International Human Rights Day march
Dec 10, 2009
Cambodian Buddhist monks lead a march appealing for more freedom of expression to mark Human Rights Day in Phnom Penh December 10, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodian Buddhist monks lead a march appealing for more freedom of expression to mark Human Rights Day in Phnom Penh December 10, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodian Buddhist monks lead a march appealing for more freedom of expression to mark Human Rights Day in Phnom Penh December 10, 2009. REUTERS/Chor SokuntheaSamleng Sereypheap - "Voice of Freedom": The Free Press Magazine to expand its coverage
Dear respectful readers,
The Free Press Mangazine will launch a cooperative project named Samleng Sereypheap from January 2010 and it will broadcast daily news and news analysises 5 days a week from Monday-Friday. The Free Press Magazine will also cooperate with a Khmer language newspaper named The Sereipheap Thmey and this newspaper will be posted daily on fpmponline (in PDF).
read more “Samleng Sereypheap - "Voice of Freedom": The Free Press Magazine to expand its coverage”
The Free Press Mangazine will launch a cooperative project named Samleng Sereypheap from January 2010 and it will broadcast daily news and news analysises 5 days a week from Monday-Friday. The Free Press Magazine will also cooperate with a Khmer language newspaper named The Sereipheap Thmey and this newspaper will be posted daily on fpmponline (in PDF).
We All Need Freedom of Expression and Justice
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY DEC 10, 2009Media Release
“WE ALL NEED FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND JUSTICE”
More than 10,000 Cambodians from communities around the country, including trade unionists, students, farmers, fishermen, musicians, youths, tuk tuk drivers, motorcycle drivers and NGO workers, will celebrate International Human Rights Day (IHRD) in their communities this year.
These celebrations are tied together with the common theme “We All Need Freedom of Expression and Justice!” and a common symbol - the blue Kramar to represent the important role of human rights defenders in Cambodia.
The community initiatives will mark the achievements made in human rights in Cambodia, but also focus on critical issues still facing the country’s citizens – including exploitation of land and natural resources; restrictions to the freedoms of expression, association and assembly; and violations of labor rights.
IHRD is celebrated every year on 10 December as a reminder of the enduring human rights struggles which continue to affect societies and communities in every country. IHRD bears witness to and highlights pervasive human rights abuses as well as standing as a call for action. The celebration of IHRD also marks an opportunity for civil society, governments, international organisations and citizens themselves to highlight their efforts in securing recognition and observance of human rights principles.
Sample celebrations and activities on 10 December, 2009
- More than 200 motorcycle drivers and tuk tuk drivers will hold media conference and release balloons in Traing village in Siem Reap.
- More than 900 villagers will gather in a local pagoda in Chi Kreng, Siem Reap to discuss Buddhist principles, human rights and watch videos on human rights issues.
- More than 500 villagers and farmers will play traditional games, discuss human rights issues and march in Chhouk village in Koh Kong province.
- More than 500 trade unionists will gather to discuss human rights, labor rights and march around Laang village in Kampot province.
- More than 150 students, monks and local authorities will gather in Neav Sav village in Kampong Thom province to discuss human rights, conduct a march and release balloons.
- Groups of family members, farmers, union leaders, students, artists and NGO workers will bring packages of food and meet more than 52 human rights defenders detained in Phnom Penh and 8 provincial prisons.
“Justice must be accessible to the poor and marginalized, and the law must be applied fairly to all including the rich and powerful,” said Pung Chhiv Kek President of Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO). “The poorest farmer has the same rights as the richest businessman.” Kek adds “Cambodia’s courts are failing to provide justice to numerous victims of human rights abuses on a daily basis, real reforms of the courts, to strengthen their independence and professional and to eliminate corruption, are desperately needed.”
“We welcome development but not at the expense of the poor,” says Yeng Virak, Executive Director of Community Legal Education Center (CLEC). “There must be an end to forced evictions, and there must be government policies which ensure and enable participation and rights to information, expression and movement for everyone.”
