdown on her own ethnic Chinese. History, too, played a part, since ancient Vietnamese and Khmer empires had waged war on one another almost incessantly over the course of centuries. The single greatest factor, however, may have been the arrogance of the Khmer Rouge. Having withstood the American bombing and triumphed against Lon Nol, they had come to believe that they were invincible. Pol Pot capitalized on minor border disputes to claim that the Vietnamese had designs on Khmer territory. After a series of Khmer Rouge raids on villages inside Vietnam, heavy fighting broke our along the border in late 1977 -- ironically, at the same location where American forces had invaded some seven years earlier.

The fighting proved disastrous for the Cambodians, and Pol Pot concluded that his invincible army must surely have been infiltrated by Vietnamese spies. He responded with what may have been the most violent of the numerous purges of his bloody reign. The violence was directed primarily at party members in the Eastern Zone, the region bordering Vietnam.

A number of soldiers from the East managed to escape the purges by fleeing to Vietnam. There was unmistakable irony in their fate: Troops who had been fighting against the Vietnamese weeks earlier now ran to them for salvation.

One of the men who escaped to Vietnam was a division commander named Heng Samrin. His arrival was a blessing for the Vietnamese: they wanted to be rid of Pol Pot, but they needed another Cambodian to take his place. Heng Samrin was deemed suitable for the role, and on Christmas Day, 1978, an invasion force of 90,000 Vietnamese and 18,000 dissident Cambodians poured across the border into Cambodia.

The defense of Pol Pot's regime rested with an army of roughly 73,000 troops. Despised by the own people, confronted by a much better-equipped, brilliantly-led invasion force, the Khmer Rouge were routed with stunning ease. Within two weeks, the Vietnamese had captured Phnom Penh. The battered remnants of the Khmer Rouge retreated into the mountains and jungles along the Thai border.

Forced back against a wall, the previously xenophobic Khmer Rouge suddenly launched desperate pleas for assistance. Their greatest asset became the long-neglected Prince: Norodom Sihanouk was flown out of Cambodia and sent to the United Nations, where he gave an impassioned speech on behalf of the Khmer Rouge.

Within Cambodia, the Vietnamese -- long regarded with hatred and suspicion by Cambodians -- were suddenly seen as saviors. The darkest period in the nation's history had ended. In three-and-a-half years, out of a population of eight million people, more than two million people had died. And still, the misery was not over.

The Banyan Tree: Untangling Cambodian History

2009-06-12T08:36:00.000-07:00

Part Two: Descending

Lon Nol's position was a difficult one. By 1970 there were believed to be some 40,000 Vietnamese troops in the sanctuaries. Furthermore, many of the weapons and supplies for communist troops in South Vietnam came through Cambodia. The Vietnamese would not abandon the sanctuaries willingly.

Once Lon Nol had effectively ended Cambodia's neutrality and cast his lot with the Americans, both the Americans and the Vietnamese discarded their last vestiges of restraint. On April 30, American and South Vietnamese government troops invaded southeastern Cambodia. But the elusive communist "headquarters" were not found, and the communist troops simply retreated deeper into Cambodia. As they did, the Vietnamese communists were cast in the role of surrogates, fighting Lon Nol's troops while the Khmer Rouge grew in strength.

Lon Nol soon proved to be incompetent both as a military leader and as a chief of state. The corruption within his administration was worse than that under Sihanouk, and many Cambodians began to believe that the country would be better off under the Khmer Rouge. Many of the peasants detested Lon Nol; they believed that Sihanouk - the onetime King - was Cambodia's rightful ruler. Relatively few people understood that the Khmer Rouge had no intention of allowing Sihanouk to wield any real power. The real leader of the Khmer Rouge was a failed electronics student who had become a communist while studying in Paris. His name was Saloth Sar, and he would later become known under his nom-de-guerre: Pol Pot.

As the fighting began to spread throughout Cambodia, North Vietnamese troops consistently routed the inexperienced Cambodian army. In August of 1971, Lon Nol mounted an ambitious offensive -- "Chenla II" -- in an attempt to regain lost territory. It was a poorly conceived campaign, and the result was a crushing defeat from which the Republic's forces never recovered. It soon became apparent that without massive American aid the government would collapse. That assistance came in the form of military hardware and air support.

American bombing quickly became the centerpiece of Lon Nol's defense. Before Congress brought the bombing to a halt in August 1973, more than 2 million tons of bombs had been dropped on Cambodia.

Although the exact number of deaths caused by the bombing is unknown, there is no question that civilian casualties were numerous. In one instance, the government-held town of Neak Luong was inadvertently bombed because of an error by the bomber's crew. One hundred thirty-seven people were killed, and more than 205 were wounded. On another occasion, near the village of Saang, peasants in a funeral procession unknowingly walked into a B-52 target area. Hundreds were killed. The incident underscored the tragedy of the bombing campaign: even when the strikes were on target, civilian deaths were inevitable.

Most of the Cambodians who witnessed such carnage place the blame squarely upon the Americans and Lon Nol. Their anger led many of them to join the Khmer Rouge, and by late 1972 the Khmer Rouge army had grown to some 50,000 soldiers.

As the Khmer Rouge grew, they became increasingly independent of their Vietnamese allies. Relations between the two groups had often been strained; aside from historical animosities, the Cambodian communists greatly resented the Vietnamese for not having actively supported their bid to overthrow Sihanouk in the late Sixties.

When the Vietnamese and the Americans signed the Paris Peace agreement in 1973, the Vietnamese quickly began to withdraw their troops from Cambodia. At the same time, shipments of Chinese arms destined for the Khmer Rouge failed to arrive, and the Khmer Rouge may have believed that the weapons had been stolen by the Vietnamese. Additionally, under the terms of the Paris accords, American air raids in Laos and North Vietnam were halted; and since the Khmer Rouge had refused to negotiate at Paris, there were now more U.S. aircraft available for strikes in Cambodia. To the Khmer Rouge, the increased bombing was the result of a betrayal by the North Vietnamese: the Vietnamese had bought a reprieve for themselves by sacrificing their allies.

It scarcely mattered. The Khmer Rouge continued to make gains on the battlefield. Government forces were beset not only by incompetence, but by corruption as well. Many of Lon Nol's officers sold materials, supplied by the U.S., to the Khmer Rouge: gasoline, medicine, even ammunition. In one incident in 1973, mortar rounds from Kompong Cham were sold to the communists, who then used the shells in an attack which virtually destroyed the town. Another common practice among corrupt officers was to pad the payroll by exaggerating the number of soldiers in their unit and pocketing the excess pay. Other officers went still further: they kept the salaries of the real soldiers as well.

The country spiraled toward destruction, its people trapped between the two armies. Both sides sent children, barely in their teens, into combat. Lon Nol had already displayed his brutality in pogroms against ethnic Vietnamese living in Cambodia, killing thousands and sending 200,000 others into exile. The Khmer Rouge were rumored to be even more savage; tales from villages captured by the communists spoke of old women being nailed to the walls of their houses and burned alive, of children being torn limb from limb. One of the few detailed accounts of the Khmer Rouge policies and strategies came from Ith Sarin, a Khmer Rouge defector, in a book called Regrets For The Khmer Soul. In typical fashion, Lon Nol responded to the book's dire warnings by jailing its author.

As the war raged on, the Khmer Rouge began to seem invincible; their troops fought with a relentlessness and tenacity that amazed even seasoned veterans. Lon Nol's demoralized army shrank before the onslaught. The bravery of individual soldiers could not compensate for their army's ineffective and corrupt leadership. The territory held by the Republic was reduced to little more than a handful of enclaves around the major cities.

With the Khmer Rouge clearly holding the upper hand, they rebuffed attempts to end the war through negotiations. By 1975, the situation for the Khmer Republic was clearly hopeless. Finally, on April 1, as insurgent rockets burst within a few hundred yards of his plane, Lon Nol fled the country. The U.S. embassy was closed and evacuated on April 12. From within the besieged capital, Premier Long Boret offered to surrender on the sole condition that there be no reprisals against those who had been loyal to the Republican government. The Khmer Rouge refused, and the government finally surrendered unconditionally on April 17, 1975.

As the first Khmer Rouge troops entered the capital, they were greeted by crowds waving makeshift white flags. The war was over.

The cheering crowds could not know that the next three years of "peace" would lead to more deaths than the last five years of war.

The Banyan Tree: Untangling Cambodian History

2009-06-12T08:35:00.000-07:00

by Bruce Sharp

The banyan tree grows throughout Cambodia. It may reach a height of over 100 feet, and as it grows, new roots descend from its branches, pushing into the ground and forming new trunks. The roots grow relentlessly; many of the ancient temples of Angkor have toppled as these roots have become embedded in the cracks and crevices between their massive stones. A single tree might have dozens of trunks, and it is often impossible to tell which is the original.

This is Cambodia today: a thousand intertwined branches, a thousand stories woven together, a thousand currents of history swirling in different directions. To understand Cambodia in the present, it is necessary to look at Cambodia in the past.

Part One: The Seeds

In the early 1960s, to much of the outside world, Cambodia seemed to be an insignificant country. For Americans, it was known only as the site of the magnificent temples of Angkor Wat: a small, quiet nation sharing a border with Vietnam.

Vietnam, by contrast, was well known to Americans. The cold war was raging, and in the eyes of the American public the front line of that war was clearly marked by the boundary between the communists in the north, and the noncommunists in the South. South Vietnam was perceived as the first domino; Cambodia was merely the next. The subtleties of history, the blurred lines of political fact and fiction were lost in the analogy.

If the Americans knew little about Cambodia, it is probably also true that the Cambodians knew little about America. The leader of Cambodia, however, fully understood what the American presence in Vietnam meant. Prince Norodom Sihanouk had led Cambodia since its independence from France in 1953. Formerly the King, he had abdicated the throne in 1955 to run in elections for head of state, and he had survived on the political stage through a mixture of political acumen and ruthlessness. As American involvement in Vietnam deepened, Sihanouk realized that maintaining his rule would require a delicate balancing act. He could not afford to make enemies of either the Americans or the Vietnamese communists.

When the Vietcong began to use areas inside Cambodia as a sanctuary from which to launch guerrilla attacks into South Vietnam, Sihanouk's position became increasingly precarious. Keeping the Vietnamese out by force was scarcely an option; his own army consisted of fewer than 30,000 poorly equipped troops. In comparison, by the end of 1964 the Vietnamese communists were fielding an army of roughly 180,000. Sihanouk's reluctance to move against the Vietnamese was strengthened by his conviction that the communists would eventually be victorious.

To further complicate matters, Sihanouk's autocratic style of governing was beginning to alienate the more well-educated elements of Khmer society. The opposition from the left was particularly vocal, and Sihanouk began to rely more and more on repression to quell dissent. That repression was largely orchestrated by one of the most pro-American members of Sihanouk's government, General Lon Nol.

The leftists in Cambodia had originally concentrated on a political struggle against Sihanouk. By 1967, however, as it became clear that political opposition was both futile and increasingly dangerous, the Cambodian communists began to focus on armed struggle. They did not, however, constitute as serious threat to Sihanouk's regime. Even as late as 1969, the communists -- or, as Sihanouk derisively called them, the Khmer Rouge -- were estimated to have only about 2500 troops.

Though the Khmer Rouge were only a minor threat, the war in Vietnam was rapidly becoming a major one. The presence of the sanctuaries was a source of constant frustration for the Americans. At first, with rare and relatively minor exceptions, American forces did not pursue guerrillas beyond the border. Later, however, American commanders began to believe that the Cambodian sanctuaries were crucial for Vietnamese logistics, and that they also served as the headquarters for the communist war efforts throughout Vietnam. In February 1969, General Creighton Abrams, the commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam, requested permission to attack Vietnamese troops inside Cambodia. President Richard Nixon quickly agreed, and on March 18, 1969, American B-52s launched the first of many secret bombing raids over Cambodia. Sihanouk had, in fact, confidentially told an American ambassador that he would not object if American forces engaged in "hot pursuit" of Vietnamese forces in unpopulated areas of Cambodia. But the extent of the attacks would later become a source of bitter recriminations. Former American Secretary of State Henry Kissinger would claim that Sihanouk was "...inviting this sort of pressure as a means of evicting these invading forces" from Khmer territory. Sihanouk himself would dispute that contention: "I did not know about the B-52 bombing in 1969... the question of a big B-52 campaign was never raised." In the end, the castigations of the politicians scarcely mattered. The war had come to Cambodia.

