name	Ratanakiri
native name	រតនគិរី
native name lang	khm
settlement type	Province
image alt	Primitive thatched houses on stilts lining a dusty red dirt road. Surrounding vegetation includes a variety of trees and some banana plants.
map caption	Location of Ratanakiri in Cambodia
map alt	Map showing location of Ratanakiri in northeast Cambodia
coordinates type	type:adm1st_region:KH
coordinates display	title
subdivision type	Country
subdivision name	Cambodia
established title	Established
established date	1959
named for	Khmer: រតនៈ (gem) + គិរី (mountain)
seat type	Capital
seat	Banlung
leader title	Governor
leader name	Pao Ham Phan
area total km2	10782
population total	149997
population as of	2008
population density km2	auto
timezone1	UTC+07
iso code
footnotes	}}

Ratanakiri () is a province in northeastern Cambodia that borders Laos to the north, Vietnam to the east, Mondulkiri Province to the south, and Stung Treng Province to the west. The province extends from the mountains of the Annamite Range in the north, across a hilly plateau between the Tonle San and Tonle Srepok rivers, to tropical deciduous forests in the south. In recent years, logging and mining have scarred Ratanakiri's environment, long known for its beauty.

For over a millennium, Ratanakiri has been occupied by the highland Khmer Loeu people, who are a minority elsewhere in Cambodia. During the region's early history, its Khmer Loeu inhabitants were exploited as slaves by neighboring empires. The slave trade economy ended during the French colonial era, but a harsh Khmerization campaign after Cambodia's independence again threatened Khmer Loeu ways of life. The Khmer Rouge built its headquarters in the province in the 1960s, and bombing during the Vietnam War devastated the region. Today, rapid development in the province is altering traditional ways of life.

Ratanakiri is sparsely populated; its 150,000 residents make up just over 1% of the country's total population. Residents generally live in villages of 20 to 60 families and engage in subsistence shifting agriculture. Ratanakiri is among the least developed provinces of Cambodia. Its infrastructure is poor, and the local government is weak. Health indicators in Ratanakiri are extremely poor, and almost one in four children die before reaching the age of five. Education levels are also low; three quarters of the population is illiterate.

History

Present-day Ratanakiri has been occupied since at least the Stone or Bronze Age, and trade between the region's highlanders and towns along the Gulf of Thailand dates to at least the 4th century A.D. The region was invaded by Annamites, the Cham, the Khmer, and the Thai during its early history, but no empire ever brought the area under centralized control. From the 13th century or earlier until the 19th century, highland villages were often raided by Khmer, Lao, and Thai slave traders. The region was conquered by local Laotian rulers in the 18th century and then by the Thai in the 19th century. The area was incorporated into French Indochina in 1893, and colonial rule replaced slave trading. The French built huge rubber plantations, especially in Labansiek (present-day Banlung); indigenous workers were used for construction and rubber harvesting. While under French control, the land comprising present-day Ratanakiri was transferred from Siam (Thailand) to Laos and then to Cambodia. Although highland groups initially resisted their colonial rulers, by the end of the colonial era in 1953 they had been subdued.

Ratanakiri Province was created in 1959 from land that had been the eastern area of Stung Treng Province. The name ''Ratanakiri'' (រតនគិរី) is formed from the Khmer words រតនៈ (''ratana'' "gem" from Sanskrit ''ratna'') and គិរី (''kiri'' "mountain" from Sanskrit ''giri''), describing two features for which the province is known. During the 1950s and 1960s, Norodom Sihanouk instituted a development and Khmerization campaign in northeast Cambodia that was designed to bring villages under government control, limit the influence of insurgents in the area, and "modernize" indigenous communities. Some Khmer Loeu were forcibly moved to the lowlands to be educated in Khmer language and culture, ethnic Khmer from elsewhere in Cambodia were moved into the province, and roads and large rubber plantations were built. After facing harsh working conditions and sometimes involuntary labor on the plantations, many Khmer Loeu left their traditional homes and moved farther from provincial towns. In 1968, tensions led to an uprising by the Brao in which several Khmer were killed. The government responded harshly, torching settlements and killing hundreds of villagers.

In the 1960s, the ascendant Khmer Rouge forged an alliance with ethnic minorities in Ratanakiri, exploiting Khmer Loeu resentment of the central government. The Communist Party of Kampuchea headquarters was moved to Ratanakiri in 1966, and hundreds of Khmer Loeu joined CPK units. During this period, there was also extensive Vietnamese activity in Ratanakiri. Vietnamese communists had operated in Ratanakiri since the 1940s; at a June 1969 press conference, Sihanouk said that Ratanakiri was "practically North Vietnamese territory". Between March 1969 and May 1970, the United States undertook a massive covert bombing campaign in the region, aiming to disrupt sanctuaries for communist Vietnamese troops. Villagers were forced outside of main towns to escape the bombings, foraging for food and living on the run with the Khmer Rouge. In June 1970, the central government withdrew its troops from Ratanakiri, abandoning the area to Khmer Rouge control. The Khmer Rouge regime, which had not initially been harsh in Ratanakiri, became increasingly oppressive. The Khmer Loeu were forbidden from speaking their native languages or practicing their traditional customs and religion, which were seen as incompatible with communism. Communal living became compulsory, and the province's few schools were closed. Purges of ethnic minorities increased in frequency, and thousands of refugees fled to Vietnam and Laos. Preliminary studies indicate that bodies accounting for approximately 5% of Ratanakiri's residents were deposited in mass graves, a significantly lower rate than elsewhere in Cambodia.

