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WPS 228 Humanistic Planning and Urban Flood Disaster Governance in Southeast Asia: Metro Manila and Jakarta
What are the possible humanistic approaches to urban flood disaster governance? Several largest cities in Southeast Asia, such as Bangkok, Jakarta, and Metro Manila have been affected by relatively severe and paralyzing floods in recent years. In reality, floods are not new to these cities. Cities are often located along riverbanks and lakefronts, due to the importance of water in the history of cities as sources of livelihoods and the role of rivers in trades. Post-1945 economic growth in Southeast Asian cities had resulted in rapid urban development. Inadequate sewage system and lack of control in urban master plans resulted in the deterioration of urban water bodies, especially in terms of water quality and the surrounding environment. Various technical solutions have been offered to prevent floods to disturb socio-economic dynamics of the city, although there have never been 100% protection against floods
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WPS 227 Reconsidering Nationalism in 21st Century China
To what extent is the political integrated into the aesthetic in the nationalist discourses of contemporary China? How do we understand the historical significance of the publicly manifested postsocialist relations of the state and the society? In what ways does the aesthetics, encompassing the temporalities of modern and premodern, socialist and postsocialist, articulate the nation as a collectivization of subjectivity that accentuates and deviates from the political rationalities of both the Party-state and the mass consumers? This paper grounds the nationalist discourse of a recent mainland Chinese film American Dreams in China in existing critical literature on these questions, and project a tangible future for the study of postsocialist Chinese mass nationalism at the conjuncture of literary criticism and cultural studies.
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CCHR Outcome Report - Post-UPR National Consultation Workshop
In June 2014, the Human Rights Council (the “HRC”) of the United Nations (“UN”) convened for its 26th session. During this session, the Report of the Working Group1 of Cambodia’s second Universal Periodic Review (“UPR”) was formally adopted. Of the 205 recommendations made to the Royal Government of Cambodia (the “RGC”) by other UN member States, the RGC accepted 163 and noted the remaining 42.
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CNRP elected district council member is twelfth party official to be arrested over Freedom Park violence
Earlier today, CNRP Chbar Ampov elected district council member Sum Vuthy was arrested in relation to the violence that took place on July 15 at Freedom Park. He was last seen this morning by his wife after going to the local market. Photos have emerged through government media sources, placing Vuthy at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court. He is to be sent to CC1 at Prey Sar Prison for pre-trial detention. Sum Vuthy is the twelfth CNRP official arrested in relation to the Freedom Park violence.
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On the International Day of Democracy, CCHR Calls on the RGC to Put an End to Impunity
On the occasion of the International Day of Democracy – 15 September 2014 – the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (“CCHR”) calls on the Royal Government of Cambodia (“RGC”) to commit to taking concrete action against the widespread impunity that continues to plague the Kingdom of Cambodia (“Cambodia”).
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Joint Statement Regarding the Illegal Detention of Equitable Cambodia Staff
On Tuesday, 9 Sept. 2014, Cambodian authorities detained two employees of Equitable Cambodia (EC) without just cause. Ms. Meg Fukuzawa, a research consultant who has dual citizenship in the United States and Japan, and Mr. Lida Sok, a Cambodian research officer, had been in Oddar Meanchey province since last Monday to conduct field research on the human rights impacts of forced evictions resulting from the development of industrial sugarcane plantations. The plantations are owned by the Mitr Phol Group, one of Coca-Cola’s top three global suppliers. Ms. Fukuzawa and Mr. Sok were working to collect research data to provide to the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, which is investigating Mitr Phol’s activities in Cambodia.
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WPS 226 Negotiating Post-Divorce Familial Relationships: A Case of Singaporean Divorce Biographies
This paper offers an analysis of how Singaporean divorcees organise their post-divorce family life and examines the interplay of autonomy, commitment and context in the maintenance of their family relationships after the divorce. While family life has become increasingly democratised as discussed in theorisations on individualisation and contemporary organisation of personal life, community scholars argue that commitment and belonging remain salient in family life. My research attempts to map this debate to the context of divorce and examines how Singaporean divorcees manage their post-divorce familial relationships within the social and policy context they are located. By making use of empirical data collected from in-depth interviews with 32 Singaporean divorcees, I explore how they, as part of constructing what I call ‘a divorce biography’, exercise individual choice, demonstrate commitment and navigate around dominant family norms to reconfigure their post-divorce family relationships. This article shows how their reconstituted family life might continue to thrive despite the rupture of their marriage and associated relationships.
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Rights Groups Call for an End to Enforced Disappearances in ASEAN
Today, on the occasion of International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, we, the undersigned organizations, urge ASEAN member states to end acts of enforced disappearances in Southeast Asia. Cases of enforced disappearances continue to occur in the region. Victims include human rights defenders as well as ordinary citizens. Enforced disappearances also continue to target vulnerable groups, such as children. Three new cases of enforced disappearance that took place over the past year clearly illustrate this worrying pattern.
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Response to Phnom Penh Sugar Company’s Allegations Against Equitable Cambodia Executive Director Eang Vuthy
On August 18, 2014, the Phnom Penh Sugar Co. Ltd., took out advertisements in several major Cambodian newspapers accusing Equitable Cambodia’s Executive Director, Mr. Eang Vuthy, of making false and misleading statements about Oknha Ly Yong Phat, and causing “irreparable damage” to the Senator’s reputation as well as that of his business, Phnom Penh Sugar.
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CCHR Open Letter Regarding Addressing Land Disputes in the Kingdom of Cambodia
I write to you regarding the speech you delivered on 18 August 2014 at the opening of the workshop on the national strategy for food security and nutrition 2014-2018. I welcome your commitment to find solutions to land disputes in the country. Land conflicts have been plaguing Cambodia for many years, affecting an important part of the Cambodian population. One can only agree that concrete solutions that address the root causes of the land conflict situation must be identified and implemented as soon as possible.
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LICADHO Calls for Immediate Family Access to all Three CNRP Youth Leaders Currently Detained in Prey Sar’s CC1 Prison
LICADHO calls for immediate family access to all three CNRP youth leaders currently detained in Prey Sar’s CC1 prison. Khin Chamreun, Neang Sokhun and San Kimheng have now been in pre-trial detention for 18 days and have not been permitted any family visits.
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CCHR Outcome Report - Workshop for Youth on Electoral Reform
This Outcome Report summarizes the issues raised and the recommendations of participants during the Workshop for Youth on Electoral Reform (“the Workshop”) held on 20-21 June 2014 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The event was organized by CCHR under the Project to Mobilize Youth Around Electoral Reform (the “Project”), which seeks to raise awareness and engage people – in particular youth, who are becoming increasingly vocal in demanding for change –in debate and discussion about electoral reform, in order to help formulate substantive recommendations that are reflective of all stakeholders.
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