Friends of December 10th is an informal group of individuals working to support and assist initiates to celebrate International Human Right Day throughout Cambodia.
News media are invited to attend the December 10 celebrations and contact focal persons listed for individual activities held 70 areas in Phnom Penh and 17 provinces.
Property Tax Confusion Stalls Market
By Ros Sothea, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
09 December 2009
Confusion and hesitation over a new law on property taxes have shocked the country’s real estate market, which has yet to recover from the global economic downturn, financial analysts say.
According to the law, passed by the National Assembly earlier this month, taxes will be levied on land, houses and buildings worth more than 100 million real, or $25,000, but experts worry misunderstandings over the law will interrupt the recovery of the stagnant real estate market.
Chan Sophal, president of the Association of Cambodian Economists, said the new tax law had confused people who worry they have to pay a lot of money.
“Educating people about the tax is really important right now, or it will give a negative impact on real estate, as people take a step back or sell their property at a low price,” he said.
For example, a $50,000 home will be charged $25 per year in taxes: the value minus a $25,000 tax base, with a 0.1 percent tax. A $30,000 home would be taxed $5 per year.
Experts say the tax rate is not high enough to cause real trouble in the real estate market, but it is confusion over the tax that has frozen recovery.
More than half of Cambodia’s 2.8 million homes could be taxed, according the National Valuers Association, which assesses property value in the country.
Real estate developers are concerned that if the law is promulgated within the next few weeks, or by the end of the year, buyers may become hesitant.
Sung Bonna, president of the association and the owner of his own real estate group, estimated that without the law, the market could bottom out by early 2010. With confusion over the new law taking place, that recovery will take more time.
“If the law is issued, buyers or investors will take a step back to wait and see,” he said. “They won’t buy, they won’t make a decision. If everyone just wants to wait, our real estate market will be down and quiet.”
If the situation continues, property values will decrease accordingly, he said.
Hesitation over the property tax could stall the market for an extra six months or a year, said Eng Bun Ung, president of ANFI, an Australia-based consultancy. Not only might the tax cause hesitation in potential homeowners, he said, but could also create hesitation in property investors.
Cambodia’s property market boomed from 2006 to 2008, but it slowed considerably after the downturn, in mid-2008, when values fell between 30 percent and 50 percent.
Property investment also went into decline, with fixed construction projects falling 20 percent in the last 10 months, to about $1.8 billion, according to government figures.
Im Chamrong, director-general of the Ministry of Land Management’s construction department, said the property tax would impact the real estate market, but he was unclear how significant the impact would be.
“We will inform our customers about this law,” said Sun Hum Lee, director for Gold Tower 42, a high-rise project in Phnom Penh. “By informing [them of this], I think it will decrease 10 percent or 20 percent of our sell amount.”
Youk Buntha, president of the Nay Sovan property development, said that since the law was passed, no new customers have come to view his 130 apartments, worth $20,000 to $30,000 each.
One buyer canceled his contract, because he was confused and thought he would have to pay “a lot” of money, Youk Buntha said.
“In fact, he had already decided to buy the house and agreed to deposit some money,” he said. “But he suddenly cancelled it and said he wanted to see the law first. So it has become an issue affecting our business.”
With the new law, Cambodia becomes the first developing country in Southeast Asia with a property tax; neither Burma nor Laos have one. By comparison, Thailand taxes citizens 12.5 percent on homes that are also used for commercial purposes, while Vietnam taxes a property-owner 0.03 percent of the construction cost.
According to the law, passed by the National Assembly earlier this month, taxes will be levied on land, houses and buildings worth more than 100 million real, or $25,000, but experts worry misunderstandings over the law will interrupt the recovery of the stagnant real estate market.
Chan Sophal, president of the Association of Cambodian Economists, said the new tax law had confused people who worry they have to pay a lot of money.
“Educating people about the tax is really important right now, or it will give a negative impact on real estate, as people take a step back or sell their property at a low price,” he said.
