A short Summary of the week's opinions

Saving the environment,Teachers speak quietly

and a Cambodian diplomat goes off in a spacy email.

Cambodia’s education has fallen down because the government does not take care of teachers’ living standards.”

-Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Independant Teacher’s Association, after a planned rally to commemorate World Teacher’s Day was blocked by police. Mu Sochua pledged to present a petition to raise teachers’ salaries to at least 1 million riels (US$237) a month.

As far as we can tell [global work party] is the most widespread day of civic engagement on any issue ever in the planet’s history.”

- Bill McKibben, co-founder of the 350.org campaign talking about the worldwide event to be recognised by more than 7,000 community events in 188 countries.

Face the facts about alcohol. It is a drug and just because it is culturally acceptable doesn’t mean it isn’t hurting your body.

-Dr Nick Walsh, SOS Medical Clinic

Cambodia can significantly reduce its prison population and resulting problems by seeking options besides imprisonment for low-risk criminals.

-Monika Mang, CCHR

Due to their aerial bombings, the US should forgive Cambodia’s debts and ensure the money goes to development.

-Nhem Cheabunly, Phnom Penh

Competition is necessary to create a more efficient banking sector in Cambodia.

-Heng Dyna, Canberra, Australia

Quote of the week

It is none of your business! Please report to your clown boss to stop this childish game.”

- An official at the Cambodian embassy in the United Kingdom to a British official who inquired about garment industry unrest. His response to a follow-up email didn’t exactly provide the “sensible answer” asked for....

Please go to the moon and stay there until you get an answer.”

Pchum Ben

by the numbers

5-100

The amount, as a percentage, that Phnom Penh taxi drivers and bus companies planned to raise their prices during the holiday.

1,000

number of vehicles that carted visitors into the provinces during the first two days of the festival, according to Sboang Sarath, Preah Sihanouk provincial governor, who added that arrivals tapered off due to rain.

99

The number of collisions this year over the holidays, down from 125 in the same period last year.

25

The number of people who died on the road over the holidays.

1,200

The appoximate number of prisoners given cakes this year, including 50 women. Thanks to the generosity of spirit of one woman, Sek Sarom, who organised hundreds of volunteers to collect rice cakes from about 120 pagodas.

50

The fall in the number of buffalo who participated in the races held in Vihear Sour village. The Thang, a member of the ceremony’s organising committee, said the drop was due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

3

The number of monks who met with Brother No 2 Nuon Chea in a ceremony at his detention centre.

Duch did not participate in the ceremony because he’s Christian.

Not Exactly

News Trends

Give, take and assasination attempts with Thailand

A STEP FORWARD

Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith will lead a delegation of journalists to Bangkok to meet with Thai government and media to discuss information related to the border dispute between the two nations, according to Nouv Sovathero, an official at the Ministry of Information.

AND BACK AGAIN

THAI security forces reportedly accused the Cambodian military of giving weapons training to anti-government Red Shirts who planned to assassinate Thai premier Abhisit Vejjajiva.Thai officials said 39 men spent three weeks training in a remote Cambodian army camp.

More booze control, but juice still staining society

TAMING LETHAL LIQUID

Police in Kandal and Kampong Speu provinces now have breath analysers and plan to implement drunken-driving checkpoints soon. Municipal traffic police established checkpoints in all eight districts of Phnom Penh beginning last Friday.

FLUID RARELY FOUGHT OVER

An 18-year-old tried to kill herself after ignoring her mother’s orders not to drink orange juice that might worsen her sick stomach. After the acidic exchange, she drank poison instead but didn’t die.

Call it global forming; new species abound

MANY GUESTS IN THE OCTOPUS' MASSIVE GARDEN

many guests in the octopus’ massive garden

Results of the first ever global marine life census were unveiled, revealing a startling overview after a 10-year trawl through the depths.

The Census of Marine Life estimated there are more than 1 million species in the oceans, up to 75 percent undiscovered.

A LIVELY REGION INDEED

A 7-METRE-TALL carnivorous plant native to Kampot province was among 145 new plant and animal species officially documented last year in the Greater Mekong region, according to a report. On average, three new species are recorded by scientists each week in the region.

Big Stories

54-year-old writer Liu Xiaobo became the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel Peace Prize. He is currently serving an 11-year sentence for subversion after writing Charter 08, a call for human rights in China.

State-run media have reported only government criticism. “As expected, Chinese officials have pulled out all stops to prevent citizens from learning that the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Liu Xiaobo,” the CHRD said. AFP

City officials told citizens to prepare for the worst after all 8 districts of the capital city were flooded on Tuesday. A week ago 13 people were killed and five others were reported missing in flood-hit Vietnam, a government body said. AFP

Thailand extended a controversial state of emergency in Bangkok and surrounding areas for three more months, in the wake of deadly street protests and a series of grenade blasts. AFP

What's the biggest story? Have your say at angkorone.com/lift

Laugh a little

If you can’t sing and you’re in the Philippines, you’d better stay quiet.

Philippine lawmakers have backed a proposed law that could see performers jailed for two years for disrespecting the national anthem by singing off-key or deviating from the song’s original martial tempo.

“Our national anthem is always being vulgarised,” said Teddy Atienza of the National Historical Commission. AFP