US Says Court Corruption, Rights Abuses Still Rampant

April 22, 2013
By Zsombor Peter and Phorn Bopha
The Cambodia Daily

The U.S. has once again named the endemic corruption of Cambodia’s judicial system as the country’s leading human rights problem in its latest annual report on human rights around the world.

Released in Washington on Saturday by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, the report follows the first visit to Cambodia by a sitting U.S. head of state in No­vember, when President Barack Obama met with Prime Minister Hun Sen and criticized his government’s rights record during a private meeting.

Khmer New Year 2013 Celebration in San Jose

Khmer New Year 2013 San Jose by Cambodian Cultural Dance Troupe - Under Cambodian American Resource Agency - is the main catalyst for many Cambodian American Community programs and activities, including our Khmer New Year Celebration, Khmer Literacy Programs, and a number of other culturally rich and community based activities.

(All Photos courtesy of C. T.)

Khmer new year photos celebrating at Norway

នមស្សការថ្វាយបង្គំសុំសីល  រាប់បាត្រ វេរចង្ហាន់ប្រគេនព្រះសង្ឃ ចំរើនព្រះបរិត្ត សម្តែងព្រះសទ្ធម្មវិ សេសទេនា និង ដា បង្សុកូល ។(Khmer new year photos celebrating at Norway  )

ពេលល្ងាចម៉ោង ១៧.០០ ដល់ម៉ោង២៤.០០ ( at 17 PM to 24 )

សុទ្ទរកថារបស់ព្រិទ្ធាចារ្យ គង្គ ប៊ុនឈឿន ស្វាគមន៍ភ្ញៀវកិត្តយស និងជំរាបអំពី បុណ្យចូលឆ្នាំថ្មី របាំជូនពរ  ពីធីផ្ទេរដំណែងទេវតាឆ្នាំចាស់ថ្វាយទេវតាឆ្នាំថ្មីអបដោយ ក្រុមឆៃយ៉ាំ  ជូនមេដាយ និង​បាច់ផ្កាដល់​តំណាងអាជ្ញាធរដែនដី  អង្គការក្រៅរដ្ឋាភិបាល ជូនបាច់​ផ្កាដល់ចាស់ទុំអ្នកដឹកនាំកម្មវិធី ទទួលទានអាហារ លេងល្បែងប្រជាប្រិយ (Hiphop dace)  និងរាំកំសាន្ត ។

 

ហេតុអ្វីបុរសខ្លះចូលចិត្តរន្វគូទ?​Why Some Men Like like something different ?

ប្រាំបីចំនុចដែលស្រីៗមិនចូលចិត្ត eight Positions Which Girls never like

Cambodia's ancient finger dance makes comeback

A Cambodian student dances during a rehearsal at the Chaktomuk conference hall in Phnom Penh, December 18, 2012. Apsara dance, a classical style of the Angkorian era, nearly vanished in the 1970s under Cambodia's Khmer Rouge communist regime, which exterminated much of the country's heritage along with up to two million people

Cambodian Apsara dancer performs during a ceremony at a hotel in Phnom Penh, December 17, 2012. Wrists bent and fingers curled, the immaculately dressed dancers perform a series of gestures that, according to ancient custom, carry the wishes of the Khmer kings to the heavens

 AFP News – 03/28/2013

Wrists bent and fingers curled, the immaculately dressed dancers perform a series of gestures that, according to ancient custom, carry the wishes of the Khmer kings to the heavens.

Sporting golden head-dresses, the dancers slowly stretch back their wrists and -- standing on one leg -- perform a set of moves with their hands representing offerings of leaves, flowers and fruit to the gods.

Apsara dance, a classical style of the Angkorian era, nearly vanished in the 1970s under Cambodia's Khmer Rouge communist regime, which exterminated much of the country's heritage along with up to two million people.

But the dance is making a comeback after its unique moves were painstakingly recorded by experts who studied sculptures and wall carvings from Angkor Wat's temples, which are roughly 1,000 years old.

Now it is a common sight at public ceremonies as well as in hotel lobbies in Cambodia's tourist hot-spots such as Siem Reap, home to the Angkor Wat complex, with the dance celebrated once more as part of the kingdom's unique culture.

It is also on a United Nations list preserving the world's "Intangible Heritage", giving global recognition to the once-threatened art form.

The dancers are picked when they are as young as seven for their aptitude and beauty, but also the flexibility and elegance of their hands.

A fine-arts school in Phnom Penh is training a new generation of dancers and while the exact number is unknown, officials and teachers believe there are now hundreds of young Apsara performers driving its revival.

US Firm to Open Its Second Casino in Cambodia

March 12, 2013
By Simon Lewis
The Cambodia Daily

A U.S.-listed gaming company is set to open its second casino in Cambodia next month, the company said as it announced its revenues had grown to more than $20 million in 2012.

Entertainment Gaming Asia Inc. (EGA), which is backed by Macau-based Melco International Development Limited and is listed on New York’s NASDAQ stock market, announced its financial results for 2012 on Thursday.

The company last year opened the Dreamworld Casino in Pailin province, and provides electronic gambling machines to Phnom Penh’s NagaWorld Casino and Thansur Bokor, the casino-hotel resort opened last year in Kampot province by the Sokimex Corporation. EGA also has a smaller operation in the Philippines.

The company saw revenues of $20.4 million last year, a growth of more than a fifth from $17.4 in 2011. But EGA’s earnings fell from $11.7 million in 2011 to $10.9 million last year, the company said in an announcement posted on its website.

According to the announcement, the company’s second Cam­bodian casino, in the border town of Poipet in Banteay Mean­chey province, is currently under construction, but is expected to be open for business in April.

“This $7.5 million project, which is being constructed as a stand-alone extension to an existing casino owned by a local Cambodian company, is scheduled to soft open on March 28, 2013, with approximately 300 premium [electronic gaming machine] seats,” it said of the Dreamworld Poipet project.

EGA’s Dreamworld Pailin casino opened its doors in May, and contributed $1.8 million to the company’s revenue in the year.

Most of that revenue, $1.3 million, came in the last three months of the year, as EGA upped its marketing efforts for the casino to draw in more gamblers, the announcement said.

“However, volatility remains as the company continues to refine its marketing programs,” the announcement said.

“The company expects to establish normalized operating results for Dreamworld Pailin with the next one or two quarters.”

EGA’s new Dreamworld Casino will join many others on Cambodia’s borders, which exploit the fact that while regional countries, including Cambodia, ban their own nationals from gambling, people from both Thailand and Vietnam cross into Cambodia to gamble.

NagaWorld, which holds an exclusive license to operate in Phnom Penh, announced profits of $113.1 million for 2012, and its Malaysian founder, Chen Lip Keong, was recently listed as a dollar billionaire by Forbes magazine.