One year after the bombing began, Sihanouk made a mistake that would ultimately set the stage for disaster. Demonstrations protesting the Vietnamese presence in Cambodia broke out in Phnom Penh, the capital, while Sihanouk was vacationing in Paris. Although he was still fairly popular in rural areas, many Cambodians were losing patience with Sihanouk; they resented the corruption of his regime and his repression of dissent. Misjudging the extent of the discontent, Sihanouk declined to return to Cambodia. He left Paris and continued on to Moscow, and on March 18, 1970 -- one year to the day after the first U.S. bombing strike -- he was overthrown in a coup led by Lon Nol and Prince Sirik Matak. Sirik Matak quickly faded into the background. Lon Nol was the real power, and his regime was instantly recognized by Washington; the Americans surmised, correctly, that Lon Nol would permit more aggressive moves against the sanctuaries. The Khmer Rouge, meanwhile, saw an opportunity to turn Sihanouk's ouster to their advantage. If the Prince could be persuaded to ally himself with his former enemies, the rebels would gain significant popular support. Determined to avenge his betrayal by Lon Nol, Sihanouk acquiesced. On March 23, he announced that he would join the Khmer Rouge in a bid to overthrow the new government. The battle lines were drawn

CBSE scholar and GIIS student at the Republic Day Parade 2009

2009-06-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

Saurabh Unercat, was on the list of special invitees of the Government of India for the Republic Day Parade 2009 in Delhi. Saurabh ranked 3rd in Class 10, CBSE exams in India and the most important recognition for him came in the form of an invitation to the Parade of his dreams. The Class 11 CBSE student from Queenstown is on a GIIS scholarship programme.

A self-confessed serious but not studious student, Saurabh related his experience as a witness at the Republic Day Parade 2009. “I had always watched the Republic Day Parade at home since childhood but I never got to visit Delhi for the Parade In 2008 when I was given the invite for the 2009 Parade I was very excited.
Saurabh Unercat, was on the list of special invitees of the Government of India for the Republic Day Parade 2009 in Delhi. Saurabh ranked 3rd in Class 10, CBSE exams in India and the most important recognition for him came in the form of an invitation to the Parade of his dreams. The Class 11 CBSE student from Queenstown is on a GIIS scholarship programme.

A self-confessed serious but not studious student, Saurabh related his experience as a witness at the Republic Day Parade 2009. “I had always watched the Republic Day Parade at home since childhood but I never got to visit Delhi for the Parade In 2008 when I was given the invite for the 2009 Parade I was very excited

I joined my father in Delhi having flown alone to Delhi. On 26th morning,I joined the other students who were invited by the Government of India. Together the 70 of us were taken to the Parade site at 8.30am. We were seated very near the President’s podium and several senior Ministers were seated near us. The President of India Smt. Pratibha Patil arrived soon after. The Chief Guest of the 60th Republic Day was Kazakhstan President Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev. Defence Minister Mr.A.K.Antony executed all the conventional duties of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh since Mr. Singh was convalescing. The live cannon firing during the National Anthem of India and to be able to stand and sing the National Anthem there was the best part of the Republic Day Parade for me. I was also impressed by the Flypast of the Air Force jets. The tableaux from the different states was fantastic.”

He acknowledges that the Govt of India had arranged for his travel from Mumbai to Delhi but since he moved to Singapore he wasn’t sure about his trip. Luckily for him GIIS arranged for the trip and encouraged him to see the parade of his dreams.

Global Indian International school at Singapore’s Chingay Parade 2009

2009-06-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

As a forward-thinking and academically ambitious school, with a strong international dimension, GIIS strives for an innovative and imaginative academic curriculum. Our academic life is complemented by attentive pastoral care and full and wide-ranging co-curricular and extra-curricular programmes.

The GIIS Bangkok is a unique school where students are nurtured with latest international education systems blended with local or Indian cultural value systems.
The grandeur of Singapore Chingay Parade 2009 has fascinated and captivated the hearts of Singaporeans and tourists alike. On 30th and 31st January, a contingent of 160 performers-parents, students and teachers of the Global Indian International School-Queenstown and East Coast campuses recreated scenes reminiscent of Vrindavan at the Chingay Parade. Resplendent in varicoloured dresses, the Radha-Krishna, Gopis and Gowals of GIIS were equipped with the right elements- upbeat spirits, joy and vigour, which resulted in a superb performance of RaasLeela on both evenings........read more

2009-06-12T08:03:00.001-07:00

Sculptures - Khmer Civilization

2009-06-10T22:42:00.000-07:00

Sculptures

The stone carving skill of the ancient Khmer was basically inherited from the Indian civilization, however, it was later evolved into its own unique Khmer style. The Khmer sculptures were carved from stone with great craftsmanship and many of them represent the Hindu deities such as Shiva, Vishnu, Brahmans, the elephant god Ganesha and many other gods and goddesses, as well as Hindu mythical monsters such as the serpent naga, the demon kala, the giant makara, and the mythical lions. Some large sculptures even portray the epics of the Hindu myths such as Mahabharata and Ramayana.

In later centuries, the Buddha statues appeared and enshrined in many temples. The most astounding Buddha statues are found in Angkor Thom (Bayon) where the magnificent statues of four-faced Bodhisattava Avalokiteshvara, the lord Buddha, were sculptured on fifty towers.

Although each sculpture bears the common characteristics of the supernatural being it represents as described in the epics or myths, its details reveal the personal imagination of its sculptor. The good examples can be seen in the 2000 sculptures of Apsara in Angkor Wat; the Apsara are the female devatas (angels), and each Apsara was beautifully carved with her own supple posture, personal decorations and unique ornaments.

In addition, some sculptures depict the important events such as the war against its foreign invaders while some reveal the everyday life of the Khmer people such as the relief carvings of Angkor Thom.

Architecture - Khmer Civilization

2009-06-10T22:38:00.000-07:00

Architecture

The house of the local people in ancient Khmer was more or less similar to those found today in villages of modern Cambodia. It was elevated about two and a half meters above the ground with the wooden ladder and was built by wooden piles which supported the floor, the walls and the roof. The wall was made up of either the straws or the bamboo with the roof covered with the thatched leaves of dry coconut palms.

The architecture of the dignitaries' houses and the palaces was somewhat different from those of the laymen, and differed in sizes, layouts and dimensions. The materials used to built the house consisted of stronger wooden planks, generally made up of teakwood, and the roof was covered with tiles for the inner rooms and with thatched leaves for the outer corners. These differences clearly identified the classes of the people by which the laymen were not even dare to put up a single tile on their roof.

According to Hinduism, the gods reside in the five sacred mountains with central Mount Meru and these mountains are surrounded by the cosmic ocean. The structure of the Khmer temples mostly symbolizes the heavenly residence of the gods with five towers, called prasats. The central dominant tower or prasat represents the Mount Meru with four smaller ones, each at its corners, to represent the other four sacred mountains of the heaven. In some temples, there are galleries connecting the towers. The moat surrounding the temple symbolizes the cosmic ocean.

As the residence of gods, the temples were made up of more endurable materials such as the bricks, laterites and sandstones. Numerous stones were carved with artistic craftsmanship to portray the gods and the deities, the epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana, and in many instances, the important events of Khmer history as well as that of the king who was its founder. For the temples dedicated to Buddhism in the later centuries, the architecture is much less prominent with some stone carving related to the stories of Lord Buddha and his teaching.

In addition to the remarkable temples, the ancient Khmer also had showed its architectural genius by building large reservoirs and dikes which were essential in agriculture as well as for the survival of the people. The two largest reservoirs were the East Baray and the West Baray. The former one, built during the reign of Yasovarman I, was 7 1/2 kilometer long and 1 km 830 meters wide with the depth of 4-5 meter and holds up to 55 million cubic meters of water. The latter was almost twice larger, covering the area of 1,760 hectares with the depth of 7 meters and hold over 123 million cubic meters of water. These reservoirs collected the water from the nearby rivers through dikes and help significantly to prevent floods by collecting water from heavy rainfall during the Monsoon season. There were also smaller reservoirs, many ponds and moats which were constructed in the vicinity of the various temples, and thus further helped in water storage. This water was used in everyday life of the Khmer people, and irrigated to the farmland during the dry season. The Angkor Empire was therefore able to cultivate crops and rice two to three times in a year, resulting in its prosperity.

The extensive road system of the ancient Khmer enable us to draw a virtual map of the Angkor Empire during its peak. These roads were built by raising the earth as the pavement, however, most parts of these roads were lost but some vestiges remain. The Angkor being at the center of the civilization had its roads branching out in all directions. The northern route passes through Buriram and Phimai which are now in Thailand and divide into two branches, one to Vientiane, the modern Laos capital and another to Srisatchanalai and Sukhothai, the first capital of Thailand, while the southern one leads to Phnompenh and ends at Oc Eo in Mekong Delta of Vietnam. The eastern route heads to Kompong Cham until present-day Hochiminh City in South Vietnam where it curves northward along the coast up as far as Hue in Central Vietnam. The western route runs through Aranyapathet in modern Thailand until Chao Phya River Basin where Ayuthaya and Lopburi resides before extending westward until Maung Singh in Kanchanaburi near the Burma border.

Architecture - Khmer Civilization

2009-06-10T22:36:00.000-07:00

Life of the Local Khmer People

2009-06-10T22:34:00.000-07:00

The stone inscriptions found in the Angkor's region are mostly concerned with the religious related topics and rarely speak anything about the ordinary life of the local Khmer people. Only the stone carvings on the relief of Angkor Thom do portray some glimpses of the daily life in those days, however, most of our knowledge about the life of the Khmer laymen interestingly come from the Chinese Chronicle written by Zhou Daguan who was a Chinese ambassador of Yuan Dynasty. He visited the Angkor Empire in 1296 and traveled widely inside the kingdom for a year before his return. Residing with the local people in various circumstances, Zhou Daguan described quite an accurate picture about the life and activities of the laymen and enable us to project our imagination.

Zhou Daguan wrote that both men and women are breast-naked and barefooted with a piece of cloth wrapping around their waists. Ordinary females have no hair ornaments, but may wear golden rings on the fingers and bracelets on the arms. Beautiful women are always sent into the court to serve the king or his royal family....All trades in Khmer are carried out by women. In the market place, there is no shop, and the female vendors sell their goods and products on the mats which are spread on the ground. The space in the market is not free, and the rent must be paid to the officials.... the Khmer people do not have any table and chair in their house, and neither have the bowl nor the bucket. They cook their food in the earthen pots which are used for boiling rice and for preparing soup. The ladle sticks are made up from the coconut shells and the soup is served in a tiny bowl made up from the woven leaves by which the soup does not leak from the bowl.

In addition to Zhou Daguan's description, the relief carvings of Bayon add further views to the lively scene of the market. Many people walk to and fro; two bulls can be seen to pull an oxcart, some people carry their goods on the head, the dignitary on a palanquin carried by the servants, and some people ride on the horses. In the carving, well-dressed foreigners can be seen to walk among the local people.

As the palaces and the houses in the Angkor Empire were mainly made up on unendurable materials such as woods and thatched leaves, they left no traces to the present day, except the various Khmer temples which were built from bricks and stones. During those days, we can imagine the Angkor's capital such that the remarkable Khmer temples like Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom must be surrounded by the wooden houses, some with tiles on the roof while some only with thatch-leaves, and the people carried out their life in the market place. However, all these scenes had long been faded away; only the temples and the memory remain.

Khmer Society

2009-06-10T22:32:00.000-07:00

-To glimpse into the Khmer Society, we can understand that the top of the hierarchy should have been the god-king or deva-raja, surrounded by his tutors who were brahmins, and also by the members of his royal family. The priests residing in the temples were also powerful as they seem to own many lands and the paddy fields.

The stone inscription found in many temples gave some glimpses to the donors whose names were written with the titles. These donors could have been the noblemen or the dignitaries of the Khmer's ruling class responsible for the administrative and judiciary tasks, however, their titles were unfamiliar to the historians and the hierarchical ranks were not known, thus it is difficult to draw a complete table of hierarchy for the Angkor Empire.

Since the economy of the Khmer civilization was based mainly on agriculture, the majority of the people should have been the peasants or the farmers living in the villages. It was not clearly certain that there were any small landowners in the kingdom since most inscriptions often referred to large landowners of the elite class or of the temples.

The lowest hierarchy of the Khmer civilization should have been the slaves. Interestingly, there were two types of slaves in the kingdom which are worth mentioning and distinguished. As previously discussed in the chapter of "inscription", some of the Khmer stone inscriptions were found to list the names of slaves who belonged to the temples. Since their names were carefully crafted and enshrined in the holy place, they could not have been the low class slaves as its word "slave" implied. The historians believed that they were actually the temple servants and the priests who were "the slaves only to the gods", and not to any human being. In reality then, the "actual slaves" were mostly the captives from the neighboring countries, however, it was found that the Khmer people themselves could fall into the lowest status of being a "slave" if they failed to pay their rents or loans to the upper ruling class.

Lineage - Khmer Civilization

2009-06-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

Lineage

Unlike other civilizations, it seems that there was no clear-cut rule or regulation about who should succeed the throne when the king passed away. Throughout the history of Angkor Empire, the royal brethrens of the same mother or different mothers often struggled for power, and the crown was taken by force.

