Moments VI.

Moments VI. issue is available to download free. Includes Neak Loeung - The Forgotten Town Revealed History. An American B-52 in 1973 mistakenly dropped its 20 ton load on the town centre of Neak Loeung, Cambodia.

Download free from here

Photographer released after court ordeal

click here to read the story

Art, Nudity, Natural behavior or Pornography?

A young Japanese photographer Go Takamaya has been jailed in Siem Reap soon after taking pictures about a Khmer married couple. His camera was confiscated. He face charge producing pornography.

"The 78 photographs depict a couple hugging and holding each other" The photos didn't show any nudity, the man had his shirt off and halfway through the shoot the woman took her blouse off as well. The man had on shorts and the woman had on trousers throughout the entire shoot and there was no explicit sexual activity."

Most of the Journalist, photographer, documentary filmmaker are living in Cambodia or planning to write or shoot documentary, must be very careful with the sensitive topics like child labor, eviction, prostitution, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, drug, etc...

Very important to note! Unexpected things can happen even if they are experienced and cautious and have legal shooting permit to shoot or do the interview. There are many ways to warn or stop journalists definitely at the developing countries. Those journalists, directly not linked to any mainstream foreign media in or outside the country are more defenseless, definitely if they are living in the country or already settled. They have many thing to risk or loose.

Why happened what is happened with Go Takamaya? I don't think he knew so much about the Cambodian custom, neither nor that how dangerous could be the mission he figured out. In any case, before someone going to do a project, first think must be to make a detailed plan. Even if the situation is looks quite safe to jump into a mission, assignment, etc... don't have to think twice to hire a reliable fixer. Sometime better to change the story and/or make a new plan.

Anyway, something is stinky. At first sight it looks, that was a carefully set up trap and the photographer walked in. Maybe that's not such a simple like looks like. That could have been a signal to the workshop or festival organizers to be careful with the subjects. Photojournalism workshops and related exhibitions are focusing to serious local subjects are not welcomed in Cambodia, definitely not in Siem Reap, where a lots of tourist gathering from all around word.
How about the half nude, carved Apsaras on the historical temples at the Angkor park? Oh, pardon. This is already a different century but the Cambodian custom is totally different than many of the westerners think.

I don't know whether the couple were expected or got money or not for the photo shoot, but the police appeared on the spot very fast. Usually, couple of bucks used to be enough to solve the problem. This time something else must be behind the seen, if the Japanese photographer is in custody for two weeks now. What does his defense lawyer do?

What's is the definition of the word "pornography" at the Siem Reap "Cambodian" police dictionary or in the Cambodian Law?

Hereby with my photo "Khmer woman breath feeding her child nearby a slum where people were warning for eviction in Siem Reap" I'm protesting the abusive Judiciary system in Cambodia". There are a huge different between Art, Nudity, Natural behavior or Pornography in democratic countries.

I urge the Cambodian authorities to acquit Takayama of all charges made against him.

Click here for the story

Photographer jailed in Siem Reap

Photojournalist Go Takayama a visual journalist from Japan has been jailed in Cambodia after taking pictures for a story he was working while participating in the Angkor Photo Workshops.

please click here to read the original article

World Photography Organisation

Hope series are published on World Photography Organisation (WPO) website.

Click here

Moments Issue # 5

Moments 5th issue includes my work about Khmer Monks Yantra Tattoos. A month after I finished the photo shoot, 7 tattooed monks were participating in an exhibition at 4 Faces Gallery Cafe and later at Ketseraram pagoda in Siem Reap, where an other exhibition with a special charity event was organized to help Srey Pov "The Little Nun" who born with Down syndrome. Download the free e-zine!

Click here

Photo Philantrophy 2010

My photo essay can be seen on Photo Philantrohy

click here

North Korea Issue

While North Korean soldiers celebrate leader Kim Jong-il's re-election as general secretary of the Workers Party of Korea, the vintage of The Embassy of The Democratic People's Republic of Korea in Phnom Penh, remaining decorated by photos of the past 25 years. The North Korean Embassy is located just next, PM Hun Sen's one of the million dollar value villa nearby the Independent Monument and only for a stone throw from Naga Casino.

