High hopes, hurdles for art ed
TO THE students running around Phnom Penh’s Preah Sisowath High School, the wide expanse of concrete towards the front of the campus is nothing more than a basketball court.
But to Suon Bun Rith, the slightly raised platform is an arts stage – even if it was covered in dead leaves and an SUV was parked on it on a recent afternoon.
“Arts education is not just about skill, but about creativity,” said Rith, a programme manager at Cambodian Living Arts who is leading a large new pilot program to bring the arts to every public school in the country. “It is about inspiration rather than just knowledge.”
It hasn’t been easy. Even something as simple as getting a derelict gate repaired outside the program’s new offices at Preah Sisowath High School has taken longer than expected. Some students, meanwhile, are more interested in K-pop and modelling than apsara or the chapei. And occasionally, parents have even declined to sign permission slips for their children to attend the program’s arts club, dismissing it as a waste of time.
“It’s an enormous task,” Rith acknowledged. “It’s huge. And it has a long way to go.”
The five-year pilot program has the support of the education and culture ministries, including that of reformist Minister of Education Hang Chuon Naron, who has spoken publicly about the benefits of arts education.
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listed under ongoing activities for January.
Ever since the dissolution, the government has repeatedly reminded elected ex-opposition members to submit asset declarations, which are required from officials leaving office. The declarations are routine, but are considered confidential unless a formal investigation is opened.
The development also follows a call from pro-government unions asking the government to freeze assets, block passports, ban money transfers and suspend bank accounts of the 118 former politicians for trying to lobby foreign governments to impose targeted sanctions on senior administration officials.
Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak yesterday confirmed the document referred to the ex-opposition members, and said the investigation into their assets was merely a continuation of the colour revolution crackdown and had been ordered by Prime Minister Hun Sen.
In a speech on Sunday, the premier claimed that while the so-called revolution had been dismantled, “ill-willed” circles of people were still colluding to bring down the government.
“[They are] the ones who have broken the law, and the [Supreme Court] verdict has suspended their political rights; if they still contest it we will freeze their assets,” Sopheak said.
“We will consider about it, for example, who and how much money they have in the bank. This is in order to prevent a colour revolution from overseas.”
He again singled out Kem Monovithya, an opposition official and the daughter of jailed party leader Kem Sokha, as well as civil society member Pa Nguon Teang, as potential targets because of their campaigning overseas.
Many former CNRP lawmakers and members have fled overseas fearing arrest and intimidation, with some of them lobbying foreign governments to impose sanctions on those responsible for the recent political crisis.
Both the United States and European Union have already rescinded funding for the National Election Committee, and the US imposed visa restrictions on Cambodian officials found to be “undermining democracy”. Both have indicated they are considering further measures, including targeted economic sanctions.
Former CNRP lawmaker Ou Chanrath said it was clear the continued investigation into the alleged colour revolution showed that the government was afraid of the popular support the CNRP continued to maintain.
“But they still keep harassing us and somehow want to make all people in the CNRP, including leaders and other people, not able to survive,” he said. “They have already ended our political lives and now do not want us to live in this society.”
He added that the CNRP would submit its routine annual financial reports to the Interior Ministry, saying there was no need for an inquiry into the party’s finances.
Political observer Lao Mong Hay said there seemed to be no legal grounds for the government to look into the financial holdings of the 118 senior party officials, saying such measures were reserved for serious crimes.
“When they are looking into the accounts and banking, they have to base it on the law, such as those for money laundering crimes or terrorism crimes,” he said.