It was found that the right to the throne was followed through the maternal line. The designated crowned prince was often challenged by his brothers or by the other princes of different lineage. In many instances, the throne was succeeded after the bloodshed battles. In order to prove their rights and to acquire supports, the candidates often proclaimed that they were descendants of either Brahmin Kaundinya and princess Soma or Kambu and Mera, as these two legendary couples were believed by the ancient Khmers as their ancestors.

These incidences may not be surprising, if we traced back into the history further, the same practice had also been found since the time of Funan as written in the Chinese Chronicle.

Religion - Khmer Civilization

2009-06-10T22:24:00.001-07:00

Since the ancient time, the Khmers had accepted the two great religions from India, i.e. Hinduism and Buddhism, by which the former one was more popular. Hinduism had played an important role in Khmer civilization as the Angkor monarchs adopted its concept of deva-raja, or "god-king", by which the king was revered as an incarnation of the god Shiva, a supreme Hindu deity who was regarded as a protector.

Most temples in the Angkor Empire were dedicated to either god Shiva or god Vishnu. Believed to be the holy house of the supreme gods, the temples were carefully built with fine arts, and the materials used are those of everlasting stones. Many impressive sculptures of great craftsmanship were enshrined

.

The second religion being revered by the Khmers was Buddhism of Mahayana sect which came into the region quite at same time as Hinduism, however, Buddhism was less prominent.

Both Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism played an important role as the political, religious and philosophical pillars of Khmer Civilization by which the king was revered as the god-king or deva-raja. This ideology enabled the king to rule over the country as an absolute monarch with sovereign spirituality over his people, and thus enhanced the unity of the kingdom. Successive kings were able to mobilize large manpower to serve the army, to maintain extensive irrigation system and to build numerous massive temples.

Not until the 13th century, Theravada Buddhism was introduced to the Khmer from Sri Lanka and became more prominent in the royal court as well as in the local people. The teaching of Theravada Buddhism directly crashed with the original belief of the Khmer people as it taught the people to seek self enlightenment and abandoned the worldly things. With this teaching, the attitudes of the people towards its Hindu gods as well as the god-king changed, and thus led to the gradual weakening of the empire which eventually collapsed in the first half of 15th century.

The Khmer people seem to be the obedient students, as they did not raise doubts about the riligious teaching of the original doctrines. We can see in Khmer history that the religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism were not divided into the different sub-sects in the land of Khmer, as they were so in some other civilizations.

In addition to Hinduism and Buddhism, the Khmer people also had their own indigenous beliefs such as the local deities, ancestral spirits, as well as the evil spirits. There are no inscriptions or manuscripts to describe these beliefs, however, it can be found to be prevalent in modern Cambodia, especially in the remote villages. These beliefs are passed on from one generation to another through the words of mouth.

Religion - Khmer Civilization

2009-06-10T22:24:00.000-07:00

Khmer Inscription and Language

2009-06-10T22:21:00.000-07:00

The earliest written language to have been found in the region is in Sanskrit, an Indian sacred language. The writings were carved in stones which could be dated back to 5th and 6th century, which show a strong influence of the Indian culture over the indigenous people.

Sometimes later, the Khmer Language seems to appear with many of its characters and words derived from Sanskrit. An oldest stone inscription written in Khmer language were found to be carved in 612 A.D. as its text said.

The contents of these stone inscriptions which were housed in the temples were mostly concern with religions, its ritual and philosophy, Indian epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata, Kings' salutations and some poetic verses. Some of these stone inscriptions also list the assets which were owned by the temples and by the dignitaries as well as the different objects needed for ritual ceremonies. Although these assets and objects had long been disappeared, these listings served as another jigsaw in our quest for knowledge of the Angkor. Little things had been said about the ordinary life of the local people, however, these stone inscriptions had helped us to retrace the history of Khmer and to understand its political and cultural structure.

Around 1,200 stone inscriptions written in Sanskrit and Khmer had been discovered.

The inscriptions were careful engraved on the stone with a great work of real arts in order to show high respects to the gods of the temples. This could lead us to imagine that the Khmers were devout to their gods in whom they revered as their protector, and god's blessing would bring them prosperity.

Many Angkor temples had been found to contain the stone inscriptions in both languages - Sanskrit and Khmer, however, their contents could be differentiated into two distinct characteristics although both of them served for a religious purpose. Those inscriptions written in Sanskrit addressed more or less directly to the gods in term of religious prayers and rituals. Sanskrit is the sacred language of India and was maintained in the original form by the Khmers so that its value to their gods would not be deviated by any form of translation.

Generally, the Khmer inscription had its own distinction and the content was mostly a listing of assets, covering from paddy fields, cattle, objects and furniture, as well as the names of slaves which were owned by the temples. In many instances, some of the stone inscriptions were placed in the shrine by donors who could be the dignitaries or the elites of Khmer ruling class. These inscriptions could be varied, ranging from the listing of assets to some poetic verses.

According to Zhou Daguan in the Chinese annals, the ancient Khmers knew how to write on the latina leaves as well as by chalks on the animal's skin. Unfortunately, these materials seem to have been decayed over the past centuries due to damp weathers and insects.

It is hard to believe that such a high civilization of Khmer with a well-developed writing system would barely have any literature. Only three Khmer literatures are known since they were preserved in the stone inscription. Many literatures and other Khmer manuscripts, being written on unendurable materials other than on stone, are believed to have been lost with time, and some may have been survived until present day as local folklores.

Influence of Indian Civilization

2009-06-10T22:13:00.000-07:00

This Cambodia Tours section covers the trip to Angkor Wat and other Khmer Temples with sightseeing in Phnompenh to Cheung Ek Killing Field and genocidal Tuol Sleng Museum.

DAY 1: Arrive Siem Reap (Angkor Wat)
Arrive at Siem Reap Airport in Cambodia, meet with your guide and transfer to the hotel; then visit the South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon, Baphoun, Terrace of Elephants & Terrace of the Leper King. Afternoon tour to Ta Prohm and Angkor Wat, and see the sunset view at Phnom Bakheng. Overnight in Siem Reap.

DAY 2: Siem Reap - Phnom Penh
Morning transfer to the speed boat to Phnom Penh. See scenic views of the Cambodian rural life along the riverbank (optional by air). Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel. Afternoon tour to the Silver Pagoda, the Royal Palace and the National Museum of Khmer Arts. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

DAY 3: Phnom Penh
Morning tour to Choeung Ek Killing Fields and the Toul Sleng Museum of Genocidal crime. Afternoon city tour for shopping at Russian Market or Central Market. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

DAY 4: Phnom Penh Departure
Additional sightseeing until transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

The civilization in the Indian Subcontinent had been highly developed since ancient time. When trades became flourished between the East and the West, the Indian traders sailed to this region to establish Indian trading posts in order to collect goods and products during the off monsoon season. These traders brought with them their civilization, cultures, philosophy and religions, which were mostly appreciated and adopted by the less developed indigenous people.

The Indian post was somewhat unlike the "colony" during the colonial period, as it was rarely meant to involve in politics of the native land. The Indians were concerned mainly in trading and in collecting goods from the local to sell in distant lands.

The excavation at Eo Oc, a Funanese main port lying in South Vietnam today, revealed that the region was one of the prominent transitory points between the West and the East, and the trading connection between the two distant continents was well established. The unearthed artifacts at Eo Oc disclosed those goods originated from as far as the Roman Empire in the West and the Chinese civilization in the Far East.

During those days, the indigenous people were far less civilized than the Indian travelers and it was not surprising to find that they accepted many aspects from their foreign folks by which they deemed to be better and beneficial. One of these aspects were the religious and cultural elements of the Indian civilization. The natives adopted Hinduism as their religion and its gods Shiva and Vishnu were revered as their supreme gods. It was also found that the Brahmins, a learned caste of India, were invited into the royal courts to help in administration during the Funan period (1st century - 613 A.D) which was a predecessor of the Khmer civilization. In addition to the religious belief, the natives also learned the engineering skills such as the irrigation system as well as stone carving from the Indian Brahmins.

The extensive activities of Indian trading in the region seem to have ceased after the fall of the Roman Empire in 5th century, however, its relics were passed on to the next generations.

When the Khmer civilization evolved in early 9th century, the Khmer inherited several elements from its predecessor as well as those from the Indian civilization. Its first king Jayavarman II crowned himself as a deva-raja or "god-king" in 802 A.D, and his regime was more or less a replica of the successful Indian monarchy. Numerous impressive temples and monuments were built throughout the empire in successive centuries in order to praise the Hindu gods. These monuments are collectively known to us as the Angkor Temples (or Khmer temples), and the most famous ones are the Angkor Wat and the Angkor Thom (Bayon), both of which resided on the vast plain of Siemreap in Cambodia.

The process through which the Indian civilization had asserted a great influence upon another civilization was termed by the historians as "Indianization". However, the Khmer had never been fully Indianized as the term suggested. Although the Khmer adopted many aspects of Indian cultural and religious elements, the way of Indian life did not penetrate deeply into the root of Khmer civilization which was consisted of the laymen who still maintained their own way of life-style.

2009-06-10T16:29:00.001-07:00

Market Report In Play PPDI

2009-06-10T06:42:00.000-07:00

Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development's completion of additional Phase III studies providing expanded safety and efficacy data for Priligy Co confirms that Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development (JNJ) announced the completion of three additional Phase III studies using Priligy for the treatment of premature ejaculation. The new studies increase the number of subjects in the Priligy clinical dataset to more than 6,000 patients, providing an expanded safety database and confirmed efficacy

. Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development announced its intention to review the new dataset with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "Our hope is that these data will provide additional safety and efficacy information in support of the Priligy new drug application," said Fred Eshelman, PPDI's chief executive officer. "We are pleased that our partner Janssen-Cilag continues to obtain clinical data for Priligy in pursuit of additional marketing approvals."

2009-06-10T06:08:00.001-07:00

2009-06-10T05:34:00.001-07:00

2009-06-10T05:13:00.001-07:00

2009-06-09T14:59:00.000-07:00

Khmer Society History of Cambodia

2009-06-09T14:30:00.000-07:00

To glimpse into the Khmer Society, we can understand that the top of the hierarchy should have been the god-king or deva-raja, surrounded by his tutors who were brahmins, and also by the members of his royal family. The priests residing in the temples were also powerful as they seem to own many lands and the paddy fields.

The stone inscription found in many temples gave some glimpses to the donors whose names were written with the titles. These donors could have been the noblemen or the dignitaries of the Khmer's ruling class responsible for the administrative and judiciary tasks, however, their titles were unfamiliar to the historians and the hierarchical ranks were not known, thus it is difficult to draw a complete table of hierarchy for the Angkor Empire.

Since the economy of the Khmer civilization was based mainly on agriculture, the majority of the people should have been the peasants or the farmers living in the villages. It was not clearly certain that there were any small landowners in the kingdom since most inscriptions often referred to large landowners of the elite class or of the temples.

The lowest hierarchy of the Khmer civilization should have been the slaves. Interestingly, there were two types of slaves in the kingdom which are worth mentioning and distinguished. As previously discussed in the chapter of "inscription", some of the Khmer stone inscriptions were found to list the names of slaves who belonged to the temples. Since their names were carefully crafted and enshrined in the holy place, they could not have been the low class slaves as its word "slave" implied. The historians believed that they were actually the temple servants and the priests who were "the slaves only to the gods", and not to any human being. In reality then, the "actual slaves" were mostly the captives from the neighboring countries, however, it was found that the Khmer people themselves could fall into the lowest status of being a "slave" if they failed to pay their rents or loans to the upper ruling class.

Congratulations to President-elect Barack Obama!

2009-06-09T14:29:00.000-07:00

Although I wasn’t in the US to vote for the next president, I’m very delighted to see Barack Obama elected as the next president.

Although I think either Obama or McCain would make a good president, I think Obama will be a more effective one. He is exceptionally bright, understands issues on a deeper level, has foresight and conviction, able to work with different people, and can assemble effective teams and task forces. These are some qualities that I think that the next president must have to deal with the huge mess left by the current administration.

You get the feeling that Obama’s presidency will succeed from the way he came from behind to beat Hillary Clinton and overcome racial barriers in the general elections to win it all. In the end he was the best candidate because he was able to gauge the prevailing social, cultural, economic, and political conditions of the country more accurately than any other candidate. He had skillfully dissociated himself from black militancy and used a John Kennedy-esque charm to appeal to people’s hopes and optimism. I think good leadership is about accurately understanding the situation and making the right choices, and Obama has made all the right calls in his campaign. Hopefully, he will continue to do the same as the leader of the world’s sole superpower.

Perhaps the most significant aspect of Obama’s victory is that he is the first black president in America’s 232-year history. This election has exposed that the country is deeply divided by race, and racism was not done away with by Obama’s victory. But it shows that the country is willing to change to accommodate the demographic shift toward greater ethnic and cultural diversity.

