Benedict fucks up again

Via Shakesville

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Nuclear arms proliferation, environmental pollution and economic inequality are threats to world peace -- but so are abortion, birth control and same-sex marriage, Pope Benedict XVI said in a statement released by the Vatican Tuesday (Dec. 11). (Source)

What is the matter with Benedict? Threats to peace? Seriously, has he gone insane? He is a very convincing argument for dismissing the ridiculous notion of papal infallibility.

Let's run through is short but glorious time as Pope. In addition to yesterday's raving, he abolished limbo and promoted religious conflict through his 'we are right and you are wrong' doctrine. Do the PTB not see that Benedict's statements are inappropriate especially now? Does he pine for the days of the Holy Roman Empire and the discrimination that the church promoted? Perhaps he can increase the hate some more by inciting a new 'crusade'.

He is not promoting peace or goodwill. By stating that abortion, birth control and same-sex marriage and threats to world peace, he is not only showing the depth of his ignorance about the realities of living in the real world and a profound disrespect for those of us who work to establish peace, but he is also making it open season to attack women and gays. How fucking typical. We have actually emerged from the dark ages. We don't burn women at the stake any more, literally at least. Figuratively is another matter...

As far as I remember from religion class, Christ's number one commandment was 'love one another as I have loved you'. He did not say except if you are a woman, use contraception, have abortions, are gay, support gay marriage, or are Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist. He said to 'love your neighbour as yourself'.

So Benny, why are you continuing to promote hate and violence. It would seem to be in direct violation of your mandate. As a Catholic, I must ask for your immediate resignation.

EDIT: The more I think about this, the angrier I get. This is the leader of the Catholic church? This is the man that I am supposed to believe in infallible? This is the man that promotes hate? I struggle enough with the church being a Catholic and a feminist and with this misogynist homophobe as leader, it may be time to cut ties. Anyone know of a church that believes in love, peace and understanding? I sure don't.

Frank Kelly's Christmas countdown

And now for some Christmas humour!



Day One

Dear Nuala,
Thank you very much for your lovely present of a partridge in a pear-tree. We’re getting the hang of feeding the partridge now, although it was difficult at first to win its confidence. It bit the mother rather badly on the hand but they’re good friends now and we’re keeping the pear-tree indoors in a bucket. Thank you again.
Yours affectionately,
Gobnait O’Lúnasa

Day Two

Dear Nuala,
I cannot tell you how surprised we were to hear from you so soon again and to receive your lovely present of two turtle doves. You really are too kind. At first the partridge was very jealous and suspicious of the doves and they had a terrible row the night the doves arrived. We had to send for the vet but the birds are okay again and the stitches are due to some out in a week or two. The vet’s bill was £8 but the mother is over her annoyance now and the doves and the partridge are watching the telly from the pear-tree as I write.
Yours ever,
Gobnait

Day Three

Dear Nuala,
We must be foremost in your thoughts. I had only posted my letter when the three French hens arrived. There was another sort-out between the hens and the doves, who sided with the partridge, and the vet had to be sent for again. The mother was raging because the bill was £16 this time but she has almost cooled down. However, the fact that the birds’ droppings keep falling down on her hair whilen she’s watching the telly, doesn’t help matters. Thanking you for your kindness.
I remain,
Your Gobnait

Day Four

Dear Nuala,
You mustn’t have received my last letter when you were sending us the four calling birds. There was pandemonium in the pear-tree again last night and the vet’s bill was £32. The mother is on sedation as I write. I know you meant no harm and remain your close friend.
Gobnait

Day Five

Nuala,
Your generosity knows no bounds. Five gold rings ! When the parcel arrived I was scared stiff that it might be more birds, because the smell in the living-room is atrocious. However, I don’t want to seem ungrateful for the beautiful rings.
Your affectionate friend,
Gobnait

Day Six

Nuala,
What are you trying to do to us? It isn’t that we don’t appreciate your generosity but the six geese have not alone nearly murdered the calling birds but they laid their eggs on top of the vet’s head from the pear-tree and his bill was £68 in cash! My mother is munching 60 grains of Valium a day and talking to herself in a most alarming way. You must keep your feelings for me in check.
Gobnait

Day Seven

Nuala,
We are not amused by your little joke. Seven swans-a-swimming is a most romantic idea but not in the bath of a private house. We cannot use the bathroom now because they’ve gone completely savage and rush the door every time we try to enter. If things go on this way, the mother and I will smell as bad as the living-room carpet. Please lay off. It is not fair.
Gobnait

Day Eight

Nuala,
Who the hell do you think gave you the right to send eight, hefty maids-a-milking here, to eat us out of house and home? Their cattle are all over the front lawn and have trampled the hell out of the mother’s rose-beds. The swans invaded the living-room in a sneak attack and the ensuing battle between them and the calling birds, turtle doves, French hens and partridge make the Battle of the Somme seem like Wanderly Wagon. The mother is on a bottle of whiskey a day, as well as the sixty grains of Valium. I’m very annoyed with you.
Gobnait

Day Nine

Listen you louser!
There’s enough pandemonium in this place night and day without nine drummers drumming, while the eight flaming maids-a-milking are beating my poor, old alcoholic mother out of her own kitchen and gobbling everything in sight. I’m warning you, you’re making an enemy of me.
Gobnait

Day Ten

Listen manure-face,
I hope you’ll be haunted by the strains of ten pipers piping which you sent to torment us last night. They were aided in their evil work by those maniac drummers and it wasn’t a pleasant sight to look out the window and see eight hefty maids-a-milking pogo-ing around with the ensuing punk-rock uproar. My mother has just finished her third bottle of whiskey, on top of a hundred and twenty four grains of Valium. You’ll get yours!
Gobnait O’Lúnasa

Day Eleven

You have scandalised my mother, you dirty Jezebel,
It was bad enough to have eight maids-a-milking dancing to punk music on the front lawn but they’ve now been joined by your friends the eleven Lords-a-leaping and the antics of the whole lot of them would leave the most decadent days of the Roman Empire looking like “Outlook”. I’ll get you yet, you ould bag!

Day Twelve

Listen slurry head,
You have ruined our lives. The twelve maidens dancing turned up last night and beat the living daylights out of the eight maids-a-milking, ‘cos they found them carrying on with the eleven Lords-a-leaping. Meanwhile, the swans got out of the living-room, where they’d been hiding since the big battle, and savaged hell out of the Lords and all the Maids. There were eight ambulances here last night, and the local Civil Defence as well. The mother is in a home for the bewildered and I’m sitting here, up to my neck in birds’ droppings, empty whiskey and Valium bottles, birds’ blood and feathers, while the flaming cows eat the leaves off the pear-tree. I’m a broken man.
Gobnait O’Lúnasa

Another terrorist attack

I am sick of bombs. I hate the constant worry and fear that my friends might be killed or injured in the latest terrorist target. I've been waiting all day to hear from a friend in Algiers. Finally I just did. Still waiting on word from another. It was the same for New York, Madrid and London. Waiting for news, the phone lines clogged, the worry gnawing, knowing that chances are that they are ok but having to know for sure.

One of the targets of the latest Al-Qaeda slaughterhouse was the UN building. At least 11 UN staff members were killed according to BBC News

The group labelled the UN buildings an "international infidels' den" and called on Western leaders to "heed the demands of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden".

International infidels? The UN is made up for people from all countries, creeds, ethnicities and beliefs. A more international organisation does not exist. Much criticism has been levelled at the UN for bureaucratic delays but the people working there are international civil servants. They work to enhance the lives of others, to contribute to the development of other countries. They should not be referred to as international infidels such a trite buzz phrase. Disgusting.

My heart goes out to the UN workers and the citizens of Algiers.

A 10 year old child cannot consent to sex

A 10 year old child cannot consent to sex. Therefore, it is always rape. How do people not understand this?

A judge's decision not to jail nine men guilty of raping a 10-year-old girl in an Aboriginal community has triggered outrage in Australia.

The offenders were either placed on probation or given suspended sentences for the 2005 rape in the Aurukun settlement, in northern Queensland.

In her ruling, Judge Sarah Bradley told them that the victim "probably agreed to have sex with all of you". From BBC News

A 10 year old child cannot consent to sex. Therefore, it is always rape. She cannot agree to have sex with anyone. How does a judge know about basic consent?

Another instance of blaming the victim because secretly she really wanted it. She is 10 years old and a gang-rape victim and the judge says that she "probably agreed to have sex with all of you".

Sickening.

Torture

From BBC News:

A retired CIA agent has said a top al-Qaeda suspect was interrogated using a simulated drowning technique but that he believes it was justified.

John Kiriakou told US broadcaster ABC that "water-boarding" was used when his CIA team questioned suspected al-Qaeda chief recruiter Abu Zubaydah.

He said it might be torture but that it "broke" the detainee in seconds.

Oh well in that case go ahead. Does no one even consider that torture is an extremely unreliable method of obtaining information? Once a person is in that much pain they will say anything to have it stopped. The information is not information but what the victim thinks that torturer wants to hear.

Torturing is barbaric, ineffective and is in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Ironically we are currently celebrating the 60th anniversary of its adoption. How can a soi-disant civilised nation do this? Commit such barbarities?

Does anyone remember?

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

...

Article 5.

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6.

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

It's from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. You can find the full text here. It includes the right of freedom that the possibility or threat of torture. The vast majority of the world has signed it, including the US.

Human Rights Day

was yesterday but yesterday I was too busy to blog because it was Human Rights Day. Happy Human Rights Day!

The Special Representative of the Secretary General was in town yesterday and was frank about Cambodia's human rights situation. He was in fact rather critical and although the government has not yet reacted, one can be sure that they will.

Human rights still weak, UN envoy says

UN criticises Cambodian land grabs

Cambodia to shun meetings with UN Special Human Rights envoy

UN envoy, US ambassador lead rare human rights march in Cambodia

UN envoy calls for judicial reform, donor responsibility in Cambodia

There is constant hope that things will change but the government shows on political will to change and the donors support the current regime. One would think that those who contribute over 60% of the national budget would have a vested interest in ensuring that the money is used ethically. Perhaps I am too idealistic.

Noodles

Apparently asking someone if they want Chinese noodles is a euphemism.

Anyone want to hazard a guess about what?

Bribing the police

The police were out in force this past Water Festival due, I imagine to the additional 4 million people that came to Phnom Penh. And some people were unlucky enough to be caught breaking the traffic law in bright daylight on Monivong Boulevard. My friend Z was one such unlucky person.

Z was zooming up Monivong to get supplies from Bayon supermarket. The plan was to hunker down in her place and avoid leaving the house and escape the crowds. The previous year a friend of hers had suffered sexual harassment and Z just didn't want to have to deal with the festival.

The lights were green to turn left but Z continued straight, as did many Khmers. However, she had not taken the watchful eye of the police into account. Busted she was. She wasn't too worried as she actually has a Cambodian driver's licence.

Police: Hello my friend
Z: Hello Mr Police man
Police: Where you come from?
Z: I come from X
Police: How long you in Kampuchea?
Z: Two years
Police: You speak Cambodia
Z: Tic tic
Police: You pay fine now.

Z was lucky that the policeman spoke English but was now in a bit of a dilemma. The standard bribe is $1 per cop and there were only two cops and they were asking for $5. Eventually she haggled and negotiated the bribe to $2 and everyone was happy. Well Z thought she was happy until she opened her wallet and only found a $5 note. Foiled! She ended up giving them the $5 and resuming her course to Bayon, cursing all the way for not having the foresight to expect police on the roads for Water Fest.

Well at least she went through a rite of passage for foreigners in Phnom Penh. At some point most end up bribing the police!

IV Day

Happy International Volunteers' Day 2007.

This is all

That sinking feeling

Disappointment struck party goers on Saturday night, when DJ Maia the Magnificent's set was cut short because Pontoon was sinking. The crowd was dancing, swaying and, in general, moving to the music. Only three more songs would be permitted. The crowd left for Heart, disgruntled. After all, DJ Maia is the best in the Penh and when Pontoon has good music, it's a great place to gather and party.

Many spent the night receiving text message from friends, unable to board the ill-fated vessel. Those on the shore cried to the party goers to leave and prevent disaster. Alas the music was too good. And they danced as the vessel sank lower in the water.

There are those who are sceptical, who do not believe that it was sinking at all, that it was merely a plot to overthrow DJ Maia's musical genius but this is clearly madness - no one is that arrogant surely...

Pontoon: will it ever recover?

The defenders and those who render

Marvel at the hypocrisy of our politicians! On one hand Dermot Aherne blathering on about what an inspiration human rights defenders are. From the Irish Times

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern today told a massive gathering of human rights defenders in central Dublin they were an inspiration to the world.

"You represent a combination of practical idealism and courage which is an inspiration to others — in your countries and also internationally," he said.

"The impact of your work is felt not only by those whose rights you seek to vindicate but also by the rest of the world who you inspire to act."

Human Rights defenders are inspirational of course. They do a dangerous, necessary, wonderful job. The Government isn't always praising their work to the skies.

In fact the Minister's words ring hollow. He is a member of a government that violates the rights of others. Our government facilitates the 'rendering' of suspects through our borders - Extraordinary Rendition or how to cooperate with the Americans to break international law so we don't lose our 'special friendship'.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, you know, Mary Robinson's old position, came to Dublin to rebuke Bertie for human rights violations. Disgusted yet? I am.

The Government should search US military planes landing at Shannon airport to confirm they are not being used for rendition flights, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour has said.

"I stressed that it's not just the direct complicity that is of significance but also either neglect or wilful blindness to what's going on.

"I think the optimum protection is very much to try to verify, to go beyond assurances. Ideally, there should be random searches just to give some assurance that the commitments made by another country are respected right through the chain of command," she said.

"I don't think it's diplomatically offensive to conduct random or occasional searches to verify."...

Ms Arbour said that while there were signs of a rowing back in the US, some of the damage caused by certain counter-terrorism measures could "be relatively permanent".

One of the main areas of concern, she said, was the attempt to redefine torture.

"The erosion of the standard against torture is very disturbing. More and more there is this discourse that there may be cases where it is okay.

"Also, there is a questioning of what torture really is. I think it's going to take some time to go back to what it was."...

"They say to me, 'why are you wasting your time talking to us about this issue, why aren't you in Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo, why aren't you talking to them?'

"There is also this idea that the West/the US promote human rights issues that suit their agenda and they have declared themselves to be in a realm of non-accountability. In human rights promotion, the concept of universality and equal treatment is pretty fundamental and now it's very much jeopardised." (Source)

And this is what our government facilitates... a bureaucracy that is attempting to redefine torture and use it as a tool for extracting information. It is commonly known that torture is an extremely inefficient way of extracting information. In must cases, people torture because they like the power and because they can. Torture is not justifiable under any circumstances.

Hypocrisy. Follow the High Commissioner's advice, Bertie. It's good advice and it's good for the country, not to be so closely associated with torture.

Free rice

Shamelessly stolen from Feministe.

Free Rice. It's a vocabulary test and strangely addictive. For every answer you get right, a few free grains of rice are donated to the WFP, to end world hunger! It does carry a warning however:

This game may make you smarter. It may improve your speaking, writing, thinking, grades, job performance...

Gotta watch that!

Just following orders

He was just following orders?

Chief Khmer Rouge interrogator Duch is a "gentle man" who was only following orders when he ran the notorious S-21 torture centre during Pol Pot's reign of terror 30 years ago, his sister said on Wednesday.

"My brother was a gentle man," Hong Kimhong, 50, told Reuters outside Cambodia's "Killing Fields" tribunal where Duch, charged with crimes against humanity, is seeking bail ahead of his trial expected next year.

"He bears at least some direct responsibility for the detention, torture and deaths of over 14,000 men, women and children," co-prosecutor Robert Petit told the five Cambodian and international judges.

"A lot of Cambodians are watching and listening to what is being said and done in this chamber. Most of them have been waiting for 30 years to see justice done," Petit said.

A born-again Christian, Duch has confessed in interviews with Western reporters that he committed multiple atrocities as head of the infamous Tuol Sleng, or S-21, interrogation centre.

At least 14,000 people deemed to be opponents of Pol Pot's "Year Zero" revolution passed through Tuol Sleng's barbed-wire gates. Fewer than 10 are thought to have lived to tell the tale.

Most victims were tortured and forced to confess to a variety of crimes -- mainly being CIA spies -- before being bludgeoned to death in a field on the outskirts of the city. Women, children and even babies were among those butchered.

But Duch's sister did not believe "he was as brutal as the allegations say" and she said their family had also suffered under the Khmer Rouge.

"Ten of our family died of starvation under the regime. If he isn't released I don't think it will be a fair trial," she said. (Source)

Since when is that an excuse?

Bad governance

With the discovery of oil in Cambodia and the potential for rags or riches, one can only reflect on how nice it is that we have good governance at home who would never compromise the good of the country. Yeah right. Hat tip to Mark.

Political Fact Sheet “An Act of Economic Treason”

In 1975 Justin Keating's terms for oil exploration included a provision for the state to require a 50% stake in any commercial find. There was also between 8%-16% production bonuses and a standard corporation tax of 50%.

Keating was basing his policy on the Norwegian model. The Norwegians offered direct assistance to their Irish counterparts to set up a state oil company and offered them direct involvement in the commercial development of the North Sea Fields.

Between 1975-87 Minister Dick Spring introduced a sliding scale of state participation on marginal fields. This was to attract further investment however the interests of the Irish state were still maintained.

In 1987 Charles Haughey appointed Ray Burke as the Minister for Energy. Burke began negotiating with the oil companies, meeting directly with executives on occasion against the advice and in the absence of his department officials. He introduced radical new terms, which included.

• Abolishing state royalties.
• Abolishing any state participation in oil and gas exploration.
• Abolishing any state stake hold on commercial finds.

In a Dáil speech during the same month Dick Spring called this “An act of Economic Treason”

Both Ray Burke and Charles Haughey have since faced criminal charges by the Mahon “Payments to politicians” tribunal. The tribunal investigated a payment of €30,000, which Burke received from Mr Robert Rennicks a director of a company owned by Mr Tony O’Reilly.

Coincidentally Mr O’Reilly is a 45% stakeholder in Providence resources, a major oil and gas exploration company. Providence has several prospects in the porcupine basin just of Irelands west coast. The company claims to have identified 25 trillion cubic feet of gas and 4 billion barrels of oil in the Dunquin prospect in the porcupine basin. This is estimated to be worth about 50 billion in monetary terms.

O’Reilly also happens to be the chief executive of independent newspapers, consisting of The Irish Independent, The Daily Star, The Sunday independent, The Sunday World and The Evening Herald. The question is independent newspapers really independent when it comes to the Corrib gas issue?

In April 1992, Bertie Ahern further improved terms for the oil and gas companies by needlessly reducing the corporation tax from 50% to 25%(lowest rate in the worldwide). Recent investigations uncovered that he had no bank account during this period as Minister for finance i.e. no records of his personal finances for this period.

In June 1992, the government introduced new licensing terms, which permitted oil and gas producers to sell their products at market prices.

This was a step away from the previous arrangement with marathon oil, which had sold gas to Bord Gáis from the Kinsale Field at a bulk discount for many years. This means that Bord Gáis must now pay full market prices for any gas purchased on behalf of the Irish public.

Bertie Ahern gives Bord Gáis permission for a pipeline to be built from Galway to Bellanaboy . By giving this permission Bertie unfairly influenced the planning process for the refinery by exerting political pressure on planning officials prior to their decision.

In 2002 the government introduced legislation, which allowed a private company (Shell) to place Compulsory Acquisition Orders on the land of Erris farmers. This is the first time in the history of the state that this has occurred. The legislation allowed the government to purchase the land for Shell without the permission of the farmers.

Astonishingly the current Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural resources Noel Dempsey in 2005(when the Rossport 5 were in prison) and as recently as November 2006 continues to grant exploration licences under the same overly generous terms and conditions to oil and gas companies. (Source)

And our government have the audacity to send advisors to help Cambodia on how to avoid the 'resource curse'. Get your house in order Fianna Fáil.

Review of 'Sex with kings'

Just finished reading this 'Sex with kings : 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge' by Eleanor Herman and I feel very ambivalent about it. On the one hand, it is a very interesting read about a topic that is not covered often - women in history. On the other hand it is written by an author who insults her heroines and is clearly very sexist.

Women in history have been ignored or their lives explained away as anomalies. History is written by the strong and powerful and women's history has been ignored. Nevertheless women in the past ruled, became pirates, took lovers, led battles and triumphed. They do not deserve to be painted in only as an afterthought. So I like the idea and the history in 'Sex with kings'. The author uses primary sources and her research cannot be faulted. It is an interesting book and I would have loved it if it was not for the author's sexism.

It pervades the book and turned my stomach. She makes judgement calls on the heroines of the book. She refers to the king's mistresses as grasping whores, refers to the work as sin and their payment as their ill-gotten gains. Now I understand that these were the attitudes of the time and that this is a history book but her disgust for the métier of these women destroyed my enjoyment of the book. As the world knows, women did not have much choice or freedom under the political systems of the past. The work available included sex work. Why so does a soi-disant historian, who is familiar with conditions and restrictions of the time condemn these women so harshly for exercising the choices available?

Herman describes Madame de Pompadour's job as exhausting and high pressured. Madame de Pompadour always had to be 'on'. Sick days did not exist. She couldn't tell the king to leave her alone, if she wasn't in the mood. Her position was exhausting and it was constant. She had to be wary of usurpers and political plots. Her life was shortened considerably due to stress. And the lesson Herman describes herself as having learned, is to always to there for her husband and to never nag. When he arrives home, she gets up to make him a cup of tea and fetches his slippers and says that she'll never get divorces becayse she takes care of her man like Madame de Pompadour took care of Louis XV.

It is the wrong lesson. The lesson to be taken from these women who fought for and yielded power is that we are not here for anyone's entertainment. We have, mostly, the choice to say yes or no. We have the choice to be independent and earn our own way and it is a choice that few societies had. The women that Herman discusses were powerful in the only way they could be. Nowadays, many would be involved in politics. Diane de Poitiers might be president. She certainly made laws and signed official papers. These women were strong and deserve to not be insulted by a modern mistress wannabe, who has the freedom to choose.

Romantic Ireland's dead and gone

Romantic Ireland is dead and gone and Bertie Aherne, our 'man of the people' leader finds a way to nail the coffin shut with such a display of greed and casual disregard for the people of Ireland unrivalled even by Charlie boy at his peak

WHAT need you, being come to sense,
But fumble in a greasy till
And add the halfpence to the pence
And prayer to shivering prayer, until
You have dried the marrow from the bone;
For men were born to pray and save:
Romantic Ireland's dead and gone,
It's with O'Leary in the grave.
- William Butler Yeats

Bertie's accepted a €38 000 increase in salary. It's more than Gordon Brown; more than Bush Junior; and than more European leaders. Certainly over double what I earn. As Ciaran Byrne from the Indo puts it

Blair and Brown knew in their hearts it was wrong. Our lads have no much moral qualms. Ahern will now take home a hefty €310,000 -- €43,000 more than Gordon Brown, who leads a country of 60 million people, and €20,000 more than US president George W Bush.

The Dutch prime minister somehow gets by on an annual wage of €123,000 while in Poland the new PM Donald Tusk will have to make do with looking after 38.5 million people on a salary of €49,500.

After 24 hours of silence from the Government, Mr Ahern was cornered yesterday and trotted out his usual world-weary patter. "I don't tend to worry about these things...the Government will implement the pay scales..that's it."

How nice and privileged Bertie must feel by not having to worry about such things. Quite the lap of luxury when the health system is falling apart; the roads are a disgrace; government offices have a hiring freeze; people being evicted in the middle of the night unable to pay their mortgages because the ridiculous house prices; and violations of our constitution, allowing military aircraft en route to a war of aggression to land in our country just to stay in bed with American business. And you, little man, don't worry about these things! How nice that we have such inspired leadership. Let them eat cake comes to mind.

Mr Ahern said he didn't have a publicly-funded palace to live in -- apparently explaining why, at €310,000 a year, he should earn more President Sarkozy of France, British Premier Gordon Brown, and even President George Bush.

"I'm glad I don't own Chequers and I don't have No 10," Mr Ahern said, when asked why he should earn more than world leaders of more powerful nations. "I don't have the Elysee Palace -- if you want to build those in, then you know what the figures would be."

He went on: "I certainly don't want the White House. There is no comparison, and I think people know that."

Yes, there is no comparison either in the surface area or in the population size. However I think we can compare political fuckups and Bertie, you've fucked up, just like Bush junior. It might interest you to know Bertie, that the Irish Republic has an official residence for the president. You may remember her - lives in a des res near Castleknock, the Áras, I believe it's called. So why on Earth should you think that you deserve to get paid more than Prez Bush or Sarkozy when you're not president. You are a minister and your job is to run the country so do your job. Get the health, transport, and education systems back on their feet for a start. Earn some of that increase you are so determined to take.

Carnival against sexual violence

The 34th Carnival against sexual violence is up here and I was lucky enough to be included.

Go check it out!

Speak out against violence against women of colour

be bold be brave be red stop the violence
http://documentthesilence.wordpress.com/

KFC = animal cruelty or PETA = delusional?

PETA's got another idiotic and vaguely insulting campaign going.

An international animal-rights organization has urged Prime Minister Hun Sen to prevent the U.S.-based fast-food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) from opening in Cambodia, claiming that it threatens Cambodian culture, people's health and leads to animal abuse, local media said Wednesday. (Source)

Model Sarah Jane urging a boycott by posing naked with two chickens and the slogan 'chicks agree'. Aside of the obvious sexism, PETA is delusional with regard to the 'animal cruelty' issue. They are worried that KFC will hurt the poor chickens. Well since I've been in Cambodia, I've seen live pigs, ducks and chickens strapped to motorbikes. At the zoo adults throw stones at the animals to make them move and domestic animals are savagely beaten. Big deal on the KFC chickens!

PM rejects daughter for being gay

This seems to be a case of do as I say, not as I do. The PM is disowning his adopted daughter because she is gay. He is afraid that she will claim assets from his family

Cambodian's prime minister said Tuesday he was severing ties with his adopted daughter, who is a lesbian, but appealed to people not to discriminate against gays.

Hun Sen said he plans to file a civil court case to disown his adopted daughter so that she cannot claim any inheritance from his family.

"We are concerned that she might one day cause us trouble ... and try to stake her claim for a share of our assets," he said. (Source)

And he is apparently terrified of lesbians. He has actually imagined the following scenario.

"I felt very regretted with her and that the lesbian case happened in family. I and my wife will send a complaint to court to deprive her of any will and property of my family," he said.

"I and my wife adopted her while she was 18 days in 1988 and she used my family name from that time. She brought her girls to my house and slept together with them," he said.

"We are concerned that one day her girls take bombs and poisonous materials to our house and we all will die. Who knows in advance? I have five children and one adopted daughter," he said. (Source)

"I sent her to study in the USA, but she went to have a wife and someday she might bring her wife to our home with a grenade" (Cambodia Daily 31/10/2007)

Of course homophobia and paranoia are playing a role here but is the strong man of Cambodia terrified of homosexuals? He is afraid that his ex-daughter's girlfriends would murder him. Where does that fear come from?

Unfortunately people pay closer attention to actions than words. The PM disowned his daughter for marrying a woman and yet a government spokesman claims that ain't the fact that she's gay but her behaviour...

He is worried that his family name Hun might be used ... His point is that parents should not discriminate but the court should be aware if his daughter creates any problems outside the home, it won't involve him. (Cambodia Daily 31/10/2007)

Oh noes not his family name associated with homosexuality! That is discrimination. Calling for an end to discrimination doesn't hold much weight when one publicly disowns a daughter for marrying another women. Such claims ring false when one is terrified of being murdered by gays.

Unfortunately homosexuality is still quite a taboo in Cambodia. If you read the comments, following the sources I used, quite a nasty picture begins to form. Hopefully acceptance will come with time.

UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador Geri Halliwell says...

How on earth did a Spice Girl become a Goodwill Ambassador? I remember being so disgusted when I heard that. What does Ginger Spice know about population and birth control?

Halliwell is due to talk about a recent charity trip she took to meet mothers in Zambia and a group of 30 or 40 experts have gathered to hear her speak. There are no fans here - just sensibly shoed, middle-aged, Lancet-reading delegates who listen in polite but unimpressed silence. Halliwell has nothing new to tell them about African mothers and, when she speaks about her experiences, she sounds a tad forced. It is not really her fault: the truth is that she is a singer and a dancer, not a public speaker. She is clearly way out of her depth.

Not enough it would seem. Now maybe UNFPA just couldn't get anyone better but my beef with her is her internalised sexism.

I'd like to see it [feminism] rebranded. We need to see a celebration of our femininity and softness."

Her ignorance is astounding. Feminism is not a brand, Geri dear. Feminism is about gender equality and the freedom to make our own choices without reference to the patriarchy. Most women find the notion of feminity and softness abhorrant because embodying those characteristics is to pander to a patriarchy. Be a good girl. Laugh when he makes a joke. Listen to him devotedly. Don't argue or be aggressive. Never complain that he has the sexual skills of a 16 year old. Shut up and take it. That's your softness, Geri. That's the sort of femininity that you would 'rebrand' feminism as. Hands off our movement.

Of course she has to have a crack at the feminist = lesbian argument that is used to scare young women away from feminism.

So, is Halliwell a feminist? The question clearly hits a nerve: what, she asks quickly, do I mean by feminism? Well, I tell her, for me feminism is about the fact that women still aren't treated equally, which raises issues of justice. OK, concedes Halliwell, maybe she is a feminist: but she has a few distinct caveats. One objection seems to be that she fears feminism will emasculate and demoralise men: but her bigger problem is its image. "It's about labelling. For me feminism is bra-burning lesbianism. It's very unglamorous.

Emasculate men? No rational man would be emasculated at gender equality. Men claim to be so rational and logical as opposed to women's perceived emotional state of mind. Then, examine your ideas if you feel threatened by feminism. What are you so scared of? The majority of men that I meet are feminists and believe in equality. The idea that feminism is emasculating men seems to be an appeal to one's maternal side to be gentle and abandon this notion of feminism cos it hurts the menz. Well bollocks to that!

Unglamorous? Wow. If Geri Halliwell thinks feminism is unglamorous then let's run for the hills. What do you mean by glamour? Do you mean being the patriarchy's pet poodle? Be quiet. Sit still. Appear soft and feminine.

The Spice Girls were never a feminist icon. 'Girl Power' was the producers' wet dream; it was nothing to do with asserting female power. It was the cold hard cash. Why on earth did anyone think that that was feminism. At least it's over now, reunion tour aside.

UN day

Most people choose complain about what the UN does: the salaries, the bureaucracy, the lack of intervention. Few celebrate its achievements: humanitarian assistance, defence of human rights, peace-keeping. The world is better with the UN in it. It is our world and the UN is everybody's organisation and I, for one, am celebrating.

Happy UN Day

Proselytism is the new colonialism

Missionaries have always roamed the earth looking for convicts but I find it a little racist and arrogant to come to a country like Cambodia to 'convert the savage' and 'save the heathens' especially through faith for food programmes.

“People have to be given the opportunity to get to know Jesus so they can go to Heaven. This is the main purpose of our presents [sic] in Cambodia”. (Source)

Examine, if you will, the arrogance. We are right. You are wrong. Our religions is right. Your religion is wrong. It's heaven or hell mateys - eternal bliss or eternal torment take your pick.

Christianity is in focus as well as helping people in need. “Development and Christianity goes hand in hand”, says Annelise. “As Christians we are not only concerned that people get to know Jesus. We also want them to be helped in their everyday problems. Those two things are inseparable for us. But notably this is irrespectively of peoples own religions”.

“We believe that human beings will be saved if they are Christians. We want other people to be saved by believing that Jesus died for our sake. It is very important that we not only help in life on earth, but also give them an opportunity to find an eternity afterwards”. (Source)

Do development and Christianity go hand in hand or is that simply a mantra for proselytisers? Actually such efforts are disruptive and divisive in a society. The majority of people in Cambodia are living on less than a dollar a day and when missionaries offer food for conversions, people convert. I know a woman who converted for the rice to feed her children but in her heart she is Buddhist.

Christianity is of vital cultural significance in the west. Works of art, literature and sculpture by the greats have religious themes. To understand such works, it is necessary to understand the meaning behind them, the religious and cultural. Asia is different. Colonialism aside, the images present in Asia's great works of literature, art and architecture are taken from Buddhism. So why try and force a square peg into a round hole.

Why not work towards development without the repugnant faith for food programmes. Christianity is about forgiveness. Would a declared Christian refuse to feed a starving child because the child is Buddhist or Muslim? If the answer is yes then off to read your Bible again because you fail at Christianity.

”When we came here there were only four per mille [sic] Christians in the country. But now it must be two or three per cent”, she says. “This is because God is alive and he wants people in this country to believe. People cannot believe by themselves. But God can let God into their life and then he create faith. He wants people in Cambodia to belong to him. That is how we think it is”, she finishes. (Source)

Well I was under the impression that the Bible said to love your neighbour and to treat people in the way Jesus taught. That does not mean withholding food or proselytising. Why push the hard sell? Working together for the development of Cambodia without mentioning religion, is demonstrating Christian ethics far more than preaching at the huddled masses. After all, you never know who are are converting. That person might turn out to be a mass murdering war criminal.

It seems to me that proselytising is a new form of colonisation - rich whiteys bringing 'the truth' to poor brown people and disregarding their beliefs. Cambodia has an ancient and high civilisation. Who are you to come and preach here? Do you look upon yourself as civilising the barbarians? Many Cambodians look at the west as decayed, amoral and decadent and do not wish the same fate for Cambodia. They do not need missionaries to preach western morality to them and do not accept it.

Missionaries get over yourselves and your truth. Stop the colonisation through faith based programmes that are present in almost every developing country. Development only - no strings attached.

No democracy here

In Cambodia, prime minister Hun Sen is delighted to have elections so long as everyone understands he has to win or there will be civil war. (Source)

Victory or war! Such threats are quite unnecessary. His political party won 98% of the vote in the Commune Elections earlier this year and what bribery doesn't achieve, threats and intimation will!

There's an article in the Cambodia Daily today, therein the PM declared that the people must support him or risk disappointing the king but claims that this is not electioneering. How is it anything else? No one appears shocked at the threat of military action. Life continues as if all was normal and the leading political party had not just threatened to attempt a military coup on a democratically elected government.

The CPP is threatening civil war if they lose the elections. A threat backed up by military force is more akin to a military junta like Burma than an allegedly peace democratic Cambodia. Such threats should motivate the populace to question the rhetoric and vote with their conscience. But it probably won't. Who cares about politics when you can't feed and educate your family?

Stand up for the MDGs

Don't know what the MDGs are? You can get more information here. The first goal is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. We all play a part so stand up and be counted.


In 2000, world leaders pledged to cut poverty by half by 2015. Yet mid-way to the deadline, it is clear that many countries will not reach this goal — unless they do something radically different.

7 out of 10 of the world’s hungry are women and girls. Stand up against women's poverty. Learn more here. To stand up and be counted click here, view the e-card and then sign the petition.

Cosmo just doesn't get it - STILL

Despite the huge backlash against hack writer Laura Sessions Stepp, Cosmo still grants her the opportunity to bore us with her woman-shaming attitudes and judgemental condescension.

From Jezebel:

Laura Sessions Stepp was the first to speak at any length, and she basically rehashed the article she had written in Cosmo peppered with some of her usual anti-hook-up propaganda. Blah, blah, women should be dating and not just having casual sex, blah, blah, there wouldn't be so much assault if they had real relationships.

It's your own fault sluts because everybody knows that there is never any rape of and by people in relationships. Forget about what every survey says, that 90% of rape is committed by a friend, family member or intimate partner of the victim, if it doesn't fit with your little theory. Being in a relationship doesn't save you but makes your more vulnerable. It would be a fine thing, Sessions Stepp, if you did a little fact checking.

Two of the three men on the panel, Neal Irvin, the National Director of Men Can Stop Rape and anti-violence activist Joe Samalin, focused their commentary on the need to educate men. "The way we socialize men to think about sexuality is the reason they're confused about gray rape," said Irwin. "We're taught that men are the seekers, women are the gatekeepers." An interesting point, but neither Irvin nor Samalin gave concrete examples on how to help educate or socialize the men in question.

Some blah blah about socialisation but no attempt for men to take responsibility. Blatant acceptance of the words grey rape as if it were valid. No questioning of the term. Women are blamed for not protecting their virtue. Nothing new there.

Linda Fairstein, the former chief prosecutor in the Manhattan D.A.'s Sex Crimes Unit, was the only commentator who said anything remotely useful in terms of defining gray rape. "There is no such thing as gray rape in the criminal justice system," Fairstein explained.

"Men are responsible," Fairstein continued. "They shouldn't be having sex with wasted women. Vomit should probably be a red flag... But teaching responsibility to young women is just as important. You don't have to drink eight drinks. You don't have to get blotto."

And some facts - grey rape does not exist. Finally. But... it's still your fault. You were drunk. What did you expect? Be a good girl. Don't drink. If you drink and are raped, it's your fault. Don't take drugs. If you take drugs and are raped, it's your fault. Always be on the alert. Live your life in fear. It's never the man's fault, you must have done something to deserve it.

The pervasive notion of grey rape, that Cosmo seems to be promoting is a dangerous one. It is basically letting rapists off the hook because yeah she might have said no be she meant yes. It's perverted. I've said it before: no consent is rape. I don't take if the people in question have slept together before, or have been fooling around or if one or the other is intoxicated. No consent = rape.

Why are women forced into the role of a child. Children must be protected because they are unable to protect themselves. Women are adults and do not need to be preached to and shamed by magazine's hacks, governments, church leaders, and big brothers. Just do your damn jobs. Enforce the law and prosecute rapists. Stop blaming the victims. Would you blame a stab victim for getting stabbed? Would you blame a murder victim for being killed. So why do you blame a rape victim for getting raped?

I suggest a boycott of this piece of shit magazine, not only because of the serious grey rape issue but also because of the content.

Cosmo was started to discuss sexuality in the swinging sixties but these days it is a parody of the Stepford Wives: "Be a good girlfriend"; "How to please your man"; "How to give the perfect blowjob". It might as well be, "how to keep the house tidy", which would fit in nicely with the spate of recent articles on how housework is feminist, and "I'm nothing without a man by my side", which is cropping up all over the place.

NO MORE, Cosmo, NO MORE

Pchum Ben

It's the festival of the dead in Cambodia.

The fifteenth day, of the tenth month, of the Khmer calendar marks the Pchum Ben festival. This is a time when the spirits of the dead ancestors walk the Earth. And the living can ease their suffering by offering them food to eat. (Source)

Everyone returns to their home province to honour the dead.

I'm taking the long weekend on the coast. Just another couple of hours and I'm out of here!

Under arrest

Yesterday a cow was arrested for murder in Cambodia. They say stranger things have happened but really, have they?

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: A Cambodian cow was taken into police custody for causing traffic accidents that resulted in the deaths of at least six people this year, a police official said Tuesday.

The white, 1.5-meter (5-foot) tall cow was standing in the middle of a main road Monday night when a 66-year-old motorcyclist crashed into the animal and died. Most Cambodian roads are dark at night.

Earlier this year, the same cow was responsible for another traffic accident that resulted in the death of five people and several injuries, when a truck veered off the road and crashed as its driver tried to avoid the animal.

Pin Doman said he was holding the cow at his police station.

The cow's owner could also face a six-month prison term under a new traffic law that holds people responsible for accidents caused by their animals. (Source)

Snakes alive! It's a killer cow. Someone should call an animal rights group and get this cow a lawyer.

"Serious?" She said sarcastically.

Misogynist

Don't you think it's almost worse when a misogynist hides behind a veneer of equality instead of admitting it up front? If you hate me for being a woman, don't try and hide it under respectability.

I was cornered by a man, I thought I knew quite well, on Saturday night. This man had slept with two of my friends unbeknownst to his girlfriend. He treated one of them really badly. He wanted information from me. He wanted to know who had told the world about his cheating.

He spoke to me as if I was unaware of the facts. Both women had told me their story. I was there when he pursed them. He pursued them ruthlessly and constantly and then cried like a baby when I said that I did not believe that he felt guilt over his cheating.

He believes that both girls tricked him into faithlessness. Yes he actually believes that. He claims that both pursued him. But I know better because I was a witness to both 'courtships'. He's re-enacting 'blame the woman' that game that we have been on the receiving end for time immemorial. Eve gave Adam the apple but he chose to eat it. Surely the patriarchy isn't claiming that he didn't have free will. Secondly, it's a myth. Get over it.

He is obsessed with finding out who spread rumours about his dalliances, afraid that his partner will find out. It is strange that he wants a name, someone he can threaten, even two months later, despite copious public displays of affection.

Of course he believes that only a woman would spread gossip like that. Of course he is wrong.

He demanded information from me. He was messing with the wrong person. So I let him feel the sharpness of my tongue. I called him on his misogyny and his lies and his treatment of my friends. I let him feel every piece of anger I had stored up instead. He denied it for a while but I broke him. Did he honestly believe, knowing the whole story, that I would side with him, a person who blames my gender for his actions? Never.

In his professional life, he preaches tolerance. In his personal life, he seemed full of hate and blame to me. I never would have thought it of him.

Idiots visit Burma

What could be more idiotic as deciding to backpack through a country ruled by a military junta that has just cracked down on its protesting people and shot a few foreigners? I can't think of actions more moronic at this particular moment.

Yes it's true. Seven foreign residents of Cambodia, all between the ages of 20 and 27 have gone on a holiday to Burma. The UN advises against travel. Their own governments have prohibited travel and some have imposed sanctions (no prizes for guessing which one). They are under the delusion that their tourist dollars will go to the locals. Yes I'm sure the military junta will be happy to allow seven young international students to wander around taking pictures and making notes. They will not be able to choose their own guest houses and restaurants. The 8pm curfew will make things a little less fun I'm sure.

The phones lines have been cut. The internet is off. Bloggers are on the run. People have been killed. Interns are going a touristing. Many people tried to reason with them but well there really is no accounting for stupidity.

Free Burma

Bloggers in Myanmar

The bloggers we rely on for our news of what's going on on Myanmar are on the run. Most of the web access has been cut off and we are all waiting for news.

The bloggers themselves have been halted, despite their best attempts, by a reaction from the government akin to taking a two-by-four to a spider. The ruling junta--the State Peace and Development Council--turned off the internet in Myanmar. Now, unless a website is hosted within the country of Myanmar, everything is off; that includes everything from Google to Amazon. By simply turning off the central line in to the country, the government has been able to effectively stop any unauthorized information leaking out.

So now the five intrepid bloggers who kept the world in the loop are now on the run. They are sleeping in a different location every night, and waiting to see whether the democratic movement has been crushed, or simply put on the back burner. More here

Sexism abounds

The HIV/AIDS rate in Cambodia is decreasing thanks in part to advertising and promoting awareness. Always one to stick his oar in, the PM has lambasted some of the media spots, while showing a typical Cambodian male disrespect for women

Cambodian Premier Hun Sen on Wednesday said that an educational advertisement on TV seems to encourage people to have more sex, rather than tell them to adopt condom as necessity to fend off HIV/AIDS.

"The spot looks like saying Cambodian ladies are hungry for sex " but not promoting use of condoms, he said at a graduation ceremony of health students.

The public interest advertisement showed that two men were refused by some fashion models and kicked out of the room by the security guard. Later, they came back with condoms in their pockets. Two models then agreed and went out with them. (Source)

How can anyone think that it is acceptable to single out a section of society to denigrate? Why is accusing women of being sexual beings an effective insult? It's just another example of the double standard. Men go to prostitutes several times a week. Women who have more than one sexual partner (always her husband) are ejected from society for being whores.

It shows how unequal women are in this country and how the inequality and blatant sexism is being propagated by those in power. Disgusting.

Racism and visas

I am livid. My friend has acute appendicitis and needs immediate medical evacuation to Bangkok. My friend is from a country that needs a visa to enter Thailand. She is lying on a trolley in Cambodia, while her husband rushes around town trying to get her an emergency visa so she can have an operation. You would think that they could make an exception.

My friend is African. The last time she went to Bangkok, she had to submit to a special medical exam only for Africans. I think she is being discriminated against because she is black. And there is nothing I can do, but hope that she can get her operation in time.

I wouldn't trust anyone to open someone up in Cambodia. The healthcare standards are just not high enough. At least the hosiptal in Bangkok is modern and clean - it's where rich foreigners have elective procedures. I hope she gets that visa.

The politics of clothes

Why can the men in my office come into work with an opened neck shirt when the women are required to wear jewellery and make-up? Talk about a double standard. Of course there is no specific obligation to dress a certain way. The organisation I work for is very accepting but I feel the eyes of judgement on me when I reject the "woman as decorative" mindset and wear whatever I damn well please.

At staff meetings, I want to scream at the glances I get. Yes I am a woman. Yes I am not wearing make-up. Yes I am not wearing jewellery. No you cannot fucking judge me, especially not in your open toed hippie sandals and an open necked shirt with stains. My body is not public property.

The decorative role of women is demeaning. I reject the standards set by society but I still feel the humiliation of non-compliance. In a casual office setting, all should be set to the same standard. If men can come in dressed without ties, then women should be able to come in without earrings.

I understand that office professional is in vogue all over the world. I understand the politics of interviewing for the job. I wear earrings at most of my jobs but here I wear a motorbike helmet and often lose earrings putting it on and taking it off. It is a practical consideration in addition to a feminist equality rant.

Now I'm not dissing the "look good, feel good" point of view. At home I dress up cos it makes me feel good but I'm in Cambodia now. In Cambodia, one is always sweating; one's tailor can never get the clothes exactly right; security warns you not to wear jewellery because of thieves (one does anyway); one feels so far from home that fashion is the least consideration.

My work clothes are perfectly acceptable, but I lack accessories. I also lack the money to sparkle myself up, which I can live with. I prefer to spend my extra cash on books and entertainment, especially considering my job.

Nobody sees me in my office where I am hidden behind huge piles of paper. Why should I wear heels when nobody can see my sneakers? Why wear make up when it will, firstly, sweat off and, secondly, get mixed up with the twenty years of dust I blow of each piece of paper? A little practicality please!

The only dress code is in the judging eyes of my co workers. I will continue to ignore it but I do wonder... Will my dress sense work against me? Will my boss remember my sneakers when he's writing my reference? Will I be always remember as the woman who didn't wear the matching earrings, necklace and bracelet? Maybe I will and if I am, j'emmerde le monde!

Cambodia's position on Burma

Cambodia's position on the Burmese military dictatorship is a little sketchy but an article on KI Media today makes things a little clearer...

Cambodia is one of the stronger supporters in the region of the Burmese military government For example, when the Burmese junta tried to get the rotating chairmanship of Asean in 2006, the only country standing for the junta was Cambodia. The junta, however, lost the position.

Cambodia supports the military junta in Burma. Not very surprising really, but disappointing, considering the lip service paid to the public about building a better democracy.

The media can become "a knife that cuts both ways"

Just in case there was any doubt about freedom of the press in Cambodia, the DPM has answered that question.

Deputy Prime Mr. Sok An emphasized that media are an active agent to provide information, with the goal of providing facts and to mirror the society, in order to help correct extreme activities in society which are influenced from outside, so that they return to more appropriate ones, not to affect the value of our cultures, traditions, or the high moral of society, and to maintain national identity, so that it can survive under the influence of the currents of globalization. Due to this role, the media have to be at the same time conservers and developers of society with specific and appropriate goals.

“Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Sok An continued to point out that the media can also be a ‘knife that cuts both ways,’ because they can be an enemy of social development, and they can lead the nation into trouble, if they are not used appropriately in their role, by neglecting the aspect of the possibility of having a bad influence. Considering this, how should we arrange the media in order to maintain their role and high effectiveness in social development?

“However, Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Sok An expects that after this seminar, the media, especially radio and television, will move further to new successes in the development of the national society, the maintenance of stability and peace, and of the values of the national cultures and traditions.”(Source)

Yes indeed, how can we best control the media to reflect the opinion of the government? How can we get all these pesky reporters to go after the opposition and sing our praises? How do maintain the traditions of asking no questions, obeying orders and never questioning authority? Well how about intimidation and corruption! Or warnings from the second most powerful man in the land!

To control the media, is to control the voice of the people. Without a voice, democracy does not function. The Cambodian people want a democracy so why is the rich elite aiming for a plutocracy? Because they can, I suppose. It's really quite disheartening to see the slow careful demolition of democracy.

Jungle girl disappears

Remember the jungle girl, she's gone again:

Cambodia's mysterious "jungle girl" has disappeared back into the forests where she was found less than a year ago, police said Tuesday. The wild woman believed by the parents of Rochom P'ngieng to be their long-lost daughter melted back into the jungle about a month ago and searches for her have proven fruitless, said Ley Tom, O'Yadaw district deputy police chief in the remote north-eastern province of Ratanakiri. (Source)

The district deputy police chief thinks she's just crazy...

A safe city is a just city

... is the theme of World Habitat Day, which is today! What is a safe city? Is it a city that you can walk around at any time of the day or night, wearing whatever pleases you, and not walk in fear? There are very few cities that are safe if that is the definition.

One of the most significant causes of fear and insecurity in many cities today is crime and violence.

• Between 1990 and 2000, incidents of violent crime per 100,000 persons increased from 6 to 8.8 (UN-Habitat 2007)
• Recent studies show that over the past five years, 60 per cent of all urban residents in the world have been victims of crime, with 70 per cent in Latin America and the Caribbean (UN-Habitat 2007) UN-Habitat Press Release
  

The statistics are presented in the press release are accurate and reflect research. However, I wonder about the gender balance. Women and girls are much more at risk of violence in any city, and yet statistics refer to "persons". Does that mean that the default is man? That is unacceptable.

Got him!

Nuon Chea has been arrested!

Nuon Chea was put on a helicopter at his jungle home to fly to the capital, Phnom Penh, to appear before a panel of judges, witnesses said.

The 82-year-old was second-in-command to Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot.

More than a million people are thought to have died during the four years of Khmer Rouge rule between 1975-79.

Nuon Chea, who was also known as "brother number two", has been living alongside Khieu Samphan, once the Khmer Rouge's head of state, in Pailin, the movement's former jungle headquarters.

Police and court officials went to his home near the Thai border early on Wednesday to question him, witnesses said.

He was then taken under police escort to a helicopter for the flight to Phnom Penh. (Source)

Not a good guy and looks ancient. Hope he survives long enough to give evidence and get convicted.

Another spanner in the works?

You know it is amazing to me that Cambodia purports to be a democratic country with the normal rules and procedures, and then a member of the royal family publicly requests the PM to override a government agreement, demonstrating that there is no democracy here.

Prince Sisowath Thomico proposed to prime minister Hun Sen to review the possibility to shut down the KR Tribunal (KRT), claiming that this mixed tribunal cannot find justice, but that it is instead fomenting political movements and it will cause instability to the country and take away peace.

Prince Thomico added: “Moving forward, I am certain that this tribunal (KRT) will foment political movements and causes our country to lose peace and stability in the future.” The prince added: “I have the honor to send a letter to Samdach prime minister so that he reviews the possibility to shut down the ECCC at this point.” (Source)

Of course, the tribunal is politicised. How could it not be? The national and UN staff are trying to determine who is the most responsible for the genocide. Politicians and others are trying to absolve the general populace from complicity by insisting that only the leaders of the KR bear any responsibility. What baffles me is that people like Ta Mok aka the Butcher were given a heroes funeral, even after committing appalling atrocities.

People want justice and people want the truth. It is, of course, too late to try people like Ta Mok and Pol Pot, this process should have taken place 15 years ago, but at least it is finally happening. Justice may not be total but the truth will come out. Many are scared of that, of their own complicity.

And now Thomico tries to throw another spanner in the works. So many people are trying to derail the tribunal or slow it down significantly. It is a process that needs to happen and the people deserve the truth. Let the ECCC and the UNKART do their work.

Blink and miss

Was I the only one who missed Matt Dillon at Elsewhere on Friday evening? I was there but amazingly enough could not see any Hollywood stars!

Got a response from Cosmo

Last week I wrote a letter to Cosmo to complain about their disgusting grey rape article, and today I received this in reply:

Dear Reader,

We received your letter of concern regarding our September story “A New Kind of Date Rape” and want to address what seems to be a misunderstanding. Cosmopolitan did not invent the term gray rape. The phrase emerged when the author of our article, Laura Sessions Stepp, was researching a book on today’s hookup culture.

In fact, the words were used by women who were left confused after a sexual encounter they were not one hundred percent sure they had consented to and by women who had known friends who were similarly confused. The confusion, many of these women admitted, was the result of having been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the encounter. Our article endeavored to help victims in these situations make sense of their ordeal, explain their avenues of recourse, and offer advice on how women can prevent so-called gray rapes from happening.

Cosmopolitan has a long history of covering the topic of sexual assault and, more important, of being an advocate for victims. Linda Fairstein, a former Manhattan sex-crimes prosecutor of 25 years, is a regular contributor to our pages. She and other rape experts applaud Cosmopolitan’s efforts to keep our readers educated about such difficult issues as sexual assault.

Sincerely,

The Editors of Cosmopolitan

Right, thanks for the generic response, Cosmo. Other letter writers got exactly the same one. Thanks for not addressing a single one of my points. Nowhere did I claim that Cosmo invented the term grey rape. No one thinks that, so get over your wounded puppy dog eyes already. Why do you think that women who have suffered sexual assault and rape are confused? Well let's count the reasons shall we?

• the media portrays rape as something that happens in a dark alley so how could it possibly be rape if you know the man or have had sex with him before
• 'My boyfriend would never do that to me. Would he?'
• 'She was wearing a red dress. What did she expect?
• 'You asked for it.'
• 'You were drunk'

For many other reasons that society teaches women that it's not rape unless you are a teetotaller virgin. It's misogyny. It's judgemental. It's "why can't you stay home like a good girl? Why don't you wait until you're are married and then you can give up your silly little career and produce babies. Won't that make you happy?"

For more information, play rape bingo by Midnight Louise!

Of course women are confused and angry and upset but they should not have to try and minimise their experiences. Our society denies non-violent rape victims a context to frame their experiences. The common perception that it is only rape if it is a stranger in a dark alley has been proved false time and time again. The vast majority of women are raped by their partners, friends or relatives. And yet there is no acceptance of this, which is why women may express the doubts mentioned.

No consent = rape

There is no doubt in my mind that your article was irresponsible and will increase the confusion among young women. A retraction and an apology would be more fitting.

You drive in PP? Read this

From KI Media:

Kep Chuktema, the governor of Phnom Penh... ordered the posting of police and military police officers at all 38 light stops in the city of Phnom Penh, in order to efficiently put into application this new traffic law, starting 03 September.

He said that there should not be any wait for a meeting to inform about this law. Kep Chuktema ordered the posting of 5 civilian police officers and 5 military police officers at each stop light to put into application the new law. Kep Chuktema said that the application of the law does not mean that the 10 police officers stationed at each stop light should stop vehicles to demand bribes, but only for them to stop these vehicles to explain to their owners about the new traffic law.

He said that he ordered the cops not to fine the motorists, however, should fine be issued, receipts must be provided by the Ministry of Interior or by the Ministry of Finance. If no receipts are provided for the fines, the cops involved can be sentenced to jail between 6 months to 3 years. Kep Chuktema said that the cops at the stop lights must call in motorists to explain about the traffic law after 9:00 AM only, in order to avoid creating traffic jams.

So avoid the traffic lights until you've got your licence, unless you want to pay bribes!

Apologies to Monty Python

My phone tripped down the stairs this morning.

It's not pining, it's passed on. This phone is no more. It has ceased to be. It's expired and gone to meet its maker. This is a late phone. It's a stiff. Bereft of life, it rests in peace. If you hadn't glued it together, it would be pushing up the daisies. Its mechanical processes are now history! It's off the twig! It's kicked the bucket, it's shuffled off his mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the choir invisible! This is an ex-phone!

I will sacrifice my lunchtime to go shopping for a new lifeline, of the Nokia kind.

The Heart is racist

I've heard this from several people, including those that have been turned away, the Heart of Darkness, Phnom Penh's most infamous nightclub is barring its doors to black people.

The first account was of a black man who was with a white woman and they asked him to pay a cover charge. The Heart never charges admittance. Needless to say, the couple took their business elsewhere.

The subsequent accounts are of black men and women who were barred from entering altogether. I heard that someone has set up an African bar on street 63 because blacks are facing discrimination in this town.

This is disgusting. I suggest a boycott: don't go to the Heart. Find another place. I hear Q bar is nice. Let's vote with our feet and spend our money in places that do not discriminate based on skin colour. That is totally unacceptable.

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night

It takes a while in any country to get labour organised and Cambodia has done better than some. Remember Coke hiring paramilitaries in Colombia a couple of years ago? In Cambodia, quite a number of trade union activists have ended up dead in 'accidents'. But this story is heartening.

More than 1000 garment factory workers protested Thursday outside New Mingda garment factory... claiming that two workers had been dismissed for involvement with the Free Trade Union (FTU)... The garment factory discriminated against [FTU] representatives... he was protesting to be allowed back to work as well as for working to get paychecks on time. (Cambodia Daily 31/01/2007)

The managers will always find excuses for any action

the factory's head of administration said that the two were fired before management found out they were FTU representatives... they were not hard-working guys... hoped workers would soon go back to work. (Cambodia Daily 31/01/2007)

Of course, claiming ignorance is not exactly original but it can work in a propaganda machine or in a state where the the media is under strict regulation.

Still... Support the strikers! Unionise! Up workers' rights!

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night,

Alive as you and me.

Says I "But Joe, you're ten years dead"

"I never died" said he,

"I never died" said he.

"In Salt Lake, Joe," says I to him,

him standing by my bed,

"They framed you on a murder charge,"

Says Joe, "But I ain't dead,"

Says Joe, "But I ain't dead."

"The Copper Bosses killed you Joe,

they shot you Joe" says I.

"Takes more than guns to kill a man"

Says Joe "I didn't die"

Says Joe "I didn't die"

And standing there as big as life

and smiling with his eyes.

Says Joe "What they can never kill

went on to organize,

went on to organize"

From San Diego up to Maine,

in every mine and mill,

where working-men defend their rights,

it's there you find Joe Hill,

it's there you find Joe Hill!

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night,

alive as you and me.

Says I "But Joe, you're ten years dead"

"I never died" said he,

"I never died" said he.

(I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night by Alfred Hayes)

The workers are standing up for their rights - a beautiful sight - especially considering that the garment factories in Cambodia are exactly what we would call sweatshops back home. If the workers can get better conditions in just one factory, it might give heart to exploited workers all over the world.

Open letter to Cosmo

Dear Ms White,

I stopped reading your magazine a few years ago because I was tired of reading the same article every couple of months about how to please your man. As a feminist, I found it boring and relatively insipid. I would search long and hard for any article that empowered young women to advance their career or that advocated equality in the workplace. Instead I was subjected to "how to have an affair with your boss" and "how to keep the perfect man". I think you do women a grave disservice by pandering to tired stereotypes.

Oh well I would have gladly kept my opinions out of your letter pages if I had not opened up by computer today and seen this vile nasty piece of trash on "grey rape". There is nothing grey about

This one time about nine years ago I got locked out of my house and went home with some vaguely smarmy hair-product using type from my ex-boyfriend's frat... when he, after about a half hour of fooling around, put on a condom I was like, "Whooooah, what are you doing?" But I'd had two forties and I kept drifting in and out of consciousness -- my tolerance, obviously, wasn't what it is today -- and I woke up to find him sticking it in. I'd said 'no' a bunch of times and when I came to I just froze, stopped, turned over and slept. (Cosmo US edition)

This writer claims that this is grey rape; the writer is in denial. She may feel she needs to deny it because she doesn't feel traumatised. Whether or not she is traumatised has no bearing on the fact that it was rape. It's a simple equation, regardless of the force or lack thereof used, no consent = rape.

You are the editor of a global magazine. How responsible do you honestly think this is? You are propagating the idea that, is a women is drunk then it's not really rape; when she says "no", it's not really rape; when she is sleeping it's not really rape. Do you believe that? Don't you think that this is rape is completely unacceptable in every situation? If there is no consent the man is a rapist. It is that simple.

There is no grey rape. Date rape is rape. Marital rape is rape. Why are you seeking to diminish the seriousness of a crime? Your publication would do well to retract that article and print an apology because otherwise you may be responsible for people believing your misinformation. What happens when a man uses the made up term "grey rape" to defend his actions? What happens when some idiot, who actually believed your article, is passing judgement or is on a jury? What happens to women who go to the police and get mocked by the term "grey rape" when they are trying to report a crime?

This article, from what I can read, has just made the world more unsafe for women.

Sincerely

MR

Others have addressed this issue too:
Jezebel
Shakespeare's Sister
Feministing

Nothing says I love you like rape

In Cambodia women are not even allowed to hand an object to a monk because women are impure and might contaminate the holy man. They place the object on the table and only then does the monk pick it up. I'm surprised that they do not have to sterilise it first. That's just a little background info on the sexism is Cambodia before it horrible story that follows.

There is a story today in the Cambodia Daily that is utterly repellent. A monk raped a 13 year old girl, got her pregnant and threatened to kill her if she told anyone. Eventually the girl's father found out because of her pregnancy and reported the monk to the police. And as if all of that wasn't bad enough, the monk says he did it out of love

He did confess to police, that he had raped the girl because he loved her. The victim is now 5 months pregnant. (Cambodia Daily 27/08/2007)

He was a monk. She was 13. He raped her because he loved her. Why did he threaten to kill her? Where is the logic there? Why is rape so acceptable in our society? Where is the outrage? Rape is a violent crime and not one you do to someone you love. Most of the time rape is about power and this girl was utterly powerless. How dare that monk say he loves her?

This makes me sick - what happened, the attitude towards women, the sick excuses and explanations and more importantly the utter acceptance of our rape culture. The more I read I think it was always like this. The media has pushed it out into the light of day, like a monstrous fault on our stained inhumanity. Why are we not shocked and appalled at such violence day after day?