Pailin to Tribunal Prosecutors: No Further Indictments

Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Thursday, 30 September 2010

An unidentified former soldier looks on near the once Khmer Rouge-stronghold border town of Pailin, Cambodia.

Residents in the former Khmer Rouge stronghold of Pailin told a delegation from the UN-backed tribunal last week they do not want to see the prosecution of further cases at the court after the second one is completed. Andrew Cayley, the international prosecutor for the court and head of the delegation, told the residents that no more than 10 people would be further prosecuted in cases No. 3 and No. 4.

Fans of Cambodian Oldies Trying To Preserve Songs Before Khmer Rouge's Time

Pich Samnang and Brian Calver, VOA Khmer
Tuesday, 21 September 2010

No songs, no singers, no musician composers could yet replace oldies songs in 1960s and 1070s in the hearts of most Cambodians. At least three fans of those oldies songs were trying to collect them from big towns to small villages. They are recording them into modern equipment to preserve the original voices of Sin Sisamuth, Ruos Sereisothea, Pen Rorn, In Yeng, So Math, Huy Meas...

UN Envoy Issues Sharp Rebuke of Judicial System

Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Tuesday, 21 September 2010

A new report from the UN's top envoy on human rights that is critical of the country's judiciary could have a harmful impact on his relationship with the government, rights workers said Monday.

Prasad Subedi, the UN special rapporteur for human rights, is scheduled to present a report this month to the UN Human Rights Council sharply critical of the courts and calling for wide changes in the judicial system.

In his report, Subedi urged more tolerance of criticism by public figures and cautioned against using the courts to silence dissent.

Ministry Orders Closure of Soap Opera on Cultural Grounds

Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Friday, 17 September 2010

The logo of Cambodian Television Network.

The Ministry of Information has ordered the closure of a popular soap opera, after it depicted a scene where rich men were bidding money for a woman on display. In a letter to the Cambodian Television Network, the ministry said the show, “Strange, Predestined Couple,” had gone against Khmer tradition and hurt the image of Khmer women.

High Schools Underprepared for High Tech: Expert

Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Thursday, 16 September 2010

Khmer Unicode keyboard.

When it comes to information technology curriculum, high schools have a long way to go. “The lack of electricity and computer sets in schools is a main obstacle for the implementation of the use of ICT in senior high school education,” Kheng Piseth, Khmer OS program manager at the Open Institute, told “Hello VOA” on Monday.

To Have and To Hold

Pich Samnang and Brian Calvert, VOA Khmer
Friday, 10 September 2010

Cambodians have a long, trusted relationship with gold. Through shifting regimes, instability and war, many watched as their currency lost value, either replaced by subsequent governments, or—in the case of the Khmer Rouge—abolished completely. But that relationship is changing, as Pich Samnang reports from Phnom Penh.

Hip Hop Hurray

Pich Samnang and Brian Calvert, VOA Khmer
Friday, 03 September 2010

In Phnom Penh, Tiny Toones uses the allure of hip hop and breakdancing to bring at-risk youth off the streets, into classrooms and hopefully on to brighter futures.

Toxins in the Marketplace

Pich Samnang and Brian Calvert, VOA Khmer
Friday, 03 September 2010

Cambodians love food from the markets. But a new study shows some of that food can contain dangerous chemicals. Anything from pesticides on vegetables and fruit and preservatives in pickled or dried goods can be dangerous for your health. And as Cambodia's brand new chemical society has found, those dangers are in more places than you think. VOA Khmer's Pich Samnang reports from Phnom Penh.

Student Loans Remain a Heavy Risk for Lenders

Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Friday, 27 August 2010

A lack of protections and an unpredictable job market have made lending institutions reluctant to provide student loans, banking officials say.

Students may be hard-pressed to find work after they graduate a university or they may simply not finish school. This has led to closed doors for poor students, especially in the countryside.

“If we do this, it is very risky, because we don't know whether students will finish their educations,” Sophan Nary, deputy CEO for Acleda Bank, told VOA Khmer Tuesday. “Only if the students can earn some income to pay the bank back monthly can we consider offering them loans. Or only if they have guarantees to make sure the bank can get back the money it lent.”

High Gold Price Shakes Up an Old Stand-By

Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Friday, 20 August 2010

Cambodians have long had a habit of buying and stocking gold, especially as jewelry, but that habit may be changing, thanks to gold’s continual rise in value.

“No one wants to buy gold now,” said Chea Ly, a Phnom Penh resident living near Deum Kor market who has stopped stocking jewelry herself. “We would rather sell it instead, or keep the money to buy something else.”

That’s because the common trading price of gold has climbed from around $700 an ounce in 2007 to more than $1,200 an ounce this week. Investors have been flocking to gold in recent years as a hedge against uncertainty in money and other markets.