For example, a $50,000 home will be charged $25 per year in taxes: the value minus a $25,000 tax base, with a 0.1 percent tax. A $30,000 home would be taxed $5 per year.
Experts say the tax rate is not high enough to cause real trouble in the real estate market, but it is confusion over the tax that has frozen recovery.
More than half of Cambodia’s 2.8 million homes could be taxed, according the National Valuers Association, which assesses property value in the country.
Real estate developers are concerned that if the law is promulgated within the next few weeks, or by the end of the year, buyers may become hesitant.
Sung Bonna, president of the association and the owner of his own real estate group, estimated that without the law, the market could bottom out by early 2010. With confusion over the new law taking place, that recovery will take more time.
“If the law is issued, buyers or investors will take a step back to wait and see,” he said. “They won’t buy, they won’t make a decision. If everyone just wants to wait, our real estate market will be down and quiet.”
If the situation continues, property values will decrease accordingly, he said.
Hesitation over the property tax could stall the market for an extra six months or a year, said Eng Bun Ung, president of ANFI, an Australia-based consultancy. Not only might the tax cause hesitation in potential homeowners, he said, but could also create hesitation in property investors.
Cambodia’s property market boomed from 2006 to 2008, but it slowed considerably after the downturn, in mid-2008, when values fell between 30 percent and 50 percent.
Property investment also went into decline, with fixed construction projects falling 20 percent in the last 10 months, to about $1.8 billion, according to government figures.
Im Chamrong, director-general of the Ministry of Land Management’s construction department, said the property tax would impact the real estate market, but he was unclear how significant the impact would be.
“We will inform our customers about this law,” said Sun Hum Lee, director for Gold Tower 42, a high-rise project in Phnom Penh. “By informing [them of this], I think it will decrease 10 percent or 20 percent of our sell amount.”
Youk Buntha, president of the Nay Sovan property development, said that since the law was passed, no new customers have come to view his 130 apartments, worth $20,000 to $30,000 each.
One buyer canceled his contract, because he was confused and thought he would have to pay “a lot” of money, Youk Buntha said.
“In fact, he had already decided to buy the house and agreed to deposit some money,” he said. “But he suddenly cancelled it and said he wanted to see the law first. So it has become an issue affecting our business.”
With the new law, Cambodia becomes the first developing country in Southeast Asia with a property tax; neither Burma nor Laos have one. By comparison, Thailand taxes citizens 12.5 percent on homes that are also used for commercial purposes, while Vietnam taxes a property-owner 0.03 percent of the construction cost.
New Taxes a Burden on Poor: Opposition
Yim Sovann, spokesperson for Sam Rainsy Party.
By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington
09 December 2009
Government officials are increasing tax policies but continuing with irregular expenditures at a time when they should focus on dampening the effects of the global economic downturn, an opposition official said Monday.
The passage of the 2010 national budget earlier this month includes taxes that will make difficulties for people already struggling in the depressed economy, said Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the Sam Rainsy Party, as a guest on “Hello VOA.”
“In our view, the burden on people by levies should be avoided at this time,” Yim Sovann said.
Taxes have been doubled for car owners, while a 0.1 percent tax on properties worth more than $25,000 has been put in place.
The Sam Rainsy Party did not support the taxes, Yim Sovann said.
Cambodia’s 2010 budget will reach nearly $2 billion, an increase of $100 million from the year before, with spending up for defense, security, health and education.
But Yim Sovann said Monday the government employed irregular expenses, such as a budget for national disaster spending, or for “special mission,” “which we do not know what it is.”
Yim Sovann said he supported cutting salaries for advisers, as well as undersecretaries and secretaries of state appointed for political reasons, postings he called “a waste of the national budget we need to save.”
He did not, however, support cutting tens of thousands of teachers, which would help Cambodia build up its human resources.
In Cambodia, people pay higher taxes than in neighboring countries and others, but the revenue is still relatively low. Cambodia collects around 12 percent of its GDP in taxes, compared to as much as 40 percent in the EU and 23 percent in Thailand.