Kim Jong-il's youngest son is appointed a general amid rumors he could take his father's place as dynastic successor.

Garment workers strike in Cambodia

68.000 garment workers from 53 factories took the streets yesterday to protest against the minimum wage in Phnom Penh. The workers would like to get $93 per month instead of $61. The working hours are long, 6 days a week. They share small rooms with collages and only at the end of month get the salary paid. Must of them living nearby the Vietnamese border. The journey to home takes several hours on extremely crowded truck. Many among these hardworking young ladies live them husband and children behind. Since the beginning of the last year, more than 40.000 workers lost there jobs and around 90 garment factories closed.

Variation for clocks & watches alias PM vs Kings

Some people in Cambodia like to wear watches with the picture of Prime Minister Hun Sen. Definitely those are want to show clearly, they are sympathizes with the CPP (Cambodians Peoples Party). Several different versions are available at the markets. There is PM alone or with his wife Bun Ramy who is currently serves as president of the Cambodian Red Cross.

Of course has gold or silver color watches with the same colors of wristbands and fake diamonds. Sometimes on the face of watches, Mr. Hun Sen is wearing suit or army uniform. The middle size clocks are more popular than watches. Almost every Khmer household have one. Besides the PM and his wife pictures there are clocks with the CPP or Majestic King Sihanouk and his wife Queen Monique. King Norodom Sihamoni clocks also exist. What sorts of clocks was tick tacking at the homes of those poor people were evicted and those shack houses where marginalized families waiting for eviction? It looks doesn’t matter. Time is up.

Latitude Magazine 2nd issue

Latitude iPad-only magazine is a historical record of the world as it exists on one day. The cumulative work of over 50 photojournalists spread across the globe, the magazine aims to present the daily lives of an international collection of interesting individuals, communities and workplaces, in a manner that expands our understanding of the world.

Latitude Magazine 2nd issue is includes one of my photograph I took during the Khmer New Year in Phnom Penh.

Latitude Magazine will soon be on sale through the App Store for $2.99

Click here

Moments Issue # 4

Here we are again. You can download the free pdf e-zine (52 pages-5,7MB) This edition is includes my story about Sreypov "The Little Nun" who born with Down's Syndrome and living in a Siem Reap Pagoda with her sister. If you would like to know a bit more about the Little Nun's life, please read the story I uploaded a couple of weeks ago. If happened to be you are in Siem Reap and have some time to visit Sreypov, please say Hello from me. I whisper you a secret: She likes the coconut yogurt very much but any further financial donation will be greatly appreciated with a big smile.

Click here to download the magazine

Cambodian Traffic Police in Action

Yesterday I took some shoots about not a routine motor vehicle stop. Police were prepared with trucks for confiscating motorbikes from drivers whose driven thembikes without helmet and/or mirror. The lucky ones payed only $1 and could go. The police truck became full very fast with various type and age of motorbikes. How many times the truck had to turn back during the action? Many times and that happened probably at the other part of Phnom Penh too. Traffic accident is still a serious threat, claiming numerous lives in Cambodia. In Phnom Penh around 7o % of people wear helmets, while in the provinces only 45% or some places much less. The cheapest helmet cost $3 while the expensive ones $12-$15

Read the article in Phnom Penh Post where originally my photo was published.
Click here

The Duch Verdict

Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, is the first cadre of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime is sentenced for 35 years by Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.

Mr. Chum Mey one of only survivor of Tuol Sleng (S-21) where Kaing Guek Eav alias Duch was the chief, demonstrating how was he chained in the same cell for years. Between 1975-79 as many as 16.000 prisoners, Khmer and Foreigner were held, starved to death, tortured or killed in S-21. Today the Khmer Rouge prison chief was sentenced to 30 years prison.

