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On June 16,2013 Vietnamese police defrocked/tortured Khmer-Krom monk Ven. Ly Chanda of Prey Chop Temple in Lai Hoa, Vinh Chau, Soc Trang province. June 20,2013 Venerable Thach Thuol and Abbot Temple Lieu Ny of Ta Set temple (Soc Trang-Khleang province) defrocked and imprisoned in Prey Nokor (Saigon) city by the Viet authorities. In Phnor Dach (Cau Ngang) district, Preah Trapang/Tra Vinh) Khmer Krom prohibited from watching Cambodian TV signals.

House members press Obama administration on Vietnam human rights

Source: The Hill
Several House members on Thursday called on the Obama administration to take a tougher line on human rights violations in Vietnam.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), ranking member Howard Berman (D-Calif.) and four other members wrote a four-page letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking for new details to be included in the State Department's upcoming human rights report.


Among other things, the letter said the U.S. should note that Vietnam's government is still silencing dissidents, repressing religion and violating the rights of ethnic and religious minorities in the country.

Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.), one of the letter's signatories, said it is significant that top committee members called for these changes to the Vietnam report. He said he hopes State moves up Vietnam as a "country of particular concern," a status that would require State to more actively work on improving the situation there.

Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.) also signed the letter to Clinton.

Lofgren, Sanchez, Wolf and Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) wrote a separate letter to David Shear, the U.S. ambassador to Vietnam, asking him to look into reports that some of Vietnam's drug treatment centers "operate as forced labor camps."

This letter is based on reports from Human Rights Watch (HRW) that what Vietnam calls "labor therapy" is actually forced labor that is doing little to rehabilitate participants, an issue the Ros-Lehtinen letter also mentions.

"On the contrary, the relapse rate for released detainees is estimated at 80 to 97 percent," the letter said. "Yet HRW has found that the Vietnamese government persists in using it, often lengthening detention periods without due process while prison officials profit off of selling the cheap or free labor."

The letter said forced labor is a violation of international law. The lawmakers ask Shear to "keep attention focused on the allegations detailed in the HRW report" and "call publicly for the closure of these centers."

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Hanoi Plays Hide the Dissident

source: the Wall Street Journal
Hanoi purports to want closer relations with Washington as a counterbalance to Beijing's rising assertiveness in the South China Sea. Washington says it wants Hanoi to improve its human-rights record. Which means both sides face a new test in dissident Bui Thi Minh Hang.

Ms. Hang was dispatched recently for a two-year stint of "re-education" in a labor camp for peaceful protests that would not be illegal in a normal country. On several occasions last year, she rallied her fellow Vietnamese to protest China's growing aggression in maritime territorial disputes.

It's a hot-button issue for ordinary Vietnamese, and such protests are a major irritant in Hanoi's relationship with its comrade neighbors in Beijing. Several other activists and bloggers have been arrested over the past two years for criticizing Hanoi's sometimes limp response to Chinese provocations.

Ms. Hang's case represents a worrying development in Hanoi's strategy against its internal critics. Rather than going through the normal show trial and appeals process, Ms. Hang was summarily sentenced via an administrative process more often used for drug offenders and other criminals.

While the precise reason for the change in procedural tack is unknown, a plausible guess is that Hanoi feared Ms. Hang's trial becoming a spectacle. Other dissidents have used their court hearings as platforms to criticize the government—authorities gagged Roman Catholic priest Nguyen Van Ly with duct tape during his trial for pro-democracy activism in 2007—and courthouse steps are tempting locations for sympathy protests.

So Ms. Hang was quietly trundled off to a labor camp, her family left in the dark. Once her fate became known, her son was detained for a day when he tried to protest by distributing "missing person"-style flyers about his mother.

The worry now is that Hanoi will turn Ms. Hang's case into a new template for handling other critics. The outside world should score Hanoi for this attempt to brush its abuses under the carpet.

The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi last week criticized Ms. Hang's detention and called for the release of all political prisoners. Meanwhile, a European Union delegation today will inaugurate what's billed as an annual human-rights dialogue with the Vietnamese government. Ms. Hang should feature prominently on the agenda.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has sought closer ties with Hanoi to bolster stability in the South China Sea, but she has also emphasized that Vietnam must do more to improve its human-rights record. Hanoi knows that greater strategic cooperation with the West is in Vietnam's best interest. That gives foreign leaders leverage to raise Ms. Hang's case and others.
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Vietnam Authorities Continue to Ban Cambodian TV Broadcasts

Source: VOKK News

Khmer Krom local, Mr. Son Kim Sang, has told VOKK News that the Vietnamese authorities have prohibited his family from installing a satellite disk in order to receive TV signals from Cambodia.

Being a Khmer person living in the Mekong Delta, Mr. Son has explained to the Vietnamese authorities that he and his family only plan to learn about Khmer culture and Khmer language by watching Cambodian TVs, however the Vietnamese disregard his request and told him to take down his satellite, or else face arrest.

