Caltex workers end strike

Workers at Caltex gas stations have returned to work today ending a ten-day strike that disrupted service at the stations all over the capital.

Workers say they accepted a 20-dollar-increase to their current minimum wage offered by the company.

Early this morning, Caltex gas stations were seen opening to customers as normal.

On May 12, all Caltex gas stations around Phnom Penh were closed after some three hundred workers went on strike to demand a pay increase.

Caltex gas stations are owned by American oil giant Chevron.

កម្សាន្ត​សម្រាប់​ថ្ងៃ​ចុង​សប្ដាហ៍៖ បទ អានី ច្រៀង​និង​ប្រគំ​ដោយ លោក ហេង ស៊ីនិត

ដោយថ្ងៃ​នេះ ជា​ថ្ងៃ​សុក្រ និង​ដោយ​ខ្ញុំ​បាន​ការ​អនុញ្ញាត​ពី​លោក ហេង ស៊ីនិត អ្នក​ថតរូប​ដ៏​ល្បី​ល្បាញ​របស់​ទីភ្នាក់ងារ​ព័ត៌មាន​បរទេស ប្រចាំ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា ខ្ញុំ​សូម​បង្ហោះ​បទ​ចម្រៀង​មួយ​បទ​នេះ ដែល​មាន​ចំណង​ជើង​ថា "អានី"។
ខ្ញុំ​បាទ​សុំ​ការ​អធ្យាស្រ័យ​ពី​ប្រិយមិត្ត​ផង​ដែរ ប្រសិន​បើ​មិន​សូវ​ពិរោះ ដោយសារ​​សំឡេង​និង​ការ​ប្រគំ​ហ្គីតា​របស់​លោក ស៊ីនិត ពិរោះ​ក្ដី ប៉ុន្តែ ការ​ថត​គឺ​ធ្វើ​ឡើង​នៅ​តុ​កាហ្វេ ដូច្នេះ​អាច​នឹង​បាត់​បង់​គុណភាព​ច្រើន មិន​ដូច​ថត​ក្នុង​ស្ទូឌីយ៉ូ​ទេ។

សូម​អរគុណ!!!

Cockfighting: an outlawed blood sport that dates back to the Angkorean era

Cockfight is said to date back to the Angkorean era. On the walls of Bayon temple and other temples, carvings of the cockfight game prove the game's existence centuries ago.
However, the blood sport, as some call it, was outlawed in modern Cambodia years ago.

Now, some people still practice the game clandestinely, especially rural people​. Some rich elements reportedly still practice the game at places well protected from authorities.

Journalists face increasing risks while covering protests

A member of government security forces baton charged on
an AFP photographer, Taing Chhin Sothy. Photo/Facebook

Jan 28, 2014 – A Phnom Penh-based photographer for news wire AFP was beaten by the Cambodian government’s security forces on Monday morning while covering a forced dispersal of anti-government protests led by local radio station owner Mam Sonando.

The protesters rallied in front of the Ministry of Information to demand a TV license for Mam Sonando. Government security forces forcibly dismantled the rally, resulting in a number of injuries. And the AFP photographer was among those injured.

AFP photographer Taing Chhin Sothy, 40, told a local news Website that the security forces beat him even after he told them he was a journalist.

“I appeal to authorities to please tolerate journalists. Cracking down on or dispersing protests is the duty of the authorities but they should not harm journalists because international journalists do not take sides,” Taing Chhin Sothy was quoted as saying but DAP Online News.

During recent protests, journalists have apparently faced increasing risks while performing their job. Some have reportedly had their personal belongings like mobile phones and wallets pick-pocketed while others have been physically abused.    

Authorities urged to ensure violence-free elections

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen has called on authorities at all levels and the armed forces to ensure order and security for the upcoming elections.

The appeal came just three days before political parties kick off their one-month campaign to shore up support from voters.

The premier said he wanted to see the upcoming elections take place without any violence.

“Local authorities at all levels and the armed forces must do their best to ensure security and order for the election so that it is free from violence,” the premier said today from Kampong Cham province where he presided over an inauguration ceremony.

The prime minister, meanwhile, thanked people as well as political parties for their patience and preventing violence during the elections.

The premier said during the previous elections, some cases of violence did occur, but so far for this year’s elections, there had not been any violence.

Cambodia will conduct its fifth legislative general election on July 28, costing around 20 million dollars. And the election campaign will kick off on June 27^th and last for a month.

9.6m eligible voters are expected to turn out to cast their ballots.

In the general elections in 2008, Cambodia’s ruling party the Cambodian People’s Party won a landslide victory, and held up to 90 out of 123 seats in the parliament.

And this year, the ruling party is expected to continue its winning streak in the elections.