Khmer Rouge Leader Gets Trial Date At Last

By Tim Johnston
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, January 7, 2009

BANGKOK, Jan. 7 -- Three decades to the day after the fall of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge regime, the country finally received word of a possible starting date for the trial of one of its key leaders.
International co-prosecutor Robert Petit said that Kaing Khek Iev, who was better known as Duch when he headed the Tuol Sleng torture center in Phnom Penh, will probably go on trial in March. But he said four other defendants, all in their 80s, are unlikely to take the stand until 2010.

The trial process, which has so far cost $50 million, has been marred by delays, controversial defense motions, accusations of corruption and, most recently, a public dispute between Petit and his Cambodian co-prosecutor, Chea Leang, over future prosecutions.

Petit wants to file charges against an additional five or six former Khmer Rouge members, but Chea Leang has objected, saying that the court should concentrate its limited resources on the cases on hand. She has also cited a need to focus on national reconciliation.

The court's pre-trial chamber is due to rule on the disagreement.

As many as 1.7 million Cambodians -- roughly one-fifth of the population -- were killed or succumbed to disease, malnutrition or overwork during the four years the Khmer Rouge were in power before they were removed by Vietnamese forces in 1979.

Human Rights Watch has long been critical of the court's inability to bring the perpetrators of the Khmer Rouge's brutal rule to justice.

"After 30 years, no one has been tried, convicted or sentenced for the crimes of one of the bloodiest regimes of the 20th century," said Brad Adams, who is Asia director for Human Rights Watch. "This is no accident. For more than a decade, China and the United States blocked efforts at accountability, and for the past decade, [Cambodian Prime Minister] Hun Sen has done his best to thwart justice."

For many Cambodians, Jan. 7 is a bittersweet date: It marks their deliverance from the Khmer Rouge but also the beginning of a 10-year occupation by Vietnam.

Hun Sen, who came to power 23 years ago under the aegis of the Vietnamese, has no time for such ambivalence.

"Whoever is against the day of victory is either Pol Pot or an animal," he told a crowd Tuesday.

Providential Holdings Subsidiary PHI Mining Group Signs Agreement With Angkor Metal Corporation to Engage in Copper Mining in Cambodia

CNN
January 07, 2009

Providential Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: PRVH) (FRANKFURT: PR7) (WKN 935160), a company engaged in mergers and acquisitions, real estate development, mining, and investing in special situations, today announced that PHI Mining Group, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: PHIG), a company focused on mining opportunities in Southeast Asia, through its wholly owned subsidiary Indochina Mining Corporation (IMC), has signed a principal contract with Angkor Metal Corporation, a Cambodia-based company, to survey, explore, exploit and process copper ores in Preah Vihear Province, Cambodia. According to the agreement, IMC will own 51% of Angkor Metal Corp. stock at the closing of the transaction.

Angkor Metal Corporation has already been granted an exploration license for a total area of 192 km2 (47,440 acres) in Kolean District, Preah Vihear Province, Cambodia, potentially one of the largest copper ore reserves in Southeast Asia, of which 2.5 km2 (618 acres) is fully surveyed with promising commercial exploitation ability. This mineralized material opportunity is estimated to be in excess of 500,000 metric tons and may amount to several million metric tons.

Providential Holdings, Inc. currently owns approximately 18 million shares (80%) of PHI Mining Group, Inc. stock.

About Providential Holdings

Providential Holdings and its subsidiaries engage in a number of diverse business activities, the most important of which are M&A and consulting services, real estate development, mining and investing in special situations. As part of its activities in Vietnam, Providential has been hosting seminars in conjunction with the Nasdaq Stock Market to help Vietnamese companies go public and raise capital through the U.S. financial markets. The Company currently develops "Pointe 91," an upscale residential community and luxury resort in Chu Lai, central Vietnam. Web site: www.phiglobal.com.

About PHI Mining Group

PHI Mining Group is a U.S.-based mining and exploration enterprise focused on acquiring and developing industrial mineral properties. The company is in the process of negotiating to acquire interests in diatomite, lead, copper and granite properties in South East Asia and South America. PHI Mining Group is committed to high standards in the areas of environmental management and health and safety for its employees and neighboring communities.
Web site: www.phimining.com.

Safe Harbor: This news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected on the basis of such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are made based upon management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management pursuant to the "safe-harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Phnom Penh Asides: The king of Phnom Penh roads

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Kevin Britten
Wednesday, 07 January 2009

IN the rest of the world, the most popular car (by sales) is the Toyota Corolla. In Cambodia, however, the Camry is the model that everyone wants.

Neither sexy nor glamorous, the Camry is a pure, practical workhorse that has come to define a whole class of Cambodian society, the Camry Class.

While Tico drivers and Corolla drivers are saying out loud that they are non-aspirational men, Camry drivers are saying, ‘Ok. I'm here. Deal with me because I'm a serious person'."

Corolla drivers are actually the ones to watch out for on the road.

Tico drivers know that they're going to be ignored and that they're in constant danger of being mistaken for a microwave oven with wheels, but Corolla drivers feel that they're in a real car and ought to be taken seriously - but they're not, because, well, they're just in a Corolla.

This drives them nuts, and that's why they accelerate wildly or crawl along the road at walking speed, and then make a turn inches from the front of a speeding truck.

But Camry drivers know that they've arrived, that they're in the majority group, because they have the right car.

All Camry drivers ever dream about is a newer model Camry. Models change about every three years, so there is always the opportunity to upgrade, but the concept remains the same.

Camry drivers also have the advantage of anonymity. As a driver of the most common car on the road, your movements can't be traced unless people go to the trouble of learning your licence plate number. If you're being stalked by someone who's gone to that much trouble, give up. They're going to find you, whatever you do.

" the camry is a ... workhorse that has come to define a ... class of cambodian society. "

tronger and more spacious than a Corolla, the Camry is better at tackling and surviving the Cambodian road conditions. Size counts on the roads throughout Asia. There's no doubt that a bigger car is also a safer car in an accident.

Mechanics love them, spare parts are easy to find and when you want to upgrade, the Camry is easy to sell. In fact, when a driver takes the beast in for a service, the mechanic invariably asks if he can buy it.

So, you're tempted to start looking for the Camry of your dreams?

To get an idea of which years fit your budget, go to Street 108 anywhere between the river and the new Canadia Bank Tower, find a Camry that looks like your kind of car and just stand there until the salesman comes up to you with a price.

All the cars there are for sale, but they're just being sold on commission by salesmen who do little more than keep them clean.

The area is notorious as a place to unload lemons, but you can get an idea of the market by pricing anything that looks interesting to you.

When you've actually decided you want to buy, start to look in the newspaper ads, on websites and in the other areas of the city where cars are sold. Basically, anywhere you see a group of cars parked off the street, you're looking at a used-car showroom.

