Nurse Leakhana Om injured in sickening hit-run at East Oakleigh

Leakhana Om, who was injured in a hit-run in East Oakleigh. Picture: VICTORIA POLICE Source: Herald Sun

August 29, 2010
Mark Buttler
Herald Sun (Australia)

A WOMAN left with horrendous injuries after a callous hit-run collision worked tirelessly to help others.

Leakhana Om, 68, is in hospital with many broken bones, spinal injuries and horrific internal damage after being struck and left for dead at East Oakleigh.

Police are still looking for the driver.

Mrs Om had been out for her regular morning stroll near her home when she was hit beside Clayton Rd, near Stewart St, at 11am on Friday.

Only the quick intervention of a passing ambulance on its way to the nearby Monash Medical Centre saved her from an even worse plight.

Mrs Om's daughter Socheata today said her mother worked as a nurse looking after the elderly.

When not at work, the devout Buddhist spent almost of all of her remaining time trying to help others in her native Cambodia.

"She's very kind. She's very generous,'' Ms Ty said.

"It's pretty devastating. It's not something you'd wish upon anyone.''

Doctors at the Royal Melbourne Hospital have placed Mrs Ty in an induced coma.

Ms Ty said whoever hit her mother should face up to what they had done.

"Come to the police and turn yourself in,'' she said.

Leading Sen-Const Mark Smith said Mrs Ty had been able to indicate she had been hit by a truck, which would have been extensively damaged.

He said it was unclear why the driver would not have stopped.

"That bemuses us as well. (It's) very callous,'' Leading Sen-Const Smith said.

Anyone with information can call Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000 or go to
www.crimestoppers.com.au.

State President wraps up visit to Cambodia

08/29/2010
Source: VOV News

State President Nguyen Minh Triet has wrapped up his official visit to Cambodia to promote the traditional relationship between the two countries.

Over the past days, all of Cambodia was decorated with colourful banners and flowers to welcome Mr. Triet and his delegation.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Doan Viet Trung said the visit was motivation to develop the time-honoured Vietnam-Cambodia relationship.

The visit laid a foundation to bring the relationship to a new height, said Trung.

In a party for the President, Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni said Cambodia people are very happy to have such good friends as the Vietnamese, who have helped them in their struggle against colonialism and imperialism.

In agreement with the king, Cambodian senior officials expressed their great gratitude to Vietnamese volunteer soldiers for their assistance in fighting the regime of genocide.

Great Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong and Great Supreme Patriarch Bou Kry said Vietnam not only helped Cambodia in its struggle but also in its re-construction and the development of Cambodian Buddhism.

Cambodia is now a developing country with industrial parks emerging from the “killing fields.”

In 2010, Cambodia’s economic growth could reach 5 percent and annual per capita income is expected to hit US$1,900. Economic co-operation between the two countries has also increased strongly in recent years. Vietnam has 63 projects in Cambodia with combined investment capital of more than US$900 million. Two-way trade turnover is estimated to be more than US$2 billion and high-quality Vietnamese products are securing a firm foothold in the Cambodian market.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen affirmed that his country’s economic development can be attributed to Vietnam’s contributions through investment and trade exchange. During the visit, President Nguyen Minh Triet and PM Hun Sen agreed to expand co-operation in mining, telecommunications, finance, banking, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, transport, culture and information. The two sides also agreed to complete land border demarcation by 2012 to create borders with peace and stability.

Investment between the two countries has been blooming in recent years, said Mr. Trung. Vietnam is one of the leading investors in Cambodia. At its current pace, Vietnam’s investment in Cambodia will reach a minimum of US$6 billion in the next five years, mainly in energy, hydroelectricity, aviation, banking, finance, oil and gas.

Over the ups and downs of history, close ties of solidarity and friendship between the two countries have been forged and developed. Mr. Triet, the Cambodian King and other leaders reaffirmed that those traditional ties are an invaluable asset which should last forever.

