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Early this month, The Nation newspaper in Bangkok reported that many Thai residents in Si Sa Ket province which borders Cambodia wore yellow to help protect Thailand from black-magic spells cast by Khmer “wizards” who met at Preah Vihear Temple during the solar eclipse early this month.

On August 1, Bun Rany, the wife of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, led Buddhist monks and soldiers to the ancient Hindu temple to call upon their ancestors to protect the temple.

The Nation wrote that Thai media reports said that the mysterious black-magic spells by Khmer wizards would not only protect the temple but also weaken Thailand. Meanwhile, some Thai astrologers were reported to have urged local people to wear yellow to deflect the spells.

Bun Rany, wife of Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen, lights candle during a Buddhism prayer ceremony for peace called Krong Pealy at Preah Vihaer temple compound atop Dang Reak mountain 245km (152 miles) north of Phnom Penh August 01, 2008. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Whether the Thai astrologers considered the solemnly organized prayer at the temple Cambodia’s cast of magic spells on Thailand, the use of magic by Cambodians has prevailed for centuries.

According to the Khmer-language book “The Tale of Ancient History,” in 1502 under the reign of King Chan Raja there was a Khmer warrior named Moeung who fearlessly fought against Siam, as Thailand was known in the past.

Unable to bear Siamese colonial dominance, the Khmer king ordered his men to kill the Siamese king’s son who was controlling Cambodia. The Siamese king found out and sent troops to arrest King Chan Raja and his court. But Chan Raja’s lady-in-waiting, Pen, escaped with army chief Moeung, his wife and four children.

The Siamese prepared a massive attack. But Chan Raja’s son, Prince Chey Ahcha, had neither enough troops nor weapons to fight them.When asked if he could think of any tactics to win, Meoung told Prince Chey Ahcha an odd plan: to recruit a ghost army.
He ordered his men to dig a deep rectangular hole and to plant spears and swords at the bottom.“Please use every effort in this battle to liberate Cambodia from the enemy,” he told his troops. “If within seven days after I die you hear a thunder-like cheering, we will win.”

Upon that Moeung jumped into the grave and impaled himself. His wife and two sons followed, killing themselves too. Exactly seven days later, the cheering of the ghost army came from every direction as Chey Ahcha’s army advanced to stop the invading Siamese troops near Battambang.“The ghost army went to the front to display their might and made the Siamese troops dizzy, gave them stomach aches and made them vomit,” the book says. “Chey Ahcha’s army killed all the Siamese soldiers.”

After victory Chey Ahcha was crowned King Preah Chey Chehsda of Cambodia. He ordered a ceremony to commemorate the spirit of his army chief, who earned the title “Neak Ta Khlaing Moeung”.

In 1866, Po Kambo, one of the first Khmer protesters against French colonial rule, led a struggle in Rong Damrey province in Kampuchea Krom, which was later annexed by Vietnam.

“Po Kambo knew the magic words with admirable effectiveness to turn away bullets,” wrote Sou Chamreon in 1971 in a book “History of the Struggle of the Khmer Heroes in the 19th Century.”

“The bullets from the French army… hit Po Kambo the most, but they could not make him fall down. Even other fighters survived thanks to the power of his magic,” the book reads.

Also in the late 19th century, two other anti-French protesters, Achar Svar and Kralahom Kong, used magic during the battle.

Kralahom Kong was said to be both fire and bullet-proof. Kralahom Kong could not be killed when the French tied him to a ship’s smokestack in front of the Royal Palace.

During Cambodia’s civil war between the 1970s and early 1990s, many Khmer soldiers would also seek supernatural protection in the forms of tattoos, magic kerchiefs “yons” and magic words written in Pali or Sanskrit, the currently dead languages used during the Angkorean period.

Nevertheless, the use of magic could probably give only spiritual strength for believers and might not provide any real solutions.

While the prayer at the temple was a good religious, non-violent approach, Cambodia may need to negotiate more with Thailand to solve the border disputes. It probably needs intervention by the United Nations Security Council if the bilateral talks stall.

