Sou Sdei and welcome to Campuccino, your fortnightly dispatch of key headlines in Cambodia with a dash of opinion.
A warm welcome to new subscribers, thank you for allowing me into your inbox. It’s nice to have you here.
Would you believe me if I told you that this week’s intro was handwritten with an actual pen on real paper? I find it to be more bearable than staring at the usual computer screens, especially when I have to do so for my day job for at least 8 hours a day. Sometimes, I just feel that my creativity is buried under all the technological distractions.
I also would like to confess that I’ve been struggling to keep up with the news. There is simply too much shit going on all around me, near and far. Hence, I wonder what if I’d focus only on positive headlines this week to give you and me a little break from this crazy world. Just for a moment. I think I should allow myself this luxury, and so should you.
Take care,
- Darathtey
In this issue: the end of CambodiaCheck, school reopening, the release of a jailed rapper, and some other stuff.
I have observed this small saga unfold for the past few weeks without saying anything because I wanted to see how it ended. It has now ended and I consider that’s a good thing. CambodiaCheck, a new online fact-checking platform, was discontinued just weeks after it launched. The platform was set out to fact-check against fake news. If you know something about Cambodia, you would know that it is a fine line to walk on in the country’s current political climate. Alastair McCready from the Southeast Asia Globe sums up this whole thing perfectly by analysing why the platform has failed and connecting various dots about freedom of expression, the proliferation of false information in Cambodia, and its political climate.
Rapper Kea Sokun, who was arrested in September last year for incitement in his nationalistic music, was released from prison last week. What draws me to this story about him is his determination to not apologise for his work for a shorter sentence and chose to serve the time for the crime he didn’t commit. Sokun seems to be very determined to continue his work as well after spending some time with his family. I find this specific article very hopeful and pleasant to read because the reporters, Jack Brook and Mech Choulay, from VOD chose to spotlight Sokun’s family as much as Sokun himself. In a society where family values are prioritised almost over everything else, one needs it when taking on such a journey.
This sentence says it all:
“Creators of online content that provides education or social benefits are to get cash incentives from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications,” – Cambodianess.
It seems that digital creators such as vloggers, YouTubers, digital artists, influencers, filmmakers, and music and digital animation producers, finally gained some presence on the government’s radar. So much so that the Ministry decided to set aside a budget of $100,000 per year for making grants to these creators. Details are slim at this point but it is a step forward, I guess.
After a year and a half of closing due to Covid-19, some schools in Cambodia are finally allowed to reopen today (Monday, September 6). According to the Prime Minister’s directive, schools in rural areas are allowed to reopen first due to their various challenges in accessing online learning. For Phnom Penh, the governor is eyeing a late September reopening, subject to the Covid-19 situation.
Visually Pleasing
Arts & Culture
💻 Layers of Architecture & Nature in Art is a virtual webinar featuring dialogue between artists Ero Prum, Kanha Hul and Vitou So, moderated by Lyno Vuth. The artists discussed each of their practices and their connection to nature and architecture. Even though the webinar was conducted live on August 31. You can still watch the live recording here. The conversation was conducted in English.
📰 Worthy Read
At first sight, this project appears simple. It’s about a poem called “ឆ្នាំង/Chhnang” (a Khmer term for pot) by a local poet Chin Meas. However, what I find very interesting about this article is the collaboration between various Cambodian artists who took turns translating this Khmer poem to English using their own tweaks and interpretations. It gives you a more nuanced understanding of Khmer poetry but also the small details of this country and its people's daily lives that you don’t usually see reported in international news. Have a read and I would like to hear what you think.
Overheard on Twitter
Campuccino is a fortnightly dispatch of key headlines in Cambodia, written by @DarathteyDin from Word & Visual.
I’d love to hear from you. If you have feedback or content ideas, please reach out via tey@wordandvisualmedia.com