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Border problems rage from Svay Rieng to Takeo

Hun Xen cheers Nguyen Tan Dung during the inauguration of border post 171 in Svay Rieng (Photo: Sovannara, RFI)

20 May 2010
By Pen Bona
Radio France Internationale
Translated from Khmer by Oss Dey
Click here to read the article in Khmer

The lawsuit case against the uprooting of border post in Svay Rieng province did not even conclude yet and now the border problem is raging into Takeo province already. The opposition criticized the planting of border post 270 located in Borey Chulsa district, Takeo province, which led to the loss of several dozens of hectares of rice fields belonging to Cambodian farmers. However, the Cambodian government claimed that these lands are merely grass fields and that they do not belong to anybody. Nevertheless, opposition MPS asked the government to delay the planting of border posts to allow time for a proper evaluation.

Internal disputes in Cambodia on border problems are raging all over again, this time in Takeo in province. This problem is taking place when the lawsuit case against the uprooting of a border post in Svay Rieng has not even concluded yet.

During these last few days, the opposition criticized the loss of rice fields in Takeo province stemming from the planting of border post no. 270 in Chey Chauk commune, Borey Chulsa district. The local population protested, indicating that a border post was planted on top of their rice fields which they have worked on for a long time now.

On Thursday, a group of about 20 SRP MPs signed a petition sent to Hun Xen asking the government to delay the planting of border posts in Takeo province temporarily to allow a clear evaluation before new work can be proceeded. According to the SRP MPs’ petition, several dozens of hectares of rice field lands belonging to Cambodian farmers are lost from the border post planting.

However, the Takeo authority, as well as the government border committee, rejected this information, claiming that the land where the border post is planted is a grass field along the border and it does not belong to anybody. Government border experts accused the opposition of inflating the information to incite people to demonstrate against the government.

The problem in Takeo province is reminiscent of the problem in Svay Reing, there, opposition leader Sam Rainsy was sentenced by the Svay Rieng provincial court to 2-year of jail time for destruction of public properties after he uprooted border stakes in Samrong district. Two Cambodian farmers who were involved in the uprooting with Sam Rainsy were sentenced to 1-year of jail time each. Currently, Sam Rainsy is also being sued at the Phnom Penh municipal court for falsifying public document after he published maps showing the loss of Cambodian territories. The government sued Sam Rainsy, accusing him of publication of maps that do not show appropriate coordinates.

SRP MPs plan to visit the location of the border post in Takeo in the near future. Meanwhile, opposition leader Sam Rainsy is conduction a campaign overseas to fight against the government in regards to the planting of border posts with Vietnam

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Government Bolsters Efforts Against Squatters

Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Friday, 28 May 2010

“This [order] is good, but we worry about the concrete implementation of it, because the government has not provided fair compensation to people in exchange for their removal.”

The Council of Ministers on Friday approved a legal circular that instructs provincial and municipal authorities to seek resolutions to illegal settlements on state property.

The order tells authorities to first meet with community representatives on state land to inform them of development projects and to then discuss compensation for residents.

The circular creates a regulation for measures already practiced by authorities, critics said Friday, and it does not address situations where residents refuse to leave.

Cambodian officials have steadily found themselves at odds with squatter communities, where land values have boomed and development projects are springing up.

The order is to “inform all provinces and municipal authorities to solve illegal construction on state land through discussion with residents,” according to the draft pass by the Council on Friday.

The order is meant “to solve the anarchic construction [done] without order on the state land, where the occupier has come to settle illegally and to construct a house without order [creating] a lack of road passage and lack of hygiene.”

The order now gives officials more authority to act against squatter communities who may not be getting enough compensation, opponents said Friday.

“This [order] is good, but we worry about the concrete implementation of it, because the government has not provided fair compensation to people in exchange for their removal,” said Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party. “If there are effects to the people because of the [order] we would like the government to respect the constitution and to fairly compensate people through the market price.”

The measure is not clear about compensation, leaving room for authorities to offer low prices to residents, which can lead to conflict, said Thun Saray, president of the rights group Adhoc.

Thai Navy, a 39-year-old resident of the Boeung Kak lake community, which has been locked in a dispute with Phnom Penh over a giant development project since 2008, said representatives were not happy with the measure.

“The resolution to remove houses is the same as before,” he said.

The city’s policy is to pay Boeung Kak residents $8,500 per family or to offer lots of land on the outskirts of the city. Residents have said that is not enough, but there has been no forced eviction in the area to date.

The order comes as Cambodia faces increased criticism of forced evictions of the urban poor.

In an annual report issued Thursday, Amnesty International said “a wave of legal actions against housing rights defenders, journalists and other critical voices” had “stifled freedom of expression in Cambodia.”

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In Modern Stoneworks, an Echo of the Past

A Cambodian sculpture, a naga-protected Buddha. (Photo: Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer)

Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Friday, 28 May 2010

“If the sculptures showed us clearly what they were about, we would just have a look and then walk away. But with these abstract pieces, we have to spend time and think about what they want to tell us."