Mr. Son has also expressed that the half-hour Khmer-language show produced by the Vietnamese authorities in his hometown is too short and useless information, and while the rest of the programming in Vietnamese-language only. Hence, he has to find other source of information for his family in order to keep his cultural identity alive.

Mr. Son family reside at District 9, Tra Vinh city, Tra Vinh province, Mekong Delta.
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Khmer Krom Family Face Land-grab Scheme by the Vietnamese

Source: VOKK News

Khmer Krom local--Mr. Thach Quang and his sister Truong Thi Kim Lan reside at Phum Thi Buon (#4),Phong Phu Commune, Kompong Spien (Cau Ke) district, Tra Vinh province (Mekong Delta). They have called for outside help in order to find justice on the land-grab scheme being committed by the Vietnamese and their collusion with the Vietnamese authorities.

According the Khmer Krom Mr. Thach family, they explained that they have owed some money to the Vietnamese family and promised to pay it back, but instead the Vietnamese family has colluded with Vietnamese authorities at all levels to falsify documents in order to confiscate Mr. Thach's farmland at once.

The Thach family has counter-claimed with the Vietnamese authorities that they do no agree on giving up their lands, and only promised to pay back in monetary value, however both the Vietnamese family and the Vietnamese authorities refused to accept the counter-claim, and push ahead with their land-grab scheme.

Mr. Thach family has expressed grave concern over the Vietnamese authorities' threat over use of force and the Thach has urgently sought for outside help such as from Khmer Krom Overseas organizations,international human rights organizations, and the democratic governments around the world.
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10 College Degrees That Yield High-paying Jobs

1. Engineering

Median mid-career pay: $88,600-$155,000
Median starting salary: $51,700-$97,900

When it comes to landing an impressive paycheck, engineers dominate. Seven of the top highest-paying college majors are in the engineering fields with petroleum, chemical, electrical, materials science and aerospace engineering claiming the top five slots.

Engineers across all disciplines can up their pay by getting a Professional Engineering, or PE, license, says Lawrence Jacobson, executive director of the National Society of Professional Engineers in Alexandria, Va.

"Only 10 percent of practicing engineers are licensed, and that's because most manufacturing companies don't require licenses," Jacobson says. "The average delta between the licensed and unlicensed person is about $10,000 per year. Over a 30-year career, that's a lot of money."

Jacobson adds that obtaining a license provides job seekers with more career options, the ability to go into business for themselves and the right to provide expert testimony in court cases. The catch is that getting a PE license is difficult. Jacobson recommends that new engineering grads take the exam as soon as possible, which is usually after completing four to five years of work in the field after graduation.

2. Computer science

Median mid-career pay: $97,900

Median starting salary: $56,600

Sky-high grades and work experience play significant roles in landing top computer jobs, but independent projects are valued too, says Gayle Laakmann McDowell, author of "The Google Resume: How to Prepare for a Career and Land a Job at Apple, Microsoft, Google, or any Top Tech Company."

"If you build a really interesting Google Maps competitor and a ton of people download it and it's really well-known, that's going to count more than an internship at a company that nobody knows," she says.

Attending a big-name institution can help get your foot in the door, but it's not crucial to landing an impressive post-college job.

"There are tons of people who come from completely lesser-known schools and get jobs at Microsoft," McDowell says. "A candidate who has a 3.5 (grade point average) from MIT, but has no work and project experience, isn't that interesting."

To turn recruiters' heads, McDowell recommends doing internships, taking classes that assign tough projects and spending your free time coding as much as you can.

3. Physics

Median mid-career pay: $101,000

Median starting salary: $49,800

Master the mathematical foundation of the world around us, and you can land a job practically anywhere. The American Institute of Physics reports that those with a physics degree find work in organizations ranging from high schools and hospitals to the U.S. military, museums, publishing firms, domestic and foreign governments and laboratories. You'll also have to think about continuing your education. Research from Georgetown University shows that 67 percent of physics majors go on to obtain a higher degree.

Regardless of what career path you choose, Katharine Brooks, author of "You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path from Chaos to Career," says students need to think beyond their bachelor's degrees.

"Start acquiring experience early on in your academic career. Don't wait until your senior year to look for an internship," she says.

To get a jump on the job hunt, Brooks recommends students create a LinkedIn account, make contacts and reach out to professional associations in their field as soon as possible.

4. Applied mathematics and general mathematics

Median mid-career pay: $89,900-$98,600

Median starting salary: $47,000-$52,600

Applied mathematics, statistics and mathematics majors are known for bringing home the fiscal bacon, but a double bonus to taking one of these degrees is the booming job market in these related fields. Jeff Strohl, director of research for Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce, reports that jobs abound. A whopping 95 percent of mathematics majors and 92 percent of those majoring in statistics or mathematical decision science fields are employed. If you want to sweeten your paycheck, aim high on the career ladder.

"As people age, moving into management generally leads into higher earnings, regardless of what the major is," he says.

5. Economics

Median mid-career pay: $94,700

Median starting salary: $47,300

"Economics majors tend to pursue business and finance-related fields," says Brooks. "Banking and finance are in the top of the salary strata."

