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Chilling, isn't it

Child sex abuser gets reduced prison sentence

From KI-Media

The Phnom Penh Appeal Court has upheld a child sex abuse conviction against Russian businessman Alexander Trofimov, but reduced his prison sentence from 13 to 6 years, state media said Friday.

The municipal court found Trofimov, 41-year-old executive director of the Koh Puos Investment group, guilty of debauchery in March for sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl.

The Appeal Court heard his case in absentia on Oct. 2 and ruled Thursday that under the country's new anti-human trafficking law, he should receive a lighter sentence, Appeal Court Judge Samreth Sophal was quoted by English-Khmer language newspaper the Cambodia Daily as saying.

"The new law's punishment is lighter than the old one," he said.

Trifimov is currently being held in pre-trial detention at Sihanoukville municipal prison as he is scheduled to be tried Monday for allegedly sexually abusing 18 other girls.

Disgusting.

So much for punishing child sex offenders. Cambodia is supposed to be tough on these types of criminals.

ETA - The anti trafficking law is the same law used to imprison women when they are caught carrying condoms. Check this out for more information.

What are you going to do to stand up against poverty in 2008?

Almost nine years ago, 189 governments pledged to end poverty by 2015. It takes time to achieve such a lofty goal but still 50 000 people die every day because of poverty. 35 000 are women.

Lousy maternal care, inequality, sexual exploitation, domestic violence and global gag rules that ignore reality, are some of the reasons why women suffer disproportionately.

It's time to stand up and order our governments to fulfill their promises. Governments are supposed to work for the people. Well it's time for a change. Order your politicians to end poverty now.

The Stand up against poverty 2008 campaign is in one month. What have you planned to do for it?

The campaign is very simple - we all demand our governments to fulfill the promises that they have made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The ground has been set. There are projects in place but there is a lack of political will and/or finances to eradicate poverty. So what are you going to do?

One simple way is to participate in Blog action day. Register and plan a post. Profbwoman has resources and more. All we are asking is for our governments to honour their promises - there's nothing too political about that eh!


Blog Action Day 2008 Poverty from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.

There are other activities and ideas so go ahead and stand up against poverty.

Gender crimes at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal

A trans woman has been the first person to submit a gender related crime complaint to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. Very little has been written on sexual violence under the Khmer Rouge but hopefully Som Southevy's complaint will inspire other women to come forward and make formal complaints.

Som Southevy’s story also highlights the contemporary situation with regard to sexual violence in Cambodia, which many observers and human rights organisations believe is getting worse.

Southevy told a press conference this week she had been accused of so-called ‘moral crimes’ and acting like a woman by the Khmer Rouge and incarcerated in several detention centres.

Weeping as she spoke, Southevy said that while she was in these prisons she was repeatedly sexually assaulted and gang raped by Khmer Rouge officials and cadres.

Although she cannot reveal all of the details, many of which are the subject of the official complaint to the tribunal, she was also forced to have her hair cut and wear men’s clothing.

"If I had not followed these orders I would have been killed," she said. "I was forced to marry a woman and after ten days they [the Khmer Rouge] investigated whether it was a genuine marriage -- that is they tested whether we had had sexual intercourse."

Whether by accident or design sex crimes were not included in the law establishing the KRT but all Cambodians have the right to bring complaints to the tribunal. It seems an incredible oversight given the high levels of rape, domestic violence and child sexual abuse present in Cambodia today.

Rape, forced marriage and violence was part of daily life under the Khmer Rouge but it did not end with them. There is gender based and domestic violence reported every day. Som Southevy's complaint will at the very least prompt an investigation into gender based and sexual violence under the KR, which may lead to a more equitable society in the future.

The virginity trade in Cambodia

VIA KI-Media

The clip speaks for itself. It is about sex work in Cambodia and contains stories that are disturbing. This is the a trailer for a feature length documentary by Matthew Watson.

International Women's Day 2008

Happy International Women's Day 2008. Hope it's a great day for women and men.

In a perfect world, there would be no international women's day. There would be no need. And the old argument of "what are you moaning about, you've got rights now, man hating humourless feminist bitch" would just fall away. But, we don't live in that world.

We have Sean Connery, saying it's OK to smack your bitch up



The Washington Post just published its perennial women are dumb article. This article has both the denial of the rape crisis and the "sluts deserve it" attitude. Check out the history of IWD. Sexism hurts everyone. Really. Feminists are not man-hating bitches.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, discusses institutionalised discrimination in her press release today. Go read it all.

GENEVA (OHCHR) – Laws that discriminate against women are still to be found on the statute books of virtually every country in the world, and repeated promises by states to revise or repeal them are not being honoured, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said Friday.

Arbour... said a newly released report commissioned by OHCHR shows that “the effects of this failure to create true legal parity between men and women in all sorts of social, economic and political arenas is having a detrimental effect on women in many countries – sometimes to a devastating degree.”

Perhaps the most pernicious and dangerous discrimination involves sexual abuse that is not recognized as such under a country’s laws, or is in effect tolerated by legislation that is either vague or not enforced. “Rape is recognized as a crime in most legal systems,” said Arbour.

“But, even when it is, inadequate legislation or local traditions often mean laws are not properly enforced. In addition, at least 53 states still do not outlaw rape within marriage, and men frequently enjoy total impunity for physical as well as sexual violence against their wives.”...

“Many states appear to have simply ignored the commitments they have made,” Arbour said. “It is shameful that, in the 60th anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, fundamental rights are still not enjoyed by many women around the world. In some cases, they suffer from multiple forms of discrimination, such as race, age or disabilities as well as their gender. Unless states take their commitments seriously, investing in women and girls will remain a matter of rhetoric.”

Don't stand for discrimination on gender, sexism, sexual assault or violence against women. Stand up. Be counted. Make sure your voice is heard. All genders have this responsibility as citizens of the world.

Assault is not a compliment

After reading all the horrific stories of violence against women in Cambodia and the lack of action on the part of the police, it is nice to read about a judge who takes assault seriously

Phnom Penh - A Cambodian man convicted of smacking a female motorist's bottom was handed a one-year suspended jail sentence and his friend was sentenced to the same term in absentia, a court official said on Wednesday.

Phnom Penh municipal court prosecutor Kry Soky said Van Theara, 22, remained on the lam after being found complicit in delivering a playful slap on the bottom to a female motorbike rider which his friend had claimed was meant as a joking compliment.

Assault is not a compliment.

He said Theara's friend, Khun Pheakdey, 18, had been ordered to pay compensation of $350 and released after already serving five months in jail for his moment of indiscretion.

Violence and assault are not moments of indiscretion, they are criminal acts and perpetrators deserve to be punished to the full extent of the law.

"This is not a funny story because funny stories do not end up in court. This is sexual harassment. A polite man takes a strange girl he likes by the hand, not by the bottom," Soky said by telephone.

The case was prosecuted after the victim's parents heard about the incident and filed a complaint to the court, he said.

It should be amazing that the judge has to publicly state that sexual harassment is not a joke, but it isn't. With the sheer number of rape jokes and the status of women in Cambodia, it is necessary to tell these truths in a public arena. It is not funny.

Once more with feeling: assault is not a compliment. Rape is not a compliment. Violence is not a compliment.

V Day

V Day is an alternate to the diabetes-inducing cringe-fest that is Valentine's Day. V Day is a global movement that campaigns for an end to violence against women and girls. It is fitting to use today, 14 February, for something other than an excuse to buy pretentious tack masquerading as romance.

Violence against women and girls is one of the most serious issues globally. As I have mentioned before, the number one set of people at risk of violence are women and girls. The simple fact of being born a woman puts one at risk of violence. That is over fifty percent of the planet's population before one discusses poverty, ethnicity, religion, terrorism etc. That is unacceptable.

In Cambodia, violence against women and girls is reported daily.

'Violence against women, minors up in 2007', Cambodia Daily 2-3/2/2008

'Woman doused with acid after seeking divorce', Cambodia Daily 5/2/2008

'Personal disputes spur rash of acid attacks', Cambodia Daily 7/2/2008

'Second victim dies from Jan 16 acid attack burns', Cambodia Daily 8/2/2008

Not to mention the violence against women all over the world

Rape Is Weapon in Kenyan Violence

Now in a shelter, a battered wife tells her story

Controversy over abortion rights for rape victims in Egypt

Our bodies - their battle ground: gender-based violence in conflict zones

GUINEA: Children exploited, abandoned, sold into slavery

Women 'bearing the brunt of war'

Liberia's child rape victims

Gang-rape victim says she and others silenced by Halliburton

Woman raped in park at knifepoint

Gender based violence is pervasive and present all over the world, regardless of culture, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or socio-economic status. It must stop.

Say no to violence against women. Don't laugh at rape jokes. They are not fucking funny and only serve to reinforce the rape culture. Liss on Shakesville is collecting examples. And to those who deny that we are living in a world where rape is part of society, I suggest you read this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this. There are plenty more.

Today is Valentine's Day.It is appropriate that today people reflect on gender and violence because isn't today the day we act out the an incarnation of traditional gender roles. Most violence against women and girl is committed by an intimate partner or relation. How many women will get a token of commercial love today and get the shit kicked out of them tomorrow? Too many.

Say NO to violence against women

What's one of the biggest reasons for suffering from violence?

- War?
- Racism?
- Extremism?
- Terrorism?
- Being born a woman?

One in three women is a victim of violence.

UNIFEM has launched a new campaign. Watch the video. Sign the petition. Tell your friends. Say NO to violence against women.

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.