Moments 3th Issue has released

So, Today "Moments" the SEA/Collectiv PDF e-zine magazine 3rd issue was released, includes a part of my series "Hope". The pictures were taken at Cambodia's one of the most busiest rehabilitation center Siem Reap, just 15 minutes drive from the world famous Angkor Archeological Park.

Download

London based graffiti "artist" vandalism at Tuol Sleng

Today I didn't expect to visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, but yesterday I grabbed the May 11, 2010 issue of the Cambodia Daily at the head quoter of the company and on the page 26th an article made me quite upset. Not really the article which was written by Phorn Bopha and Andrew Burmon but the London based graffiti artist Fabrizio Cammisecra. In a nutshell Mr. Cammisecra posted several photographs on the Internet, showing himself spray -painting the walls of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Musem (S-21) , former Pol Pot secret prison with images of young boys and men executed by Khmer Rouge. By The Cambodia Daily journalists. The angry reactions may have caused the guerrilla artist to retreat. Mr. Cammisecra shouted down not only his personnel website but also his Facebook page.

Today when I had a personnel discussion with Mr. Keh Sobanaka Museum director he said they crabbed the pictures from the walls. What happened is Crime not Art. People must respect this place instead of outs themselves where almost 20.000 people were tortured and just a view of them survived. The museum sometimes provide place for artists, but not for vandals.

On the way to check the scrubbed pictures, suddenly I saw Mr. Chum Mey one of the survivor of S-21. He invited me to show the cell where was chained for many years. They are only three living survivors of the notorious Tuol Sleng (Pol Pot secret prison). Bou Meng, Vann Nath and Chum Mey.

Recycled

Recycled prosthetic limbs. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines maybe could use it.

Handicap International Cambodia

These days I am on assignment at the Handicap International Rehabilitation Center in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Apart from physiotherapy and the production and repair of equipment, the centers offer patients a social follow-up. Amongst these patients, there is obviously a large number of mines victims, but the centers welcome a wide diversity of people and types of disabilities, and even offer specific services to children suffering from cerebral palsy and babies suffering from clubfoot.

Today still, Cambodia remains amongst the countries more severely affected by the problem of mines and unexploded ordnance, both for the number of victims and in terms of contaminated surface. Since 1979, more than 60,000 people have either died or been wounded by these weapons, leading to 19,000 deaths and causing around 9,000 amputations.

Today, there are on average four deaths and 75 people wounded every day on Cambodian roads. 46% of wounds recorded in the country are caused by road accidents, making it the first cause of disabilities with young people under 17. This alarming data had to result in a reaction.

Source: Handicap International Cambodia

The long term lack of vaccination during and after the war and the consequences of Agent Orange would appear to be responsible for congenital disorders in Cambodia.

Agent Orange was the code name for the US military's herbicide, developed to destroy the foliage that offered a natural camouflage and protective canopy for communist troops fighting the US during the war in Vietnam.Cambodia and Laos were also targets of Agent Orange, though to a much lesser extent than Vietnam. As a result, far less is known about the environmental and human costs of defoliant use in both these countries.

Click here to see more images of the "HOPE" documentary series

Art exhibition populates pagoda

The latest article about my exhibition was published in the Phnom Penh Post. I just copy the original article here because couple of weeks later there's no access to read the original version free of charge. Anyway at the end of this article just try to click on the link. May be you are lucky. The photo I attached was taken by Eric de Vries.

Art exhibition populates pagoda

Among the shrines and ceremonial ornaments strewn throughout the meditation room of Siem Reap’s Kesseraram Pagoda, a sight that would otherwise be peculiar to behold, given the venue, adorns its walls.

With the room serving a secondary function as an art gallery of sorts until May 31, the pagoda is hosting Janos Kis’ and Geoff Croll’s joint photography exhibition, Sacred … and Nuns Life.

The title of the project is something of a practical approach to explaining the subject matter depicted in the photos. The elegance and sense of purity Croll has captured in his work on the daily life of Buddhist nuns in Myanmar is juxtaposed with the rawer feel of Kis’ work with monks, many of whom are former soldiers, sporting skin etched with tattoos of sacred talismans and symbols.

