Global Voices » Kounila Keo

Indochina Art Project

Kounila Keo — Sat, 18 May 2013 11:08:26 +0000

Participants of the ‘Indochina Project’ are asked to submit artworks that answer this question: “What does Indochina mean to you?”

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Cambodia Bans Internet Cafes Near Schools

Kounila Keo — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 02:21:09 +0000

Cambodia's Ministry of Post and Telecommunications has issued a circular banning internet cafes within 500 meters of schools or educational buildings. The circular also prohibits internet cafes from welcoming young people under the age of 18, pointing that internet poses numerous dangers such as terrorism, economic crimes and the distribution of pornography, as the Cambodia Daily newspaper reported.

This circular came a few months after the government enforced a previous circular that required internet cafes to set up surveillance cameras and register callers.

The internet-free zones would lead to the closure of almost all internet cafe shops in Phnom Penh. Mapping by Licadho

This has raised a lot of eyebrows among Cambodian bloggers. Tharum Bun wrote on the VOA blogthat the new government would eventually eliminate Phnom Penh cyber cafes altogether.

The circular also mentions in a vaguely worded document that people should stop playing internet games.

Tep Sovichet, a 17-year-old blogger and student in Phnom Penh, thinks that the ban cannot stop students from dropping off classes and playing games at cyber cafes. He all but supports the circular.

Not all the cyber cafes are places where students play internet games, and online crimes aren't usually conducted from cyber cafes. Not all students go to internet cafes for games, but it can be for various purposes [...] such as doing assignments, learning new things and geting news from all kinds of sources.

According to the circular, internet cafe owners throughout the country are being asked to sign the contract with the Ministry.

Khmerbird, another Cambodian blogger, wrote in his blog:

I totally support the ideas behind this circular. But I think to restrict games and pornography from those internet cafes, it is not necessary to close the internet cafes. Moreover if we apply this rule, almost every internet cafe in Phnom Penh center would be closed.

According to the circular, if an internet cafe is caught within the red zone or if the crime is committed on the premises, “the shop would be closed, all the equipment would be confiscated, and owners would face arrest and be sent to court.”

Faine Greenwood, an avid blogger and freelance journalist based in Southeast Asia wrote on her blog about the ban of the internet cafes on December 18:

Sure, it’s unclear exactly how much power a “circular” actually has to effect change here in Cambodia, or if this is likely to ever become law. But the fact it’s floating around at all is a disturbing indication that the Cambodian government is looking into restricting its relatively free Internet, following the deeply dubious lead of China, an influential friend to the Hun Sen regime.

Urban Voice Cambodia, a crowd-mapping project for Phnom Penh, has started its campaign against the ban by asking people to add their local internet cafes to their website “Submit Report.” By its own calculation, almost all the Internet cafes in Phnom Penh would be closed.

Human rights group Licadho also opposed the circular:

This heavy-handed effort to shut down affordable and accessible venues for using the Internet in Cambodia is not only legally unfounded, it is a transparent attempt to block part of the population’s access to independent sources of information through news sites and social media

Interview with Chanphal Sok: Cambodian Writer and Songwriter

Kounila Keo — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 07:26:27 +0000

Going through highs and lows in life, Chanphal Sok found himself moving from place to place with his mother as a child to find enough to support themselves. Writing about his tough life in his Khmer blog between Kampong Cham province and Kratie province, Chanphal has used his blog to write mostly about literature, short stories, short novels as well as Khmer history in Khmer language. Sometimes, he uses Khmer self-effacing humor to write about his personal life. In 2009, he won the third prize of the Nou Hach Literary awards for his 10-page short story ‘Kaboub Luy’ or “Wallet”.

A graduate in English literature, although more popularly known as a song writer for many of the most famous contemporary Khmer songs, the 28-year-old song writer and prolific blogger presently works for Hang Meas production, one of the most popular music production companies in Cambodia.

