Photography Guest Of The Week Rahman Roslan - Malaysia

Photo © Rahman Roslan All Rights Reserved

Cambodia: The Invisible Construction Workers

"The floods of tourists who come to see one of the wonders of the world, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, exceeds 500,000 people per year. The tourist boom has subsequently led to a construction boom and massively influenced life for the local population. From luxurious hotels to the most basic backpacker lodge, everything was built by the local population using their bare hands, working mostly for foreign owners."

Those observations were made by Malaysian photojournalist Rahman Roslan during a visit to Siem Reap, Cambodia and his photo reportage Cambodia: The Invisible Construction Workers is now appearing on Gaia Photos, a new international photography source comprised of 46 photojournalists from around the world whose mission is to promote quality and diversity in documentary photography.

Roslan continues, "They are like nomads, living on the construction site, the very place they eat, sleep, and even raise their children. When their job is done, they will move unnoticed to a new site. Compared to Angkor Wat, they are The Invisibles!."

Rahman Roslan is a 24-year-old photojournalist and documentary photographer whose focus is news and documentary photography. He studied Interior Architecture for three years at local private college before pursuing photography.

A self-taught photographer who started shooting 3 years ago, Roslan says, "I developed a very personal and sensitive style coupled with strong aesthetics, and I am constantly open to new challenges."

Rahman Roslan was chosen to attend the workshop for emerging young Asian photographers at the Angkor Photography Festival and besides pursuing personal projects documenting issues that interest him, he has freelanced for wire agencies such as AFP and Reuters in Kuala Lumpur. Currently he's working on urbanization effects of major cities in South East Asia.

Rahman Roslan's photography has been published in E9 Magazine, The National UAE, Sutra Magazine, The New Internationalist, Berita Harian Singapore, The Singapore Strait Times and UNESCO Korea, as well as several international magazines and newspapers.

Rahman Roslan is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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Cambodian Photographer Is Offered $790,000 Ghost Dollars For Khmer Rouge Boss Pol Pot's Rubber Shoes

Hundreds of thousands of Cambodian children are in need of good shoes.

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

50-year-old Nhem En, a man who headed a small group of photographers charged with visually cataloguing the men, women and children arriving without justice or cause at Tuol Sleng S 21 Prison in Phnom Penh, Cambodia over 30 years ago has caught the entrepreneurial spirit in Cambodia.

Although it's common knowledge that he reportedly seeks $500 USD per interview from visiting journalists, he knows how to strike up marketing programs when the iron is hot.

Expected to testify during the the ECCC tribunal in Phnom Penh, the former Khmer Rouge member is not facing charges.

Here is the report that was filed by AFP awhile back.

START

PHNOM PENH (AFP) — A Cambodian photographer's attempt to sell the sandals of late Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot has yielded only one bid -- 790,000 fake dollars offered in protest at the sale, a report said.

Nhem En, who photographed inmates at the regime's main torture center and also snapped pictures at official regime ceremonies, announced last month he was selling the footwear along with two cameras. The shoes belonging to Pol Pot, who died in 1998, were made of car tires, while the two cameras were manufactured in Germany and Japan.

But "bidder" Pok Leak Reasey told English-language Phnom Penh Post newspaper that he was offering 790,000 fake dollar bills traditionally used to make offerings to spirits of the dead. "And the reason why I have offered the money in ghost notes is because I want to say that all material remaining from the regime is worth nothing," he said, according to the paper.

Ghost money is used during funeral rites in many parts of Asia. Up to two million people died of starvation, execution, overwork or torture as the Khmer Rouge, which ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, dismantled society in a bid to forge a communist utopia.

The former chief of Tuol Sleng prison, Kaing Guek Eav -- better known as Duch -- is currently on trial for crimes committed during the regime. Cambodia's UN-backed court also plans to try four other senior Khmer Rouge leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Copyright © 2009 AFP.

END

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Documentary Photography From Israel On Gaia Photos Black Hebrew’s Village of Peace By Rafael Ben-Ari

Photo © Rafael Ben-Ari All Rights Reserved

Photojournalist Rafael Ben-Ari has discovered a distinctive way a group of people in his native country of Israel live their lives and he shares their story with the rest of the world in his photo essay

Israel: Black Hebrew’s Village of Peace

As Ben-Ari describes, "The Black Hebrews believe that they are descended from the Israelites who were expelled from Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and thereafter migrated for more than 1,000 years before reaching West Africa and later the United States as slaves. But for the 2,000-strong vegetarian and polygamous community of Black Hebrews living in the community is the fulfillment of a scriptural promise to create what they call the “Kingdom of Yah” or God on earth."

To glimpse the daily lives of this unique community that grew weary of ghetto life in the United States, please view Israel: Black Hebrew’s Village of Peace as portrayed by photojournalist Rafael Ben-Ari 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.

The Village of Peace Article by Rafael and Claire Ben-Ari is available to
accompany any collection of photos from the image gallery on his website. Please contact Ben-Ari at mailto:assignment@chameleonseye,com

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Cambodia: New Television Comedy Portrays Foreign Donors As Womanizing Lushes Who Fake Scenes Of Poverty

Did I stage this scene of poverty in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in order to dupe foreign donors?

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

Did you know that NGOs are rich scammers who receive money from international donors for the sole purpose of criticizing the Cambodian government?

Further, did you realize that fake evictions and scenes of poverty are being staged by wealthy NGOs and journalists to dupe foreign donors? And who are these philanthropists from foreign soil?

According to a live television comedy show that hit the airwaves on Bayon TV in Cambodia that has been rebroadcast several times last month, they are a group of womanizing lushes who never leave their fancy hotel rooms during visits to Cambodia.

The Koy comedy troop are the folks serving up this brand of humor and the troop's leader Chuong Chy, aka "Koy" is also a trooper of another sort, serving as a colonel in Hun Sen’s personal body guard unit (p.8. PDF).

Now you, a hard working stiff who has donated some of your hard earned money to an NGO operating in Cambodia know how Cambodians view you and the organizations you donate your take home pay to!

Are you still laughing? According to a May 2008 report issued by Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) entitled Reading Between The Lines: How Politics, Money & Fear Control Cambodia’s Media, Bayon TV openly serves as a mouthpieces of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP).

The report continues that Bayon TV is "Widely reported to be owned by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s family and is currently run by his daughter Hun Mana. For many years, Bayon’s transmission tower was located inside Prime Minister Hun Sen’s guarded compound just outside Phnom Penh."

However, the comedians have denied that the government was in anyway involved in inspiring their sketches. And so what if the government was involved? Everyone has the right to freedom of expression in a democracy.

As for the government, it's important to remember that according to a recent article written by outgoing Asia Foundation director Rod Brazier that appeared in an edition of The Phnom Penh Post entitled "A Future in the Balance", "This government is truly very popular."

What this means is that despite any thoughts you may have regarding the nature of this comedy show, Cambodian's overwhelmingly support the political party that owns the station broadcasting the program. This is Cambodian democracy in action and what Cambodian people fall down laughing at or what they enjoy watching on TV should not concern any of us. After all, everyone could do with a good nightly belly laugh.

According to a report prepared by Global Witness (GW) "Cambodia’s Family Trees", "In private, ministers describe the donors as "dunces" who will continue to bankroll the government no matter how much of their taxpayers’ money is misappropriated." [49]

CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap remarked about the hot new TV comedy show in an article that appeared in the June 16, 2009 edition of The Cambodia Daily, "They play for fun, and sometimes they just try to educate the public. It is their right to play." He added that the comedians portrayed the activities of NGOs accurately.

Cheam Yeap headed up the construction of Cambodia’s new National Assembly building that "might be among the most comprehensively furnished in the world" according to Global Witness. The report claims that exotic luxury grade I and II timber was used for furniture and for other unspecified purposes. Luxury grade timber comes from rare tree species that are protected by law. [31]

Now that you have been offered a glimpse into Cambodian perceptions, do you agree with the signals the show is sending to its fellow citizens and NGOs operating in the country or do you feel that the work you do and the 30 BILLION DOLLARS you have given Cambodia so far has just actually been "playing for fun" and something to be laughed at?

The question isn't when Cambodians will stop laughing at NGOs, that's unimportant. A better question is; When will they all finally realize that this 30 year long 30 BILLION DOLLAR comedy joke is on them and the entities who contribute funding?

Just asking….ROFL!

Appendix from Global Witness

31 Global Witness wrote a letter to Cheam Yeap 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 Cheam Yeap, please contact Global Witness via mail@globalwitness.org.

49 Comment by a government minister quoted in Steve Heder, "Political Theatre in Cambodia: State, Democracy, Conciliation", unpublished draft, May 2004.

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Documentary Photography From Macedonia: Life In A Student Dormitory On Gaia Photos By Ivan Blazhev

Photo © Ivan Blazhev All Rights Reserved

Photojournalist Ivan Blazhev looks at the living conditions college students residing in on campus housing at a Macedonian university encounter and he shares their story with students worldwide in his photo essay

Macedonia: Life In A Student Dormitory

As Blazhev describes, "The student residence hall “Stiv Naumov” is part of the State Student Housing Center – Skopje, a state institution which takes care of housing and meal plans for students coming from other parts of Macedonia to attend university in the capital city of Skopje.

