วันศุกร์ที่ 20 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2555
วันอังคารที่ 25 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2553
Phnom Penh City Hall denies permit to KCC to hold the 61st Kampuchea Krom Loss Buddhist Memorial Ceremony
Unofficial translation in brief:
Phnom Penh City Hall Letter No. 285
On May 21, 2010, Phnom Penh Mayor Kep Chuktema declines to issue a permit to KKC, (The Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community), to observe the 61st Kampuchea Krom Loss Buddhist Memorial Service by honoring the heroic Buddhist leaders, Buddhist clergies, heroic kings, heroes and fallen compatriots by inviting the eminent 1,949 Buddhist monks and 2,000 person to attend to be presided by the highest representative of HM The King Norodom Sihamoni on June 4, 2010 in the public garden in front of Wat Padma (Botumvatei).
The mayor also suggests KKC to request the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts for the Chaktomuk National and International Hall for better security and public order.
The mayor also suggests KKC to request the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts for the Chaktomuk National and International Hall for better security and public order.
cc:
- The Council of Ministers
- The Ministry of Interior
- The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts
- The Phnom Penh Police Commission
- The Phnom Penh Military Police Central Command
- The Daun Penh District Office
- Archive
KKC Letter No. 10/10
On May 25, 2010, KKC Executive Director, Phnom Penh Councilman, and former Senator Thach Setha writes to the Minister of Culture and Fine Arts requesting the Chaktomuk National and International Hall to hold a Buddhist Offering Ceremony to the 1,949 Buddhist monks to honor the past Buddhist leaders, heroic Buddhist monks, heroic kings, heroes and fallen compatriots for their brave and noble cause for the Khmer Nation, Theravada Buddhism, and country, especially the Khmer national identity, Theravada Buddhism and Kampuchea Krom in every year on June 4, 2010.
2,000 persons are anticipated to attend and to be presided by the highest representative of HM The King Norodom Sihamoni.
Enclosure: One copy of the dated 21.05.2010 Phnom Penh Letter
2,000 persons are anticipated to attend and to be presided by the highest representative of HM The King Norodom Sihamoni.
Enclosure: One copy of the dated 21.05.2010 Phnom Penh Letter
Still in a temporary home, years after eviction
Former residents of Dey Krahorm sit beneath the sun-baked metal roof of a temporary structure in Dangkor district’s Damnak Trayeung village, where 58 families have been forced to live in squalid conditions since their eviction in July 2007. A representative of the families said they were hoping for better housing from developer 7NG. Meanwhile, a hearing at Phnom Penh Municipal Court in a case involving 13 other families evicted from Dey Krahorm was postponed Monday. (Photo by: Heng Chivoan)
Sun Ny, 60, says evictees in Dangkor district often sleep four people to a bed, and that illness is common due to poor sanitation. (Photo by: Will Baxter)Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Mom Kunthear and May Titthara
The Phnom Penh Post
Frustration builds amid court delays as Dey Krahorm families seek relocation
THE lawyer for 13 families seeking relocation housing from the developer 7NG after being violently evicted from the Dey Krahorm community in January 2009 was summoned to Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Monday, only to learn that a hearing in the case had been postponed because company representatives had failed to appear.
Meanwhile, hundreds of villagers who were evicted from the same central Phnom Penh community in 2007 – and who have been living in unsanitary conditions in Dangkor district ever since – said Monday that they plan next week to seek intervention from Prime Minister Hun Sen in their separate row with the company, which they say has left them homeless for nearly three years.
Te Channan, the lawyer, said he had intended to present evidence in support of his clients’ compensation requests, and that he was growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress in the case.
“7NG’s lawyer repeatedly asked me to deliver evidence on May 24 related to the 13 families who have not received homes, and the company was supposed to provide their evidence to me in return. But they did not show up, so we did not get any result,” he said, and added that he did not know when a new court date would be set.
David Pred, executive director of the rights group Bridges Across Borders Cambodia, said the fact that the families still have not received relocation housing is unacceptable.
“It is a crime that 7NG has left these ... families homeless for the last 16 months after it grabbed their land and demolished their homes,” he said.
