October, 2011
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UN’s briefing today about the ECCC of Cambodia
TOP U.N. LEGAL OFFICIAL MEETS WITH CAMBODIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
- The Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, Sok An, and Patricia O’Brien, Under-Secretary General for Legal Affairs, the Legal Counsel, met on Thursday afternoon to discuss recent developments at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC).
- The Legal Counsel referred to the Secretary-General’s strong support for the work of the Extraordinary Chambers. The Legal Counsel expressed concern regarding recent developments at the Extraordinary Chambers. She reiterated the United Nations’ consistent call upon all persons to respect and support the integrity and independence of the ECCC judicial process.
- The Legal Counsel strongly urged the Royal Government of Cambodia to refrain from statements opposing the progress of Cases 003 and 004 and to refrain from interfering in any way whatsoever with the judicial process. She emphasised the obligation of the Royal Government of Cambodia to cooperate fully with the Extraordinary Chambers.
Source: UN Archive
Lecture Series Part I from Can Cambodia
Summary
Courtesy of www.hoksavann.org
Lecture Series of CAN CAMBODIA
– Saturday, 15 October 2011 on “Engaged Buddhism in Cambodia: Challenges and Controversy” by Ven. Dr. Hok Savann, www.hoksavann.org
According to the lecture by Ven. Dr. Hok Savann, Cambodian Buddhism and Cambodian Society is inseparable. Thus, Buddhacakra (Buddhist dimension) and Anaacakra (secular dimension) must be lifted up equally. Buddhist laws and the universal human rights law is the same. Buddhist belief and Buddhist thought is considered a tort law or traditional law which is required the enforcement of secular law (national constitution and sub-decrees) to duly serve society.
Cambodian Buddhism is very substantial for legality, unity and social engagement. Without durable legality, unity, and social engagement, Cambodian society is hardly advancing. However, the respect of the rule of law must not happen only among lower citizens, the upper administrators must be duly obeying it as well. For instance, the lower thieves who stole chickens and ducks have immediately been punished but the thieves who are sitting on office chairs are immune of punishment.
Ven. Dr. Hok Savann doesn’t support the participation of Bhikkhu monks to vote or to choose secular leaders in each national election. Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka have become members of parliament but the image of Buddhist monks in the assembly are not appropriate at all among those lay law-makers and the practices of the assembly.
Regarding to Ven. Luon Sovath whose Buddhist top administrative banned from the temple is not due to the Viniya of Buddhist Sangha order. Ven. Luon Sovath’s activities and involvements with those victims of land grabs and forced evictions are not offending any chapter of the Viniya. It is just a social norm that Cambodia has never had monk like Ven. Luon Sovath. If the top administers of Buddhist Sangha accused Ven. Luon Sovath of violation of Viniya, they have to sit down and point out what parts of Viniya has he offended? Banning from the temple is an absolute order which Buddhist temples are owned by the laypeople; and it could not solve the problem. Otherwise, it is showing the not-independence of Buddhist Sangha administrative in Cambodia.
Steve Jobs’ Mantra Rooted in Buddhism: Focus and Simplicity
Steve Jobs’ Mantra Rooted in Buddhism: Focus and Simplicity
Long before Steve Jobs became the CEO of Apple and one of the most recognizable figures on the planet, he took a unconventional route to find himself — a spiritual journey that influenced every step of an unconventional career.
Jobs, who died Wednesday at the age of 56 of pancreatic cancer, was the biological child of two unmarried academics who only consented to signing the papers if the adoptive parents sent him to college.
His adoptive parents sent a young Jobs off to Reed College, an expensive liberal arts school in Oregon, but he dropped out and went to India in 1973 in search of enlightenment.
Jobs and his college friend Daniel Kottke, who later worked for him at Apple, visited Neem Karoli Baba at his Kainchi Ashram. He returned home to California a Buddhist, complete with a shaved head and traditional Indian clothing and a philosophy that may have shaped much of his corporate values.