Photo: Bela Szandelszky/Associated Press
In a big and controversial move, Kosovo officially declared its independence from Serbia on Sunday. It remains to be seen how the International Community is going to respond, and how this move in defiance of international law will have implications on secessionist movements elsewhere in the world. Will this bring peace or further destabilize the Balkans?
This may not have been good news for some, but as the move was seen as inevitable, we just wish all the peoples of Kosovo and Serbia a better road to lasting peace!
Here are some news items:
- Kosovo Declares Its Independence from Serbia (The New York Times)
- Kosovo Declares Independence from Serbia (CNN)
Here is an article by Vinh Bao of Vietnam’s the Thanh Nien News on Ho Chi Minh City (Prey Nokor)’s authority’s plans to help poor Vietnamese in Cambodia.
Reported by Vinh Bao, The Thanh Nien News
The Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (COVA) in Ho Chi Minh City will conduct a charity trip to Cambodia next week to support indigent Vietnamese residents after the Tet Lunar New Year holiday.
The Vietnamese Embassy, the Association of Overseas Vietnamese in Cambodia and COVA will jointly visit and bestow presents to underprivileged
Vietnamese households in Phnom Penh and two other remote communes located in the city outskirts, said the organizing committee.
More than 500 poor Vietnamese families in Cambodia are expected to receive donations from funds raised among overseas Vietnamese organizations and individuals.
The charity trip will last from Februar 20-23.
Source: Vinh Bao, “ Vietnamese community in Cambodia receive homeland supports,” The Thanh Nien News, 16 February 2008 at http://www.thanhniennews.com/overseas/?catid=12&newsid=35764
For those of you interested in participating in peacebuilding initiatives between Cambodians and Vietnamese, the Initiatives of Change Association (Cambodia) (សមាគមគំនិតផ្តួចផ្តើមនៃការផ្លាស់ប្តូរ) has announced the reception of application to the 4th Cambodia-Vietnam Dialog to be held in Kep City (ក្រុងកែប), Cambodia from 7-16 March 2008.
For more information, please download the following word file:
4th-cambodia-vietnam-dialog-announcement.doc