“It means the people take the effort to pay taxes, but the tax money drops along the way, goes into the pockets of some officials, and not 100 percent goes to the state,” he said.
Cheam Yiep, a National Assembly lawmaker for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, said Yim Sovann was “politicizing” the tax issue. And while he acknowledged some corruption in the system, he called it “temporary,” claiming, “the government is now taking efforts, as we have laws to curb the corruption issue.”
The passage of the 2010 national budget earlier this month includes taxes that will make difficulties for people already struggling in the depressed economy, said Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the Sam Rainsy Party, as a guest on “Hello VOA.”
“In our view, the burden on people by levies should be avoided at this time,” Yim Sovann said.
Taxes have been doubled for car owners, while a 0.1 percent tax on properties worth more than $25,000 has been put in place.
The Sam Rainsy Party did not support the taxes, Yim Sovann said.
Cambodia’s 2010 budget will reach nearly $2 billion, an increase of $100 million from the year before, with spending up for defense, security, health and education.
But Yim Sovann said Monday the government employed irregular expenses, such as a budget for national disaster spending, or for “special mission,” “which we do not know what it is.”
Yim Sovann said he supported cutting salaries for advisers, as well as undersecretaries and secretaries of state appointed for political reasons, postings he called “a waste of the national budget we need to save.”
He did not, however, support cutting tens of thousands of teachers, which would help Cambodia build up its human resources.
In Cambodia, people pay higher taxes than in neighboring countries and others, but the revenue is still relatively low. Cambodia collects around 12 percent of its GDP in taxes, compared to as much as 40 percent in the EU and 23 percent in Thailand.
“It means the people take the effort to pay taxes, but the tax money drops along the way, goes into the pockets of some officials, and not 100 percent goes to the state,” he said.
Cheam Yiep, a National Assembly lawmaker for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, said Yim Sovann was “politicizing” the tax issue. And while he acknowledged some corruption in the system, he called it “temporary,” claiming, “the government is now taking efforts, as we have laws to curb the corruption issue.”
Buddhists Ponder the Power of a March
Maha Ghosananda leading a DhammayietraBy Pin Sisovann, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
09 December 2009
A march of protest is the last resort of a powerless majority to fight and demand justice. A powerful march usually takes place when tolerance of the general public reaches its maximum.
The power of a Buddhist march relies mainly on its topic, which the general public must get behind, as well as trusted leaders, a leading monk says.
In Cambodia, that can mean a “Dhamma Yeatra,” said venerable monk Nhem Kim Teng, executive director of the Sante Sena, a Buddhist organization.
The Dhamma Yeatra peace march is held on various subjects that people are hungry for, said Nhem Kim Teng, who was a special assistant to the late Maha Ghosananda, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee who marched to rebuild Cambodia after decades of civil war.
“It depends on the leaders of the Dhamma Yeatra and its goals,” Nhem Kim Teng said. “Gosananda’s background has nothing to do with political power. He was a genuinely peaceful monk, spiritually and bodily. This drew the attention of everyone. His words harmed nothing and no one. He talked only about the dharma of the Buddha. I think if we could have leaders of a Dhamma Yeatra like Maha Gosananda, people would join a march.”
Nhem Kim Teng, who is working toward a doctorate in Buddhism in India, recalled powerful peace marches like those led by Mahatma Gandhi, as Indians sought independence from British colonial rule, or by Martin Luther King, Jr., in the US civil rights struggles.
In November, Beehive radio station owner Mam Sonando began his own march, from Phnom Penh to Odda Meanchey province, to promote peace and development along the tense Thai-Cambodian border.
Mam Sonando’s journey was hampered at the outset when monks refused to allow him overnight shelter in Kandal province, just outside the capital, because The Ministry of Cults and Religions didn’t give him permission to march.
Mam Sonando’s march was not comparable to those held by Maha Gosananda, Nhem Kim Teng said.