“Stiv Naumov” is by far the largest residence hall, with housing capacity for roughly 2000 students. Consisting of barracks that have been around for about 40 years, two newer male dorms, and one female dorm were added in the early 1990s."

Ivan Blazhev says, "I visited the Hall for the first time in the fall of 2007. No matter how much one is prepared, even at first encounter, the dire and physically-harsh living conditions that are part of daily life for the Stiv Naumov residents leaves a lasting imprint. The stench from the restrooms that seeps through the hallways, the half-rotten furnishings of the rooms, the few functioning showers and accommodations without telephone or internet connections…."

To meet the university students Ivan Blazhev encountered who live in “Stiv Naumov” please view Macedonia: Life In A Student Dormitory, a documentary series 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 Ivan Blazhev on Gaia Photos and visit Ivan's website too!

Please Visit Us and 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.

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Saudi Arabia Is The World's Most Generous Country - Have They Been Duped In Cambodia?

Saudi Arabia Is The World's Most Generous Country - Have They Been Duped In Cambodia?

Are these people duping foreign donors?

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

"It's a wailing sound track to Dante’s Inferno unfolding in gentle hills of horror into the horizon in every direction, and a home no human should inhabit. Twenty thousand Cambodians live in and around Stung Meanchey."

That passage written by James Rose appeared on newsvine.com and sums up his observations of the Stung Meanchey landfill in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Apparently, the Cambodian government has yet to figure out a way to get the children at least, out of this Hell hole on its own, so it relies on foreign donors to solve the problem.

WHO IS GIVING?

Rose states, "In the grand geopolitical landscape, the Saudis, along with other Arab countries, have been criticized for reserving the vast majority of their giving to other Arab countries and charities. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal published in 2004, the World Food Program (WFP) provided humanitarian aid to 57 million people in countries who are members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Yet, just 2% of those funds came from the richer Islamic countries."

He continues, "The Saudis appear stung by the criticisms and are looking to correct what may loom as a pressing image problem."

According to Special Ambassador for the UN WFP Abdul Aziz Arrukban, “Saudi Arabia has given over $85 billion USD in aid over the past 30 years which amounts to 4% of the GDP, and donates more aid based on GDP per capita than any other country."

In Cambodia, Saudi officials have forked over thousands of metric tons of rice delivered via the WFP and through them, to non-government organizations (NGO) such as Smile of a Child so people such as the ones shown in the photo above get enough to eat.

THE IMAGE PROBLEM

While Saudi Arabian generosity certainly sets a good example the rest of the world can follow, "the Saudis pressing image problem" will be a bit more difficult to overcome in one country. "What county would that be?" you might ask yourself. The answer of course is Cambodia!

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has stated, "NGOs are out of control...they insult the government just to ensure their financial survival" and he "feared terrorists might settle in the kingdom under the guise of NGOs."

Nabil H. Ashri, the Saudis’ Charge d’Affaires in Cambodia, denied there were any political motives at work in the Cambodian aid project. “This is about humanitarian aid” he said. “Everybody is in need, not just Muslim countries.”

However, a new TV comedy aired on Bayon Television, a station reportedly owned by the Prime Minister, portrays NGOs are rich scammers who receive money from international donors for the sole purpose of criticizing the Cambodian government. In addition, scenes of poverty are being staged by wealthy NGOs and journalists to dupe foreign donors.

As for foreign donors such as the Saudis, French, Americans, Japanese and the rest, they are a group of womanizing lushes who never leave their fancy hotel rooms during visits to Cambodia.

Cambodian government spokesperson Cheam Yeap, a Cambodian People's Party (CPP) lawmaker, said the comedians in the TV comedy were portraying the activities of NGOs and foreign donors accurately.

CAMBODIANS VIEW THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY

In an article entitled "A Future in Balance" written by Rod Brazier that appeared in The Phnom Penh Post on May 21, 2009, Brazier, the outgoing country director for the Asia Foundation said, Hun Sen's (CPP) "enjoys widespread support today owing to the stability and economic growth that have occurred in recent years. Outside, it's not well understood that this government is truly very popular."

While Stanford University Professor Joel Brinkley's recent article in The Phnom Penh Post titled "Cambodia's Curse" offers a different view of the nation's political landscape, Brazier is correct when he assesses Hun Sen's far-reaching support and tremendous popularity. Cambodians love the man and if you don't, well that's the way the ball of democracy bounces around within Cambodia's border.

When I show this photograph to Cambodian people (of which there are 15 million), 90% of them laugh. No one else from any other country (which collectively is comprised of nearly 7 BILLION people) who has ever seen it has laughed along with them, including the world's most generous people, the Saudi Arabians. That's democracy too, the world's ball is bigger than Cambodia's ball, and eventually EVERYONE will stop laughing.

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