Though the temples of Angkor Wat have some amazing stone carvings, contemporary sculpture in the country has not been widespread.

But a group of 14 young Cambodian sculptors wants to change that. They currently have 26 pieces of modern stone sculptures on display at a new exhibition hall at the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh.

The sculptures, whose meanings can be hard to decipher if not for the display tags, are the result of more than a year of hard work for the artists.

Sasha Constable, the curator of the first exhibition of its kind in the country, said the show is aimed at encouraging more young Cambodian contemporary artists and the Cambodian public to better support this kind of art.

“There is not really a market for contemporary Cambodian art within the Cambodian community,” she said in an interview at the opening session of the exhibition on Thursday night. “I really hope that will change soon, because it’s a shame really that the elder are not supporting the younger generations of artists when there is so much talent here.”

The sculptures depict animals, like fish, and forms of the human body, such as the clasped hands of a woman in front of a headless torso.

Ouk Chimvichet’s work includes “Wonder,” the carving of a male face with earrings and long hair curled into a question mark.

“The meaning of the sculpture is to have transsexual individuals consider thoroughly whether they should get their sex organs and identity changed,” the 30-year-old sculptor told VOA Khmer.

Chhea Bunna, another sculpture graduate from the Royal University of Fine Arts, brought seven of his pieces to the show. He said his efforts were to move Cambodian sculpture toward the international trend in modern art.

“When I was at school, I was taught only how to make traditional sculptures, so I want to leave these artworks of mine for the younger generations,” he said. “If we do not make something new and the next generations have to learn the old ones, we cannot move forward. The art of other countries is updated, so I want our art to go forward as well.”

Khmer traditional stone sculptures are internationally acclaimed for their detail and beauty, as shown on the walls of thousands of ancient temples across the country, especially at Angkor Wat, a national icon.

So Chenda, dean of the Royal University of Fine Arts, said the young sculptors’ work taught them about the efforts of their ancestors in building the famous temples and also showcased Cambodian ideas and imagination.

“These young sculptors are full of innovative ideas,” he said in an interview. “And they not only preserve our traditional artwork, but they also help develop our art as well.”

The exhibition is supported by Friends of Khmer Culture, a public charity registered in the US. Visitors can purchase individual pieces, and a percentage of the sales will be used for equipment and material for the university. The exhibit runs through June 6, after which it will move to the Hotel de la Paix in Siem Reap, through Aug. 8.

Culture Minister Him Chhem said Cambodia needs such artwork to help push local art onto the international stage.

“We want to see our artists and their work recognized overseas,” he said.

Taket Meta, an university student who was attentively examining a stone sculpture, said this kind of art made him think and try to read the mind of its creator.

“If the sculptures showed us clearly what they were about, we would just have a look and then walk away,” he said in an interview at the exhibition. “But with these abstract pieces, we have to spend time and think about what they want to tell us.”

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For seven years, monks have had no peace

Monks living at the Buddhist Support Society in Rochester had to replace their mailbox after vandals damaged it. They own a 10.5-acre site they bought for tranquil reflection. (Jim Gehrz, Star Tribune)
Monks Chhan Aun, left, and Sim Ouk (Jim Gehrz, Star Tribune)

Vandalism has plagued a Buddhist temple near Rochester for seven years. Neighbors and police are outraged and baffled.

May 29, 2010
By CURT BROWN
Star Tribune (Rochester, Minnesota)

VANDALISM MEETING

• What: Prompted by a string of vandalism at the Cambodian Buddhist temple in Rochester, monks, neighbors, city leaders, youth groups and members of police neighborhood watch program will gather to discuss the issue.
• When: 4 p.m., Thursday
• Where: Buddhist Support Society Address: 4462 29th St. SE, Rochester

A chorus of chirping crickets and the smashed shell of a mailbox greet Chhan Aun when he steps out the door of his monk's residence at the hilltop Buddhist temple southeast of Rochester.

"We are quiet and peaceful; we try to pray for good things, not bad," he said, wrapped in his orange robe, as a former monk translates his Cambodian words. "We don't understand why people are doing things like this."

This month's busted mailbox is the latest in a seven-year string of vandalism that has jarred the four monks who live on the grassy, rolling, 10.5-acre site they chose for tranquil reflection.

Someone sprayed-painted "Jesus Saves" and a cross on their driveway last May. Dozens of lights have been broken and stolen. Flowers and trees have been yanked from the earth. Instead of studying the teachings of Buddha, the monks have been installing motion-detecting lights and asking the Postal Service to approve moving their mailbox down from 29th Street and closer to their house.

"One night at 2 a.m., a group of four or five people were outside and I shined my flashlight in their face," said Aun, 63. "They never confront us face to face; they just run away."

Neighbors and police are outraged and baffled at what would motivate the vandals to harass such gentle men, some of whom, including Aun, lived through the Cambodian genocide of the late-1970s Khmer Rouge killing fields.

"They believe in peace and tranquility, and they sure don't deserve this," said Glenda Bale, who moved into the quiet residential area in 2003, just as the temple construction was completed and the monks moved in next door from their former downtown location.

Back then, her place was an overgrown "jungle," and as she worked to clear the lot, the monks would bring with food offerings. They invite Bale to all their celebrations.

Her friend's unlocked car was broken into once and papers were scattered. The monks say they've been struck three or four times a year since they arrived.

"For this stuff to only happen to them is totally uncalled for," said Bale, 47. "You couldn't ask for better neighbors, honestly."

Police cite six documented cases of criminal damage to property since last May, but the monks say the harassment dates to a group of aggressive opponents speaking out against the temple at city zoning meetings before the two temple structures were built. Opponents' concerns about increased traffic congestion have proven to be completely unfounded, Bale said.

"We have absolutely no idea as to why these people are doing this," said Sgt. Scott Behrns of the Olmsted County Sheriff's Department. "We're confident we'll catch the people doing it; it's just a matter of how long it takes."

Deputies have stepped up patrols in the neighborhood, and if arrests are made, Behrns said prosecutors will be asked to use state laws that target bias-motivated crimes. That could mean elevating misdemeanor charges into gross misdemeanors or felonies.

"Based on the way the crimes are occurring, one would think it's the same" person or people behind the vandalism, said Behrns, who thinks a baseball bat was used to destroy the mailbox earlier this month.

Community meeting slated

Rochester's Buddhist Support Society serves roughly 500 people, mostly Cambodian refugees who fled during the Vietnam War era and emigrated to Minnesota. The group owns the temple and recruits monks from Cambodia who make minimum five-year commitments to study, pray and teach at the hilltop temple.

Aun said that the destroyed mailbox, in itself, is not a big deal.

"But if they try to set fire to our buildings or hurt the monks, that would make us upset," he said.

He's speaking out despite some concerns that the vandals will relish the publicity.

"We want to show the community that we are doing something," he said. "It is 98 percent positive to get the word out and maybe two percent negative."

About 20 concerned citizens, mostly members of Rochester Meditation Center, met at the temple last Sunday, and a larger meeting is scheduled for June 3 at 4 p.m. Members of Rochester's Diversity Council, teenage youth groups, local church members and representatives of the police-sponsored Neighborhood Watch program will look for ways to enhance understanding about Buddhism and curb the vandalism.

Until then, Aun and his fellow monks will do what they came to Rochester to do. They will sit on pillows on the floor, surrounded by colorful paintings of Buddhist scenes, and recite prayers of loving kindness to the perpetrators of the vandalism.

"They know what they are doing is not right," Aun said. "We will pray for them to do good things instead of bad."

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Meet opposition leader Sam Rainsy and Mr. Sean Pengse in the US West Coast

Sunday 30 May in San Jose, California (mid-morning and afternoon)
Sunday 30 May in San Jose, California

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Opposition leader Sam Rainsy and Mr. Sean Pengse visit Long Beach, California

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy addressed the audience. Mr. Sam Rainsy stressed that he is not fighting against the Hun Sen's regime, but rather the Hanoi regime which is pulling the string behind the scene. He indicated that the Hun Sen regime did not take any action against him after the uprooting of border stakes in Koh Kban Kandal village, Chantrea district, Svay Rieng province, but it only came after him after Nguyen Tan Dung, Hanoi's PM, voiced his displeasure against Mr. Sam Rainsy. (All photos provided by P. from Long Beach)
Mr. Sean Pense (L) sits next to Mr. Sam Rainsy (C) who was giving his speech about the border situation and the political situation in Cambodia.
Mr. Sean Pengse provided additional details on the various treaties concluded between Heng Samrin/Chea Sim/Hun Sen's People Republic of Kampuchea and the occupying Vietnamese force.
The audience packed the Sea Dragon restaurant in Long Beach to listen to Messrs. Sam Rainsy and Sean Pengse.
The audience included Cambodians from all walk of life: women, men, young and old. All listened attentively to the discussions on border issues and the Vietnamese encroachments in Cambodia.
A few month ago,the pro-CPP DAP newspaper wrote that it couldn't understand why overseas Cambodians are willing to pay for their own food just to listen to opposition politicians. Well, not only are Cambodian-Americans willing to pay for their own food to listen to the politicians they support, almost everybody in the audience even financially contributed to the SRP. One attendant contributed as little as $5, yet the announcer proudly announce his contribution and indicated that the amount, small or large, is not what matters, what's important is the fact that the contributor freely and willingly contributes to the party he/she supports.

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Land dispute: Eating not allowed for the protesters?

Friday 28 May 201
By P.M. and A.L.G.
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French

Landless farmers demand for an arbitration from Hun Xen in a land dispute case. The cops tried to prevent bread delivery to the demonstrators.



The cops were not successful, but later that day, the demonstrators were disbanded by the police anyway.

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"Neak Srok Orm-laing Paing Ka-pear Dei" a Poem in Khmer by Sam Vichea

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