While econ majors do land lucrative gigs with banks and other financial institutions, the degree is also frequently used to establish careers in law, consulting, education, research, government, nonprofit and public policy work, reports the American Economic Association.

Brooks adds that how much you make corresponds more to your career field than your major. For example, an economics major who goes into nonprofit work may earn less than a liberal arts major who enters the financial sector. When choosing a major, Brooks encourages students to think about their desired career field and how well skills developed in a given major might parlay into different occupations.

6. Management information systems

Median mid-career pay: $88,200

Median starting salary: $51,000

"Data matter," says Nathan Lippe, product director of the job-hunting website CareerRookie.com. "If (a company) doesn't have a good team of people looking at their data to understand what things might be able to change that business, they might lose their competitive edge."

Management information systems majors to the rescue. Trained to analyze organizations' computer databases, oversee projects and improve company productivity and efficiency, MIS grads enjoy a practically booming job market with the field growing 17 percent each year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

When seeking top MIS jobs, Lippe advises students to use campus resources. "A lot of times (campus) career centers and even professors are going to have relationships with companies that hire a higher volume of those types of students," he says.

7. Finance

Median mid-career pay: $87,300

Median starting salary: $46,500

Not surprisingly, finance is one of the highest-paying college majors. Lippe says college students majoring in finance and who have played a finance role in on-campus organizations will have a leg up over the competition.

"(Students) need to talk numbers. They need to explain, 'I had X dollars in my budget that I was responsible for, this is what we did with those dollars and this is the impact on that organization,'" Lippe says. "Telling that financial story will make you stand out from someone saying, 'Hey, I was a member of the finance club, and I was in it for four years.'"

If your school doesn't require a finance internship, hiring managers will, says Lippe. Interning once is great, but those competing for top positions in the field will graduate with two or three internships under their belts.

8. Government and political science

Median mid-career pay: $80,100-$87,300

Median starting salary: $39,900-$41,400

All levels of U.S. government seek out these majors, but so do domestic and international companies, contracting firms, nonprofits, think tanks, lobbying groups, political campaigns, aid organizations and nongovernmental entities, according to Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D. As with economics, degrees in government and political science are very flexible, with grads finding work in public policy, business, finance, marketing, education and legal sectors.

While the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that, across all disciplines, hiring on the state and local levels is slower than on the federal level, those who enter in management, business and financial roles will have the greatest likelihood to land jobs.

9. Construction management, supply chain management

Median mid-career pay: $84,700-$85,200

Median starting salary: $50,200

Planning, organizing, supervising, analyzing logistics and overseeing the flow of work -- whether it's building a hospital or managing a warehouse -- are the key skills necessary for these college majors. Master these, and you'll be rewarded with a high-paying job with benefits.

The catch is finding that job could be challenging. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the construction management field is expected to expand by 17 percent this year, supply chain majors who become managers, buyers and purchasing agents will only see a 7 percent employment increase in their sector.

To break into your industry as quickly as possible, Brooks recommends students make use of their school's alumni network. "That can be a really great way to connect with graduates who majored in the same thing you did," she says.

10. Biochemistry

Median mid-career pay: $84,700

Median starting salary: $41,700

"Biochemistry is a great major because you can get a job at just about any location in any place in the U.S.," says Nathan Lippe. "You might be in quality assurance at a manufacturing plant for food, at a farming organization looking at modifying seeds, in the oil and gas industry looking at alternatives for fuel. All of those things would be available for a biochemist."

Flexible and lucrative, biochemistry majors find work in hospitals, labs, research facilities, agriculture organizations, biotech firms, pharmaceutical companies, energy and fuel organizations, clinics, refineries and manufacturers.

"The number of jobs versus candidates is very tight (in this field)," Lippe says, adding that for every open biochemistry position, there are 1.3 applicants trying to get it.

To stand out, biochem majors should have substantial lab and research experience on their resumes as well as an internship or two.

Source: Christina Couch, Bankrate.com Jan 3,2012
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Vietnam jails two rights activists for 'propaganda'

A woman writer was sentenced to five years in prison in Vietnam for spreading anti-government propaganda, state media said Friday, with an activist pastor also jailed for two years.

Ho Thi Bich Khuong, 44, received three years house arrest on top of her five year term, and Nguyen Trung Ton, 40, was given a similar extra penalty of two years, the Communist Party newspaper Nhan Dan reported.

Their one-day trial took place on Thursday in the central province of Nghe An, it said.

Both were arrested on November 15 for "collecting documents and writing articles which tarnished the reputation of the Communist Party and the Socialist regime", according to the report.

The Communist Party is the only authorised political party in Vietnam.

Khuong was also accused of giving interviews to foreign radio stations against the state, posting them on the Internet and of belonging to several human rights groups involving "reactionary" people.

She was sentenced in April 2008 to two years in jail for "abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State".

Rights groups say dozens of peaceful political critics and rights campaigners have been sentenced to long prison terms in Vietnam since the one-party state launched a crackdown on free expression in late 2009.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said last month that Vietnam must improve its human rights record.

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