Police in riot gear have clashed with garment factory workers on strike in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.

Some of the workers, who were striking over the suspension of a union official, say police used electric batons on them.

The Free Trade Union said some of its members were injured in the scuffles - and that laws guaranteeing the right to industrial action were broken.

But local police chief Mok Hong told Reuters there had been no injuries.

Police said they were following a court order to keep the streets clear.

One witness told Reuters about 50 police officers attempted to force some 3,000 mostly female workers back in to the factory.

"When they came, they beat us with electric batons," said worker An Sreylen.

The suspended union member, Mon Chana, said he did not know why he had been dismissed.

"It's probably because I represent the workers and solve problems for them so they want me out of the factory so that they can do whatever they want. That is why the workers don't agree to this," he told Reuters.

Job losses

The BBC's Guy De Launey in Phnom Penh says the unrest could be a symptom of a wider social malaise.

The global recession has caused falling orders in Cambodia's crucial garments industry and tens of thousands of job losses.

Double-digit inflation has made the $56 (£36) minimum monthly wage look less attractive and a recent $5 increase was well-received, says our correspondent.

The garment sector is Cambodia's third-biggest earner behind tourism and agriculture.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-10777749

CNN's Dan Rivers reports on the atrocities committed under Cambodia's Khmer Rouge regime.

PHNOM PENH , Cambodia — A United Nations-backed court found the commandant of the central Khmer Rouge prison and torture house guilty on Monday of war crimes and crimes against humanity and sent him back to prison for a total of 19 years.

The commandant, Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, was the first major Khmer Rouge figure convicted in connection with the deaths of 1.7 million people from 1975 to 1979.

Efficient and ruthless, Duch, 67, oversaw the torture and execution of at least 14,000 prisoners, and for many people here, the sentence seemed shockingly light.

“I felt it was like a slap in the face,” said Bou Meng, 69, one of a handful of survivors of the Tuol Sleng prison, who testified at the trial about the torture he suffered there.

Standing ramrod straight as the verdict was read, and with a Bible by his side, Duch, a convert to Christianity, seemed to struggle to maintain his composure, his jaw clenching slightly.

In a complex ruling, the judges handed down a sentence of 35 years reduced by 5 years because of illegal detention in a military prison and by 11 more years for time already served. That means that Duch could possibly walk free one day, particularly if his term is reduced for good behavior.

The verdict took into account mitigating circumstances, which a court spokesman, Lars Olsen, said included Duch’s cooperation, his admission of responsibility and limited expressions of remorse, the coercive environment of the Khmer Rouge period and the possibility of his rehabilitation.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/27/world/asia/27cambodia.html?_r=1

Note: This letter was written a day before I was told by my wife that she is no longer wanted to be with me; it was a wise decision on her part; she's an extraordinary woman and an exceptional mother, but I failed to notice those qualities in her until it was too late. I didn't even have the chance to present this letter to her.

Learn from it, from my situation before it becomes yours.

To all the husbands out there: pay attention to your wife; no one and nothing else is more important than her, help out with the kids and tidying up the house; it doesn't take much time at all.

This letter is for educational purpose only. I have learned from it, and I hope you do, too.

The letter:

My Dearest,

I know I’m fighting a battle with a slim chance of winning, a battle of David vs. Goliath; I know the odds are stacked against me, but I can not give up this battle, not yet, because winning you back means the world to me, to us, to our family.

I know I am an army of one, to win this battle I must somehow convince you to my side. Honestly, I don’t even know how to accomplish this major task unless you provide suggestions, directions, signals or any other forms of communication known to man, the result of evolution, still evolving; therefore, he, just like me, is not perfect, perfection is Christ and the Enlightened One; this is man’s and my ultimate objective but sadly it will never be reached, not in this lifetime; mistakes are to be expected, here and now and into the future.

Not only am I fighting this battle alone, I’m fighting with a broken heart, a broken spirit and time is definitely not on my side, but there’s a part of me that sees a tiny glimpse of hope shining dimly through the thick fog of confusion and a big misunderstanding. That glimpse of hope is enough for me to keep fighting for you with a believe that you may hear me over all the voices continuously streaming to you from all directions via telephone calls and internet links, from different parts of the world, and these voices carry more weight than mine, and I understand their importance to you.

You know quite well I’m not the kind of person who would scream and shout over a mountain top, unless it’s absolutely necessary, to gain your attention, so, I’m going to just quietly expense every single word I can think of and expel it in your direction, hoping against all hopes, it would get to you and maybe you would heed what I had to say; this is the only arsenal I have at the moment; however weak the arsenal is, I hope to reach you; maybe, just maybe, you still remember me or even acknowledge my existence, my playful nature with our kids, my many glances at you when you turned away, my tears that are slowly downing me from the inside and getting choked on it at times; the pain has been excruciating; I’m still looking to you for guidance, for a sign of hope, for a possibility, not the impossible -- I don’t think such thing exists when it comes to the potential of the human mind.

