Dith Pran died

Dith Pran, one of the survivors of the Pol Pot Regime from 1975-1979, died on Sunday at the age of 65.

Dith, who had been battling pancreatic cancer since January, died in the early hours at a hospital in New Jersey with his ex-wife at his side, his friend, the former New York Times correspondent Sydney Schanberg, told AFP.

Pran has been working hard for his nation, ever since he has done the "great escape" from the land of misery and blood, to the land of freedom and wealth. He, in U.S.A, established his "Dith Pran Holocaust Awareness Project, an organisation devoted to educating new generations about genocide in the hope of avoiding a repeat of the past. This is his legacy which will last forever.

Dith Pran story has been shot into film in 1984 "The killing Fields", starred by Dr. Haing Ngor, which won 3 Oscar awards. This movie has brought many attention to Cambodia, as well as the story behinds the Pol Pot Regime.

We, as Cambodian people, want to say "Thanks" to Mr. Dith Pran, for his priceless contribution to Cambodia and its society and people. We wish you may rest in peace and no more harms or agony follows you.

Good bye Dith Pran, you will be remembered.

VietNam, 6th Country to Ratify the ASEAN Charter

==Ratification of the Asean Charter==
For the 1st Asean Charter to become legally binding, it has been agreed upon that all ten member nations must ratify the Charter before the next ASEAN Summit this December 2008. The Charter will become effective on the 30th day after the 10th "Instrument of Ratification" has been submitted to the ASEAN Secretary-General, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan.



To date, the following countries ratified and submitted the "Instrument of Ratification":


Remember what I said before in this post: 5th Country to Ratify the ASEAN Charter?

The next five that will ratify it are (in the following order of my prediction): VietNam, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Myanmar.

VietNam ratified the ASEAN Charter last March 6th and submitted the Intrument of Ratification on March 14th. It was signed by VietNam President Nguyen Minh Triet and submitted to ASEAN and the Foreign Ministers of member countries by VietNam Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem.

Four countries left, namely - Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, and Myanmar. With the recent developments, I am more inclined that Thailand will ratify the Charter before Indonesia. The road for the new ASEAN is getting clearer, and slowly, the heavy burden is being put on the shoulders of Myanmar. The next three countries (Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines) are the founding fathers of ASEAN, if Myanmar ratifies the charter before them, then that will be big news.

Let's all hope for the best!

Member State	Government Ratification	Deposit of Instrument of Ratification	Signed by
Singapore	Tuesday, 2007 December 18	Monday, 2008 January 07	Prime Minister
Brunei Darussalam	Thursday, 2008 January 31	Friday, 2008 February 15	Sultan of Brunei Darussalam
Malaysia	Thursday, 2008 February 14	Wednesday, 2008 February 20	Foreign Minister
Lao PDR	Thursday, 2008 February 14	Wednesday, 2008 February 20	Prime Minister
Cambodia	Tuesday, 2008 February 25	not yet submitted	?
VietNam	Tuesday, 2008 March 06	Friday, 2008 March 14	President

Prime Minister Hun Sen: Use of Electricity to Be Tightened; US$24 Million Is Planned to Stabilize the Price

Thursday, 13.3.2008: Prime Minister: Use of Electricity to Be Tightened; US$24 Million Is Planned to Stabilize the Price

Posted on 13 March 2008.

The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 551

“Phnom Penh: Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen issued a statement to tighten the use of electricity while the petrol price is still mounting. The government plans to allocate US$24 million to help stabilize the cost of petrol.

“In a circular letter on electricity saving dated 12 March 2008, the Prime Minister said that the price of petrol has been constantly increasing on the international market since 2004. As a result, the cost of producing electricity [by Electricité du Cambodge] is also on the increase. In order to stabilize the electricity price in Phnom Penh, the Royal Government is supporting it with US$24 million in 2008. The circular also stated that although the petrol price is increasing, the use of electricity is also increasing gradually. Therefore, the government needs to allocate some resources to stabilize electricity use. The circular added that ‘the royal government has a policy that all cities and provinces should save electricity as well, in order to save national expenses.’

“The circular said that all institutions should also help to save electricity when using electrical equipment. Air conditioners should be set at 25 degrees centigrade. Air conditioners should be turned off 30 minutes before an office is closed. Except on national holidays, electricity should be on only on one side of the road, or only half of the lights should be turned on. Electricity must be used in an economical manner.