Ask your friendly tuk-tuk or moto driver. He spends all day on the streets, has lots of connections and will get a small commission from the seller. Better still, offer him a commission yourself so he will help you bargain.

Car dealers don't have huge margins, so never expect a car with a serious asking price of, say, US$3,500 to come below US$3,000. However, like mechanics, used car salesmen the world over are always prone to trying one on.

If you're going to buy a car, a basic knowledge of what a well-maintained engine sounds like is useful.

Also look for signs of bodywork repairs such as mismatched or different-aged lights and spray paint on places it shouldn't be - on wires, for example. Look inside the boot and under the bonnet for these signs of crash repairs.

A shiny, recently cleaned engine can also be suspicious. It means that signs of oil leaks have been cleaned off.

Don't expect the odometer to give you much clue as to the use the car's had. They're systematically wound back to zero when cars are exported. A much better clue as to how much wear and tear a car has had is the condition of the carpets, particularly in the back seats. People put covers on the seats, which keep them young and fresh-looking ,but plastic carpet covers never really stop the kind of deterioration that comes from abuse and neglect.

On the other hand, let's face it, if you're buying a 20-year-old car that's had at least two or maybe more lives, you have to be an optimist. So, hedge your bets by buying a Camry.

The pleasure really starts once you are the proud owner of a Camry like the rest of us, and you can get out there and experience the many joys of driving in Phnom Penh.

____
Have an interesting PPenh story to share?
Let us know about it at: lifestyle@phnompenhpost.com

Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report

Kaisernetwork.org

Jan 07, 2009

Cambodia has shifted the focus of its HIV/AIDS prevention efforts from young adults to children in response to 2008 statistics that show an increase in rates of antiretroviral use among children and mother-to-child transmission of the virus, the Phnom Penh Post reports. Mean Chhi Vun -- director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STDs -- said that the government has begun a program to provide "HIV testing for 6,745 pregnant women [this year] in 68 health centers across five of our operational districts." Thirty-five of the women tested positive for HIV and received follow-up care and medicine from the center, according to Vun. Teng Kunthy, general secretary of the National AIDS Authority of Cambodia, said that the government also is focusing on a national registration program to coordinate treatment for children living with HIV. The program "has been running smoothly so far and has encouraged more children to seek treatment," he said.

Vun said that between January and September of 2008, about 2,913 children received antiretroviral drugs, an increase from about 1,800 in 2007. He added that nationwide pediatric HIV/AIDS figures are determined by the number of children receiving antiretroviral treatment through the nation's clinics, adding that the figures do not include the estimated 600 children living with HIV who are not yet receiving treatment or who have not been tested for the virus. Chan Ry, deputy director of the National Pediatric Hospital, said that 300 children were treated at the facility in 2007 and now it is providing treatment to 1,155 children.

The increase in the number of cases involving MTCT "testif[ies] to the fact that women are not able to access good" prenatal care to prevent transmission, the Post reports. A 2006 UNAIDS report shows that while prevalence among young people ages 15 to 49 has decreased to 1.9% in 2003 -- compared with 3% in 1997 -- one-third of new HIV cases are because of MTCT. According to the Post, there are about 461,000 live births annually in Cambodia -- mostly outside of health centers and hospitals -- and an estimated 9,700 pregnant women are living with HIV. UNAIDS data indicates that without any intervention, about 3,000 infants may be born with HIV through vertical transmission. According to Tan Vouch Chheng, an undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Health, antiretroviral drugs are dispensed at 26 locations and HIV testing is offered at another 212 facilities. However, she added, "We have to expand our programs for prevention and the spread of HIV/AIDS from mothers to children."

The Post reports that the exact number of children living with HIV/AIDS is unknown but "experts support the proposition" that it is "rising fast." Seng Chhunleng, coordinator for the Orphans and Vulnerable Children program at World Vision, said the number of children living with HIV/AIDS will continue to increase if something is not done to stop vertical transmission. "This is a problem that we still have to commit to solving," he said, adding that Cambodia "should provide better education and more medicine to stop transmission between mothers and children" (Leakhana/Kunthear, Phnom Penh Post, 1/6).

Embassy ceremony marks Cambodia’s Liberation Day

07-01-2009

HA NOI — The 30th anniversary of Cambodia’s Liberation Day (January 7) was celebrated in Ha Noi yesterday by the Cambodian Embassy and the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO).

Prominent among participants were Vu Oanh, former Politburo member and head of the Liaison Committee for former Vietnamese Experts in Cambodia; Vu Mao, Chairman of the Viet Nam-Cambodia Friendship Association; Cambodian Ambassador to Viet Nam Vann Phal; and Khamphan Anlavan, Counselor of the Lao Embassy.

January 7 holds significance as a turning point in Cambodian history as it is the day that the Cambodian people came back to life and began national reconstruction, said Vu Mao.

Liberation Day is also a symbol of the traditional friendly relations between the two fraternal countries, Viet Nam and Cambodia, he said.

Ambassador Vann Phal said the Cambodian people have great appreciation to Viet Nam for the events of January 7, 1979.

Viet Nam’s help and sacrifices had saved Cambodian lives, and helped fight the Khmer Rouge, he said.

He stressed Viet Nam’s timely assistance, saying that he appreciated that many Vietnamese soldiers died for the January 7 victory of Cambodia.

He thanked the Vietnamese Party, State and people, and especially the families of those who died for the revival of Cambodia.

Phal said he wished for Viet Nam and Cambodia to maintain the fine friendly and neighbourly relations and comprehensive co-operation.

The celebrations took place with song and dance performances by Cambodian students studying in Viet Nam.

The HCM City chapters of the VUFO and the Viet Nam-Cambodia Friendship Association also held a function marking the Cambodian Liberation Day. — VNS

Bank Official Denies Money Laundry Claim

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
07 January 2009

A senior official of the national bank denied on Wednesday that Cambodia’s banking laws have made the country an easy target for money laundering.

“We have taken strong actions to strengthen the Cambodian banking law to fight against money laundering and terrorism funding,” Tal Nay Im, director general of the National Bank of Cambodia said. “Each bank in Cambodia must respect the law, and if any bank is involved in money laundering or terrorism funding, it will face defamation and lose cooperation from international banks.”

The International Bar Association, a 60-year-old organization of more than 30,000 lawyers and 195 bar associations, has said Cambodia needs to improve its laws to prevent money laundering.

Government Cuts Recruitment Amid Downturn

By Ros Sothea, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
07 January 2009

The government will reduce the number of new recruits for administration positions by 10 percent in 2009, citing budget concerns.

