Tribunal Delegation Seeks Funding in New York

Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Friday, 21 May 2010

“The objective of the pledging conference is to secure the necessary funding both of the UN and Cambodian components of the [tribunal] for 2010 and 2011.”

A Khmer Rouge tribunal delegation left for New York on Friday in hopes of raising more funding for the cash-strapped Cambodian side of the UN-backed court.

The delegation of four will assist in a pledge meeting on May 25 to solicit promises of funding from donor countries.

The Khmer Rouge tribunal has already successfully tried one former regime leader, Kaing Kek Iev, the torture chief better known as Duch. It is now moving toward the trials of at least four more leaders: Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith.

But the Cambodian side of the hybrid court has been plagued with financial difficulties, alongside allegations of corruption and mismanagement. Cambodian staff saw reduced salaries in April as the budget crisis squeezed a side of the court that donors have been less interested in funding.

“The objective of the pledging conference is to secure the necessary funding both of the UN and Cambodian components of the [tribunal] for 2010 and 2011” tribunal spokesman Lars Olsen told VOA khmer.

In February, donors, officially known as the Group of Interested Countries, approved an $87 million budget for court operations this year and next. So far only the US, which contributed $5 million, has actually put in the money.

Tribunal spokesman Reach Sambath said the UN side can continue its operations through September, but the Cambodian side already owes its staff of 294 half their salaries for April and all of the salaries for May.

“It is a big concern,” he said, adding, though, that he had confidence in the donors.

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Labels: ECCC funding crisis | KR trials | KR Tribunal

Cambodia Remembers Victims of Khmer Rouge

Cambodian students re-enact torture executed by the Khmer Rouge to mark the annual "Day of Anger" at Choeung Ek, 20 May 2010. (Photo: VOA - R. Carmichael)

Robert Carmichael, VOA
Phnom Penh Friday, 21 May 2010

"Cambodian people respect the people who were killed in the Pol Pot regime," said Pa Socheatvong. "Pol Pot betrayed the country by using the people's blood as capital, so people [are] very angry with the Pol Pot regime."

In Cambodia, May 20 is known as the Day of Anger.

Each year on this day, hundreds of Cambodians head to the Chhoeung Ek killing field site on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. There a ceremony is held and a play put on to recall the victims of the Khmer Rouge.

It is a time to remember the millions who died under Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime that ruled the country between 1975 and 1979.

More than 1,000 people gathered this year at the Chhoeung Ek memorial site outside Phnom Penh. There were hundreds of Buddhist monks, dignitaries, and many elderly people.

The key part of the ceremony is a macabre play staged by students. About a dozen are cast as black-clad Khmer Rouge soldiers; three dozen more are their victims.

With barked orders, gun shots, screams and tears, the Khmer Rouge and their victims act out the murders, just yards from the mass graves that form this notorious killing field where thousands died.

Pa Socheatvong is a deputy governor of Phnom Penh. He says May 20th was chosen because that was the day in 1976 when the Khmer Rouge instituted their policy to kill people.

"Cambodian people respect the people who were killed in the Pol Pot regime," said Pa Socheatvong. "Pol Pot betrayed the country by using the people's blood as capital, so people [are] very angry with the Pol Pot regime."

The performance by the students is chilling, realistic and disturbing. Many in the crowd wipe away tears during the 15-minute performance.

At the end of the play, other soldiers burst in with guns and Cambodian flags and drive away the Khmer Rouge.

That moment refers to the invasion in late 1978 by Vietnamese troops and Cambodians that saw the end of the Khmer Rouge rule of the country.

The man who sent so many people to their deaths here at the Chhoeung Ek killing field went on trial last year for crimes against humanity and war crimes. His name is Comrade Duch, and he admits he ran the S-21 torture and execution center in Phnom Penh. Judgment in his case is likely to be handed down in the coming weeks.

If Duch is found guilty - as is thought likely - he will be the first former Khmer Rouge to be sentenced for crimes committed at that time. It is a landmark case.

No-one knows how many people died during the Khmer Rouge's rule of Cambodia, estimates range from 1.5 million to three million.

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Labels: Day of Anger | KR crimes accountability

Strategies to Prevent Dangerous Diarrhea

A sick young Cambodian girl in Pailin is located in western Cambodia. (Photo: AP)

Nuch Sarita, VOA Khmer
Washington, D.C Friday, 21 May 2010

"The persons who have cholera have a loss of body fluids leading to dehydration and a life-threatening medical condition."

A prolonged hot season in Cambodia has brought about an increasing number of cases of severe diarrhea, including more than 30 that were fatal.

Diarrhea can be dangerous because it causes dehydration, Taing Tek Hong, a Florida-based physician, said on Thursday.

“You need to drink a lot of water or use oral rehydration solutions,” he said, as a guest on “Hello VOA.”

Rehydration solutions are “a mixture of clean water, salt and sugar, which can be prepared safely at home,” he said. “The glucose in the solution is important because it forces the small intestine to quickly absorb the fluid and minerals.”

“Death can follow severe dehydration if body fluids are not replenished,” he said.

Diarrhea can come from infections caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites in water. Water can be contaminated with human waste from sewage, septic tanks, wells and ponds. Diarrhea can be spread from person to person if they don’t take care of personal hygiene. Food can also cause diarrhea if it is prepared or stored in unclean conditions.

“Fish and seafood from polluted water may also contribute to the disease,” Taing Tek Hong said. “Infection is more common when there is a shortage of clean water for drinking, cooking and cleaning.”

The most common cause of diarrhea is an infection from a virus known as the norovirus,” he said. “It is transmitted by food that is contaminated by sick food-handlers or by infected person. Norovirus spreads very rapidly in communities such as overnight camps, prisons, dormitories and cruise ships. Rotavirus and E. Coli are the two most common causes of diarrhea in developing countries.”

Cholera, meanwhile, is an acute diarrhea caused by an infection of the intestine, he said.

“The persons who have cholera have a loss of body fluids leading to dehydration and a life-threatening medical condition,” he said. “Without treatment, death can occur within hours. A person may get cholera by drinking water or eating food contaminated with the cholera bacterium. The source of the contamination is usually the waste of an infected person. The disease can spread rapidly in areas with inadequate drinking water.”

To prevent diarrhea, Taing Tek Hong recommends drinking only water that has been boiled.

“Other safe beverages include tea, soda, Coca Cola or Sprite with no ice,” he said. “Eat only foods that have been fully cooked and are still hot. Avoid undercooked seafood or shellfish. Make sure all vegetables are cooked.”

And to prevent dehydration, continued feeding and rehydration are important. Zinc tablets can help reduce the severity and duration of diarrhea. And children should be immunized against the rotavirus that can cause the disease.

“Washing your hands with soap could potentially reduce the number of diarrhea cases,” Taing Tek Hong said. “The foundations of good health are safe water, adequate sanitation and proper hygiene.”

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Labels: Diarrhea outbreak | Hot weather | Poor rural hygiene

Summer 2010 Advanced Study of Khmer, Fulbright-Hays, Abroad Program in Cambodia

Dear friends,

If you can find your way to Cambodia, an is interested in taking Khmer language and culture course from CKS. See the announcement below:

The Center for Khmer Studies

Khmer Language and Culture Study Program

Summer 2010, in Cambodia

The CKS Khmer Language and Culture Study Program offers faculty, post-graduate researchers and undergraduates from U.S. universities an opportunity to participate in an intensive eight-week study abroad program, between June 14 and August 6, 2010, in Cambodia. It is funded through Title VI of the United States Higher Education Act and is administered in collaboration with the Khmer Language Program (ASK) of the University of Hawaii, Manoa.

This CKS program is designed for those who wish to advance their Khmer language skills and understanding of contemporary Cambodian society for academic and professional purposes, but who have not completed two years of formal language training. The program is therefore intended to complement the Advanced Study in Khmer (ASK) program and is structured along similar lines.