My family immigrated to the U.S. when I was only nine years old. During the 27 years that I lived in America, I never felt that I was part of the country. This feeling continued until my adulthood when I decided recently to move back to Cambodia.

Michelle Obama echoed a similar sentiment when she stated that for first time in her life, she felt proud to be American. Cindy McCain indignantly countered that she had been always been proud of her country. I think it’s easy for Cindy McCain, a white woman who was born to wealth and privilege, to declare that she has always loved her country, whereas it’s not so easy for a minority to make the same declaration. This exchange illustrates the deep racial divide that still exists in America, a challenge the Obama presidency will be burdened with, not to mention two disastrous wars abroad and current financial crisis. I think if anyone is capable of solving all these problems, Obama would be the man.

2009-06-09T14:28:00.000-07:00

A lot of people I know are still bewildered as to why I chose to return to live in Cambodia. They say that Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world. They say that it is infested with corruption, lawlessness, AIDS, drugs, chaos, human rights abuses, and so on and so forth.

That may be true. I am not going to deny that these problems exist. Living here I can say that not only do they exist but are in some ways worse than outsiders could imagine.

Back in America I was making a good living, owned two cars and a nice house in an upper-middle class suburban neighborhood, and enjoyed a network of close friends and relatives who were (and still are) very dear to me.

But something was missing.

Although I spent 75% of life and most of my childhood in the U.S., I remained a perpetual outsider. I remember arriving in at the age of 9 years old in a foreign land speaking very little English. The other kids would taunt and harass me on a daily basis as I struggled to adapt to the new environment.

Here in Cambodia when Westerners speak broken Khmer, they don’t get teased– they become celebrities. The Khmer TV and radio stations would seek them out to interview them on their programs, marveling at their ability and willingness to learn our language.

Personally, I don’t think it’s a big deal for a Westerner’s being able to speak Khmer. We shouldn’t feel it’s some form of special honor just because a handful of Westerners elect to learn our language. In fact, I expect any foreigner who comes here to live or work in srok Khmer to learn Khmer. It’s completely normal; every country has the right to expect as much.

Nor should we taunt the foreigners for speaking Khmer with a bad accent, as Americans have taunted Asian immigrants for speaking broken English.

In fact, the constant torment that I received as a recent immigrant was a major motivation for me to study hard and excel in school. Sure enough, within a couple of years I managed to top my class in all subjects of study, including their native language English. From then on I would be known as the “smartest” student in every school I attended.

While I gained some respect and even admiration from my peers for my academic achievements, I remained an outsider. I often sensed fear, jealousy and resentment from fellow students, their parents, and even some members of the faculty. They felt threatened, but they couldn’t do anything about it. They had to give me my props because I played by the rules and beat them at their own game. Still, some people would say, “Sure, Oudam, you’re book-smart, but how street-smart are you?” I didn’t respond to them because I knew the none of those “street-smart” native-born Americans could have survived the Khmer Rouge as we had.

At any rate, despite my best efforts to fit in, I never felt like I belonged. I remained an outsider. By college and graduate school I began to realize that even with my hard work, determination, and scholastic achievements, I would not achieve the fabled “American dream”.

Beyond school, it would take much more than talent, credentials, and qualifications to succeed in the American society. While my straight A’s and academic accolades in high school eventually earned me admission to one of the nation’s elite universities, they would not give me entrance into the old boy’s network.

It has been my experience that even in America, you can’t realize your full potential if you’re an outsider. While you may overcome racial and ethnic barriers in certain aspects of life, you will be missing out on other areas. Sooner or later you’ll begin to question yourself: Are you better off in America or Cambodia? How much of yourself– your social associations, your ethnic identity, your culture, tradition, and heritage– are you willing to sacrifice to gain acceptance by a foreign country?

While America has always offered our family shelter since we immigrated there 28 years ago, but it never offered us a home.

A shelter is not necessarily a home.

If you live in a modest house that gets flooded by a storm, your rich friend may offer to let you stay at his million-dollar estate for a while. But his mansion is not your home but a temporary shelter. As a guest you don’t enjoy all the privileges that owner does. Even if you’ve earned the legal rights to call the property your own home, e.g. by paying your share of the bills, taxes, and living expenses, there’s always something, perhaps even your friend himself, to make you feel like an outsider.

Why do I love Cambodia?

I feel right at home here.

Our country may be a small house badly damaged by a monster storm, but at least we still have a home. I think if more people here in Cambodia could appreciate that they’re very lucky to still have a home and stop coveting other people’s mansions, then they might make a more serious, concerted effort to rebuild it, rather than wishing to flee it to seek shelter elsewhere.

For me it’s very easy to appreciate Cambodia as my home because I’ve already spent three-fourth of my life somewhere else. Of course, it would be best if Cambodia is both a home and a shelter to her people because a home that is not a shelter is really not a home.

Hispanics feeling betrayed by Obama

2009-06-09T14:25:00.002-07:00

I read a report today that some Hispanics are feeling betrayed by President-elect Obama choices for his top cabinet positions. Most of top cabinet positions have been filled by whites and Jews, with the notable exception being Bill Richardson, who is Hispanic. Obama is expected to name his once-bitter rival Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.

By most estimations Obama’s choices so far is very close to perfect. He’s assembling a “dream team” of experienced and well qualified individuals to deal with the economic crisis and two wars abroad inherited from the Bush administration. His choices reflect his commitment to unity and getting-the-job-done over race politics.

I understand Hispanics’ feeling of betrayal since, like African Americans, Hispanics voted overwhelmingly in favor of Obama. At first glance, the racial composition of his administration may not reflect the “change” that he promised.

In his defense, however, the country is facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and Obama simply cannot afford to appoint anyone but the most qualified and experienced people to the top posts. It just so happens that the most experienced people happen to be white and Jewish.

A major reason that there are fewer qualified minorities is that we seldom were given the opportunities to gain the necessary experience to fill the posts. Working under a black president, Obama’s white and Jewish cabinet members would be hard-pressed not to recruit minorities to their departments. These diverse and inclusive working environments, in turn, will enable minorities to attain the necessary experiences and credentials to become the leaders of tomorrow.

As a Khmer I would like to see at least one or two Asian Americans appointed to Obama’s top posts. However, even more important than Asian representation is that he or she is truly qualified for the job. I do not want to see Obama appoint an Asian just to show that his administration is inclusive of Asian Americans.

Tokenism is a deplorable arrangement that attempts to project a semblance of diversity while perpetuating the status quo. The token Asian appointments of past administrations have done little to advance Asian American concerns. Often, they were even less interested about Asian American causes than their white bosses.

Obama, on the other hand, is more concerned about laying the foundations for real diversity and real inclusion whereby all Americans would be given an equal opportunity to succeed. Far from betraying his minority supporters, I think Obama’s actions reflect incredible depth, foresight, and integrity in his thinking.

I’ve always been impressed by Obama’s exceptional intelligence and vision, and I think America is very fortunate that he, instead of one of the other candidates, was elected to lead the country out of the current mess.

Khmer people eat rice, not democracy

2009-06-09T14:25:00.001-07:00

Have you ever handed a $1 bill to a beggar at the intersection and spent the next 10 minutes in your car complaining how lazy he was for choosing to beg instead of work to support himself? We all have. Truth be told, we’d never know the full story why he became bum. It’s always easier just to blame people and make assumptions about them than to make a real effort to help the less fortunate.

Last year the U.S. gave just $5.8 million in aid to Cambodia. This may be a huge amount for you and me, but in a country of 14 million people, it comes out to just $0.40 a person, enough to buy everyone a pack of chewing gum. Of course, people will point out to things like corruption and human rights abuses to justify the meager aid amount.

These arguments about corruption, human rights abuses, and whatnot aren’t wrong. But giving a poor country like Cambodia $5.8 million a year is like slapping a band-aid on someone’s bullet wound and giving them a lengthy lecture on gun safety.

As long as people are hungry and uneducated, democracy and human rights mean nothing to them. Resources are extremely scarce here. Even in the absence of corruption, there still is not enough to go around. This is something that many outsiders, including overseas Khmers, don’t understand.

Survival comes first. If you were living in a situation where food is so scare that there are only a couple of spoons of rice for everyone and you were in charge of distributing the food in your village, would you not steal a bowl of rice for your own hungry children if you had the chance, even if your action left everyone else with only a spoon? Of course, you would. In fact, many Khmers learned to steal during the Khmer Rouge. An extreme state of despair can drive good people to do bad deeds. And they don’t necessarily give up the bad deeds after their needs are met.

While stealing a million dollars to build a luxurious villa isn’t quite the same as stealing a bowl of rice to feed one’s hungry children, most corruption in Cambodia occur at small-scale levels where public servants like teachers, policemen, and government officials try to supplement their $20-a-month salary with extra money to feed their families.

Fortunately, Cambodia’s biggest donors like Japan, who provides our country about $250 million in aid each year, have a more accurate understanding of our situation. Besides buying villas and luxury cars for a few government officials, the aid money also enable roads, bridges, sewage, and other public works projects to be built. Many Khmer lives are saved by the improved sanitation, education, and food and health programs provided by our generous donors.

These donors aren’t clueless about the need for less corruption in Cambodia. But they also understand that you can’t feed people’s minds while ignoring their stomachs. Khmer people eat rice; we don’t eat democracy or human rights. As problems like corruption and human rights abuses stem at least in part from the extreme scarcity of resources in Cambodia, solving these social problems go hand-in-hand with addressing basic needs like food, shelter, medicine, and education.

Survival of the fittest

2009-06-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

Everyone in Cambodia, from top to bottom, still operates on a survivalist mentality. This is understandable because of our recent past. The country has found relative stability just 10 years ago when the final remnants of the KR were eliminated. When one works on a survival instinct, one has a tendency to hoard resources, often to the detriment of everyone else, and to flee (to a more survivable place). The survival mentality promotes selfishness– help yourself before helping others. Selfishness, as it addresses more basic human needs like food and shelter, takes precedence over selflessness, a quality identified with higher needs like moral idealism and political ideology. That’s why Khmer leaders don’t like to lose their seats. Their survival would be threatened. We don’t live in a country where a president who earns just $400K a year can make tens of millions of dollars writing books, giving speeches and working for private companies when he is out of office.

Most of us are frustrated with the slow transition from selfishness to selflessness, from the individual fulfillment to collective fulfillment, from survival to living. It’s going to take some time and patience. In the meantime, we have to avoid repeating the same mistakes and replaying same old tunes like a broken record.

When one considers the challenges that Cambodia faces, the issue of corruption always seems to jump out. Corruption is really a collection of often unfair, inefficient, and abusive practices arising from the extreme scarcity of resources, greed, and degradation of social and moral foundations of our society. We all know that corruption exists in Cambodia; it’s rather hard to miss. But in order to formulate an actionable plan to tackle this problem, we must be able to measure and quantify the various aspects of corruption and understand the complex interactions among the multitude of economic, social, political, cultural and religious factors that give rise to unwholesome practices collectively known as corruption.

Simply calling out wealthy high-ranking government officials and demanding that they end corruption is not going to get us anywhere. Corruption in Cambodia is an incredibly complex matter that requires a much more thorough and comprehensive approach.

Too much focus on the conceptualization of corruption can be counterproductive because it promotes finger-pointing and the distancing oneself from shared accountability. In the end, we’re all part of the web of humanity that commits all the good and bad deeds in the world.

As complex a problem as corruption is, I think there is, yet, a simple solution for it. Was it Gandhi who said, “Be the change you want to see in world”? This is one of the reasons I decided to move back to Cambodia. If you are mindful of your own thoughts and actions, you’ll find that in each and every day, you’ll have some thoughts and impulses that are good and wholesome and some that are destructive. As long as you’re able to keep track of your own thoughts, impulses and actions everyday, you’ll naturally become more moderate and compassionate. You’ll still make mistakes and commit unwholesome deeds, but at least you’ll commit fewer of them and have less crave for the excesses for yourself that lead to suffering for others.

To live, not merely to survive

2009-06-09T14:20:00.000-07:00

The Economy under the Khmer Rouge, 1975-79

2009-06-09T14:08:00.000-07:00

Under the leadership of the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia underwent a brutal and radical revolution. When the communist forces took power in Phnom Penh in April 1975, their immediate goals were to overhaul the social system and to revitalize the national economy. The economic development strategy of the Khmer Rouge was to build a strong agricultural base supported by local small industries and handicrafts.

As explained by Deputy Premier Ieng Sary, the regime was "pursuing radical transformation of the country, with agriculture as the base. With revenues from agriculture we are building industry which is to serve the development of agriculture." This strategy was also the focus of a doctoral thesis written by future Khmer Rouge leader Khieu Samphan at the University of Paris in 1959. Samphan argued that Cambodia could only achieve economic and industrial development by increasing and expanding agricultural production. The new communist government implemented the tenets of this thesis; it called for a total collectivization of agriculture and for a complete nationalization of all sectors of the economy.