“If we have enough money to fulfill the demand, we don’t need to reform,” said Ngo Hongly, secretary-general for the Council of Minister’s administrative reform department. “We’ve thoroughly thought about the financial risk, and whether we have enough money for salaries and retirement.”

About 8,000 recruits will join the government, 1,000 less than the recent average, officials said.
Officials said the global economic downturn was driving some reforms.

“It’s true that we have to save up money, following slow economic growth, so that we can help ourselves when we face a crisis,” said Kim Phala, deputy director of the Ministry of Finance’s policy department.

Tens of thousands of students apply for government jobs each year, vying for monthly salaries between 100,000 riel, about $25, and 250,000 riel, or $50.

In a $1.5 billion budget, the current administration spent about $85 million a year on salaries for more than 200,000 employees in 2008, according to government figures. The total budget for 2009 will top $1.8 billion, but operations budgets will be restricted, officials said.

This lowered recruitment could mean rising unemployment rates, with jobs in the private sector also limited, according to Sok Sina, an independent economist.

“I believe that the employment condition in our country won’t be good in 2009,” Sok Sina said.

The International Labor Organization estimates around 275,000 Cambodians between the ages of 15 and 24 are seeking employment, with that number expected to grow, as 10,000 graduates each year leave higher education.

Cambodia has around 2,500 companies formally listed with the Ministry of Commerce, with a large number of them opening between 2007 and 2008, providing a source of jobs for young graduates.

Some of these private companies have begun to reduce the number of employees.

“Our company will not recruit more workers, but will reduce by 30 percent, as we face an economic crisis,” said Ly Seng Keang, general manager of business and construction at Benshermen Cambodia, which has 1,200 workers and has heavily recruited new employees over the past few years.

In Channy, chief executive officer of Acleda Bank, which has 6,000 employees, said the bank recruited 2,400 new staff members in both 2007 and 2008, but this year will only employ an additional 1,000.

“We cannot always employ more staff,” he said. “If we choose more than that, we won’t have any work to offer, as our new branches have declined from 22 last year to only 18 this year.”

Other companies say they don’t plan to hire any more staff for 2009 at all.

Tens of Thousands Mark ‘Liberation’ Day

By Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
07 January 2009

Around 40,000 Cambodians, many wearing white shirts emblazoned with the logo “7 January,” filled Phnom Penh’s Olympic Stadium to capacity Wednesday morning, celebrating the 30thanniversary of the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot.

Authorities from the provinces and the capital drove around the inside of the stadium’s football pitch, in a parade of floats encircling a formation of the armed forces, as supporters marched alongside and observers waved the flags of Cambodia and the ruling Cambodian People’s Party.

“The day of victory, Jan. 7, saved our country and our citizens on time,” Chea Sim, president of the CPP and the Senate, flanked by Prime Minister Hun Sen and National Assembly President Heng Samrin, announced to the crowd.

“We are thankful to the volunteer Vietnamese troops who died for the liberation of the Cambodian people from genocide,” Chea Sim said.

Cambodian forces, created from a resistance movement in Kratie province and supported by Vietnamese soldiers, took full control of Phnom Penh on Jan. 7, 1979, following a month of fighting the Khmer Rouge, ousting the regime of three years and eight months.

Wednesday’s celebration comes as a tribunal prepares to try five members of the Khmer Rouge, including Kaing Kek Iev, the chief of Tuol Sleng prison, whose trial is expected to begin early this year.

Chea Sim did not mention the tribunal or the jailed Khmer Rouge leaders in his remarks, in the only CPP speech of the day.

The “liberation” of Phnom Penh led to a decade of Vietnamese occupation and more years of civil war, as the Khmer Rouge retreated to jungle sanctuaries on the Thai border and fought Cambodian and Vietnamese soldiers.

The anniversary has become a contentious marker of Cambodian history. Hun Sen said in a speech Tuesday Jan. 7 represented the “truth of history” and lambasted critics of the anniversary.

Yim Sovann, a lawmaker for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said Jan. 7 marked an anniversary for an invasion by foreign troops. The true day of liberation came on Oct. 23, 1991, he said, the day the Paris Peace Accords were signed.

Getting a taste for Cambodian food

Source: CCTV.com
01-07-2009

Cambodian cuisine may not enjoy the widespread fame of Thai or Vietnamese food, but it's certainly not from a lack of flavor or sophistication. Now a local restaurant hopes to win tourists over to one of Asia's least well-known foods by offering them a cooking class.

Cambodian cuisine may not enjoy the widespread fame of Thai or Vietnamese food, but it's certainly not from a lack of flavor or sophistication.

Just like in neighboring Thailand and Vietnam, most tourists to Cambodia venture out onto the streets to discover its local food. After all, this is where most visitors first stumble upon the country's many delicacies, all prepared and sold outdoors from the numerous stalls and restaurants.

But many tourists walk away saying Cambodian street food is bland, since it contains few of the herbs and spices that Thai or Vietnamese street food bursts with.

Cambodian cuisine may not enjoy the widespread fame of Thai orVietnamese food, but it's

certainly not from a lack of flavor or sophistication.

Now a food critic and restaurateur is telling tourists not to make up their mind till they visit a real Cambodian restaurant.

Frits Mulder, Frizz Restaurant owner, said, "In Thailand tourists eat the food on the streets where it's quite good, but in Cambodia, street food is basic and not really very tasty. That's why Cambodian food has a bad reputation. But when they visit a proper Cambodian restaurant, many discover they prefer Cambodian food to Thai food. It's less spicy so the flavors come through better."

According to Frizz, the best way for visitors to learn about Cambodian cuisine is in a cooking class like this one run by his restaurant.

Each class kicks off at a local food market where participants pick out the raw ingredients they will need to prepare a three-course meal.

Hun Liheng, Cambodia Cooking Class instructor, said, "Everything in this market is really fresh so it's good for your health. Because Cambodian people don't have a fridge at home, they buy fresh ingredients everyday and eat them right away."

According to Frizz, the best way for visitors to learn about Cambodian cuisine is in a cooking
class like this one run by his restaurant.

Back at the roof-top cooking school, students prepare a Cambodian meal from scratch. First up, spring rolls - a popular appetizer across Asia and the world.

Work then begins on the main course.

Fish amok is a Cambodian curry combining fresh water fish, peanuts and coconut milk.

Served on banana leaves softened over an open flame, the dish is finally topped off with a garnish of fresh herbs.

At Frizz's cooking class, there's also plenty of time to relax and talk with fellow participants as they dig into their own culinary creations.

With the intimate and laid-back atmosphere of the roof top, students ask each other questions and get to know the different cultures their classmates hail from.

And when it's finally time to say goodbye, each participant rests in the knowledge that they're bringing at least some secrets of this tropical country back to their homelands.

