Cambodia Vows To Get Tough On Terrorism By Curbing NGO Activities

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen fears terrorists might settle in the kingdom under the guise of NGOs.

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

I don't know about you but I am going to sleep easier once the Cambodian government steps up its efforts to root out terrorism. I have long feared terrorists might settle in the Kingdom of Cambodia under the guise of NGOs. I would take all of this a step further and outlaw NGO's completely just to be on the safe side. Nearly 80% of Cambodia's voters support the popular Prime Minister who believes NGO's insult the government just to ensure their financial survival.

In case you missed it, here is a story written by Andrew Nette that appeared on ipsnews.net in December, 2008.

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RIGHTS-CAMBODIA: New Laws May Curb NGO Activity

PHNOM PENH, Dec 15 (IPS)- Cambodia could be the latest Asian country to adopt tighter laws governing the activities of local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) - a move many believe will put further pressure on the country’s already fragile democratic space. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen foreshadowed the move after the July 2008 national election in which his Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) was returned with a significantly increased majority. In a five-hour speech late September 2008, Hun Sen said the law was necessary to track the funding sources of NGOs, as "he feared terrorists might settle in the kingdom under the guise of NGOs". The Prime Minister, who has had a fractious relationship with some local and international NGOs, also said: "NGOs are out of control...they insult the government just to ensure their financial survival."

Please see related story here

He said the law is one of three priority pieces of legislation for the government’s current five-year term, along with a new penal code and a much-anticipated anti-corruption law delayed since the 1990s. Officials from the interior ministry, which has carriage for the law, have claimed it will address ‘serious irregularities’ such as NGOs setting up to exploit tax loopholes and their involvement in party politics, although no concrete evidence has been provided to support either claim. Debate over the proposed law is muted due to the fact its content remains unknown. Little information has been made public, unlike the government’s previous attempts to introduce laws governing NGOs, when drafts were either released for comment or leaked to the media.

Please continue reading about Cambodia's War on Terrorism here

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Documentary Photography From New York City: Tompkins Square Park Riot On Gaia Photos By Q. Sakamaki

The January 1st, 1994 inauguration of New York mayor Rudolf Giuliani was another sharp turning point towards gentrification in the city.

Photo © Q. Sakamaki All Rights Reserved

You better hold on, something’s happening here. You better hold on, meet you in Tompkins Square. Lou Reed, Hold On (1989)

Photojournalist Q. Sakamaki shows what happened to a neighborhood located in Manhattan New York 's Lower East Side in a long term photo documentary that spans several years in his photo reportage

USA: Tompkins Square Park

As Sakamaki recounts, "Tompkins Square Park, the symbol and stronghold of the anti-gentrification movement was the scene of one of the most important political and avant-garde movements in New York's history."

He continues, "During the summer of 1988, Tompkins Square Park, which had long served as a makeshift community for the homeless and a center for social unrest, erupted in violence when the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and hundreds of protesters clashed over ideological differences. Residents of the Lower East Side, historically home to diverse immigrant communities but facing gentrification, united in protest."

Mr. Sakamaki explains that "On August 6th, 1988 demonstrators carrying signs that read “Gentrification is Class War” clashed with police armed with riot gear. The violence that lasted until the next morning was Tompkins Park’s first iconic police riot and became the trigger to further radicalize the community’s political movement."

To view scenes from this powerful social movement please view USA: Tompkins Square Park, a documentary journey by Q. Sakamaki now appearing on Gaia Photos, a new international photography source comprised of 42 photojournalists from around the world whose mission is to promote quality and diversity in documentary photography.

Also have a look at other feature stories by Q. Sakamaki on Gaia Photos and visit his website too!

You can also see the complete collection of story images with accompanying text in Mr. Sakamaki's book, “Tompkins Square Park” published by PowerHouse Books.

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Travel Photography On Vacation In Phuket Island Thailand

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

A man enjoys his day at Patong Beach, Phuket Island Thailand.

You're on vacation but can you relax?

In a September 26, 2006 interview that appeared on Jörg Colberg's blog Conscientious, American photographer Chris Jordan discussed the workaholic culture in America by stating:

"Today we are working more hours than any other society in the world. On average, Americans work three months longer per year than Europeans, who themselves work more than the people in most other countries. We are slowly killing ourselves, and we all feel it."

Judging from this beachgoers reaction to a parachute parked in front of him, leaving only a small hole through which to view the ocean, my guess is the man didn't hail from America.

Although this beach was heavily damaged during the Boxing Day 2004 tsunami (tidal wave), you can see it's a great place to enjoy life.

If you have a destination you want to promote in SE Asia, email me and maybe we can work something out.

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Documentary Photography From Russia Now On Gaia Photos Russia: Living With Radiation By Alexey Pivovarov

A sign near the Techa River advises passers-by that in Celiabinsk, Russia and vicinity, high levels of radioactivity exist.

Photo © Alexey Pivovarov All Rights Reserved

Russia: Living With Radiation is a feature story by Russia's Alexey Pivovarov appearing on Gaia Photos.

As photojournalist Alexey Pivovarov explains, "Muslumovo village is just a few kilometers from Celiabinsk in Russia's South Ural Mountain region. Its name means “City Of The Muslims”, and most of the city's residents are Tatar people. The town is most renowned for its proximity to Mayak, the world’s biggest nuclear plant that has been strategic to the Russian nuclear industry for the past 10 years."

Further, Alexey Pivovarov says, "70% of Russia’s nuclear waste is stored in Mayak, releasing radioactivity and polluting drinking water. In 1957, an explosion at the site was the world’s second worst nuclear accident, sending radioactive clouds over 23,000 square kilometers and affecting 272,000 people. More than 28,000 people have been “severely irradiated” and at least 8,015 have died as a result."

Alexey Pivovarov visited the village of Muslumovo and shares what he witnessed in his photo essay Russia: Living With Radiation, now appearing on Gaia Photos, a new international photography source comprised of 42 photojournalists from around the world whose mission is to promote quality and diversity in documentary photography.

Please visit us and see another feature story by Alexey Pivovarov. You can also search Gaia Photos for assignment photographers and subscribe to our continually updated new features page too!