Mr. Triet said the two nations have lived together for a long time and they always stand side by side in hard times. Cambodia expressed its deep gratitude for Vietnam’s support, particularly for saving it from genocide, while Vietnam thanks Cambodia for its support during the resistance struggles. History has seen fine relations between the two countries so the current generation has the responsibility to develop the relationship and sustain it in the future.

During his visit to Cambodia, Mr. Triet also cut the ribbon to inaugurate the Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) bureau in Phnom Penh.

Hiroshima citizens donate children's library to Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 29 KYODO

A facility established by Hiroshima citizens in Cambodia's capital to facilitate exchanges for promotion of peace opened a library for Cambodian children on Sunday.

Cambodian girl arrives in TW for operation

08/29/2010
Radio Taiwan International

A two-year-old Cambodian girl suffering from massive swelling in her right arm arrived in central Taiwan Saturday for an operation.

Reachny Mich is being treated at Taichung Veterans General Hospital for a condition described as an "elephant arm". Doctors from Taiwan said the girl's condition could have a large impact on her mental and physical development if not treated.

The girl's ailment was discovered by a Taiwan medical team when it was in Cambodia in April to provide local residents free medical services. The team assessed that local hospitals didn't have the resources to help the little girl and applied to have her brought to Taiwan for treatment.

The little girl's mother said she was very nervous about the surgery, but she also expressed her deep gratitude to Taiwan for the help. 

President concludes Laos, Cambodia visits

29 August 2010
Source: VNA

VietNamNet Bridge - President Nguyen Minh Triet returned home in the afternoon on August 28, wrapping up an official visit to Laos and a State-level visit to Cambodia.

President Triet meets Cambodia’s King Norodom in Phnom Penh

In the morning the same day, the President attended and delivered a speech at the talks on “Experience, potential and opportunities for Vietnamese investors in Cambodia ” in Cambodia’s capital city of Phnom Penh .

The talks were attended by Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Economic and Financial Minister Keat Chhon and over 200 representatives of the two countries’ business circles.

Representatives of Vietnamese businesses currently doing business and investing in Cambodia presented the results of their invested projects in agriculture, mining, finance-banking, healthcare, energy, light industry and hydro-electricity. They put forth recommendations for boosting the two countries’ economic, trade and investment cooperation on a par with the current growing political ties.

The Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister told President Triet and the participants that his country expects its economy to boom this year with an estimated GDP growth rate of at least 5 percent.

He pointed to the young and dynamic population as one of his country’s advantages together with untapped potential, saying there will be many opportunities for Vietnamese investors.

Noting the participants’ recommendations and specific initiatives, President Triet said the two countries’ economic, trade and investment cooperation has attained encouraging developments though yet to match their potential.

Opportunities still lie ahead, President Triet said, expressing his hope that Vietnamese investors will go to Cambodia with the spirit of solidarity and friendship.

He urged Vietnamese investors to be responsible and cautious to avoid sparking problems that can affect their partners’ trust, and participate actively in poverty reduction, cultural, healthcare and educational activities in Cambodia.

Also in the morning, President Triet visited the construction site of the Technology and Senior High School in Kampong Chnang, which is built with 10 billion VND that General Secretary Nong Duc Manh presented to the Cambodian Royal Fund during his visit to Cambodia in 2005. Once competed, the school will be named “the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship School”.

In an interview granted to the press, Deputy Foreign Minister Dao Viet Trung said the good outcomes of the two visits will contribute greatly to strengthening and lifting Vietnam’s ties with Laos and Cambodia to a new height.

He said the leaders have affirmed the importance of their growing traditional friendship as an invaluable asset that needs to be preserved and handed down to the next generations.

Trung reiterated that Vietnam has placed importance to strengthening and enhancing its special solidarity and friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Laos and good neighbourliness, traditional friendship and all-sided cooperation with Cambodia.