Maha Gosananda was able to overcome landmines and the Khmer Rouge at a time when there were less pagodas and monks, following the reign of a regime affiliated with socialism and communism.
Min Khim, Minister of Cults and Religions, said Mam Sonando’s march was not sanctified, as it could have caused traffic congestion.
“The freedom of religion is well respected, but one has to abide by the law for security reasons, for social order and avoiding the violation of others rights—blocking traffic,” he said.
He said such a march was a throwback to the past. Japanese activists of the Dahamma Yeatra, the remaining team of Maha Gosananda, had changed their strategy from marching to sending their message by Internet, e-mail, and through the radio, to avoid causing traffic congestion, he said.
He added that of if a Dhamma Yeatra was necessary, it should be held outside bustling cities.
Mam Sonando said he had been ordained to lead his Dhamma Yeatra because marching in robe would better bring more attention for Cambodian Buddhists to join the construction of pagodas, schools and other infrastructure. His Dhama Yeatra was meant to defend the border though development.
“If I had marched as a layman, it would not have been as important as if I had marched in a monk’s robe,” Mam Sonando said.
Nhem Kim Teng said the power of the Dhamma Teatra in Cambodia may have decreased, but Mam Sonando’s march didn’t mean the power of Buddhism was waning.
One of the most recent powerful Buddhism marches was in 1999, when nearly 10,000 Cambodian Buddhists and monks marched to transfer a Buddha relic from a stupa in front of Phnom Penh’s railway station, where prostitution was also taking place, to Odom mountain.
Chea Vannath, an independent political analyst and former president of the Center for Social Development, said political pressure on Buddhism was weak compared to the power of Buddhism in the hearts of Cambodians.
The relatively small size of Mam Sonando’s march may have been related to his political background, as both a “Beehive Radio” personality and former president of the Beehive Democratic Party. The radio is deeply involved in politics, Chea Vannath said.
“He was president of a political party running in an election,” she said. “He is the director of a well-known radio station in Cambodia. So one way or another, Mam Sonando is a political player. How can you separate him from a political figure?”
Laymen, monks and experts on Buddhism expressed their concern for the fact that Buddhism in Cambodia continues being implicated in politics.
The concern had existed for years, and it explodes once in a while. Recently the problem showed up again, when Mam Sonando’s march was rejected.
Mam Sonando told VOA Khmer from Koh Keo pagoda, Banteay Meancey, that all pagodas welcomed his march except the first pagoda of Peam Sotharam. He said there were 45 marchers in his Dhamma Yeatra.
Mam Sonando said that the rejection of his march was politically motivated.
“I set it aside and will leave it for the monk to think about it,” he said. “He is supposed to serve Buddhism, but he is political, partisan and acts contrary to Buddhism.”
The power of a Buddhist march relies mainly on its topic, which the general public must get behind, as well as trusted leaders, a leading monk says.
In Cambodia, that can mean a “Dhamma Yeatra,” said venerable monk Nhem Kim Teng, executive director of the Sante Sena, a Buddhist organization.
The Dhamma Yeatra peace march is held on various subjects that people are hungry for, said Nhem Kim Teng, who was a special assistant to the late Maha Ghosananda, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee who marched to rebuild Cambodia after decades of civil war.
“It depends on the leaders of the Dhamma Yeatra and its goals,” Nhem Kim Teng said. “Gosananda’s background has nothing to do with political power. He was a genuinely peaceful monk, spiritually and bodily. This drew the attention of everyone. His words harmed nothing and no one. He talked only about the dharma of the Buddha. I think if we could have leaders of a Dhamma Yeatra like Maha Gosananda, people would join a march.”
Nhem Kim Teng, who is working toward a doctorate in Buddhism in India, recalled powerful peace marches like those led by Mahatma Gandhi, as Indians sought independence from British colonial rule, or by Martin Luther King, Jr., in the US civil rights struggles.
In November, Beehive radio station owner Mam Sonando began his own march, from Phnom Penh to Odda Meanchey province, to promote peace and development along the tense Thai-Cambodian border.
Mam Sonando’s journey was hampered at the outset when monks refused to allow him overnight shelter in Kandal province, just outside the capital, because The Ministry of Cults and Religions didn’t give him permission to march.
Mam Sonando’s march was not comparable to those held by Maha Gosananda, Nhem Kim Teng said.
Maha Gosananda was able to overcome landmines and the Khmer Rouge at a time when there were less pagodas and monks, following the reign of a regime affiliated with socialism and communism.
Min Khim, Minister of Cults and Religions, said Mam Sonando’s march was not sanctified, as it could have caused traffic congestion.
“The freedom of religion is well respected, but one has to abide by the law for security reasons, for social order and avoiding the violation of others rights—blocking traffic,” he said.
He said such a march was a throwback to the past. Japanese activists of the Dahamma Yeatra, the remaining team of Maha Gosananda, had changed their strategy from marching to sending their message by Internet, e-mail, and through the radio, to avoid causing traffic congestion, he said.
He added that of if a Dhamma Yeatra was necessary, it should be held outside bustling cities.
Mam Sonando said he had been ordained to lead his Dhamma Yeatra because marching in robe would better bring more attention for Cambodian Buddhists to join the construction of pagodas, schools and other infrastructure. His Dhama Yeatra was meant to defend the border though development.
“If I had marched as a layman, it would not have been as important as if I had marched in a monk’s robe,” Mam Sonando said.
Nhem Kim Teng said the power of the Dhamma Teatra in Cambodia may have decreased, but Mam Sonando’s march didn’t mean the power of Buddhism was waning.
One of the most recent powerful Buddhism marches was in 1999, when nearly 10,000 Cambodian Buddhists and monks marched to transfer a Buddha relic from a stupa in front of Phnom Penh’s railway station, where prostitution was also taking place, to Odom mountain.
Chea Vannath, an independent political analyst and former president of the Center for Social Development, said political pressure on Buddhism was weak compared to the power of Buddhism in the hearts of Cambodians.
The relatively small size of Mam Sonando’s march may have been related to his political background, as both a “Beehive Radio” personality and former president of the Beehive Democratic Party. The radio is deeply involved in politics, Chea Vannath said.
“He was president of a political party running in an election,” she said. “He is the director of a well-known radio station in Cambodia. So one way or another, Mam Sonando is a political player. How can you separate him from a political figure?”
Laymen, monks and experts on Buddhism expressed their concern for the fact that Buddhism in Cambodia continues being implicated in politics.
The concern had existed for years, and it explodes once in a while. Recently the problem showed up again, when Mam Sonando’s march was rejected.
Mam Sonando told VOA Khmer from Koh Keo pagoda, Banteay Meancey, that all pagodas welcomed his march except the first pagoda of Peam Sotharam. He said there were 45 marchers in his Dhamma Yeatra.
Mam Sonando said that the rejection of his march was politically motivated.
“I set it aside and will leave it for the monk to think about it,” he said. “He is supposed to serve Buddhism, but he is political, partisan and acts contrary to Buddhism.”
For Chams, Traditional Wedding Season Begins
The imam cuts three pieces of hair from both the bride and groom before the wedding ceremony. (Photo: elyselightman.wordpress.com, Click here to see more traditional Cham wedding photos)By Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
09 December 2009
It’s wedding season for Cambodia’s Muslims. Living alongside with their Khmer counterparts, Chams in Cambodia have their own customs and traditions of marriage—though with a little less celebration.
Unlike traditional Khmer wedding celebrations, in which sounds of wedding songs and musical instruments can be heard from the bride’s house, a Cham celebration contains no songs or music.
The reason is that Islamic law does not allow any romantic music, though the law allows sounds of Islamic prayers or reading of its holy book, the Koran, during the special occasion.
The Chams, descendents of the lost Champa empire in today’s Vietnam, are followers of Islam. The majority of them, estimated to be 500,000 in Cambodia, live along the Tonle Sap and the Mekong rivers.
