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Cambodia: Bloggers still skeptical of Khmer Rouge tribunal after agreement

Geoffrey Cain · 20:29

After continuous delays in the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia's (ECCC's) tribunal proceedings, the United Nations and the Cambodian Bar Association reached an agreement last week on how much the CBA can charge volunteer tribunal attorneys. Although this is a step forward in securing transitional justice for Cambodians, international bodies and the Cambodian government are still debating over when the actual trial will begin.

Cambodian bloggers, in response, are still skeptical over promises of reconciliation.

According to Details are Sketchy, the ECCC's endeavors will never be good enough to heal the trauma so engrained in Khmer society. The trial, likewise, should be considered purely a justice initiative, rather than a form of emotional therapy for victims.

Can a trial at this late stage ever hope to ease such venomous hatred? Probably not. For all the KRT hopes to contribute, it will never be able to completely slay the demons of Cambodia’s past. Only time can do that.

KI Media, citing Stanford Review writer Allison Rhines, notes that this agreement is merely a small step towards a grander agreement on the tribunal, and that more pressing issues sit on the table.

The registration fee dispute has been only one in a long string of many minor issues that have stalled progress toward an international trial for the last decade. Agreement on whether to organize a court to try the leaders of the Khmer Rouge was reached only in 2003, at the culmination of five years and eleven rounds of negotiations. Last summer, the UN officially allotted three years for the undertaking; almost a full year of that time has already been spent on bureaucratic hang-ups.

Rhines also observes a possible “foot-dragging” strategy on the part of the Cambodian government—perhaps a tactic for former Khmer Rouge officials currently in the government to avoid accountability for their crimes. She argues that the political rhetoric of “justice” is hindering any real push for reconciliation.

Since this latest milestone, all sides have publicly stated their commitment to justice; however, in the face of continued bureaucratic and political maneuvering, it is unclear just how genuine their commitments are.

The coming task is monumental: the ECCC's future meetings between international and local judges entail combing a list of over 100 laws, as tribunal blogger Stan Starygin notes in a recent Voice of America article. Cambodian judge You Bunleng assured the public that future talks are merely “technical discussions,” but bloggers are still questioning the extent of these discussions.

Similar meetings have failed to reach full agreement on the rules, which are imperative for the functioning of the courts. The latest round of talks only became possible after the Cambodian Bar Association relented on high fees for the participation of foreign lawyers, which had caused the UN-appointed international jurists to cancel a meeting at the end of May.

Political opposition leader Sam Rainsy also spoke out against the continued delays—perhaps a reflection of the current government’s affiliation with the Khmer Rouge regime—when he said that the Cambodian people require large-scale justice to move forward. According to Rainsy, Cambodia's genocidal shadow will not disappear as long as the CPP is in power.

…I have a little hope that our current Khmer leaders are willing to allow the Khmer Rouge Tribunal to proceed fairly. It means that only democrats and people who are not linked to the Khmer Rouge crimes and are not absorbed in Khmer Rouge ideologies can urge for the proceedings of the tribunal for the prosecution of the former Khmer Rouge leaders whose hands are stained with blood of Khmer citizens to move forward with transparency.

Time is running out for justice, Rainsy argues, because most older Khmer Rouge leaders will die soon.

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Morocco: A Photo Tour

Jillian York · 17:17

lingua → es · fr · zht · zhs · pt

Ask any photographer - Morocco is undoubtedly one of the world's most photogenic locations. Australian Moroccan Meanderings is one blogger who chose to substitute photos for words this week, telling us:

Since I have had some positive responses about the photographs on this blog, I thought I would include a few others that give a snapshot of Morocco.

The photo above is of the Dades Gorge, in the southeast of the country. But not only the gorges are gorgeous! Blogger Wakha shares a spectacular photograph from Essaouira along with a fitting quote:

Photo by Lindsey Ludwig

“I am within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Moroccan sky is a common object of photographers, as already shown. The Morocco Report shows us another facet of Morocco's clear skies, this time farther north in the city of Meknes.

But it isn't only the Moroccan sky that tantalizes - certain objets d'art can do the same, particularly rugs, which Morocco is known for. Maryam of My Marrakesh
shows us some of Morocco's multicolored treasures:

The last photo this week takes us to the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music, which is about to wrap up. Blogger Long Way Home
shared a smattering of photos from the festival, which turned out to be a truly multicultural event this year. My favorite is of a group performing Gregorian chants:

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Kuwait's Reputation is Gonu !

Abdullatif AlOmar · 13:38

Two items dominated the Kuwaiti blogosphere this week. The first is tropical cyclone Gonu, which hit nearby Oman leaving around 50 people dead in its trail and bringing the oil and gas industry to a standstill. The second

Gonu Hits Oman

Zdistric gives us general information about Gonu.

This is what's taking place of the Indian Ocean and the route its taking its going to hit Oman hard on Thursday, then it will head into the Gulf crossing into Iran. The winds are in excess of 260 KPH (160 MPH) and it is the most powerful hurricane to hit this region since 1945.

Q at Kuwaitisim talks about its path.

Everyone has heard about the cyclone by now that is just reaching Oman and is expected to move north towards the Eastern provinces of Saudi and then maybe Kuwait. (Al Jazeera says its heading north towards Iran avoiding the Gulf, but nowhere else does it say that yet). Gonu is now a category 5 hurricane, which the strongest kind of storm.

Hugs from Kuwait complains about the coverage.

Now you would think that CNN and BBC would be covering this right? Well, they are not. I have been checking the news stations since last night and nothing. It really makes me angry. They will show footage about their own Hurricanes in the USA non-stop for months on end (Hurricane Katrina is STILL in the news!) but when a freakin' cyclone which is more deadly than a Hurricane rolls into our neck of the woods, it is a total white wash.

Fury Over Newspaper Article

CyberRowdy alerts us to an article which appeared in a Kuwaiti newspaper - explaining that the writer may have gone “a bit too much.”

Reading this article, anyone will get the impression that Kuwait is such a bad place to live and work. Some of the facts given in the article are true to an extent, but others are exaggerated and blown out of proportion. Some of the points made me laugh….

After people e-mailed the newspaper, the article was removed from the site and its author responded to people's accusations, which prompted another blogger to respond.

K The Kuwaiti responded to a replay by the author of that article after it was pulled from the newspaper's site.

The Kuwait Times has decided to pull the article from their website, perhaps the editor decided to actually read it this time around. Mona Al-Fuzai has written a reply in the Kuwait Times to the criticism online. I felt the need to respond to certain parts of her reply, as there are various things I disagree with (in addition to the various inconsistencies).

Other Items of Interest in Kuwait

Exzombie brings to our attention an upcoming event from the Japanese Embassy in kuwait.

Embassy of Japan in the State of Kuwait will hold the First Japanese Speech Contest in Kuwait in coordinattion with Center for Community Service and Continuing Education, Kuwait University.

Kuwait students who study Japanese language in the centre (will) deliver their speeches in Japanese.

We hope that you come to cheer them up if you have a time

Maze at Maze of Thoughts comes to the rescue and clears some misconceptions about what is happening with bank loans in Kuwait.

As many of you know that I work in a bank. These days the only question I hear from clients “Are they going to drop the interest on the loans?” ” I heard that insurance on the loans is being refunded to clients as per central bank decision”…I'm actually fed up with these questions because what happens is they sit in diwaniyas and hear or misunderstand what's written in newspapers or what friends tell them.

Forzaq8 comments on a Times article about what an average Kuwaiti family eats in a week.

This is totally random information. Most of the people reading blogs in Kuwait have heard about (the) Times Photo essay “What the World Eats.” One of the pictures was for a Kuwaiti family.

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Israel: Jerusalem Pride, Democratic Shame

Gilad Lotan · 13:15

A true democracy cannot exist without the right to protest. It faces decay when one is not allowed to walk down its city streets and express personal opinions. This is ever more crucial when dealing with the capital city of a democratic state; especially one that holds a variety of communities, each with diverse opinions and beliefs. A city like Jerusalem which is in the midst of yet another struggle, this time over the planned Jerusalem Pride Walk, which is set to take place this month. Certain figures in the Israeli Knesset are acting to prevent this from happening, by changing basic existing laws. Israeli bloggers have been writing passionately, asking for their voices to be heard and amplified:

On June 6th, 2007, the Israeli Knesset voted on and passed the initial stages for two law proposals aimed at preventing the possibility for the planned Jerusalem Pride Parade to take place. The law proposes a change in the existing Basic Law: Jerusalem, which would give the city's municipality legal power to forbid walks or protests “for reasons of hurting the general public sensitivity or for religious purposes”. This proposal is yet another threat to democracy in Israel, especially after the recent voting on proposition 892, for the enforcement of internet censorship. Even if it will probably not pass in time to cancel the planned Jerusalem Pride Parade (June 12th), it is making people reflect upon the complexity of societies that co-exist in Israel, and criticize the Knesset members for playing political power games and not gathering a majority to vote against these law proposals, which cancel the very basic citizen right for freedom of speech: the right to rally. The given criteria of “hurting the public sensitivity” is vague and dangerous, from which the municipality can carve out whatever it deems appropriate. It will be granted legal powers to prevent groups or minorities in the Israeli society from rallying in their capital city.

In his blog, the red-green blog, Dov Hanin, a current Hadash Knesset member expresses his thoughts:

בירושלים הרגשות עזים במיוחד. אבל דווקא בשל כך, גם הסובלנות צריכה להיות חזקה במיוחד. ירושלים היא עיר קדושה, אבל היא גם עיר מגוונת, פלורליסטית. ל”בית הפתוח” אין שום רצון להתגרות במקומות קדושים או להגיע לשכונות דתיות. יש להם רצון לבטא את עצמם בעיר שהיא גם עיר שלהם, לא פחות מאשר עירו של מישהו אחר. אין לקבל, וגם אין לשתוק, למול ניסיונות למנוע מהם לעשות זאת. להיפך: יש לומר בקול חד וברור, שזכותו של מצעד הגאווה והסובלנות לצעוד ברחובות ירושלים היא זכות דמוקרטית יסודית, וחובה להגן עליה. אין להסכין עם הסתה אלימה, שבשנה שעברה כבר נוכחנו עד כמה היא מסוכנת, כאשר מפגין אלים דקר בסכין שלושה ממשתפי המצעד.

המאבק על קיום מצעד הגאווה, ולמען שוויון, הכרה וזכויות לקהילה הגאה, הוא חלק בלתי נפרד מהמאבק על דמותה של הדמוקרטיה בישראל.

We all need to be tolerant, specifically because the general feelings are so strong in Jerusalem, which is a holy city, but also a diverse and pluralistic one. The Open House (an activist LGBT organization in Jerusalem) doesn’t have any intentions to cause agitation in the holy places, nor to reach the religious neighborhoods. They long to express themselves within a city that is also their own, not less than someone else’s city. We must not accept, or stay silent against the attempt to limit this right from them. On the contrary, we must speak loud and clear. It is the basic democratic right for the Gay Pride and Tolerance March to take place in the streets of Jerusalem; and it is our duty to protect it. We must not become accustomed to the dangers of violence, which we all witnessed last year, when an extremist opposer stabbed three participants with a knife.

This struggle for the existence of the Jerusalem Pride events, of equality, and acceptance of the gay community rights, is inseparable from the struggle over the democratic identity of the State of Israel.