After the Vietnamese defeated the Khmer Rouge in 1979, government policy toward Ratanakiri became one of benign neglect. The Khmer Loeu were permitted to return to their traditional livelihoods, but the government provided little infrastructure in the province. Under the Vietnamese, there was little contact between the provincial government and many local communities. Long after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime, however, Khmer Rouge rebels remained in the forests of Ratanakiri. Rebels largely surrendered their arms in the 1990s, though attacks along provincial roads continued until 2002.

Ratanakiri's recent history has been characterized by development and attendant challenges to traditional ways of life. The national government has built roads, encouraged tourism and agriculture, and facilitated rapid immigration of lowland Khmers into Ratanakiri. Road improvements and political stability have increased land prices, and land alienation in Ratanakiri has been a major problem. Despite a 2001 law allowing indigenous communities to obtain collective title to traditional lands, some villages have been left nearly landless. The national government has granted concessions over land traditionally possessed by Ratanakiri's indigenous peoples, and even land "sales" have often involved bribes to officials, coercion, threats, or misinformation. Following the involvement of several international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), land alienation has decreased in frequency. In the 2000s, Ratanakiri also received hundreds of Degar (Montagnard) refugees fleeing unrest in neighboring Vietnam; the Cambodian government was criticized for its forcible repatriation of many refugees.

Geography and climate

The geography of Ratanakiri Province is diverse, encompassing rolling hills, mountains, plateaus, lowland watersheds, and crater lakes. Two major rivers, Tonle San and Tonle Srepok, flow from east to west across the province. The province is known for its lush forests; as of 1997, 70–80% of the province was forested, either with old-growth forest or with secondary forest regrown after shifting cultivation. In the far north of the province are mountains of the Annamite Range; the area is characterized by dense broadleaf evergreen forests, relatively poor soil, and abundant wildlife. In the highlands between Tonle San and Tonle Srepok, the home of the vast majority of Ratanakiri's population, a hilly basalt plateau provides fertile red soils. Secondary forests dominate this region. South of the Srepok River is a flat area of tropical deciduous forests.

Like other areas of Cambodia, Ratanakiri has a monsoonal climate with a rainy season from June to October, a cool season from November to January, and a hot season from March to May. Ratanakiri tends to be cooler than elsewhere in Cambodia. The average daily high temperature in the province is , and the average daily low temperature is . Annual precipitation is approximately . Flooding often occurs during the rainy season and has been exacerbated by the recently built Yali Falls Dam.

Ratanakiri has some of the most biologically diverse lowland tropical rainforest and montane forest ecosystems in mainland Southeast Asia. One 1996 survey of two sites in Ratanakiri and one site in neighboring Mondulkiri recorded 44 mammal species, 76 bird species, and 9 reptile species. A 2007 survey of Ratanakiri's Virachey National Park recorded 30 ant species, 19 katydid species, 37 fish species, 35 reptile species, 26 amphibian species, and 15 mammal species, including several species never before observed. Wildlife in Ratanakiri includes Asian elephants, gaur, and monkeys. Ratanakiri is an important site for the conservation of endangered birds, including the giant ibis and the greater adjutant. The province's forests contain a wide variety of flora; one half-hectare forest inventory identified 189 species of trees and 320 species of ground flora and saplings.

Nearly half of Ratanakiri has been set aside in protected areas, which include Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary and Virachey National Park. Even these protected areas, however, are subject to illegal logging, poaching, and mineral extraction. Though the province has been known for its relatively pristine environment, recent development has spawned environmental problems. The unspoiled image of the province often conflicts with the reality on the ground: visitors "expecting to find pristine forests teeming with wildlife are increasingly disappointed to find lifeless patches of freshly cut tree stumps". Land use patterns are changing as population growth has accelerated and agriculture and logging have intensified. Soil erosion is increasing, and microclimates are being altered. Habitat loss and unsustainable hunting have contributed to the province's decreasing biodiversity.

Government and administrative divisions

Government in Ratanakiri is weak, largely due to the province's remoteness, ethnic diversity, and recent history of Khmer Rouge dominance. The provincial legal framework is poor, and the rule of law is even weaker in Ratanakiri than elsewhere in Cambodia. Furthermore, government services are ineffective and insufficient to meet the needs of the province. The Cambodian government has traditionally accepted substantial support from NGOs in the region.

Pao Ham Phan is the provincial governor. Commune councils in Ratanakiri are composed of 219 members representing the CPP, 21 members representing the Sam Rainsy Party, and 13 members representing the Funcinpec Party. Political scientist Caroline Hughes has suggested that the CPP's overwhelming dominance in rural areas such as Ratanakiri stems from the central government's ability to suppress collective action, which in urban areas is offset by international donors and NGOs that provide support for opposition parties. Thirty-six commune council members in Ratanakiri (14.2%) are women, and 98% of Ratanakiri's government staff is Khmer. Bou Thang, a member of the CPP, represents Ratanakiri in the National Assembly of Cambodia.

Village government in Ratanakiri has both traditional and administrative components. Traditional forms of government, namely village elders and other indigenous institutions, are dominant. Members of each village designate one or more community elders to manage village affairs, mediate conflicts, and ensure that villagers follow customary laws, particularly about land and resource use. Elders do not play an autocratic role, and are instead primarily respected advisors and consensus builders. Village elders are generally male, but women also play a role in the management of the community and its resources. A village may also have a village chief, i.e., a local government person who is appointed by a higher governmental official. The village chief serves as a liaison between the village and outside government officials, but lacks traditional authority. The role of the village chief in village governance may be poorly defined; in one Kreung village, residents told a researcher that they were "very unclear exactly what the work of the village chief entailed."

