You can change, if you desire to

PACIFIC DAILY NEWS, September 29, 2010

You can change, if you desire to
By A. Gaffar Peang-Meth

As I contemplated the topic for my column this week, the one I am about to write did not occur to me. But the quantity of e-mail from Khmer readers and some important questions in the Khmer blog, KI-Media, obliges this column.

I didn't think that my personal story would open a torrent of mail about readers' own life experiences, but that is what happened. There are painful stories about life under Pol Pot. And a story about a schoolboy made to stand still at a school flag pole with a stone on his shoulder for an entire class period in the 1950s because he "played with girls" reminds me that the authoritarian mentality has its roots in small actions.

I am sorry some Cambodian readers feel the need to write their comments anonymously. Stand up for what you think and say. Pol Pot is dead, and change will bring down a dictator like Hun Sen. Even so, some of the questions in the week's mail deserve answers.

Answering questions

An anonymous blogger commented that as readers and the writer don't know one another, "we tend to assume. ... Eventually, those assumptions become a reality." So, he was happy to read my life story.

Under Pol Pot, he had no schooling, but he could "carry the young rice on my head and care for water buffaloes." Two years in a refugee camp brought no schooling either. It was not until 1982 that he started school in the United States.

Now "I am able to communicate well in English," he wrote. He thanked me for my life story as it has helped him understand more about Khmers educated abroad pre-1975. He lamented how "older Khmers (around 30 years old)" -- hey, dude, 30 is young! -- insisted they already know what they needed to know; thus, "the conversation would end." He thanked all educators who helped shape his and other lives. He signed his name as "kaun Khmer" (a Khmer child).

Another anonymous writer asked me what he has been asking himself, and would like my thought. I wrote in this space before that I don't ever forget the land, the home, the village, the school, the friends. But all those are only memories today, for they all have changed, and are no longer what I remember. I am sure some childhood friends may not care for my thinking now, any more than I for theirs.

There's no place like home, of course. Sure, I miss all that I was familiar with. But those things of memory are not the same anymore, I don't miss what I don't know.

Do I want to go back to live in Cambodia? Sure. But having become who and what I am today, I cannot live where rights and free expression are curbed, creativity, innovation, criticality are seen suspiciously as treacherous. Cambodia's sky is not hospitable to my ways -- not now.

More than one reader asked if I regret not going into medicine or engineering. I still have no stomach to put a needle into someone's flesh, I can't stand blood and I still thank God for the calculator to help me balance my bank book.

One reader asked if I would recommend political science. Well, any field of study is good; but every human should have some knowledge of politics. I used to tell beginning students of politics: "From the cradle to the grave, we live our lives in the midst of politics." Politics is not just for politicians or government officials; it's for everyone. What you don't know can hurt you.

How do I help?

A former politics student of mine, who followed up with graduate studies on the mainland, emailed me after reading my column: She and her family are returning to Guam from the West Coast. She's applying to teach political science at the University of Guam. She was in the top 3 percent of students I had taught. UOG would be wise to hire her.

A former colleague in the resistance wrote to say he's undertaking a doctoral program at a university in Phnom Penh. Bravo! He asked for some guidance. I am glad to help.

And a young political activist in the U.S. who said he "read(s) every article" I write, wanted me to help. I wished I can stretch my day to more than 24 hours; but I already like what he has been doing.

Remember Martin Luther King's words: "If you can't fly, run. If you can't run, walk. If you can't walk, crawl, but by all means, keep moving." He also said, "I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be."

All can be taught

I do believe Khmers have the same capacity to learn and grow as any other. I subscribe to Tim Hurson's "Think Better (your company's future depends on it ... and so does yours)" that posits: "Every brain, regardless of its intelligence quotient ... or creative quotient, ... can be taught to think better: to understand more clearly, think more creatively, and plan more effectively."

If I can do it -- and have done it -- so can any Khmer. But one has to want to do it.

In the end, it is better thinking, or quality thinking, that will help defeat autocracy in Cambodia and keep Khmers Khmer.

The place to begin is with you.

A. Gaffar Peang-Meth, Ph.D., is retired from the University of Guam, where he taught political science for 13 years. Write him at peangment@yahoo.com.

http://www.guampdn.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201009290300/OPINION02/9290321

Joint Media Statement: Intimidation and Legal Threats Against Union Workers and Leaders Must Cease

Threats of arrest against union leaders and labour rights activists - KHM 001 / 0910 / OBS 110

Threats of arrest against union leaders and labour rights activists - KHM 001 / 0910 / OBS 110: "The Observatory has been informed that a number of union leaders and labour rights activists are at risk of judicial harassment and under the threat of arrest warrants for organising a strike to demand the increase of the minimum wage for workers in the garment sector. The individuals at risk include Mr. Ath Thorn, President of the Cambodian labour Confederation (CLC), Ms. Morn Nhim, President of the Cambodian National Confederation (CNC) and Mr. Tola Moeun, Head of the Labour Rights (...)

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/
Human Rights Defenders,
Urgent Appeals"

Cambodian garment workers injured in police clash: unions

Saturday ,Sep 18,2010, Posted at: 19:11(GMT+7)

Cambodian garment workers injured in police clash: unions

PHNOM PENH, Sept 18, 2010 (AFP) - Five Cambodian garment workers were injured in a clash with police on Saturday, unions said, as tension between staff and bosses continued despite the end of mass strikes.

Violence erupted when police tried to break up a rally of about 3,000 factory employees who had gathered to protest a ban on 26 activists from returning to work after last week's huge stoppage, Ath Thun told AFP.

"The military police sent to crack down on the strike injured five strikers and the clash lasted for half an hour," the president of the Cambodian Labour Confederation said.

The incident in Kandal province, south of Phnom Penh, follows a decision to call off a large-scale strike across the country's key garment industry after the government stepped in and arranged talks with manufacturers.

Unions said the four-day stoppage that ended Thursday attracted up to 210,000 people demanding better pay, although the Garment Manufacturers' Association in Cambodia (GMAC) had a more modest estimate of 30,000.

Ath Thun accused some factories of refusing to let certain staff return to work because of their involvement in organising strike action.

Kong Athit, vice-president of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Unions, said that the Kandal factory was acting against the government's intervention.

"What the factory does is wrong because the Minister of Social Affairs has called for a discussion soon and we all should go back to work normally and wait for the meeting," he added.

Cambodia's garment industry -- which produces items for renowned brands including Gap, Benetton, Adidas and Puma -- is a key source of foreign income for the country and employs about 345,000 workers.

The mass strike from Monday to Thursday followed a deal between the government and industry that set the minimum wage for garment and footwear staff at 61 dollars a month.

Unions say the salary is not enough to cover food, housing and travel expenses, and want a base salary of 93 dollars.

Analysis and Sharing Ideas on Licadho staff, Mr. Leang Sokhoeuen

By The Hoya, a young graduated Cambodian politician
6 September, 2010

Dear all,

Mr. Leang Sokhoeuen, a staff from Licadho, must be released immediately because the provincial court of Takeo convicted him improperly. Furthermore, the court didn’t use justice process to judge. In contrast, the court is always used as a tool for bad people to get rid of someone who is considered as their enemy.

No independent court, no access to justice! The court system is needed to proceed by political motivated manner instead of judiciary process to be implemented.

As for my opinion, in the name of the former student, a graduated young politician of political science, I would like to share some ideas and analyze on this issue as the following:

-         Court doesn’t have enough evidence of conviction.

-         Mr. Leang Sokhouen is the Khmer Krom who is always the focused person that bad people in the government considered as their enemy.

-         Cambodian government, the bad people normally uses machinery to create climate of fear to human right activist by making unjust law for the purpose finishing off other side.

-         In this case, it can’t be considered as defamation and disinformation because it didn’t show characteristics of being national traitor or tarnishing an image of Cambodia, in contrast it is the most useful for Cambodia.

-         Cambodian government, the CPP always gets extremely fear of the truth and they are trying their best to hide the fact; furthermore, they usually pretext to accuse and put the fault the other side.

-         Cambodian government doesn’t respect freedom of expression in the name of democratic country.

-         No respect of principle of democracy.

In conclusion, Mr. Leang Sokhouen must be released immediately and government also must change the so-called stance for the sake of Cambodian profits and court system must be independent to provide justice for all.

Remember: No independence for court system, no access to justice in society.

EU To Look Into Sugar Deals, Land Disputes

EU To Look Into Sugar Deals, Land Disputes: "
Representatives of the rights group Licadho met with European Union officials on Friday, following reports this week that the EU's preferential trade polices were linked to agricultural land evictions.

Officials from Licadho and the EU confirmed the closed-door meeting on Friday but declined to elaborate.

However, the meeting follows a week of increased media scrutiny questioning whether the EU's trade deals are being taken advantage of by companies behind the forced evictions of thousands of people.

The EU's Cambodian charge d'affaires, Rafael Dochao-Moreno, said at an EU-sponsored human rights forum on Wednesday the EU would look into whether its Anything But Arms program, which provides tariff exemptions for goods exported from less-developed countries, was linked to illegal evictions.

“This is something we are analyzing now,” the Cambodia Daily quoted him saying.

The Cambodia Daily also reported last week that the sugar plantation operations of Cambodian People's Party Senator Ly Yong Phat were fueling land disputes while cashing in on the EU trade deal.

Villagers in the provinces of Koh Kong and Kampong Speu have alleged that sugar plantations operated by Ly Yong Phat have pushed them off their land. Major protests have ensued, leading to violence and arrests.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Hun Sen wrote a letter to opposition party lawmakers defending the Kampong Speu concession, given by the Ministry of Agriculture, an act which Dochao-Moreno was quoted as saying had prompted the EU investigation.

Ly Yong Phat told VOA Khmer on Friday that his sugar plantations did not have deals with Europe.

The Cambodia Daily, however, reported that Ly Yong Phat operated sugar contracts through a joint venture with Thai company Khon Kaen Sugar, which in turn sells it to a British industrial food company.

“Before the EU has agreements with companies in Cambodia, they should investigate whether those companies are involved in human rights abuses, before they take the goods for import into Europe,” Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said.
"

KC GECIN takes stubborn stand abusing Freedom of Association

Original News by BWI,  2/9/2010

KC GECIN Enterprise is continuously defying the right of Freedom of Association and steps up challenging the industrial relation mechanism of Cambodia.

The union members who belong to Building and Wood Workers Federation of Cambodia- BWTUC, an affiliate of BWI, has launched a strike last month to protest the KC GECIN management’s unfair labour practice by illegally dismissing the employment contract of workers who attended a legitimate labour seminar and later on the leaders and activists of the union. 

On the third week of the strike, based on the Cambodian Labour law the industrial dispute was referred to the Labour Arbitration Council – the respectable tripartite dispute mechanism in the absence of industrial courts. 

Based on the industrial relations laws, the LAC has issued an order enjoining workers on strike and who were not fired by company to return to work and the company must accept them with pre-conditions. While those illegally dismissed workers will have to cease from further industrial actions until the decision of the LAC is promulgated.

Yet, the company defied the order and refused to accept those workers who joined the strike but were not yet illegally dismissed and even ordered to security personnel to harass them by shooing them away from the company premises. This is almost tantamount to another act of illegal dismissal. The company is behaving as if it is above the Cambodian Constitution and labour laws.

The BWTUC is calling upon the BWI and other kindred organisations to continue supporting the online campaign demanding the KC GECIN to reinstate all dismissed and striking workers without pre-conditions; recognise the union and participate in good faith in the collective bargaining negotiation as primary step to restore the normalcy in the company’s labour relations. 

Also, demanding the company to take part in the hearing of the LAC with the provision of accepting as binding its ruling over the case.

Read similar news in Khmer, please click here or use this link: http://chiatkhemara.blogspot.com/2010/09/blog-post_03.html