“Apart from that, the circular asked the Ministry of Interior and local authorities to collaborate with the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy and with Electricité du Cambodge in order to eliminate illegal connections to the state network, which is happening at present. As for Electricité du Cambodge, it must take very strict measures against its officers who are accomplices to stealing electricity illegally, or who collude with users to reduce the measured quantity of use, different from its real value. Moreover, Electricité du Cambodge has to inform the users of electricity about the time when there are difficulties to supply power, and ask them to stop or to pause using some of their electrical equipment during the time electricity is heavily used.

“The Prime Minister of Cambodia issued this circular to limit the use of electricity while the petrol price is soaring. This affects the daily life of the people. The prices of almost all goods on the market are increasing, because the price of gasoline is more than US$1.00 per liter. Hence, the price of almost all goods increases accordingly.

“An Electricité du Cambodge officers said that electricity use increased by 30% compared to the previous year. One of the reasons is that some factories stopped using their own generators, and they turn to use state electricity which costs less. In order to keep the costs from increasing, there are efforts to find cheaper electrical sources.” Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4539, 13.3.2008

The Asia's Perfect Ten Essay Competition!

The Asia's Perfect Ten Blog is proud to present the Asia's Perfect Ten Essay Writing Competition!

Rules:
1. The contest is open to all Southeast Asians.
2. The entries should go by the theme "As an ASEAN citizen, what would you do to help the community and policy?"
3. You may share everything you know about your ASEAN community as long as it is interesting, witty and artistically written and share ideas on how you can improve it.
4. Entries should have a minimum of 1000 words and should not exceed 2000 words.
5. Because Southeast Asia has diverse languages, all entries MUST be written in English.
6. Entries should be sent in Open Document Format, Lotus Symphony, Star Office or Microsoft Word Office.
7. The submission of entries is until the last day of May 2008.
8. Send your entries to aseanclan@gmail.com

Submission Guidelines:
In submitting your work, every right on the piece shall be granted to the Contest Judges and Blog authorities and should supply the needed informations when submitting your entry.

Full Name:
Email Address: (will be kept private)
Nationality:
Mailing Address:
Website/Blog: (if any)
Birthday:
Gender:
Contact Number:

Contest Procedure:
-The scoring shall be divided into two parts. The Judges and the Voter's Choice.
-Entries shall be screened and judged by the Blog authorities.
-Qualified entries shall be posted on the blog for voting.
-The contestant's name and nationality shall not be posted with the articles.
-Winners shall be announced on the blog and will be contacted immediately.

Prizes:
-The winners shall be appointed the newest Blog contributors and writers and shall receive certificates delivered by mail. Individual winners shall also get:
-1st Prize: Shirt with ASEAN Clan Banner on the front and the national flower on the back of the tee.
-2nd Prize: A Book
-3rd Prize: Still in consideration


"SHARE IDEAS, BELIEFS AND TALENTS!"

The ASEAN Charter - Interesting Parts

It is finally available for download as an ISO Standard PDF file, the official and final "The ASEAN Charter" with signatures of all member states.

Get your own copy by downloading free-of-charge: The ASEAN Charter. (If you haven't noticed, written on the PDF document is the not-so-new official URL: www.asean.org.)

So for an ordinary citizen like me, what are the interesting bits and sections of the ASEAN Charter? Read on to know what interests me most. (Note: I did not include Human Rights sections.)



First things first, if you want the book itself, its code is ISBN 978-979-3496-62-7. First published on December 2007 and first reprint on January 2008. Second, my comments are in red, like so.

The first bolded words of the ASEAN Charter:

• We, the Peoples


• Noting - with satisfaction the significant achievements and expansion of ASEAN...


• Recalling - the decisions to establish an ASEAN Charter...


• Mindful - of the existence of mutual interests and interdependence among the peoples and Member States of ASEAN... which are bound by ..., ..., and shared destiny


• Inspired - by and united under One Vision, One Identity, and One Caring and Sharing Community


• United - by a common desire and collective will to live in a region of lasting peace, security, and stability, sustained economic growth, shared prosperity and social progress...


• Respecting - the fundamental importance of amity and cooperation, ..., equality, ..., non-interference, consensus, and unity in diversity


• Adhering - to the principles of democracy, the rule of law, and good governance, respect for, and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms


• Resolved - to ensure sustainable development for the benefit of present and future generations...