The province is subdivided into nine districts, as follows:

Kak Commune, Bar Kaev DistrictChey Otdam, Ka Laeng, La Bang Muoy, La Bang Pir, Pa Tang (commune)Cha Ung, Chan (commune)Ban Pong (commune)

District	! Communes	! Population (1998)
Andoung Meas	Malik, Cambodia>Malik, Mai Hie, Nhang, Ta Lav	6,896
Banlung District	Banlung	Kachanh, Labansiek, Yeak Laom
Bar Kaev	Kak, Ke Chong, Laming, Lung Khung, Seung, Ting Chak || 11,758
Koun Mom	Serei Mongkol, Srae Angkrong, Ta Ang, Toen (commune)>Toen, Trapeang Chres, Trapeang Kraham
Lumphat	Pa Tang, Seda || 10,301
Ou Chum	Chan, Aekakpheap, Kalai, Ou Chum, Sameakki, L'ak || 11,863
Ou Ya Dav	Bar Kham, Lum Choar, Pak Nhai, Pate, Cambodia>Pate, Sesant, Saom Thum, Ya Tung
Ta Veaeng	Ta Veaeng Leu, Ta Veaeng Kraom
Veun Sai	Ban Pong, Hat Pak, Ka Choun, Kaoh Pang, Kaoh Peak, Kok Lak, Pa Kalan, Phnum Kok, Veun Sai || 12,389

Economy and transportation

Most of the indigenous residents of Ratanakiri are subsistence farmers, practicing slash and burn shifting cultivation. (See Culture below for more information on traditional subsistence practices.) Many families are beginning to shift production to cash crops such as cashews, mangoes, and tobacco, a trend that has accelerated in recent years. Ratanakiri villagers have traditionally had little contact with the cash economy. Barter exchange remains widespread, and Khmer Loeu villagers tended to visit markets only once per year until quite recently. As of 2005, monetary income in the province averaged US$5 per month per person; purchased possessions such as motorcycles, televisions, and karaoke sets have become extremely desirable.

Larger-scale agriculture occurs on rubber, coffee, and cashew plantations. Other economic activities in the province include gem mining and commercial logging. The most abundant gem in Ratanakiri is blue zircon. Small quantities of amethyst, peridot, and black opal are also produced. Gems are generally mined using traditional methods, with individuals digging holes and tunnels and manually removing the gems; recently, however, commercial mining operations have been moving into the province. Logging, particularly illegal logging, has been a problem both for environmental reasons and because of land alienation. This illegal logging has been undertaken by the Cambodian military and by Vietnamese loggers. In 1997, an estimated 300,000 cubic meters of logs were exported illegally from Ratanakiri to Vietnam, compared to a legal limit of 36,000 cubic meters. John Dennis, a researcher for the Asian Development Bank, described the logging in Ratanakiri as a "human rights emergency".

Ratanakiri's tourist industry is rapidly expanding: visits to the province increased from 6,000 in 2002 to 105,000 in 2008. The region's tourism development strategy focuses on encouraging ecotourism. Increasing tourism in Ratanakiri has been problematic because local communities receive very little income from tourism and because guides sometimes bring tourists to villages without residents' consent, disrupting traditional ways of life. A few initiatives have sought to address these issues: a provincial tourism steering committee aims to ensure that tourism is non-destructive, and some programs provide English and tourism skills to indigenous people.

Ox-cart and motorcycle are common means of transportation in Ratanakiri. The provincial road system is better than in some parts of the country, but remains in somewhat bad condition. In January 2007, construction started on National Road 78 between Banlung and the Vietnam border; the road is expected to increase trade between Cambodia and Vietnam. There is a small airport in Banlung, but flights to Ratanakiri had been discontinued as of 2008.

Demographics and towns

As of 2008, Ratanakiri Province had a population of approximately 150,000. Its population grew by 59% between 1998 and 2008, largely due to internal migration. In 2008, Ratanakiri made up 1.1% of Cambodia's total population; its population density of 13.9 residents per square kilometer was less than one fifth the national average. About 70% of the province's population lives in the highlands; of the other 30%, approximately half live in more urbanized towns, and half live along rivers and in the lowlands, where they practice wetland rice cultivation and engage in market activities. Banlung, the provincial capital located in the central highlands, is by far the province's largest town, with a population of approximately 25,000. Other significant towns include Veun Sai in the north and Lomphat in the south, with populations of 2,000 and 3,000 respectively.

In 2008, 51.8% of Ratanakiri residents were aged 19 or younger, 29.9% were aged 20 to 39, and 18.3% were aged 40 or older; 50.6% of residents were male, and 49.4% were female. Of Ratanakiri residents aged 15 or older, 20.9% were single and had never been married, 71.6% were married, 5.1% were widowed, and 2.4% were divorced or separated. Each household had an average of 5.6 members, and most households (87.5%) were headed by men.

{{bar box |title=Languages in Ratanakiri (2008) |titlebar=#ddd |float=right |bars= |caption = ''Note: Khmer Loeu ethnic groups are indicated in blue.'' }} While highland peoples have inhabited Ratanakiri for well over a millennium, lowland peoples have migrated to the province in the last 200 years. As of 1998, various highland groups collectively called Khmer Loeu made up just more than half of Ratanakiri's population. These groups included the Tampuan (24.3%), Jarai (17.1%), Kreung (16.3%), Brou (7.0%), Kachok (2.7%), Kavet (1.9%), Kuy (0.5%), and Lun (0.1%). Ethnic Khmers made up 19.1% of the population, and ethnic Lao made up 9.6%. The remainder consisted of Vietnamese (0.7%), Cham (0.6%), and Chinese (0.3%). Since the 1998 census, migration to Ratanakiri from elsewhere in Cambodia has accelerated, which has likely increased the proportion of Khmers in the province. Though the official language of Ratanakiri (like all of Cambodia) is Khmer, each indigenous group speaks its own language. Less than 10% of Ratanakiri's indigenous population can speak Khmer fluently.

