Parties Agree To Form Electoral Reform Commission

Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer

25 February 2014

PHNOM PENH — Negotiators from the ruling and opposition parties say they have agreed on a commission for electoral reforms, a step toward ending a political deadlock that has been in place since July.

 
  

Boys hold flags of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) outside a house at a slum area in Phnom Penh July 23, 2013. Cambodian political parties have begun campaigning for the general election which will be held on July 28. Also seen (top, R) is a flag of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). 
Officials say that each party will have six representatives on the commission, but no date has been set for a first meeting.

The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party delegation will be led by Son Chhay, a lawmaker-elect for the party. The Cambodian People’s Party delegation will be led by Prum Sokha, secretary of state for the Ministry of Interior.

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Cambodia To Host Open Source Tech Conference

FossAsia, a conference on open source and free software, will be held in the capital Feb. 28 to March 2—a free event open to students, developers and entrepreneurs.

PHNOM PENH — Phnom Penh will host one of Asia’s biggest technology conferences later this month.

FossAsia, a conference on open source and free software, will be held in the capital Feb. 28 to March 2—a free event open to students, developers and entrepreneurs.

Technologies discussed at the conference will include many ideas for developing countries, such as mobile apps for education, 3-D printing technology, and IT solutions for start-ups, said Hong Phuc Dang, a co-organizer of the conference, which began in Vietnam in 2004.

“It’s not only for developers, but for everyone who is interested in technology,” he said. “If you have a laptop or a smart phone you can come to this event. Even you don’t have any of these, you still can come and meet us and learn more about open source.”

Participants will share open source software, which is free and allows users themselves to edit, customize or otherwise improve it.

That kind of software goes a long way in Cambodia, Hong Phuc Dang said. “Look at Cambodia 15 years ago: it was very difficult to find Khmer fonts. What happened is that people from Cambodia gathered and learned to do this, and now we have a lot of Khmer fonts because of the open source community.”

For larger software companies like Microsoft, Cambodia is a small market, one that is not considered important, Mario Behling, another co-organizer, told VOA Khmer. “And with the power of open source, you don’t have to wait for big companies to do things for you.”  
Resource:http://www.voacambodia.com/content/cambodia-to-host-open-source-tech-conference/1858192.html

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Prince Ranariddh Planning To Form New Royal Party

Funcinpec’s secretary-general Nhiek Bunh Chhay, left, standing along side with Prince Norodom Ranariddh, file photo. 

Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer

25 February 2014

PHNOM PENH — Prince Norodom Ranarridh, once Prime Minister Hun Sen’s biggest political rival, is planning to form a new party.

In an interview at his home in Phnom Penh, the prince told VOA Khmer he decided the country needs a new party because the two current leading parties—the ruling Cambodian People’s Party and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party—cannot resolve their political differences.

Prince Ranarridh is the son of the former king, Norodom Sihanouk, who played a major political role in Cambodia throughout his lifetime. The prince said he would like to tap his father’s political legacy and breathe new life into the royalists.

“I want to mobilize nationalism and Sihanoukism to form my party and restore the royal family,” he said.

The traditional royalist party, Funcinpec, which was once led by Prince Ranariddh, received no seats in the National Assembly in July’s polls. The prince’s self-named party, which competed in the 2008 elections, failed to make much political headway, as well.

But Prince Ranariddh said Monday he believes a new party is needed to help solve the country’s biggest issues, such as poverty, low wages for laborers and civil servants, corruption and the destruction of natural resources.

Royalists from his party could compete in commune council elections later this year, he said. Support could come former royalists and members of the royal family, and others, he said.

The ruling party and opposition have been mired in talks over election reform, he said, “forgetting about what the people need.”

“Have these parties discussed corruption in society?” he said. “Teachers’ salaries? Salaries for garment workers? Are these issues yet resolved?”

Resource:http://www.voacambodia.com/content/prince-ranarridh-planning-to-form-new-royal-party/1858166.html

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Harvard Graduate Student Optimistic on Cambodia’s Healthcare System

Ly Seav Huong, a doctoral student in biomedical science at Harvard University, told VOA Khmer’s “New Voices” that an increasing number of students studying inside and outside the country will soon bring their expertise to bear on Cambodian healthcare. 



Sothearith Im, VOA Khmer

22 February 2014

WASHINGTON DC — Cambodia’s healthcare system will improve as more Cambodians graduate from universities overseas to bring their educations back with them, a Harvard medical student says.

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Proper Food, Exercise Can Prevent Osteoporosis, Doctor Says

“A total of at least 1000 mg of calcium per day and 600mg IU of vitamin D are recommended for premenopausal women and men under 70 years,” Taing Tek Hong said.

Sothearith Im, VOA Khmer

22 February 2014

WASHINGTON DC — Two simple ways to prevent osteoporosis are a diet that contains calcium and vitamin D, and exercise, a US-based doctor says.

A diet with dairy products, leafy green vegetables, salmon, sardines, tofu, and yogurt, along with exercise like, walking, jogging, dancing, tai-chi or yoga, stationary bicycle or even a rowing machine, can help, Taing Tek Hong, a Florida-based physician told “Hello VOA.”

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Tribunal Orders Health Checks for Two Aging Khmer Rouge Leaders

The Trial Chamber of the UN-backed court ordered physicians to check on Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, with a hearing to be held March 28.

Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer

22 February 2014

PHNOM PENH — The Khmer Rouge tribunal has ordered another round of health check-ups to determine the fitness of two aging regime leaders to stand trial.

The Trial Chamber of the UN-backed court ordered physicians to check on Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, with a hearing to be held March 28.

The check-up will ensure the two aging men are prepared to stand in the second and final phase of their atrocity crimes trial, where they are facing charges including genocide.

“This is a step to ensure the fitness of the accused and for the facility to prepare for the trial of Case 002/2,” tribunal spokesman Neth Pheaktra said.

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At Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Sydney Schamberg lectures on Thursday, Nov. 15, 1985 on his experiences as a correspondent in Cambodia. The academy-award winning movie, "The Killing Fields," was based on Schamberg's reporting in the war-torn country. (AP Photo/Charlie Bennett)

Reasey Poch, VOA Khmer

22 February 2014

WASHINGTON DC — In 1984 “The Killing Fields,” a film about the Khmer Rouge regime based on the experiences of New York Times reporter Sidney Schanberg and his Cambodian assistant, Dith Pran, was released.

On the 30th anniversary of the film, Schanberg told VOA Khmer the film has over the years reached the right audience: the Cambodian people.

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Questions of Racism in Beating Death of Vietnamese-Cambodian

WASHINGTON DC — Vietnamese-Cambodians say the killing of an ethnic Vietnamese man in Phnom Penh last week is a reflection of continued racism that has been exacerbated in recent months.

Nguyen Van Chyen, 28, was killed after a traffic accident escalated into an altercation between him and his friends and a group of Cambodians. One suspect was arrested following the attack.

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Beverage Union Finds No Recognition at Labor Ministry

PHNOM PENH — The Ministry of Labor has for a third time rejected the application of a new union, one for the Angkor Beverage Company.

Sar Mora, head of the Cambodian Food and Service Workers’ Federation, told VOA Khmer he suspects the rejection is related to the workers’ support of labor protests in January demanding a higher minimum wage.

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Cambodian-Americans Protest at UN Headquarters

Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer

04 February 2014

WASHINGTON DC — Hundreds of Cambodian-Americans rallied at UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday, demanding the release of 23 labor activists still being held following deadly protest crackdowns last month.

Protesters also called for a recall election, following July’s polls that opposition leaders say were marred by fraud.

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