Loung Ung's Blog, page 19

Khmer Rouge killers live in contented retirement as Cambodia struggles with the legacy of Pol Pot

The Telegraph, By David Eimer, Pailin…. Sitting outside his simple, wooden house, Ta An does not look like someone alleged to have sent 150,000 people to their deaths during the murderous rule of

the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. Read Full Story

Remembering Cambodian honorable monk Preah Maha Ghosananda,

A light in the dark still shines. And so I remember Cambodian most honorable monk; Preah Maha Ghosananda, whose monastic name means “great joyful proclaimer”, and he taught this with his peace marches. Read more

Cambodia’s opposition leader Sam Rainsy returns from exile

BBC: Cambodia’s opposition leader is about to return to his home country from self-imposed exile. Sam Rainsy will be back just in time for the nation’s elections later this month. Watch Video

World Refugee Day June 20, 2013

UNHCR: Millions of families have lost their homes to violence and war 1 refugee family without shelter is too many

Each year on June 20th the United Nations and countless civic groups around the world celebrate World Refugee Day.

World Refugee Day was established by the United Nations to honor the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homes under threat of persecution, conflict and violence. Millions need your help.

Wheels To Grow’ Skateistan Cambodia

In early December, pro skater Javier Mendizabal and the Quiksilver by Verich B project team travelled to Phnom Penh to meet the Skateistan Cambodia team and its students. This marked the beginning of an exciting new collaboration to release a range of sunglasses made out of recycled skateboard decks to help support Skateistan. Watch this fun video.

Cambodia Trains Social Workers to Curb Reliance on Foreign Aid

New York Times:

….According to the Ministry of the Interior, there are 2,465 registered nongovernmental organizations and associations in the country, though many are inactive or very small. Cambodia has one of the highest rates of NGOs per capita in the world….  Read Full Article     

Video of Trek to Mahendraparvata Hidden City

Hidden city

Archaeologists in the Siem Reap region using new maps acquired using LIDAR  have discovered an entire Angkor city where previously only a few isolated  temples were known to be. Watch Video of the Trek to the Hidden City.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/revealed-a-lost-city-and-a-holy-temple-20130614-2o9ds.html#ixzz2WU2ZrOK9

Mahendraparvata: Archaeologists Find 1200-Year-Old Lost City Near Angkor Wat

This weekend a ‘lost city of Cambodia’, which predates Angkor Wat by 350 years, was ‘discovered’. It was compared to Atlantis even. But when you read the story, you learned that archeologists were led there by their “intrepid one-legged guide Heng Heap” (gotta love this guy!) . Read full story

Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge denial law passed without debate – report

Reuters: The Cambodian parliament last week unanimously passed a controversial law that would punish those who deny crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge… Read Full Article

Cambodian Proverb of the day.

“You don’t have to cut a tree down to get at the fruit.” ~ Cambodian Proverb.