Strict adherence to the principle of self-reliance constituted the central goal of the Khmer Rouge regime. A Phnom Penh radio broadcast in early May (about a month after the Khmer Rouge arrived in the capital) underscored the importance of Cambodian self- reliance and boasted that during the war the Khmer Rouge had used scrap iron and wrecked military vehicles to manufacture their own bullets and mines. The statement made it clear that the policy of self-reliance would continue in peacetime. In another move aimed at reducing foreign influence on the country, the regime announced on May 10 that it would not allow foreigners to remain in Cambodia but that the measure was only temporary; and it added, "We shall reconsider the question [of allowing foreigners to enter the country] after the re-establishment of diplomatic, economic and commercial relations with other countries." Although Cambodia resumed diplomatic relations with a number of nations, the new government informed the UN General Assembly on October 6, 1975, that it was neutral and economically self-sufficient and would not ask for aid from any country. On September 9, however, the Chinese ambassador arrived in Cambodia, and there were soon reports that China was providing aid to the Khmer Rouge. Estimates of the number of Chinese experts in Cambodia after that time ranged from 500 to 2,000. The policy of self-reliance also meant that the government organized the entire population into forced-labor groups to work in paddies and on other land to help the country reach its goal of food self-sufficiency.

The Khmer Rouge, as soon as it took power on April 17, 1975, emptied Phnom Penh (of its approximately 2 million residents) as well as other cities and towns, and forced the people into the countryside. This overnight evacuation was motivated by the urgent need to rebuild the country's war-torn economy and by the Khmer Rouge peasantry's hostility toward the cities. According to a Khmer Rouge spokesman at the French embassy on May 10, the evacuation was necessary to "revolutionize" and to "purify" the urban residents and to annihilate Phnom Penh, which "Cambodian peasants regarded as a satellite of foreigners, first French, and then American, and which has been built with their sweat without bringing them anything in exchange." The only people who were not ordered to leave the city were those who operated essential public services, such as water and electricity.

Other Khmer Rouge leaders rationalized the evacuation as a matter of self-reliance. They told the Swedish ambassador in early 1976 that "they didn't have any transportation facilities to bring food to the people, and so the logical thing was to bring the people to the food, i.e., to evacuate them all and make them get out into the ricefields." Indeed, when the evacuees reached their destinations, they were immediately mobilized to clear land, to harvest rice crops, to dig and restore irrigation canals, and to build and repair dikes in preparation for the further expansion of agriculture. The rice crop in November 1976 was reported to be good in relation to earlier years. At the same time, plantations producing cotton, rubber, and bananas were established or rehabilitated.

While the Khmer Rouge gave high priority to agriculture, it neglected industry. Pol Pot sought "to consolidate and perfect [existing] factories," rather than to build new ones. About 100 factories and workshops were put back into production; most of them (except a Chinese-built cement plant, a gunnysack factory, and textile mills in Phnom Penh and in Batdambang) were repair and handicraft shops revived to facilitate agricultural development.

Cambodia's economic revolution was much more radical and ambitious than that in any other communist country. In fact, Khmer Rouge leader Premier Ieng Sary explained that Cambodia wanted "to create something that never was before in history. No model exists for what we are building. We are not imitating either the Chinese or the Vietnamese model." The state or cooperatives owned all land; there were no private plots as in China or in the Soviet Union. The constitution, adopted in December 1975 and proclaimed in January 1976, specifically stated that the means of production were the collective property of the state.

The Cambodian economic system was unique in at least two respects. First, the government abolished private ownership of land. The Khmer Rouge believed that, under the new government, Cambodia should be a classless society of "perfect harmony" and that private ownership was "the source of egoist feelings and consequently social injustices." Second, Cambodia was a cashless nation; the government confiscated all republican era currency. Shops closed, and workers received their pay in the form of food rations, because there was no money in circulation.

On August 12, 1975, fewer than four months after the Khmer Rouge had taken power, Khieu Samphan claimed that, within a year or two, Cambodia would have sufficient food supplies and would be able to export some of its products. To achieve this goal in record time, large communes comprising several villages replaced village cooperatives, which had formed in the areas controlled by the Khmer Rouge in 1973 and which had spread throughout the country by 1975. Unlike China and Vietnam, which had introduced collectivization gradually over several years, Cambodia imposed the system hastily and without preparation.

The Khmer Rouge, in line with the slogan, "If we have dikes, we will have water; if we have water, we will have rice; if we have rice, we can have absolutely everything," organized the workers into three "forces." The first force comprised unmarried men (ages fifteen to forty) who were assigned to construct canals, dikes, and dams. The second force consisted of married men and women who were responsible for growing rice near villages. The third force was made up of people forty years of age and older who were assigned to less arduous tasks, such as weaving, basket-making, or watching over the children. Children under the age of fifteen grew vegetables or raised poultry. Everyone had to work between ten and twelve hours a day, and some worked even more, often under adverse, unhealthy conditions.

On September 27, 1977, in a major speech celebrating the anniversary of the Kampuchean (or Khmer) Communist Party (KCP), Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot asserted that, "Our entire people, our entire revolutionary army and all our cadres live under a collective regime through a communal support system." He then listed the government's achievements in rebuilding the economy and concluded that, "Though not yet to the point of affluence, our people's standard of living has reached a level at which people are basically assured of all needs in all fields."

Measuring the economic performance of the Khmer Rouge regime was impossible because statistics were not available, and no monetary transactions or bookkeeping were carried out. The economic life described by foreign diplomats, by Western visitors, and by Cambodian refugees in Thai camps ranged from spartan to dismal. Phnom Penh became a ghost town of only about 10,000 people. There were no shops, post offices, telephones, or telegraph services. Frequent shortages of water and of electricity occurred in all urban areas, and the government prohibited movement across provincial borders, except for that of trucks distributing rice and fuel.

Conditions in the cooperatives varied considerably from place to place. In some areas, cooperative members had permission to cultivate private plots of land and to keep livestock. In others, all property was held communally. Conditions were most primitive in the new economic zones, where city dwellers had been sent to farm virgin soil and where thousands of families lived in improvised barracks.

Cambodia made progress in improving the country's irrigation network and in expanding its rice cultivation area. Phnom Penh radio claimed that a network of ditches, canals, and reservoirs had been constructed throughout the country "like giant checkerboards, a phenomenon unprecedented in the history of our Cambodia." Still, rice production and distribution were reported to be unsatisfactory. Rice harvests were poor in 1975 and 1978, when the worst floods in seventy years struck the Mekong Valley. Even after the better harvests of 1976 and 1977, however, rice distribution was unequal, and the government failed to reach the daily ration of 570 grams per person. (The daily ration of rice per person actually varied by region from 250 to 500 grams.) Party leaders, cadres, soldiers, and factory workers ate well, but children, the sick, and the elderly suffered from malnutrition and starvation. There also were reports that the government was stockpiling rice in preparation for war with Vietnam and exporting it to China in exchange for military supplies. This diverted rice could have been one explanation for the people's meager rice ration.

At the end of 1978, when Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia, the ensuing turbulence completely disrupted the nation's economic activity, particularly in the countryside, which once again became a war theater traversed by a massive population movement. Agricultural production was again a major casualty, with the result that there was a severe food crisis in 1979.

Internet Download Manager v5.17 Build 5

2009-06-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

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Internet Download Manager v5.17 Build 5 | 2.86 Mb

Internet Download Manager has a smart download logic accelerator that features intelligent dynamic file segmentation and safe multipart downloading technology to accelerate your downloads. Unlike other download accelerators and managers that segment files before downloading starts, Internet Download Manager segments downloaded files dynamically during download process.

Internet Download Manager reuses available connections without additional connect and login stages to achieve better acceleration performance. Internet Download Manager supports proxy servers, ftp and http protocols, firewalls, redirects, cookies, authorization, MP3 audio and MPEG video content processing. IDM integrates seamlessly into Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape, MSN Explorer, AOL, Opera, Mozilla, Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla Firebird, Avant Browser, MyIE2, and all other popular browsers to automatically handle your downloads. You can also drag and drop files, or use Internet Download Manager from command line. Internet Download Manager can dial your modem at the set time, download the files you want, then hang up or even shut down your computer when it's done.

Other features include multilingual support, zip preview, download categories, scheduler pro, sounds on different events, HTTPS support, queue processor, html help and tutorial, enhanced virus protection on download completion, progressive downloading with quotas (useful for connections that use some kind of fair access policy or FAP like Direcway, Direct PC, Hughes, etc.), built-in download accelerator, and many others.

Main Features:
? All popular browsers and applications are supported! Internet Download Manager has been tested with the following browsers: Internet Explorer, MSN Explorer, AOL, Netscape Communicator, Netscape 6, Netscape 7, Mozilla, Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla Firebird, Opera, NetCaptor, UltraBrowser, Slim Browser, Avant Browser, MyIE2, Optimal Desktop, Ace Explorer, Advanced Browser, 27 Tools-in-1 Wichio Browser, WindowSurfer, 550 Access Browser, FineBrowser Freeware, Kopassa Browser, Fast Browser Pro, Enigma Browser, GoSuRF, K-Meleon, Smart Explorer, The Off By One Web Browser, Smartalec Voyager, CrystalPort AppCapture, The Family Browser, XANA Web Browser, Bluto, AutoSurf, 32bit Web Browser, BrowseMan, WrestlingBrowser, Eminem Browser, UltraBrowser, Cygsoft LDAP Browser, and Net M@nager. Internet Download Manager supports all versions of popular browsers, and can be integrated into any 3rd party Internet applications.
? Easy downloading with one click. When you click on a download link in a browser, IDM will take over the download and accelerate it. IDM supports HTTP, FTP, HTTPS and MMS protocols.
? Download Speed Acceleration. Internet Download Manager can accelerate downloads by up to 5 times due to its intelligent dynamic file segmentation technology. Unlike other download managers and accelerators Internet Download Manager segments downloaded files dynamically during download process and reuses available connections without additional connect and login stages to achieve best acceleration performance.
? Download Resume. Internet Download Manager will resume unfinished download from the place where they left off.
? YouTube grabber. Internet Download Manager can grab FLV videos from popular sites like YouTube, MySpaceTV, and Google Video.
? Simple installation wizard. Quick and easy installation program will make necessary settings for you, and check your connection at the end to ensure trouble free installation of Internet Download Manager
? Drag and Drop. You may simply drag and drop links to IDM, and drag and drop downloaded files out of Internet Download Manager.
? Automatic Antivirus checking. Antivirus checking makes your downloads free from viruses and trojans.
? Advanced Browser Integration. When enabled, the feature can be used to catch any download from any application. None of download managers have this feature.
? Built-in Scheduler. Internet Download Manager can connect to the Internet at a set time, download the files you want, disconnect, or shut down your computer when it's done.
? IDM includes web site spider and grabber. IDM downloads all required files that are specified with filters from web sites, for example all pictures from a web site, or subsets of web sites, or complete web sites for offline browsing. It's possible to schedule multiple grabber projects to run them once at a specified time, stop them at a specified time, or run periodically to synchronize changes.
? IDM supports many types of proxy servers. For example, IDM works with Microsoft ISA, and FTP proxy servers.
? IDM supports main authentication protocols: Basic, Negotiate, NTLM, and Keberos. Thus IDM can access many Internet and proxy servers using login name and password.
? Download All feature. IDM can add all downloads linked to the current page. It's easy to download multiple files with this feature.
? Customizable Interface. You may choose the order, and what buttons and columns appear on the main IDM window.
? Download Categories. Internet Download Manager can be used to organize downloads automatically using defined download categories.
? Quick Update Feature. Quick update may check for new versions of IDM and update IDM once per week.
? Download limits. Progressive downloading with quotas feature. The feature is useful for connections that use some kind of fair access policy (or FAP) like Direcway, Direct PC, Hughes, etc.
? IDM is multilingual. IDM is translated to Albanian, Arabic, Azerbaijan, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, and Uzbek languages.

Download
http://v3.gushare.com/file.php?file=dc7aa6ce15daad3e85f98e9c6e3ae26d
or
http://upload.manyfile.com/get.php?f595b5ac30f7e11da3f7d9137619a075,3

VCD DVD Cutter Professional 4.1.3.0 | 2.5MB

2009-06-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

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VCD DVD Cutter Professional 4.1.3.0 | 2.5MB

IT CAN CUT DVDs AS WELL ! VCDCut Pro is also a software simulated Webcam. It can be simulated into a virtual Webcam and used in Biliao, Liaoliao, EPH, QQ, MSN, NetMeeting, UC, and other software/chat room, for playing movie, MTV, picture, and as simulated Webcam.
VCDCut Pro main features include:
support slide show play of picture file;
grab picture when you play video file;
clip admiring video segment;
generate video file screen shot;
on-line video broadcast;
and also send the playing video frame/picture to self-contained simulated video Webcam;
and offering a wide variety of other functions.

