Em Bunthoeun of The Nature Magazine with Don Bosco reporter students

Em Bunthoeun, editor in chief of The Nature Magazine (Tomechiet), explains to teachers and students of the Don Bosco Social Communication Section of Sihanoukville how the magazine is designed. Students of journalism from Sihanoukville did a visit last Tuesday to some newspapers and media in Phnom Penh.

Soy Sopheap with Don Bosco reporter students on January 17 2012 at Dap News

Soy Sopheap, editor-in-chief of Deum Ampil (DAP News) and television journalist at Cambodian Television Network (CTN), met 17 students of journalism from Don Bosco Sihanoukville on January 17 in the DAP News headquarters in Phnom Penh. Mr. Sopheap, one of the most popular Cambodian journalists, spoke to the students about the profile of a journalist, stressing the ethic behavior and the social role of journalism.

The Cambodia Daily going to Khmer

Kevin Doyle, the editor in chief of The Cambodia Daily, told us in our January 17 visit to the paper in Phnom Penh that it is preparing for its Khmer edition. For months, the English edition – it began in 1993 – included four Khmer pages with a resume of the main articles. It is ready to go as a Khmer edition with the same name as in English written in Khmer letters. ‘We decided to keep the same name, because it is already a popular brand, everybody knows The Cambodia Daily’, said Mr. Doyle. The newspaper was created by Bernard Krisher, a personal friend of Prince Norodom Sihanouk. Mr. Doyle answered questions related to journalism to 17 students of the journalism school of Don Bosco Sihanoukville.

From the first generation of Don Bosco reporters

Khuon Narin, a member of the first generation of students of social communication in Don Bosco Sihanoukville, continues at The Cambodia Daily. In October 2007 I open a simple school of journalism in the former sewing section with 12 young men from rural areas. Thanks to all those who did support and are supporting the developing of the Cambodian media with a social ideal.

A Romantic Cafe in a Cambodian mountain

Photo courtesy by Arjay Stevens

Even if Cambodia is considered a small country in size, it keeps a variety that goes further than the busy capital, the Angkorian temples and the Sihanoukville beaches. As much as the country develops, places will come out to demonstrate that it is in fact a kingdom of wonders – though you can wonder about many things here too. I can tell you that there is a romantic cafe there on a Cambodian mountain. As I am attached to mountains due to my Andean origin, it is probably that I can see the place more romantic than those who were born at the sea level. The mountain is the Kirirom National Park. It is midway between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville and a perfect place for eco-tourism.

Night of Music during the 4th Kep Trade Fair Concert 2011

Kep City. The popular Cambodian King of Pop, Preap Sovath, performs during the 4th Kep Trade Fair Concert 2011 tonight. It is the third year that Preap Sovath participates in the annual program in the growing tourist spot. The Cambodian female singers Kim Nisa and Pich Sophear and the popular comedian Peak Mi, were on the stage among other artists. The Fair ends tomorrow with more cultural programs and the Boat Festival.

Kep Water Festival

Kep City. A boat returns to the dock in Kep this afternoon after the race of the local Water Festival (properly translated as ‘Boats Festival’) this afternoon. Kep, the smallest Cambodian province at the southeast of the country, is already a tourist destination. This evening is expected the arrival of the popular Cambodian king of pop, Preap Sovath.

Soccer at the sea side

Kep City. A soccer game between the teams of Sihanoukville and Kep was one f the ways to celebrate Christmas at the Don Bosco Vocational Center on December 25 afternoon. The game ended in a draw and went to penalties that gave the victory to Kep. The technical school invites groups of Kep and Kompot to challenge its soccer and volleyball teams, trained currently by Italian-Belgian coach Cassale. Contact the administration for any possible schedule. In January there is a program of rhythmic gymnastics for the afternoon.

A small Christmas celebration in Kompot

Kompot.​ A group of about 150 persons attended the Christmas celebration at the Kompot Catholic Church last evening. Fr. Son, the parish priest and one of the few Cambodian Catholic priests – most of the clergy is made by foreigners, – underlined the presence of ten persons coming from countries like Colombia, Japan, England, France, Italy, Greece and Vietnam. ‘Even in our small group, the Lord gives us a sign that He was born two thousand years ago for all mankind,’ he said during the homily to the faithful, most of them young people.

