NEWS FROM CAMBODIA

NGO Statement to the Consultative Group Meeting

NGOs in Cambodia prepared an informative and detailed statement to the Consultative Group Meeting on Cambodia held in Paris on 24-26 May 2000

The statement is available on the World Wide Web at http://go.to/ngostatement.

This statement represents a collaborative effort between three formal NGO membership organizations - the Cooperation Committee for Cambodia (CCC), the NGO Forum on Cambodia and the MEDiCAM association of NGOs working in health, along with the input of 17 sectoral working groups.

The NGO Statement contains NGO perspectives on Cambodia’s progress and future needs in terms of good governance, human resource development, and reaching the poor.

Attached to the statement are sectoral papers in the following areas: agriculture, child rights, commune administration and decentralisation, commune elections, disability and rehabilitation, education, fisheries, forestry reform, gender and development, good governance, health, HIV/AIDS, human rights, landmines, land reform, microfinance and weapons reduction.

Also attached is a short section giving general information about NGOs in Cambodia.

The Consultative Group meeting is the annual consultation between the Cambodian Government and Cambodia’s donors and is organised by the World Bank. NGOs have observer status at the meeting.

Internet Version of Magazine: “Searching for the Truth”

The Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam), has announced the launching of a new Internet edition of DC-Cam’s magazine, “Searching for the Truth.” The magazine, currently published in a Khmer language print edition, will now be available on the World Wide Web in a Khmer-language edition. The website address or URL where the Internet version of “Searching for the Truth” can be accessed is http://www.bigpond.com.kh/users/dccam.genocide. This electronic edition of the magazine can be downloaded from the website free-of-charge.

The magazine is intended to inform Cambodians about the preparations for and conduct of a criminal tribunal to judge Khmer Rouge leaders for alleged genocide and crimes against humanity committed during the Democratic Kampuchea regime from 1975 to 1979. The magazine also aims to inform readers about life during the Khmer Rouge regime. Most of the material in the magazine is based on research carried out under the auspices of DC-Cam.

The print version of “Searching for the Truth” was launched in January of this year, and has since appeared in monthly editions. Early issues of “Searching for the Truth” have been featured in reports aired by CNN, BBC and other global media organizations. The magazine includes a variety of sections concentrating on different topics each month.

Each issue features articles describing Documentation activities at DC-Cam, articles reporting on historical research, legal analyses from international scholars, a public forum for debates on issues related to genocide justice in Cambodia, and a family tracing column describing the efforts of the DC-Cam to locate information about missing family members.

The monthly Khmer-language print version of “Searching for the Truth” is distributed free of charge at the district level throughout Cambodia, and has been distributed at national reconciliation forum events. The magazine is available for purchase at the Documentation Center at the price of 7,000 Riel per copy. Revenues generated through sales are used to print additional copies for free distribution to poor communities nationwide, especially including surviving victims of the Khmer Rouge genocide. Cont'd p.6