I've been wondering about this for so long.

People talks about human rights, sexual equality.

YET! In Cambodia, there is a "Ministry for woman affair" ... BUT there is no "Ministry for man affair." Well! IS THAT FAIR? Does "man" really have to do things on their own and woman should always receive aids from men? Where are all the justice in the world?

MAN... that's so sux, well! If I become the president of USA... I would definitely created this new position: "Minister for men." :D

Ministry bans 'obscene' songs to save traditions
Written by Sam Rith
Wednesday, 18 March 2009

Claiming the ban will help save the Kingdom's traditionals, the Ministry of Culture has outlawed four songs in a pre-New Year sweep.

THE Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has outlawed all songs with rude or obscene meanings. The proclamation, which immediately bans five popular Khmer songs, was made Friday and signed by Culture Minister Him Chhem.

Under the country's latest ban, all music vendors, artists, singers, comedians, pop musicians and band members must cease selling, producing, playing or singing any songs that could seriously damage the country's traditions, customs, culture or honour. The ban also applies to business people who lease loudspeakers through which music is played.

Five songs have been immediately outlawed: Somchbab Mekhum Yoak Srov Tao Bok ("Ask the Commune Chief to Take the Rice to be Pounded"), Krapoeur Mintean Thom ("The Crocodile Has Not Yet Grown"), which contains a word play about a young woman's virginity, and Khloy Ta Chean, Khloy Bang Chach and Khloy Chang. The last three song titles are word plays on having sex.

"We have banned these songs because their titles and meanings are very obscene," said Sim Sarak, administration and finance general director at the ministry. He added that the government had acted now to ensure the songs were not played during Khmer New Year, which begins next month.

Sim Sarak said the ban also applied to any other songs that were considered offensive.

The Minister of Women's Affairs, Ing Kantha Phavi, applauded the announcement and said it could help to reduce the number of rapes and other sex crimes in the Kingdom. She said a cross-ministerial committee had been set up to look at songs and videos to encourage traditional cultural values and the promotion of women.

"[Sex movies and obscene songs] seriously affect Cambodian society, as they are the cause of many rapes of underage girls," she said. "If you read the Khmer papers, you see rape cases almost every day. When the perpetrators are arrested and questioned, they often reply that they committed the crime after watching sex movies."

Sim Sarak said the ban was not meant to prohibit singers, comedians and others from composing songs or comedy sketches.

"We encourage them to compose as many songs as possible that can educate the younger generation and the nation's people," he said. "We are banning just those songs whose meaning downgrades the country's traditional customs and culture."

The president of the Khmer Arts Association, Ieng Sithul, said he encouraged singers and artists to compose songs by using polite language: "Even though they are good at expressing their feelings to their audiences, they must consider the words they use in order to avoid denigrating our culture."

Phnom Penh Post

 

This is a Khmer movie has been invited to two more film festivals:

 

 

Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The Associated Press


PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodia will ask the United Nations to register four temples - one dating back some 1,400 years - as World Heritage Sites, a government official said Tuesday.

Listings by UNESCO, the world body's cultural agency, normally get international assistance to preserve the sites, and inevitably attract a larger number of tourists.

Kum Polin, a senior official at the Ministry of Culture, said the highest priority will be given to the 7th century Sambor Prei Kuk temple, located at what was once the country's capital some 80 miles (128 kilometers) north of the current capital Phnom Penh.

A master plan for development and conservation of the temple is now being drawn up and the submission to UNESCO is expected within three years, he said.

The country will also nominate the Banteay Chhmar temple, built in the 12th and 13th centuries in northwestern Cambodia; the 13th century Nokor Bachey temple east of Phnom Penh; and Oudong, the country's capital in the 17th and 18th centuries, 27 miles (45 kilometers) north of Phnom Penh.

The ancient temples of Angkor, the country's top tourist attraction, were declared a World Heritage Site in 1992, while the 11th century Preah Vihear temple was added to the list last year.

SEOUL (AFP) – South Korea's top female pop group the Wonder Girls plan legal action against overseas entertainment firms for plagiarism, the group's agent said Friday.

Entertainers in China, Thailand and Cambodia had been "recklessly copying" the Wonder Girls' songs, dances and even costumes, JYP Entertainment said.

"We plan to take action against overseas singers and music groups who have been recklessly copying their songs such as 'Nobody' and 'So Hot' without permission," a JYP Entertainment spokeswoman told AFP.

Rampant piracy and plagiarism in the region had inflicted financial damage on foreign companies which had bought rights to use the songs, she said.

"We will consult with Sony ATV, our overseas copyright manager, on concrete measures including lawsuits," she said.

Korean pop singers often fall victim to plagiarism in the region amid the surging popularity in recent years of Korean pop culture, a phenomenon known as the Korean Wave.


Here video from RHM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpwP97ljv6o

Here video from Wonder Girls: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwUs2ygpAyk

 

Personel comments: I shall catagorized this as both bad news and good news. RHM is the leading music company in Cambodia, well! I am their fans personally, but all I like is their singers' talent, not a fans to their songs, because of the above issues. I myself don't like plagiarsm and lacks of self-belief. But RHM Singers' talent is really something amazing, compare to others artists of other companies.

 

The good news is that this would give RHM some awareness and considerations about their future policy as nowaday, there is no hinders to international investigation. And they should consider spending their money hire people with muscial talent for the song writing posts, since money is not their problems now.

 

Good luck RHM... I am still your fans.

 

 

 

I've been wondering about the progress of homosexuallity and their rights movement in America. Of course, they are blessing over there, in some states, they have rights to get marry. That is truly amazing of how unnatural matters won over legislation. But to my view, I am wondering about the American plan. Of course, America has president, and each president has their own special "spouse." I mean, the "first lady."

 

So, here are some questions:

- If the president of the United State is a woman, do we call her husband the "first gentleman?"

- AND if the president is a gay, do we call his so-called wife or husband the "first lady?"

- What about that in "Lesbian" case?

 

Can anyone help me with this problem?