Health, education, and development

Health indicators in Ratanakiri are the worst in Cambodia. Malaria, tuberculosis, intestinal parasites, cholera, diarrhea, and vaccine-preventable diseases are endemic. Ratanakiri has Cambodia's highest rates of maternal and child mortality, with 22.9% of children dying before the age of five. Ratanakiri also has the country's highest rates of severe malnutrition. Ratanakiri residents' poor health can be attributed to a variety of factors, including poverty, remoteness of villages, poor quality medical services, and language and cultural barriers that prevent Khmer Loeu from obtaining medical care. The province has one referral hospital, 10 health centers, and 17 health posts. Medical equipment and supplies are minimal, and most health facilities are staffed by nurses or midwifes, who are often poorly trained and irregularly paid.

As of 1998, Ratanakiri had 76 primary schools, one junior high school, and one high school. Education levels, particularly among Khmer Loeu, are very low. A 2002 survey of residents in six villages found that fewer than 10% of respondents had attended any primary school. Access to education is limited because of the expense of books, distance to schools, children's need to contribute to their families' livelihood, frequent absence of teachers, and instruction that is culturally inappropriate and in a language foreign to most students. Only 23.5% of Ratanakiri residents are literate (compared to 67.3% in Cambodia overall), with lower rates among those living outside Banlung District (15.7%) and among women (15.3%). Bilingual education initiatives, in which students begin instruction in native languages and gradually transition to instruction in Khmer, began in Ratanakiri in 2002 and appear to have been successful. The programs aim to make education more accessible to speakers of indigenous languages, as well as to give Khmer Loeu access to national political and economic affairs by providing Khmer language skills.

Ratanakiri is one of the least developed provinces in Cambodia. Most Ratanakiri residents (61.1%) obtain water from springs, streams, ponds, or rain; much of the remainder (32.2%) obtains water from dug wells. Only 5.5% of Ratanakiri residents obtain water from sources that are considered safe (purchased water, piped water, or tube/piped wells). Most households use kerosene lamps and other sources such as oil lamps for lighting, and few (39.5% in Banlung District and 2.1% elsewhere) have toilet facilities. Almost all households (96.2%) use firewood as the main fuel for cooking. A variety of NGOs, including Oxfam and Health Unlimited, work to improve health and living conditions in the province.

Culture

Khmer Loeu typically practice subsistence slash and burn shifting cultivation in small villages of between 20 and 60 nuclear families. Each village collectively owns and governs a forest territory whose boundaries are known though not marked. Within this land, each family is allocated, on average, 1–2 hectares (2.5–5 acres) of actively cultivated land and 5–6 hectares (12.5–15 acres) of fallow land. The ecologically sustainable cultivation cycle practiced by the Khmer Loeu generally lasts 10 to 15 years. Villagers supplement their agricultural livelihood with low-intensity hunting, fishing, and gathering over a large area.

Khmer Loeu diets in Ratanakiri are largely dictated by the food that is available for harvesting or gathering. Numerous food taboos also limit food choice, particularly among pregnant women, children, and the sick. The primary staple grain is rice, though most families experience rice shortages during the six months before harvest time. Some families have begun to plant maize to alleviate this problem; other sources of grain include potatoes, cassava, and taro. Most Khmer Loeu diets are low in protein, which is limited in availability. Wild game and fish are major protein sources, and smaller animals such as rats, wild chickens, and insects are also sometimes eaten. Domestic animals such as pigs, cows, and buffaloes are only eaten when sacrifices are made. In the rainy season, many varieties of vegetables and leaves are gathered from the forest. (Vegetables are generally not cultivated.) Commonly eaten fruits include bananas, jackfruit, papayas, and mangoes.

Houses in rural Ratanakiri are made from bamboo, rattan, wood, saek, and kanma leaves, all of which are collected from nearby forests; they typically last for around three years. Village spatial organization varies by ethnic group. Kreung villages are constructed in a circular manner, with houses facing inwards toward a central meeting house. In Jarai villages, vast longhouses are inhabited by all extended families, with the inner house divided into smaller compartments. Tampuan villages may follow either pattern.

Nearly all Khmer Loeu are animist, and their cosmologies are intertwined with the natural world. Some forests are believed to be inhabited by local spirits, and local taboos forbid cutting in those areas. Within spirit forests, certain natural features such as rock formations, waterfalls, pools, and vegetation are sacred. Major sacrificial festivals in Ratanakiri occur during March and April, when fields are selected and prepared for the new planting season. Christian missionaries are present in the province, and some Khmer Loeu have converted to Christianity. The region's ethnic Khmer are Buddhist. There is also a small Muslim community, consisting mainly of ethnic Cham.

Because of the province's high prevalence of malaria and its distance from regional centers, Ratanakiri was isolated from Western influences until the late 20th century. Major cultural shifts have occurred in recent years however, particularly in villages near roads and district towns; these changes have been attributed to contact with internal immigrants, government officials, and NGO workers. Clothing and diets are becoming more standardized, and traditional music is being displaced by Khmer music. Many villagers have also observed a loss of respect for elders and a growing divide between the young and the old. Young people have begun to refuse to abide by traditional rules and have stopped believing in spirits.

