Khmer Rouge: Mass Murders

In the 1970's Rouge oversaw the mass murdering of over 14,000 people known as the "Killing Fields" during the ultra-communist rule from 1975-1979. He was on trial in July of 2010 and only sentenced to 35 yrs and as it turns out he will actually serve half of that time which has Cambodian's very upset. In total 1.7 million people died during this communist rule. These deaths took place in a prison that was once a school. Other charges included rape, torture, crimes against humanity, and murder. During his trial and while receiving the verdict Rouge also known as Duch showed no remorse of emotion of any kind. Once his parole comes to trial he will be evaluated and the courts will determine whether or not he has been rehabilitated. The maximum sentence in Cambodia is only 40 years, so the fact that Rouge was not even sentenced to the max is a slap in the face to all Cambodians.

Cambodian Adoption and Orphanage Controversy

Since the year 2001 the US has banned adoption from Cambodia because it was found that women in Cambodia were being payed to give up their babies. Cambodia is one of the poorest countries and it is full of corruption because of this. If anyone were to research topics such as sex trafficking, orphanages, and adoption in Cambodia it is easy to see how corrupted they really are.
There are so many orphanages in Cambodia that they are actually becoming unnecessary and over funded. So many people from the West donate tons of money to Cambodian orphanages and even volunteer their time there that some organizations have found ways to take advantage of this. There are kids with living parents and or relatives that are in the orphanages for no legitimate reason but the more kids they have the more money they receive. Cambodia has altered its laws on adoption making them more morally sound and legitimate, but even this has not swayed the US on lifting its ban. Only time will tell how these issues with children in Cambodia will play out.

I personally have always wanted to adopt children from Cambodia, that's why I chose to study this country. There is such an epidemic for child sex trading and I wanted to save at least one child from that fate. As many American's may know actress Angelina Jolie adopted her first child Madox from Cambodia which came with much controversy. Hopefully America will lift the ban by the time I plan o adopting children. So far it seems that Cambodian agencies and government agencies are using homeless children and even one's with potential homes to get more money from rich foreigners. What's worse is this money isn't always going towards the benefit of the children.    

Vietnam and Cambodia: Friendship Flourishing

State Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan has expressed her belief that with efforts by states and people, the friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia will continue to grow and flourish.
  The Vice State President was speaking at a reception for visiting delegation of Cambodian citizens headed by Khun Chhy, former Cambodian Transport Minister, in Hanoi on March 29.

She applauded the traditional friendship and mutual assistance and fostered by generations of Vietnamese and Cambodians during the past struggle for national liberation and the current process of national construction and emphasized the need to uphold these precious traditions.

Khun Chhy appreciated assistance from the Vietnamese people to help the Cambodian people escape from genocide and said Cambodia will never forget the help and devotion of the Vietnamese volunteer soldiers in the past.
He informed the host that during the visit the delegation met Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts, who had helped the Cambodian people overcome their past difficulties.

The same day, the Cambodian delegation was received by Vu Xuan Hong, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations, who expressed his hope that the visit would contribute to boosting the traditional friendship between the two people.

The Cambodian delegation also paid a tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum. 

Vietnam and Cambodia have shared a long history together, and it has not been a bright one. They border each other and as history shows countries that share a border are often prone to conflict and power struggles. This was certainly the case between Cambodia and Vietnam for a long time. They were even at war which started in 1962 and did not officially end until 1990. Vietnam had taken over the capitol of Cambodia and remained in control of several other territories for years. Because of the communist party ties between these two countries took a long time to mend. Since the 1990's their relationship has strengthened and it seems as though things may be looking up. Vietnam has been offering help for Cambodia's genocide effected victims. They have also opened up trade between borders.

More About the King and Prime Minister of Cambodia

The King: Norodom Sihamoni

•  He was born on May 15th in 1953 along with 14 half siblings produced throughout various relationships his father had, and one full brother who died in 2003.    
• Norodom is the predecessor to his father (Norodom Sihanouk). 
• After becoming well known as a cultural ambassador in Europe, as well as a classical dance instructor he took the throne over on October 14th 2004. 
• Norodom speaks English, Czech, Russian, and French. 
•  Norodom grew up outside of Cambodia including 20 yrs in France. 

The Prime Minister: Hun Sen 

• Hun was born on April 4th in 1951.
• Hun's real birthday is August 5th 1952, he lied originally in order to join Kehmer Rouge.
•  Hun took over for Ung Huot on November 30th 1998. 
• Hun is an influential leader in the Cambodian People's Party (CCP). 
• In 1987 Amnesty International accused Cambodia of torturing its prisoners with electric shocks, hot irons, and near suffocation.
• Hun is married with 6 children the last child was adopted and at her graduation, Hun announced that she was a lesbian and disowned her but concluded that homosexuals should still be accepted.  

    

Shocking Sex Trade Scandals in Cambodia

Cambodia: The Sex Trade Industry 

• ·         Cambodia acts as a transit destination for victims being shipped from Vietnam and China. A total of 80% of these victims are Vietnamese women and children.
• ·         Cambodia ships its victims to Thailand, Malaysia, Macao, and Taiwan.  Some of these victims are men who are forced to become labor slaves.
• ·         76% of the victims returning from Thailand were exploited by their own families, 47% of them claim their own mothers arranged the trafficking.
• ·         Cambodia is also a holding area for victims from Vietnam on their way to Thailand.
• ·         ECPAT Cambodia reports that 1/3 of the forced prostitutes are children.
• ·         Many of the victims are led to believe they will be working as house servants, and are then forced to prostitute themselves.
• ·         Government organizations in Cambodia have concluded that a contributing factor to the sex trafficking epidemic is the economy. Over half of Cambodia’s population is under the age of 20 making jobs difficult to provide.
• ·         The Cambodian Government was placed in the Tier 2 Watch List in 2007 U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report because they made no efforts to fight or prevent sex trafficking since the year 2005.
• ·         Law enforcement and government officials have also accepted bribes to ensure that the trafficking can continue.
• ·         In the year 2006 65 people were arrested and only 53 were convicted with sentencing ranging from 5-24 years.
• ·         The Deputy Director of the Police Anti-Human Trafficking was convicted for complicity in trafficking and only sentenced 5 years in prison.
• ·         Cambodia only has 2 temporary shelters for victims.

Most of these facts are shocking to say the least, but they are also infuriating to hear. It seems to me like there can never be an end to this vicious circle of the sex trading industry when government official are working to facilitate these injustices. There is currently no legislation strict or definitive enough to end or prevent sex trafficking in Cambodia. There are also only 2 shelters in the entire country, that’s not nearly enough for the thousands of victims each year. Another huge flaw in the attempt to end sex trafficking lies in the prosecution process itself. The penalty for those prosecuted is practically laughable and therefore not intimidating or threatening to anyone who is at risk for getting caught.  

 

The Basics: Quick Facts about Cambodia

Official Name: Kingdom of Cambodia


PROFILE

Geography
Area: 181,040 sq. km. (69,900 sq. mi.); about the size of Missouri.
Cities: Capital--Phnom Penh (pop. 1.3 million), Battambang, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Prey Veng, Kompong Cham.
Terrain: Central plain drained by the Tonle Sap (Great Lake) and Mekong and Bassac Rivers. Forests away from the rivers and the lake, mountains in the southwest (Cardamom Mountains) and north (Dangrek Mountains) along the border with Thailand.
Climate: Tropical monsoon with rainy season June-Oct. and dry season Nov.-May.

People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Cambodian(s), Khmer.
Population (2008 census): 13.4 million.
Avg. annual population growth rate (2008 census) 1.54%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--58/1,000. Life expectancy--59 years male; 63 years female.
Ethnic groups: Cambodian 90%; Vietnamese 5%; Chinese 1%; others 4%: small numbers of hill tribes, Cham, and Lao.
Religions: Theravada Buddhism 95%; Islam; animism; Christian.
Languages: Khmer (official) spoken by more than 95% of the population; some French still spoken in urban areas; English increasingly popular as a second language.
Education: Years compulsory--9 years. Enrollment--primary school, 94.4%; grades 7 to 9, 33.9%; grades 10 to 12, 16.4%; and tertiary, 2.8%. Completion rates--primary school, 85.58%; lower secondary school, 49.05%; upper secondary school, 20.58%; university, 6%. Literacy (total population over 15 that can read and write, 2007)--75.1% (male approx. 85%; female approx. 64%).

Government
Type: Multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy.
Independence: November 9, 1953.
Constitution: September 24, 1993; amended March 6, 1999 and March 2, 2006.
Branches: Executive--King Sihamoni (head of state since October 29, 2004), prime minister (Hun Sen since January 14, 1985), 10 deputy prime ministers, 16 senior ministers, 26 ministers, 206 secretaries of state, and 205 undersecretaries of state. Legislative--National Assembly, consisting of 123 elected members; Senate, consisting of 61 members. Judicial--Supreme Court, Appeals Court, and lower courts.
Administrative subdivisions: 23 provinces and 1 capital municipality.
Political parties and leaders: Ruling parties--A coalition government of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), led by Samdech Chea Sim; and the National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC), led by Keo Puth Reasmey. Opposition parties--The Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), led by Sam Rainsy; Human Rights Party, led by Kem Sokha.

Economy
GDP (2010 est.): $11.3 billion.
Per capita GDP (2010 est.): $783.
Annual growth rate (2010 est.): 5.5%.
Inflation (2010 est.): 4%.
Natural resources: Timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese and phosphate, hydroelectric potential from the Mekong River, unknown quantities of oil, gas, and bauxite.
Agriculture (33.4% of GDP, 2009): About 4,848,000 hectares (12 million acres) are unforested land; all are arable with irrigation, but 2.5 million hectares are cultivated. Products--rice, rubber, corn, meat, vegetables, dairy products, sugar, flour.
Industry (21.4% of GDP, 2009.): Types--garment and shoe manufacturing, rice milling, tobacco, fisheries and fishing, wood and wood products, textiles, cement, some rubber production, paper and food processing.
Services (39.8% of GDP, 2009.): Tourism, telecommunications, transportation, and construction.
Central government budget (2009): Revenues--$1.38 billion; expenditures--$1.8 billion; foreign financing--$606 million.
Trade: Exports ($3.9 billion, 2009)--garments, shoes, rice, cigarettes, natural rubber, pepper, wood, fish. Major partners--United States, Germany, U.K., Singapore, Japan, Vietnam. Imports ($5.4 billion, 2009)--fuels, cigarettes, vehicles, consumer goods, machinery. Major partners--Thailand, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Taiwan, United States.
Economic aid received: $989 million in grants or concessional loans were disbursed in 2009. Major donors--Asian Development Bank (ADB), UN Development Program (UNDP), World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, the EU, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, Thailand, the U.K., and the U.S.
Principal foreign commercial investors: Korea, China, Russia, Thailand, the U.S., and Vietnam.
Exchange rate (2010): 4,166 riel per U.S. $1.


http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2732.htm

Welcome To My New Blog!!!

Dear Readers,

I am creating this blog to inform everyone on my findings while researching the state Cambodia. I am very excited to learn as much as possible about this fascinating state, and I hope you all will be just as enthralled as I am with my research.

Talk to you all soon!