One Cambodian Victim at Diamond Bridge Back from Presume Dead

Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Sunday, 28 November 2010

Mom Mon, who was back from death, said he was lucky to be alive. "I heard them saying I was among the dead, I removed the white cloth from my face," Mom Mon said adding he was lucky

Cambodia Mourns Stampede Victims at Diamond Bridge

Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Friday, 26 November 2010

An entire nation mourns... praying that those who died on the Diamond Bridge rest in peace and are reincarnated, to avoid spending their afterlife as wandering souls, haunting the banks of the Tonle Bassac River. Pin Samnang, VOA Khmer reports from Phnom Penh.

Cambodians Mourn, Search Hospitals for Loved Ones

Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Thursday, 25 November 2010

Youth See Volunteerism As a Means to a Jobs

Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Friday, 12 November 2010 

Cambodian students raise their hands while being addressed by U.N.-backed genocide tribunal officers at Bak Touk High School, in Phnom Penh.

With unemployment still high among Cambodian youth, some have begun to seek volunteer opportunities as a bridge to decent jobs in the future. More and more graduates have shown an interest in volunteer work, which helps them gain experience and expand their networks, said Som Monorom, a project officer at Cambodian Volunteers for Society.

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.