Kathiresan Ramachanderam

Khmer Rouge is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), and by extension to the state of Democratic Kampuchea, which ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. The term was originally coined in the 1960s by Prince Norodom Sihanouk, the then-head of state, to describe the country’s diverse and often fragmented communist-led dissidents. The regime’s rule was marked by one of the most extreme and violent societal restructurings of the 20th century. In their pursuit of a radical agrarian utopia, the Khmer Rouge leadership evacuated urban centers, abolished currency, private property, and religion, and forced the entire population into rural labor communes. This brutal social experiment resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1.5 to 2 million people, approximately a quarter of Cambodia’s population at the time, through a combination of forced labor, malnutrition, disease, and mass executions. The period under their control is now widely recognized a...

It began when Trudy and Ben, found their dream home, an old Victorian house nestled on a quiet, tree-lined street, well away from the hustle and bustle of modern city life. It was a fixer-upper, yes, and it needed work for sure but it had character, a warmth and a charm that drew them to it, a magnetic allure that neither of them could resist. As they strolled up the cobblestone path that led to the front door they were filled with a sense of excitement, and when they walked through the house, they envisioned laughter echoing through its halls, romantic dinners in the dining room, cozy evenings by the fireplace, and a future filled with love built within its sturdy walls. But as soon as the renovations began, the whispers started. A soft voice speaking in gentle whispers too faint for them to make out what it was saying often echoed in their ears. Then the unexplainable happenings began. Small things at first – doors creaking open on their own, shutters moving to an unknown breeze, ...

The first time that he caught sight of the place he knew that there was something there, a story to be told perhaps, or a mystery to unravel. He was intrigued to say the least. It was an old house, located on a decent piece of land, he didn’t know who the owner was, and it looked like it had been just left there for years. It looked slightly rundown and was in need of repair, whoever owned the place didn’t appear to have any intentions of renting it out. He asked around, and discovered that the house had a caretaker who lived nowhere close to it, and when they caught up with him, and asked him about it, he simply replied, “trust me no one would go near the place”, with a touch of confidence that implied that the man was telling the truth. “Why?”, he asked, despite having his suspicions, and the man simply replied, “because it is haunted”. Tim took a deep breath, he’d been in the business for a long time and he knew that haunted places did exist, and researching them and writing about t...

Nestled in the heart of Province Wellesley, is the Crowne Plaza Penang. It is located in a 23-story building situated on the waterfront along Jalan Bagan Luar, featuring 343 rooms and sitting on the former site of the Straits Trading Co. tin smelting plant. The street in front of the hotel makes it accessible, and from its width, it is easy enough to discern that it is a rather busy street. The hotel has a decent parking area and that makes it all the more convenient especially for those driving down from Kuala Lumpur, or from where I am based at present, Petaling Jaya. The hotel has a nice lobby with a bar, where anyone who chooses to can have a quick drink, with the usual sofas in the seating area where one can wait for guests. It exudes a soft calming ambiance that is nothing short of relaxing. The lobby isn’t overly large, but it is large enough, and it does the basics well. The lobby and the dining area are located on the eighth floor, and the rooms are located on the floors abov...

Sanun sat astride his horse on a hill and watched the events that were unfolding before him. In front of him, an army was on the move, churning up clouds of dust as foot-soldiers and men on horsebacks trampled forward, and from the size of the dust clouds it was easy enough to discern that it was no small army that was headed their way. The scout watched for a bit longer before he turned his horse around and rode at breakneck speed for the encampment and within the hour he was in a tent and was speaking to the general in charge, a young nobleman of some caliber, and once he was done, he made his way out, to have a meal, while general Ratana, sat back on his chair, and pondered on what he’d just heard. From the sound of things, a large army was on its way and from what the scout had told him, they were more than formidable. He took a deep breath before he called for his scribe and had him transcribe six letters, one for each of the other five generals that were tasked with guarding the...

Love was a strange emotion to say the least, and it was difficult to define at best. It gave her butterflies in the stomach and made her knees go wobbly. Her heartbeat would go up a notch and her palms would get all sweaty whenever she saw him, and she’d try her best not to look in his direction, but she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from doing so every now and again to steal a fleeting glance. She started to lose appetite and she was beginning to lose weight. She struggled with it for months but the feeling did not go away and if anything it only got worse. Auria-lia was at a loss. She didn’t know if the feeling was mutual, she didn’t even know if he noticed her, and she wasn’t confident enough to approach him. He was tall, lean, with shoulder length black hair and his features looked like they were chiseled from a block of granite. Just thinking about him got her all hot and flustered. There was something else about him, there were rumors in the palace that the younger warriors w...

Thea sat on the stool in front of her dressing table and looked at herself in the mirror. She was pretty to say the least. She was tall, lean and petite, and she had sharp enticing features, and made for a sultry, attractive, woman that could catch the eye of any man, with the exception of the man that she had set her heart on. He seemed oblivious to her attentions, and no matter how hard she tried, and despite the numerous figure hugging, and revealing outfits that she’d used during their meetings, he never as much as gave her a suggestive look, and that for some reason or the other made her want him all the more. Born in an affluent family in Chiang Mai, she was not short of money, and she could more than afford to splurge on herself on a regular basis, but despite all her efforts, the man that she had her eyes on didn’t seem like he wanted to take their relationship further. Somewhat disheartened, she consulted a friend, who was well-versed in these matters, and she in turn made ar...

