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World Refugee day…
It could happen to you too… A country slips into violence, or a natural disaster strikes, and you might have to leave everything behind you. This is World Refugee Day. There are 7.6 million people who became a refugee or were displaced in 2012, one every 4.1 seconds… Total is 45,2 million…
Between 1986 and 1994, and later in 1999 and 2000 I spent quite some time photographing refugees or IDP’s (Internally Displaced). The 22 photographs below are a small sample of the 15 different situations I covered. There is more at this link.
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I Lost Count…
I honestly can’t remember how many times the Boeung Kak Lake community walked over to the Phnom Penh Municipality building over the last 4 years to hold a protest… This time it was about a follow-up on the land titles for 48 families who are to be included in the 12,44 Ha granted to the community by Prime Minister Hun Sen several years ago.
There was also a group of former Boeung Kak Lake residents who whad some grievances about the living conditions at the place they were sent to after having been evicted.
You can find more information about this land issue (and many others) in the application for the iPad available on iTunes at this link.
(Source: johnvink.com)
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Queen Mother’s Birthday…
The Boeung Kak Lake community staged a demonstration to request the release of Yorm Bopha, land rights activist jailed to 2 years imprisonment for allegedly having beaten up two moto taxi drivers and Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience, in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh (Cambodia) on the occasion of the Queen Mother’s birthday. Riot police pushed back the demonstrators after a stand off of more than two hours.
You can find more information about this land issue (and many others) in the application for the iPad available on iTunes at this link.
(Source: johnvink.com)
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Cursing Ceremony…
Boeung Kak Lake community members staged a cursing ceremony in Phnom Penh (Cambodia) this morning. They planned to drag puppets representing corrupt officials to the Council of Ministers but were prevented from doing so by units of riot police which blocked the acces roads. The puppets were then dragged onto the sand which fills the area where there once was a lake, and salt, chillis, puffed rice, fake dollars bills and fake golden leafs were thrown on them before being set alight.
You can find more information about this land issue (and many others) in the application for the iPad available on iTunes at this link.
(Source: johnvink.com)
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Yorm Bopha found guilty…
Yorm Bopha, Land Rights Activist and Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience was found guilty at her Appeals Trial in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, this afternoon. Her sentence was reduced to 2 years instead of 3 for allegedly having beaten up moto-dup drivers (with the help of her brothers who are on the run). Most of the local Human Rights organisations consider the accusations as being part of an intimidation process aiming to break the resistance of the Boeung Kak Lake community which is involved in a 4-year long battle about a land issue.
Under a driving rain which lasted all the way through the trial, some 400 people carrying signs, sitting on puppets representing corrupt officials, screaming and chanting through bullhorns and loudspeakers, showed their support to Yorm Bopha.
You can find more information about this land issue (and many others) in the application for the iPad available on iTunes at this link.
(Source: johnvink.com)
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Sad Day…
Over the past years and during the many events we covered I mostly saw the back of his head or his camera in my frame. When I saw his face he was usually grinning. Today Lach Peou, Journalist and Cameraman with Thomson Reuters is dead. Killed by a young guy in a car, totally drunk, flashing V-signs, his eyes bloodshot, when being photographed on the spot of the accident. And this being Cambodia, ‘The Kingdom of Wonder’, that man is not even arrested.
(Source: johnvink.com)
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Elections???
Looking at the events of the past days, it seems elections are not needed anymore in Cambodia…
A short recap of interesting recent events ahead of the July 28th elections in Cambodia…
- Mr. Sam Rainsy from the opposition SRP (Sam Rainsy Party) is still in self-imposed exile, as a prison sentence is waiting for him in his home country.
- About a year ago the opposition parties SRP and HRP (Human Rights Party) merged into the CNRP (Cambodian National Rescue Party).
- The National Assembly permanent committee, of which only CPP MP’s are a member, kicked 27 opposition party MP’s out of the National Assembly on the grounds that by merging into one party, they are no longer representative.
- The CPP provided a short recording by CNRP co-head Kem Sokha saying that the infamous S21 interrogation center was staged by the Vietnamese to justify the 1978 invasion. The CNRP is unable to track down the origin of the recording. The CPP does not provide the entirety of the speech where these words were allegedly said.
- Chum Mey, one of the few S21 survivors and Civil Party at the ECCC, asks that Kem Sokha apologises for what he allegedly said.
- In a matter of days the CPP lawmakers, after a suggestion by Prime Minister Hun Sen, pass a law making any denial of crimes against humanity punishable.
- Chum Mey calls for a nationwide demonstration. In a few days it gathers about 4,000 people on Freedom Place during an extremely well organised demonstration featuring plenty of banners, food, drinking water and an impressive number of civilians with icoms directing the participants to their various demonstration spots.
Two small side notes: there was not ONE sign of the CPP logo at the demonstration, and when someone from the organisation asked me to give some space to Chum Mey when he had to climb on the truck he politely said to me: ‘Please, I want you to give some space to my victim’…
(Source: johnvink.com)
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BIG Garment Factories…
The exhibition on the Cambodian garment industry and the ‘Better Factories’ program, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the presence of the AFD (Agence Française de Développement) in the country and which opens officially coming monday, is already up and visible on the (outside) walls of the French Embassy at Monivong Boulevard. Access to the exhibition is for free and the photographs are BIG. Just be carefull while driving past…
The photographs are part of a story which was uploaded here on my website.
An ebook with texts by Robert Carmichael will soon be available on iTunes. Stay tuned…
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The never-shown-before-in-Cambodia exhibition ‘Quest for Land’ will remain on the walls of Meta House (Sothearos Blvd, Phnom Penh) until June 12th at 8:00AM. So this W.E. is your last opportunity.
The exhibition is a short extract from the ‘Quest for Land’ application for the iPad which contains over 700 photographs about land issues in Cambodia collected over the past 11 years together with an in-depth report by Phnom Penh based journalist Robert Carmichael.
The app for the iPad is available here on iTunes.
(Source: johnvink.com)
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Appeals…
The first day of the appeals trial of Yorm Bopha, land rights activist and Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience, took place on June 5th. The Boeung Kak Lake community was as vocal as ever to support her during the proceedings, largely overpowering the tuk tuk drivers who were counter-demonstrating (and paid 30,000 Riel or 7.5US$ to participate). The trial will resume on June 14th.
