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on February 10, 2021 0

 

These places are amazing to visit when you come to Battambang.

1.  Ancient Central Market

The Battambang Central Market, mostly known as the Cloth Market, was built when Cambodia was under French colonization. The mall was built by Lewis Chochung in 1936, using the art deco style of the building at the time. 

The market building is divided into two parts, west and east. In the middle of both sections is Street 2 across the market. Apart from being a shop for traders of all kinds, this market is also a popular destination for tourists who like to build historic buildings.

 


2. Ancient Pagoda

The 300-year-old temple at Wat Samrong Knong in Samrong Knong village, Samrong Knong commune, Ek Phnom district, Battambang province, may be preserved as a cultural property or a national heritage site to attract tourists to visit and research. Mr. Miech Som, Governor of Ek Phnom District, mentioned that the history of Wat Samrong Knong is the oldest compared to other pagodas in Battambang Province, with an area of ​​29,937 square meters, built during the Buddhist era 2250 AD 1707. At that time, the pagoda was a cemetery with large forests, including a large Samrong tree with a diameter of 2 meters. Therefore, only after the construction of the pagoda, the Khmer ancestors at that time named it "Wat Samrong Knong".


 

3. Ancient House

Mrs. Bun Roeung's ancient house was built in 1920, made of three types of wood, with a roof and pillars made of hong hong wood, made of island wood, the inside of the house made of beng wood during the reign of King Sisowath. This was built by Duke Nou Chek Ping and his wife, Mrs. Yin. The tycoon was the commander, but in his old age he changed to be a lawyer. They have 7 children: 1 boy, 6 girls. After his death, the house was ruled by his sixth daughter, Nou Phon, and her husband, Bun Chuy, both parents of the current owner. The traditional house is located in Watkor village, Sangkat Watkor, Battambang city, Battambang province, 2 km from Battambang provincial hall. In Wat Kor village, there are 20 ancient houses, but only 2 ancient houses can be visited. The house now has three generations of caretakers.  

 


4. Phum Bannan Ancient Temple

Banan Temple was built in the middle of the 11th century and the end of the 12th century. The first king to build was Udayadityavarman II (1050-1066), later succeeded by Jayavarman VII (1181-1219). This tower is built on the top of Banan Mountain, stacked like Angkor Wat, but a separate structure made of brick, limestone and sandstone. HENRY MOUHOT, a French archaeologist who discovered Angkor Wat, reported 140 years ago that the water in the sacred cave, which drank it, brought to light the past, the future and the present. The name of the cave at that time was called Preah Teuk Cave (Sacred Water Cave).

5. Ek Phnum Ancient Temple

Ek Phnom Temple was built in the 11th century AD in 1027 during the reign of King Suryavarman I (1002-1050) during the Mohanakor period to dedicate to the deity of Brahmanism. This ancient temple has a courtyard of about 30 meters and a gallery around the temple from east to west is 25 meters long and from south to north is 49 meters long, equal squares made of sandstone. Facing east, it is built on a two-story ridge, with a gallery surrounding the towers of the temple and a laterite wall, and a moat surrounding it. And this temple has many Po trees growing around it, creating a cool shade and fresh air. On the south side of the temple, there is a moat that has now become a pond for monks to use regularly.  

 


6. Phnom Sampov Mountain

Phnom Sampov is a natural resort located on National Road 57 (formerly National Road 10) in Phnom Sampov commune, Banan district. This mountain is about 100 meters high, 1,030 steps, 12 kilometers from Battambang provincial town. On the top of the mountain there is a pagoda called Wat Kirirom and there are many caves, a total of 12 caves, including: 1. Flower cave 2. Chest washing cave 3. Wind cave 4. Cave to dress up 5. Drama Cave 6. Chrey Cave 7. Diamond Cave 8. Cross Cave 9. Oil cave 10. Station cave or big cave 11. Ghost Cave 12. Bat caves, but the only caves that visitors can visit are Pkasla Cave and Theater Cave.

 


 See video below for more amazing place in Battambang province.

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on December 28, 2020 0

 

Battambang - The flooded forest is the heart of all kinds of biodiversity​ and it is a resource for people to harvesting or fishing. In recent years, flooded forests have been plagued by deforestation and encroachment on some trees.

Seeing that the remaining flooded forest is dwindling, the fishing community Sdey Krom has initiated the idea of planting Romdenh, which is a rare type of flooded forest and can be as beneficial to the community as its fruits can be sold, said Mr. Hor Sam Ath, Deputy of the Sdey Krom Community Fisheries.

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on February 14, 2020 0


SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia (Quoted from Reuters) - The daily death toll in the Chinese province at the center of the coronavirus outbreak halved on Friday, officials said while passengers on a cruise ship blocked from five countries due to virus fears finally disembarked in Cambodia.

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen welcomes passenger of MS Westerdam, a cruise ship that spent two weeks at sea after being turned away by five countries over fears that someone aboard might have the coronavirus, as it docks in Sihanoukville, Cambodia February 14, 2020. REUTERS/Stringer




The HE Kouch Chamroeun Facebook Page: The Remarked by HE Kouch Chamroeun, Governor of Preah Sihanouk Provincial Council, recommends Taipei Lanes to transport tourists on the port from Sihanoukville to the Kangaroo Airport. The morning of February 13, 2020. It would be highlighted that for the safety of all, the Ministry of Health of the Ministry of Health inspected all passengers' health before being allowed to leave the ship and continued on the bus and boarded at the Kang Airport to the destination country. Alternatively, they have the option to continue visiting Sihanoukville or Siem Reap, with Senior Minister Sun Chanthol and His Excellency Kouch Chamroeun coordinating.
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on September 07, 2019 0

A young Cambodian girl came up to a local television station to show off her amazing ability to think calculating, faster than a calculator.

8-year-old Chun Chan Sreymith has just shown her quick thinking ability in calculating the number more than 20 floor of numbers quickly, no hesitation, even if the writer and the calculator did not match to. 

Please watch below:
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on August 24, 2019 0

Troops from Cambodia and Laos are facing off in the border area of Ang Duong in Preah Vihear province. Cambodian authorities are ready to evacuate two residents from their homes in the event of a firefight.

Local authorities are preparing to evacuate villagers in Boeng Teng village and Techo Morakot village of Morak commune as well as Senor Prosper 5 village of Teuk Red commune Located near the border with Laos, if the situation becomes tense, which could lead to an armed clash between the Cambodian and Lao troops.

The local authority confirmed that this was the first time there had been tension between the Khmer and Lao troops at this point Three angles. He did not know the exact motive for the incident, but said that on August 14, the Khmer army had Patrolling along the border, the Lao side suddenly sent more forces, creating a confrontational situation between the troops. The two armies: “I didn't dare to preach That it hasn't happened yet. If there is a risk of firearms explosion, I have a command from the top of the authority to issue, for example, then I can Follow them. If that is not the order, then we have control. ”

Clike here for full Story: កម្ពុជា​ត្រៀម​ជម្លៀស​ប្រជាជន ​២​ឃុំ​ជាប់​ព្រំដែន​ឡាវ ក្នុង​ករណី​ផ្ទុះ​អាវុធ​ជាមួយ​ទាហាន​ឡាវ
Source: from RFA Khmer, Translated by Google Translate. 
  
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on August 06, 2019 0

One Python has been resued from fire burnt in flood forest in the area of Sdey Krom community fisheries. Mr. Hor Samat, the head of community said that he and the patrol team had been inspecting the floodplain's fire at Daun Om .  He found a python weighing around 13kg, which was fleeing from bushfire. He took the Python to release in his fish conservation. 

 See the below video of the activities: 

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on May 25, 2019 0

Wildlife Guardian film on real life in the protection and preservation of the natural resources of Monk Bun Saluth was screened at Wat Langka on May 20 More than 600 participants - students, monks, national and international representatives.

"I hope the film will inspire them and provide an experience for He was more familiar with the role of the monk and the role of Bun Saluth, who he devoted to protecting wildlife and we will continue to screen films. This is everywhere Odd levels in schools. Mr. Ouk Makara, director of Wild Guides, said.

Among the audience, Miss Sa Julie, who studied history at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, praised the monks who defended and protected the natural resources. For 19 years. As a Khmer, I will take him as a role model in contributing to the protection of natural resources.

Meanwhile, a monk named Preoung Sok Leap also said: "For me, after watching this video, I was curious. Joining Forests In the past, I've been involved, but little because it's busy, and this is a good story. Will Bun Saluth's will, which he seeks to preserve Oddar Meanchey perfectly.

The 32,000-hectare bush forest is regarded as the most conservative forest in the Asia-Pacific region. In that, Venerable Bun Saluth was a former military adviser to a forestry monk, a natural area rich in wildlife, forestry, biodiversity and natural resources. Rich, the former Khmer Rouge resistance area in Anlong Veng district. Preah Vihear has preserved the area's forests from being cleared and clearing mines and clearing infrastructure in the forest of Preah Vihear. 

Venerable Bun Saluth expressed his commitment: "I will make the forest a hundred thousand years, and I will expand it. My activities go elsewhere because in Oddar Meanchey there are 13 communities I will support them even though the wood at the site has been cut down. Destroyed. "
 
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on March 18, 2019 0


PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA  — 
On the night of Jan. 16, Kol Sat could not locate her husband even after contacting everyone she thought might know the whereabouts of Kong Mas.

The next morning, her mother-in-law called with news: Police were questioning Kong Mas after arresting him the day before.

Kol Sat, a garment worker in Phnom Penh, told VOA her husband had accepted a friend’s invitation to have coffee only to be picked up by authorities around 9:30 a.m., just hours after Kong Mas arrived in Phnom Penh from Siem Reap province, where he worked as a construction supervisor.

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on November 19, 2018 0

From VOA News — 
Hundreds of protesters have turned out in central London and blocked off the capital's main bridges to demand the government take climate change seriously.
A group called "Extinction Rebellion" encouraged sit-ins on the bridges Saturday as part of a coordinated week of action across the country. Metropolitan Police said emergency vehicles were hampered from getting across London because of the "blockade" of five bridges. The force said it had asked all protesters to congregate at Westminster Bridge where officers can facilitate lawful protest. About two dozen people were arrested on Monday after protesters blocked traffic and glued themselves to gates outside the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

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on November 16, 2018 0

From VOA News CAMBODIA — 
The last surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge that brutally ruled Cambodia in the 1970s were convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes Friday by an international tribunal.

Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan were sentenced to life in prison, the same sentence they are already serving after earlier convictions at a previous trial for crimes against humanity connected with forced transfers and mass disappearances of people. Cambodia has no death penalty.

Both men have suggested they were targets of political persecution.

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on November 15, 2018 0

From VOA News —
A team of archaeologists in Bolivia said they have discovered tombs containing over a hundred bundles of artifacts and human remains dating more than 500 years old that belonged to an indigenous civilization that once inhabited the region.
Bolivia's Ministry of Cultures and Tourism authorized the dig more than three months ago after a mining project discovered archaeological remains in the area.

Archaeologists found the tombs, which they say may have belonged to the Pacajes people, in an underground burial chamber located some 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) southwest of Bolivia's capital La Paz.

"Inside the cemetery we found two special tombs, one of which had about 108 individuals inside. They were badly deteriorated, but we were able to recover objects the individuals were buried with," said archaeologist Wanderson Esquerdo.

While two of the tombs had been ransacked, the others remained intact, he said.
To reach the tombs, scientists had to lower themselves through a circular chimney just 70 cm (27.5 inches) in diameter and 3 meters (9 feet) deep.