In the future, Vietnam will increase the exchange of visits with Laos and Cambodia at all levels in order to deepen their currently fine political ties to create a foundation for their cooperation in the fields of economy, investment, trade, and others.

Regarding cooperation with Laos, Trung said the two countries should quickly carry out their agreements in the fields of hydro-electricity and the plantation of industrial plants and mining, while pushing up cooperation in healthcare, agriculture and rural development, infrastructure construction, tourism, culture, and post and telecommunication.

For her part, Vietnam will step up the training of human resources for Laos to help it meet the needs for industrialisation and modernisation, Trung noted.

In the short term, Trung said the two countries need to work on their plan on enhancing the quality and effectiveness of Vietnam-Laos cooperation in education and human resource development and carry out the projects to establish the Faculty of Vietnamese language in the Lao National University and other cooperative projects in education and training.

With Cambodia, the two countries will strive to raise their two-way trade to 2 billion USD in 2010 and encourage Vietnamese businesspeople to invest in Cambodia, especially in banking, the growing of rubber plants, fertilizer production, the processing of farm products, mining, oil and gas industry, telecommunication and hydro-electricity.

Vietnam will boost its cooperation with and help Cambodia in other fields, such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, transport and communications, education, healthcare and tourism, Trung said.

Opposition asks parliament to explain the excessive appointments of advisors to Mr. Nguon Nhel

By Khmerization
Source: DAP News

Eleven MPs from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) have written to a letter to National Assembly PresidentHeng Samrin asking him to explain and justify the excessive spending for the salary of advisors to Mr. Nguon Nhel (pictured), the First Deputy President of the National Assembly, who had over 71 advisors, including his own relatives, reports DAP News.

In a letter signed by 11 SRP MPs sent to Mr. Heng Samrin dated 27th August, it was revealed that Mr. Nguon Nhel presently had over 71 advisors who had received 112 million riels ($28,000) ) per month in total salary payments.

Mr. Son Chhay, one of the SRP MPs who had put his signature to the letter, said he wants the parliament to explain about the excessive expenditures over salary to these parliamentary advisors. He said these excessive numbers of advisors cost the national budget million of dollars at the same time when the government complains that it has no money to pay a reasonable wage to civil servants and military servicemen.

Mr. Cheam Yeap, chairman of the parliamentary committee on Finance and Audits, acknowledged that there are excessive numbers of parliamentary advisors had been appointed, but said that the president and deputy presidents of the National Assembly need a lot of advisors to help them with their daily works.

Mr. Nguon Nhel refused to comment on the allegations when he was reached by telephone, saying that he was in a meeting.

The SRP MPs said they saw a directive which limits the numbers of advisors to the presidentand deputy presidents of the National Assembly and said the 71 advisors appointed to help Mr. Nguon Nhel far exceeded the limit set in the directive.

The letter from the 11 SRP MPs also appeals to the National Assembly to refer the case to the Anti-Corruption Commission if its investigation has found that there are corrupt practices involved in the appointments of excessive numbers of advisors by Mr. Nguon Nehl.

Thais held in Cambodia 'home soon'

29/08/2010
Nopparat Kingkaew
Bangkok Post 

SURIN : Surin governor Raphee Phongbuphakit has asked the families of three Thais detained for entering Cambodia illegally to be patient as they await their release.

The three Surin natives _ Sanong Wongcharoen, Lim Puangpet, and Lan Sapsri _ were hunting and foraging in a forested area near the border when they wandered on to the Cambodian side and were nabbed by patrol officers.

Mr Raphee said the provincial administrative office was still waiting for the Cambodians to complete the paperwork necessary for the trio's release.

The governor's remarks came after seven family members of the three returned from Siem Reap where they had visited the men in detention.

Siem Reap governor Sou Phirin told the relatives that both Prime Minister Hun Sen and Defence Minister Tea Banh had received a report about the three Thais and were "happy to help".

He dismissed reports that Hun Sen himself had ordered the release of the three Thais, saying the prime minister did not have that authority.