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"Rethinking Poverty Reduction to Protect and Promote the Rights of Indigenous Minorities in Cambodia: A Human Rights Approach to Land and Natural Resources Management". NGO Forum on Cambodia (April 2005). Accessed January 31, 2010.

Riddell, Ebony. "Community-led safe motherhood advocacy, Ratanakiri, Cambodia". ''Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health'' vol. 126 no. 6 (November 2006): 258–59.

Riska, Gunilla. "NGOs in the GMS". Asian Development Bank. Accessed August 21, 2008.

Rotanak Kiri Provincial Resources. Cambodia National and Provincial Resources Data Bank (2003). Archived from the original on August 8, 2004.

"Settlement and agriculture in and adjacent to Virachey National Park" (PDF). Cambodia Ministry of the Environment (June 2006). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 26, 2007.

Short, Philip. ''Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare''. Macmillan (2006). ISBN 0805080066.

Sith Samath et al. "Addressing Anarchy: Decentralization and Natural Resource Management in Ratanakiri, Upland Cambodia". ''Institutions, Livelihoods, and The Environment'' (Andrea Straub, editor). Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (2001). ISBN 8787062984.

Spooner, Andrew. ''Cambodia''. Footprint Travel Guides (2008). ISBN 1906098158.

Stark, Miriam T. "Pre-Angkorian and Angkorian Cambodia". ''Southeast Asia: From Prehistory to History'' (Ian Glover and Peter S. Bellwood, editors). Routledge (2004). ISBN 041529777X

Stidsen, Sille, editor. ''The Indigenous World 2006''. International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (2007). ISBN 8791563186.

Stuart-Fox, Martin. ''A History of Laos''. Cambridge University Press (1997). ISBN 0521597463.

Suzuki, Regan. "The Intersection of Decentralization and Conflict in Natural Resource Management: Cases from Southeast Asia" (PDF). International Development Research Centre, Rural Poverty and Environment Working Paper Series, working paper 17 (March 2005). Accessed June 2, 2008.

Thomas, Amanda. "Long-distance house calls". ''Boston Globe'' (December 12, 2004).

Thomas, Anne et al. "Empowering Ethnic Minorities in the Cambodian Highlands". ''From Bullets to Blackboards'' (Emily Vargas-Baron and Hernando Bernal Alarcon, editors). Inter-American Development Bank (2005). ISBN 1931003998.

Tyler, Stephen R. ''Comanagement of Natural Resources: Local Learning for Poverty Reduction''. International Development Research Centre (2006). ISBN 1552503461.

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. ''The Contribution of Tourism to Poverty Alleviation''. United Nations (published 2006; contains papers presented at a 2003 conference). ISBN 9211204453.

"Untangling the Web of Human Trafficking and Unsafe Migration in Cambodia and Lao PDR". ''Seagen Waves'' vol. 1 no. 1 (February 2008). Asian Development Bank. Accessed May 4, 2008.

Vajpeyi, Dhirendra K. ''Deforestation, Environment, and Sustainable Development: A Comparative Analysis''. Greenwood Publishing Group (2001). ISBN 0275969894.

Van den Berg, Conny and Phat Palith. "On people, roads and land: Immigration and its consequences for Highland communities in Ratanakiri" (PDF). International Development Research Centre (October 2000). Accessed May 4, 2008.

Vinding, Diana, editor. ''The Indigenous World 2002–2003''. International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (2003). ISBN 8790730747.

Vinding, Diana, editor. ''The Indigenous World 2004''. International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (2004). ISBN 8790730836.

Waldick, Lisa. "Staking a Claim in Cambodia's Highlands". International Development Research Centre (March 30, 2001). Accessed June 2, 2008.

"Welcome to Ratnakiri". Tourism of Cambodia (2007). Accessed May 4, 2008.

"Yali Falls Dam: Impacts on Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia". Australian Mekong Resource Centre, University of Sydney (March 10, 2003). Accessed May 4, 2008.

External links

{{externalvideo | align =right | width = 260px | video1 = View of Ratanakiri from a motorbike | video2 = Villages in rural Ratanakiri | video4 = Gem mining near Banlung | video5 = Slideshow about health in Ratanakiri | video6 = Market in Banlung }}

Map of Ratanakiri

Official tourism site

Category:Provinces of Cambodia Category:States and territories established in 1959

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Honorific-prefix	The Right Honourable
Name	John Key
Honorific-suffix	MP
Alt	Profile photo of John Key
Office	38th Prime Minister of New Zealand
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor general	Anand SatyanandJerry Mateparae
Deputy	Bill English
Term start	19 November 2008
Predecessor	Helen Clark
Office2	31st Leader of the Opposition
Deputy2	Bill English
Term start2	27 November 2006
Term end2	8 November 2008
Predecessor2	Don Brash
Successor2	Phil Goff
Office3	12th Leader of the National Party
Deputy3	Bill English
Term start3	27 November 2006
Predecessor3	Don Brash
Constituency mp5	Helensville
Parliament5	New Zealand
Term start5	27 July 2002
Majority5	20,547 (56.49%)
Birth date	August 09, 1961
Birth place	Auckland, New Zealand
Party	National Party
Spouse	Bronagh Key (1984–present)
Children	StephieMax
Alma mater	University of CanterburyHarvard University
Signature	John Key sig.svg
Website	Official website }}

John Phillip Key (born 9 August 1961) is the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand, in office since 2008. He has led the New Zealand National Party since 2006.