Chanphal Sok

“Life is a trade off. After writing my life story in this blog, I’ve found that I’ve walked so far. Life is a journey, and although it is not an eternity, it is long enough to live a proper life from now on,” he said. Global Voices writer Kounila Keo has the opportunity to email-interview Chanphal.

1. I think you have some connection wth Nou Hach literary award. How many other awards have you got? What do you think of the current situation of writers in Cambodia?

Writing comes natural to me. I love writing, and this talent doesn't come to me that easy, as I have to keep polishing it all the time. Since I've found that I can write, I start putting it into work. Ever since, I've got a lot of support from audiences who listen to songs I write. I had tried many times for Nou Hach Literary award, but finally I got a third place award for my short story: Wallet, in 2009, but several other awards were just certificates of excellence. I think that very few people in Cambodia are interested in writing novels but there are more journalists than novel or story writers. If you ask me to count names of Khmer novel writers, it is very hard to do so. Unfortunately, Khmer people don't read a lot; therefore, not many people are interested in writing. Compared to neighbouring countries, Cambodia doesn't produce a lot of locally-made books or movies, and even our cinemas are quite quiet.

2. I've seen that you've used Facebook and some other online platforms to publish your work? What do you think about the online world today for a professional like you?

Even though I haven't been able to earn a dime from publishing my stories on Facebook or some online platforms like issuu.com, I am however happy when I get support from Khmer readers. This is what I write for. For my audiences. So far I've met a lot of Khmer readers online, and I am delighted to be able to share much stuff with them on the Internet.

3.What do you think of the printing cost of paper books in Cambodia? Do you think the online platform such as blog (wordpress/blogspot) and Issuu are useful for writers here?

Yes of course. From the past until now, I've published several books which don't cost a lot, but it was hard to sell them. The distribution among small book stores did not work, so those who wanted to buy them also found difficulty to do so. Eventually, I lost a lot of money in the printing. When I publish my stories on the Internet, I don't need to spend a single dollar on it, though I don't earn anything from it either.

4. Do you think the internet will soon become an important source for writers like you to publish your work?

I've always wanted to be a writer since I was little. Growing up, I just want to share my thoughts with the rest of the world, so the online platform is the best choice for me to publish any story. It comes to a point where you don't need to be a professional writer to publish your stories. The Internet provides a very easy means to publish your articles, stories or novels and get a lot of following. More and more Cambodian people are becoming online, so this is a positive sign for the growth of online readership. When we didn't have the Internet in the past, we had to go and beg the printing company to publish our books, but now the Internet can replace the printing industry in some ways. Nowadays, everyone just wants to write and share. Nonetheless, I still love “paper” books, yet it is just that our country doesn't have a lot of book readers. Some people who try to publish books fail a lot, but if I have a lot of money, I will try to publish books and put them at some book stores. We need to strike a balance.

5. Would you like to recommend this to other writers?

I've used the Internet for several years now, and I don't mean to say that publishing books isn't recommended. I would like to recommend that writers now start thinking about publishing their works online if they don't have money to pay for the printing cost. When I first used WordPress, I published my stories on the blog right away. With that said, I still strongly love paper books because they are like souvenirs which I can put in my book shelf, on the bed shelf. They are different from e-books which come in millions, easy to download and read – modern and tiny in size, but they don't have a sentimental value like books.

Cambodia: Support Network for Young Entrepreneurs

Kounila Keo — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 15:58:41 +0000

A group of young business minded Cambodians have set up the SmallWorld website which serves as an education, networking, and small business resource and support center for students and budding entrepreneurs.

Cambodia: Blog About Cambodian Women Who Inspire Others

Kounila Keo — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:43:08 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Global Development 2011.

Born in Cambodia and educated in the United States, 20 year old Sreyneath Poole has begun documenting “inspiring Cambodian women” in her blog. Currently studying International Relations at University of Redlands, California, she hopes to encourage Cambodian women to stand up and make their voices heard.