The mysterious object that fall on Thai-Cambodian border could be a satellite debris

Bangkok. The unidentified object that fall on the Sisaket Province, bordering Cambodia, could be a satellite debris, declared General Yutthasak Sasiprapa, Thai Defense Minister, reported by MCOT News. On Thursday, December 22 a mysterious object fell from the sky over Srisaket, a Thai village near the Cambodian territory in an empty farm. The noise produced the panic of the villagers that though it was another Thai-Khmer military clash. The Thai police went for inspection and concluded that it could be the part of an aircraft, but the identity still unknown. Military of both countries denied any fire of artillery or gunfire near the border. The Thai Ministry of Defense confirmed that it is likely the pieces of a satellite, probably belonging to ASEAN. The satellite did not burn after it enters to the earth, said the report. The Suranaree Thai airspace forces declared also that there were not shooting over any aircraft. Investigations are under way.

Cambodia and Thailand agree to restart dialog over military pull-out from Preah Vihea area

Phnom Penh. Cambodian and Thai troops will pull-out as soon as possible, announced General Tea Banh, the Khmer Defense Minister on Wednesday in this capital. They will follow the International Court of Justice‘s ruling that created a provisional demilitarized zone around the Hindu temple, while compelling both countries to stop military aggression. The millennial compound, built by the Khmer King Suryavarman I (r. 1010-1050) and dedicated to Shiva, is located on Cambodian sovereignty, but both countries claim 4.6 square kilometers around it. It created military clashes early this year.

Read also Bangkok Post: ‘Border Talks finally under way.’

Social network phobics, here a solution

Recently a lady announced to me that she hates Facebook. It came because I gave her my Facebook in order to communicate easily (according to my perspective.) Then she gave me several indications of how I should communicate with her, consisting in a complicated network with passwords and security codes, etc, etc. When I asked her why she could not use Facebook, she said that it is unsafe, that it is likely possible that FB sells her information to third parts and that she can be a victim of espionage!!!

Cambodian Christmas boom

One of my friends wrote to me an email from Phnom Penh:

‘This is great stuff BUT it’s strange to me why so much emphasis is placed on a Christian holiday in a supposedly Buddhist country.  When did this surge of celebrating Christmas (the birth of Christ) become popular in Sihanoukville? Was there an effort from the tourism ministry to promote the westerners holiday in Sihanoukville and Siem Reap? In the past there was no interest.’

It is true that this year the preparations for Christmas has been especially published in Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. Christmas concerts and festivals, Christmas gatherings in hotels and Christmas neon lights everywhere as it were the most Western country. The reply to this question is: all those stuff are not Christmas as the birth of Christ of course. All those stuff are far from the real Christmas Spirit. The goal is, evidently, to attract Western tourism and it means dollars and euros… It is therefore a business. By sure, most of those Cambodians preparing Christmas parties, do not have the most single idea of what they are celebrating or saying when they say ‘Merry Christmas’ or, as some students of mine write ‘Happy Merry Christmas.’

Sihanoukville 2-1 Kep: Don Bosco soccer friendly match

Kep (red) did keep the pressure on Sihanoukville the first 45 minutes, starting the game brightly.

Sihanoukville. Kep City as a visitor was convincing in the first time with a goal of Ty Tho, 22, a leading from Kompong Thom in the Don Bosco Oupram playground this evening. But the victory was for Sihanoukville with two goals connected by Huo, 19, a Takeo man, who is already a figure in the Sihanoukville local team. Kep did keep the pressure on Sihanoukville the first 45 minutes, starting the game brightly and was a goal only for 10 minutes by Ty Tho. Sihanoukville became disparate running to protect their camp from the Kep insistingly attacks. To the second time Huo was invited by the coach and the game changed with a more confident Sihanoukville that controlled the ball to put in twice to the bottom of the net by this local soccer figure.

Court of Siem Reap suspended case against Ms Linde

Siem Reap (Updated 12.11.2011). The President and Creator of Together for Cambodia, Lidia Linde, announced today in her Facebook that the court of Siem Reap suspended the case against her for misappropriation that was forwarded by a group of persons who claim the defense of the previous COF Organization. The Criminal Case will not proceed, she announced, although the group can appeal the sentence. ‘For me is a breath of fresh air and peace after 14 months fighting’, said the Spaniard citizen that protects 40 minors in her center where they receive education and professional attention.

Don’t forget men

Still a lot to do in the protection of women’s rights in Cambodia. In many labor cases, women continue to get less salaries than men. Sexual violence against girls and women does not see to stop: domestic violence, rape, child abuse, child prostitution, human traffic… The current problem of Cambodian maids in Malaysia that face untold human rights abuses, has not yet a satisfactory solution. Husbands that abandon their wives and children to let them without social protection plus the big number of women living under poverty. 

Italian Ice-cream in Phnom Penh

You can find ice-cream almost everywhere in the Kingdom of Wonders. However, there is only a place in Phnom Penh with an authentic homemade ice-cream. Definitely, the ice-cream experts are in Turin (Italy), but some of them have moved to Cambodia under the mission to support education for the poor with Don Bosco.