ra’s blog

“ Blogs are flourishing in post-Khmer Rouge Cambodia,” though fewer than one-third of 1 percent of the population have regular Web access, reads an AP news article republished by CNN today at http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/09/24/cambodia.blogs.ap/index.html.

No one knows for sure who was the first blogger in the country although many believe that it is former King Norodom Sihanouk, who launched his website as far back as 2002 and has since then regularly updated it, according to the article. However, “ it is clear that young, tech-savvy Cambodians are joining Sihanouk in embracing blogs,” reports the article.

AP interviewed a number of key Cambodian bloggers including 25-year-old student blogger Ly Borin, 17-year-old Keo Kalyan, Vanak Thom, and 25-year-old Bun Tharum.

The blogs are generally in English due partly to the lack of standardized native fonts and high electricity and internet connection costs, writes the article, adding that the usefulness is therefore limited to “ the blogs of the elite” .

It is noted that the most popular blogging service providers for Cambodian bloggers include WordPress and Google-powered Blogger.

Khmer Rouge regime when he appears in court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, Reuters Canada reported Trial Judge You Bunleng as saying Thursday. “ He has no complaints. He said he would elaborate on the regime when the trial comes,” said the judge.

Nuon Chea wanted a Cambodian attorney from Battambang, his home town in the west of the country, turning down offers of assistance from high-profile international defense lawyers, court spokesman Reach Sambath told Reuters Canada’s reporter. The newspaper failed to identify the name of the lawyer.

It was expected that only when the time consuming investigation procedure under the French based legal system was complete would the defendant appears in court for a full trial, concluded the newspaper.

Related articles:

• Arrest seen as boost for Khmer Rouge genocide court, AFP
• Special cell for Khmer Rouge leader, Aljazeera.Net
• Cambodians await Khmer Rouge trials, BBC

Cambodia Tribunal Monitor website has been launched at www.cambodiatribunal.org. It is sponsored by Northwestern University School of Law Center for International Human Right, Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) and Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center.

The main unique feature of the website is the webcast page under the Trial Proceedings heading where daily tape-delayed video of the court proceedings will be provided once the trials formally commence in 2008. Other features under the heading include the trial schedule, the decisions and judgements, pleadings, and defendants to be tried.

With the other main headings, the website also makes available other important pieces of information regarding the Khmer Rouge and Khmer Rouge Tribunal. Expert commentators is just a good example of this.