The tantalizing aroma of freshly brewed coffee pervaded the air, and it was both inviting and invigorating. I took a seat after placing my order at the counter, and paying the bill, and I waited patiently for the cup of freshly brewed coffee, and the slice of cheesecake that I had ordered to arrive. I sat close to a large window that overlooked a street in one of Bangkok’s more popular suburbs, and watched the cars roll down the street, and the people that were walking on the sidewalk pass by, dressed in their trendy, gaily colored clothes, the Thonburi riverside district attracted more than its fair share of tourists. I caught a glimpse of someone dressed in white, walk by and my thoughts instantly turned to the angel that had appeared out of nowhere slightly over a year ago. I tried to recollect her features, she was slim, tall for a woman and fair. She had shoulder length hair that was neatly tied behind her back. While I had some difficulty recollecting her features, I remember he...

“Is it possible to see an angel?”, I asked and the man that sat in front of me replied with an affirmative nod of the head. “However,” he said, “they are only seen by those who are extremely pious, it is common especially among those who have devoted their lives to their faith”, he hesitated briefly before he continued “and those who are about to meet their demise”. “If it is any consolation, it normally means that you will die a good death, I know if you’ve seen one it’s not because of your piety”, he added with a smile. The man who is known only as Martin was a priest and he was well versed in matters with regards to paranormal activity. He belonged to a religious order that was particularly secretive especially because it was one of the few orders that when the situation required it, conducted exorcisms.  We parted company soon after that and approximately half-a-year later, I received a phone call from Martin. “I think I’ve stumbled across an actual case of possession”, he sai...

Anyone can fall in love, it’s not all that difficult to do, however you have to keep it going, and to keep it going for a lifetime, does take some effort. Fortunately, with us there was very little effort required, and things just fell in place. Everything that we did was more or less in togetherness, to the extent that the roles would sometimes get reversed. I remember when we went to watch ghost, we went for the evening show, and prior to watching the movie I was told, that it was a romantic comedy that might make me cry but I was skeptical, and I was dead-certain that my partner would breakdown while I remained unmoved, she was the type to cry at the movies, and I had my shoulder all ready for her to lean on. I vividly remember what happened when the movie was over and the lights came on. She looked normal, while I was all teary eyed. From what I was told later, the stains of the tears that had streamed down my cheeks were plainly visible. It was a relationship where she’d be in ch...

Just like every other story, this story too has a beginning, only it begins a very long time ago, in the unlikeliest of places, at a time when busses were the most common means of transport, and it was the means of transport that I used the most. I really didn’t have to use the bus, but I liked it especially the minibus with drivers speeding down the road, ignoring the speed limit, blaring their horns ever so often. I still have a fondness for them, and trains. I’ve always been a huge fan of trains, especially when travelling long distance, and the most memorable train rides, that come to mind, is the ride from London Victoria to Amsterdam, and an evening ride from Melbourne to Bendigo. This particular story however concerns the bus or rather the bus-stop. I remember the day very well. I was walking past this particular bus-stop, it was between 11 am and 12 noon, when I suddenly spotted this tall slim girl, she was fair, more so than others, and I still remember what she wore, image...

Shinto, also called kami-no-michi, is a religion that originated in Japan, and it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan’s indigenous religion. This ancient faith, deeply interwoven with the cultural and historical fabric of the Japanese archipelago, represents a unique spiritual worldview that has evolved over millennia. While its roots stretch back to prehistoric times, Shinto as a named and organized entity began to coalesce in response to the introduction of Buddhism to Japan in the 6th century. Unlike other major world religions, Shinto does not have a single founder, or a primary sacred text that codifies a set of moral laws. Instead, it is characterized by a deep reverence for kami, a vast and complex pantheon of deities or spirits, and a focus on maintaining harmony between the human world, the natural world, and the divine. The practices associated with Shinto are diverse, ranging from grand state ceremonies to simple personal prayers offered at local shrines. Schola...

Pan Pan was a small Hindu kingdom that existed between the 3rd and 7th centuries CE. It played a significant yet often overlooked role in the annals of Thai history. Situated in what is now modern-day southern Thailand, in the province of Surat Thani, Pan Pan’s influence extended southwards towards present-day Malaysia. This ancient realm was strategically positioned, sharing its borders with the kingdom of Langkasuka to the south and Tun Sun near the Isthmus of Kra to the north. The geopolitical landscape of the region during Pan Pan’s existence was dynamic and complex. In the late 5th century CE, a significant shift occurred when Tun Sun, Pan Pan’s northern neighbor, broke free from Funan and transformed into the entity known as Kamalanka or Lang-chia. This change had profound implications for Pan Pan, as it led to a territorial reorganization. The southern portion of the former Tun Sun joined forces with Pan Pan in the 6th century, expanding its domain. Simultaneously, the northe...