Cambodian Buddhists march to mark Buddha’s day

People’s Daily Online
May 18, 2011 

Cambodian Buddhist monks march and prayer during Visakha Bochea at Udong in Kandal province, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Phnom Penh,Cambodia, Tuesday, May 17, 2011. More than one thousand ofCambodia Buddhist monk, civil servant and resident on Tuesday gather to mark the Visak Bochea, the holiest day of the Buddhist calendarmarks the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha on the day of the full moon in May.
(AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Thousands of Buddhists and Buddhist monks on Tuesday morning marched around Preah Reach Trap Mountain, where the relics of Buddha are housed, in order to mark Visak Bochea’s day, or Buddha’s day.

In Cambodia, the Buddha’s relics are housed at the cliff of Preah Reach Trap Mountain, located in Kampong Speu province’s Oddong district, some 40 kilometers north of Phnom Penh.

Modernist hotel aims to honour art of 60s

(Top) The modernist façade of Hotel 1961, which has a room devoted to Khmer architect Vann Molyvann. (Bottom) The Kennedy suite at Hotel 1961 is filled with hand-painted American flags and JFK memorabilia.

Friday, 13 May 2011
By Michael Sloan
Phnom Penh Post

Ramos asked various artists and photographers to decorate each of the guest suites

Graphic designer Loven Ramos is paid to come up with original ideas. His most original may well be his latest project, theHotel 1961 guesthouse and art gallery.

Staying at Hotel 1961 in Siem Reap is like stepping into a pop culture time capsule, with guests given the choice of four themed rooms or “galleries” ranging from a Kennedy suite filled with hand-painted American flags and JFK memorabilia, to the Norodom suite, designed as a tribute to Cambodian film and music during the Sihanouk era.

Scales weigh in favour of Angkor art show

Friday, 13 May 2011 
By Michael Sloan
Phnom Penh Post

Top: Guests at the opening of Scales of Angkor exhibition at the Hôtel de la Paix.
Bottom: Sculptor and miniaturist Dy Proeung.

Despite scandalising some members of the audience, an end to free wine for guests at Hôtel de la Paixart show launches failed to dampen enthusiasm at the opening night of a joint exhibition featuring the work of Phnom Penh-based visual artist Chan Dany and sculptor and miniature maker Dy Proeung.

Titled Scales of Angkor, the art by the duo is inspired by the architecture of Cambodia’s temples. It ranges from small inscriptions and religious symbols blown up into large mosaics by Chan Dany, to a replica model of Banteay Srei temple which Dy Proeung constructed over seven months in his Siem Reap workshop.

Cambodia hopes next Thai gov’t uses international legal mechanism for border resolution

KAMPONG SPEU, Cambodia, May 18, 2011(Xinhua via COMTEX) — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (pictured) said Wednesday that Cambodia hopes the upcoming Thai government will use international legal mechanism to solve theborder disputes.

The premier said that for the borderdispute between Cambodia and Thailand near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, only one way to settle is the interpretation of the verdict in 1962 by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Cambodia had already submitted the request to ICJ for verdict interpretation on Preah Vihear temple on April 27.

“And the disputes at the 13th century Ta Mon temple and Ta Krabei temple in Oddar Meanchey province, if they are not solved soon, I hope that when the new Thai government is formed after the July 3 election, we can invite each other to the ICJ, it will be the peaceful way, or the fighting will be endless,” he said during a ground-breaking ceremony for theconstruction of a China- funded road No. 41.

Cambodian government orders removal of “Judgement Day” adverts

May 18, 2011, 3:45 GMT
Source: M&C 

Phnom Penh – Authorities in Phnom Penh have told a local advertising firm to take down billboards claiming that May 21 would see the beginning of the end of the world, national media reported Wednesday.

The adverts, posted by a US evangelical group called Family Radio, state: ‘Judgement Day, May 21, 2011. The Bible Guarantees It.’

Family Radio predicted that all souls would be judged Saturday with worldwide chaos in store for five months until earth’s destruction on October 21.