“The court should hold 7NG accountable for this crime to the fullest extent of the law and order the company to pay the families the fair market value of their property, as well as damages for their lost income and other troubles since the eviction,” he added.
Chheang Bona, 7NG’s general manager, could not be reached for comment.
Pred said there were at least 22 families evicted from Dey Krahorm in 2009 that still need to be provided with relocation housing or compensation.
Members of families that were evicted from the site before then, however, say they too have been left high and dry by the company.
Oeuk Bun, 65, who moved with her family and 57 others to Dangkor’s Damnak Trayeung village after being forced to leave Dey Krahorm in July 2007, on Monday bemoaned the fact that, as the group waits to receive new housing, she has had no option but live in a shabby temporary structure built by 7NG that lacks access to water or toilets – conditions that often lead to illnesses such as diarrhoea.
She added that employment opportunities are lacking at the new site.
“Before I moved here, I earned about US$60 per month as a maid, but here I can earn only $15 per month cleaning vegetables and washing dishes at other people’s homes,” she said.
“I want the government to notice us and help us … to give us comfortable housing,” she said.
Sun Ny, 60, also said that illnesses were common. “Most of us get sick from diarrheoa, stomach aches, rashes and fever because we live in an unclean environment with a big pile of rubbish nearby,” she said.
“We want to meet Prime Minister Hun Sen to tell him about us, but it would not be easy because the police would stop us like they have in the past,” she said.
Mao Sothea, a representative of the 58 families, said she plans to send a petition to Hun Sen’s cabinet next week, asking him to intervene.
“We will file a complaint to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s cabinet next week, and we will all go to the prime minister’s house in Phnom Penh the same day to ask for help,” she said.
Reached on Monday, Phnom Penh Deputy Governor Mann Chhoeun declined to comment about the plight of the families, saying he believed that their cases had been settled.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY WILL BAXTER
THE lawyer for 13 families seeking relocation housing from the developer 7NG after being violently evicted from the Dey Krahorm community in January 2009 was summoned to Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Monday, only to learn that a hearing in the case had been postponed because company representatives had failed to appear.
Meanwhile, hundreds of villagers who were evicted from the same central Phnom Penh community in 2007 – and who have been living in unsanitary conditions in Dangkor district ever since – said Monday that they plan next week to seek intervention from Prime Minister Hun Sen in their separate row with the company, which they say has left them homeless for nearly three years.
Te Channan, the lawyer, said he had intended to present evidence in support of his clients’ compensation requests, and that he was growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress in the case.
“7NG’s lawyer repeatedly asked me to deliver evidence on May 24 related to the 13 families who have not received homes, and the company was supposed to provide their evidence to me in return. But they did not show up, so we did not get any result,” he said, and added that he did not know when a new court date would be set.
David Pred, executive director of the rights group Bridges Across Borders Cambodia, said the fact that the families still have not received relocation housing is unacceptable.
“It is a crime that 7NG has left these ... families homeless for the last 16 months after it grabbed their land and demolished their homes,” he said.
“The court should hold 7NG accountable for this crime to the fullest extent of the law and order the company to pay the families the fair market value of their property, as well as damages for their lost income and other troubles since the eviction,” he added.
Chheang Bona, 7NG’s general manager, could not be reached for comment.
Pred said there were at least 22 families evicted from Dey Krahorm in 2009 that still need to be provided with relocation housing or compensation.
Members of families that were evicted from the site before then, however, say they too have been left high and dry by the company.
Oeuk Bun, 65, who moved with her family and 57 others to Dangkor’s Damnak Trayeung village after being forced to leave Dey Krahorm in July 2007, on Monday bemoaned the fact that, as the group waits to receive new housing, she has had no option but live in a shabby temporary structure built by 7NG that lacks access to water or toilets – conditions that often lead to illnesses such as diarrhoea.
She added that employment opportunities are lacking at the new site.
“Before I moved here, I earned about US$60 per month as a maid, but here I can earn only $15 per month cleaning vegetables and washing dishes at other people’s homes,” she said.