The period following the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca is the most popular.
A Cham wedding is generally observed for one and a half days. On the first day, two or three meals are served for guests who have been invited to the village free of charge. The attendees may contribute some money, food or gifts to the host family, if they wish.
The one festivity during the wedding is called “Kupol,” in Cham. Kupol is the negotiation between the groom and the bride’s father of a dowry and the handover of the bride to the groom.
After the regular noon prayer, the bride’s family decides on the time and venue for Kupol. The venue can be at the bride’s house, or at small mosques, “surav,” or large mosques, “masjid.”
During Kupol, the bride’s father declares among relatives from both sides, religious teachers, or “tuon,” or an imam to witness the amount of money he has demanded from the groom before handing over the bride—symbolically, as the bride cannot be present—to the groom.
“We say [in Cham] that we agree to give the bride to the groom with the presence of tuon, and the groom must accept her as his lawful wife and must be responsible [for her life],” said Man Mohd, 46, who saw his first daughter married on the outskirts of Phnom Penh last weekend.
“In return for the bride, I have to say to my father-in-law that I would agree to pay the demanded amount and accept the bride,” said the groom, Matt Roza, during his wedding celebration.
The groom has to make sure he answers correctly a few questions asked by the tuon or imam. The questions are about Islamic principles and marriage laws of Islam. If the groom answers the first question incorrectly, he is offered another chance, until he can make the correct answer.
“Kopul is all about Cham marriage,” said Mohd Farid Hosen, executive director of the Cambodian Muslim Intellectual Alliance.
“It is the determinant that the bride and the groom become man and wife lawfully, according to our Cham tradition,” he said.
Finally, the bride’s family has to arrange a feast for villagers the following morning, to conclude the celebration.
Unlike traditional Khmer wedding celebrations, in which sounds of wedding songs and musical instruments can be heard from the bride’s house, a Cham celebration contains no songs or music.
The reason is that Islamic law does not allow any romantic music, though the law allows sounds of Islamic prayers or reading of its holy book, the Koran, during the special occasion.
The Chams, descendents of the lost Champa empire in today’s Vietnam, are followers of Islam. The majority of them, estimated to be 500,000 in Cambodia, live along the Tonle Sap and the Mekong rivers.
The period following the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca is the most popular.
A Cham wedding is generally observed for one and a half days. On the first day, two or three meals are served for guests who have been invited to the village free of charge. The attendees may contribute some money, food or gifts to the host family, if they wish.
The one festivity during the wedding is called “Kupol,” in Cham. Kupol is the negotiation between the groom and the bride’s father of a dowry and the handover of the bride to the groom.
After the regular noon prayer, the bride’s family decides on the time and venue for Kupol. The venue can be at the bride’s house, or at small mosques, “surav,” or large mosques, “masjid.”
During Kupol, the bride’s father declares among relatives from both sides, religious teachers, or “tuon,” or an imam to witness the amount of money he has demanded from the groom before handing over the bride—symbolically, as the bride cannot be present—to the groom.
“We say [in Cham] that we agree to give the bride to the groom with the presence of tuon, and the groom must accept her as his lawful wife and must be responsible [for her life],” said Man Mohd, 46, who saw his first daughter married on the outskirts of Phnom Penh last weekend.
“In return for the bride, I have to say to my father-in-law that I would agree to pay the demanded amount and accept the bride,” said the groom, Matt Roza, during his wedding celebration.
The groom has to make sure he answers correctly a few questions asked by the tuon or imam. The questions are about Islamic principles and marriage laws of Islam. If the groom answers the first question incorrectly, he is offered another chance, until he can make the correct answer.
“Kopul is all about Cham marriage,” said Mohd Farid Hosen, executive director of the Cambodian Muslim Intellectual Alliance.
“It is the determinant that the bride and the groom become man and wife lawfully, according to our Cham tradition,” he said.
Finally, the bride’s family has to arrange a feast for villagers the following morning, to conclude the celebration.
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