Freight train imports planned

FRIDAY, 27 AUGUST 2010 15:01
MAY KUNMAKARA AND CATHERINE JAMES
phnompenhpost

A boy walks along the rail line in Teuk Thla commune in Sen Sok disrtict, which is in the midst of renovations. Photo by: Sovan Philong

TOLL Royal Railway is planning to spend up to US$81 million to import new trains as part of the multi-million-dollar railway upgrade of the Kingdom’s major freight routes, according to the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation.

“The company has already set a plan to buy 11 engine carriages, 500 freight carriages and some other train materials for their operation by the end of this year or next,” the ministry’s Secretary of State Touch Chankosal said yesterday.

He said that Toll Royal Railway was preparing the paperwork to apply to the Council for Development of Cambodia requesting permission to import the locomotives; however, he said he could not confirm where the trains would be purchased from.

He said that refurbishment of Cambodia’s existing trains would continue, but that the expectation was that they would not suffice.

“In fact, we still have many carriage heads and carriages which can be mended, but they do not completely run well, so we need to import the new ones,” he said.

Peter Brimble, Asian Development Bank senior country economist for Cambodia, said the main rationale for the railway upgrade, partly funded by the ADB, was to develop a more cost-effective freight system.

“The logistics cost of carrying agricultural produce is critical and if you don’t have an effective way of doing it then it’s difficult to get the product out. I think the idea behind this is that it’s one option that’s relatively cost-effective,” he said.

Touch Chankosal said it was also the first step to ease the amount of heavy transportation damaging roads.

The ADB and AusAID are providing $141 million in funding for Toll to upgrade the 254-kilometre line from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville town, a 388-kilometre line from Phnom Penh to Poipet and a 48-kilometre line from Poipet to Sisophon.

Brimble said there were no plans for the ADB to fund future railroad projects in the Kingdom, but that he understood a “spur” would be added to the rail line in Sihanoukville to link it to the nearby port.

Toll Chief Executive David Kerr declined to comment, and ADB senior transport economist Peter Broch said he could not confirm the figures provided by the ministry.

Toll is jointly owned 55 percent by Australia’s largest trucking and freight company, Toll Holdings, and 45 percent by Kit Meng’s Royal Group. The duo teamed up last year to secure a 30-year concession to operate the network.

Toll Holdings reported a full-year net profit yesterday of A$278.9 million (US$247 million) for the 12 months ending June. 

Its shares rose 2.7 percent to A$5.99 at close of trading in Sydney yesterday.

Rights body calls for action on Koh Kong land clashes

FRIDAY, 27 AUGUST 2010 15:01
CHHAY CHANNYDA
phnompenhpost
H

UMAN rights advocates are urging officials to arrest a man accused of beating two women involved in a heated land dispute with a private developer in Koh Kong province.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee criticised Koh Kong businessman Heng Huy after villagers in Sre Ambel district said two women were sent to hospital after being beaten by one of the businessman’s workers.

“Heng Huy’s action, which led his workers to clear disputed land and beat villagers, is a serious violation of human rights,” the statement said.

On Wednesday, villagers say, two women were beaten as they tried to stop workers from clearing their farmland. Heng Huy has rejected the allegation, and villagers say they have been unable to identify the assailant after he fled in a car. The CHRAC statement urged authorities to find the perpetrator.

The husband of one of the women yesterday said she was recovering in a Phnom Penh hospital.

“She still hurts inside her stomach,” said Hy Leang, who said his wife, 25-year-old Yi Kunthear, and her sister, 19-year-old Yi Kunthy were beaten. “The worker kicked her seriously.”

The villagers say they are on the verge of losing their land. The Supreme Court ruled last year that the roughly 100 hectares of land in Sre Ambel district belonged to Heng Huy and not to the 34 families, who say they have lived there since 1980.

“No one helps us, so I want the petition to reach Prime Minister Hun Sen and other authorities so they will look into our plights,” said villager Teng 

Kao, who yesterday distributed petitions to motorists along National Road 48, in the hope of drawing public attention to the issue.