Download
http://rapidshare.com/files/237665945/VCD_DVD_Cutter_Professional_v4.1.3.0.rar

Yahoo! Messenger 9.0.0.2162

2009-06-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

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Yahoo! Messenger 9.0.0.2162 | 14.13 Mb

Keep friends at your fingertips with the new Yahoo! Messenger:
Easier ways to stay up to date - See more updates from your friends in the detailed Messenger list
Show off your status - Easily add links and emoticons to your status messages
Watch videos together - Share videos from popular sites and watch them with friends right in your IM window

Other features include:
Instant message with one friend, or conference in a bunch
Send text messages (SMS) to friends’ mobile phones
Join a chat room to meet new friends while you discuss your favorite topics
Make free PC-to-PC calls and PC-to-phone calls for as low as 1¢ a minute (plus free voicemail!)
Use the built-in media player to watch web videos and view photos with friends
Show your style with emoticons, Avatars, audibles and IMVironments
Share securely with automatic file scanning for users of Norton AntiVirus or Internet Security 2007/2008
download:
letitbit
depositfiles
hotfile

Remote Desktop Manager 5.5.0.0

2009-06-09T13:53:00.000-07:00

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Remote Desktop Manager 5.5.0.0
Author: Devolutions inc.
Date: 2009-05-29
Size: 1 mb
Requires: Win7/Vista/XP

Remote Desktop Manager is a small application used to manage all your remote connections. Add, edit, delete, organize or find your remote connection quickly. Compatible with Microsoft Remote Desktop, Terminal Services, VNC, LogMeIn and Team Viewer, Ftp, SSH, Telnet and more.

Now with the Enterprise Edition, you can share all your remote connection inside your company with SQL Server. Also, with the multiple datasource, each user can have their own personal remote connections.

Download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/238706242/Setup.RemoteDesktopManager.5.5.0.0.exed

JDownloader 0.5.917 Final Multilang Portable

2009-06-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

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JDownloader - the program for automatic download files from sites:
- RapidShare.com
- RapidShare.de
- depositfiles.com
- filefactory.com
- uploaded.to
- megaupload.com
- megashares.com
- vip-file.com
- upshare.net
- youtube.com
- myvideo.de
- imagefap.com
- letitbit.com
-uploading.com

JDownloader - the program for automatic download files from sites: RapidShare.com, RapidShare.de, depositfiles.com, filefactory.com, uploaded.to, megaupload.com, megashares.com, vip-file.com, upshare.net, youtube.com, myvideo.de, imagefap.com, files.to etc.

& alot more hosters

Size: 14 Mb
Language: Multilanguage
OS: Windows 2000/XP/Vista
License: Freeware

Download:
http://letitbit.net/download/2456cfb16bac8b4/JDownloader_0.5.917_Final_Multilang_Portable.zip.html

Portable CCleaner v2.20.920

2009-06-09T13:47:00.000-07:00

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Portable CCleaner v2.20.920 | 2.78 MB
CCleaner is a freeware system optimization and privacy tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. But the best part is that it’s fast (normally taking less than a second to run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware!
Internet Explorer
Temporary files, URL history, cookies, Autocomplete form history, index.dat.
Firefox
Temporary files, URL history, cookies, download history.

Download
http://rapidshare.com/files/238380691/b1u3eyes.Por.Cccleaner.v2.20.920.rar

Lock My PC 4.7.

2009-06-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

Lock My PC 4.7.1 | 1.5 Mb

These days, computers are everywhere: from banks and government offices to shops and homes. People tend to rely on tireless machines more and more every day. We store our valuable data, personal and business-critical information, photos, credit card information, important phone numbers and vast amount of other private information on our hard drives. We install firewalls and anti-virus software to protect this data from outside intrusions and hijacks. However, according to reports by IT specialists, the majority of electronic data theft crimes happen due to improper protection of computer systems from the inside. Human factor is still the greatest security issue today.

Co-workers and even our spouses can easily recover any bit of information we attempt to hide in vain on our computers simply by looking at the screen of an unattended machine. It is all that easy! Just wait for the person to take a coffee break and have a look at his monitor! So, is there a solution that is both safe and easy to use?

In fact, there is! Introducing Lock My PC by FSPro Labs, the unique one-click system locking software that ensures no one but you can access your private data when you leave your computer unattended.Just press the hotkey on your keyboard or double-click the TaskTray icon to lock off your PC. Once that is done, only the person who knows the correct password may access the computer! What the others will see is your lock screen. Windows hotkeys are disabled as well as the mouse pointer movement.

Lock My PC is fully customizable: from custom lock screen image to security level settings every possible option can be configured to suit your needs.Throw in the password expiry and administrative control and you get the winner! To spice it up even more there is a FREE trial version available! Download it now!

Here are some key features of “Lock My PC”:
· Quick and safe computer lock by a hot key, or mouse click
· Windows 2000 and XP support (unlike our competitors we use keyboard driver to safely block Ctrl+Alt+Del and other key combinations)
· Administrative area for users and password management by supervisor
· Multi-user support
· Multimonitor support
· Autolock when computer is idle
· Auto turnoff when computer is locked for a long time
· Custom Lock Screens
· Screen saving effect
· Screen transparency - to use PC in presentation mode
· Optionally password protection for program settings
· Optionally locking for CD/DVD-ROM doors while computer is locked
· Command line options
· and many more

Letitbit
FileFactory

Olympic open

2009-06-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

Cambodia history by Asianinfo.org

2009-06-09T12:46:00.000-07:00

The Funan Kingdom, believed to have started around the first century BC, is the first known kingdom of Cambodia. The kingdom was strongly influenced by Indian culture by shaping the culture, art and political system.

An alphabetical system, religions and architectural styles were also Indian contributions to the Funan Kingdom. There is archeological evidence of a commercial society in the Mekong Delta that prospered from the 1st to 6th centuries.

Returning from abroad, a Khmer prince declared himself the ruler of a new kingdom during the 9th century. Known as Jayavarman II, he started a cult that honored Shiva, a Hindu god, as a devaraja (god-king) which then linked the king to Shiva.

He also began the great achievements in architecture and sculpture while his successors built an immense irrigation system around Angkor.. His successors (26 from the early 9th to the early 15th century), built a tremendous number of temples - of which there are over a thousand sites and stone inscriptions (on temple walls).

By the 12th century, Cambodia had spread into other areas, now known as Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Malaysia (the peninsula). There is actually still evidence of Khmer inhabitance in Thailand and Laos to this day.

The 13th and 14th centuries were not as successful for Cambodia, some believe it was due to the increased power of (and wars with) Thai kingdoms that had at one time paid homage to Angkor. Others believe it was due to the induction of Theravada Buddhism, which was totally contrary to the Cambodian societal structure at that time. After this time historical records are rather sketchy at best regarding Cambodia and it is considered the "Dark Ages" of Cambodian history.

Cambodia was ravaged by Vietnamese and Thai invasions and wars up until the 19th century, when new dynasties in these countries fought over control of Cambodia. The war, that began in the 1830's almost destroyed Cambodia. King Norodom signed a treaty that enabled the French to be a protectorate, thus effectively stopping the Viet-Thai war within. For the next 90 years, France in essence ruled over Cambodia.

Although officially they were just advisors, it was known that the French had final say on all topics of interest. Although the French built roadways and made other improvements regarding trade and transportation, they sadly neglected the Cambodian educational system, which is still not effective to this day.

In 1953, Cambodia managed to gain their independence in spite of World War II and the First Indochina War. Their independence was obtained through the political savvy of King Sihanouk. Wanting to be released from the pressures of the monarchy, Sihanouk abdicated the throne and became a full time politician.

He started a political faction called the People's Socialist Community (Sangkum Reastr Niyum) which then won by a landslide in the 1955 national elections. In part the success was due to his popularity, but also from police brutality at the polling stations.

In 1960, when his father died he was named head of state (up until then he'd been the prime minister). Although he had remained neutral in a struggle between the US and USSR regarding tensions in Vietnam, he changed his position in 1965 and eliminated diplomatic relations with the US.

At the same time he allowed the Communist Vietnamese access to Cambodian soil to set up bases. With the Cambodian economy becoming unstable, Sihanouk decided to renew his relations with the US, who were secretly planning on bombing Cambodian areas suspected of housing Vietnamese Communists.

While Sihanouk was abroad in 1970, he was ousted from power and fled to China. General Lon Nol, the prime minister, had hoped for US aid, but the US was occupied with Vietnamese troubles and didn't help. In the meantime, since his army was ill-equipped, they couldn't stop an invasion by the South Vietnamese, searching for North Vietnamese.

To add to Lon Nol's problems, Sihanouk had been persuaded to set up a government while in exile, called the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge became a thorn in Lon Nol's side along with the Vietnamese until the Khmer regime collapsed. Another contributing factor to the collapse was the repeated US bombing of the Cambodian countryside. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge was able to take over Phnom Penh and shortly thereafter, the North Vietnamese were occupying South Vietnam.

The Khmer Rouge felt antipathy toward Cambodians living in urban areas and forced them to the countryside where they were forced to work in various forms of agriculture. Leading the Khmer Rouge was a man by the name of Saloth Sar, better known as Pol Pot. The government, Democratic Kampochea (DK), was run in part by rural Cambodians who were illiterate, but had fought along with the Khmer Rouge in the war.

The derision and ill-treatment felt towards the former city dwellers was slightly better than the treatment of anyone intellectual, religious, and those who were believed to be against the regime - their punishment was death. During Pol Pot's (Khmer Rouge's) regime over twenty percent of Cambodia's population was murdered.

The Khmer Rouge's plan to attack Vietnam and other areas backfired when the Vietnamese surprised Cambodia with an attack of over 100,000 troops. They were accompanied by Cambodian Communist rebels and managed to invade Phnom Penh, which had been vacated by the Khmer Rouge the day before.

The Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot among them, fled to the Thai-Cambodian border, where they were given asylum by the Thai government, which was unfriendly to Vietnam.

The Vietnamese established a regime in Cambodia that included many members of the Khmer Rouge as well as Cambodians who had fled to Vietnam before 1975. Not to be swayed, the Khmer Rouge and it's followers created a government that was hostile to Vietnam while in exile, also known as DK.

The UN upheld this government in exile, with the support given to it by the US, China and Thailand. With more ensuing conflicts between the two governments, many of Cambodia's finest along with the general population, totaling over half a million people, resettled in other countries.

By the end of 1989, the Cold War had ended which had the Vietnamese exiting Cambodia. Without financial support from the Soviets, the Vietnamese couldn't keep their troops in the country.

This withdrawal made things difficult for Cambodians, especially the prime minister, Hun Sen. The Khmer Rouge had not disappeared, but had made their presence known and were threatening military action. Since Cambodia was without much needed foreign aid, they discarded socialism and tried to get investors interested in the country.

Another major change was in the country's name, it was changed to the State of Cambodia (SOC), while the KPRP (who currently ruled Cambodia) changed their name to the Cambodian People's Party. An attempt to have a free-market economy just increased the gap between the rich and the poor with many government officials becoming millionaires.

In 1991, the UN, Cambodia, and other interested parties came to an agreement to end the Cambodian conflict. A United Nations Transitional Authority (UNTAC) and a Supreme National Council (SNC) were formed and were comprised of members from different factions within Cambodia. The agreement in Paris and the UN protectorate started competitive politics in Cambodia, something they hadn't seen for about 40 years.

In May 1993, UNTAC sponsored an election for the national assembly, which ended up ousting the military regime. The Cambodians wanted a royalist party, FUNCINPEC, but Hun Sen, who won the second largest number of seats, refused to give up his power. Fortunately a compromise was reached and a government was formed with two prime ministers, FUNCINPEC had the first prime minister, Prince Norodom Ranariddh and Hun Sen became the second prime minister.

A name change for the country was in order, so in 1993 Cambodia became known as the Kingdom of Cambodia and Sihanouk became the king once again after ratifying a new constitution which re-established the monarchy. After these changes were made, the UN no longer accepted the DK as the ruling party, thus causing them (the DK) to lose their seat and power in the UN.

The tentative compromise between the FUNCINPEC and the CPP fell apart in 1997 when Prince Ranariddh was overseas. Hun Sen took advantage of the Prince's absence and organized a violent takeover to replace him. He replaced Prince Ranariddh with another member of the FUNCINPEC, but this time with one who was more easily manipulated and compliant. In spite of this takeover, the elections of 1998 were carried out, but not without foreign observations.

Although it was stated the voting was fair, the CPP hassled it's opposition and following the elections many were put in jail while a few others were killed. Once again, the results were not accepted, but this time it was Prince Ranariddh who opposed it. Yet again another compromise was reached with Hun Sen as the only prime minister and with Prince Ranariddh as the president of the national assembly.