Work on China-funded road begins in Cambodia’s western part

13:32, May 18, 2011
Source: Xinhua 

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday broke ground for the construction of a China-funded national road No. 41 west of the capital Phnom Penh in order to boost economic development.

The 95-km road will be built under the soft loan of 46 million U.S. dollars from the government of China.

The road is located 37 km west of Phnom Penh and goes through four provinces–Kampong Speu, Kandal, Takeo and Kampot. it starts from the junction of national road No. 4 at Thnal Totoeung area in Kampong Speu province’s Samrong Tong district to end in Kampot province’s Chumkiri district.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, Hun Sen said that the road is a new strategic one bridging Kampot, a coastal province, to Phnom Penh and other provinces.

Deminers to be sent to Sudan

WEDNESDAY, 18 MAY 2011 15:01
SAM RITH
PhnomPenhPost

These troops were the first batch of Cambodian deminers to be sent to the Sudan in April 2006.

Cambodia is set to send a new contingent of deminers to Sudan this year, the sixth group to assist in operations in the conflict ridden country, officials said Tuesday.

Sem Sovanny, director general of Institute for Peace Keeping Force, Mine and ERW (Explosive Remnants of War) Clearance, said that Cambodia plans to send more than 50 Royal Cambodian Armed Forces deminers to Sudan this year. He said: “The plan is to send the same amount of forces as we sent last year.”

Cambodia Tourism, Cambodia Travel, Cambodia Tour Package: Half Day Bicycle Ride

Half-day biking package though short will leave you the sense of satisfaction over the area of millennium-old temples. There are 3 kinds of Half-day Biking package for your choice.

PRLog (Press Release) – May 18, 2011 – Half-day biking package though short will leave you the sense of satisfaction over the area of millennium-old temples. There are 3 kinds of Half-day Biking package for your choice.

HD1: Temples area  (18 km, half day)

From South Gate of Angkor Thom to Phnom Bakheng through Terraces of Elephants and Leper King, Death Gate and Victory Gate, Ta Prom and Sra Srang. End of ride at Phnom Bakheng before sunset. Transfer back to Siem Reap. 

OVs in Cambodia celebrate Uncle Ho’s birthday

(VOV) – The Vietnamese Association in Cambodia met on May 18 to celebrate the 121^st birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh and the 100^thanniversary of his departure to seek ways to national salvation.

Participants in the meeting highlighted Uncle Ho’s devotion to the glorious revolutionary cause of Vietnam.

Tran Van Toi, Chairman of the Vietnamese Association in Cambodia affirmed that Vietnamese residents in Cambodia will always bear in minds his image.

Le Nguyen Hoang Phuong, a pupil at the Tan Tien Khmer – Vietnam primary school, said she has great respect for Uncle Ho, the father of the nation, and will follow his teachings.

Judges scold prosecutor at Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge trial for plea to extend investigations

By Associated Press
Published: May 18

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — An internal debate over the targets of Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge genocide tribunal turned into a public dispute Wednesday, when judges ordered a prosecutor to retract his call for further investigations.

The fight at the United Nations-backed tribunal added to mounting fears that prosecutions are being quashed for political reasons.

The two investigating judges, from Germany and Cambodia, on Wednesday ordered British co-prosecutor Andrew Cayley to withdraw a statement he issued last week citing specific crimes that deserved further investigation. They said the statement violated tribunal rules and must be retracted within three days, without specifying the punishment for failure to comply.

Deadline Closes for Applications in War Crimes’ Tribunal’s Third Case

Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Robert Carmichael | Phnom Penh

Photo: AP Comments by the international prosecutor Andrew Cayley last week indicate that the investigating judges' work in Case Three was deficient.

Wednesday was the final day for victims of the Khmer Rouge to apply for civil party status in the court’s much-criticized third case. But tribunal observers and victims’ rights activists fear Case Three is on the verge of being shut down.

Less than three weeks ago the investigating judges at the war crimes tribunal here announced they had closed their file in the court’s third case against former senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge.