My Blog

Just another flower of a knid of vegetable.

Here is a kind of vegetable flower, that I took at my grandmom’s house! Hope you all like it!

A kind of Khmer food "Banh Chheav" cook by my mom!

Here is a kind of Khmer food, it’s call Banh Chheav. most of the time people enjoy having as their breakfast or their afternoon food.

Royal Palace located in Phnom Penh in front of the river side. it was built in 1866. This picture was taken one day before moon and water festival.

For those who want to get more information about Royal Palace of Cambodia, I better suggest you to go to this site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Palace,_Phnom_Penh. Thanks!

After getting independent from france, Cambodia has built Independent Monument in Phnom Penh in order to remembering the independent day.

This picture was taken a night before water and moon festival with a beautiful of moon rise. In Cambodia, independent day always celebrate on November 9th every year.

By Bin Molyka

Third year student of

The Department of Media and Communication

Royal University of Phnom Penh

Khmer rouge regime began to gain power over Cambodia since 17^th April 1975 and this regime ended on 7^th January 1979.  Until now many Cambodians who survived from the regime still suffer. Mental problems are some problem among many:

Mental Problem:

Although Khmer Rouge Regime ended for 30 years a go, the shadow of this black regime still haunts many of the survivors’ minds.The Khmer Rouge forced people to work for 12 hours non-stop, without adequate rest or food; many died as a result.

According to Dr Chhim Sotheara the director of the Transcultural Psychosocial Organisation known as (TPO), said “the main problem that cause people facing mental problem after Khmer Rouge Regime was that, those regime forced people to work to much hard labor, threatening to death, killing people very brutal, not enough food to eat, those regime also taught people to criticize each others to find each other mistake in order to punished and there are many others bad ways of treating people that I could not find the exact ways or words to described in that regime”

As an example of the survivor who suffers from Khmer rouge regime, Say Kimsan, 48 years old man, said in his sad mood that one of his aunts is still suffering in the bad mental condition from Khmer Rouge regime. Because she lost all her children and also her husband without any information, which make her assume that all of them had died.

He added that “my aunts cannot work as properly as before. It seems that she lost the power of her life after that regime. The cruel thing happened at that time still haunt in her dream as a nightmare. Now if someone asks or reminds her about Khmer rouge regime, the only thing she could do is crying.”

“for example: If a person facing mental problem after Khmer rouge regime that would make those person could not earn for living properly and it would led their life in poverty and many others else, because as we know feeling is a very importance sectors to succeed so, if the feeling was effected many thing in life will effected too.” said, Dr. Chhim Sotheara

Until now the exact figure or statistic of people who suffer mental problem from Khmer rouge regime is not yet found. Dr Chhim Sotheara said “I don’t know the exact number yet, because till now there is no research about that yet.”

Many Cambodian still cannot find their families member:

During Khmer regime family relationships not sanctioned by the state were also banned, and family members could be put to death for communicating with each other. That’s why after the regime ended, Cambodian people losing information about their family.

One of the Khmer rouge regime victims, Tony Sok, who now living in the United State said that “During Khmer rouge regime from 1976 to late 1978 I was separate from my family by Khmer rouge it call (ANGKA) to live in the concentration camp, that camp was very Cruelly, Humiliation, Starvation, Hard Labor and Sickness”

He added that “Any one who live under Khmer rouge regime during 1975 to 1979 have no choice Khmer rouge will separate them from their family to live in the concentrate camp separate by certain age. And no one can share any information or family contact.”

That was exactly the same thing and the situation that all Cambodian were facing at that time. Said, Kim Phalla, “I was separate to difference unit from other family members; every one of my family has difference duty and we live in difference place too. We rarely meet unless we told the unit leader that we sick and ask them meet our relative or sometime we have sneak out to meet our relative without let them know, but if we found out that we will be punished”

Continued talking with eyes full of tear, 43 years old, Kim Phalla said after the Khmer rouge regime end (the invasion of the Vietnamese in 1979’s) till now she hasn’t heard any information of her two brothers yet, even thought she has tried many method to search for them.