“I want the government to notice us and help us … to give us comfortable housing,” she said.
Sun Ny, 60, also said that illnesses were common. “Most of us get sick from diarrheoa, stomach aches, rashes and fever because we live in an unclean environment with a big pile of rubbish nearby,” she said.
“We want to meet Prime Minister Hun Sen to tell him about us, but it would not be easy because the police would stop us like they have in the past,” she said.
Mao Sothea, a representative of the 58 families, said she plans to send a petition to Hun Sen’s cabinet next week, asking him to intervene.
“We will file a complaint to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s cabinet next week, and we will all go to the prime minister’s house in Phnom Penh the same day to ask for help,” she said.
Reached on Monday, Phnom Penh Deputy Governor Mann Chhoeun declined to comment about the plight of the families, saying he believed that their cases had been settled.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY WILL BAXTER
Still in a temporary home, years after eviction
Former residents of Dey Krahorm sit beneath the sun-baked metal roof of a temporary structure in Dangkor district’s Damnak Trayeung village, where 58 families have been forced to live in squalid conditions since their eviction in July 2007. A representative of the families said they were hoping for better housing from developer 7NG. Meanwhile, a hearing at Phnom Penh Municipal Court in a case involving 13 other families evicted from Dey Krahorm was postponed Monday. (Photo by: Heng Chivoan)Sun Ny, 60, says evictees in Dangkor district often sleep four people to a bed, and that illness is common due to poor sanitation. (Photo by: Will Baxter)Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Mom Kunthear and May Titthara
The Phnom Penh Post
Frustration builds amid court delays as Dey Krahorm families seek relocation
THE lawyer for 13 families seeking relocation housing from the developer 7NG after being violently evicted from the Dey Krahorm community in January 2009 was summoned to Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Monday, only to learn that a hearing in the case had been postponed because company representatives had failed to appear.
Meanwhile, hundreds of villagers who were evicted from the same central Phnom Penh community in 2007 – and who have been living in unsanitary conditions in Dangkor district ever since – said Monday that they plan next week to seek intervention from Prime Minister Hun Sen in their separate row with the company, which they say has left them homeless for nearly three years.
Te Channan, the lawyer, said he had intended to present evidence in support of his clients’ compensation requests, and that he was growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress in the case.
“7NG’s lawyer repeatedly asked me to deliver evidence on May 24 related to the 13 families who have not received homes, and the company was supposed to provide their evidence to me in return. But they did not show up, so we did not get any result,” he said, and added that he did not know when a new court date would be set.
David Pred, executive director of the rights group Bridges Across Borders Cambodia, said the fact that the families still have not received relocation housing is unacceptable.
“It is a crime that 7NG has left these ... families homeless for the last 16 months after it grabbed their land and demolished their homes,” he said.
“The court should hold 7NG accountable for this crime to the fullest extent of the law and order the company to pay the families the fair market value of their property, as well as damages for their lost income and other troubles since the eviction,” he added.
Chheang Bona, 7NG’s general manager, could not be reached for comment.
Pred said there were at least 22 families evicted from Dey Krahorm in 2009 that still need to be provided with relocation housing or compensation.
Members of families that were evicted from the site before then, however, say they too have been left high and dry by the company.
Oeuk Bun, 65, who moved with her family and 57 others to Dangkor’s Damnak Trayeung village after being forced to leave Dey Krahorm in July 2007, on Monday bemoaned the fact that, as the group waits to receive new housing, she has had no option but live in a shabby temporary structure built by 7NG that lacks access to water or toilets – conditions that often lead to illnesses such as diarrhoea.
She added that employment opportunities are lacking at the new site.
“Before I moved here, I earned about US$60 per month as a maid, but here I can earn only $15 per month cleaning vegetables and washing dishes at other people’s homes,” she said.
“I want the government to notice us and help us … to give us comfortable housing,” she said.
Sun Ny, 60, also said that illnesses were common. “Most of us get sick from diarrheoa, stomach aches, rashes and fever because we live in an unclean environment with a big pile of rubbish nearby,” she said.