Kis’ Sacred series displays visceral, close-up, black-and-white and colour shots of body parts decorated with the tattoos. On the exhibition’s opening day, resident monks explained to attendees the meaning of the ink in the photos.

The protective tattoos consist of two elements: geometric pattern (yantra) and symbols (mantras).

Each tattoo is specific to the person, as it is supposed to reflect the personality of the wearer. Likewise, different tattoos provide different protection. One gives immunity from projectiles, like arrows or bullets, another provides invisibility once a weapon has been lost, and one even provides protection from being crushed by an elephant.

“I’ve never seen similar tattoos in my life,” says Kis, whose interest in the protective inking was sparked during an earlier visit to Kesseraram Pagoda, where he saw the tattoos peeking through the robes of several monks.

In contrast, Croll’s series, Nuns Life, has a more gentle quality, yet is no less compelling. Croll’s work took him on a journey through eight different locations in Myanmar where he spent a lot of time with nuns, allowing them to get comfortable and open up to the camera.

The exhibition was first shown in January at Siem Reap’s 4 Faces Gallery. But Kis and Croll felt that, given the subject matter, there should be some involvement from the Buddhist community of Siem Reap. After Kis discussed this with the head monks of Kesseraram Pagoda, they came to him with the decision to host a showing.

Most of the proceeds will be donated to the monastery and according to Kis, “Our goal was to bring the project to a unique venue and make it a humanitarian effort to benefit the pagoda and help its disabled residents.” by Bejan Siavoshy
click here

Moments 2nd edition

The second issue of the SEA/Collectiv 2-monthly PDF-magazine contains parts of new series by Me (Janos Kis), Eric de Vries, Steve Goodman, Geoff Croll, Richard Reitman and Dave Perkes. In MOMENTS you’ll also find a new item called ONE SUBJECT 6 VISIONS, news on our upcoming group-exhibition this summer in Phnom Penh and more, more… You can download the free PDF (28 pages – 6.6 MB) Click

SACRED .... and the nuns life exhibition opening

It was a great exhibition opening ceremony on 7th of April at Ketseraram Pagoda. Unfortunately my fellow photographer Jeff couldn't join personally. Many monks were praying together with nuns for the success of our exhibition and the health of the Little Nun's. Thanks for Eric de Vries Siem Reap based Dutch photographer for the excellent photos. Hope the visitors will understand the importance of our mission not only aprechiate our work. Thanks to all of the fabolous donors and supporters.

Khmer New Year 2010 Phnom Penh

I am just back from Phnom Penh where I shot these photos on assignment for the Tokyo based new PDF magazine "Latitude" about the Khmer New Year. It wasn't an easy issue because this time Cambodia's capital looked like a ghost town. The city was empty like in the ghost movie, except some key locations like pagodas, Royal Palace and nearby Wat Phnom. These times the city people visit the relatives in the countryside, so before and after new year the traffic goes crazy outside the town.

S-21 Requiem "Remember"

After a long time last week I visited the current Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide (former high school, Pol Pot's secret prison) again and I decided to photograph from different point of view. These photos are from the series of S-21 Requiem, which part of the "Remember" project. I took a picture of the original photos already taken by the prison photographers and relocated in a new environment (I mean digitally modified my original photos I took in the S-21). Emotionally was more difficult to create these dramatic images, than taking pictures in the "Museum" about the randomly chosen photos. I saw giggling Khmer students in front the photos of tortured prisoners. There are several picture sign outside on each building wall “Don’t Laugh". It was very strange for me, but now I understand why. There's a lots of thing to do for the Ministry of Education, the Community leaders, NGO’s, School directors, Teachers and Parents, etc... in this country.

Between 1975 -79 as many as 30.000 prisoners Khmer and foreigners were held, starved to death, tortured, or killed in S-21. The innocent girl name on the middle photo is Bophana. You can read more about her if you buy Elizabeth Becker's book "Love in the Time of the Khmer Rouge".