• Convinced - of the need to strengthen existing bonds of regional solidarity to realise an ASEAN Community...


• Committed - to intensifying community building through enhanced regional cooperation and integration, in particular by establishing an ASEAN Community comprising the ASEAN Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community, and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community


• Hereby Decide - to establish, through this Charter, the legal and institutional framework for ASEAN


• And to this End, the Heads of State or Government of the Member States of ASEAN, assembled in Singapore on the historic occasion of the 40th anniversary of the founding of ASEAN, have agreed to this Charter

Interesting enough? Here are the next more interesting parts:
Article 1: Purposes

• #3: "to preserve Southeast Asia as a Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone and free of all other weapons of mass destruction; (ok, still safe for us)


• #5: "to create a single market and production base which is stable, prosperous, highly competitive and economically integrated with effective facilitation for trade and investment in which there is free flow of goods, services and investment; faciliated movement of business persons, professionals, talents and labour; and freer flow of capital;(One ASEAN Passport? One ASEAN Visa? ASEAN citizens open-border policy? I sure hope!)


• #13: "to promote a people-oriented ASEAN in which all sectors of society are encouraged to participate in, and benefit from, the process of ASEAN integration and community building;


• #14: "to promote an ASEAN identity through the fostering of greater awareness of the diverse culture and heritage of the region;

Article 2: Principles
#2 "ASEAN and its Member States shall act in accordance with the following Principles:

• (e) non-interference in the internal affairs of ASEAN Member States; (in a way, good enough, the peoples of ASEAN and its respective governments are not yet ready to be meddled with by its neighbors. Until then, we really should maintain non-interference.)


• (f) respect for the right of every Member State to lead its national existence free from external interference, subversion and coercion; (If I understood this correctly, then the ASEAN must not interfere, subvert, or force Myanmar to go back to a democratic form of government, that is if this Charter takes into force. If for this alone, Myanmar has every reason to ratify the Charter.)


• (h) adherence to the rule of law, good governance, the principles of democracy and constitutional government;


• (i) respect for fundamental freedoms, the promotion and protection of human rights, and the promotion of social justice; (Many Filipinos are in favor of the Charter mainly because of this.)


• (l) respect for the different cultures, languages, and religions of the peoples of ASEAN, while emphasising their common values in the spirit of unity in diversity; (A long way to go, trust me. Through my conversation with our brothers and sisters from Lao, Cambodia, and Viet Nam, I learned how much "religion" can affect ASEAN. For someone who is living in a country where there are lots of religion and as such, we are so used to "scams", "pretenders/fakes", "using religion for business", "hostile/forceful conversion to their faith", "conversion tactics", you get the idea, we took these for granted. In the countries I mentioned, the situation is very different, not that they are not used to it, but some religious leaders have a strong view against the other religions (I'm referring to all sides). Something ASEAN must put an attention to and spend an effort if we truly want respect for each other.)

Article 5: Rights and Obligations

• #2: Member States shall take all necessary measures, including the enactment of appropriate domestic legislation, to effectively implement the provisions of this Charter and to comply with all obligations of membership;

Article 6: Adminission of New Members
#2: Admission shall be based on the following criteria (again only those that is interesting to me)

• (a) location in the recognised geographical region of Southeast Asia; (This only means one thing: Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste will never be part of ASEAN unless they are geographically recognized as part of "South-East Asia". If you are not aware, these two are have shown interest in joining the ASEAN.)


• (b) recognition by all ASEAN Member States;

#4: An applicant State shall be admitted to ASEAN upon signing an Instrument of Accession to the Charter

Article 7: ASEAN Summit
#3: ASEAN Summit Meetings shall be:

• held twice annually, and be hosted by the Member State holding the ASEAN Chairmanship; (We will hear more of ASEAN every year, a positive thing, helping in the awareness of ASEAN.)


• convened, whenever necessary, as special or ad hoc meetings to be chaired by the Member State holding the ASEAN Charimanship, at venues to be agreed upon by ASEAN Member States

Article 9: ASEAN Community Councils

• #1: The ASEAN Community Councils shall comprise the ASEAN Political-Security Community Council, ASEAN Economic Community Council, and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council; (ie. The 3 Pillars of ASEAN.)


• #5: Each ASEAN Community Council shall meet at least twice a year and shall be chaired by the appropriate Minister from the Member State holding the ASEAN Chairmanship;

Article 13: ASEAN National Secretariats
Each ASEAN Member State shall establish an ASEAN National Secretariat which shall:

• (a) serve as the national focal point;


• (b) be the repository of information on all ASEAN matters at the national level;


• (c) coordinate the implementation of ASEAN decisions at the national level;


• (d) coordinate and support the national preparations of ASEAN meetings;


• (e) promote ASEAN identity and awareness at the national level;


• (f) contribute to ASEAN community building;

(For my country, Philippines, I will keep watch and observe if there are any efforts as stated by Article 13.)

Article 20: Consultation and Consensus

• #1: As a basic principle, decision-making in ASEAN shall be based on consultation and consensus;

(It seems that it is still consensus-based, not voting. As I'm not an expert in the difference of the two, I do not know if it is good for us. Though I believe, voting is much faster and more effective.)

Article 30: Operational Budget and Finances of the ASEAN Secretariat

• #2: The operational budget of the ASEAN Secretariat shall be met by ASEAN Member States through equal annual contributions which shall be remitted in a timely manner;

(If I'm not mistaken, Member States are already providing annual contributions pre-Charter, however, if you are not, then Article 30 of the ASEAN Charter states it. Now you know where some of your taxes are going.)

Article 34: Working Language of ASEAN

• The working language of ASEAN shall be English.

(I do not know if "working" here refers to "work" or as a "common" language. I think it is both, and as such, ASEAN Member States must step up their teaching of the English language to all its peoples. And to my fellow ASEAN brothers and sisters, my English is not that good, but I still do speak English. Do not get discouraged, it is better to try than not to. Your effort counts and weighs more than those who knows nothing but criticize people.)

Article 35: ASEAN Identity

• ASEAN shall promote its common ASEAN identity and a sense of belonging among its peoples in order to achieve its shared destiny, goals, and values. (we still need to define what an "ASEAN Identity" really is. A greater awareness of the "diverse culture and heritage" is not in itself the "identity". Questions like "who are we?" or "what is it to be identified as an ASEAN?" should be answered, the answers will define our identity.)

Article 36: ASEAN Motto

• The ASEAN motto shall be: "One Vision, One Identity, One Community".

(This is the ASEAN Motto, the ASEAN People's Motto.)

Article 37: ASEAN Flag

• The ASEAN Flag represents a stable, peaceful, united and dynamic ASEAN;


• The colours of the Flag - blue, red, white, and yellow - represent the main colours of the flags of all the ASEAN Member States;


• The blue represents peace and stability;


• Red depicts courage and dynamism;


• White shows purity;


• Yellow symbolises prosperity;


• The stalks of padi represent the dream of ASEAN's Founding Fathers for an ASEAN comprising all the countries in Southeast Asia bound together in friendship and solidarity;


• The circle represents the unity of ASEAN;

(They should have included a provision wherein Member States are required to raise the ASEAN Flag before their respective National Flags. This could have started with the governments, as we can not expect private institutions and other sectors to follow. But if the People of a particular Member State reacts against it, then maybe another clause should have been added wherein it allows the ASEAN Flag to be raised after the National Flag. South-East Asian's are nationalistic, there will always be people who will take it as an insult for a flag to be raised prior to the National Flag. (But I won't, I believe in the ASEAN Dream.))

Article 38: ASEAN Emblem

• The ASEAN Flag represents a stable, peaceful, united and dynamic ASEAN;


• The colours of the Flag - blue, red, white, and yellow - represent the main colours of the flags of all the ASEAN Member States;


• The blue represents peace and stability;


• Red depicts courage and dynamism;


• White shows purity;


• Yellow symbolises prosperity;


• The stalks of padi represent the dream of ASEAN's Founding Fathers for an ASEAN comprising all the countries in Southeast Asia bound together in friendship and solidarity;


• The circle represents the unity of ASEAN;


• The font used for the word "ASEAN" in the Emblem is lower-case Helvetica in bold;

Article 39: ASEAN Day

• The eighth of August shall be observed as ASEAN Day.

(The "shall be observed" phrase could be anything, they should have added "a non-working holiday". Regardless, I am expecting, once this Charter comes into force, all Member States will declare ASEAN Day as a Non-Working Holiday. This will greatly help and impact the awareness of the ASEAN People about and on ASEAN. Member States can also create synchronized or related programs to promote ASEAN. They can also create programs wherein people will have a chance to ask and speak in a (controlled) dialogue. There is no better way to bring ASEAN to the grassroots than by involving and having a dialogue with the people.)

Article 40: ASEAN Anthem

• ASEAN shall have an anthem.

(Just that. Yes, just that, no typos or errors. The ASEAN Anthem, if I understood it, is still to be composed. But after that, once we have an anthem, what's next? Well, just like the ASEAN Flag, it is just there. You will only see and hear these symbols during official ASEAN functions (and perhaps ASEAN Day). My suggestion is to make the ASEAN Anthem be played/sung on Member States during their respective Anthem Ceremonies before their National Anthems. This is one great way of promoting ASEAN and will surely impact positively the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Integration process.)

Article 47: Signature, Ratification, Depository, and Entry into Force

• #1: This Charter shall be signed by all ASEAN Member States;


• #2: This Charter shall be subject to ratification by all ASEAN Member States in accordance with their respective internal procedures;


• #3: Instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of ASEAN who shall promptly notify all Member States of each deposit;


• #4: This Charter shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the date of deposit of the tenth instrument of ratification with the Secretary-General of ASEAN;

Article 48: Amendments

• #1: Any Member State may propose amendments to the Charter;


• #2: Proposed amendments to the Charter shall be submitted by the ASEAN Coordinating Council by consensus to the ASEAN Summit for its decision;


• #3: Amendments to the Charter agreed to by consensus by the ASEAN Summit shall be ratified by all Member States in according with Article 47;


• #4: An amendment shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the date of deposit of the last instrument of ratification with the Secretary-General of ASEAN;

(The Amendments approval process is the same as the Charter. I do not know why it has to be similar if the ASEAN is already an entity not just simply an organization (if there's an Amendment, the Charter has been ratified). Ratification and submission of the Instrument of Ratification of all 10 Member States is very time consuming. One way or another, there will be failures because one-out-of-ten countries failed to ratify the amendment(s). This Charter alone is already going through that. I hope they change this one, there is no point having this charter and becoming an entity, if ASEAN can not enforce things like an amendment. If I missed the point, please do enlighten me.)

Article 50: Review

• This Charter may be reviewed five years after its entry into force or as otherwise determined by the ASEAN Summit.

Signed by:

• Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei Darussalam


• Samdech Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia


• Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of the Republic of Indonesia


• Bouasone Bouphavanh, Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic


• Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia


• General Thein Sein, Prime Minister of the Union of Myanmar


• Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines


• Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore


• General Surayud Chulanont (Ret.), Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand


• Nguyen Tan Dung, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam

Thanks to all!

ASEAN Latest

AC essay competition paper

Comments plz:

AC certification

Comments plz...

Nyepi

March 7, 2008 the Hindus in Indonesia are celebrating Nyepi in solemn atmosphere. Don't bother to try to look at Indian calendars, as it's only a national holiday in Indonesia. Hindu in our country have its own version, distinct versions which are very different from Hindu in India.

Nyepi is a day of seclusion where people meditate and remain in silence to welcome the Saka New Year, a lunar year's cycle. The island of Bali is in peaceful silence all day long. Not only the Hindus who are in silence, because the non-Hindus also keep to themselves out of respects, even the tourists are

Nyepi

March 7, 2008 the Hindus in Indonesia are celebrating Nyepi in solemn atmosphere. Don't bother to try to look at Indian calendars, as it's only a national holiday in Indonesia. Hindu in our country have its own version, distinct versions which are very different from Hindu in India.

Nyepi is a day of seclusion where people meditate and remain in silence to welcome the Saka New Year, a lunar year's cycle. The island of Bali is in peaceful silence all day long. Not only the Hindus who are in silence, because the non-Hindus also keep to themselves out of respects, even the tourists are no exception.

Nyepi

March 7, 2008 the Hindus in Indonesia are celebrating Nyepi in solemn atmosphere. Don't bother to try to look at Indian calendars, as it's only a national holiday in Indonesia. Hindu in our country have its own version, distinct versions which are very different from Hindu in India.

Nyepi is a day of seclusion where people meditate and remain in silence to welcome the Saka New Year, a lunar year's cycle. The island of Bali especially is in peaceful silence all day long. Not only the Hindus who are in silence, because the non-Hindus also keep to themselves out of respects, even the tourists are no exception.