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Former Cambodian Khmer Rouge Prison Boss Duch Describes Torturing Prisoners Before Crying On Witness Stand

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

In a well-written article by Stephanie Gee entitled, "Duch drops the mask at last. Talking of torture in S-21", that appeared on ka-set.info on June 18, 2009, Gee recaps testimony of defendant Kaing Geuk Eav, better known as Duch, former boss of Tuol Sleng S 21 Prison during the Pol Pot regime.

It's important to note here that many ka-set.info employees lost their jobs at Cambodge Soir newspaper two years ago this month before several former foreign and Khmer staff at the paper launched ka-set.info.

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Until then, he had always proved to be in control of himself, his words, his gestures and his facial expressions. On Tuesday June 16th, as the court discussed the acts of torture perpetrated in S-21, cracks appeared in the schoolteacher’s shell.

A few sobs suppressed with difficulty and a turnaround, when Duch acknowledged the use, in his security center, of a torture method he had until then formally denied, even during the pre-trial investigation. The cold-blooded animal gave way to the man. Duch’s examination by the judges on the functioning of S-21 continued with intensity, accompanied by the regret that the proceedings were not filmed better…"

Four Forms of Basic Torture

Responding to a question of the court’s president, Duch explained he favored the “political method”, which consisted only in questions, over resorting immediately to torture.

He had authorized four forms of torture in S-21: beatings, electroshocks, pouring water into the detainees’ nostrils, and the technique of the plastic bag placed over the head.

He recalled that the interrogators were divided into four groups, each comprised of five or six people: the cold method one (without torture), the hot method one (with torture), the “chewing” one (endless interrogations until the expected confessions were made), and a special group whose mission was to interrogate important personalities, those who were of interest to the superior echelon.

After a preliminary interrogation, according to the prisoner’s degree of cooperation, he or she was subjected to increasingly tough sessions, passing from one group to another. After one female prisoner was sexually abused by an interrogator, Duch had decided to set up a team of female interrogators that was in charge of the female detainees.

If he proved lenient with the interrogator at fault, he later said he had then felt enormous anger, but controlled it not to become a suspect in the eyes of his superiors. Duch stated he had not participated to the prisoners’ interrogations. Yet, the annotation of a S-21 detainee’s confession indicated that Duch had been his first interrogator.

It was written by the very hand of the accused himself. The latter recognized his writing, but explained he had added his name because his superior wanted, for that interrogation, more than one interrogator to be mentioned – he had therefore added his name subsequently.

Indeed, only one interrogator worked at any time because there were not enough of them and it was difficult to train good ones, the accused explained later.

Duch Breaks Down

“Was torture systematically used during interrogations?”, judge Nil Nonn asked him. In most cases, it was, Duch answered, while quoting two exceptions he knew of: Koy Thuon, who was the Khmer Rouge Minister of Commerce, and another person whose name he struggled to say: the distinguished professor Phung Ton, whose widow and daughter were sitting in the courtroom, in the seats reserved for civil parties, and whom he was watching with attention.

Unsettled, he broke down. His voice choked, he sniffed, and tried, unsuccessfully, to roll back his tears. The president left him a minute to regain composure. For the first time, he appeared sincere. The mention of the name of their respective husband and dad distressed Mrs. Phung and her daughter, as much as Duch’s genuine collapse as well as his persistence, they explained later, to hide behind some lies. About to break down, they left the room.

Only the daughter later came back to her seat. Since the start of the trial, they have come to every single day of trial.

Duch: Trainer On Interrogation Techniques

The president resumed the examination. He mentioned the recovered notebooks of the S-21 interrogators that stated the instructions they received: “you must hit but with self-control,” “hit but don’t kill”… Duch recognized that corresponded to the training he gave them. Then, the president returned to another document, the long beating up of a female prisoner until she fainted and which he allegedly took part in.

He denied and added: “I do not believe such an event could have happened in S-21.” What about a fight he allegedly demanded between two individuals? Duch replied he could not remember any longer… Nil Nonn returned to this interrogator often quoted by Duch and “who enjoyed torturing.” “I was satisfied with his work. He tried to get in my good graces by introducing hot torture techniques…”

The accused then admitted he had protected those of his interrogators who were somewhat heavy-handed. If a prisoner died from the results of a torture session, he would mention it to his superiors but ask that no sanction be taken against those responsible. The effects of torture explained expertly

Then it was the turn of judge Lavergne. “What characterizes torture in your opinion?” “It is difficult for me to answer. I think it is a philosophical question…” The judge rephrased his question. “Isn’t its main characteristic to inflict extreme pain to a person who is under one’s control? Also, what forms can pain take?”

Duch paraphrased him, adding: “Force was used to inflict pain and insults were uttered to unsettle the victim psychologically so that he or she would give in and make confessions.” Duch no longer looked obliquely, staring at a remote point, as he usually did. His increased unease as well as his tiredness could be felt.

The judge drove him into a corner. “Did you imagine what these prisoners could feel? For instance, when water was poured into their nose?” The accused gave him a technical answer. “According to the experiences of the intelligence services, when the stomach gets filled with water, the prisoner throws up the water swallowed and sometimes faints.

When he or she recovers consciousness, the interrogation continues. That is how we used to do it. In S-21, we did that only once … but this tested technique of the old regime did not prove efficient when we wanted to use it…” “What can someone whose head was placed in a plastic bag feel?” “His or her nose and mouth are obstructed and he or she feels like they are suffocating, about to die…” No, Duch claimed, he did not attend sessions of suffocation and the torture was inflicted on very few detainees.

Please read what happened after the lunch break here

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Photographing Kids In Phuket Island Thailand

A happy boy enjoys his day in the fishing village of Rawaii, Phuket Island, Thailand.

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

The best thing about travel photography in Thailand, hands down, is goofing around with the kids. Kids of course are the same as everybody else so some like to be photographed and others do not.

In parts of northern Thailand inhabited by authentic hilltribes, the sight of a camera will strike fear into the hearts of some young children so don't push it, just leave them alone or put your camera away.

Unlike photojournalism, spot news or documentary work, THERE IS NO CRYING IN CHILDREN'S TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY! Its supposed to be fun for everyone!

Do I pay kids for photos? No. BUT, I will walk them to a store to get them a refreshment, and I'll treat their parents too. If I'm in violation of a sacred journalistic code, sue me!