Things are stabilizing in Cambodia, but not without the help and support of foreign aid. With the outside world's interest waning, it's help is steadily decreasing, hich is discouraging any hopes for economic advancement and democracy.

A Short History of Cambodia

2009-06-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

The intention of this short history of Cambodia is to help those who are unfamiliar with Cambodia, to understand its history of civil unrest and the power struggle to control Cambodia which has resulted in much political instability. The conflict has cost millions of lives, and has left Cambodian people living with an uncertain future.

We all tend to focus on our own problems, and sometimes we do not want to get involved in other's affairs, as long as we can live in peace and comfort. For this reason, in addition to geographical distance, some people may know of Cambodia but probably do not know very much about its internal conflicts. Cambodia once was a huge empire at the peak of civilization in Southeast Asia, but now it has shrunk to a small country. Today, even the monuments of Angkor Wat that used to stand and testify to the greatness of Cambodia's culture and the national symbol are in ruin. An ancestral prophecy predicted that one day the unfortunate Khmer people will be forced to choose between being “eaten by tigers or swallowed by crocodiles.” Today we are seeing that prophecy fulfilled in the most tragic way possible. The Cambodian people are on the brink of extinction, dying a slow death, murdered in the name of dominant power in the region.

Building the road to tranquility for Cambodia might be impossible as long as China and Vietnam persist in dominating Cambodia for their own benefits. On the other hand from the past to the present the Cambodian leaders fail to make a compromise to share power with others in a democratic way, and most importantly the Cambodians themselves show inability of forgiving each other and the willingness to accept national reconciliation.

First, it is necessary to establish an understanding of Cambodia's background and her people. The name of the country has been changed many times in the past three decades. Today the country is known as Cambodia in English or Cambodge in French, and the people are called Cambodians. However, the Cambodian people prefer to be called Khmer which means “hill" (referring to the greatness and unity) as it is their original name. The country is known to Khmers as Kampuchea or Srok Khmer rather than Cambodia. On the contrary, Cambodia is well known to the world community.

The vast majority of Khmer people themselves belong to the Mon-Khmer ethnic group. The Khmer people are a mixture of various ethnic groups that have intermarried throughout the centuries. The Khmer civilization was dominated by the Hindu-Buddhist, kingdoms of Funan, and Chenla. In the late 6th and early 7th centuries, the Chenla kingdom established sovereignty over the Funan kingdom. Under the leadership of King Jaya-warman II and Suya-warman II, they built their capital in the Angkor region between the 9th and 12th centuries. The Khmer people are so proud of their ancestors that built one of the world's greatest monuments. Angkor Wat is sometimes called the eighth wonder of the world. Angkor Wat is a group of temples that consists of elaborately carved stone of pyramids and towers.

Throughout history, Cambodia has endured numerous civil wars and battles against its neighboring countries such as Thailand and Vietnam. Nonetheless, Cambodia also wanted to be a dominant state. In 1113, King Suya-warman II annexed the Champa kingdom to vassal status when the Cham (Muslim Cham) king did not want to cooperate in the campaign against the Vietnamese state farther north. Khmer leaders have always been in conflict about how to rule the country. Their domestic hostility with one another led to an accession of weak rulers that left Khmers exposed to threats from their neighbors.

From the 13th to the end of the 14th century, the repeated Thai incursions compelled Khmers to abandon their capital city of Angkor Wat, and Khmers were forced into slavery. Four hundred years later, it was recaptured. Then, the Angkor region was named as Siem Reap Province to remind all Khmers of how their ancestors suffered defeat by the Thais. Siem Reap means “Khmers living under Thai's repression.” With Japan backing them in 1940, the Thais seized Cambodia's north-western provinces.

In the early 17th century, King Chey Cheatha II wanted to build up friendship with Vietnam by marrying a Vietnamese princess. The Vietnamese rulers demanded the right for Vietnamese to settle in Kampuchea Krom. Kampuchea Krom is the lower part of Cambodia that lies along the Mekong River which once was Funan kingdom, and now is a large part of South Vietnam. Upon his wife's request, King Chey Cheatha II also allowed Vietnamese troops to be stationed in the Khmer town of Pery Nokor. Soon, Pery Nokor became the South Vietnamese's capital city of Saigon. King Chey Cheatha II was viewed by most Khmers as a traitor for his role in giving Cambodia's land for a Vietnamese wife.

For generations, Khmers are reminded not to forget Kampuchea Krom and the "Tek Te Ong" (grandfather tea). The grandfather tea is the name for the way the Vietnamese tortured and killed Khmers. They buried and burned them alive, using their heads as stoves to make tea. There is a saying, "the relationship between Vietnamese and Khmers is like mixing oil with water,” and Khmers should not abandon this lesson, for the Vietnamese will not give up their hypocrisy.

Historically, all Khmers leaders have always found ways to save Cambodia from being erased from the world map by either internal conflict or invasions. In 1841-1859, King Ang Duong pleaded with the French to save Cambodia from being absorbed by Vietnam and Thailand.

Under the leadership of King Norodom (Prince Norodom Sihanuk's forefather) in 1864, the political stability was restored with the establishment of a French Protectorate that lasted until after World War II. During World War II, the Japanese occupied Cambodia but left the French administration intact.

It was for an economic reason that in 1884, the French forced King Norodom at gun point to make Cambodia its colony. Instead of saving Cambodia from being swallowed up by Vietnam and Thailand, the French sliced up Khmer lands such as Kampuchea Krom and handed it over to Cambodia's former enemies. The French also brought Vietnamese settlers to take over the Khmer administration and economy.

In 1941 the French installed 18-year-old Prince Norodom Sihanuk on the Cambodian throne, so they could have influence over this young Prince. Unfortunately, Prince Sihanuk gave up his throne and united with other Khmer activists, agreeing that Cambodia should be freed from French colonization.

In 1954, Cambodia had claimed its independence from France and became a neutral and peaceful country. However, this peace was short lived. Between 1967 and early 1969, Prince Sihanuk struggled to keep the U.S -Vietnam war from engulfing Cambodia. The United States asked Sihanuk if he would allow the United States military to be stationed in Cambodia, to drive out the North (Communist) Vietnamese who had stayed inside Cambodia escaping the U.S bombardment. In return, the United States would help rebuild Cambodia but Sihanuk refused to cooperate.

On March18, 1970, General Lon Nol toppled Prince Sihanuk while the Prince was on foreign visits. Lon Nol accused Sihanuk of being aligned with communist China and North Vietnam, whereas Sihanuk accused Lon Nol of being power and money thirsty. "To survive, Lon Nol turned Cambodia's neutrality into anti-communism and Cambodia suddenly found herself trapped in an expanding war, both civil and foreign. Two months after Sihanuk was ousted, "the United States and South Vietnam invaded Cambodia to help Lon Nol" to drive out the North Vietnamese and Khmer communist revolutionaries known as Khmer Rouge.

On April17, 1975, the United States and its backed regime in Phnom Penh were defeated and the Khmer Rouge came to power. The Cambodians were hoping that they would again enjoy peace but that hope was completely dashed. People were evacuated from cities and personal rights were taken away. Even Prince Sihanuk himself, who joined the revolution after he was ousted in hope of regaining his one-man rule, was placed under house arrest.

During the so called "reign of terror", thousands of Cambodians were executed. They were killed either by starvation, illness or even political persecution if they were suspected to be linked with the Vietnamese, CIA or KGB. Some were probably killed by social class vengeance (poor against rich), or by Vietnamese agents, who wanted to undermine the Khmer Rouge government in an attempt to overthrow the regime. One thing was clear though, if people opposed "Ongka" (the authority of organization) they would face the death penalty. Many Cambodian leaders and the other leaders were also held responsible for the killings, but the Khmer Rouge was singled out because it was in charge. Years of misery were ended by Vietnam invasion. Nonetheless, all Cambodian governments in the past have perpetrated, in one way or another, some form of crimes against their own people where only the magnitude of the crimes varied.

For decades, Cambodia and Vietnam have been in dispute over land and borders. Vietnam is perceived by many Cambodians as a country that envies Cambodia's resources and prosperity. Just days after the Democratic Kampuchea (Khmer Rouge) government was formed in April 1975, Vietnam invaded Cambodia's sea and captured two islands, which were believed to be Cambodia's oil resources. Under the United Nations agreement, however, Vietnam was forced to retreat within 24 hours. In late 1977, Vietnam invaded the north-eastern part of Cambodia and demanded that land. At the same time, a group of pro-Vietnamese within the Democratic Kampuchea government attempted a coup, but it was crushed and the remaining plotters defected to Vietnam. For the sake of saving Cambodia from the "killing fields", Vietnam invaded Cambodia and installed those defectors as its puppet government. Ever since, Vietnam has been using the "genocidal Khmer Rouge" as an instrument for its 'fait-accompli' in Cambodia.

Most Cambodians appreciate this regime for bringing the Vietnamese to revive them. But after the military presence for 13 years and the relentless flow of Vietnamese settlers, they fear the "Vietnamization of Cambodia" through intermarriages, so that one day Cambodia may become a second Kampuchea Krom. Vietnamese leaders are thought to have a doctrine called “The Federation of Indochina.” This federation consists of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos but Vietnam is in charge. Today, Laos is being Vietnamized because there is no anti-Vietnamese movement.

Due to the Khmer Rouge and its coalition's resistance, Vietnam failed to achieve its goals in Cambodia. This forced Vietnam to withdraw its troops from Cambodia in September 1989, so that the trade embargo could be lifted. Should the trade embargo be lifted and Hanoi opens its country to free enterprise, then Vietnam is bound to acquire a large degree of influence over Cambodia's economics this time, rather than political and military influence.

The socialists have always wanted to dominate Cambodia, whereas the capitalists feared the expansion of communism in the region. The struggle to have veto power, added with the Cambodian leaders who always wanted to have absolute authority has left Cambodia in crisis. Cambodia also became the site of weapon testing for the super powers. Sometimes it is hard to comprehend the super powers' policy on Cambodia.

Despite the fact that the Khmer Rouge was a foe of the West, the United States itself and ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) countries pretended that they were not dealing with the Khmer Rouge in the early day of invasion, but they were supporting the rest of its coalitions in their struggle against the Vietnamese. Today the West and the world community have changed their course. They consider the Khmer Rouge as a menace to both the region and Cambodia. It is feared that the brutal regime may again come to power. Without the existence of the Khmer Rouge, in a way, Cambodia would have ceased to exist. Despite of the Khmer Rouge slaughtering thousands of Cambodians, it is still viewed by many Cambodian peasants and intellectuals as a patriotic force that is standing up to any perceived Vietnamese encroachment or colonization.

China has played the biggest role in Cambodian conflict. All along, China has been the Khmer Rouge's best friend and main supporter in both politics and weaponry. But since the collapse of communism in Europe and the Soviet Union, China fears this collapse will spread to both China and Vietnam. This has led to the normalization of relationship between Bejing and Hanoi, even though Hanoi is the main enemy of the Khmer Rouge. It is obvious that China adheres to double standards in the region because it wants a stake in the political future of Cambodia.

For years, Cambodians have been waiting for an end to their suffering and search for peace. In order for the prospect of peace to come into light, Cambodia has once again turned to the international community for help. Since 1981, Prince Norodom Sihanuk has pleaded with the world to place Cambodia under the protection of the UN trusteeship. His efforts bored fruit when the International Peace Conference on Cambodia convened in Paris on October 23, 1991. A historic day was made in Paris when the peace accord was signed by all Cambodian warring factions and 17 other countries, including Canada. The Paris Agreement provides for the formation of the Supreme National Council (SNC) as the unique legitimate body and source of authority in Cambodia during the transitional period, the verification of the withdrawal of foreign forces in all categories from Cambodia and their non-return, the total disarmament of all Cambodian parties' arm forces, the repatriation of Cambodian refugees from Thailand, and the organization of a free and fair election, to enable the Cambodian people to exercise their sacred right of self-determination.

The UN was to ensure the implementation of the Paris Agreement. This is the biggest UN operation ever undertaken. The operation is known as UNTAC (United Nation Transitional Authority in Cambodia). During the mission, UNTAC failed to achieve some of its mandates. The lack of impartiality in implementing the provisions of the treaty was one of the reasons for its failure. UNTAC and the Cambodian factions accused each other of failing to adhere to the treaty. There was also much controversy about the election process. When it comes to voting rights, UNTAC helped millions of illegal Vietnamese immigrants to register.

Nevertheless, UNTAC can not solve all Cambodian problems because they are internal matter. In spite of difficulties and accusations, UNTAC was able to hold the election from May 23 to 28 1993, in hope of bringing peace to Cambodia. However, peace seems to fade away when the losers do not accept their defeat but instead threaten to renew fighting and demand an autonomous zone. The impact of civil unrest and political upheaval are tremendous. It has weakened Cambodian unity, confidentiality and has caused them to undergo great torment. Millions of lives have been lost and the country has become a world of widows and orphans. Many families have been uprooted, torn apart and scattered around the globe, or displaced. Some have to live without freedom in refugee camps that are fenced by barbed wire, while people in the homeland are living in poverty.

Due to the prolonged fighting, the industrial and agricultural production is limited. The country's main roads and bridges are cut off and demolished. The cities have no electricity, running water or sewage systems. Cambodia is on the verge of epidemic disaster because there is an inadequate health care system. Whether there is peace or not, Cambodians are facing life with deadly land mines. It is estimated about 4 million mines are thickly sewn in the new killing field.

Definitely, Cambodians believe that in order to survive the plague of civil unrest for the past 23 years, Cambodia has to observe a policy of strict neutrality in its sovereign state. Otherwise, the true peace, freedom and democracy of Cambodia will still seem remote. The question is, will the new leaders be able to solve the internal conflict and prevent Khmer land from being absorbed by neighboring countries, or will those leaders just want power? For the future of the country, the Khmer leaders and people must sort out their differences.

Lasting peace for Cambodia also depends on the sincerity of the super powers, Vietnam and Khmer leaders. If Khmer leaders are only the puppets of outside powers, the riches of the country will be looted, the frontiers will disappear and Cambodia will cease to exist. Cambodia must not allow itself to become a 'side show ' again for the power that-be, and it is only the Khmer people themselves who can prevent this. Today, considering how intolerable the situation is, how surely it will bring about the extermination of the Khmer race in the short or long term. The logical answer to the Cambodia's conflict can be nothing but a dream, unless the foreign powers implicated in the devastating war are in Cambodia directly. Otherwise, grant the supremely unlucky Khmer people the right to self-determination.

First and foremost, Khmers have to help themselves and find ways to get along with their compatriots before the rest of the world can help them. Khmers also should not be obsessed with their past but instead live for the future. Otherwise, the tenuous peace that they are enjoying right now may soon become only a memory of the past. It is hard to forgive the perpetrators but revenge is not always the solution either. We hope that this short history of Cambodia has provided readers with a brief understanding of Cambodia's conflict.

League sponsors shrink from $45K to $3K, baseball plays on

2009-06-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

RIALTO, California (CNN) -- The baseball diamonds and bleachers are filled with tales of moms and dads pitching in to put their kids on the field -- Foreclosureville's version of "Field of Dreams.North Rialto Little League has seen its annual $45,000 sponsorships shrink to a mere $3,000. Parents have lost their jobs, even houses, amid the nation's economic woes.

But the families in this corner of California's economically ravaged region known as the Inland Empire have kept the aluminum bats swinging and the crowd roaring.

Not a single game has been missed because of hard times. "Even though we are in bad times, it still brings out something good," says Janis Strong, the president of North Rialto Little League. "What worked for you a long time ago, it'll work for you now. ... That's what we're supposed to do, have family involvement."
The families and the league had no choice but to rally around each other when the sponsorships plunged. Bread-and-butter small-business sponsors closed up or lost too much revenue to help the league. The links to other financial donors were severed when parents lost their jobs at the sponsoring businesses.

It's a story echoing across America's fields, gyms and rinks for youth sports programs. Parents are often struggling to raise money, even in elite leagues that in the past had large financial treasure chests.

"Some of the parents who are used to putting money out every summer for these travel teams, they are saying that the dollars are a little tighter," says Abe Key, president of PONY Baseball and Softball, a nationwide organization of elite travel teams. "Those teams are not traveling as much."
At North Rialto, the parents of roughly 200 kids turned to both new and old fundraisers, from cars washes to candy sales to candle sales. They kept the games going while the economy kept tanking. One T-Ball team raised $990.68.

North Rialto sits in San Bernardino County, which consistently ranks in the top five for highest foreclosure rates in the country. The county's unemployment rate is 12.5 percent. The Little League is steeped with tradition; some of its players have gone on to the Majors, including All-Star Jeff Conine, who played 17 years in the bigs.

North Rialto coach Steve Thompson, and Cheryl Johnson, his common-law wife of 23 years, are enduring life's equivalent of a strikeout. Both got laid off this year, they're four payments behind on their home mortgage, and they lost health insurance.

Johnson worked as a contract clerk at a Pontiac dealer and would be fine with a new lower-paying job. "I've been told too many times that I am overqualified and I won't stay," she says.

Thompson lost his job as an automotive technician at a Chevy dealership. But that didn't stop this tireless volunteer. "This is my outlet," says the coach. "This is where I come to be out with the kids. Because it's not about me, it's about them."

The couple could not afford the league fee of $100, so a little creativity was put into play. With the league unable to pay for field maintenance, it allowed some families' children to play for free or at a discount, in exchange for their parents' labor.

Thompson and others water the field, lay chalk in the batters' box and compact the holes in the pitchers' mounds.

Junior Padres coach Jim Underwood pitches in with the labor too. He and his family -- wife Tammy, 14-year-old son Tyler and 7-year-old son Tayler -- have been on the financial bubble. "Life was good, work was good, and everything was good," says Underwood, a land surveyor. "Then all of a sudden, bills come due, and all of a sudden, there is not enough money. It happens fast."

Underwood had to start paying for his own health insurance. And without warning, the bank posted the notice for sale on their house. "We caught it three or four days before the auction," his wife says. "My mom and dad got involved and refinanced their house and lent us a lot of money to save our house."

Underwood adds, "We're all just trying to come up with enough money so that our kids can play baseball and we can have an outlet."

Tayler and Tyler find refuge from the family's financial troubles between the chalk lines laid down by their father. "I don't think about that stuff," Tyler says of his family's economic status.

Scanning the baseball field, the boy says, "It's just an escape for me to get away from it. And I don't worry about nothing. I love it."

These aren't isolated stories. Coach Danny Ruiz of the minor division Pirates, made up of mostly 9- and 10-year-olds, says his team's parents have suffered through foreclosures and job loss. Many of the parents are working extra hours to try to make up for plunging commissions or work once done by laid-off colleagues.

"We had to ask some of our parents to gather up some of their used cleats that maybe their kids had outgrown, or maybe some used gloves," Ruiz says. "We had to supply some kids with used equipment just so they could play."

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After the game on this day, a 10-year-old boy spits sunflower seed shells through a wide smile. The Pirates found him a fielders' glove and shoes, and the league let him pay for free.

"We're a nonprofit group," league president Strong says. "So we don't have to make money. We just have to have enough so the kids can come out and play

Explosion, roof collapse trap workers at food plant

2009-06-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

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CNN) -- Three workers were trapped following an explosion Tuesday at a Raleigh, North Carolina-area food plant, police said.
Part of a collapsed ConAgra Foods plant lies atop parked cars Tuesday in Garner, North Carolina.

Part of a collapsed ConAgra Foods plant lies atop parked cars Tuesday in Garner, North Carolina.

The explosion, reported about 11:30 a.m. ET, caused sections of the roof to collapse at the ConAgra Foods plant in Garner, North Carolina, police spokesman Joe Binns said at press conference.

Rescuers were looking inside the plant for three workers who were missing, Binns said. At least 20 people were transported to area hospitals, he said. No fatalities were immediately reported.

"There was no warnings, no signs," Garner Mayor Ronnie Williams said. "It all happened very abruptly."

The incident was "not totally contained," Binns said. A small fire continued to burn at the plant.

The cause of the blast was unclear, Binns said.

Video from the scene showed holes in sections of the roof of the 50,000-square-foot plant. First responders set up a makeshift triage area near the building. A section of the roof was collapsed, and pipes could be seen spewing liquid believed to be ammonia.

ConAgra Foods is a leading food company whose brands include Healthy Choice, Chef Boyardee and Orville Redenbacher. The Garner plant is known for producing Slim Jim beef jerky products The company was working with authorities to ensure that employees "are getting all of the support that they need," ConAgra Director of Corporate Communication Stephanie Childs said. "The employees' health is their only real concern at this time."

Leonard Spruill, a worker at the plant, told WRAL-TV that he heard a loud explosion and that several of his co-workers were badly burned. Spruill told the station that he suffered burns on his head, arms and legs and that he had to have his clothes cut off of him

Pakistani military, villagers battle Taliban militants

2009-06-09T12:11:00.000-07:00

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Hundreds of Pakistani villagers who have formed an anti-Taliban militia battled for the fourth day Tuesday to remove the Islamic militants from a region of northwest Pakistan.

The Pakistani military is supporting the militia, or "lashkar," in Upper Dir district on the request of local officials and tribal elders, military spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas told CNN.

Outraged over a suicide attack on a local mosque during Friday prayers, about 400 residents formed the militia early Saturday and began battling Taliban militants. The attack on the anti-Taliban mosque killed at least 40 people and wounded 80 others.

The militia has surrounded Taliban fighters in Shat Kas, a village where the Taliban have local support, according to officials in the Upper Dir district. The Taliban have dug into bunkers and are putting up a strong resistance, he said.

The fighting marks the first major battle between the residents of northwest Pakistan and Taliban militants.

At least 14 Taliban had been killed and four villagers had been wounded as of Sunday evening, according to local administrator Atif-ur-Rehman.
The militia has burned houses thought to be sheltering the militants, and both the militia and Taliban fighters are using heavy weapons, including rocket launchers and anti-aircraft weapons, Rehman said.

Pakistani military helicopters were called in Monday and Tuesday to strike Taliban positions from the air, local officials said. Abbas confirmed that the gunships were used to shell specific militant targets in Upper Dir, on the request of local officials.

There is a long history of Taliban presence in the area, including foreign fighters in leadership roles, local officials said.

Upper Dir is a part of the Swat Valley, where the Pakistani military has waged a monthlong operation against Taliban militants. The district had not been part of the ongoing military offensive until this week.

The United Nations has said an estimated 2 million Pakistanis have been displaced by fighting between the Pakistani military and Taliban militants.

Suspected Pakistani Taliban militants have carried out several attacks on civilian targets across Pakistan in recent weeks. The Taliban claimed responsibility for a suicide attack that killed 27 people in Lahore on May 27.

The militants threatened to continue attacking cities in Pakistan until the military ends its operations against Taliban militants. As a result, Pakistani authorities have increased security in Islamabad, Pakistan's capital city.

The military operation continued Tuesday with Pakistani forces taking up positions in the Bannu district of North West Frontier Province, Abbas said. A curfew has been established in Bannu as military forces shell militant positions along the route that leads through neighboring Waziristan to the Afghan-Pakistan border, local officials said.

The Jani Khel tribe of Bannu is suspected of facilitating the recent kidnappings of Razmak Cadet College students, as well as ongoing rocket and roadside bombing attacks, Pakistani military sources said.
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There are concerns that the tribe may also be planning more attacks in North West Frontier Province, which has suffered several bombings on civilian targets in recent weeks, including Friday's mosque bombing in Upper Dir.

On Tuesday, a bomb exploded at a major hotel in Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province, killing at least five people, the city's district coordination officer said.

Kei Denh Min Tov : Chorpom + Romdoul + Sinarak

2009-06-09T11:46:00.000-07:00

Seoch Ban : Choporm + Vannet

2009-06-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

U.S. envoy says U.S.-Israeli friendship strong

2009-06-09T09:30:00.003-07:00

JERUSALEM, June 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell said Tuesday that Washington's commitment to Israel's security was unquestionable though disputes remain over Jewish settlements and peace process with Palestinians.

"I want to begin by stating again, clearly and emphatically, beyond any doubt, that the U.S. commitment to the security of Israel remains unshakable," Mitchell said during his meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem.

"The policy gaps are not disagreements among adversaries and that the two countries "remain close allies and friends," he added.

"We're working hard to achieve our objectives for comprehensive peace in the Middle East, to which you have referred, Mr. President, including a Palestinian state side by side in peace and security with the Jewish state of Israel," he added.

Mitchell also met with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Tel Aviv, who detailed Israel's security needs, as well as possible steps which could be taken to bolster the Palestinian economy.

The U.S. envoy is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman later in the day and then to travel to the West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday for talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Tension between Israeli and U.S. government is increasing as Israel is reluctant to halt settlement construction in the occupied West Bank and to endorse the two-state solution.

In a landmark soothing address to the Muslim world, U.S. President Barack Obama said that his administration sees no legitimacy in Israel's settlement activity in the West Bank and called for a total freeze of settlement expansion.

Yet the Israeli government has so far refused to follow the call, and is trying to convince the Obama administration to accept unofficial understandings reached with the previous U.S. government that Israel would retain certain major settlement blocs in any final-status deal with the Palestinians.

Netanyahu will deliver a major address on his diplomatic policy on Sunday in Bar Ilan University, in which he will present the principles for achieving peace and security.