Nyepi

March 7, 2008 the Hindus in Indonesia are celebrating Nyepi in solemn atmosphere. Don't bother to try to look at Indian calendars, as it's only a national holiday in Indonesia. Hindu in our country have its own version, distinct versions which are very different from Hindu in India.

Nyepi is a day of seclusion where people meditate and remain in silence to welcome the Saka New Year, a lunar year's cycle. The island of Bali especially is in peaceful silence all day long. Not only the Hindus who are in silence, because the non-Hindus also keep to themselves out of respects, even the tourists are no exception.

Days before the actual Nyepi, people do all kinds of ritual, from cleaning

Nyepi

March 7, 2008 the Hindus in Indonesia are celebrating Nyepi in solemn atmosphere. Don't bother to try to look at Indian calendars, as it's only a national holiday in Indonesia. Hindu in our country have its own version, distinct versions which are very different from Hindu in India.

Nyepi is a day of seclusion where people meditate and remain in silence to welcome the Saka New Year, a lunar year's cycle. The island of Bali especially is in peaceful silence all day long. Not only the Hindus who are in silence, because the non-Hindus also keep to themselves out of respects, even the tourists are no exception.

Days before the actual Nyepi, people do all kinds of ritual, from cleaning, fasting, etc.

Nyepi

March 7, 2008 the Hindus in Indonesia are celebrating Nyepi in tranquil atmosphere. Don't bother to try to look at Indian calendars, as it's only a national holiday in Indonesia. Hindu in our country have its own version, distinct versions which are very different from Hindu in India.
Nyepi is a day of seclusion where people meditate and remain in silence to welcome the Saka New Year, a lunar year's cycle. The island of Bali especially is in peaceful silence all day long. Not only the Hindus who are in silence, because the non-Hindus also keep to themselves out of respect, even the tourists are no exception.
Days before the actual Nyepi, people do all kinds of ritual, from cleaning, fasting, etc. At the actual day, people follow the condition of: Amati Geni (no fire), Amati Karya (not working), Amati Lelungan (not traveling), and Amati Lelanguan (no entertainment). This long chain of rituals end with the coming of Saka New Year.
For all of you who are celebrating, I'm wishing you a Solemn Nyepi and a Happy Saka New Year!

Sokun Nisa - Khmer Super Woman

Born with an official name Phon Sokun, Sokun Nisa is one of the latest best Khmer female singers. Leaving her homeland Krati, Nisa struggles in the world of songs until she reaches the hall of fame through her stunningly beautiful appearance, passionate personality and deep-soft-sharp and sweet voice.

1983 was the year of her birth, and in 1996, her father passed away. The death of her father has impacted her early life in countless ways. Then, she decided to pursue her career in the music industry in order to support her mother. But that is not the only reason she becomes a singer. It is because of her talent and passion in music, either.

In 2000, she competed 300 contestants from her home-province to win the provincial best female singer of the new millennium. She is strong enough not to take this as "beginner's luck" but as a "momentum" and "lucrative qualification" for the further stage of her career.


Her first hit... "Endless Love!"

As one might says "effort does pay off", in 2003, she was brought to the "Raksmey Steung Songke" music production under the guide of Mr. Hourn Vitya and Mr. Kham Puri. She, then began building her reputation. In 2005, she was honored to be invited to perform in Australia, under the sponsor of Asian Live Music Production Group. And in 2006, she went to Australia again for one month to perform in different occasions.

The year of 2004, however, marked a set-back of her singing career. She had problems with her company and she was not given any new song to sing. That was an reaction to the rumour that she was being linked to the Cambodian most famous and leading music production "Hang Meas" due to the open relationship with HM music lyrics writer "Sok Chumno." Everyone though that would put a stop to her career.

Nevertheless, in 2006, Spark Music Production gave her a chance to revive her career. And she did well to overcome the problems. Her fame began to flourish again, and this time, even more powerful than ever. Despite this success, Spark Music Production encountered such crucial problem which leads to a temporary shut down of the company. Again, Nisa is on the verge to end her career.


One of her song with Spark Music: "Part of my heart"

In 2007, surprising everyone, on the annual "Best of the Best" concert by Hang Meas Production, Sokun Nisa appeared on the stage with other HM singers. She then was announced as official HM singer along with Chhorn Sovannareach. From this milestone, combining with her gifted talent and determination, she becomes the company’s "first choice." It is partly due to the fact that she is a lover to the HM lyrics writer...as some people believe.