After a career in foreign exchange, Key entered the New Zealand House of Representatives in 2002 representing the Auckland electorate of Helensville, a seat that he has held since then. In 2004, he was appointed Finance Spokesman for National and eventually succeeded Don Brash as the National Party leader in 2006. After two years as Leader of the Opposition, Key led his party to victory in both the November 2008 and the November 2011 general elections.

Personal life

Key was born in Auckland, New Zealand, to George Key and Ruth Key (née Lazar), on 9 August 1961. His father was an English immigrant and a veteran of the Spanish Civil War and World War II. He died of a heart attack in 1967. Key and his two sisters were raised in a state house in Christchurch by his Austrian Jewish immigrant mother.

He attended Aorangi School, then Burnside High School, and earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree in accounting from the University of Canterbury in 1981. He has attended management studies courses at Harvard University.

Key met his wife Bronagh when they were both students at Burnside High School. They married in 1984. She also has a BCom degree, and worked as a personnel consultant before becoming a full-time mother. They have two children, Stephie and Max.

Before politics

Key's first job was in 1982, as an auditor at McCulloch Menzies, and he then moved to be a project manager at Christchurch-based clothing manufacturer Lane Walker Rudkin for two years. Key began working as a foreign exchange dealer at Elders Finance in Wellington, and rose to the position of head foreign exchange trader two years later, then moved to Auckland-based Bankers Trust in 1988.

In 1995, he joined Merrill Lynch as head of Asian foreign exchange in Singapore. That same year he was promoted to Merrill's global head of foreign exchange, based in London, where he may have earned around US$2.25 million a year including bonuses, which is about NZ$5 million at 2001 exchange rates. Some co-workers called him "the smiling assassin" for maintaining his usual cheerfulness while sacking dozens (some say hundreds) of staff after heavy losses from the 1998 Russian financial crisis. He was a member of the Foreign Exchange Committee of the New York Federal Reserve Bank from 1999 to 2001.

In 1998, on learning of his interest in pursuing a political career, the National Party president John Slater began working actively to recruit him. Former party leader Jenny Shipley describes him as one of the people she "deliberately sought out and put my head on the line–either privately or publicly–to get them in there".

Member of Parliament

Auckland's population growth, as evidenced in the 2001 census, led to the creation of a new electorate called Helensville, which covered the north-western corner of the Auckland urban area. Key beat long-serving MP Brian Neeson (whose own Waitakere seat had moved on paper to being a Labour seat by the boundary changes) for the selection. At the 2002 elections Key won the seat with a majority of 1,705, ahead of Labour's Gary Russell, with Neeson, now standing as an independent, coming third. Key was re-elected with ease at the 2005 election garnering 63% of votes cast in Helensville, and increased his majority again in 2008, gaining 73% of the electorate vote.

Finance spokesman

In 2004, Key was promoted to the Opposition front benches by party leader Don Brash and was made the party spokesman for finance. In late 2006 Brash resigned as leader, citing damaging speculation over his future as the reason. His resignation followed controversies over an extramarital affair, and over leaked internal National Party documents which were later published in the book ''The Hollow Men''.

Leader of the Opposition

In his maiden speech as leader on 28 November 2006, Key talked of an "underclass" that had been "allowed to develop" in New Zealand, a theme which received a large amount of media coverage. Key followed this speech up in February 2007 by committing his party to a programme which would provide food in the poorest schools in New Zealand.

He relented on his stance in opposition to Sue Bradford's Child Discipline Bill, which sought to remove "reasonable force" as a defence for parents charged with prima facie assault of their children. Many parents saw this bill as an attempt to ban smacking outright. Key and Prime Minister Helen Clark agreed a compromise giving police the discretion to overlook smacking they regard as "inconsequential".

In August 2007, Key came in for criticism when he changed his position regarding the Therapeutic Products and Medicine Bill: :"John Key had finally slipped up. National's leader had told the Herald on Tuesday he would have signed up to a New Zealand First-initiated compromise on the stalled Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill had he seen it – and was still willing to sign up – only to change his mind yesterday after his remarks appeared in print."

Also in August 2007, Labour's Trevor Mallard hinted in Parliament that Labour were going to try to link Key to the 1987 "H-Fee" scandal, which involved Key's former employer Elders Merchant Finance and a payment to Equiticorp Chief Executive Allan Hawkins. Hawkins and Elders executive Ken Jarrett were later jailed for fraud. Key forestalled the accusation by declaring that he had left Elders months before the event, that he had no knowledge of the deal, and that his interview with the Serious Fraud Office during the investigation into the affair could only have helped to convict the people involved. This statement was supported publicly by then-SFO director Charles Sturt.

Labour MPs criticised Key for not releasing specific policy information at their annual conference. Key responded that National would set its own policy agenda and that there was adequate time before the next election for voters to digest National Party policy proposals.

On 25 July 2008, Key was added to the New Zealand National Business Review (NBR) Rich List for the first time. The list details the wealthiest New Zealand individuals and family groups. Key had an estimated wealth of NZ$50 million. Key is the wealthiest New Zealand Member of Parliament.

Prime Minister

Key became Prime Minister following the general election on 8 November 2008 which signalled an end to the Labour-led government of nine years under Helen Clark. The National Party, promoting a policy of "change", won 45% of the party vote and 59 of the 122 seats in Parliament (including a two-seat overhang), a substantial margin over the Labour Party, which won 43 seats.

Key was sworn in as Prime Minister on 19 November 2008 along with his new cabinet. His first international outing as Prime Minister was the 20th APEC meeting in Peru the following day.

Arriving at the Ngapuhi Te Tii marae the day before Waitangi Day 2009, Key was briefly shoved and grabbed by two protesters before diplomatic protection officers pulled them off. He told reporters he was "quite shocked" but continued onto the marae and spoke, while police took the two men away and charged with them with assault.

Key has also been tied with the National Cycleway Project since its conception at the national Job Summit in early 2009. He proposed it, and as Minister for Tourism, was instrumental in getting NZ$50 million approved for initial construction work.

In January 2009, after addressing Chinese New Year celebrations at the Greenlane ASB Showgrounds, Key tripped after coming down a small set of stairs in front of cameras leaving him with a broken right arm and "embarrassed".

Controversies

During the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, Key was a proponent of Hosni Mubarak's government, citing his support of Israel and refusing to call for his resignation. When asked if Mubarak should step down, he said "no". In 2011, Key was caught up in a controversy over the purchase of government limousines which he denied knowledge of initially but later reports surfaced his office was aware. He was accused of being dishonest and eventually apologised, calling the deal sloppy. In October 2011, Key made a statement where he claimed Standard and Poor's had said at a meeting in the prior month that "if there was a change of Government, that downgrade would be much more likely", this claim was contradicted by S&P; after Key's credibility had been called into question. Just before the election in November 2011, a recording was made of a conversation between John Key and ACT Party candidate John Banks that they considered private. Mr Key made a complaint to the police who began an investigation to ascertain whether any laws had been broken. He refused to answer media questions about what was said and the recording, which became known as the "teapot tapes", dominated media discussion in the days before the election. The unreleased recording allegedly concerns the leadership of ACT and disparaging remarks about elderly New Zealand First supporters.

UN Security Council bid

Key launched New Zealand's campaign for a Security Council seat at the UN General Assembly meeting in September 2009. He met briefly with US President Barack Obama and former US President Bill Clinton. While in New York, Key appeared on the ''Late Show with David Letterman''. He read out the Top Ten list, 'Top Ten Reasons You Should Visit New Zealand'.

Political views

Key's views are largely alligned with his own party's view. However he also notes the differences between his predecessor are more of style and focus rather than view. Key has in the past noted others' concern at the pace of asset sales, but argued that the arguments against selling assets in the 1980s were largely irrational. In a 2002 interview he said "some form of orientation towards privatisation" in health, education and superannuation, such as giving firms tax breaks for employer super schemes, made sense. After leading the National party to victory in the 2011 election, Key rejected that the National Party lacks a mandate to partially sell off state-owned assets, he acknowledged that some New Zealanders were anxious about the mixed ownership model. "But I think we got a mandate."

Key has a mixed voting record on social issues: he voted against the bill creating civil unions, claiming that this represented his constituents' views but he supports them personally. He was part of a large block of MPs voting to defeat a bill that defined marriage as being between a man and a woman. Key has also stated that he does not oppose gay adoption.

In regard to addressing the social destruction caused by binge drinking, in 2008 Key voted for an ill-fated attempt to raise the legal drinking age from 18 back to 20 but subsequently ignored a Law Commission recommendation to increase levies on alcohol. He claimed there was 'no appetite' for such a move. A 'suppressed' report on public attitudes to alcohol law reform eventually came to light indicating that in 2010, when he made this claim, 56% of New Zealanders supported a price increase.

Key says that he believes that global warming is a real phenomenon, and that the Government needs to implement measures to reduce human contribution to global warming. Key has committed the National Party to working towards reducing greenhouse emissions in New Zealand by 50% within the next fifty years. Commentators note that as recently as 2005, Key made statements indicating that he was sceptical of the effects and impact of climate change.

Critics note that Key has changed his views on the Iraq war since becoming leader of the opposition. In 2003, as an opposition MP, Key emphasised National's position of supporting New Zealand's traditional allies, the United States and Australia. Key came under fire in the New Zealand Parliament in August 2007, when the Government claimed that had Key been Prime Minister at the time, he would have sent troops to Iraq.

Like his predecessor Helen Clark, Key views a New Zealand republic as "inevitable", although probably not for another decade. "If Australia becomes a republic there is no question it will set off quite an intense debate on this side of the Tasman," he said, "We would have to have a referendum if we wanted to move towards it." Key later stated that he is a monarchist, and that a New Zealand republic would "Not [happen] under my watch".

Religious views

Key attends church frequently but is agnostic when it comes to belief in God. He has stated that he does not believe in an afterlife, and sees religion as "doing the right thing". Key's wife, Bronagh (née Dougan) Key, is the daughter of Northern Irish emigrants of mixed religious descent. Key is the third prime minister or premier of New Zealand (after Julius Vogel and Francis Bell) with Jewish ancestry.

References

External links

Prime Minister of New Zealand official website

Profile at New Zealand National Party website

Profile at Parliament of New Zealand website

Releases and speeches at Beehive website

''The New Zealand Herald'' feature: ''John Key–the unauthorised biography''

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Category:1961 births Category:Current national leaders Category:Harvard University alumni Category:Jewish politicians Category:Leaders of the Opposition (New Zealand) Category:Living people Category:New Zealand Jews Category:New Zealand National Party MPs Category:New Zealand people of British descent Category:New Zealand National Party leaders Category:Prime Ministers of New Zealand Category:University of Canterbury alumni Category:New Zealand MPs for Auckland electorates Category:People from Christchurch Category:New Zealand people of Austrian descent

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name	Kurt Kelly
state house	Florida
state	Florida
district	24th
term	June 26, 2007-Present
birth date	June 16
profession	Business Owner
party	Republican

Florida Representative Kurt Kelly is an American politician, businessman, and a native of Ocala, Florida. He is a member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 24th district and is the President/CEO and founder of 3-D Background Screening, a full service pre-employment background search company.

Personal

Kelly has been married for 25 years to his wife Sally, a teacher at Madison Street Elementary School of the Arts. Kurt and Sally have two children: Kala, Junior at Florida State University, and Keenan, Junior at Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala.

Education

He holds a Master’s of Science in Education from the University of South Florida and a Bachelor’s of Science from Florida State University. Kelly is a graduate of Central Florida Community College and Ocala Vanguard High School.

Career

Kelly served 6 years on the Marion County School Board. He was elected to the Florida House of Representatives from District 24 on June 26, 2007 in a special election and has subsequently been re-elected.

Kelly serves on several leadership boards such as Children’s Alliance, Success by Six, Ocala Kiwanis, Central Florida Symphony Orchestra, and Child Evangelism Fellowship of Marion County.

During his first Legislative Session, Representative Kelly spearheaded legislation that supported victims of dating violence called the Barwick/Rucshak Act, strengthened early childhood learning, called to the United States Congress to fund Alzheimer research and services, and encouraged the building of “green” schools. Kelly also worked with a state agency to develop statewide plan on drinking water.

During the 2009 Legislative Session, Kelly focused on improving Florida’s economy, creating jobs, and protecting and strengthening Florida’s public education. He was placed by leadership to be on the House Full Appropriations Council on Education and Economic Development. He is also a member of the Economic Development Policy Committee; Energy and Utilities Policy Committee; State and Community Colleges and Workforce Policy Committee; PreK-12 Appropriations; and State and Community Colleges and Workforce Appropriations. Kelly is the Chair of the Digital Divide Select Council and the Vision Caucus. He has transformed the Vision Caucus into the largest Caucus in the Florida Legislature.

Kelly was recognized as the 2008 Freshman Legislator of the Year by the Florida Association of Counties, the Florida Water Conservation Champion of 2008, the Central Florida Community Arts-Spirit of International Art Award for 2008, and the 2007-2008 PACE Marion County Champion for Girls award.

External links

Kurt Kelly's Official Website

Marion County, Florida Supervisor of Elections

Official Bio for Representative Kelly

''

Category:Florida State University alumni Category:Seminole Caucus Category:Florida Republicans Category:Members of the Florida House of Representatives Category:Living people

Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana (25 January 1873? – 18 September 1939) was the founder of the Rātana religion in the early 20th century in New Zealand. He rose to prominence as a faith healer.

Beginnings

Rātana was of the Ngati Apa and Ngā Wairiki iwi — his subtribes were Nga Ariki, Ngāti Hikapirau, Ngāti Rangiwaho, Ngāti Kiriwheke and Ngati Kauae —and on his mother's side he was of Ngā Rauru Kiitahi, His mother belonging to the Rangitaawhi Hapū.

He Married Te Urumanao Ngāpaki Baker, who had whakapapa links to the Ngāti Ruanui, and possibly Te Āti Awa also.

Rātana began his spiritual mission during the 1918 influenza epidemic. He claimed that while standing the veranda of his home at 2pm, on 8 November 1918, three days before the end of the First World War, he saw a small cloud coming in from the sea toward his house. When the cloud 'broke open' he was overwhelmed by a presence and he rushed into the house declaring 'Peace be unto you all, for I am the Holy Spirit that speaks to you all. Straighten yourselves. Repent'. He was told the Holy Spirit was looking for a people through whom God could be truly known and accepted. The Māori people had not forgotten Jehovah and so they had been chosen to become an example to the world if only they would turn from their dependence on tohungaism (particularly the manipulative forms of witchcraft) and Maori gods. Rātana was told to unite the Māori and turn them to Ihoa o nga Mano (Jehovah of the Multitudes). He continued his study of the Bible and began one of the most powerful faith healing ministries in New Zealand history. He came known as "Mangai" (a mouthpiece of God) gained a large following among Māori.

Variants of his name include Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana, Tahu Pōtiki Wiremu Rātana and T. W. Rātana.

Politics

From 1922 onwards the Rātana movement became increasingly occupied with politics. The movement campaigned for ratification of the Treaty of Waitangi as a "cure-all" for Māori problems and collected 30,000 signatures on a petition calling for this. In 1928 Rātana proclaimed that Rātana candidates would win the four Māori seats in the New Zealand Parliament, likening them to the four parts of his body, or the Four Quarters, as the seats became known. Eruera Tirikatene arranged a meeting with Michael J. Savage in Parliament on 4 February 1936 at which an alliance with the Labour Party was agreed. Savage's predecessor Harry Holland had been reluctant, because of the animosity between Rātana and the Māori King Movement, especially Princess Te Puea. By 1943, the seats had been won, although Rātana died in 1939.

Legacy

The Rātana Church remains one of the largest churches in Māoridom. The political links with the Labour Party remained strong for over 40 years, but were effectively broken by the rise of the Māori Party, which was founded in 2004 and came to power in a coalition (with the National Party, Labour's traditional rival) after the 2008 election.

References

External links

''T. W. Ratana'' on the Rātana Church website

Biography in the 1966 ''Encyclopaedia of New Zealand

in the ''Dictionary of New Zealand Biography''

Category:1873 births Category:1939 deaths Category:New Zealand religious leaders Category:Founders of religions Category:Māori religion Category:Māori politics Category:Faith healers Category:Prophets Category:Religious activists Category:New Zealand Rātanas Category:Prophets in Protestantism