There is only one rule in photographing kids and that is: get on their level, figuratively of course, but sometimes literally too. Watch out for your lens, children like to touch it and although streaks of ice-cream may add a special effect to your photos, your lens won't like you much.

The finale is reviewing the photos with the children and parents on your LCD if shooting digital so be prepared for lots of chimping and laughing with the kids because after all, after they've seen the way you take pictures, they probably think you are a kid too!


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Segregation And Discrimination In Cambodia: HIV Positive Kicked Off Land To Make Way For Government Tourism Office

Children while away the day at a typical re-settlement area in Cambodia.

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

Well last week it happened again. Cambodia's weakest of the weak and sickest of the sick are seemingly being treated differently than an arriving tourist with loads of pocket money or even a Khmer fortunate enough not to be carrying the AIDS virus.

Relocation packages for amputees, stroke victims and people afflicted with HIV /AIDS, seem to lack a few frills when it comes to the government's promotion of tourism in The Kingdom of Cambodia.

I'm letting all future visitors to Cambodia know how people forced to make way for the hotels you stay in or the government offices that promote Cambodia's visitor industry to the world are treated here. I also urge you to write the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) to let them know what you think about one of their members, Cambodia.

The point is not that the government doesn’t need new office space to promote tourism for surely it does. The issue is the apparent low regard the government has for its most vulnerable citizens.

Below is a story written by Sopheng Cheang of Associated Press that appeared online last week. Caution: It is a disgusting story.

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PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodian authorities on Thursday evicted 20 families afflicted with HIV from their homes in the capital, forcing them to move to a tiny settlement on its outskirts in an action critics called discriminatory.

The evictions from the Borei Keila community came after several months of strong protests by the families, who complained that they would be without basic services, have no means of income and lose access to medical treatment at the new location.

Human rights groups charged that the evictions amounted to segregation. Amnesty International said the housing at the new site at Tuol Sambo, 12 miles (20 kilometers) from Phnom Penh, is made from distinct green metal sheets, and local residents call it the "AIDS Village."

"It is tragic that the government has chosen to create a permanent AIDS colony where people will face great stigma and discrimination," Naly Pilorge, director of the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), said in a statement.

She said the relocation site lacks clean drinking water, electricity and proper medical services. Officials say they evicted the families because they had illegally settled on state land where the government now wants to build new offices for the Ministry of Tourism. The evictions were carried out Thursday without force after a week of negotiations. About 50 police stood guard, helping the families to collect their belongings.

Sok Srey Nath, 45, said she and her husband and 10-year-old twin sons are all HIV-positive, and decided to move to the new location because they were not in a position to battle the authorities. "I have no choice, if I don't leave I would lose my property and the offer of new land from the authorities," said the mother of five. "I really don't want to leave my current house because this location is near the market, easy for me and my family to earn money and close to the health center."


The plot of land given her family at the new location is 11 feet (3.5 meters) by 15 feet (4.5 meters), she said. Residents not infected with HIV have also been evicted from Borei Keila, but some have been resettled in apartments. The 20 families evicted Thursday were not given that option.

Amnesty International said the families would lose their livelihoods because most have been working as scavengers or porters in the city. The London-based group said an estimated 23,000 Cambodians, most living in poverty, were evicted from their homes last year, and another 150,000 are at risk of being forcibly evicted due to land disputes, land-grabbing and commercial development projects.

Human rights groups have described the evictions are a major social problem that could hurt the Southeast Asian country's stability. According to a U.N. estimate last year, some 75,000 Cambodians are living with HIV, down from 120,000 in 2002, and the disease's prevalence among adults has fallen in the same period from 1.4 percent to 0.8 percent.

The rate is still among the highest in South and Southeast Asia, surpassed only by neighboring Thailand with an estimated 1.4 percent.

END

Learn more about land grabbing and forced evictions in Cambodia by reading LICADHO's May 2009 report:

LAND GRABBING & POVERTY IN CAMBODIA: THE MYTH OF DEVELOPMENT

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US Auto Industry: Will Americans Finally Start Driving Smaller Cars?

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

A man drives his compact automobile next to a bus on a street in Bangkok, Thailand. The diminutive car is an advantage when negotiating Bangkok's heavy traffic.

As Americans adjust their lifestyles in response to the mortgage meltdown and subsequent global economic crisis, many US residents are probably rearranging their priorities.

Some American folks might be saddened by having to replace their gas guzzlers with more affordable transportation or, heaven forbid, taking the bus, but I'm here you tell you folks, it's really not going to be so bad!

The news about the American economy that reaches foreign media is filled with stories about US automaker's woes, massive unemployment, uncertain fuel prices and general pessimism concerning the future.

The rest of the world has been shaking it's collective head at American consumerism for years while going about their daily lives and millions of people seem to be getting along just fine albeit more modestly.

In a September 26, 2006 interview that appeared on Jörg Colberg's blog Conscientious, American photographer Chris Jordan discussed his photos of American gluttony and remarked, "I get very little anger or negative response; people take my side and speak zealously about consumerism, even if they drive a huge SUV and own three homes and work evenings and weekends."

Chris Jordan continued, "Talking to Americans about consumerism is like talking to someone with an alcohol problem. Our culture is in deep denial about what we are doing to our planet, to the people of other nations and the people of the future."

Well folks, the future of the USA appears bright and Americans will win BIG by just relaxing a bit more and thinking SMALL.

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Documentary Photography From America Now On Gaia Photos Texas: Animal Control Facility By Roberto (Bear) Guerra

A dog undergoes surgery in a San Antonio, Texas animal clinic. The city hopes to decrease the number of stray animals by offering low cost spay and neuter services.

Photo © Roberto (Bear) Guerra All Rights Reserved

Texas: Animal Control Facility is a feature story by America's Bear Guerra appearing on Gaia Photos.

As photojournalist Bear Guerra explains, "For years San Antonio, Texas, has had one of the largest stray animal populations in the United States. The city has consistently had more animals passing through its Animal Care and Control Facility than any other comparably sized US metropolitan area. And more often than not, these unclaimed and un-adopted animals were euthanized - also at a rate that exceeds the rest of the country."

Further, Guerra says that "Animal rights activists charge that the division uses outdated methods and facilities, and needs to spend more money on education and promoting animal adoption. Activists also argue that the use of the gas chamber for euthanasia is inhumane."

Bear Guerra offers the public a candid look inside the world of stray animals in his photo essay Texas: Animal Control Facility, now appearing on Gaia Photos, a new international photography source comprised of 42 photojournalists from around the world whose mission is to promote quality and diversity in documentary photography.

Please visit us and see another feature story by Bear Guerra. You can also search Gaia Photos for assignment photographers and subscribe to our continually updated new features page too!

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The World's Best Sign Is Found In Northern Thailand "Welcome Everyone, We Love Everyone"

A woman happily shows off the message written on the outside of her home in Ban Ta Tha Fang, Thailand that reads, "Welcome everyone, we love everyone."

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

You have read here about the 3,000 Karen people from Burma (Myanmar) who fled across the Thai / Burma (Myanmar) border to Thailand recently,joining over 100,000 ethnic Karen's already residing in the country.

How do the Karen people fare once they arrive in the Kingdom of Siam? For some 70,000 of so, they inhabit a large and much photographed refugee camp one hour north of Mae Sot (Sod) in northeastern Thailand. Former American First Lady Laura Bush visited the compound last year,thrusting it into the international spotlight.

Other Karen's live their lives serving as a top tourist attraction in Thailand, spending part of each day posing for tourists' photographs and selling souvenirs.

Fleeing from a country that uses 10-year-olds to replace deserters, and where child prostitutes are available for $100 a night, living in a refugee camp or becoming a living photo icon in Thailand is probably preferable to the lives Karen's left behind in Burma.

Whatever the case, one thing I observed about Karen people living in Thailand, whether they be natives of Thailand or born in Burma, was their support of each other, their solidarity.

The small village of Ban Ta Tha Fang, Thailand is inhabited by 250 Karen people, half of whom fled their native Burma and half who are natives of Thailand. This group of expatriated Burmese seem more fortunate than most because a Thai born Karen woman sums up the village's attitude towards new Karen arrivals by happily showing off the message written on the outside of her home. It reads, " Welcome everyone, we love everyone."

Perhaps the rest of the world could try to think like this woman. After all, although she is poor, she is indeed a very proud, happy and wonderful woman!

Why is she smiling? You will have to visit her yourself to find out the answer!

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Documentary Photography From Nepal Now On Gaia Photos Leprosy Continues To Prevail By Morten Svenningsen

Sudarson (12) and Narayan (6) are being looked over by their surrogate mother.

Photo © Morten Svenningsen All Rights Reserved

Nepal: Ancient Diseases Continue To Prevail

Photojournalist Morten Svenningsen visited some of the people affected by leprosy and other diseases, including polio, who receive care at The Shanti Sewa Griha home and treatment center for leprosy patients in Kathmandu, Nepal.

As Svenningsen explains, "Leprosy in Nepal still affects thousands of people and is closely related to the widespread poverty the country faces. Insufficient diet, contaminated water and generally poor living conditions are among the contributing factors to its prevalence and new cases of leprosy emerge on a daily basis."

Further, he observes, "To add insult to injury, the age-old social stigma lingers in many of the country’s rural areas. Ignorance, fear and superstition result in leprosy patients becoming social outcasts, confined to beggary and sometimes even stoned to death by fellow villagers."

To learn more about this age old scourge please view Nepal: Ancient Diseases Continue To Prevail as viewed through photojournalist Morten Svenningsen's lens.

Please Visit Us and see another feature story by Morten Svenningsen or visit his photoblog.

You can also search for assignment photographers at Gaia Photos, a place to explore and discover the issues facing the diverse population and locations of our world, both near and far and subscribe to our continually updated new features page too!

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Nepal Street Portraits: Photojournalist Morten Svenningsen Reviews Tamron 90 mm f2.8 Lens On Canon 5D Mark II

The Smoking Man, Nepal. Canon 5D Mark II, Tamron 90 mm f/2.8, @ wide open aperture.

Photo © Morten Svenningsen All Rights Reserved

Nepal based photojournalist Morten Svenningsen has reviewed the Tamron 90 mm f2.8 lens on a new Canon 5D Mark II on his photoblog.

Svenningsen begins his review by stating:

Thought it’d be a good time to show some street portrait photos I took last week, just strolling around in Kathmandu, Nepal for a few hours. All shot with my Tamron SP DI 90 mm f/2.8 lens at wide open aperture, f/2.8. I’ll review the lens in some detail here. Interestingly, it was the only non-Canon lens to make it onto the Top 20 Canon (compatible) lenses in a recent photographer survey (Bob Atkins’), where it was rated “very good” to “outstanding. I’d have to agree! Here’s why:

Please continue reading Morten Svenningsen's review here:

Morten Svenningsen is the Director of Gaia Photos, a new international photography source comprised of 41 photojournalists from around the world whose mission is to promote quality and diversity in documentary photography.

Gaia Photos now has a new Facebook Fan Page. If you are using Facebook, you can sign up and you'll get new features served on your Facebook wall automatically. You can also search for assignment photographers at Gaia Photos.

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Documentary Photography From Asia Now On Gaia Photos Japan: Portraits of Outcast People By Masaru Goto

Opera Singer Chikako Watanabe

Photo © Masaru Goto All Rights Reserved

Japan: Portraits of Outcast People is a feature story by Japan's Masaru Goto appearing on Gaia Photos.

As Goto explains, "The Buraku-Min (tribal people) composes one of the main minority groups in Japan, along with the Ainu of Hokkaidōand and the Ryukyuans of Okinawa. Despite being thoroughly Japanese, racially and ethnically, the Buraku-Min still face discrimination and struggle under the weight of their shared history in Japan."

Masaru Goto offers brief biographical sketches of a variety of Buraku people in Japan in his photo essay Japan: Portraits of Outcast People, now appearing on Gaia Photos, a new international photography source comprised of 41 photojournalists from around the world whose mission is to promote quality and diversity in documentary photography.

Here is opera singer Chikako Watanabe's (seen above) story: "In addition to being an opera singer, I give concerts for human rights with a hope to “create a society where everyone can live to fulfill their dreams without unjust interference by anyone”. In these concerts all over Japan, the supportive audiences give me great energy as well."

In 2007, Watanabe performed at a concert held on Human Rights Day at the UN Hall in New York that celebrated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The concert for anti-discrimination was dedicated to three groups, Blacks, Jews, and the Buraku people of Japan.

Please visit us and see another feature story by Masaru Goto now appearing on Gaia Photos.

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Photographing The Honolulu Marathon In Darkness

The lead group passes the 5 mile mark at the Honolulu Marathon in Hawaii.

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

If you plan to enter the 2009 in December, you might want to start training for the event now. Thousands of runners and wheelchair racers will be trying to finish the 26 mile long jaunt through he streets of Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, USA, including thousands of people from Asia.

If you're going to photograph the event please keep in mind that the race starts at 5 AM. It will be dark and the leading runners will be moving very fast.

Although action photography in darkness could present a photographic challenge, it's fairly easy to overcome if you follow a few simple steps.

Use a powerful flash, not the pop-up one that your camera might have come with. Preset the focus to avoid hunting and adjust your flash exposure compensation to -1 or -2. You don't want to completely blow out the runners bibs as they will throw lots of that flash you're using back at you. First curtain synch is easiest

Continuous shooting mode if possible and red-eye reduction ON.

Look through your viewfinder with one eye and focus the other eye on the runners as they approach the shooting zone.

Shoot the pack from an angle or the front to help eliminate blur.

Practice a few shots before the runners zoom by if shooting digital and review your histogram. You should be able to capture something passable.

Of course all of this gets easier as the sun rises and the slow moving joggers start to clog the streets, but try to have some photo fun with the lead group too!

Aloha!


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Is US President Barack Obama Supporting Hmong Genocide In Laos?

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

US President Barack Obama's 2008 Presidential campaign promised Americans and indeed the world that he would transparently "play ball" where human rights issues are concerned.

However, it appears that Obama has ripped a page out of former President George Bush's playbook and human rights issues will take a backseat to good old American greed and consumerism with his decision to boost trade ties with Laos last week.

While the outrageous U.S. government charges leveled at Vang Pao, the Hmong guerrilla army leader and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) confidant who fought at America's side against Lao and Vietnamese communists from 1961 to 1975 was predictable, US President Barack Obama's removal of Laos from a foreign trade blacklist was a surprise.

Obama Removes Laos From Foreign Trade Blacklist

Obama's decision to de-list Laos comes at a time when Lao Hmong civilian and dissident groups in hiding in the Phou Bia mountain area of Laos are under attack by ground forces and artillery units of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) and Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (LPDR) resulting in hundreds of dead and wounded civilians.

The Hmong, as most American's later learned, were totally abandoned by the US after they fought on America's side in the “secret war” during the Vietnam War.

Hmong Ethnic Cleansing

Said Philip Smith, executive director of the Center for Public Policy Analysis, which promotes Hmong rights, "Obama's declaration is completely shocking and outrageous," According to a press release issued on Media-Newswire.com by the Center for Public Policy Analysis in Washington, DC USA on May 27, 2009, "There have been already been 12 children slaughtered and 31 additional Hmong civilians, including women, who have been captured and, or, killed,"

Smith explained, “The special LPA ethnic cleansing Task Force, is a hunter-killer unit, reportedly led by Colonel Boun Soun of battalion number 827, has been tasked with the mission to attack and eliminate Lao Hmong in-hiding by the end of this year, 2009, in an effort to wipe out all Laotian and Hmong civilian and political and religious dissident groups seeking to live independent of LPDR authoritarian control.”

"This is a one-party regime which is closely allied with Burma (Myanmar) and North Korea," he said. "This will embolden the Laos government to continue to slaughter and massacre civilians." Many Hmong are still in hiding in Laos. Another 250,000 Hmong have resettled in the United States.

Thailand Forces Hmong To Go Back To Laos

Last month, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) (Doctors Without Borders) pulled out of the sole Hmong refugee camp in Thailand, complaining that The Kingdom was forcing some 4,700 people in the camp back to Laos where they fear persecution. The organization had been the nearly 5000 Hmong's sole source of food and healthcare but more than 1,500 have already been forced back over the border.

Further, many Hmong refugees from Laos, including children, are being held in jail or cramped detention centers in the Lao / Thai border town of Nong Khai and after repatriation, the fate the Hmong is unknown since the Pathet Lao Communist government refuses to allow international agencies to monitor them.

According to Amnesty International, 20 women and girls sent back to Laos in December 2005 were detained for 18 months, and some were tortured while other returnees have vanished.

Will Hillary Clinton Pressure Thailand?

US lawmakers plan to send a letter next week to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, asking her to press Thailand to halt the repatriation of the Hmong to Laos.

"The US has been a champion of the Hmong since the Vietnam War," said the letter, so far signed by 17 members of Congress. "We continue to have a vital national security interest in and moral obligation to assist our former allies, especially those with bona fide persecution claims," it said.

Obama Favors American Business

Obama said Laos had "ceased to be a Marxist-Leninist country," a designation that prevented financial support by the US Export-Import Bank for businesses operating in the two nations. Maybe Stalinist nation is a more apt description when Pathet Lao's treatment of Hmong is considered.

The move means that US businesses would be eligible for US government-backed loans and credit guarantees as they can receive when operating in most countries. "Given the commitment of Cambodia and Laos to open markets, the president has determined that this designation is no longer applicable," an Obama administration official said.

If the Obama administration seeks to join China as a major economic influence in Laos, it's going about it the wrong way. While it's clear to anyone who has visited Laos that the country needs all the help it can get, its citizenry includes thousands of Hmong who have been fighting Communism, Marxism, Leninism or whatever label one wants to use for several decades.

Obama Ignores Human Rights of Hmong

When Barack Obama chooses to sleep with the enemy in order to compete with China and stir a dozing US economy that is fine, but there should be a string attached to Obama's latest move and that is; Demand that the Lao Pathet government stop the rape and disembowelment of Lao Hmong women and children.

Barack Obama grasps that 3 1/2 years from now he will be judged by his performance regarding the American economy, not his human rights record. Obama knows who's going to butter his bread and clearly recognizes that big American business is holding the butter knife to his throat.

Back in Laos, the child killing gang-raping hunter-killer Task Force is laughing at the knife American business is using on Obama but apparently they know that the Obama administration is saying to itself, "So what if 10,000 to 15,000 Hmong get dusted by an ethnic cleansing operation in Laos? US Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon said this was all supposed to be kept secret anyway."

READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE

IMPORTANT LINKS TO THE PLIGHT OF AMERICA'S HMONG FRIENDS HERE

http://asiapacific.amnesty.org/aidoc/ai.nsf/Index/ENGASA260042004

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA26/003/2007

http://www.tragicmountains.org/

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
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Look 3: Festival Of The Photograph - The Human Condition At 100 Eyes Online Photography Magazine

“Asylum Herat, Afghanistan” © Manca Juvan All Rights Reserved

If you enjoy good documentary photojournalism and photography you will want to view this Online Slide Show Presentation of The Human Condition now appearing at 100 Eyes.org.

The Human Condition was first shown at Look 3: Festival of the Photograph in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2007 and includes work from noted photographers such as Gary Knight and Balazs Gardi of VII Photos, John Vink of Magnum Photos and Ami Vitale.

There is also work by fellow Gaia Photos members Mikki Alcalde, Ivan Blazhev, Lisa Hogben, Jennifer Warren and Andrew Wheeler.

"The Human Condition" was created by Andy Levin, a contributing photographer at Life Magazine and founder and editorial director of 100 Eyes, an online photography magazine. Also instrumental was photographer Bob Black, photographer Jon Golden, Technical Producer for the festival, and Look 3: Festival of the Photograph founder and organizer National Geographic photographer Michael “Nick” Nichols.

Ok, I won't keep you. The show is about to begin.

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
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Photo Thieves Operating In Czech Republic And Cambodia

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

Photo Thieves Operating In Czech Republic

Yesterday I posted a story from yahoo.com on my Facebook Profile Page about an American man who was vacationing in the Czech Republic.

Apparently while cruising around enjoying life he noticed a huge billboard advertising a product that depicted a typical family. Imagine his surprise when he realized the people in the billboard's photo were his friends from Missouri, USA and HE was the one who took the photo!

My open question to all of you thieves is "How hard up are you?

Of course this crap happens all the time to most all of us but utilities such as tineye.com will eventually aid in the fight against you pilferers online at least.

Photo Thieves Operating In Cambodia

As for me? Well not long ago I was looking at a few magazines in a book store in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. As I was flipping through the pages I came across a photo of my own (seen above) that some knucklehead resident of Cambodia entered in a photo contest!

While I was relieved my photo didn't win anything, I just couldn't get over the fact that this thief passed it off as his own!

I hope you, Mr. Thief, know how to play "Knock Knock Who's There?"

The answer of course will be ME!

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
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Photography Guest Of The Week Artem Zhitenev - Russia

Priest Alexander Chistjakov sanctifies water of the Neva River in Russia.

Photo © Artem Zhitenev All Rights Reserved

Russia: Epiphany Holiday On Neva River

As Artem Zhitenev explains, "Annually on January 19th, Orthodox Christians celebrate Epiphany, an important Christian holiday. Russians dive into ice holes on Epiphany Day, washing off their sins and feeling younger. The blessed water is known as “Theophany Water”, and the faithful take it home to use with prayer and as a blessing."

Photojournalist Artem Zhitenev visited the Neva River in Russia on Epiphany Day to document this Orthodox Christian event and his subsequent photo reportage Russia: Epiphany Holiday On Neva River, is now appearing on Gaia Photos.

Gaia Photos is a new international photography source comprised of 41 photojournalists from around the world whose mission is to promote quality and diversity in documentary photography.

Born in Moscow, Russia in 1968, Artem Zhitenev was given his first camera by his father when he was just 9 years old.

After serving in the Soviet Army in the Far East for two years, he began a career as a photojournalist in 1996. Since then, Artem Zhitenev's photography has appeared in numerous Russian newspapers and magazines.

Artem Zhitenev is based in Russia where he is available for assignments.

Please Visit Us and view Artem Zhitenev's website.

You can also search for assignment photographers at Gaia Photos, a place to explore and discover the issues facing the diverse population and locations of our world, both near and far.

Please subscribe to our new features page to keep track of new stories too!

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Sunset Travel Photography In Phuket Thailand

The sun descends in Southern Thailand.

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

It was evening and the sunset was a good one to watch from under a tree at Patong Beach on Phuket Island, Thailand.

While there a literally millions of stock photographs of sunsets from this part of the world, I had to throw one more into the mix.

Travel photography it's said, should make the viewer want to visit the locale depicted. Although Patong Beach was heavily damaged during the Boxing Day 2004 tsunami (tidal wave), visitors today can see everything has returned to normal.

I look forward to re-visiting the islands of southern Thailand.

If you want to promote your destination in SE Asia, email me and maybe we can work something out.

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
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Photographing Karen Paduang Refugee Women In Thailand

A Karen Paduang refugee woman sits outside her home playing a guitar in Ban Nai Soi, Thailand. The 53-year-old woman is now residing in Northern Thailand after fleeing war atrocities in her homeland of Burma (Myanmar). The Karen Paduang people are considered a tourist attraction by Thailand's government.

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

"Can you step out here into the sunlight?" asked a camera toting tourist of a Karen Paduang Longneck refugee woman at a camp in Ban Nai Soi, Thailand.

The Karen Paduang "Longneck" and "Big Ear" refugees from Burma (Myanmar) currently residing in various locations around northern Thailand live their lives in limbo.

Each day hundreds of tourists are given access to Karen refugee camps inhabited by women that are known for the distinctive gold rings adorning their necks or elongated ear lobes.

Mae Hong Son, Thailand mayor Direk Kongkleb consolidated three Karen refugee camps to make it easier on tourists. At around $ 50 USD per head, the mayor earns a tidy sum of money for himself.

Karen Longneck refugees are restricted from traveling more than about an hour from their camps. Furthermore, arriving Karen refugees must reside in Thailand for ten years before applying to emigrate to another host country.

When one makes "requests" of the ladies to "do this or do that", maybe one might want to rethink their approach. Getting to know the folks a bit might be nice. Some of the ladies speak English or Thai so saying something such as "Hi how are you?" or "Kuen cheu arai" (What is your name?) might be nice ice-breakers.

The people that live in these camps have dreams just as you and I do, so please treat them like real people because they ARE! The friendships one makes with them will be much more valuable than the photos any of us will return home with.

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
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Photography Guest Of The Week Masaru Goto - Thailand

An elderly woman of the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) cries as she learns their leaders have called to halt their protest at Government House in Bangkok, Thailand.

Photo © Masaru Goto All Rights Reserved

Thailand: Fragile Democracy In Crisis

As Masaru Goto explains, "Thailand is now a divided in two: The anti-government group called the National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), or simply THE RED SHIRTS, and the others wearing YELLOW SHIRTS, the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD)."

Goto continues, "PAD clashed with the Thai police in October 2008, leaving two people dead and 400 injured. Former ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra called for a “People’s Revolution” in April 2009. Clashes between the two groups, police and soldiers left hundred injured and death again in the streets of Bangkok, Thailand."

Masaru Goto braved the violent streets of Bangkok to capture powerful photos of the conflict that took place and his reportage, Thailand: Fragile Democracy In Crisis, is now appearing on Gaia Photos, a new international photography source comprised of 41 photojournalists from around the world whose mission is to promote quality and diversity in documentary photography.

Photojournalist Masaru Goto has been photographing human rights and social issues in South America and Asia, including Japan, for over 20 years. His photographs convey a strong message of compassion, highlighting the plight and resilience of ordinary people who are caught in conflicts, suffering oppression or economically disadvantaged.

Masaru immerses himself in long-term documentary projects, spending time with the people in his images and sharing their sense of humanity. He has also participated in numerous campaigns concerning human rights and social issues, and strongly believes in sharing his photographs with civil society groups for advocacy and information campaigns related to the issues he passionately examines in his work.

Mr. Goto is the recipient of numerous awards including:

"The Grand Prize" Photo City Sagamihara, Mainichi Newspaper/2005.

"The Ueno Hikoma Award" Kyushu Sangyo University & Mainichi Newspaper/2004.

"The River of Life: Love and Illness" World Health Organization (WHO)/2004.

"The International Fund for Documentary Photography (IFDP)” Fifty Crows Foundation/2002.

His books include:

"Smile in Despair: Stories from a Cambodian AIDS ward" Mekong Publishing, Tokyo 2005.

"Between Worlds: Twenty Years on the Border” TBBC, Bangkok 2004.

"My Journal in Cambodia" Mekong Publishing, Tokyo 1999.

Masaru Goto is based in Thailand and is available for assignments.

Please Visit Us and view Masaru Goto's website.

You can also search for assignment photographers at Gaia Photos, a place to explore and discover the issues facing the diverse population and locations of our world, both near and far.

Please subscribe to our new features page to keep track of new stories too!

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
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The Asia Foundation Says Cambodians Prefer Comic Books Over Newspapers

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

On June 13 2007, the Cambodge Soir newspaper’s parent company told staff the paper had been closed due to bankruptcy.

A few days earlier French journalist Soren Seelow was summarily dismissed from his job as a reporter at Cambodge Soir and no clear reason was given for the firing. It is known that Seelow had written a series of articles about the report Cambodia’s Family Trees by Global Witness.

In particular, Seelow’s initial article, published on June 1 2007, had covered the report in extensive detail, including many of the allegations made against senior government officials.

The remaining editorial team at the newspaper immediately went on strike in support of Seelow, condemning his dismissal as illegal and the reasons behind it as vague and unjustified. Negotiations to end the strike at the French-language daily newspaper were unsuccessful and on June 13 2007, Philippe Monnin, director of the newspaper’s parent company, said the paper had been closed due to bankruptcy.

Reporters without Borders noted that Monnin was also employed by the French Development Agency to act as an adviser to the Cambodian Agriculture Ministry and Agriculture Minister Chan Sarun. Sarun is one of the government officials accused in Cambodia’s Family Trees of corruption and involvement in illegal logging. [1]

Monnin claimed he told Seelow that his article would “upset the authorities” and remarked that the protesting staff “doesn't have the same way of perceiving the development of the country".

Several months after Cambodge Soir’s closure, the paper was reopened by its management, with its content taking a noticeably softer tone toward the government.

According to a 2008 report prepared by the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADO) entitled Reading Between The Lines: How Politics, Money and Fear Control Cambodia's Media, the major Khmer-language newspapers are closely controlled by political parties or influential individuals who use the newspapers for their own propaganda, while dozens of others are merely tools for collecting bribes. The press may be relatively free in terms of quantity of publications, but not in quality and independence.

It may no surprise that when The Asia Foundation asked Cambodians in 2003 who they would like to hear election related information from, only 15% of respondents cited newspapers while 33% preferred comic books.

APPENDIX

1 Global Witness wrote a letter to Chan Sarun in February 2007 to ask for his comments on the main issues raised in this report as involve or relate to him. At the time of the report’s publication, Global Witness had not received a response. For information on the content of this letter to Chan Sarun, please contact Global Witness via mailto:mail@globalwitness.org.

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
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Buddhist Monk Travel Photography In Cambodia

Two Buddhist monks relax inside a temple in Ban Russei, Cambodia.

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

While I know that stock photographs of monks in Cambodia are plentiful, I wanted to capture these two people going about their daily lives at a temple in Ban Russei, Cambodia.

Ban Russei is known for its agriculture, especially tobacco. While some residents of the village grow and harvest tobacco each year, others refuse to partake in this process even though growing the crop is more lucrative than cultivating food. This stems from the Buddhist belief that smoking isn't exactly the best thing for people.

Nevertheless, the elder monk seen in the foreground in the photo above is reaching for a cigarette.

If you have a destination you want to promote in SE Asia, email me and maybe we can work something out.

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
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Khmer Rouge Prison Chief Duch: Babies Were Smashed In Cambodian Killing Fields

A marker signifies a resting place for victims of the Pol Pot regime at the Killing Fields in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

Here is a report about the trial of former Tuol Sleng S21 Prison Chief Kaing Guek Eav also known as Duch, currently being held at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

START

PHNOM PENH (AFP) — The former jail chief of the Khmer Rouge regime told Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes trial Monday that his staff had murdered babies by smashing them against trees at a "killing field".

Kaing Guek Eav, better known by his nom de guerre Duch, is on trial for overseeing the torture and extermination of 15,000 people who passed through the hardline communist movement's notorious Tuol Sleng prison. "The horrendous images of those (babies) smashed against trees, yes, that was done my subordinates," Duch said, referring to paintings depicting the atrocities committed by members of the 1975 to 1979 Khmer Rouge regime.