In A Yellow Plebeian's Blog, the author writes:

הממסד החרדי שונא אותי. בחיי אני מפריע לצביון העיר הקדושה. אני לא שומר שבת, אני אפילו הולך למסעדות בשבת – תתפלאו כמה הרבה מקומות פתוחים כאן היום. אני רואה סרטים בשבת, אני נוסע ברחובות העיר (לא באזורים החרדים), אני חי כאן. בירושלים, שהיא עדיין הבירה של מדינת ישראל, מדינה דמוקרטית שבה לא רק לרוב אלא גם למיעוט יש זכויות שאי אפשר ואסור לרמוס. ולכן אני גם רוצה להפגין את זכותי האלמנטרית כאזרח לצעוד כאן. ליצור נראות למיעוט מדוכא, שרובו לא מעיז לצעוד, ולומר: אני כאן, ואני לא מתבייש במי שאני.

העניין הוא מהותי יותר. המיעוט שאני שייך אליו חוצה מחנות. יש המון הומואים דתיים, לסביות חרדיות, גייז שמתפללים במסגד כל שבוע. חשוב לי שגם הם יכירו את היכולת לחיות בגלוי.

The religious establishment hates me. I stand in the way of this holy city’s image. I don’t observe the Sabbath, I even go to restaurants on Saturday – you’d be surprised how many places are open during Sabbath nowadays. I see movies during Sabbath. I drive the city streets (not in the religious neighborhoods). I live here. In Jerusalem, which is the capital of the state of Israel, a democratic state where not only the majority, but also minorities have rights which are not allowed to be crushed. This is why I want to protest my basic right as a citizen, to march here. To raise the visibility of an oppressed minority, from which many do not even dare to march, and say: I am here, and I am not ashamed of who I am.

The issue is much more critical. This minority which I belong to, crosses between the different camps. There are many male and female religious gays, and also gays who pray in a mosque every week. It is important for me that they will all know that there exists an option to lead an un-closeted lifestyle.

The writer continues:

בכל שנה בתקופת המצעד קורה משהו מעניין. עשרות חרדים מתקשרים ל”הבית הפתוח”, המרכז ההומולסבי הירושלמי שמארגן את המצעד, ולא מגדפים. הם לא מתקשרים כדי להתווכח אלא כדי לבקש תמיכה וסיוע. זו לא טענה דמגוגית שקלטתי מהאוויר. כמנחה של קבוצת דתיים של הבית הפתוח אני הייתי זה שענה לאנשים מבוגרים, מבולבלים וחוששים, שעשו את הצעד הראשון והצליחו להגיע לטלפון שלי.

המצעד הירושלמי, שלא כמו זה התל אביבי, הוא מצעד סולידי בסך הכל. בניגוד למצג התקשורתי שמחפש את החריג והביזאר, לא מתפשטים במצעד. מגיעים המון אנשים, רובם מאוד סולידיים, מיעוטם צבעוניים במיוחד (וזה יפה בעיניי), וכולם מתבקשים על ידי המארגנים לזכור את הצביון של העיר. אפילו במתחם המיוחד של “המצעד שלנו” אנחנו לא שוכחים היכן אנחנו. אנחנו דווקא מנסים להתחשב ככל יכולתנו. להתחשב, כל עוד ההתחשבות לא דורשת מאיתנו להתחבא בבית שלנו “ולעשות שם מה שאנחנו רוצים

Every year something very interesting happens during this period of the parade. A number of orthodox males call the “open house”, the homo-lesbian center in Jerusalem. They don't curse nor swear, but rather ask for help. This is not some demagogic claim. I have personally answered several of these calls from confused and worried adults, who have taken the first step and managed to make a phone call.

The Jerusalem Pride Parade, unlike its Tel-Aviv counterpart, is a relatively conservative one. Nobody gets naked there. All are asked by the organizers to remember the city’s unique character, and not forget where they are located. We try to take that into account, as long as it doesn’t consist of us staying in our homes “to do what we do” there…

In his post “the blog comes out of the closet“, the writer conveys many of his thoughts:

אינני יכול לשתוק עוד. לראשונה מזה שנים אני, כאזרח המדינה הזאת, מרגיש מאויים. אני מרגיש שציבור אחר במדינה מנסה להפעיל את כוחו על מנת להתעמר בי ולהצר את צעדי, ואני מתכוון להשיב מלחמה שערה בכל דרך שיש לי. בין אם על ידי צעידה כפי שצעדתי היום, בין אם על ידי התנדבות באגודת הלהט”ב (שבה אני פעיל מזה שנים), בין אם ע”י תקתוק מחשבותי על גבי המקלדת בבלוג הזה, ובין אם זה אומר לעלות לירושלים ולצעוד גם שם, ולהסתכן בלינץ` מצד חבורה של פורעי חוק.

I can’t be silent anymore. For the first time in years, as a citizen of this country, I feel threatened. I feel like a part of the public is trying to force and limit me, and I plan to retaliate back in every possible way. If by marching like I did today (in the Tel-Aviv Pride Walk), by volunteering for an LGBT association, by typing my thoughts in this blog, or by going to Jerusalem to walk there as well, in spite of the expected dangers set by violent gangs.

By “violent gangs” the writer refers to the violent opposition that Pride events encounter, especially in Jerusalem. During the 2005 Pride March, a violent extremist by the name of Yishai Shlisal stabbed three participants. Some of this was caught on video and placed online.

The writer continues by commenting on why the Pride Walk should take place specifically in Jerusalem:

מדוע נוכחותי פוגעת בקדושה זו? האם קדושת ירושלים כה שברירית בעיניכם, שהיא תתמוטט ותיעלם אם חבורת הומואים תעבור ברחוב? די עלובה הקדושה הזאת, אם זה אכן כך.

אבל אם לעזוב את התיאולוגיה כרגע ולחזור אל הפרקטיקה - בירושלים ישנה קהילה גאה גדולה, שחיה בעיר, ומעוניינת להפגין כי היא קיימת וזכאית לשיוויון זכויות. ירושלים היא בירת ישראל. מה יותר טבעי עבור ציבור כלשהו מאשר להפגין עבור שיוויון זכויות בעיר בירתו?

Why does my presence in this supposedly “holy” city hurt someone? Is the sacredness of Jerusalem so fragile that it will dissipate if a bunch of gays walk down its streets? If this is the case, this holiness is worthless. A large gay community lives in the city of Jerusalem. This group is interested to show its presence and that it is entitled for equal rights. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. What is more natural for a community than to protest for equal rights in its capital city?

June 8th was the official Tel-Aviv Parade, which has been taking place on a yearly basis. This year, the thousands of participators were met with around 50 demonstrators, claiming some of the following comments: “They want to spread filth in Jerusalem - it won't hurt if we spread some holiness in Tel-Aviv. We will come to Tel-Aviv with animals, to illustrate that this filthy act is unnatural. And we will call upon those people to stop! Stop being proud from what is a shame for this country”.

Leaders of religious communities in Jerusalem got together to decide how to react against the Pride Parade, which is set to take place in the city. Some of their proposals were - blocking roads on Saturday in secular neighborhoods, destructive acts against businesses which open on Sabbath, and a big demonstration in Ramat Aviv (a secular neighborhood just north of Tel-Aviv).

Rabbi Eldad Shmueli tried to explain the orthodox community's opinion towards the Parade: “Does every person who has a bad tendency need to make it visible? At least they should have shame. Many people want to murder or rob a bank, but are scared from the shame and don't follow through. Do we need to tell them ‘no problem', go rob a bank? go murder and rape?”

Rabbi Shmueli obviously belongs to the extreme right wing of Israeli political thought. Even though he is in definite minority, the topic of Gay rights is still an ultra-sensitive one. This is especially true in a country like Israel, where the secular majority is trying to figure out where the tricky boundaries lie between the religious character engraved in the country's basic laws, and the secular lifestyle that this majority leads. Even within the secular communities, it is a prominent opinion to believe against the right for Gay Parades to exist in Jerusalem. It is highly important for these people to understand that attempting to change a basic law in order to limit a group's right to protest, is unquestionably wrong.

It is crossing the line.

And it is dangerous to sit quietly and do nothing while this happens.

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