The Tumblr blog Inspiring Cambodian women disputes the traditional belief that Cambodian women belong in the kitchen. I had a chance to email-interview Sreyneath, and inquired what was the incentive that brought the blog to life.

Global Voices (GV): Please tell us a bit about your personal and academic life.

Sreyneath Poole

Sreyneath Poole (SP): I was born and raised in Phnom Penh. Before my mum’s second marriage, I lived near Psa Chas (Old market) and attended Norodom middle school and Chaktomok middle/high school. When my mum remarried in 2000, I was enrolled into International School of Phnom Penh (ISPP) until 2005 when my family and I moved to New York. I finished and received my high school degree in New York and moved to Redlands, California to continue my undergraduate education at the University of Redlands. Within the university, I am enrolled in a program called, The Johnston Center for Integrative Studies. This program allows me to create my own major. The title of my major is (as of right now) is “Living with political conflicts through the lens of international relations and Asian studies.” My major is largely built around after learning about the atrocity that happened in Cambodia more than thirty years ago.

GV: What inspires you to start the project? What is the purpose of the “Inspiring Cambodian Women” blog?

SP: It came from an essay that I have wrote for a class about Cambodian women and discrimination particularly in the public service. After discussing the issue one conclusion I came to was that Cambodian women needed role models and somebody suggested setting up a web site, so hence my blog began. As I wrote on my blog, the purpose of “Inspiring Cambodian Women” is set up in the hope of inspiring the world, especially Cambodian women, to stand up and make their voice be heard; to be active in their community or in the world.

GV: How have you gone about reporting on strong Cambodian women? What criteria do you use to select each to write about?

SP: When I wrote my first post on “Inspiring Cambodian Women” I had a few women in mind. Since I did not expect many readers at the beginning, I thought that I should write about women who are my personal heroines. Some of the women that I truly admire are Mu Sochua, Chhom Nimol and Loung Ung. My dad also helped me by suggesting a few names to me. At one point I ran out of women to research about and showcase on my blog. I thought that my project was finished! As I tried to research on more Cambodian women to write about, I started to send my blog to friends and family to read and help spread the words about the blog. As the blog started to get more readers, I began to get requests from my readers to write about a women who they considered to be their personal hero or inspiring. My readers’ suggestions are pretty much my criteria on how I go about showcasing wonderful Cambodian women. Writing this blog has been such a great learning experience for me. I did not realize how many courageous and incredible Cambodian women who are out there, against all odds, fighting to do something that they truly believe in hoping to make a positive difference in their community. Every time I research about these women, I become more inspired!

GV: What challenges do you think need to be addressed in your “Inspiring Cambodian women” blog?

SP: The first challenge that I see is spreading the words about the blog to as many people as possible, especially to the Cambodian community, both in Cambodia and abroad. I know that this is a challenge because not everyone can access the internet. So therefore, my blog can only reach those who have access to the internet.

The second challenge also relates to the easy access of my blog. I wanted to have the blog both in Khmer and English. Since my Khmer writing is not too good, I am working with my aunt to help me write the blog in Khmer. This has been a slow process. Having all of the posts be in Khmer is a goal that I’m hoping to achieve very near in the future.

The third challenge that is needed to be addressed is trying to showcase more local Cambodian women and their work. This is a very difficult task to do from abroad. When I return to Cambodia in the near future, I’m hoping to meet women who are making a positive difference in their local community and write about their work.

GV: Last but not least, what do you want your readers to understand after they read your blog?

SP: My target audience is Cambodian women worldwide who wish to be a positive force in their community. I want to present these women so that they can have a role model to look up to. Being a positive change in the community does not necessarily mean you have to go out and start a big project. It can be anything that you want it to be. Find something that you are truly passionate about whether it’s writing, singing, or playing a sport. Find a way of overcoming the obstacles that you will face. You can make a difference by bringing something that you are truly passionate about to your community.

This post is part of our special coverage Global Development 2011.