Since words are all I have to use in this battle over you, this is going to be lengthy, I hope you can bare with me and hear my plead; this plead is not in any way, shape or form tainted by anger; I’m not angry with you and will never be; the anger if directed, it would be at me. I am at fault; I was too occupied by my own emotional needs, completely ignoring yours.

We are at a cross road, you and I, and I am hoping against all hopes we can start a new course towards a better future, a future that’s involved me holding your hands wherever we find ourselves and the hands of our young kids. It’ll be you and me deciding what’s best for them and not be dictated by others. We can make this happen; all I need is a sign from you to proceed, to keep on fighting this battle, to never give up hope; you are the guiding light of our family, and I failed to recognize that in you until now, until you opened my eyes to it; I am now more hopeful than ever our future together will be brighter, our bond will be stronger and nothing can wedge between us; we are a pyramid, the foundation which our kids stand on and pass on our legacy; yes, there will be a legacy if you let it there be one to come to fruition. And the eye over the pyramid will always be watching us to insure our safety is still overwhelmingly secure.

So, do give me a sign by giving me a hug, passing me smile, winking at me or simply brushing me by, you will melt my heart, weaken my knees; you are my kryptonite; I will float in the sky, captivated, mesmerized by you -- you are the celestial Aspara entertaining my mind and occupying my heart; it’s broken; with your help, I hope to mend it; however long it may take.

Even though I want to cease this expelling of words at this very moment because it’s late and I’m tired from the long day at work and the lack of sleep from the previous night is taking its toll on me, and tonight is beckoning me to bed, I can not quit, not now, or sleep; I won’t be able to do so, anyway; this is too vital to the central core of my well being, your well being as well as the well being our family, and every second that ticks away is a point counted against us and my heart aches a little more; if this was a boxing match, I would have been knocked out a long time ago; I recognize this can not be so because I’m still constructing words through the usage of my fingers by pummelling away at individual letters prearranged on a keyboard, this action keeps me awake and I wage onwards, hoping for a glorious end.   

How many battles have I fought over my life span that was as important and as crucial as this one? None.

So I must sacrifice sleep and take advantage of the time allotted me, which I believe is also an enemy of mine.

I understand that this road I’m taking to reach you is laced with mishaps; I’m gingerly moving forward, being extremely cautious to avoid crossing lines and/or stepping on toes, giving you distance, yet trying to get closer to you; and both are invisible to me, so please, make me aware if I have crossed a line and/or stepped on a toe; if I did either or both, it would be counter-productive to my aim; it’s not my intention and an apology is definitely owed to you and/or anyone else I might have offended.

I’m treading carefully as I slowly move onwards, not wanting to push you further away from me; my mission is of course to gravitate you closer to me for I have come to a realization that you are the most important person in my life and the kids’; no one can compare and nothing can ever come close to you. For this reason, I’m doing this even though knowing full well my voice is drowned out by others’; I will not shout over theirs; it’s not my nature; I’m hoping you would hear my whisper, my battle cry and recognize it to be mine.

You probably noticed by now I’m relying heavily on hope to win this battle; so I hope and I hope. I hope you will soon throw me a line, however short or small, even if it’s just a tiny fibril or a fragment of cellulose, it would be the impetus for me to forge forward and decisively win this battle for us, for our family.

There is hope; it has always been there; give up on that, the war would end, I would have lost you; hope is what I cling to; it’s almost an equivalent to holding on to you by the tips of my fingers, never wanting to let go, if I do, you would have been lost; this is the tragedy I do not want to see happen; it’d be detrimental to both the kids and I if it did.

You have opened my eyes; I have become a better person and a better father, possibly a better husband, too as a result of that; for that I thanks you.

To recognize a mistake, correct the mistake and become a better person through the process of healing is the ultimate goal of any Buddhist. As a Buddhist, I thrive to better myself, reducing suffering in the process, killing two birds with one stone, a tool used by David to win the battle against Goliath, but I, unlike David, do not carry such a thing and violent is not in my nature; the only tool I have to throw at you are these words; with these words I hope against all hopes to win this battle, to win you over.

So I continue to hope against all hopes.

I love you; I miss you; I long to hold you once again.

Hopefully yours,

Your husband

Menu for Upbeat Life

Menu for Upbeat Life

Author: Sojean Peou

Just like set menus from restaurants wherein different kinds of foods are served - from appetizers, to main dishes, to desserts - life also has its menu for an upbeat life. Different people have their own individual menu that makes them cheerful and optimistic. Find out what they are; they may help to keep your life meaningful, enjoyable, inspiring, and interesting. Consider the following:

Help the needy, the poor, the handicapped, the ailing, the broken-hearted, the homeless, the lost, and the environment. The list can go on. When you help the needy - in services, monetary value, or other forms (lending a shoulder to cry on or an understanding ear to listen to other people’s problems) - the returns are ten folds over. However, don’t expect anything in return. Just the contentment you experience in your heart is an incomparably satisfying feeling. Giving something wholeheartedly without expecting anything in return is divine. Imagine yourself as the person on the receiving end. You can’t wait to return the favor once you get the opportunity to do so.

Another way to enjoy life is to listen to music. Play your good old favorite songs and sing along. Sing your best. Sing carelessly or out of tune - whatever it takes to make your heart contented and whatever makes you laugh. Just hum the tune if you don’t remember the words. Sing until you laugh heartily. The idea is to cheer up. Do this in private with your close friends or relatives though. You don’t want to annoy your neighbors.

The sound of nature is also music. The sound of river flowing, the gust of wind on a tree branch, waves on the seashore, and birds chirping are as natural as nature can be, and the way music should be. The sound of nature can make you optimistic because it is a beautiful and serene sound.

Let’s face reality. Life has its share of troubles, disasters, and misfortunes. Bad news exists and it disturbs the mind. Totally ignoring it may not always be the answer to approach life in a realistic manner. However, you can always find ways to avoid being affected by it to maintain the dominance of life’s beauty.

A party without humor and laughter is a dull one. The same is true in real life. Fill your life with lots of humor and laughter to keep it upbeat. The more spontaneous a humorous situation is, the more natural it is, and the better it can liven up your spirits.

Look at the lessons that can be derived from misfortunes. Mistakes allow you to learn and see opportunities hidden behind adversities. Always find meaning from every event in your life. See through the shell game and value every lesson that you learn.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/menu-for-upbeat-life-366321.html

About the Author

A student of T. Harv Eker, film student, admin for http://www.digitalfilmvillage.com

My dearest and sincerest plead with all the husbands out there.

Realize right now, at this very moment, that there's no one on this planet or any given planet, is more important than your wife, and nothing, absolute nothing, can compare or come close to her.

Reuters:

Australian miner OZ Minerals Ltd has discovered 8.1 million tonnes of ore in rural Cambodia it believes can produce 605,000 ounces of gold, OZ and energy officials said on Monday.

The discovery could be the country's biggest since exploration began 17 years ago, said Sok Leng, director-general of mineral resources at Cambodia's Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy.

Cambodia's government says the country is yet to make any revenues from its mining industry, despite the presence of at least 60 foreign and domestic companies seeking to tap mineral resources.

The gold discovery was made by OZ Minerals in the remote and sparsely-populated province of Mondulkiri in eastern Cambodia, bordering Vietnam, 521 km from the capital Phnom Penh.

"We have high mineral potential in this area, belonging to OZ Company and they found 8.1 million tonnes ," Sok Leng told a news conference.

He said copper, gold, iron ore, zinc, lead, tin, bauxite, sapphires, rubies, kaolin and limestone were among the untapped resources in Cambodia, but said the impoverished country's poor infrastructure made exploration difficult.

"It's not at all easy...as there is poor infrastructure and exploration has to be conducted in the remote jungles. Companies need more time and capital."

HIGH RISK

"Companies also face high risks if the discoveries prove to be economically non-viable," he added.

Companies from Australia, China, Vietnam and South Korea are among those searching for mineral resources in Cambodia.

Douglas Broderick, a representative of the United Nations Development Programme said developing Cambodia's nascent mining sector would take time.

"It's a five- to 10-year period that we're talking about, not something that will happen overnight," he said, adding that rural communities where the exploration takes places should be entitled to benefits.

Foreign investment in Cambodia has risen in recent years but forced evictions and insufficient compensation paid to local people living in areas made available to industry has led to angry and occasionally violent demonstrations.

Cambodia's economy, which is fuelled by agriculture, tourism and garment manufacturing, is likely to grow 5 percent this year, driven mostly by increased agricultural output, Prime Minister Hun Sen said last month.

The International Monetary Fund is forecasting GDP growth of 4.8 percent this year. The World Bank's estimate is 4.4 percent and the Asian Development Bank, 4.5 percent.

"The Council for the Development of Cambodia said the value of approved mining projects in the country peaked at $181 million in 2005.

In 2008 and 2009, several exploration plans and mining projects were suspended following the decline in the global recession, the council said in a report.

Source:

Khmers At 2010 Smithsonian Folklife Festival

PHNOM PENH, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian government said Monday that the country needs strong protection to safeguards its cultural heritage and that it needs both bilateral and multiple cooperation, especially in the Asian region.

Delivering speech at the opening of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) on "Protection and Respecting Cultural Diversity", Him Chhem, Cambodia's Minister of Culture and Fine Arts said Cambodia is a small country, but it is rich in cultural and civilization in the Asian region.

He said, "Cambodia needs strong protection to safeguard her cultural heritage."

It is the third kind of such meeting since the Asian Parliamentary Assembly on Protecting and Respecting Cultural Diversity initiated in 2006.

The first meeting was held in October 2008 in Seoul, South Korea and the second one was held in June 2009 in Tehran, the Islamic republic of Iran.

The meeting is designed to further discuss how to better protect, respect and share the values of cultural heritage in general.

Source: