Showing posts with label Business news. Show all posts

Monday, February 10, 2014

The Calandra Report: Seeking Fair Angkor In Cambodia

11/02/2014
TIBURON, California -- I am just back from Cambodia, where our volunteer medical team assisted the ANK Foundation's efforts to educate villagers on CPR, treatment of cuts and burns and a big winner: using rhythm beads to time menstrual cycles.

Naturally, we also scoured Angkor Gold's gold-silver and copper projects in tbe nation of 15 million people, moi for a third time in less than 3 years. See photos.

Our man in Ban Lung headquarters, chief geologist and exploration manager Kurtis Dunstone, gave us a rundown and tour of current development work at wholly operated properties and one joint venture project at Phum Syarung, not far from the Vietnam border with Cambodia in the northeast. Kurtis celebrated his 40th birthday during our tours of Angkor Gold properties.

Angkor Gold (TSX:V.ANK, Stock Forum) is one of the TCR 8. I was purchasing more last week. The company's chief executive, Mike Weeks, is sticking to a plan of methodical development and sale (or partnering) of properties in its seven-license exploration portfolio of concessions

This is a note to say we will be reporting more about facts gleaned from this trip, such as which property is likely to reap a fresh partner, and why the new Wild Boarprospect (early stage) might provide evidence of continuity of mineralization across Angkor's properties at China Wall and the surrounding forested area of Andong Meas.

The head-honcho geologist, Zimbabwean Adrian Mann, a self-described 69-year old white Rhodesian (his words) who earned a doctorate in the science of rocks on the continent of Africa, says he has 20 prospects that he will develop further during the next two years. Exploration funds for the moment are coming from what has been a steady run of fresh money from India and China partners or property buyers.

This is a good time to be in Cambodia. One of the youngest nations in the world, per capita. (This in the wake of generational gaps created by the Khmer Rouge massacres of the 1970s.)

Cambodia is growing so fast, most of the capital city's bicycles are now motor bikes and cars -- even pulling the tuk-tuks across steaming Phnom Penh, where every other vehicle is a truck, an earth mover or a crane, it seems like.

In the photo link above, on Google-Plus, you will see where we came upon a family at a mom-pop service station and food vendor counting their money: lots of it. The Cambodians love money, love transacting it and love ensuring that every transaction is exact. Honesty is the policy.

Still, the 5-year-old helping out in that counting shuffled over to me and said, politely: "Go Away." I think he meant, 'Stop taking photos, silly,' and not, 'Take your freely accepted dollars somewhere else, like to Vietnam.'

Back to Angkor Gold: I have to believe oil-gas leases are next on the auction block to loyal westerners with 5-year and 10-year timelines in the country. ANK's operators are among the best connected westerners doing business in Cambodia. Adrian Mann's exploration efforts continued through the drought in metals equities that we saw from March 2011 through the very present. Perhaps this is why Angkor Gold's shares are in a top percentile among metals equities worldwide for holding onto their total dollar value during the selloff.

Not just that. I'd like to take a moment to encourage you to take a look at Angkor Gold's social progress among the villages where it practices its prospecting craft. See:community development section. Social director Delayne Weeks, Mike's wife, is making fast headway on a training center for computer users, innovative gardening of cash crops such as hot chilies, and my favorite, an English teaching center. Also: water wells, pumps, water retention devices, medical instruction, medical supplies.

Please join a flock of investors and good hearted folks from Alberta, Canada, who support the ANK Foundation's efforts via Rotary Club and individual donations. Each year, these projects -- heck, the entire country -- are getting cleaner, more efficient and more self-reliant. Some of the attached photos give a sense of how clean and spot-on things are -- at Okalla for example, where water tanks enable villagers to harvest rain.

In the meantime, my coming week is slightly problematic, with two medical exams of my left hip and overall catch-up after almost two weeks in the field with the Angkor Gold team and gastroenterologist and ANK Foundation board member Francis A. Farraye and his two connected registered nurses: Jennifer Farraye, daughter, and Rochelle Remily, sister-in-law. They hail from Boston and New York City.

My technical friends tell me the coming week will knock the socks off the gold (and metals equities) market in a big way, in a good way. I think so, too. Nearly everything we follow for our TCR audience is 20 percent to 30 percent above its lows.

I am keeping in touch with David Banister, our man (not Robert Redford on that sailboat) in New England. Here is his latest chart:

Read more at http://www.stockhouse.com/opinion/independent-reports/2014/02/10/the-calandra-report-seeking-fair-angkor-in-cambodia#Gt9l9qm3K4QKeKVe.99

TIBURON, California -- I am just back from Cambodia, where our volunteer medical team assisted the ANK Foundation's efforts to educate villagers on CPR, treatment of cuts and burns and a big winner: using rhythm beads to time menstrual cycles.

Naturally, we also scoured Angkor Gold's gold-silver and copper projects in tbe nation of 15 million people, moi for a third time in less than 3 years. See photos.

Our man in Ban Lung headquarters, chief geologist and exploration manager Kurtis Dunstone, gave us a rundown and tour of current development work at wholly operated properties and one joint venture project at Phum Syarung, not far from the Vietnam border with Cambodia in the northeast. Kurtis celebrated his 40th birthday during our tours of Angkor Gold properties.

Angkor Gold (TSX:V.ANK, Stock Forum) is one of the TCR 8. I was purchasing more last week. The company's chief executive, Mike Weeks, is sticking to a plan of methodical development and sale (or partnering) of properties in its seven-license exploration portfolio of concessions

This is a note to say we will be reporting more about facts gleaned from this trip, such as which property is likely to reap a fresh partner, and why the new Wild Boarprospect (early stage) might provide evidence of continuity of mineralization across Angkor's properties at China Wall and the surrounding forested area of Andong Meas.

The head-honcho geologist, Zimbabwean Adrian Mann, a self-described 69-year old white Rhodesian (his words) who earned a doctorate in the science of rocks on the continent of Africa, says he has 20 prospects that he will develop further during the next two years. Exploration funds for the moment are coming from what has been a steady run of fresh money from India and China partners or property buyers.

This is a good time to be in Cambodia. One of the youngest nations in the world, per capita. (This in the wake of generational gaps created by the Khmer Rouge massacres of the 1970s.)

Cambodia is growing so fast, most of the capital city's bicycles are now motor bikes and cars -- even pulling the tuk-tuks across steaming Phnom Penh, where every other vehicle is a truck, an earth mover or a crane, it seems like.

In the photo link above, on Google-Plus, you will see where we came upon a family at a mom-pop service station and food vendor counting their money: lots of it. The Cambodians love money, love transacting it and love ensuring that every transaction is exact. Honesty is the policy.

Still, the 5-year-old helping out in that counting shuffled over to me and said, politely: "Go Away." I think he meant, 'Stop taking photos, silly,' and not, 'Take your freely accepted dollars somewhere else, like to Vietnam.'

Back to Angkor Gold: I have to believe oil-gas leases are next on the auction block to loyal westerners with 5-year and 10-year timelines in the country. ANK's operators are among the best connected westerners doing business in Cambodia. Adrian Mann's exploration efforts continued through the drought in metals equities that we saw from March 2011 through the very present. Perhaps this is why Angkor Gold's shares are in a top percentile among metals equities worldwide for holding onto their total dollar value during the selloff.

Not just that. I'd like to take a moment to encourage you to take a look at Angkor Gold's social progress among the villages where it practices its prospecting craft. See:community development section. Social director Delayne Weeks, Mike's wife, is making fast headway on a training center for computer users, innovative gardening of cash crops such as hot chilies, and my favorite, an English teaching center. Also: water wells, pumps, water retention devices, medical instruction, medical supplies.

Please join a flock of investors and good hearted folks from Alberta, Canada, who support the ANK Foundation's efforts via Rotary Club and individual donations. Each year, these projects -- heck, the entire country -- are getting cleaner, more efficient and more self-reliant. Some of the attached photos give a sense of how clean and spot-on things are -- at Okalla for example, where water tanks enable villagers to harvest rain.

In the meantime, my coming week is slightly problematic, with two medical exams of my left hip and overall catch-up after almost two weeks in the field with the Angkor Gold team and gastroenterologist and ANK Foundation board member Francis A. Farraye and his two connected registered nurses: Jennifer Farraye, daughter, and Rochelle Remily, sister-in-law. They hail from Boston and New York City.

My technical friends tell me the coming week will knock the socks off the gold (and metals equities) market in a big way, in a good way. I think so, too. Nearly everything we follow for our TCR audience is 20 percent to 30 percent above its lows.

I am keeping in touch with David Banister, our man (not Robert Redford on that sailboat) in New England. Here is his latest chart:

Naturally, we also scoured Angkor Gold's gold-silver and copper projects in tbe nation of 15 million people, moi for a third time in less than 3 years. See photos.

This is a good time to be in Cambodia. One of the youngest nations in the world, per capita. (This in the wake of generational gaps created by the Khmer Rouge massacres of the 1970s.)

I am keeping in touch with David Banister, our man (not Robert Redford on that sailboat) in New England. Here is his latest chart:

By: barokah On 2:23:00 PM

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Cambodia's Oscar-nominated director in fight for history

05/02/2014

Hong Kong (AFP) - Director Rithy Panh was 15 when he escaped the horror of a Cambodian labour camp under the communist Khmer Rouge. He never saw his parents or his sisters again.

His film "The Missing Picture" attempts to tell their story, from life before their incarceration to when they were caught up in the Khmer Rouge's merciless 1975-79 rule.

The film has become Cambodia's first ever to be nominated for an Oscar, making the short list in the Best Foreign Language Film section at the Academy Awards to be announced in Los Angeles on March 2.

"It is important to me, as a survivor, that we do not forget what has gone before us and the people who lost their lives," said Panh, 50, on the phone from Phnom Penh.

"'The Missing Picture' has two meanings -- one is about a real story that we remember and another is about what (pictures) we never see."

The Khmer Rouge sought to transform Cambodia into its vision of an agrarian utopia, which led to the deaths of up to two million people from starvation, overwork, torture or execution.

As well as his parents and sisters, Panh lost 10 members of his extended family during the Khmer Rouge's reign. “I cannot count all my cousins, aunts, uncles,” he said.

"The second 'missing picture' is about my personal story. I regret that I do not see my father nowadays. If he was alive, maybe I would take him for a walk along the riverfront, or for meals. I cannot have this kind of experience."
As the reign of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia was nearing its end, and Vietnamese forces began entering the country, Panh fled from his distracted captors, making his way first to an internment camp in Thailand and then on to Paris.

He eventually turned to film as a means to deal with his past, studying at L'Institut des hautes études cinématographiques.

He returned to Cambodia in 1990 and developed a series of feature films and documentaries – including "One Evening After the War" (1998) and "S-21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine" (2003) – which told the stories of people caught up on either side of the terror.

"The Missing Picture" uses footage from the period -– mainly propaganda films -- and clay dolls where material is missing to recount the horrors.

The special effects were driven by necessity. Cambodia’s film archives, which dated as far back as the late 1800s, were left mostly destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. Panh has dedicated his life to seeking out and restoring lost films he believes tell the story of his country.

Panh has been one of the driving forces behind the Bophana Audio Visual Resource Centre in Phnom Penh, which opened in 2006 and aims to preserve the country’s aging film stock, along with recorded radio transmissions, newsreels and photos.

Because of the Oscars "a lot of people will be talking about this film, so we want to use that to get them to talk about Cambodia," said Panh.

"Maybe people can decide to help us to save the films we have found, and help us continue our work."

"The Missing Picture" won the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival last May while Panh's work towards restoring Cambodia's film archive was acknowledged at the Busan International Film Festival in October, where he was named Asian Filmmaker of the Year.

The Bophana centre aims to educate a new generation of Cambodian filmmakers while holding regular screenings of recovered footage.

"Cambodia has a rich history that is not only about the Khmer Rouge – they were only here for four years. We want people to know our whole story and film helps do that."

As the international film industry increasingly turns to digital technology, the director fears the skills – and equipment – needed to restore old film stock might soon be lost.

"Time might be running out for us and we need as much help as we can get," said Panh.

"Film technology is changing so we need to act as soon as possible," he said. "As the industry goes digital it will become harder for us to restore old films. The big challenge in the future might be how people will access these films, and access their own memories."

The filmmaker says he feels it is his responsibility as a survivor to make sure that the past is acknowledged and accepted.

"I am here because those who died helped me to be here," he said.

"My films are a tribute to them. This is a way that their dignity is returned to them."

By: barokah On 12:13:00 PM

Cambodia's Oscar-nominated director in fight for history

This photo taken on January 23, 2014 shows Cambodian director Rithy Panh looking at the cover of a DVD of his film 'The Missing Picture' at the Bophana Audio Visual Resource Centre in Phnom Penh. – Photo by AFP

Published 2014-02-05 12:13:27

HONG KONG: Director Rithy Panh was 15 when he escaped the horror of a Cambodian labour camp under the communist Khmer Rouge. He never saw his parents or his sisters again.
His film “The Missing Picture” attempts to tell their story, from life before their incarceration to when they were caught up in the Khmer Rouge's merciless 1975-79 rule.
The film has become Cambodia's first ever to be nominated for an Oscar, making the short list in the Best Foreign Language Film section at the Academy Awards to be announced in Los Angeles on March 2.
“It is important to me, as a survivor, that we do not forget what has gone before us and the people who lost their lives,” said Panh, 50, on the phone from Phnom Penh.
“'The Missing Picture' has two meanings -- one is about a real story that we remember and another is about what (pictures) we never see.”The Khmer Rouge sought to transform Cambodia into its vision of an agrarian utopia, which led to the deaths of up to two million people from starvation, overwork, torture or execution.

As well as his parents and sisters, Panh lost 10 members of his extended family during the Khmer Rouge's reign. “I cannot count all my cousins, aunts, uncles,” he said.
“The second 'missing picture' is about my personal story. I regret that I do not see my father nowadays. If he was alive, maybe I would take him for a walk along the riverfront, or for meals. I cannot have this kind of experience.”As the reign of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia was nearing its end, and Vietnamese forces began entering the country, Panh fled from his distracted captors, making his way first to an internment camp in Thailand and then on to Paris.
He eventually turned to film as a means to deal with his past, studying at L'Institut des hautes itudes cinimatographiques.
He returned to Cambodia in 1990 and developed a series of feature films and documentaries - including “One Evening After the War” (1998) and “S-21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine” (2003) - which told the stories of people caught up on either side of the terror.

Archives destroyed

“The Missing Picture” uses footage from the period -- mainly propaganda films -- and clay dolls where material is missing to recount the horrors. The special effects were driven by necessity. Cambodia's film archives, which dated as far back as the late 1800s, were left mostly destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. Panh has dedicated his life to seeking out and restoring lost films he believes tell the story of his country.
Panh has been one of the driving forces behind the Bophana Audio Visual Resource Centre in Phnom Penh, which opened in 2006 and aims to preserve the country's aging film stock, along with recorded radio transmissions, newsreels and photos.
Because of the Oscars “a lot of people will be talking about this film, so we want to use that to get them to talk about Cambodia,” said Panh. “Maybe people can decide to help us to save the films we have found, and help us continue our work.””The Missing Picture” won the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival last May while Panh's work towards restoring Cambodia's film archive was acknowledged at the Busan International Film Festival in October, where he was named Asian Filmmaker of the Year.

Rich history

The Bophana centre aims to educate a new generation of Cambodian filmmakers while holding regular screenings of recovered footage. “Cambodia has a rich history that is not only about the Khmer Rouge - they were only here for four years. We want people to know our whole story and film helps do that.”As the international film industry increasingly turns to digital technology, the director fears the skills - and equipment - needed to restore old film stock might soon be lost.
“Time might be running out for us and we need as much help as we can get,”said Panh.
“Film technology is changing so we need to act as soon as possible,” he said. “As the industry goes digital it will become harder for us to restore old films. The big challenge in the future might be how people will access these films, and access their own memories.”The filmmaker says he feels it is his responsibility as a survivor to make sure that the past is acknowledged and accepted.
“I am here because those who died helped me to be here,” he said.
“My films are a tribute to them. This is a way that their dignity is returned to them.”

By: barokah On 12:11:00 PM

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Direct air links for Japan-Cambodia

4 Feb 2014 at 19.59:

Direct air links between Japan and Cambodia are on the cards this year, with Japan Airlines tipped to be the first carrier to land in Phnom Penh.

The Bayon temple, famous for its multitude of giant stone faces at Angkor Wat near siem Reap is a magnet for local and foreign tourists. Cambodia has become one of the favourite destinations for visitors from Japan. (AFP photo)

The flights are expected to be launched over the next six months after recent talks between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Hideo Sawada, chairman of HIS, a Japanese tourism firm, according to the Phnom Penh Post, which quoted reports from AKP, the state news service.
Direct flights will boost tourism, investment and trade between the two countries, the newspaper said.
An representative of the Cambodian State Secretariat of Civil Aviation said officials of the two countries are undertaking a feasibility study and expected the Japanese flag carrier to be the airline to operate the flights.
Cambodia has become a popular destination for tourists from Japan. The Cambodian Tourism Ministry said 184,833 Japanese went to Cambodia in the first 11 months of 2013, a 15.7% rise from 159,745 in the same period of 2012.
Japan's foreign direct investment in Cambodia totalled US$47.5 million (1.56 billion baht) in 2013, an increase from $328 million in 2012, according to the Japanese embassy in Phnom Penh

By: barokah On 1:33:00 PM

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Indonesia goes from exclusion to diversity

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Indonesians ride in a horse-cart in Jakarta on February 1, 2014 a day after Chinese Lunar celebrations welcomed the year of the horse.

Aimee Dawis

The Star/Asia News Network

Sunday, Feb 02, 2014

JAKARTA - On the evening of Jan 20, the Paguyuban Sosial Marga Tionghoa, or Indonesian-Chinese Social Association (PSMTI), inducted its new president, directors and leaders for 2013-2017.
Dignitaries at the event at the Sun City ballroom in Jakarta included H. Sidarto Danusubroto, People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker; Budi Susilo Soepandji, National Resilience Institute (Lemhanas) governor; Defence Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro and Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki Tjahaja "Ahok" Purnama.
Held 11 days before Chinese New Year, the mood was festive and many women wore qipao (traditional Chinese dresses), whereas the men were dressed either in suits or batik.
Aside from Chinese New Year, the organisation had much to celebrate.
It is now a widely respected mass organisation with membership numbering in the tens of thousands, spread over 280 branches across the country's 30 provinces.

The organisation has also come a long way since its inception during the aftermath of the May 1998 tragedy in Jakarta, when many Chinese-Indonesians experienced various miseries as they became the targets of angry masses.
The Chinese were placed under an "assimilation" policy throughout the 33 years of the New Order era from 1966 to 1998. This policy banned the expression of Chinese language and culture in the public sphere. Chinese New Year was only allowed to be celebrated in the private domain and all Chinese-medium schools were closed.
While the restrictions may have been seen as a way to deflect unwanted attention from members of the Chinese community, many of those who became the victims of violence during the 1965 coup attempt blamed the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), so the policy also reflected widespread government suspicion regarding the Chinese community's role in the uprising.
The Chinese dutifully closed their schools and organisations, except for funeral homes and religious associations.
Most chose to stay out of the political spotlight and concentrated on the one area in which they were allowed to be involved - the economy.
Therefore, despite the restrictions, which caused a whole generation of Chinese-Indonesians to experience a loss of Chinese language and culture, many of them flourished in the economic realm.
Nonetheless, they again became scapegoats during the Asian monetary crisis of 1997 and the downfall of the Soeharto regime in May 1998.
Noted sociologist Mely G. Tan observed that the 1998 riots jolted the Chinese out of their compliance and precipitated the founding of mass organisations such as PSMTI and the Indonesian Chinese Association (INTI), which aimed to combat all sorts of discrimination.
When the discriminatory policies against Chinese language and culture were lifted, these organisations shifted their focus to help fellow Indonesians in times of need - especially those affected by natural disasters.
Other organisations based on common dialect groups, such as the Fu Qing and Hakka associations, have also contributed huge amounts of funding to the building of schools for non-Chinese children.
The PSMTI and INTI, for example, have pooled resources to provide disaster aid to victims of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and the recent flooding.
Contrary to the prevailing belief that Chinese-Indonesian organisations only attract the older generations, the youth wings of these organisations often initiate the efforts to distribute help and basic necessities to the needy. At the time of writing, PSMTI volunteers were channelling resources to help flood victims all over Indonesia, especially in locations with large numbers of disadvantaged people such as Tangerang, Banten.
These examples are necessary to debunk the stereotype that the Chinese are exclusive.
At the installation of the new PSMTI leaders, Ahok reminded members to continue contributing to their country. Known as a straight-shooter who does not mince words, Ahok also stated that Chinese-Indonesians who hope to win a place as legislators in the upcoming elections must not count on winning based on the support of their ethnic community, nor on policies that benefit the Chinese.
They should, instead, focus on putting together a political agenda that will benefit all Indonesians.
Coming from the first ethnic Chinese person to become a deputy governor of Jakarta, this is a wise piece of advice.
As the nation celebrates Chinese New Year on Jan 31, we must be mindful of our country's multicultural, multifaceted sociological make-up, framed by our understanding and appreciation of our historical past, as well as what our founding fathers have long recognised as Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity).

By: barokah On 12:47:00 PM

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Life on $3 a Day: Garment Workers and Cambodia's Struggle for Human Rights

Posted: 01/29/2014 4:39 pm

About a month ago, I stood outside Cambodia's National Assembly with hundreds of Buddhist monks. They chanted in Sanskrit and tossed lotus petals into a crowd of protesters, blessing them. Many of them had walked from rural villages to Phnom Penh over 10 days. They rallied at the palatial seat of the country's parliament, to mark International Human Rights Day and hopefully draw the government's attention to the rights Cambodia's people have yet to fully grasp--rights related to labor, land and a fair legal system.
People passed out water bottles and wrapped towels around their heads to protect themselves from the harsh midday sun. Others held up signs ("WE ARE WOMEN WE ARE NOT SLAVES") and loudspeakers buzzed, ready to call people to action. We were not supposed to be there; the government had prohibited marches. I searched the crowd, waiting for something to happen.
But it was peaceful. Despite a day filled with marches and demonstrations, Phnom Penh remained relatively calm. The only government reaction: quietly relocating a dozen protesters who had camped outside the U.S. embassy.
Fast forward a few weeks, and the demonstrations have taken a dramatic and deadly turn. On Jan. 2, after escalating tension over the minimum wage, police shot AK-47s and handguns into a crowd of protesters, killing at least four and injuring more than 29. Most of them were garment workers--the very people I traveled to Cambodia to meet.
***

It's a warm morning in early December, and Win is showing me what life in Phnom Penh on $80 a month looks like.
That's the minimum wage for garment workers in Cambodia, and for Win, it means living in a tiny cement room that fits a wooden pallet about the size of a queen bed, a sink area for cooking and not much else. Most garment workers share these spaces, where four to six people live. Like Win, most of them begin working in the factories as teenagers, around age 15 or 16.
Outside the room, I hear the gentle splashing sounds of sarong-wrapped women washing their hair by the stairs, scooping and pouring the water from buckets. There is nowhere else to bathe. Inside, Win or one of her roommates has decorated the bars on the single window with hair clips. Someone has arranged a thicket of red incense like a bouquet in a jar, and taped up posters of puppies and pop stars on the walls. As Win gets ready to leave, she bustles around the small space in her pajamas, which are covered with printed flowers. So many of the factory girls wear them here, both in and outside the house; it's become a fashion trend.
I'm here with a freelance photographer to talk to Win and other community organizers from Workers Information Center (WIC), a grassroots group that American Jewish World Service has supported since 2010. WIC is run by and for women garment workers. They make up about 90 percent of the garment industry in Cambodia, which is the country's largest source of export earnings.
The women of WIC support each other, sharing key information about labor rights and talking about the latest issues they're experiencing at work. Their goal is to gain negotiating skills and advocate for their rights in the factories.

Cambodia's traditional culture expects women to do as they're told and to not speak up, whether facing a cruel manager or a demanding parent. Phong, a WIC community organizer, told me that it's typical for men to run the labor unions in the garment factories. The unions organize periodic strikes, putting pressure on the factories to increase wages or improve working conditions, but the leaders aren't necessarily inclusive or interested in the concerns of the female workers.
"The union is not grassroots with the workers themselves, on the ground," Phong says. "They are not really friendly, and they don't really care about the women."
Win, who also educates her peers as a WIC organizer, tells me it's also typical for women who work in garment factories to support their families, sending home up to half of their pay each month. I asked her why these strong women--who take on so much responsibility--rarely speak up for themselves or take on leadership roles within the unions.
"My understanding is that [many of these] women are not so courageous, so they do not protest when there is any problem," Win said. "That is very different from the men."
It's a pattern that upsets her. In addition to the squalid housing, many of the women suffer from a host of challenges in the factories: long hours; short labor contracts that weaken job security; sick leave that's almost impossible to take because it requires clinic visits no one can afford; bosses who make threats for unfair reasons, like a woman opting not to work overtime; heat and fabric-conditioning chemicals that have led some women to pass out or get sick; and loud machines that can cause hearing damage.
"The thing I hate most," Win says," is the forced overtime for pregnant women." Right up until their (brief) maternity leave, pregnant garment workers are typically working--and likely on their feet--from about 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday, then 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends.
WIC's multiple drop-in centers throughout the garment worker neighborhoods offer places where the women can find support. The center staff are there to talk women through their problems and refer them to reproductive care and other services when needed.
The confidence and negotiating skills that women develop at WIC often make waves in their personal lives, too. Phong tells me that WIC has radically shifted how she feels about herself and her abilities.
"If I was not coming to WIC, I think my thinking would be like others': 'Women cannot do anything. Men become the leaders,'" Phong says. "Before, I was scared and didn't know what to say ... [Now,] even in the village [with my family], I can be involved in decision making."

Phong, along with several other women from WIC, takes night classes designed to help her finish high school. To arrange this, she had to negotiate with her mother, who wants Phong to get married as soon as possible. But that's not what Phong wants--not yet, at least. She is 21.She doesn't want to work in the garment factory for the rest of her life.
"I want a chance to study at university, at least a small one ... I want to be a lawyer or a journalist," Phong says. She smiles, but casts her eyes away. "It's just a dream. I'm not sure I can get it."
I ask Phong what she's hoping her work with WIC will accomplish. What does she want people to know? What does she want to change?
"I want all the media to publicize about our issues," she said. "When people know that the workers are also a factor supporting the economy... [they will] give value to us and pay attention to our work."
**********The international media did cover the struggles of Cambodia's garment workers--but only when the strikes turned into demonstrations that the Cambodian government couldn't ignore.
On Dec. 24, the labor unions started to strike, asking for double the minimum wage: $160 a month. On Dec. 25, most of the garment factories shut down as more workers took to the streets to demand a livable wage.
Then the factory workers merged with the opposition party, and tens of thousands of people flooded the streets of Phnom Penh--but not just to demand a better wage. They questioned the flawed elections that brought Hun Sen, the Khmer Rouge defector who has served as Cambodia's prime minister for 28 years, another term in office. They demanded his resignation.
Then the violence started. Police opened fire on the crowd, reportedly responding to protesters who resisted efforts to break up the demonstrations, some of whom threw homemade explosives and set fire to vehicles. (Some have suggested that the instigators were thugs hired by the government, but this has not been verified.) Soldiers wielding AK-47s continued to patrol areas where garment workers live, entering their homes and breaking up any gathering of more than two people.
Most people living in the area where police opened fire fled for their villages, fearing for their lives. (The neighborhood includes the Vattanac and Canadia industrial parks, which produce garments for H&M, Adidas and Puma.) In a country where, just a few decades ago, the Khmer Rouge regime killed more than a million of its citizens--through starvation, torture and execution--any kind of state-sanctioned violence can create panic.
"Our country has been through a lot of painful experiences resulting from violence," Sophea Chrek, who works with United Sisterhood Alliance and WIC, wrote in an email to AJWS. "The Cambodian government has to stop its violent intimidation acts toward its own people ... Violence is not the solution."
Now, most garment workers have returned to work. What will happen next is hard to predict.
However, you can do something. Chrek suggested U.S. consumers take action by researching the brands they purchase and contacting the companies whose garments get manufactured in Cambodia, calling on them to ensure fair wages and conditions for the factories they use.
"The clothes that you are wearing today are produced by [these] young women," Chrek wrote. "I believe you have choices: whether, as consumers, you want to avoid buying and wearing products that are made from sweatshops, or feel proud using products [that treat workers fairly.]"
Take Action:
You can support advocacy efforts like Change.org's petition, which calls on the Cambodian government to stop its brutal rights violations of garment workers and other citizens, or this community petition, which calls on Prime Minister Sen to protect people's right to peaceful protest in his country.
Elizabeth Daube is a communications officer at American Jewish World Service. This article was originally posted on AJWS's Global Voices blog.

Follow Elizabeth Daube on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lizdaube

By: barokah On 1:46:00 PM

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Lydia Bright shows off her golden tan and enviable bikini body as she enjoys a 'little bit of paradise' on Cambodian beach

29 January 2014

She has been soaking up the sunshine since the end of December, and is now the proud owner of a deep golden tan.
And Lydia Bright is now using every available opportunity to show off her bronzed glow - as well as her enviable bikini body.
Former TOWIE star Lydia posted several shots of herself in a caramel-coloured bikini as she enjoyed the warm weather in Cambodia - the latest stop in her backpacking trip.

Bikini beauty: Lydia Bright showed off her enviable bikini body as she soaked up the sunshine in Cambodia, posting a picture on her Instagram page

Lydia captioned the shots, which showed her from both the front and the back: 'A little bit of paradise #LongBeach #Cambodia.'
The 22-year-old has been enjoying the sightseeing trip with her sister Georgia, and has made friends along the way.
Speaking previously about her reasons for wanting to go on the trip, which has seen her swap the glamour of TOWIE for the basics of backpacking, Lydia told BANG Showbiz: 'It's always been something I've wanted to do, but I started on TOWIE so young that I never had chance to.
'Now is my time to get a taste for it.

Posing up: Lydia is clearly confident, and flaunted her slim figure as a friend snapped the shots

'I'm going with my sister, we'll have our backpacks on. We're travelling to Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. We're going to go work in orphanages, animal sanctuaries, party and have fun.'
Since starring on the hit reality TV show from 2010 to 2012, Lydia has kept busy launching two successful businesses - she started up her own fashion label and becoming the co-owner of boutique Bella Sorella with her sister - but admitted last year that she needed some time to relax.
She said: 'I didn't go on one holiday in 2013 and I just feel like now this has all been wrapped up after my design season.

Making new friends: Lydia (far right) posted a shot of herself with a new group of friends on the trip

Ready for action: Lydia attempted to do a back flip off the back of the boat

'My shop is always really quiet in January, as every retail outlet is, I've got no buying to do and media is usually a bit quiet so I thought, "I'm going travelling!" '
Lydia also revealed that her New Year's resolution is to act her age, adding: 'I'm so grateful of how far I've come but I'm only 22 and sometimes I forget that, I've got two businesses, I've got so many responsibilities, a house, I grew up a lot quicker than most of my friends.

'I think sometimes I do miss out on my youth. My New Year's resolution this year is [to have fun].'

By: barokah On 6:42:00 PM

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Best hotels in the USA 2014

Looking for a luxurious place to rest your head during your next vacation? Check out these high-end hotels in the United States.

January 28, 2014, 2:18 PM

Courtesy Sea Island

The Lodge at Sea Island in Sea Island, Ga., has seven restaurants and three 18-hole golf courses.

Choosing the right hotel for your next stateside getaway is no easy feat: A property's quality can be difficult to measure until you're standing at check-in with luggage in tow. That's where U.S. News & World Report's annual Best Hotels in the USA rankings come in. In recent years, high-end hotels have been upping their game and making strides in defining new standards of luxury. This year's rankings reflect increased competition and an ever-improving guest experience.
U.S. News' travel editors analyzed a wide assortment of travel resources — including guidebooks, travel websites, guest reviews and expert ratings — to compile a comprehensive list of the best places to rest your head in the United States. Our editors used an unbiased methodology to evaluate nearly 1,700 luxury hotels across the country. From Hawaii's most paradisiacal escapes to the towering high-rise hotels of Chicago, this collection of properties showcases the diversity of lodging options across America.

The 10 top hotels in the USA for 2014 stand out among a varied landscape of great American properties. High-end amenities, excellent customer service and gourmet restaurants contribute to the distinguished reputations of each of these hotels.
[See more photos of the 10 Best Hotels in the USA 2014]
10. Waldorf Astoria Chicago
Chicago
The Waldorf Astoria Chicago's convenient location near Michigan Avenue places the hotel within walking distance of the city's top things to do, but guests of the lavish property can also opt for private transportation via the hotel's in-house Mercedes Benz sedan. It's the exclusive access to exceptional amenities like these that both guests and experts praise. Travelers also hold this Waldorf Astoria hotel in high esteem for its stylish accommodations that feature Bowers & Wilkins speaker systems, 500-thread-count sheets and sweeping views of the Chicago skyline. Plus, this Hilton-affiliated property brings all the perks that accompany its brand: Think exceptional service and state-of-the-art amenities, such as an extensive spa, well-equipped fitness center and gourmet European restaurant, Balsan. The Waldorf Astoria slipped one spots to No. 10 in this year's ranking, but it still holds on to its distinction as one of the country's top 10 hotels.
9. Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa
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Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
Seated among gardens and olive groves, the 49 casitas at the Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa offer private balconies, multiple rooms and touches like fireplaces, deep soaking tubs and high-tech sound systems. The Mediterranean-inspired Relais & Châteaux property located about 25 miles north of San Diego took a spot among the top 10 U.S. hotels this year following a $30 million renovation. The updates earned Rancho Valencia recognition among industry leaders: The hotel received a Forbes Travel Guide Five Star rating and a place on the 2014 Condé Nast Gold List. But it's not only experts who note the hotel's standout quality: Guests praise Rancho Valencia for its gracious service, expansive spa and scenic grounds.

Corey Weiner / redsquarephoto.co/Corey Weiner / redsquarephoto.co

The Grand Del Mar in San Diego, Calif., is known for its sweeping terraces and open-air walkways.

[See the 2014 Best Hotels in the Caribbean]
8. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka'upulehu
Big Island, Hawaii
The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka'upulehu brings a taste of Hawaii's Golden Age to the reputable Four Seasons brand. With seven pools, a renowned spa, a golf course that overlooks the Pacific Ocean and guest rooms with bamboo canopy beds, the Four Seasons Hualalai is lauded by visitors who say that the manicured landscape creates a private paradise and the welcoming staff makes the resort feel like home. The hotel garners praise from experts, and this year is no exception: The Four Seasons Hualalai earned several industry accolades, including the coveted AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star awards, as well as a spot on the Travel + Leisure 500 World's Best Hotels list.

7. The Grand Del Mar
San Diego
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Sweeping terraces, open-air walkways and the acclaimed Addison restaurant are some of the noteworthy amenities that helped The Grand Del Mar nab its highest spot yet on our Best Hotels in the USA ranking. The resort raked in awards this year thanks to its 21,000-square-foot spa, Tom Fazio-designed golf course and oversized guest rooms and suites. Visitors are reluctant to leave the Mediterranean-inspired estate in the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve after experiencing its tranquil setting, accommodating staff and extensive list of indoor and outdoor activities.
[See the 2014 Best Hotels in Mexico]
6. Amangani
Jackson Hole, Wyo.

Courtesy The Four Seasons Hotels

The Four Seasons Hotel Seattle is a favorite among travelers for its convenience and comfort.

Amangani earned the No. 1 spot on last year's Best U.S. Hotels list, but slipped to the sixth spot after receiving fewer awards in 2014. That's not to say Amangani's draws aren't as abundant as ever. The resort sits on the East Gros Ventre Butte in Jackson Hole, Wyo., and is home to a heated outdoor pool with panoramic views of the Teton Mountains. Guests offer shining reviews of the full-service spa, the spacious suites (equipped with fireplaces and separate living areas) and the highly attentive staff. Although it can be tough to leave the resort grounds, Amangani offers year-round recreation opportunities, such as fly-fishing in the warmer months and cross-country skiing during winter.
5. Four Seasons Resort Lana'i, The Lodge at Koele
Lanai, Hawaii
On Hawaii's most exclusive island, the Four Seasons Resort Lana'i, The Lodge at Koele has all the makings of a tropical resort. With access to a greenhouse, two golf courses (designed by Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus), poolside service and a full repertoire of outdoor recreation, guests find it hard to check out of the estate-like property. Visitors love the hotel's staff members, whose kindness and attentiveness is consistent with the brand's reputation. Travel experts also find this property noteworthy — The Lodge at Koele earns a spot on the 2014 Travel + Leisure 500 World's Best Hotels and Condé Nast Traveler Gold lists, among others. Though this resort dropped a few spots from its No. 2 rank last year, the Four Seasons Lodge at Koele continues to shine.
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[See the 2014 Best Hotels in Canada]
4. Four Seasons Hotel Seattle
Seattle
Located within walking distance of many of Seattle's best things to do and see — like Pike Place Market and the Seattle Art Museum — this stylish Four Seasons hotel wins praise from travelers for convenience, comfort and high-quality customer service. This urban escape is home to a rooftop infinity pool, a 6,000-square-foot spa and the swanky ART Restaurant and Lounge. Meanwhile, the Four Seasons Hotel Seattle — a Forbes Five Star award-winning hotel — has spacious accommodations equipped with complimentary wireless Internet access, TVs embedded in bathroom mirrors and floor-to-ceiling windows for views of the city.
3. The Allison Inn & Spa
Newberg, Ore.

Courtesy Palmetto Bluff Resort

The Inn at Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, S.C., is famous for its Southern charm and hospitality.

The Allison Inn & Spa didn't come close to cracking the top 10 in 2013, but the hotel soared to the No. 3 spot this year due to its excellent concierge services, guest rooms outfitted in rich earth tones and 35-acre swath of Oregon's wine country. Guests describe the hotel's employees as detail-oriented in how they care for both the property and its visitors. Wine enthusiasts will find plenty to do with 200 wineries located in the surrounding Willamette Valley. And with a 15,000-square-foot spa, an indoor pool and the JORY signature restaurant (complete with live jazz entertainment and an 800-label wine list), all types of travelers can find respite at The Allison Inn & Spa.
[See the Best Hotels by Brand]
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2. The Inn at Palmetto Bluff
Bluffton, S.C.
The Inn at Palmetto Bluff's 50 cottages and suites sit alongside the May River west of Hilton Head Island. Travelers and experts praise this property's Southern charm and hospitality, citing a notably gracious staff and a wide range of easily accessible amenities. Guests of the inn have numerous activities at their fingertips, including golfing on a Jack Nicklaus signature course, touring nearby Daufuskie Island, participating in fitness classes and playing tennis, croquet and bocce. And with spacious accommodations that boast private porches, fireplaces and wet bars, it's no wonder The Inn at Palmetto Bluff earns awards like Forbes Travel Guide's Five Star rating year after year.
1. The Lodge at Sea Island
Sea Island, Ga.
Surpassing all other U.S. News-ranked hotels in the United States, The Lodge at Sea Island earns the top distinction of 2014's Best Hotel in the USA. Though The Lodge has been recognized as a Forbes Five Star and AAA Five Diamond property for several years, the hotel skyrocketed to the top after gaining further recognition among experts and guests alike. Guests laud just about everything at the hotel — from the seven restaurants to the three 18-hole championship golf courses to the 65,000-square-foot spa (located at its sister property The Cloister, which is also on Sea Island grounds). Guest rooms are also met with praise for their waterfront views, wood furnishings, spacious patios and large bathrooms with rainfall showerheads and deep soaking tubs.

By: barokah On 1:50:00 PM

Off-duty cop admits to being hit with only one snowball in 2010 encounter with Bronx teens

Officer Adonis Ramirez admitted that just one snowball made contact during a February 2010 incident in which four young men in the Bronx were accused of throwing projectiles at the off-duty cop, who pulled out his gun and charged the four youths with criminal possession of a weapon. They later filed a $10 million false arrest suit against the NYPD.

January 28, 2014, 3:36 PM

SAM COSTANZA FOR NEW YORK DAILY

Left to right: Christian Perez, Manuel Rondon, Anthony Aquino and John Rodriguez in 2010 near where they were arrested for hitting a cop with a snowball.

His alibi is melting fast.
A cop who claimed he pulled his gun on some Bronx teens after they bombarded him with snowballs admitted Tuesday he exaggerated the attack.
"One," Officer Adonis Ramirez conceded on the stand, when asked exactly how many snowballs hit him.

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Ramirez made the embarrassing admission after the lawyer for the teens, who filed a $10 million false arrest suit against the NYPD, called the cop a "bully with a badge."
"They did what kids always do, they throw snowballs at each other," attorney Neil Wollerstein said of his clients, sitting quietly in shirts and ties in the first row.
But when one of them landed near the off-duty cop, Ramirez overreacted and had them charged with criminal possession of a weapon, Wollerstein said.

Surveillance video captured the four young men’s encounter with the police officer, Adonis Ramirez.

RELATED: VIDEO IN SNOWBALL ARREST APPEARS TO SHOW OFF-DUTY COP PULLING GUN

"A single snowball is lobbed in the most innocent and playful fashion" and "the lives of these young kids changed forever," the lawyer said.
The charges against the five, who were between the ages of 17 and 22 when they were arrested in February 2010, were later dropped by the Bronx district attorney's office.
Wollerstein said they have evidence that backs up the teens.
RELATED: ANGRY OFF-DUTY COP WAVES HIS GUN AROUND AFTER HIS HUMMER IS PELTED WITH SNOWBALLS
"We know this because the entire video was captured on building surveillance," he said. "We're confident to let that video speak for itself."
But a lawyer for Ramirez, a seven-year vet, stuck by his story that he pulled his loaded handgun after he felt "a hard object hit him in the lower back" and heard one of the teens yell in Spanish, "Let's jump him!"

Enid, Alvarez/New York Daily News

Christin Perez (left) said he and his friends were involved in a snowball fight, but that they hit the off-duty cop on accident.

Ramirez was "fearing for his safety," attorney Stephen Kim said.
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"His actions were reasonable, reasonable and justified," Kim said.
And the teens, some of whom had minor brushes with the law before, sustained no physical or psychological damage as a result of their encounter with Ramirez, Kim said.
In his complaint, Ramirez claims he was off-duty and out of uniform when he ran into the teens and they hit him with "multiple" snowballs.
Reached by the Daily News, the teenagers insisted Ramirez failed to identify himself as a cop when he pulled out a gun and ordered them to the ground.
"I thought he was some drug dealer who was going to shoot me in the head and walk away," said a then 19-year-old Christian Perez. "We only hit him once and it was by mistake."

By: barokah On 1:49:00 PM

Cambodia: UN labour agency urges independent probe in deadly protests

A garment industry worker sews garter to a skirt in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Photo: World Bank/Chhor Sokunthea

28 January 2014 – Amid reports that riot police have been deployed in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh to break up anti-Government protests, the United Nations labour agency today urged everyone to remain calm and reiterated its calls for a probe into police action.
The UN International Labour Organization (ILO) is “deeply disturbed” by the continuing violence in Cambodia, including reports of another crackdown on protesting workers on Sunday, the UN agency said in a statement.
“The ILO urges all parties to refrain from further violence, and to take all steps necessary for the release of the trade union leaders and workers detained for having participated in the strike over the minimum wage,” the Geneva-based agency said.
It also extended its assistance to all parties “to work towards the resolution of this conflict through dialogue.”

Members of the opposition have been boycotting the Cambodian National Assembly since the middle of last year in a reported attempt to oust Prime Minister Hun Sen, whose win in July extended his 28-year rule, alleging vote-rigging and calling for a new election. They have been joined by the garment workers pressing for higher wages, stalling an industry that supports 400,000 jobs and accounts for some $5 billion per year in exports.
The clashes escalated resulted in riot police reportedly killing at least four workers demonstrating on 3 January, and detaining dozens of others.
The ILO has called for the Government to launch an independent inquiry to determine the circumstances of police action and the deaths, assaults and arrests of workers during that strike.
The inquiry should determine responsibilities and punish those responsible where appropriate, as well as outline the steps to prevent the repetition of such acts, the UN agency detailed in today’s statement.
Wrapping up week-long visit to Cambodia earlier this month, Surya P. Subedi, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the country, stressed that the ongoing political and social tensions have a direct impact on the enjoyment of human rights by all Cambodians. He called for flexibility on both sides to reach a political compromise.

By: barokah On 1:40:00 PM

Monday, January 27, 2014

Elephant Preserve Planned in California for 'Near-Wild' Herd

Preserve Aims to Keep African Elephants Healthy, in Shape and Breeding

26, 2014 10:34 p.m.

TEHAMA COUNTY, Calif.—Many elephants in U.S. zoos have the same problem as visitors who gawk at them: They are fat.

"The general public are familiar with Disney and the tale of Dumbo," said Deborah Olson, executive director of the International Elephant Foundation, a conservation group. "They're drawn as round creatures, so the general public has this conception that they're round instead of what they truly look like in the wild."

But now there is hope. In the rural, rolling hills of Northern California, plans are under way for a 4,900-acre preserve that would keep African elephants healthy, in shape and breeding. Part fat farm and part laboratory, the elephant preserve would start with three to five elephants and let them grow into a herd of 12 to 15 over two decades.

The paunchy Lisa eats from a suspended bucket at the Oakland Zoo. Max Whittaker / Prime for The Wall Street Journal

Scientists also would conduct research into the "near-wild" herd, and school groups would come to learn about African elephants, considered to be a threatened species because of poaching in the wild.

The preserve would be funded by a foundation set up by Roger McNamee, co-founder of Silicon Valley private-equity firm Elevation Partners, and run by staff from California's Oakland Zoo, including Joel Parrott, the zoo's president and chief executive.

The proposal highlights a trend in elephant husbandry of providing more space to captive animals. A recent study found that three-fourths of North American zoo elephants were overweight. The conclusion was drawn by researchers who made their determinations in part by studying the size and shape of the pachyderms' posteriors. They had too much junk in the trunk.

In addition, experts are concerned that zoo elephants aren't breeding enough to replenish an aging population.

"One of the researchers on the team developed a body-conditioning scoring system based on five different views of the elephant that does include a posterior view, essentially looking for fat deposition around the area of the rump and the spine," says Cheryl Meehan, consulting project manager on the zoo elephant-welfare study. "They looked at thousands of photographs to develop and validate this tool."

A recent study found that three-fourths of North American zoo elephants were overweight. Here, African elephants at the Oakland Zoo. Max Whittaker/Prime for The Wall Street Journal

The key to weight loss for elephants is the same as it is for humans: diet and exercise. At the Oakland Zoo, elephant keepers spread hard-to-chew food like brush around the animals' 6-acre enclosure, hiding other nutritious tidbits the animals have to seek out to make sure they keep in shape while they dine. The elephants have regular weigh-ins, just like Weight Watchers members.

On a recent day, a bull elephant named Osh lumbered onto a giant scale that put him at 12,495 pounds. That is a fit and healthy six tons for a 10½-foot-tall, 19-year-old male elephant, said an approving Jeff Kinzley, the zoo's elephant manager.

Lisa, a 34-year-old female elephant, weighed in at just 9,285 pounds—but was showing serious pachyderm paunch. Lisa is big-boned, but Dr. Parrott, a veterinarian, also politely pointed out her "rotund belly and lack of muscle definition."

Mr. McNamee declined requests for comment. A spokeswoman said his new Ndovo Foundation—the name is from the Swahili word for elephant—is "dedicated to conservation and protection of African elephants. Its first project will seek to redefine elephant captivity in a manner that respects and protects their nature."

Mr. McNamee, whose firm made a jumbo-size score with its investment in Facebook Inc., considered Dr. Seuss's ever-faithful Horton the Elephant to be a role model as a child, the spokeswoman said.

Real-estate broker Al Swan opens a gate at the 4,900-acre ranch proposed as an elephant preserve in Northern California. Max Whittaker/Prime

The elephant-preserve proposal has won praise from some local leaders, who believe it will bring the area jobs and recognition. But other people have voiced concerns about an elephant in the room: This is a cow town.

June Cooper, a retiree and resident of Red Bluff, the county seat, told county supervisors at a recent meeting that she feels "sorry for these elephants," but that "it's not right to bring a foreign animal into Tehama County."

The Tehama County Cattlemen's Association has balked about the potential impact on the land and water supply. Noting the state's drought conditions, the group's president, Steven McCarthy, said: "If we're competing with the elephants—who in my view are not producing food for the nation, which cattle are doing—is it going to be a problem?"

Dr. Parrott said all the concerns will be addressed in the environmental-review process. He says the Golden State is an ideal location for African elephants "because our climate is very similar to parts of South Africa."

Enlarge Image

African elephant

County officials still must approve the project. Supervisor Steve Chamblin said he is "very happy that they would consider such a small place with a large kind of plan." One thorny issue for local cattlemen could be whether the elephant preserve qualifies for a state tax break given to property owners who use their land for farming or raising livestock.

"I don't know if [elephants] have been used as food—I know the lions like them in Africa," said Mr. McCarthy of the cattlemen's association. "Are they going to sell them at Whole Foods—an elephant steak for 20" people?

The Ndovo Foundation is in the final stages of a deal to buy a property known as Diamond Ranch, said Al Swan, a ranch broker representing the property owner. It is a wide-open tract of grassy hills, scattered oak trees and views of snow-peaked Mount Shasta and Mount Lassen. The asking price was $6.4 million, said Mr. Swan, who never sold land for an elephant ranch before.

"It was out of left field, but after you think about it you go, 'OK, that's cool,' " he said while maneuvering his Toyota 4Runner along a bumpy dirt path that cuts through the ranchland.

By: barokah On 1:39:00 PM

Friday, January 24, 2014

Cambodia protests unmask anti-Vietnam views

24/01/2014

Phnom Penh - Amid the excitement of massive pro-democracy protests that took over the streets of Phnom Penh in late December and early January, the largest such demonstrations in the country's history, a dark side has emerged.

Alongside cries for greater government transparency and less corruption, and calls for Cambodia's strongman prime minister, Hun Sen, to step down, some street protesters have been shouting anti-Vietnamese slogans, reflecting opposition leader Sam Rainsy's longtime animus toward the Vietnamese - a conspicuous blotch on his otherwise strong human rights record.
Protests by opposition supporters and garment workers culminated on January 3, when at least four workers were shot and dozens wounded by military police along Veng Sreng Street in the capital's outskirts. Less widely reported has been the fact that demonstrators shouting racial epithets looted at least three Vietnamese-owned businesses that day nearby, and are reported to have destroyed several more. Many ethnic Vietnamese residents of the area have fled the country.
Sok Min, 27, the owner of a café near Veng Sreng Street that was destroyed by anti-Vietnamese protesters, said he lost $40,000 in the attack and sent his terrified wife and two children back to Vietnam indefinitely.

"They came to destroy everything," he said as he surveyed his damaged shop shortly after the attack. It was denuded of furniture and covered in shards of glass and empty coffee bags. "They said I am a Vietnamese and they don't like it."
'Alarming' statements

During July elections here, the liberal Cambodian National Rescue Party, led by Rainsy, made major gains against the long-entrenched government of Hun Sen, who has led the country since 1985, after climbing to power on the back of a 1979 Vietnamese invasion that ousted the genocidal Khmer Rouge.

After a 10-year occupation, Vietnamese forces withdrew from Cambodia in 1989, but Hun Sen's Cambodia People's Party still maintains a friendly relationship with this country's more powerful eastern neighbour, a historical enemy turned ambivalent ally.

Because of this history, Rainsy has long maintained fierce opposition to alleged Vietnamese encroachment into Cambodia that, some say, teeters perilously close to bigotry. Although Rainsy insists he does not condone violence against ethnic Vietnamese living here, his speeches over the course of his two-decade political career have often included harsh rhetoric against the unpopular minority, telling supporters he will make sure they are removed from Cambodia.

In 2009, he led a rally to uproot border markers he said were illegally placed in a Cambodian rice field. He was later prosecuted for racial incitement and forced to flee the country.

In a visit to Phnom Penh this week, the UN's special rapporteur for human rights in Cambodia, Surya Subedi, made a rare rebuke of the opposition. Subedi said he was gravely concerned about recent shootings of protesters and other serious rights violations by Hun Sen's government, but also about the tone of the CNRP's rhetoric and the race-based lootings along Veng Sreng Street.

"I am alarmed by the anti-Vietnamese language allegedly used in public by the opposition," he said in a statement Thursday.
'Misunderstandings'

Ou Virak, a prominent activist who heads the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, has spoken out about his fears that Rainsy is engaging in potentially dangerous race-baiting, and condemned the leader's frequent, often emotionally-charged use of the term "yuon"- a word for the Vietnamese that can be derogatory in some contexts.

In return, over the past month he has been subjected to a torrent of online abuse, and even death threats, over his comments. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders has issued an urgent statement about Virak's situation, calling upon Rainsy to publicly speak out against the threats, which the opposition leader has not yet done.

Virak says the CNRP's focus on the Vietnamese is pure scapegoating that diverts attention from more pressing issues facing all Cambodians, such as poor infrastructure, rapid deforestation, and rampant human rights abuses by Hun Sen's government.

"They are using race politics to blind our judgment and our ability to debate the many credible issues that affect people's daily lives," he said.

When asked why he had not condemned the threats against Virak, Rainsy told Al Jazeera that he condemns all forms of violence.

He added that Subedi's criticisms were based on a "misunderstanding and misinterpretation" of Cambodian language and culture.

"The Cambodian people in general, and the Cambodian National Rescue Party, in particular, we do not view any country, any people, as hostile. But we consider that the current policies of the current government in Vietnam, their policies toward Cambodia are not very friendly, not very constructive," he clarified, citing allegations of Vietnamese encroachment along the border and Vietnamese companies granted concessions to log in forests here.

But even if Rainsy himself condemns violence, he may not be in full control of the anti-Vietnamese sentiment he has mobilised in the streets. During opposition demonstrations, cries of "yuon animals" and "yuon dogs" can often be heard from street protesters, often directed toward police and security forces.

Historical legacy

Phuong Sopheak, 27, is a fervent opposition activist who joined the CNRP in June. Inspired by the possibility of change, he attends many anti-government protests, including the one along Veng Sreng Street. He says he likes the CNRP's proposals to help Cambodia develop faster, but is especially drawn to the party's stance against Vietnamese migration. He is also convinced that many top government officials are Vietnamese masquerading as Cambodians.

"They sent their people to Cambodia and installed Hun Sen as the leader, and they want to get Cambodian territory," he said

He said that many small-scale Vietnamese businessmen like Sok Min were actually spies, although they did not deserve to be the victims of violence.

"Some of those coffee shop owners are spies coming to get information from Cambodia," he said. "Of course they may claim that Cambodia is a good place for business and living, but I have seen their identity cards and they are Vietnamese police."

In adopting a harsh tone toward the Vietnamese, Rainsy and the CNRP are cannily exploiting a long and complicated history of mutual mistrust between Cambodia and Vietnam that has been punctuated by outbreaks of violence. The Mekong Delta region was Cambodian territory until it was conquered by Vietnam in the 18th century; many Cambodians remain bitter about the loss, pointedly referring to the area as "lower Cambodia."

During their rule in the late 1970s, the Khmer Rouge adopted virulently anti-Vietnamese policies. The internal purges that convulsed the regime in the years before its ouster were driven in part by paranoia over possible Vietnamese spies, while Pol Pot's bloody anti-Vietnamese pogroms along the border were the impetus for Vietnam's 1979 invasion, which drove the Khmer Rouge into Thailand.

Hun Sen still enjoys a cozy relationship with Hanoi, his longtime patron, and his closeness to Cambodia's historic enemy provides an easy target for the CNRP. On a recent visit to Vietnam, he delivered a speech in fluent Vietnamese about friendship between the two nations; a YouTube clip of the event quickly garnered hundreds of angry comments.

The government has also undoubtedly been lax in enforcing immigration laws when it comes to Vietnamese economic migrants like Sok Min, many of whom are, in turn, unswervingly loyal to the CPP.

'They lost everything'

Cheam Yeap, a senior CPP lawmaker, defended the government's policies toward Vietnam as a simple matter of expedient cooperation with a powerful neighbor.

"The CNRP paints Vietnam as an enemy and discriminates against a nation that is our neighbor," he said. "It's very dangerous, and strongly affects our national interests - Vietnamese tourists and investors will be scared and stop coming."

David Chandler, a professor emeritus at Monash University who has studied Cambodia for decades, called Rainsy's accusations against the Vietnamese "claptrap".

"[Rainsy] seldom documents his accusations," he noted. "To be sure, Vietnamese agribusinesses are causing harm in Cambodia, but so are Malaysian ones, Korean ones, Chinese ones." He said it was unlikely that small-scale shopkeepers and other economic migrants from Vietnam were harming Cambodian interests.

Ben Daravy was busy this week sweeping up the shophouse she owns along Veng Sreng Street and trying to get it in shape for another tenant. The previous renter, a Vietnamese single mother, fled on January 3 after a mob broke down the door of her coffee shop, carried away her furniture and cooking equipment, and threatened to burn down the building. The woman escaped out the back door with her daughter and never returned.

"They brought gasoline to burn down the house, and they would have burned it down, but a neighbor stopped them, telling them that the real owner of this shop is Khmer and not Vietnamese," Ms. Daravy said, her voice rising.

"The Vietnamese owner lost everything, I lost a lot, and I cannot help her at all," she said.

By: barokah On 12:07:00 PM

Monday, February 10, 2014

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Archives destroyed

Rich history

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Looking for a luxurious place to rest your head during your next vacation? Check out these high-end hotels in the United States.

January 28, 2014, 2:18 PM

Courtesy Sea Island

The Lodge at Sea Island in Sea Island, Ga., has seven restaurants and three 18-hole golf courses.

Corey Weiner / redsquarephoto.co/Corey Weiner / redsquarephoto.co

The Grand Del Mar in San Diego, Calif., is known for its sweeping terraces and open-air walkways.

Courtesy The Four Seasons Hotels

The Four Seasons Hotel Seattle is a favorite among travelers for its convenience and comfort.

Courtesy Palmetto Bluff Resort

The Inn at Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, S.C., is famous for its Southern charm and hospitality.

January 28, 2014, 3:36 PM

SAM COSTANZA FOR NEW YORK DAILY

Left to right: Christian Perez, Manuel Rondon, Anthony Aquino and John Rodriguez in 2010 near where they were arrested for hitting a cop with a snowball.

Surveillance video captured the four young men’s encounter with the police officer, Adonis Ramirez.

Enid, Alvarez/New York Daily News

Christin Perez (left) said he and his friends were involved in a snowball fight, but that they hit the off-duty cop on accident.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Preserve Aims to Keep African Elephants Healthy, in Shape and Breeding

26, 2014 10:34 p.m.

Friday, January 24, 2014

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