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In Cambodia, press freedom has been considered as getting better grade for recent years if it was compared during and after United Nation Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) organized the first national parliamentary election (February 1992 – September 1993) UNITED NATIONS TRANSITIONAL AUTHORITY IN CAMBODIA
The new horrible event which draws serious attention from domestic and international audiences is the shooting and killing of Mr. Khim Sambo, 47 year-old reporter of opposition Moneakseka Khmer and his 21 year-old son, Khat Sarinpheata on the way back home from exercising at Olympic Stadium early Friday evening of 11 July 2008.  

The photo by Cambodge Soir Hebdo

 The perpetrators and masterminds have not been arrested yet in the case of the issue while the police is investigating. But it is not sure how much hope that the real murderers will be brought to justice.

Journalists, civil society groups and local people strongly condemned the brutal killing and called it is the coward behavior. They also appeal to the authority to accelerate the proper investigation to bring the real merciless perpetrators and masterminds, not artificial ones to justice.

According to Human Right Watch’s report on May 21, Hun Sen threatened the independent Beehive radio station for running programming from opposition parties, stating: “You have one channel; we have 39 channels. If you curse me, you will receive bad merit. Those who [previously] cursed me already disappeared from the world.”  
 
And the same month after criticizing by Prime Minister, the report continued that the government shut down independent radio station Angkor Ratha (FM 105.25) in Kratie province on May 28. The station, whose headquarters is in Siem Reap province, was granted a license to broadcast in January 2008. The Ministry of Information abruptly cancelled the license for the station’s Kratie broadcasts after it sold air time to opposition parties.  

Before Sambo was killed  his Editor in-Chief of Moneakseka Khmer Newspaper and Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) opposition parliamentary candidate was arrested by military police and sent to Prey Sar prison on June 8 after his newspaper wrote the present Minister of Foreign Affairs , Hor Namhong was involved with past genocidal Khmer Rouge regime. He was charged by Phnom Penh court on defamation and disinformation with violating articles 62 and 63 of the UNTAC Law. Actually, the article was published in his newspaper quoted the speech from Sam Rainsy at Choeung Ek killing field on 18 April, 2008.

Quoted The Mekong Time SRP parliamentarian, Yim Sovann, as saying that “The shooting by unknown persons of Khim Sambo and his son is a threat to SRP supporters because he was the writer of Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper.”

In a recent separate incident on 14 July 2008, three journalists based Siem Reap from various publications were beaten and injured while they tried to take pictures gasoline smuggling truck over-turned in Varin district, Siem Reap province.

Independent news analysts evaluated the current press freedom in Cambodia as drastically declined. Overall negative issues had occurred since early May to July 2008 has impacted democratic society, because democracy depends on journalism.

Once again, on behalf domestic and international journalists, we would like to re-appeal for the government either immediately finding and bringing the perpetrators and masterminds to justice or stopping using UNTAC law to arrest journalists, individuals and advocates for  rights to freedom of  expression. Any way, we are very proud if Cambodian journalists strictly following the professional journalism rule of law and code ethic in their career practices.

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We are extremely shocked over the news reported in the local press that Thai border soldiers have shot and killed a Cambodian labor and a 6 year-old boy while crossing into Thailand. And unfortunately, they could not find a job to support their families in Cambodia side so they necessarily take risk to cross border nearby in Thailand side to work as worker. For filling hungry stomach but finally they have been taken away their lives by merciless king of devils.  

The Photo by Sovannara, The Koh Santepheap Daily

Though there have been several incidents in which Cambodian labors were killed by Thai soldiers, no perpetrators have ever been brought to justice. 

To strengthen its relationship with Cambodia, Thailand must investigate all killings of Cambodians by Thai soldiers so far and punish those responsible. 

 Once again, we very appreciate if Thai soldiers would solve the very issues with peaceful solution and giving discrimination up to neighboring nations. And we strongly believe that Cambodians would continually calm down and follow Buddha’s advice said “compassion, mercy, sympathy and impartiality and two wrongs don’t make a right”, in spite of the flame of protest is being burning in Thailand side while Cambodia is successfully listed the Hindu Temple of Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site.

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Corruption is considered as serious social virus and it is also a dangerous obstacle for developing countries in the world. According to case study on private sectors in 2005 from Economic Institute of Cambodia said the sectors lost 330 million USD/year and the government lost tax income up to 400 million USD in 2005. Any way, report from Transparency International based in Berlin, Germany reported that at least, Cambodia loses one million USD per day. 

The photo by Pact Cambodia

The culture of bribery from small amount is observed mostly everywhere in the country. And it is also found in open day, including primary schools, in street -traffic police, under the table, using envelope and different ways from rural areas to business centers.  The offenders have never thought their commitments cause deep root of corruption outbreak for current and future generations.   

 In third mandate of Royal Government of Cambodia with quadrangle strategy, corruption is the one of strategies to be raised but missed to fight. However, the election of fourth mandate will come next month but the corruption law has not adopted yet.

 Cambodians and civil society realize that the corruption is hot topic that it is to be made firstly. And why is it failed to enact?  Some victims impacted by corruption said the law must be passed it bases on the government’s willingness if they devote to do. And other opinions said the law is kept to delay if it is passed and implemented it will suffer present high-rank officials and fraudulent rapid millionaires who involve in corrupted activities.   

Recently, Coalition of Civil Society Organizations Against Corruption, a group of 49 civil organizations held press conference and appealed to all 11 political parties to vow to enact the long-waited anti-corruption law whoever wins parliamentary election. As press release from the coalition resulted there are total 1,101853 thumbprints and signatures participated by farmers, workers, students, sellers, motor-taxi drivers, state servants, school teachers, policemen, soldiers, and members of national assembly as well as NGOs’ staff who support the corruption law to pass.

It also stated “the failure for more than a decade to pass an international standard anti-corruption law to tackle corruption worries more and more citizens and civil society, especially about the efficiency and the speed of poverty alleviation.”

Any country that its government commits corruption to cause the nation is too slow in economic growth, people living with poverty and sufferings, social injustice, education and domestic products without quality etc. In such circumstance the local and foreign crony investors expected to make much money by their dishonest business. The corrupted commitment shames the national prestige and it either harms its own citizens or become the ambitious and idealess authorities as traitor.

As report in 2007 from World Democracy Audit, among 179 countries Cambodia was ranked at 134 while Finland at 1 and Burma at 149.

In spite, the anti-corruption law is not passed in the quadrangle strategy- government but we do hope the new government will highly consider and give a birth to the law after for years in   unwillingness pregnant mother.     

And we either expect everything is transparent, the education level meeting qualified international standard, the court system is justice, the people living with prosperity and the country’s name is clean and famous.  

Posted by The Mekong Times, May 30, 2008

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 After reading the article “Our Lady Mekong” reported by The Mekong Times on May 30, I was reminded of the great benefits provided by our Mekong River and the damage being caused to it in the name of “development.”

The picture by Savuth, Manwan Dam,China Dec.2007

 The Mekong River is an invaluable artery of Southeast Asia. Originating in the Tanggula Mountains on the Tibetan Plateau, some 4,975 meters above sea level, it flows approximately 4,880 km through China, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam into the South China Sea

The river provides millions with water for drinking and irrigation, and through its huge fishing grounds provides a life -giving supply of protein. In addition, there are many rare species of fish, birds, and other wildlife that live in or around the vast waterway.

Unfortunately in recent decades, dams, hotels restaurants, households, skyscrapers and other polluting industries have been built on its banks while deforestation of its nearly flooded forests has been rampant.

These thoughtless actions have caused devastating environmental damage to the river with impacts including water pollution, reduced fish populations, biodiversity destruction and river bank erosion.

To save The Mekong River, the governments of Cambodia, Thailand, Lao PDR and Vietnam founded a joint secretariat called Mekong River Commission (MRC) on 5 April 1995 and a Regional Cooperation Program for the Sustainable Development of Water and Related Resources in the Mekong Basin.

However, the governments of China and Burma have refused to join MRC and they have no willingness to be involved in any MRC’s activities for Mekong River rehabilitation, despite repeated appeals from scientists and environmentalists.

