The faces of the proud students and parents at a recent university graduation ceremony turned somber as an aging couple took to the stage. The parents were accepting a degree on behalf of their son, who tragically passed away before he could graduate. As the diploma was handed to the grieving parents, tears welled up in the eyes of the assembled dignitaries and guests. “Son! I have come to receive your degree! We will keep you in our memories,” cried the boy’s mother, as she took to the stage . Pictures and video clips of the parents accepting the degree…
Author: Raksmey Hong
The work of the late artist Svay Ken is being exhibited at Meta House in Phnom Penh. The exhibition is being curated by Svay Sanuch, the artist’s brother, who administers an online museum for his late brother, and collector Helen Jarvis, who was a close friend of the artist. Svay Ken: My Art, My Life will open on February 7. Nicolaus Mesterharm, founder and director of Meta House said that Svay Ken, widely respected as the father of contemporary art in Cambodia, passed away on December 11, 2008, at the age of 76. He added that Ken was a prolific…
Heborn Medical Centre (HMC), a South Korean non-profit medical organisation, has partnered with doctors from Canada to provide free treatment for patients with cleft lips, cleft palates and scars. “From February 6-9, we will provide medical check-ups and treatments on external surgeries and various scars,” Nov Makara, information officer of the HMC, told The Post. HMC was established in 2007 by Woo Jung Kim to provide standardised medical assistance to Cambodians in need. The centre has thus far provided free treatment to more than 50,000 patients and carries out thousands of surgeries each year. Starting out as a small clinic…
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport said the Road Care Mobile app that enable people to report potholes has been downloaded by 31,470 people since its launch in late 2018, with a total of 6,600 reports logged. Ministry spokesman Heang Sotheayuth said that as of the end of December last year, 4,5000 of the reports were “successfully” addressed. As a case in point, on January 30, a Facebook user named Sophal reported potholes on St 271 between Chea Sim Samaky High School and the Stung Meanchey overpass in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district to the ministry via the app. “This…
During the lockdowns brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Choeung Ek Genocide Centre fell silent. Ordinarily a calm place of quiet reflection, with its gates closed and no visitors at all, the silence was unsettling, say staff. Choeung Ek, once a peaceful orchard, became the site of the most well-known of the Khmer Rouge killing fields. Up to 20,000 men, women and children were murdered here, many after being transferred from the prison at Tuol Sleng. When the government announced the reopening of the country and the resumption of tourism services at the end of 2021, the centre reopened…
All types of Cambodian theatre tell stories with numerous characters: The heroes and heroines, supporting players, giants and monsters and talking monkeys. All of the characters have their own distinct voices and some performers specialize in certain types of characters. At the same time, in some forms the performances are narrated by a female performer between scenes in order to help speed the action along in a style called “sing alone, dance alone”. Lakhon Pol Srey, or theatre spoken by women, also called Kien Svay Krao Lakhon, is a form of classical theatre that is similar in some ways to…
In the two years prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Cambodia was visited by nearly seven million foreign tourists. Back in 2018 and 2019, Chinese travellers made a significant contribution to the tourism market in Cambodia, particularly on the coast in Preah Sihanouk province and Sihanoukville. At the height of the global pandemic, China closed its borders and instituted a series of lockdowns and strict measures in pursuit of its “zero Covid” policy that sought to stamp out all spread of the virus entirely. Thus, in 2020 Cambodia had just over 1.3 million foreign tourists and in 2021…
Youth Ambassadors of Women Entrepreneurs Act (WE Act) held the “WE Light Up Talk” youth forum on January 28 to raise awareness and gave young members of the disabled, LGBT and indigenous communities the opportunity to demonstrate leadership and social participation. Women Entrepreneurs (WE) Act is an organisation which supports women in business. Held with the theme “Leadership and Youth Participation in Society”, the forum was led by Samheng Boros, minister delegate attached to the prime minister and secretary of state at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation. The forum provided a safe place for young people…
At the age of 14 and with no more than a sixth grade education, Lek Karry’s parents arranged for her to marry a 15-year-old boy from her village whose parents came up with the match. Karry is a member of the indigenous Prao people living in Taveng Krom commune’s Ki Kuong village of Ratanakkiri province’s Taveng district. Thinking about her future and knowing she was too young to marry, she bravely opposed the marriage plan. The only daughter and the eldest of three siblings, today Karry is 19-years-old. “Marriage at a young age has been a tradition for generations here.…
As an educator with eight years of experience in working with children with many different needs and ability levels, including special education students, Heng Sophaneth recently began working with an autistic child while employed at one of the largest international schools in Cambodia. The third grade teacher said that after working with the child, she began to understand the complexities of the condition and tried to find ways to help children with similar special needs. “His condition made me realize the importance of having university qualifications in special education. Understanding this subject will allow professionals to identify disabilities and develop…