Koh Kong Governor Bun Leut urged villagers to reach a compromise with Heng Huy, noting that the court had ruled in the businessman’s favour. 

“Heng Huy has already won the court case,” he said. “What we can do is ask Heng Huy and the villagers to talk about compensation.”

Heng Huy said yesterday that he would provide cash or a plot of land as compensation to the villagers affected. 

Cambodian girl with swollen arm arrives in Taiwan for operation

By Lee Chun-chin, Hau Hsue-chin and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Aug. 28 (CNA) - A two-year-old Cambodian girl suffering from massive swelling in her right arm arrived at Taichung Veterans General Hospital (TVGH) in central Taiwan Saturday for treatment.

Reachny Mich, whose condition has been described as having an "elephant arm, " was discovered by a Taiwanese medical team when it was in Cambodia in April to provide local residents free medical services.

She then obtained the promise of Taiwan government's to treat her after Yu Tsi-hsun, a volunteer on the medical team, made repeated appeals on her behalf. 

Following the hospital's initial examination of the girl Saturday, pediatric hematologist Chang Teh-kao said Mich's blood pressure, heartbeat and body temperature all appeared normal, but he feared that her disorder was far more "complicated" than originally thought.

Chang said Mich's right arm appears to be four to five times bigger than her left arm, possibly caused by the abnormal growth of blood vessels or bones.

"It is rare to see such a deformation of blood vessels, " he said.

Earlier in the day after the girl, her mother and Yu arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Yu said Mich's mother was worried about the operation facing her daughter but also trusted Taiwan's doctors and felt grateful for their help.

A special team of pediatricians from different departments convened by Lee San-kang, deputy superintendent of the hospital, has been assembled to perform the surgery.

Play Boy Thai Grown prince

Part 1

Past 2

Part 3

Srirasmi Hee Raa Berd sex

Srirasmi Hee Raa Berd sex

Thai Prince sex

"Yuon Mork Truot-tra Tha Toasnak-kech" a Poem in Khmer by Sam Vichea

Man charged over 'sex tourism'

2010-08-28 11:34
SAPA

Phnom Penh - A Cambodian provincial court has charged a Danish man with providing his young male guesthouse staff for sex with tourists in the country's northwest, an official said on Saturday.

Svend Erick Jonasson, 64, was arrested in Siem Reap for allegedly letting his guests have sex with his male Cambodian workers aged 15, 17 and 21, said Chea Heng, from the government's anti-human trafficking department.

He said the victims charged $15 to $50 for sex with the suspect's customers, with Jonasson, whose was arrested on Thursday, taking $5 of the fee.

"The victims have told us everything, but he has not confessed," said Chea Heng. "He could face up to 15 years in jail."

Dozens of foreigners have been jailed for child-sex crimes or deported to face trial in their home countries since Cambodia launched an anti-paedophilia push in 2003 to try to shake off its reputation as a haven for sex predators.

Cambodia builds small, distant Freedom Park, criticized as place 'where no one will be heard'

Thursday August 26th, 2010
Sopheng Cheang, The Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - Cambodia is building a small park to accommodate demonstrators, but would-be protesters criticize the project as a means to throttle dissent by keeping them far from government offices.

Democracy Square is 70 per cent complete and should be finished by the end of September, said Sam Samuth, chief of Phnom Penh's Municipal garden bureau, on Thursday.

The 60-by-200 metre (200-by-650 foot) site is very close to the U.S. Embassy and Wat Phnom, a famous old Buddhist temple that historically marks the city's centre but is not near any major government offices, such as the seat of government and the National Assembly.

It is about a mile (1.6 kilometres) north of a park across from the old parliament building that has been the most popular venue for political and social protests, some of which authorities ended with force.

Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions, who has been active in staging demonstrations, says the purpose of the site — also known as Freedom Park — is to muffle protesters' voices.

