FPM Cambodia’s Director offers sincere thanks to the people of Norway

Lem Pichisey, a volunteer leader with Freedom and Press Monitor Cambodia (FPM Cambodia), has expressed his gratitude to the people of Norway, for their support of his humanitarian project which seeks to help impoverished Cambodian children living on the border with Thailand.

The expression of thanks came at Free Church in Grimstad on 2.9.12 during a coffee meeting following church service.

“I would like to express my sincere thanks to the people in Norway, especially people living in Grimstad that helped donate money to buy school uniforms for 79 pupils in Dangraek primary school,” said Lem.

“Without this support, the poor children cannot have such clothes to wear for this school year.”

Lem told those gathered that 79 students in the Dangraek primary school have received an allotment of clothing which includes a white blouse or shirt, and a skirt or pants, as well as 5,000 Cambodian riels each.

A smile of a poor girl after receiving school uniform

The fund used to buy the 79 school uniforms was raised during the meeting at Free Church, and following an appeal published in the Grimstad Adressetiden newspaper in early June.

A second humanitarian project, “Hjelp Kambodjsanske Barn”, donated school uniforms to 79 pupils on 24.7.12. FPM Cambodia provided study materials to students at the same school in Dangraek on 27.12.11.

Lem said the children living along the country’s border with Thailand lack clean water, basic nutrition, and health care due to the aftermath of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime and years of civil war within the country.

“It is lucky that my family and I have the chance to resettle in Norway and God connects me with to the generous people of this country, so that I can connect them to the poor children in my impoverished country,” Lem said while speaking to the coffee group at Free Church in Grimstad.

“I believe that my journey to Norway was prepared by God so that I can have the opportunity to survive and help other poor people in my country through my human rights, advocacy and humanitarian work. I believe in God,” said Lem.

Lem is a Cambodian refugee living in Norway. He was a journalist for the U.S.-funded organization Radio Free Asia (RFA). He fled to Norway in January 2009 after he received three death threats by a group believed to be working on behalf of the Cambodian government.

While in Cambodia, Lem reported on highly sensitive stories involving corruption, human rights abuses, property rights abuses, illegal drug smuggling, and deforestation. These stories involved high-ranking and powerful military and government officials.

Lem was raised by his mother after his father was murdered by the Khmer Rouge in 1977. Because of his experience, Lem has pledged to help poor children in Cambodia access their rights to education, health care, and free speech, so that they can have the same opportunities as children growing up in more fortunate circumstances.

In Norway, Lem gathered some like-minded friends and established the group Freedom and Press Monitor, which is currently running five projects on behalf of the Cambodian people: an online newspaper; online radio station; journalism training; press freedom monitoring service, and a humanitarian project that helps poor children achieve their basic human rights.

All children with FPM Cambodia's representative