During the invasion of Vietnamese in 1979s, is the time that Cambodia in turmoil. All Cambodian, whose families members were separate to live in difference places by Khmer rouge, were trying to search for their losing members. As a result some found back their member and others not. 

Till now finding families members through media is one way to and for some of Cambodian who still belief in fortuneteller still go to them to ask whether their relative still alive and the place where to find back their member.

“Now I has no longer expect that my two brother still alive. Because it 30 years already” said Kim Phalla.  

Most people who forced to married get divorce after the regime ended:

Democratic Kampuchea’s weddings were different from traditional ones. Couples were married in mass ceremonies in which there as few as 3 to 10 couples and as many as 30 to 50, or even more than 100, at each ceremony. Most men and women were not allowed to choose their partner; instead, each couple was designated by Angkar, which claimed to be everyone’s parents.  Some couples did not know the name of their future spouses or what they looked like until the ceremony.

Lay Vanneang, who were 12 years old, at that time said one of her sister was force to married with the guy who her sister never known before.

According to the document about “Love and Marriage under the Khmer Rouge Regime” from the Document Centre of Cambodia (DC-Cam), Love and marriage were among those controlled by the regime. Displays of affection were punishable moral offenses and marriages were arranged by Angkar. This meant that Angkar chose whom you would marry; it did not matter if you did not like the person or had never met them. In addition the arranged couple could not say no to Angkar or else they could be killed.

“Angkar arrange the marriage for adult who look mature enough that they think reach the age to marriage” said Lay Vanneang.

Net Keim who is now in her sixties said how Angkar choose the couple “For those who tall has to married with the person who is short, Black with white, Beautiful or handsome with the one who look ugly, and for those who widower has to married with the widower.”

She also added that most of the couple who were forced to married gets divorced after the regime end.

Lay Vanneang whose sister also gets divorced after the regime end said that “my sister gets divorced soon after the regime end, because they didn’t love each other and didn’t even know each other before.” She continued that “the guy who married with my sister when to reunion with family and my sister back home too. And that is the end of her forced marriage”

According to the book “A History of Democratic Kampuchea” Written by Mr. Khamboly Dy, stated that some women facing forced marriage committed suicide. The couple was allowed to stay together for a few days and then went back to their work group. They would be allowed to come back home to see each other once every seven to ten days.

“Forced marriage really effect to the feeling, because people want to do what they want to do. I believe that most couple would face the remorse for their whole life, some were break down and some still stay together.” said Dr. Chhim Sotheara

Even thought there is no exact figure of divorce rate after Khmer Rouge Regime, still there are some file complaints at the ECCC.

“Forced marriage is one of the file complaints at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal and forced marriage now being investigated by investigating judges.” said Hlen Jarvis, Chief of Public Affairs at ECCC.

The rice field at my Hometown!

Here is the picture of the rice field at my hometown. The place where I always go when I’m free. especially it the place where I can relax peacefully, with fresh air and enjoy the view of  nature.  whenever I feel tired of Corwded city I am spending time there. It’s located in Kandal Province, Kingdom of Cambodia.

Not yet found the name of this flowers

Here is another flowers, that I took at The Royal University of Phnom Penh. But I really so sorry that, I could found the name of this flower in English yet. So please, if anyone know the name of this flowers please let me know! Thanks in advance! Molyka.

The Blue Dragonfly

Here is a Dragonfly. It a kind of insect. This picture was taken a long the ways to my grandmother home in Kandal province, Kingdom of Cambodia. for more information about the Dragonfly you guy should visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly this site.

Here another flower in my house. it is jasmine. jasmine is a very smelling flowers.

 Jasmine is a very good smelling flower. it has only one coulor that’s white color. Most people love these flowers because of it’s good smelly.