"I myself do not blame my subordinates, because they worked under me. I am criminally responsible," the 66-year-old added. The former math teacher, wearing a gray short-sleeved shirt, was responding to prosecution questions about the regime's policies at Tuol Sleng, where prisoners were often accompanied by their children.

Duch apologized at his trial late March, saying he accepted blame for the extermination of thousands of people at the prison, which served as the center of the 1975-1979 regime's security apparatus. But he has denied prosecutors' claims that he played a central role in the Khmer Rouge's iron-fisted rule, and maintains he only tortured two people himself and never personally executed anyone.

Duch faces life in jail if convicted by the court, which does not have the power to impose the death penalty. Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot died in 1998 and many believe the UN-sponsored tribunal is the last chance to find justice for victims of the regime, which killed up to two million people.

The tribunal was formed in 2006 after nearly a decade of wrangling between the United Nations and the Cambodian government, and is expected to next year to begin the trial of four other senior Khmer Rouge leaders also in detention.

END

A recent survey conducted in Cambodia concluded that a large majority of the nation's citizens don't understand what this trial is all about. My view is that as an "outsider" as I have been called, I will never comprehend the situations and difficulty Khmers encountered between 1975 and 1979. Present day Khmers below the age of 35, about 70% of the population, share my weak grasp of the events that occurred albeit with the empathy I have. Those who survived those years have mostly suffered silently.

Will this trial serve justice to Khmers? Of course not. Why is it being held? It makes the Cambodian government and the rest of the international community, including you and I, appear to be caring people and I suppose we are.

Nevertheless, the trial of Kaing Guek Eav or any other responsible party, regardless of the outcome, will never bring back even one of the nearly 2 million people who perished.

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
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Travel Photography In Georgetown Penang Malaysia

Two men rides bicycles on the streets of the Georgetown district in Penang, Malaysia.

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

My fixation of photographing people riding bicycles continues with this shot from the Georgetown district in Penang, Malaysia. The two men were leaving the frame in opposite directions after a brief chat before resuming their seemingly daily routines.

If you have a destination you want to promote in SE Asia, email me and maybe we can work something out.

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
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Photography Guest Of The Week Petar Kurschner - Croatia

The islands of Cres & Losinj are part of a beautiful Mediterranean environment in Croatia.

Photo © Petar Kurschner Jr. All Rights Reserved

Croatia: Daily Life

As Petar Kurschner explains,”Mediterranean as it once was? Yes, the nature is still here and it's some of the most beautiful in Europe but how about the people living in Croatia? Well, that's another story."

Kurschner continues, "The cost of living in Croatia is about the same as other European Union (EU) countries such as Germany and France but wages are much lower. At the same Croatian politicians’ salaries sky-rocketed and the world economic crisis came straight through the door"

Petar Kurschner's photo essay, Croatia: Daily Life is now appearing on Gaia Photos, a new international photography source comprised of 41 photojournalists from around the world whose mission is to promote quality and diversity in documentary photography.

Freelance photographer Petar Kurschner graduated from SAE Institute in Munich, Germany. Initially Petar gained experience by being involved with more than 600 projects including television, theatre production and concerts while serving as a sound engineer, director and organizer.

The wealth of skill he gained while working in varied environments has served Petar well when he's confronted by strenuous photographic situations. Kurschner has rapidly found his place among professional photographers and his photographs have been published in Der Spiegel, Gloss, Gala Style, Livingstone, Travel, Amazon.com, Art.com, and numerous other publications such as calendars, postcards, catalogues, posters, books, CD covers and advertisements.

He works for international press agency Action Press, German agency Teamwork Press and German / French agency Est-Ost / photo / Collectif Est.

Petar Kurschner is based in Opatija, Croatia and is available for assignments.

Please Visit Us and view Petar Kurschner's website.

You can also search for assignment photographers at Gaia Photos, a place to explore and discover the issues facing the diverse population and locations of our world, both near and far.

Please subscribe to our new features page to keep track of new stories too!

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
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It Happened In Cambodia On This Day In History: June 12th 2007 - Extraordinary Chambers In The Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) Approves Tribunal Rules

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

On June 12, 2007, national and international judges at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) finally approved the internal rules of the tribunal, ending the latest impasse in the torturous quest to find justice for the victims of the Khmer Rouge. The Japanese government, largest single donor to the tribunal, said in a statement that the trials will “provide a good model for strengthening Cambodia’s judicial system”.

In May 2005, the Cambodian government claimed that it could afford to pay only $1.5 million USD of its agreed $13.3 million USD contribution to the tribunal, and asked the international community to supply the rest. The remaining $11.8 million USD was eventually provided by the Japanese government through its bilateral aid funding.

The following year, the hard-up Cambodian government spent $5 MILLION USD to buy a townhouse in Manhattan, NY, USA for its ambassador to the UN.

It Happened In Cambodia On This Day In History, June 12th 2007

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
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Burma (Myanmar): 3,000 Karen Flee Across The Border To Thailand

Two Karen refugee boys enjoy their day in Thailand.

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

According to a news item that appeared July 8 2009 online at BangkokPost.com

START

About 3,000 Karen have fled across the border to Tha Song Yang district of Tak province to escape fighting in Burma, Third Army Region commander Lt-Gen Tanongsak Apirakyothin said on Monday.

He said Burmese government and Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) soldiers are attacking positions held by the Karen National Union (KNU) along the Thai-Burmese border.
Thailand has provided the refugees with humanitarian assistance including food, shelter and medicine to prevent illness. The fighting has so far been limited to the Burmese side of the border and no artillery rounds have landed on Thai soil, said Lt-Gen Tanongsak.

END

These are the types of stories that gain very little traction in the mainstream media. Why? People are more interested in celebrity driven news items even if they are coming out of Burma (Myanmar).

It's easier to sell magazines and newspapers reporting about the imprisonment of Burmese (Myanmar) pro-democracy opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi after a strange American man went to her house to "sleep over" than the story 3,000 Karen people who more than likely escaped through live fire.

Aung San Suu Kyi 's story "has legs" as she was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize and it contains a bizarre American angle.

Just what is a Karen anyway?

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