Her best so far: "If we are lover!"


Feature Preap Sovath, most famous Khmer male singer: "BouSra Waterfall"

Ms. Sokun Nisa is now volunteering to make a difference in Cambodian society. Her attribute is as simple as participating in programs such helping poor students and improving environmental issue. However, these are all the profound contributions that she has made which makes our community a better place to live.

The Survivor on the Killing Fields

Cambodia gives us our newest Southeast Asian of the Month!

Suffering a great tragedy during the Khmer Rouge times, Dith Pran tells us how hard it is for an intelligent man to act like a fool in front of fools who act intelligently.

Dith Pran was born on September 27, 1942 in Siem Reap, Cambodia which was then French Indochina. Pran grew up from a middle-class family residing near the Angkor Wat ruins with his two sisters and three brothers. His father, Preoung was a public-works official who managed the roadworks. Pran attended local schools where he learned french. In 1960, he worked as an interpreter for the U.S. Military Assistance Command in Cambodia.

During the withdrawal of the U.S. forces in Cambodia, Pran worked with a british film crew and at a hotel near Angkor Wat. n 1970 a U.S.-backed leader, Lon Nol, seized power in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. War broke out between Lon Nol's forces and those of the Khmer Rouge, or "Red Cambodians," another Communist group. The Khmer Rouge wanted Cambodia to return to farming to meet its citizens' needs and to destroy anything linked to the West. Pran moved with his family to Phnom Penh where he was hired as an interpreter for the New York Times including Sydney Schanberg.

When the Khmer Rouge seemed to become stronger and chaos started to engulf Cambodia, thousands of Cambodians tried to escape. Aboard a U.S. military truck, Pran helped his wife and four children to escape while he stayed with Schanberg for their jobs thinking that things would eventually calm down. But then again, the Khmer spread their wrath all over the country.

Then came the times where everything the Khmer Rouge did was to kill, shoot and loot. Soldiers mercilessly shoot people in the streets and many were killed as almost three million Cambodians evacuated. Pran, Schanberg, and two other reporters went to a hospital to see how many were dead or injured and were met by a group of armed Khmer Rouge soldiers. Pran talked the soldiers out of killing Schanberg and the others, saving their lives. Schanberg soon returned to the United States, where he looked after Pran's wife and children in New York, New York.

However, Pran remained stuck in Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge ordered the execution of everyone who wore glasses, perfume, makeup, watches, or other evidence of Western influence so Pran dressed himself as a peasant and blended in with the people in a village not far from Siem Reap. They were forced to harvest rice and received political instructions nightly. They were only allowed to eat one spoonful of rice daily so, he with the other starving villagers fed from barks, snakes, rats and even the flesh of dead bodies. One night Pran dared to sneak out to try to eat some raw rice. For this the guards ordered his fellow villagers to beat him and leave him outside in a rainstorm.

Almost two million Cambodians were killed in this age and yet the world was deaf. When a group of european reporters visited, he managed to send a message to Schanberg through a member of the East German Media. He escaped after the Vietnamese found out the he had once been a reporter. In July 1979, Pran and several others set out on a sixty-mile journey amidst Vietnamese and Khmer forces and land mines to a refugee camp in the Thai borders.

When he arrived, he contated Schanberg who arrived a week later. Schanberg then helped Pran move to the United States where he was reunited with his family. The New York Times gave him a job as a reporter and became a U.S. citizen in 1986.

Pran began to devote his spare time to helping fellow Cambodians who had suffered under the Khmer Rouge. He took several trips back to Cambodia and attempted to bring the Khmer Rouge to justice before the World Court. He and his wife operate the Dith Pran Holocaust Awareness Project, which maintains a photographic record on the Internet to assist Cambodians in finding missing family members. Pran interviewed twenty-nine people who had suffered during the takeover and published the results in 1997 as Children of Cambodia's Killing Fields: Memoirs by Survivors. For Pran, the ghosts of Cambodia remain, and the memories are "Still alive to me day and night," he said in an online interview at The Site. "It's unbelievable what [the Khmer Rouge] did to the Cambodian people."

Dith Pran, a true noble Southeast Asian!

infos and photo courtesy of www.notablebiographies.com