“We want to meet Prime Minister Hun Sen to tell him about us, but it would not be easy because the police would stop us like they have in the past,” she said.
Mao Sothea, a representative of the 58 families, said she plans to send a petition to Hun Sen’s cabinet next week, asking him to intervene.
“We will file a complaint to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s cabinet next week, and we will all go to the prime minister’s house in Phnom Penh the same day to ask for help,” she said.
Reached on Monday, Phnom Penh Deputy Governor Mann Chhoeun declined to comment about the plight of the families, saying he believed that their cases had been settled.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY WILL BAXTER
THE lawyer for 13 families seeking relocation housing from the developer 7NG after being violently evicted from the Dey Krahorm community in January 2009 was summoned to Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Monday, only to learn that a hearing in the case had been postponed because company representatives had failed to appear.
Meanwhile, hundreds of villagers who were evicted from the same central Phnom Penh community in 2007 – and who have been living in unsanitary conditions in Dangkor district ever since – said Monday that they plan next week to seek intervention from Prime Minister Hun Sen in their separate row with the company, which they say has left them homeless for nearly three years.
Te Channan, the lawyer, said he had intended to present evidence in support of his clients’ compensation requests, and that he was growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress in the case.
“7NG’s lawyer repeatedly asked me to deliver evidence on May 24 related to the 13 families who have not received homes, and the company was supposed to provide their evidence to me in return. But they did not show up, so we did not get any result,” he said, and added that he did not know when a new court date would be set.
David Pred, executive director of the rights group Bridges Across Borders Cambodia, said the fact that the families still have not received relocation housing is unacceptable.
“It is a crime that 7NG has left these ... families homeless for the last 16 months after it grabbed their land and demolished their homes,” he said.
“The court should hold 7NG accountable for this crime to the fullest extent of the law and order the company to pay the families the fair market value of their property, as well as damages for their lost income and other troubles since the eviction,” he added.
Chheang Bona, 7NG’s general manager, could not be reached for comment.
Pred said there were at least 22 families evicted from Dey Krahorm in 2009 that still need to be provided with relocation housing or compensation.
Members of families that were evicted from the site before then, however, say they too have been left high and dry by the company.
Oeuk Bun, 65, who moved with her family and 57 others to Dangkor’s Damnak Trayeung village after being forced to leave Dey Krahorm in July 2007, on Monday bemoaned the fact that, as the group waits to receive new housing, she has had no option but live in a shabby temporary structure built by 7NG that lacks access to water or toilets – conditions that often lead to illnesses such as diarrhoea.
She added that employment opportunities are lacking at the new site.
“Before I moved here, I earned about US$60 per month as a maid, but here I can earn only $15 per month cleaning vegetables and washing dishes at other people’s homes,” she said.
“I want the government to notice us and help us … to give us comfortable housing,” she said.
Sun Ny, 60, also said that illnesses were common. “Most of us get sick from diarrheoa, stomach aches, rashes and fever because we live in an unclean environment with a big pile of rubbish nearby,” she said.
“We want to meet Prime Minister Hun Sen to tell him about us, but it would not be easy because the police would stop us like they have in the past,” she said.
Mao Sothea, a representative of the 58 families, said she plans to send a petition to Hun Sen’s cabinet next week, asking him to intervene.
“We will file a complaint to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s cabinet next week, and we will all go to the prime minister’s house in Phnom Penh the same day to ask for help,” she said.
Reached on Monday, Phnom Penh Deputy Governor Mann Chhoeun declined to comment about the plight of the families, saying he believed that their cases had been settled.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY WILL BAXTER
Cambodian accused of arson gets lawyer
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post
Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post
THE Cambodian embassy in Bangkok has found a lawyer to represent a man accused of committing an arson attack on a bank during violent protests in the Thai capital last week, officials said.
San Mony Phet, 27, a native of Battambang province, was arrested by Thai authorities on Wednesday outside the Bangkok beverage shop where he is employed, on suspicion of involvement in an arson attack committed by antigovernment Red Shirt protesters.
Koy Kuong, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Monday that a Thai attorney has been found to defend him when he appears in court.
“We will try our best to help him,” he said Monday, and added that Cambodian embassy officials and the man’s wife went to meet him in custody on Sunday.
Cambodian officials have so far denied San Mony Phet’s involvement in the protests. Koy Kuong said the suspect has worked legally in Thailand for five years and is married to a Thai woman, who has cooperated with embassy officials and Thai authorities in order to expedite the release of her husband.
At least 86 people were killed and around 1,900 injured in clashes between government forces and Red Shirts before the protesters were dispersed by force last week.
San Mony Phet, 27, a native of Battambang province, was arrested by Thai authorities on Wednesday outside the Bangkok beverage shop where he is employed, on suspicion of involvement in an arson attack committed by antigovernment Red Shirt protesters.
Koy Kuong, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Monday that a Thai attorney has been found to defend him when he appears in court.
“We will try our best to help him,” he said Monday, and added that Cambodian embassy officials and the man’s wife went to meet him in custody on Sunday.
Cambodian officials have so far denied San Mony Phet’s involvement in the protests. Koy Kuong said the suspect has worked legally in Thailand for five years and is married to a Thai woman, who has cooperated with embassy officials and Thai authorities in order to expedite the release of her husband.
At least 86 people were killed and around 1,900 injured in clashes between government forces and Red Shirts before the protesters were dispersed by force last week.
Southeast Asia: Reactions to Thailand protests
25 May 2010
Written by Mong Palatino
Global Voices Online
For two months, Red Shirt protesters occupied the streets of Bangkok demanding the resignation of the prime minister. The protest camps have been dismantled already but the city is still reeling from the political crisis.
The violent confrontations between the heavily armed soldiers and protesters in the past week have stunned the world. What are the reactions of bloggers from neighbouring Southeast Asian nations?
A few days ago, the Thailand government revealed that Cambodian “mercenaries” were hired by the Red Shirts to sow violence in the city. This accusation elicited strong reactions in Cambodia. Khmerization reminds the Thailand government that there are many ethnic Khmers in Thailand who are already Thai citizens.
Filipino journalist Joe Torres visited a Red Shirt protest site
Written by Mong Palatino
Global Voices Online
For two months, Red Shirt protesters occupied the streets of Bangkok demanding the resignation of the prime minister. The protest camps have been dismantled already but the city is still reeling from the political crisis.
The violent confrontations between the heavily armed soldiers and protesters in the past week have stunned the world. What are the reactions of bloggers from neighbouring Southeast Asian nations?
A few days ago, the Thailand government revealed that Cambodian “mercenaries” were hired by the Red Shirts to sow violence in the city. This accusation elicited strong reactions in Cambodia. Khmerization reminds the Thailand government that there are many ethnic Khmers in Thailand who are already Thai citizens.
Many red shirt protesters were mainly made up of ethnic Khmers and Laotians living in the northeastern provinces of Thailand who are Thai citizens. We need to remember also that the Thai media owned by the Red Shirt Movement also accused the Abhisit government of dressing up Khmer prisoners in military uniform and sent them to crackdown on the red shirt recently. How true are these rumours? Nobody knows.The Son of the Khmer Empire believes the motive for spreading this rumor is to demonize Cambodians
I believe the rumour is circulated intentionally and politically in order to…make the Khmer as scapegaot to appease Thai anger against each other and turn the revenge/hatred towards Khmers and esp. the bloody Thai elite and royal family will not be held responsible for the bloodshed.A political cartoon about the Red Shirt protest crackdown in Bangkok. Cartoon created by Cambodian artist Bun Heang Ung
Filipino journalist Joe Torres visited a Red Shirt protest site
It was like our EDSA “revolutions.” There were raw emotions, spontaneous actions and a lot of fun. The people, many of them from the countryside, wanted the ruling party out. They wanted “change,” something we hear in our politicians campaign sorties these days.Kopisusu2 from Indonesia was also visiting Bangkok when the Red Shirts were still in the streets
Many analysts agree the protesters have a point. But as long as the demonstration lasts, the Red Shirts are cutting off the supply of joy to businesses in the Red Zone and impeding its flow to the entire economy.i eat padek, who blogs about Laos, reacts
Our old hotel, the VIP Golden House, is inside the zone. It will stay closed until the protesters leave, said the woman behind the desk with a stoic smile.
wow. red shirts, yellow shirts, thaksin vs. vejjajivait, it's all really confusing… most people have already heard about the recent violence consuming bangkok, thailand and killing it's land-of-smiles-and-etc tourism industrySoutheast Asian Archaeology newsblog warns that the protests are affecting attendance in museums near the protest zones
Most of you would be familiar with the protests going on in Bangkok, which have recently claimed lives due to clashes between the protesters and the authorities. The Fine Arts Department also report that museum visitorships have suffered greatly because of the protests, as the majority of the museums in Bangkok are located near the protest areas, and in some cases protesters have mistakenly stormed the museums!Musings from the Lion City, a Singapore blogger, analyzes Thailand’s political situation
Even if he wants to call fresh elections, Abhisit most probably can’t as the Bangkok elite that support him and put him in power will not allow it. They will probably also know that any elections will be won by the rural “Red Shirts”. Mistakes have been made by both sides in this conflict and I’m afraid the mistakes has piled up to such an extent that there’s no longer an easy way out for anyone.Twitter and Facebook were extensively used to monitor the situation in Bangkok. Jonathan Russell provides a better and clearer context about the usage of social media in relation to the Red Shirt protests
While I do agree Twitter, and more prominently Facebook, amplified hateful comments, many of the vitriol online (though worrying itself) can be put down to extreme opinions which do not represent the popular opinion.
A minority of Thais use Facebook (around 3 million) and Twitter (less than a million), and of these the comments came from a small percentage. For example, an vitriolic Facebook Group with 1,000 is large number but, in the bigger picture, is 0.03% of Thai Facebook members and clearly not representative of any kind of majority.
I agree that the manner in which social networks can legitimize vitriolic groups which grew in Thailand during the protests is worrying. As the average Facebook users is more likely in Bangkok, middle class or affluent, and not a red shirt, much of comments and rage were against the UDD and its protest.
Bokator: Ancient Cambodian martial arts resurrected
San Kimsean (middle) and his learners. Photo courtesy: Cambodia Sin Chew Daily
Ancient Khmer boxing in action. Photo courtesy: Cambodia Sin Chew Daily
The learners practising the bokator in the rundown training ground. Photo courtesy: Cambodia Sin Chew Daily
Perrier giving a round-up of the making of his documentary film. Photo courtesy: Cambodia Sin Chew Daily
Through sketches, Perrier highlights the bokator moves' origin from animal fights. Photo courtesy: Cambodia Sin Chew Daily2010-05-25
MySinchew (Singapore)
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Bokator, an ancient Cambodian martial arts form whose origins date as far back as the 9th century, had almost died out before it was resurrected by the efforts of cultural workers. Thanks to a French instructor , it has even been brought to the silver screen now and is making a strong comeback throughout Cambodia.
According to historical records, bokator can be traced all the way back to the Khmer Empire in the 9th century. The people at the time initially created bokator as a way of fighting against wild beasts and self defence. The style originally emulated a lion's fight, however it gradually changed into a martial arts form and gave rise to many legends. From what we know, ancient Khmer soldiers had to learn bokator, and history books recorded that the Khmer army used bokator to defeat the invading Siamese troops during the 16th century.
However, with the passage of time, bokator has gradually faded into obscurity, and many Cambodians now are not even aware of it.
It was chance that brought well-known French artist Daniel Perrier into contact with bokator. Daniel, 50, is an instructor at the School of Fine Arts in Paris. He travelled to Cambodia in 2008 to personally study and research Cambodia's culture and arts. While sightseeing at Orussey Market, he picked up a flyer printed with a boxing image from the floor, arousing his curiosity and interest.
22 training centres around the country
After asking around a little, he arrived at the Olympic Stadium and saw a group of young people seriously practising boxing. Although the training ground and facilities were simple, the old instructor and his young learners did not let up in their effort. In addition, their moves were very unique and different from other boxing styles he had known, triggering his intention of making a documentary about this boxing style.
With the cooperation of the sole remaining bokator instructor San Kimsean, Perrier successfully completed his documentary (Une Breve Histoire du Boxkator) about bokator, enabling people around the world to learn about the origins and developments of this ancient martial arts.
Perrier also hopes that it will attract more young people to learn it, with 60% of the proceeds from sale of the documentary's DVD to be used to improve the training ground and its facilities. The duo's greatest wish is that bokator can spread and flourish beyond Cambodia's borders.
This documentary uses an all-new angle to talk about the origins and uniqueness of bokator. Through a personal lecture by bokator instructor San Kimsean and the effort the students put into their training, it is hoped that more young people will be attracted to take up bokator, so that this ancient martial art which has almost died out can be preserved and handed down to future generations.
Currently, aside from the bokator school in Phnom Penh, there are 22 other training centres all over Cambodia. Unfortunately, they are unable to secure any funding and are in a difficult situation for continued survival.
Instructor San Kimsean says he teaches this old martial art to young people in the hope that they are able to show their strength and confidence through it.
When talking about the difficulties in promoting bokator, he said, "It's like I have walked into a dream, and am building an ancient palace."
He believes his sacrifices and efforts are worthwhile, because while Cambodia is seeking social and economic development, its youth must also engage in healthy activities to vent their excess energy.
This documentary about bokator premiered at the French Cultural Centre on April 8.
(Translated by ALEX YUEN/Cambodia Sin Chew Daily)
According to historical records, bokator can be traced all the way back to the Khmer Empire in the 9th century. The people at the time initially created bokator as a way of fighting against wild beasts and self defence. The style originally emulated a lion's fight, however it gradually changed into a martial arts form and gave rise to many legends. From what we know, ancient Khmer soldiers had to learn bokator, and history books recorded that the Khmer army used bokator to defeat the invading Siamese troops during the 16th century.
However, with the passage of time, bokator has gradually faded into obscurity, and many Cambodians now are not even aware of it.
It was chance that brought well-known French artist Daniel Perrier into contact with bokator. Daniel, 50, is an instructor at the School of Fine Arts in Paris. He travelled to Cambodia in 2008 to personally study and research Cambodia's culture and arts. While sightseeing at Orussey Market, he picked up a flyer printed with a boxing image from the floor, arousing his curiosity and interest.
22 training centres around the country
After asking around a little, he arrived at the Olympic Stadium and saw a group of young people seriously practising boxing. Although the training ground and facilities were simple, the old instructor and his young learners did not let up in their effort. In addition, their moves were very unique and different from other boxing styles he had known, triggering his intention of making a documentary about this boxing style.
With the cooperation of the sole remaining bokator instructor San Kimsean, Perrier successfully completed his documentary (Une Breve Histoire du Boxkator) about bokator, enabling people around the world to learn about the origins and developments of this ancient martial arts.
Perrier also hopes that it will attract more young people to learn it, with 60% of the proceeds from sale of the documentary's DVD to be used to improve the training ground and its facilities. The duo's greatest wish is that bokator can spread and flourish beyond Cambodia's borders.
This documentary uses an all-new angle to talk about the origins and uniqueness of bokator. Through a personal lecture by bokator instructor San Kimsean and the effort the students put into their training, it is hoped that more young people will be attracted to take up bokator, so that this ancient martial art which has almost died out can be preserved and handed down to future generations.
Currently, aside from the bokator school in Phnom Penh, there are 22 other training centres all over Cambodia. Unfortunately, they are unable to secure any funding and are in a difficult situation for continued survival.
Instructor San Kimsean says he teaches this old martial art to young people in the hope that they are able to show their strength and confidence through it.
When talking about the difficulties in promoting bokator, he said, "It's like I have walked into a dream, and am building an ancient palace."
He believes his sacrifices and efforts are worthwhile, because while Cambodia is seeking social and economic development, its youth must also engage in healthy activities to vent their excess energy.
This documentary about bokator premiered at the French Cultural Centre on April 8.
(Translated by ALEX YUEN/Cambodia Sin Chew Daily)
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