"I think the location of the Freedom Park is not the right place for demonstrators to show their concern. I — and other protesters — would not stage a demonstration at a place where no one will be heard," Rong Chhun said.

The park, built where the headquarters of the military police used to be, will have no special facilities except for eight public toilets.

The government of Prime Minister Hun Sen is democratically elected but tries to limit dissent, often through legal means such as lawsuits. Journalists, human rights activists, opposition lawmakers and other critics have been convicted or jailed for defaming Hun Sen and his allies.

In October 2009, Cambodia's parliament approved a bill banning demonstrations by more than 200 people. The law also requires protesters to seek official permission five days ahead of a planned rally.

During the debate, lawmakers from the country's main opposition party, the Sam Rainsy Party, described the law as a clear setback for Cambodia's democracy.

Vietnamese president wraps up visit in Cambodia

Source: Xinhua

Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet wrapped up his three-day state visit to Cambodia on Saturday.

During his stay in Cambodia, Triet had met with King Sihamoni, Chea Sim, president of the Senate, and Prime Minister Hun Sen.

In his meeting on Thursday in the Royal Palace, King Norodom Sihamoni said Nguyen Minh Triet's visit to Cambodia was historical and said the visit helps strengthen the friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

During the visit, Ngueyn Minh Triet also attended the opening ceremony of representative office of the Voice of Vietnam based in Phnom Penh and also visited the Cambodian-Vietnamese friendship school.

It was the second visit paid by Nguyen Minh Triet after he made the first visit in 2007 as president of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

In June, former King Norodom Sihanouk and his wife Norodom Moninieth and King Norodom Sihamoni made private visit to Vietnam.

Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia get learning network

Source: VNA

Forty-two Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian university rectors agreed to establish a network of universities and create its operational content and mechanisms.

The decision was made at a meeting of rectors from Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian universities at Ho Chi Minh City National University on August 27.

Addressing the meeting for, “Promoting co-operation in tertiary education and scientific research,” Head of the Lao National Assembly’s Socio-Cultural Affairs Committee Douangdy Outhachak emphasised the necessity of implementing education and training, along with modernising science and technology.

The establishment of the education network will help Laos further develop its economy, trade and services, he said.

He expressed his hope that Vietnamese universities will receive more Lao students and assist Lao universities in human resources training programmes.

Associate Professor Phan Thanh Binh, who is also Rector of Ho Chi Minh City National University, said the network would be a foundation to promote co-operation among regional universities, thus contributing to regional development and raising the solidarity and traditional friendship among the three countries.

The rectors also discussed establishing of a digital university connected with the ASEAN Universities Network (AUN), and developing of a virtual university between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Representatives from 11 Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian universities signed a memorandum of understanding on training co-operation in which they will exchange students, lecturers, learning, scientific information, and research.

A Runners Quest Comes Full Circle With 10K Raised for Cambodia Students

Saturday August 28, 2010 - 03:00 AM EDT
Source: EmailWire.Com

(EMAILWIRE.COM, August 28, 2010 ) SIEM REAP, Cambodia--Jane Price first traveled to Siem Reap, Cambodia in 2007 and participated in the Angkor Wat half marathon. On September 5th 2010 Price will run an ultra marathon and has raised over $10,000 for Journeys Within Our Community (JWOC), the organization in Cambodia that she visited back in 2007. 

Jane's history with Cambodia started in 2007 when she stayed at Journeys Within B&B and was introduced to Journeys Within Our Community (JWOC), a non-profit organization founded by Journeys Within tour company owners Brandon and Andrea Ross. To help support the organization she sponsored a JWOC Scholarship Student. This JWOC program gives in-need and deserving students a four year university education in Cambodia. The students in return volunteer 5 to 10 hours a week on various JWOC projects, allowing the projects to run and giving the students valuable experience. After corresponding with her student for three years, Jane returned to Cambodia in 2010 and volunteered for a month at JWOC. Upon returning home she signed up for her first ultra marathon which was a 50k run through the Sierra Nevada foothills. As if this goal wasn't big enough, Price decided to fundraise for JWOC and the Scholarship program.

"I strongly believe in the role of education in making a long term impact to improve the lives of students and their communities. From a personal standpoint I know firsthand the impact a scholarship can have on one's life as I was the beneficiary of scholarships and grants when I was a university student. These generous gifts allowed me to further my education and improve my life in profound ways," said Jane.

Jane sent emails to friends and family and told of her experiences with JWOC. She posted her story and her quest on the JWOC website so others could be inspired by her goal. With the race a week away, Price has reached her goal of raising $10,000 to donate to JWOC, and she can now proudly say that five new students will be able to start attending university in the fall thanks to her efforts.

"We really depend on travelers and guests being inspired by what we're doing. Our hope is that they go home and inspire others, said Andrea Ross, Journeys Within Tour Company and JWOC founder. "I love that Jane just came to Cambodia for the weekend the first time, to run a marathon no less, and now she's combined her amazing love and ability to run with her passion and enthusiasm for what we're doing in Cambodia. It truly is supporters like this that make our projects possible. The best part is that five students now have a completely different future because of Jane's commitment!"

With the fundraising behind her, Price now has the hurdle of that ultra marathon to get through. The race, Run on the Sly, will be 50 kilometers, and will take place on September 5th in the Sierra Nevada mountain range at an altitude of 3,800 feet, featuring a hilly course covering mountain trails and fire roads.

"I love running for so many reasons: being in nature, setting and achieving goals, stress reduction, and being able to eat pretty much whatever I want and now it also provides me a platform to help others," said Price.

About Journeys Within Our Community

JWOC was founded by Brandon and Andrea Ross, owners of Journeys Within Tour Company in response to guests and travelers desire to give back and make a difference. JWOC believes in its slogan, See a Problem, Solve a Problem and has been doing that for the last five years. More information can be found and donations can be made at http://www.journeyswithinourcommunity.org 

Journeys Within
Stephanie Moreland
832-755-7661
stephanie@atmstravelnews.com 

Group including former refugees take part in mission trip to Cambodia

By Kim Kimzey
kim.kimzey@shj.com

Buy photo

From left, Mary Hensley, Pastor Sam Duong with his son, Calvin, Vanny S. Sap and Docnga Sap talk about their trip to Cambodia.ALEX HICKS JR./alex hicks@shj.com

Docnga Sap of Wellford fled Cambodia’s “killing fields” more than 30 years ago.

For five months, he sought refuge at a camp in Thailand. Sap noticed that hundreds of children in the camp received meals each morning.

“I ask somebody, ‘Who is the rich man to feed the children every day?’ ”

The person responded “Jesus.”

Sap noticed how some people treated the refugees with kindness. He questioned why they were kind. Someone told him “Jesus.”

Sap converted to Christianity in that refugee camp. He also lived at a camp in the Philippines before he and his wife, Vanny, arrived in the United States in 1980. They lived in California for 16 years before moving here.

Sap had not walked on Cambodian soil in 31 years. And it had been 40 years since he last saw his home village of Pong Tuk. Sap longed to return there, help the villagers and share the gospel.

Sap was able to realize his vision last month. He and Vanny journeyed to Cambodia with a small mission team organized by the Rev. Sam Duong, pastor of the Cambodian Ministry in Spartanburg.

Duong also survived the Khmer Rough regime. He fled Cambodia to Vietnam. He returned to Cambodia, but later left for Thailand and eventually the Philippines. Like Sap, Duong converted to Christianity in a Thai refugee camp.

Duong now lives in Charlotte, N.C., and is pastor of two churches, including a church in Greensboro, N.C., and the Cambodian Ministry sponsored by United Baptist Church in Spartanburg. The Cambodian Ministry is the only Cambodian-language Southern Baptist church in South Carolina.