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on November 15, 2018 0

As the Democratic Republic of Congo battles the spread of the deadly Ebola virus, just across the border Ugandan survivors of a 2007 outbreak are reminded of the near-death experience they went through. Bundibugyo district at the border with Uganda and the DRC faced the brunt of the hemorrhagic disease as both health workers and residents lost their lives. Halima Athumani reports from Bundibugyo, in Uganda.


Read Full Story: Uganda’s Ebola Survivors Recall Disease’s Horrors on DRC Outbreak
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on November 15, 2018 0

From VOA News —  There are more gorillas in the mist — a rare conservation success story, scientists say.

After facing near-extinction, mountain gorillas are slowly rebounding. On Wednesday, the Switzerland-based International Union for Conservation of Nature updated mountain gorillas' status from "critically endangered" to "endangered," a more promising, if still precarious, designation. There are now just over 1,000 of the animals in the wild, up from an estimated population of 680 a decade ago.

"In the context of crashing populations of wildlife around the world, this is a remarkable conservation success," said Tara Stoinski, president and chief scientist of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.

The Atlanta-based nonprofit is named for the primate researcher whose work helped draw international attention to mountain gorillas and whose memoir became the basis for the 1988 Sigourney Weaver film "Gorillas in the Mist."
"This is a beacon of hope — and it's happened in recently war-torn and still very poor countries," said Stoinski, who is also a member of the IUCN's primate specialist group, which recommended the status change.

Mountain gorillas live in lush and misty forests along a range of dormant volcanoes in east Africa. Their habitat falls inside national parks spanning parts of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Fossey, who died in 1985, had projected that the primates may be extinct by 2000. Instead, their populations have been slowly increasing thanks to sustained and well-funded international conservation efforts.

Read Full Story:  Rare Conservation Win: Mountain Gorilla Population Ticks Up
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on November 15, 2018 0




From VOA News — 
The online sale of sex slaves is going strong despite new U.S. laws to clamp down on the crime, data analysts said Wednesday, urging a wider use of technology to fight human trafficking.

In April, the United States passed legislation aimed at making it easier to prosecute social media platforms and websites that facilitate sex trafficking, days after a crackdown on classified ad giant Backpage.com.
The law resulted in an immediate and sharp drop in sex ads online but numbers have since picked up again, data presented at the Thomson Reuters Foundation's annual Trust Conference showed.

"The market has been destabilized and there are now new entrants that are willing to take the risk in order to make money," Chris White, a researcher at tech giant Microsoft who gathered the data, told the event in London.

Read Full story:  As Laws Fail to Slow Online Sex Trade, Experts Turn to Tech
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on November 03, 2018 0
From RFA - 
 
Dozens of nongovernmental organizations marked International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists Friday by slamming Cambodia for failing to hold the perpetrators of crimes against reporters and rights activists accountable and demanding independent, transparent probes of their cases.

“When journalists are targeted by violence for what they write or report, freedom of expression is stifled and replaced by self-censorship and fear; the public is denied information; and the powerful cannot be held to account,” said the statement, signed by 42 watchdogs—including global groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and local organizations Adhoc and Licadho.

“When the state fails to investigate and punish violence against journalists, it sends a chilling message that attacks on journalists are permissible.”

The NGOs noted that since 1994, at least 13 journalists have been murdered in Cambodia for their reporting, and that all but one of them were “engaged in activities that posed a direct threat to powerful individuals within the Cambodian elite.”

In 11 of the cases, no one was convicted for the murders, the groups said, while in seven, no suspect was arrested or interrogated. “Serious concerns remain” in the two cases where a trial took place, they added.

And while no journalists have been killed in the last two years in Cambodia, reporters are regularly targeted with judicial harassment, according to the statement, including trumped-up charges, and media outlets perceived as critical of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s regime have been forced to close.

The groups noted that impunity in Cambodia is not limited to attacks against journalists, citing the murders of environmental activist Chut Wutty, trade unionists Chea Vichea and Ros Sovannareth, and political analyst Kem Ley as representative of “the thousands of instances of abuse” against outspoken critics that have “gone unaddressed” by authorities.

“We condemn the rampant impunity that harms Cambodian people and society and demand justice for all those whose rights have been cast aside,” the groups said.

“We call on the authorities to prosecute perpetrators of crimes committed against journalists and human rights defenders by undertaking effective, independent, and transparent investigations and prosecutions in accordance with international human rights standards … and to restore the integrity of the Cambodian legal system.”

Call for justice

Separately on Friday, Club of Cambodia Journalists president Pen Bona urged authorities to seek justice for the 13 slain journalists—Thou Char Mongkol, Nun Chan, Chan Dara, Thun Bun Ly, Chet Duong Daravuth, Pich Em, Dok Sokhan, Ou Saroeun, Chour Chetharith, Khim Sambo, Hang Serei Oudom, Suon Chan, and Taing Try.

Speaking in an interview with RFA’s Khmer Service, he said it was a “good sign” that no reporters had been killed in Cambodia over the past two years, but questioned why there have been no breakthroughs in finding those responsible for the 13 murders since 1994, despite authorities claiming that they continue to investigate the cases.

Ministry of Interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak could not be reached for comment Friday, but has previously pledged that authorities “won’t close those cases until the perpetrators are brought to justice.”

But Ministry of Justice spokesman Chin Malin on Friday hit out at the statement from the NGOs, telling RFA that “there is no impunity” in the cases of the slain journalists, as investigations continue.

“It isn’t impunity—it’s still at the investigative stage,” he said, adding that the cases are “complicated” and require more time to close.

Nop Vy of the Cambodian Center for Independent Media, however, refuted Chin Malin’s claims, noting that the journalists had all been killed after reporting on sensitive issues, including corruption scandals involving powerful people.

He urged authorities to “be more responsible” because journalists are working to improve society, and said a culture of impunity had negatively impacted local reporting.

“We have seen a delay in bringing justice to victims,” he said, adding that authorities should “speed up investigations to end impunity.”

Internet freedom

Friday’s statement came days after U.S. NGO Freedom House said in its annual “Freedom on the Net” report that of the 65 countries it monitors, Cambodia was one of five nations that “experienced the steepest deterioration in internet freedom over the last five years,” citing amendments initiated by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) that led to an uptick in arrests for online political commentary.

Freedom House designated Cambodia “partly free” with a score of 55 over the past year, on a scale where zero represents “most free” and 100 indicates “least free,” noting a crackdown on online dissent by Hun Sen’s government that led to a “surge in arrests and prison sentences,” and ensured his party’s victory ahead of a July 29 election.

Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan slammed the Freedom House report Friday as “bogus and lies,” saying Cambodia “doesn’t have any law restricting internet freedom.”

Phay Siphan said Hun Sen’s regime is working to improve internet access for everyone throughout the country, but warned that internet freedom “doesn’t give users free rein to insult people or incite violence.”

When asked about claims in the report that China has provided Cambodia with training on how to monitor the internet use of its citizens, the spokesman said that authorities “only monitor the internet to fight against terrorism and for other security reasons.”

Requesting happier news

Also on Friday, Hun Sen’s wife and Cambodia Red Cross chairwoman Bun Rany urged members of the local media to “decrease reporting on crimes, rapes, and deaths from traffic accidents,” asking them to instead focus on the work her husband’s government has done to develop the country.

Pro-government media outlet Fresh News quoted Bun Rany during a donation distribution in Kampong Chhnang province as saying that “local TV stations don’t broadcast news about government efforts that have helped to develop the country, but only about violent crimes, suicides, traffic accidents, rapes and killings.”

“Every morning, I only see news about people dying, rapes and killings. I would like to use this forum to appeal to all TV stations to broadcast government achievements instead of bad topics.”

The Red Cross chairwoman did not specify what kind of developments she would prefer the nation’s news organizations to focus on

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on November 02, 2018 0
From RFA NEWS-
Cambodian prisons are overcrowded, and the country’s criminal justice system must begin granting bail to citizens awaiting trial, the Cambodia-based rights group Licadho says in a new report.

Already troubled by violations of prisoners’ rights, disproportionate sentencing, and a rampant culture of corruption, the situation grew worse in 2017 when the numbers of prisoners dramatically increased when Phnom Penh began a war on drugs, the report “Time For Bail: Ending Needless Mass Detention" says.

Speaking to RFA’s Khmer Service, Licadho monitoring manager Am Sam Ath said “All 18 prisons that Licadho has worked with are holding three times as many prisoners as they should.”

“If the number of prisoners continues to increase, they will face even more issues,” Am Sam Ath said, adding that while Cambodia’s Prisons Department has built more prisons to accommodate the surge in numbers, these are still not enough.

Reached for comment, Justice Ministry spokesman Chin Malin acknowledged the increase in numbers, saying that as many as half of those detained while awaiting trial are being held on drug charges.

“Pretrial detentions are needed to maintain security and social order and to protect witnesses and for court proceedings,” he said, adding that if NGOs report that judges are holding suspects beyond the limits for pretrial detention, “we will take action.”

For the full story visit here:  https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/prisons-11012018180544.html
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on November 02, 2018 0
From RFA News-
On the night of July 23, water poured over a saddle dam at the Xe Pian Xe Namnoy (PNPC) hydropower project in Champassak, Laos, sweeping away homes and causing severe flooding in up to 12 villages downstream in Champassak and neighboring Attapeu province.

More than 40 villagers were killed and dozens were listed as missing, in what has been described as Laos’ worst flooding in decades.

The collapse of saddle dam D (one of 5 such structures at the dam complex) was not sudden. The government had been made aware that the dam was cracked earlier in the day.
Critics are now questioning if the authorities and PNPC had adequately prepared for the impending disaster prior to the dam bursting.

RFA’s Lao Service has procured a never-before-published first-hand record of communications between relevant officials in Attapeu and PNPC on the day of the disaster.

The report appears to show that the government was ill-equipped to handle the emergency, with notices going up and down the chain of command, redundant communications between PNPC and local and provincial government agencies, and general confusion about when to start evacuations.

For the full story visit here: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/pnpcdamexclusivereport-10312018135319.html
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on November 02, 2018 0


From VOA NEWS — 
Australia’s controversial refugee resettlement deal with Cambodia has expired and is “no longer an option” for the immediate future, the country’s Senate has been told.

Senator Richard Di Natale, the leader of the Australian Greens, pressed the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) on the future of the agreement in a Senate Estimates Hearing last week, transcripts of which were released Thursday.

“Senator, the MOU expired on the 26th of September so it’s no longer an option for refugees on Nauru to resettle into Cambodia,” DFAT’s people smuggling and human trafficking Ambassador Geoffrey Shaw told the committee.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne told senators her staff had alerted relevant agencies to death threats Cambodian ruling party agents had allegedly made against the country’s diaspora community.
“We are concerned about suggestions that individuals may be threatened in Australia," Payne said.
“That’s why we’ve made representations to the Cambodian government and it’s why we have forwarded those threats to a number of appropriate authorities in Australia. We don’t condone those activities and we take those allegations very seriously.”
In September, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on a campaign led by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s eldest son Hun Manet to exert influence in Australia by recruiting a force of exchange students.
Four senior members of Australia’s Cambodian community had received death threats, it reported.
Sok Eysan, spokesman for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), denied the allegations about death threats made by the CPP agents. He said it was a fake news fabricated by the opposition party to spoil the reputation of the CPP.
“I think that this information is a fake information which (was) invented by the opposition groups,” he said.
In June, the Australian parliament passed sweeping new foreign influence laws that targeted a raft of spying activities and introduced a register for individuals or entities undertaking activities on behalf of foreign principals.
Professor Thayer said Cambodia could inadvertently become an early target of that legislation.

For the full story visit here: https://www.voanews.com/a/australia-s-cambodia-refugee-deal-is-dead/4638263.html
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