China, which has access to hundreds of kilometers the river’s upper stretch, has built many giant dams on the river basin, with downstream countries suffering severe environmental impacts as a result.

The issues are gravely worrying scientists, environmental activists and local and international NGOs who recently raised concerns that the water quality of the river is getting worse and that rare species are in dire threat of extinction.

Their joint recommendation is that dam construction and the flow sewage into the river be halted.

To help preserve The Mekong River, our invaluable water artery, the international community, and particularly countries along the river must put strong pressure on China and Burma to join MRC and become part of the solution and not the problem.

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I remember a trip to Lumpat, Rattanakiri in February 2006 where I was sent to research the water quality downstream from the Vietnamese Yali Falls Dam with group of scientists from Japan and China. A Chinese scientist asked me if she is eligible to buy forest land to protect the trees. She felt sadness when she saw the timber on the ground along sides of road and the forest burned for land encroachment. She is a foreigner who concerned about the deforestation in our vulnerable land.

The Photo by USAID/Cambodia

Loggers never ceased their illegal cutting that this is one of most pressing issues affecting Cambodia, along with land disputes, corruption and the current economic crisis. These other issues are debated nationally and regionally while Cambodia suffered the serious affects of mass deforestation in the provinces of Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, Preah Vihear, Kratie, Stung Treng, Rattanakiri, Mondulkiri, Kampong Speu and Battambang.
As quoted by Japanese news agency Kyoto in 2000, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen vowed “he would resign from his post and dissolve the government if the authorities fail to combat illegal logging.” He promised at the national workshop on strengthening monitoring and reporting of crimes related to forestry.

Government bans have temporarily halted logging but the loggers only suspend fortnight million-dollar business for short period. Logging operations are often alleged to have the collaboration of local officials who collect bribes or use high rank officials’ names as a shield.

Cambodia is considered to contain the richest hard wood forests In South East Asia, with many timber species. During the reign of former King Norodom Sihanouk, around 70 percent of the Kingdom was forested.

Unfortunately after over two decades of civil war and chaos, the environmentalists and forest watchdogs have said that Cambodia’s last forest are in protected areas – areas currently are being logged.

Scientists alerted their grave concerns that the forest loss will have negative consequences such as climatic change and natural disasters such as drought, flood, storm and earthquakes.

Cambodians must reflect how much we care about our own natural resources. We should wake up. We must conserve what is left of the forests and plant the trees for the next generation.

Once again, I would like to ask the government to take strict and measure to fight the loggers and land grabbers. In August 2006 I attended a congress in Stockholm, Sweden. It was during an election campaign and the main platform of each party was the environmental issues. Now Cambodians are becoming interested in the environmental issues as well. Political parties should campaign on this topic for upcoming election.

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Cambodia is recognized as one of the poorest countries in the world where people live under poverty line. But it is observed that casinos; football gambling and lottery stations are mushrooming from Phnom Penh to the country’s borders.

Even though gambling is illegal for Cambodians, many Cambodian people from students to government officials have gambled in various forms. This has had a serious consequence on the society. Many gamblers have lost money, motorbikes and even their houses.

To make up for losses in money and property, some people commit theft, robbery and even kidnapping. For government officials who have lost money to gambling, they might commit corruption to recover their loss.

I am worried that Cambodia will become an insecure place if the government does not stop Cambodians from being addicted to gambling.

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The picture was taken in Kunming, December 2007

The 4th Science-Journalism Joint Workshop, Attendees from Mekong countries and Japan. The Workshop held at Telecom International Hotel and The Scientific Excursions conducted to Manwan Dam, Lincang and Dianchi Lake, Kunming, Yunan Province, 17 – 22 December 2007, Kunming, China

The event was organized by Japanese Forum of Environmental Journalists (JFEJ) and Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Science (CAS).

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The group photo by FK

The 3rd Fk Sub-Regional Network Meeting which having 47 former FK Alumni, Current Partners and participants from Cambodia, Thailand, Lao PDR and Vietnam attended. The event was held on 13-14 December 2007, The Riverside Bangkok Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand