Wartime Journalists Remember Fallen Comrades

INTRO: More than three decades ago Cambodia endured civil war. And so did some of the western journalists that covered it.

H.E. Khieu Kanharith (front, left) leads a group of foreign
journalists to Wat Po, Kg. Speu province, Feb 5, 2013.

In fact more than 30 western journalists died covering the fighting here.

This week, some of the western journalists who survived paid tribute to their fallen comrades.

STORY: A pagoda in Po Ang-Krang commune, Borset district, Kampong Speu province.

It’s roughly 60 kilometers southwest of the capital Phnom Penh. It was the place where eight foreign journalists and a Cambodian colleague were killed while covering the war in the early 1970s.

A memorial stone is erected in Kg. Speu province
in memory of the fallen journalists.

More than thirty years on, their surviving friends came to visit them. Cambodia’s Information Minister Excellency Khieu Kanharith led a group of foreign journalists to the area to pay respects to their fallen colleagues.

 According to the minister, more than thirty local and foreign journalists were killed in the early 1970s while covering the war in Cambodia.

A western veteran journalist places an incense stick near the
memorial stone.

SOUNDBITE – H.E. Khieu Kanharith, Minister of Information: “During the war time from 1970 to 1975, 37 journalists were killed. We can say it was a war of a more ferocious nature if compared to that in Vietnam. During the Vietnam war from 1965 to 1975, the death toll of journalists was less than that for Cambodia.” 

In memory of all those fallen journalists, a stupa has been erected in the capital Phnom Penh. And all their names have been inscribed on that memorial stupa.

 
Source: The Cambodian News Channel (CNC) 

King Norodom Sihamony Advices Pardoned Prisoners

INTRO: The Royal Funeral began last Friday and will last until February 7. During the funeral, many religious rituals were held. And in addition to these, his majesty the king samdech preah borom neath Norodom Sihamony also granted a royal pardon to some four hundred prisoners in honor of the late king father.

STORY: His Majesty the King of Cambodia Samdech Preah Borom Neath Norodom Sihamony addressed some four hundred prisoners.

The prisoners including some thirty foreigners were released by a royal pardon in honor of the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk.

His Majesty Samdech Preah Boromneath addressed the prisoners following the cremation of the King Father’s body.

Some prisoners broke into tears while the King was speaking.

His Majesty the King said, “Now you have the freedom and you can return to meet your families, your relatives, and your friends in your hometowns, please do good to become good citizens to contribute to the building of your own families as well as the society.”

During the televised speech, His Majesty the King also lauded Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen for helping secure the prisoners’ freedom on this occasion.

His Majesty the King also handed out donations to the prisoners as an act of prayers for the soul of the late King Father.

‘A River Changes Course’ – the film wins prestigious award

Earlier, we reported about a documentary film produced by a Cambodian-American being screened at the Sundance film festival in the US.

Photo supplied

And now comes the good news. The film won an award – the world cinema grand jury prize for documentaries.

Following the announcement of the prize, a facebook homepage of the film director Mam Kalyanee has been bombarded with congratulations.

The film titled, “A River Changes Course” features the lives of three Cambodians in the face of the country’s rapid development.

The 83-minute film was meant to show how development in Cambodia affects people’s lives and environment.

It was among more than a hundred films from 32 countries shown at the Sundance Film Festival. And it was selected from among 4,000 different films.

‘A River Changes Course’ at Sundance Film Festival

INTRO: If you are a film lover or a film maker, you may want to stay tuned to this story.

A documentary film made by Cambodian about Cambodia has been selected to be on screen for this year’s film festival at Sundance.

It’s one of 119 films representing 32 different countries. It was selected from 4,000 different submissions.

STORY:

“A River Changes Course,” the documentary film by Cambodians...

And about Cambodia...

The documentary was produced and director by a Cambodian American film maker-cum-lawyer – Mam Kalyanee...

It features the lives of three Cambodians in the face of the country’s rapid development

The film was meant to show how development in Cambodia affects people’s lives and environment, the film director recently told VOA Khmer.

Now, the film is now screening at the annual Sundance film festival

It was among more than a hundred films from 32 countries

And it was selected from among 4,000 different films

Now, it remains to be seen if the film will ever get an award

After all, the fact that it is now being screened at the world film festival, the film will at least do some international publicity for Cambodia and the Cambodian people. 

Khmer Rouge tribunal’s operations in peril?

Students from Prey Veng province visited the Khmer Rouge
tribunal Jan 4, 2013. Photo courtesy: ECCC

The national staff at the Khmer Rouge tribunal threatened that they would stop work in February if they don’t get their salaries.

Over half of the national staff at the UN-backed tribunal said that they haven’t got their December salaries and demanded an explanation, according to a court official. 

The court’s spokesman, Neth Pheaktra, said more than 300 national staff including drivers, prosecutors and judges, at the Khmer Rouge tribunal haven’t got their salaries since December.

The spokesman said late salaries for the national staff have so far affected their livelihoods.

The national side of the hybrid court needs around 9.5 million US dollars for its 2013 operation. 

However, so far, the national side has received a pledge of only 1.8 million dollars from the Cambodian government and 700,000 US dollars from Germany.

Recently, the Japanese government announced a 2.5 million dollar contribution for the international side of the tribunal.

If things aren’t getting better anytime soon, the ongoing operations of the court might be in peril. 

That might sound somewhat pessimistic but the future of the court, at least for the national side, looks bleak.