Stories from Quick Reads and Cambodia
These Maps Show Where Cambodian Journalists Have Been Killed and Harassed
The Cambodian Center for Human Rights has launched a portal documenting the human rights violations experienced by Cambodian journalists. Cambodia's constitution guarantees freedom of speech but journalists are still harassed and killed, especially those who report about the abuses committed by local officials and business interests with ties to powerful...
Mapping Cambodia's Land Concessions
Licadho, a Cambodian human rights group, has released its dataset of land concessions approved by the government in the past years. The group is now urging the government to release all records related to the land contracts it awarded to domestic and foreign companies. According to activists, many of these...
VIDEO: How a Laos Dam Project Could Endanger Communities in Cambodia
EarthRights International has uploaded a video about the threat posed by a mega dam construction in Laos to communities situated along the Mekong River in Cambodia. Laos and Cambodia are neighbors in the Southeast Asian region.
Video Animation Explains How Principle of “Free Prior and Informed Consent” Can Empower Indigenous Peoples
The Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact has uploaded a video animation explaining the principle of “Free prior and informed consent” or how communities should have the right to decide for the development of their lands.
Wanna Learn the Khmer Language? Check Out this Audio Dictionary
Kheng.Info is a useful portal to learn Khmer, the official language of Cambodia. Aside from word translation, the website also offers an audio recording of Khmer words which is helpful to understand the meaning of the Khmer script. Check out how the word ‘love’ translates to Khmer:
Digital Reconstruction of Cambodia's Angkor Wat
The Smithsonian Channel has uploaded a video showing a digital reconstruction of Cambodia's Angkor Wat using 3D image technology. Angkor Wat (Temple City) is a popular tourism destination in Cambodia which used to be the capital of the Khmer Empire in the 12th century. It is also a massive religious...
Improving Internet Access in Cambodia
Danièle Adler, a consultant in communications strategy, gives an overview of the significant improvement of the IT sector in Cambodia: Six years ago, fewer than 10,000 Cambodians had a web connection, and it was extremely slow. Today 2.5 million people have Internet access at home, and an additional two million...
Sexual Abuse of Children in Tourism in Southeast Asia
The Project Childhood Prevention Pillar, an initiative of the Australian government, has released a study about the prevalence of sexual abuse of children in the Southeast Asian region. It cited social factors such as “poverty and marginalisation, as well as lack of family support, education, opportunity, and protective factors” for...
Mental Health Not a Priority in Cambodia
Writing for Southeast Asia Globe, Denise Hruby reported how the mentally ill in many rural areas of Cambodia are being treated: …the mentally ill are still treated by traditional healers, who aim to drive out bad spirits by burning the skin, or by the untrained staff of one-room health clinics...
Historical Overview of Cambodia's Land and Housing Problem
Hallam Goad analyzed the problems and issues that plagued Cambodia's urban development in the past two decades: Phnom Penh has followed the clichéd patterns of newly emerging nations almost to the letter with the urban poor shouldering many of the downsides. What few people recognise is that most of it...
Cambodia's Angkor Wat Now on Google Street View
We can now explore the ancient city of Angkor Wat in Cambodia through Google Street View. This video highlights some of the stunning temples of Angkor Wat.
Cambodia Government Accused of Suppressing Public Protests
Human rights group Licadho reported that the Cambodian government organized several counter-protests to undermine peaceful protests last year: If 2012 was the most violent year ever documented in terms of authorities using lethal force against individual human rights defenders, 2013 saw the Cambodian authorities turn that force towards public protests....
Why Protests Will Not Lead to a ‘Cambodian Spring’
Faine Greenwood writes about the Stanford lecture given by Cambodian human rights activist Ou Virak. Asked about the anti-government protests taking place in Cambodia, Ou Virak explained why it would not lead to a ‘political spring': I don’t think a spring in Cambodia will happen, nor do I think it’s...
Human Rights Video: 2013 Year in Review
A video by WITNESS on the Human Rights Channel of YouTube wrapped up some of the most significant protests and human rights abuses of 2013. Dozens of clips shot by citizens worldwide are edited together to show efforts to withstand injustice and oppression, from Sudan to Saudi Arabia, Cambodia to...
Cambodia Garment Workers Demand $160 Monthly Minimum Wage
The poster illustrates the $160 monthly minimum wage demand of Cambodia garment workers.The current standard is $80 but the government is only willing to grant a $15 increase. A nationwide strike was launched by workers last December but this was violently dispersed by the police early this month.
PHOTOS: Brutal Crackdown of Cambodia Labor Strike
The Licadho human rights group has uploaded a set of photos showing the brutal crackdown of a strike conducted by garment workers in Cambodia. The workers have been demanding an increase in their monthly minimum wage which is currently pegged at 80-100 US dollars.
One Year in Asia
Antoine Lavenant, with his girlfriend spent a year in Asia – China, Laos, Cambodia, Thaïland, Malaysia, Philippines and Sri Lanka. The video is a brief record of their exciting journey.
Human Trafficking in Southeast Asia
The Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development has published a policy briefer that tackled the extent of human trafficking in Southeast Asia. Many Southeast Asian countries are at the bottom of a lot of the world's supply chains, including for food, garments, and technology. Yet few countries in...
IMF Silent on Corruption in Cambodia?
Jessica Evans of the Human Rights Watch criticized International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde for being silent about Cambodian's corruption problem when the IMF leader visited the country early this month: Lagarde missed a major opportunity in Cambodia to highlight governance problems, but she can right this by speaking out...
How Social Media is Changing Cambodian Politics
Colin Meyn explains how the ‘rapid spread of social media is altering Cambodia’s political landscape.’ The young electorate desirous of change plus the aggressive campaigning of the opposition in the Internet made a huge impact in the recent elections. Interestingly, the Prime Minister also mentioned Facebook several times in his...
Is Cambodia a One-Party State?
Anirudh Bhati rejects the position by some analysts that Cambodia has become a one-party state after the main opposition party boycotted the inaugural session of the National Assembly: …it would be erroneous to assume that Cambodia has relapsed into a one-party state simply based on the premise that the current...