Lunch at Baitong. 

CCHR's forum on promoting women in politic in up coming national election started this morning. Follow us for more info, video and photos. Contract coordinator Mrs. Thyda at 012515506

Ou Virak drawing attention to the universal nature of human rights that covers all groups, including the Vietnamese minority living in Cambodia, should not provoke such rabidly violent reactions in the eyes of international human rights organisations.

Virak and the CCHR have received support from abroad, but little or no encouragement from other Cambodian human rights NGOs. Virak explained to Index: “ I think there is definitely a fear by the other NGOs that they will be attacked if they express concern regarding anti-Vietnamese rhetoric, and that they won’t be able to continue doing the work that they’re doing.”

Pung Chhiv Kek, president of local rights group Licadho, has stated “I don’t like to comment on the campaign against Mr Ou Virak. I’m not at all interested in this campaign against or for.” Yet back in the early 1990s Ms. Kek told this correspondent how she was bitterly disappointed that so many of her NGO staff at Licahdo harboured resentment towards any application of human rights principles to cover discrimination against Vietnamese residents in Cambodia.

“Sadly, many of these NGOs have shown themselves to be clearly aligned with the CNRP,” said Virak, and added “a lot of people are confused between fighting repression and just fighting the CPP”.

Thun Saray another well-known NGO leader was quoted in the Phnom Penh Post: ”I worry that if we damage one political leader, it could damage their reputation. Now it is a sensitive moment, we have to be careful.”

I could get used to G+, now knowing how to post while only spending 30 mins to figured it out. Also I just know what +1 is, had clicked on it multiple times trying to see what it was. 

Virak Boros Chang Ou Chi


Cambodia - Official tips 7 per cent growth in 2013

A Government official predicts Cambodia’s gross domestic product will grow by seven per cent this year despite the uncertainty of the global economy, especially in the US, and in light of the sovereign-debt crisis in Europe.

The projection is only slightly higher than estimates by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, which average 6.7 per cent.

Ou Proum Virak, deputy director of the Trade Promotion Department of the Commerce Ministry, said the global economy was on the way to recovery. He said Cambodia’s economy had done well last year and would keep growing this year.

“With the government’s concrete reforms, economic growth has rapidly recovered from the global economic crisis. It maintained annual growth of seven per cent last year, and it will be the same rate this year,” Ou Proum Virak told a trade seminar yesterday.

He said garment exports, tourism, agriculture and construction were still on the rise, but added that the global economic situation at the end of 2012 and into 2013 still had high risks caused by persistent sovereign-debt problems in Europe and the sluggish recovery of the US economy.

“These could be challenges for Cambodia to increase exports as well as attract foreign direct investment.”

The Ministry of Economy and Finance said on December 18 GDP growth would reach seven per cent this year.

More http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013011560780/Business/official-tips-7-per-cent-growth-in-2013.html

Cambodia is developing, some arrangement cannot be avoided. Last response from PM Hun Sen to Beungkak resident is an example for Cambodian Government to follow.

Thank Virak Ou for rising up this matter! For sure we cannot move our people to a place where they can't make a living. They are our people.

Pretty cool evening at Samai Thursday night.

Brunch at Baitong today. It's Chinese new year and Phnom Penh is nicely quiet. 

Eng Sokha, project assistant, is taking photo of CCHR's forum on promoting women in politic in up coming national election started this morning. Follow us for more info, video and photos. Contract coordinator Mrs. Thyda at 012515506



how do you share on google+ and facebook simultaneously? If this could be done, I am sure more people will join google+. This could be one reason facebook will try to do what it can to block this.

A big high school exit exam is to take place throughout Cambodia from 25-27th, already students and their families are scrambling for the cheat-sheets and not studying for the exam. Cambodian school system is notorious for cheating and bribing teachers and exam controllers.

Virak Ou, chairman of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, accused Australia of irresponsibly exporting its own problem.
“We mistreated our own people and have failed to protect the human rights of our own people … we don’t have the capacity or the will,” he said.
“There’s no reason for Australia to believe that Cambodia will protect the rights of refugees, which to me is very irresponsible of Australia.”
Cambodia’s opposition leader Sam Rainsy described the deal as a “disgrace,” saying Australian money will be diverted into the pockets of Cambodia’s corrupt leaders.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has condemned the agreement, saying Cambodia is a vulnerable nation still recovering for years of civil war and is still unable to provide for its own people.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/cambodias-pm-hun-sen-confirms-controversial-agreement-to-resettle-refugees-from-australia-20140520-zrhz3.html#ixzz32CplbB6G

"I think the devil is in the detail," Ou Virak, of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, told AFP.

"I think Hun Sen got what he wanted by getting the CNRP to end the deadlock and legitimise parliament and the government."

"But the opposition will still have some cards to play. There is nothing to stop them from walking out of parliament... or going back to the streets."

Tonight I will be a guest on hello VOA discussing the up coming election and a fair election. I will also bring up the ASEAN summit and the Obama visit. Tune in! OU, Virak

Quickly, however, it threatens to hit that point, Cambodian Center for Human Rights president Ou Virak said.
“I think the chatter on social media and Facebook is pretty concerning; I’m very concerned about some of the language being used,” he said.

Today we launch a video interview series, State of Play, with CCHR's Ou Virak on #ElectionsKh and the post-election process.