Siblings return after international missions

Lisa Goss was a missionary in Cambodia while her brother, Michael Goss was a missionary in Canada. They returned home to Overland Park in time to celebrate Christmas.

KansasCity.com

By JOE HENDERSON
Special to The Star

Christmas has always been special in the Jay and Marianne Goss home in Overland Park, but this season it was extra special.

Lisa and Michael Goss returned home from volunteering as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints so they could spend the holidays with their parents and sisters Sarah, 15, and Rebecca, 14. It was the family’s first Christmas together in three years.

Lisa Goss, 22, served 18 months on a mission in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Michael Goss, 21, was in Alberta, Canada, for two years. Having a son and daughter serving as church missionaries at the same time is unusual but also “a blessing,” said Marianne Goss.

“With both on missions they understood what each was going through and could relate to the experiences they were having,” the mother said. “They wrote each other frequently about what was happening.”

The Goss family attends The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Overland Park.

Doing voluntary missions for the church isn’t new in the Goss family. Marianne Goss and her brother also served in the 1980s. Jay Goss served in 1979, and his father before him.

The church decides where to assign missionaries, who pay their own expenses.

“I was a little surprised when I was sent to Cambodia because I’d never heard their language spoken and I knew very little about the country,” Lisa Goss said. “But I’m so glad I was there. I absolutely want to go back when I finish college. It was a wonderful experience.

“I’m glad to be home for Christmas. But I do miss Cambodia, especially the 77-degree temperatures there.”

Lisa Goss and other women in her group were full-time teachers of the gospel. She also taught English classes, mostly for teen-agers.

“They were quick learners and excited to speak English with Americans. Learning to speak Cambodian wasn’t a big problem. Writing was more difficult,” she added. “Their alphabet has 25 consonants and more than 30 vowels.”

Lisa Goss, who lived with a Cambodian family, was introduced to unfamiliar foods. The locals seemed to eat all the edible plants that grow near their homes, she said.

“Cambodians live a hard life compared to ours,” Lisa Goss said. “They’re such wonderful people. Family is very important and they believe older people should be highly respected and honored.”

“When they learned my father was in the heating and air conditioning business they said `you must be very rich’ because only the very wealthy have air conditioning in Cambodia. I explained we weren’t rich, that most people in America have it,” she said.

Michael Goss, too, is happy to be back.

“It’s definitely good to be home for Christmas,” he said. “The mission was a rewarding experience. I liked the people we met. Besides the Canadians there were people from Europe and South America. Some moved to Alberta for a better way of life. Others fled because of civil wars and left family behind. I’d like to go back to visit friends I made.”

Much of his time in Alberta was devoted to construction work.

“We helped build and renovate homes, a lot of repair work. We also worked in agricultural areas branding cattle and chopping wood,” Michael Goss said. “It was hard work but satisfying. The area reminded me of Western Kansas.”

One special experience was working with a young family that having domestic problems. He said the couple was thinking about divorce, but later told him they had become happy together.

Michael Goss said his missionary service made him more appreciative of Jesus’ teachings.

Michael and Lisa Goss, both Shawnee Mission West graduates, plan to continue their educations now that their missionary service is completed. Lisa Goss plans to attend Brigham Young University this year. Michael Goss plans to attend Johnson County Community College this spring and then the University of Kansas.

Cambodia's railway revenues drop by 25% over trade slump

www.chinaview.cn

2009-01-07

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's railway revenues dropped by 25 percent in 2008 as freight deliveries plummeted and trade with Thailand declined, English-language daily newspaper the Phnom Penh Post said on Wednesday.

"Last year's revenues from railway transportation services was 1.5 million U.S. dollars, one quarter down from 2007," said Sokhom Pheakacanmony, director general of the Royal Railway of Cambodia.

The kingdom's limited railway, which runs from Phnom Penh municipality to port province Sihanoukville, as well as to Battambang province and Sisophon city in Bantey Meanchey province, are heavily dependent on trade with Thailand, he said.

"The drop was because the border dispute with Thailand led to a decrease in freight for goods such as cement that are brought in through the Poipet checkpoint," he was quoted by the paper as saying.

The border was closed entirely to train transportation in October, he added.

Meanwhile, the national election in July and the real estate downturn also affected the decline, he said.

"Cambodian businesses stocked up goods prior to the election and reduced their orders afterwards," he added.

According to official report, Cambodian trains transported 233,000 tons of goods in 2008, over 310,000 tons in 2007.

Editor: Fang Yang

Cambodian FDI inflows may weaken in 2009-World Bank

Thomson Financial News
01.07.09

PHNOM PENH, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Foreign direct investment in Cambodia probably fell in 2008 and, given the dire state of the world economy, may drop again in 2009, but it could pick up the following year, the World Bank said on Wednesday.

Cambodia's investment agency said projects worth nearly $6 billion were approved last year but the value of actual inflows will not be known for some time.

Many of the approved projects were island resorts and construction projects largely invested in by Chinese and South Korean firms, said Soun Siththy, Deputy Director of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC).

The World Bank has projected FDI inflows at around $800 million last year and World Bank economist Huot Chea said they could fall further, 'probably to below $600 million', in 2009.

Cambodia said foreign investment of some $2.667 billion was approved in 2007 but the World Bank said the actual inflow was only $866 million.

The widespread economic slowdown, 'not political risk', was the main factor behind the drop in foreign investment, Huot Chea said.

However, the Bank expected inflows to recover in 2010 if the global economy bounced back.

Foreign Minister Nakasone to visit Thailand, Cambodia, Laos from Sat.+

TOKYO, Jan. 7 (AP) - (Kyodo)—Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone will visit Thailand, Cambodia and Laos over the weekend for talks with his respective counterparts and sign exchanges of notes on demining activities and economic cooperation, Japanese Foreign Ministry officials said Wednesday.

Nakasone is scheduled to stop over in Bangkok for talks with Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya on Saturday to discuss responses to the global financial crisis on his way to Cambodia, the officials said.

He will then meet separately with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen as well as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong in Phnom Penh on Sunday morning, followed by talks with Laotian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisoulith in Vientiane in the afternoon.

Nakasone is slated to return to Tokyo on Monday night, the officials said.

Cambodia marks Khmer Rouge fall

A young Cambodian wearing a traditional "Krama" headscarf looks on during ceremonies at Olympic Stadium Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, celebrating the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime 30 years ago. As schedule, the first trial of the Khmer Rouge leaders will take place sometime in the first quarter of this year. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)

By SOPHENG CHEANG
Associated Press
2009-01-07

Thousands of Cambodians celebrated Wednesday the fall of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime 30 years ago as a UN-backed tribunal prepared to finally try some of its key leaders for crimes against humanity.

More than 40,000 people packed Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium for speeches and a parade to mark the day Vietnamese forces entered the capital to oust the ultra-communists from power.

Despite the deaths of 1.7 million or more Cambodians during the Khmer Rouge's 1975-79 rule, none of the surviving leaders have yet faced justice.

One of the accused _ Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, who headed the Khmer Rouge's largest torture center _ is expected to take the stand in March, said co-prosecutor Robert Petit, adding that the trial is expected to take three to four months.

But the other four, all of them aging and ailing, probably won't be tried until 2010 or later.
Tribunal spokeswoman Helen Jarvis said Tuesday that they would hold a procedural meeting next week.

Although this year's celebration _ dubbed "Victory over Genocide" _ was the largest ever, keynote speaker and Senate President Chea Sim made no mention of the tribunal.

The Cambodian government, whose top leaders served in the Khmer Rouge ranks before defecting, has been accused of foot-dragging on the trial.

"After 30 years, no one has been tried, convicted or sentenced for the crimes of one of the bloodiest regimes of the 20th century," the New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a release Monday.

"This is no accident. For more than a decade, China and the United States blocked efforts at accountability, and for the past decade (Prime Minister) Hun Sen has done his best to thwart justice," it said.

China was a key supporter of the Khmer Rouge and then the United States backed a post-1979 insurgency, which included Khmer Rouge guerrillas who fought the Vietnamese-installed government in Phnom Penh.

The Khmer Rouge finally fell apart in 1998 after the death of its leader Pol Pot.

Chea Sim said that the legacy of the Khmer Rouge era has yet to be erased in Cambodia, where peace, nonviolence and a sense of self-confidence were still needed. He also noted that 30 percent of the people were still living below the poverty line.

"I am happy to join in the ceremony today because on Jan. 7 my second life began," said a 59-year-old farmer, Im Oun. She said her father and sister both died of starvation during the Khmer Rouge period, when the country was turned into a vast slave labor camp.

"I want to see Khmer Rouge leaders prosecuted as soon as possible because they are getting old now," she said.

Paua and patties for Cambodian pupils

stuff.co.nz

Kaikoura Star Wednesday, 07 January 2009

Another one's down but there are many more to go for a woman trying to raise $150,000 to build a school in Cambodia by selling seafood delights around the country's markets and festivals.

Kaikoura woman Janene McIlwrick was at the annual Richmond Market, Nelson, last week selling paua and whitebait patties to some of the thousands of patrons who lined Queen St to sample wares from vendors as far away as Whangerei and Dunedin.

Ms McIlwrick first visited Cambodia in 2003 and went back in 2006 to see what she could do to help the communities there.

She ended up volunteering to teach English in the district of Takeo, 78km south of the capital Phnom Penh.

Ms McIlwrick said she hoped to raise $150,000 to build a new school for those teachers and students.

"They got donated this land but don't have the money to do anything with it so they are renting buildings which are hugely inadequate and on very dangerous streets.

"There are floods and huge rents so they really do struggle."

She recently received a text message from a friend in Cambodia about a car accident involving a very young student outside the school building the day before Christmas eve. Three-year-old Andre Rotah died that day.

The Khmer Youth Development Project school teaches spoken English to 180 students from preschool to age 33.

Ms McIlwrick has already worked at Kaikoura Seafest and several other markets with her partner, Pete York, and hopes that next time they return to Cambodia it will be early next year with the materials and the expertise to be able to fulfil their plan.

"We are going to take two New Zealand builders with us and I will oversee the project," she said.
Ms McIlwrick hopes to bring the principal of the school to New Zealand early this year to speak to local Anglican communities.

For any further information, Ms McIlwrick can be contacted on 03 319 6599, or at neeneenarnee@yahoo.co.nz

Surf comp set to help Cambodia

yourguide.com.au

KARISA WHELAN
7/01/2009

Local surfers have the chance to share in top prizes when the Ulladulla Boardriders join forces with two local ladies to help raise funds for the Cambodia Challenge in a surf comp this weekend.

The comp will be held this Saturday, January 10, at Rennies Beach with funds raised going to help former Ulladulla High School students Kristen Briggs and Turia Pitt in their efforts to deliver aid to Cambodia.

The girls plan to cycle more than 350 kilometres through Cambodia in September 2009, delivering aid and raising awareness about the issue faced by Cambodians.

The two girls are hoping to raise $15,000 in sponsorship in the lead up to the trip to deliver much-needed aid in Cambodia including delivering funds for child protection, health care, water, sanitation and education.

The two girls are excited about the upcoming competition and hope to see many people turn out to support the event.

“We have had a good response so far and hope to see heaps of people who don’t surf come along and watch the competition,” Kristen told the Times.

“Both Turia and I will be there throughout the day and will be collecting donations from spectators.”

With dozens of great prizes, including a Mark Rabbidge Surf Board along with gear donated by event sponsors Southern Man, O’Neill and Ripple Affect, the comp is a must enter for any local surfer.

Entry is $25 per competitors with open, under 16s and open girls' divisions to be run on the day.

Entry forms are available at www.cambodiachallenge.synthasite.com or they can be collected from Southern Man, Beach Haven Holiday Resort, Dolphin Point Tourist Park, the Hot Glass Gallery in Burrill Lake and Mollymook Fine Wines and Ales.

The competition will kick off at 7am and following the day of surfing, presentations will be held at the Mollymook Surf Club.

Cambodia´s railway revenues drop by 25% over trade slump

CCTV,com

Source: Xinhua
01-07-2009

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's railway revenues dropped by 25 percent in 2008 as freight deliveries plummeted and trade with Thailand declined, English-language daily newspaper the Phnom Penh Post said on Wednesday.

"Last year's revenues from railway transportation services was 1.5 million U.S. dollars, one quarter down from 2007," said Sokhom Pheakacanmony, director general of the Royal Railway of Cambodia.

The kingdom's limited railway, which runs from Phnom Penh municipality to port province Sihanoukville, as well as to Battambang province and Sisophon city in Bantey Meanchey province, are heavily dependent on trade with Thailand, he said.

"The drop was because the border dispute with Thailand led to a decrease in freight for goods such as cement that are brought in through the Poipet checkpoint," he was quoted by the paper as saying.

The border was closed entirely to train transportation in October, he added.

Meanwhile, the national election in July and the real estate downturn also affected the decline, he said.

"Cambodian businesses stocked up goods prior to the election and reduced their orders afterwards," he added.

According to official report, Cambodian trains transported 233,000 tons of goods in 2008, over 310,000 tons in 2007.

Hotel Renakse seized by PPenh authorities

Photo by: TRACEY SHELTON

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by May Titthara
Wednesday, 07 January 2009

After months of dispute over the future of the historic establishment, city officials move in, despite the manager's protests

An officer with the Phnom Penh Intervention Police talks on the phone Tuesday as belongings and furniture are removed from the Hotel Renakse.

PM defends divisive celebration

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Sam Rith
Wednesday, 07 January 2009

The January 7 holiday provokes mixed emotions in the Kingdom

PRIME Minister Hun Sen lashed out Tuesday against those who did not recognise today's Victory over Genocide holiday, calling them "animals".

"If you ignorant persons and extremists do not dare acknowledge the truth [of January 7, 1979], you are not humans, you are truly animals," Hun Sen said during an inauguration for the new Stung Meanchey bridge.

Hun Sen acknowledged that not all areas were liberated on the same day that the Vietnamese-backed forces toppled the Khmer Rouge in Phnom Penh 30 years ago, but he said that the day represented the end of the regime.

"This is the truth of history," he said.

On Monday, a statement from the Son Sann Foundation called October 23, 1991 - the signing of the Paris Peace Accords - the true date to acknowledge freedom from oppression because the agreement partially restored "Cambodian independence and sovereignty" after the "de facto Vietnamese Victory" in 1979.

"Instead of national reconciliation, [the January 7 celebration] further splits the unity of the Cambodian people and civil servants who are forced to parade at this shameful day," the statement said.

Son Sann was the founder of the Khmer People's National Liberation Front, which was one of four factions involved in Cambodia's civil war of the 1980s.

Opposition Sam Rainsy Party members have also said they would not celebrate January 7, which they insist has been hijacked by Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party.

But government spokesman and Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith told reporters on Sunday that the holiday is for all Cambodians because many movements fought for victory against the Khmer Rouge.

Police target pawnshops

Photo by: Sovann philong
Men load suspected stolen motorbikes onto a truck in Phnom Penh last week.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Chrann Chamroeun
Wednesday, 07 January 2009

The ongoing crackdown on stolen goods has police interrogating pawnshop owners about the items they have on sale – and where they acquired them

Hundreds of motorbikes police suspect were stolen have been impounded pending further investigation as a nationwide sweep of illegal pawnshops dealing in suspect goods continues, law enforcement officials say.

Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith on Monday said figures cited in local media reports overstated the scale of the confiscations of stolen motorbikes during a crackdown in seven districts across the Kingdom.

"It is not true that more than 2,000 motorbikes have been seized from illegal pawnshops," he said, adding the number was far lower and said police are only holding vehicles that they suspect have been stolen from their original owners.

"We are interrogating illegal pawnshop owners to identify the people who brought the irregular motorbikes to the shop and both [the persons who stole the motorbikes and the illegal pawnshop owners] will face penalties," he said, adding that the original owners could come and look for their stolen vehicles at police stations in their area.

" WE ARE INTERROGATING ILLEGAL PAWNSHOP OWNERS...AND [THEY] WILL FACE PENALTIES. "

The recent crackdown was started after a directive from Prime Minister Hun Sen to improve local security, district governor of Tuol Kork in Phnom Penh, Seng Rattanak, told the Post last week. In Tuol Kork district alone, police seized 779 motorbikes from 13 illegal pawnshops.

Sam Rainsy lawmaker Yim Sovann said he welcomed the government's crackdown on illegal pawnshops but said authorities should combine it with efforts to stop illegal gambling.

"I strongly urge the government to completely close illegal gambling in hotels and karaoke clubs [because they] are now expanding their routes of theft, robbery and pawning activities," he said, suggesting that when people lose at illegal gambling places, they might steal motorbikes to earn back the money. He did not have any concrete details to support this claim.

Investigations ongoing

In Battambang, district police Chief Tuch Ra said Monday that police were still investigating which of the seized motorbikes were stolen. Reports will be sent to the district prosecutor's office for further investigation, but no cases have been handed over so far, he added.

At the provincial office of rights group Adhoc, coordinator Yin Mengly said he was positive about the crackdown, but that he questioned the effectiveness of the efforts.

"This crackdown [only] comes after the prime minister's order, [and] the authorities never cracked down on illegal pawnshops and illegal gambling in the past," he said, suggesting that these authorities had benefited from the activities by receiving bribes for not taking action.

Tuch Ra denied this allegation, saying he knew that there were several illegal pawnshops in his area, but that police are taking action.

"We are now conducting an investigation to ask for a prosecutor's warrant to check the shops and inspect afterwards," he said.

Elephants gets green light from ministers

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Khouth Sophakchakrya
Wednesday, 07 January 2009

THE Council of Ministers has thrown its support behind the rock opera Where Elephants Weep after Buddhist clergy asked the government to ban the show from being televised nationally due to its allegedly dishonorable presentation of monks.

"Where Elephants Weep is a modern Khmer rock opera which generated great interest from the international community, so we continue to support and encourage its performance because it promotes our culture in the world," said spokesman and secretary of state for the Council of Ministers Phay Siphan on Tuesday after a meeting intended to settle the dispute.

"Our government knows very well that Buddhism is our state religion, and it protects it and promotes it," he said. "But we cannot ban [the show's] global performance.

"Elephants is a post-Khmer Rouge take on the Cambodian classic Tom Tiev, telling the story of a Cambodian-American man who becomes a monk in order to find his Cambodian roots with a mix of rock, pop and traditional Khmer tunes.

Cambodia's Supreme Sangha, the council of Buddhist monks, had complained in a December 30 letter to the Ministry of Cults and Religion that the show dishonours the Buddhist religion and asked that it be banned from national television and the cast apologise.

"We are working on this situation with our marketing managers and leaders within the ministries," writer Catherine Filloux and composer Him Sophy told the Post by email. "We are in the planning stages for the new international productions of Where Elephants Weep and excited about moving our new work forward."

Elephants gets green light from ministers

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Khouth Sophakchakrya
Wednesday, 07 January 2009

THE Council of Ministers has thrown its support behind the rock opera Where Elephants Weep after Buddhist clergy asked the government to ban the show from being televised nationally due to its allegedly dishonorable presentation of monks.

"Where Elephants Weep is a modern Khmer rock opera which generated great interest from the international community, so we continue to support and encourage its performance because it promotes our culture in the world," said spokesman and secretary of state for the Council of Ministers Phay Siphan on Tuesday after a meeting intended to settle the dispute.

"Our government knows very well that Buddhism is our state religion, and it protects it and promotes it," he said. "But we cannot ban [the show's] global performance."

Elephants is a post-Khmer Rouge take on the Cambodian classic Tom Tiev, telling the story of a Cambodian-American man who becomes a monk in order to find his Cambodian roots with a mix of rock, pop and traditional Khmer tunes.

Cambodia's Supreme Sangha, the council of Buddhist monks, had complained in a December 30 letter to the Ministry of Cults and Religion that the show dishonours the Buddhist religion and asked that it be banned from national television and the cast apologise.

"We are working on this situation with our marketing managers and leaders within the ministries," writer Catherine Filloux and composer Him Sophy told the Post by email. "We are in the planning stages for the new international productions of Where Elephants Weep and excited about moving our new work forward."

PM warns prince: no nepotism

Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN

Prime Minister Hun Sen greets supporters at the inauguration of a bridge in Phnom Penh on Tuesday.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Vong Sokheng
Wednesday, 07 January 2009

Rehabilitated Prince Ranariddh was appointed the King’s most senior adviser, but the PM used a public speech to warn him not to dole out favours

PRIME Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday warned Prince Norodom Ranariddh against abusing his new position atop the King's royal council to dole out privileges to his supporters.

King Norodom Sihamoni appointed his half-brother Ranariddh as Chief of High Advisers to the King, a post equivalent in rank to that of prime minister, in a royal decree leaked last month that also gave palace council positions to 25 other members of the royal family.

While he acknowledged the ceremonial significance of Ranariddh's post, which will give him the same salary as the prime minister, the bottom line, he said, was that "it has no power".

"There are a number of people trying to be recruited to work with Ranariddh. This is wrong, but maybe the prince is not aware of it," Hun Sen added.

The prince and his camp have repeatedly denied allegations of nepotism and immediately lashed back at the Khmer-language newspaper Moneaksekar Khmer after, in an article last month, it alleged the prince had requested the prime minister provide him with a mansion in front of the Royal Palace and asked for the appointments of 200 of his supporters to the King's Cabinet."

There is no recruitment. The prince told me to keep quiet, and he cannot guarantee anything for his supporters," Chea Chanboribo, Ranariddh's spokesman, said. "Even me, I work as his helper.

"In his speech, the prime minister also took jabs at the prince for what he described as backhanded attempts to gain power.

Ranariddh was ousted from his position as co-prime minister when troops loyal to his royalist party clashed with troops loyal to Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) in 1997.

Power hungry?

"Ranariddh and Nhek Bun Chhay signed a deal with Khmer Rouge Khieu Samphan in 1997 to test the power (of the CPP), but they lost..." he said.

Ranariddh quit politics after seeing his career spiral downwards at the hand, observers say, of Hun Sen.

But he insisted his appointment had nothing to do with his decision to retire. Rather, it was the CPP's overwhelming victory in July national polls that caused him to leave the political arena.

Khmer Rouge tribunal dogged by government interference: HRW

Photo by: TRACEY SHELTON
Court spokeswoman Helen Jarvis shown here in a file photo.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Brendan Brady
Wednesday, 07 January 2009

Rights group slams government for obstructing war crimes court, as celebrations to commemorate fall of Khmer Rouge begin

ON the eve of today's 30th anniversary of the fall of the Khmer Rouge, Human Rights Watch released a report condemning the progress of the United Nations-backed war crimes court and accusing the government of obstructing its procedures.

"After 30 years, no one had been tried, convicted or sentenced for the crimes of one of the bloodiest regimes of the 20th century," said Brian Adams, Asia director of the New York-based human rights watchdog group, in a statement released Tuesday.

"[For] the past decade Hun Sen had done his best to thwart justice," he added.

The comments came a day ahead of the celebrations organised by the ruling Cambodian People's Party to mark three decades since the day in 1979 when Vietnamese-led forces drove the Khmer Rouge out of the capital.

The statement called both the design and practices of the court "deeply flawed", especially by allowing for disproportionate involvement of the Cambodian judiciary, which, it noted, the UN has described as lacking independence, competence and professionalism. It also cited reports of rampant job-selling among the court's Cambodian staff.

Spread your wings

The rights group criticised the insistence of Cambodian Co-prosecutor Chea Leang on restricting the number of suspects investigated by the court to the five Khmer Rouge leaders currently detained.

In the first public announcement of her reasoning against the proposal of her international counterpart, Robert Petit, to expand the docket, Chea Leang said in a statement Monday that such a move would contradict the original mandate of the tribunal, overstretch its duration and budget, and undermine national stability and reconciliation.

But observers have said blocking the second set of prosecutions could exacerbate allegations that the co-prosecutor is acting at the behest of the Cambodian government.

Helen Jarvis, the international spokeswoman for the hybrid court, would not comment on the specific arguments made in the report, but said: "We take seriously comments from the public and any group, and we take what they say into account."

The report also said that "the impunity enjoyed by the Khmer Rouge has been matched" by successive regimes, citing the implication of Hun Sen's bodyguard unit in the 1997 grenade attack on an opposition political rally that yielded no response from the courts.

Arrest warrants issued for bomb plot

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Sam Rith
Wednesday, 07 January 2009

AN official at the Ministry of Interior on Tuesday said that his ministry has received an arrest warrant in connection with Friday's foiled bomb plot that appeared to target the Defence Ministry and a state-run television channel.

"We now have the arrest warrant in hand," said Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for the ministry who then declined to comment further on the case.

Khieu Kanharith, government spokesman and information minister, told reporters Sunday that police had identified two suspects.

"[The perpetrators] placed these explosive devices to scare people from attending the anniversary of January 7," he said.

Renakse stripped, control handed to PP municipality

Photo by: TRACEY SHELTON
Phnom Penh municipal authorities drive furniture, fittings and guests’ luggage out of the Hotel Renakse in central Phnom Penh on Tuesday. An official order has banned staff, customers and the manager from the premises.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by May Titthara
Wednesday, 07 January 2009

Furniture and fittings were ripped out of the hotly contested hotel on Tuesday by local authorities citing a court order giving control to the Municipality

FURNITURE and fittings were carted out of the hotly-contested Hotel Renakse on Tuesday as police acted on a Municipal Court order to close the establishment.

"I have come to close this hotel according to a Municipal Court decision," Sok Sambath, governor of Daun Penh district told the Post outside the hotel on Tuesday.

According to a court ruling released by Ke Sakhorn, deputy director of the Municipal Court, all the furniture and fittings belonging to the erstwhile manager Kem Chantha must be moved out of the hotel. Guests, staff and Kem Chantha herself are banned from the premises.

Temporary control of the property has been handed to municipal authorities, the court order says. According to the court order, the hotel has been closed in accordance with a municipal Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction Department directive that stipulates that buildings over 100 years old and in poor condition - both of which, it claims, the Renakse is - must be closed for safety reasons.

Citing the Municipal Court decision, local authorities on Tuesday asked for the keys to the building from Ranakse staff to lock the rooms and remove all furnishings in Phnom Penh District security trucks, staff at the hotel said.

But manager Kem Chantha claims the authorities have ignored three hand-written letters she has from Cambodian People's Party leaders Chea Sim, Heng Samrin and Hun Sen which, she claims, show the conflicting claims are not as black-and-white as municipal authorities claim.

"They released the court decision protection warranty letter at 5pm yesterday [Monday], and in the morning they enforced it. This is an unjust court order. I am the manager of the hotel and I am responsible for it, not the Phnom Penh Municipality," she added.

Manager who will not leave

Kem Chantha has operated the hotel for more than two decades, and her lease is valid until April 2050, she says.

But a notice posted late September on the hotel's front gate said the property, owned by the Cambodian People's Party, had been sold to Alexan Inc and will be converted into housing for government officials.

Kem Chantha said the government offered US$200,000 in return for breaking her lease.

"I lost everything now, I lost my business - my clients, my staff - it has a strong impact on my guests because they left their luggage in the room and left the country on Christmas Day, but [authorities] do not allow the guests to enter to retrieve their belongings," she added.

Yim Socheat, police chief of Daun Penh district, declined to comment.

Thais demand cash from cruise

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by May Kunmakara and Thet Sambath
Wednesday, 07 January 2009

MORE than 200 Cambodian tourists were denied entry into Thailand while on a Christmas Day cruise despite having valid entry visas, a passenger said.

"We all had visas stamped on our passports but the Thai [border] police still denied us entry", a passenger who only identified herself as Chenda told the Post on Tuesday.

"They demanded we deposit $1,500 to enter Bangkok and keep it there for two months," she said. "But a group of Vietnamese made up of 25 people was allowed into Bangkok and only Cambodians were denied."

"We disagree with the behaviour of the Thai police and we will try to find out why they did this," said Semon Samay, a lawyer for Jupiter Cruises ,the travel company involved .

Kaw Sook, counsellor at the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, said he was unaware of the incident but said the embassy was investigating. He said he was disappointed to hear that money was demanded, but that he assumed the travel company had not provided the necessary documentation.

Where tourists go, beggars follow

Photo by: SOVANN PHILONG

Beggars on the beach in Sihanoukville.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by May Titthara
Wednesday, 07 January 2009

Sihanoukville’s beaches are falling victim to their own success, with increased migration from poorer provinces leading to a rise in the number of beggars on the beaches

AS tourism in Cambodia's beach resort town of Sihanoukville gradually takes off, local authorities say the industry is in jeopardy due to an attendant explosion in the number of beggars working the sandy shores of the Kingdom's southernmost city.

"The number of beggars has increased compared to previous years towards the end of 2008, especially during the New Year holiday," Som Chenda, director of the Tourism Department in Sihanouk province, told the Post Monday.

Som Chenda said the rise in tourist arrivals has lured increasing numbers of vagabonds to Cambodia's beaches, eager to make a fast buck by begging. He says he is concerned the sheer number of beggars will scare away tourists.

"I am really worried about the increase, but I do not know what I will do with the [beggars] yet," he said.

"It has a really bad impact to this province, which is a hotspot for tourism. If these people come to beg from visitors, it really impacts the visitors' experience," he said.

The problem is compounded by the fact that local authorities have no resources to deal with the beggars.

"We try to persuade them to find a new job and go back to their provinces," he said.

Growing trend

Sok Serey, director of Sihanouk province's Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation Department, estimated that the number of beggars had increased from 76 families a few months ago to more than 100 families now, and he said the migration to the coast appeared set to continue.

Most of the beggars are children, disabled people or old people, and most come from Prey Veng, Kandal, Kampot and Kampong Speu provinces, he said.

"Now our staff is trying to educate them to go back to their province voluntarily to do other jobs, and we will support them with the money for transportation home," he said.

According to Tak Vanntha, Sihanouk province's police chief, his forces can only arrest beggars temporarily to educate them about the negative impact they have on tourism.

"We have reported this case to the provincial governor, and the department that is working on this to find a solution for the beggars - maybe by building a school or vocational learning center," he added.

"The problem must be solved one step at a time, but it is a hard problem for us," he said."Even though we bring them back to their homeland, they will return again."

Explosive fragments of the past dug up as new road is built

A LONG WAY TO GO
Heng Ratana, director of CMAC, says the group has demined 220km of land in Palin, but over 2,000km of suspected land mine area remains untouched. Eight mines have been exploded since the start of building National Road 57 last year.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Thet Sambath
Wednesday, 07 January 2009

Former National Route 10 is being dug up and replaced, but over 5,000 unexploded ordnance have been unearthed in the past 5 months

MORE than 5,000 unexploded ordnance have been uncovered along former National Road 10 over the past five months, de-mining authorities say, as the decrepit road between Battambang and the former Khmer Rouge stronghold of Pailin is torn up in preparation for a modern highway.

Running along territory in the northwest of Cambodia controlled by the Khmer Rouge well into the 1990s, the route saw continual fighting between government and resistance forces, with each side laying mines before retreating from the area.

"Many mines were laid along the route by resistance forces and government troops in the 1980s and 1990s. It has more mines than any other national road in the country," said Sem Sovanny, director of the Mine Clearance Training Centre.

He said teams totaling 120 de-miners unearthed 650 anti-personnel mines, 25 anti-tank mines and 4,750 other explosive remnants from the route, which in the future will be called National Road 57.

" It has more mines than any other national road in the country. "

Two anti-tank and 6 anti-personnel mines have exploded, wounding an unspecified number of people and destroying or damaging several construction vehicles since construction on the road began in November of last year, officials say.

The mine clearance efforts have been assisted by access to a convoy of 30 advanced de-mining vehicles capable of detecting mines up to seven metres underground, whereas previous equipment only allowed for detection of devices buried near the surface, said Sem Sovanny.

Area of heavy fighting

For Keut Sothea, the deputy governor of Pailin province - who was formerly a member of the Khmer Rouge - the abundance of mines came as no surprise.

"It was formerly a hot battlefield, and both sides of the armed forces had laid mines against each other to try to achieve victory," he said.

The Cambodian Mine Action Authority, which had previously conducted mine clearance operations along the road, defended itself, saying new mine discoveries were from areas where it had not operated.

Heng Ratana, director of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre, said, "Our deminers used to demine on this road, but the explosive remnants were not found in places where we had demined".

Praying for marital bliss

Photo by: TRACEY SHELTON

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Tracey Shelton
Wednesday, 07 January 2009

Chhey Phalin offers incense at Preah Ang Chek - Preah Ang Chom temple in Siem Reap town. The temple was named after two magical sisters who are believed to answer the prayers of those who make offerings. It is particularly popular with newlyweds wishing for good luck in their marriage.

The January 7 celebrations in context

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Sophan Seng
Wednesday, 07 January 2009

Dear Editor,

It is a great privilege for me to write something about how the day of January 7 simply reflects the thought of a Cambodian. Of course, January 7 is still an ongoing controversial day. Some people see it as the day of foreign occupation over Cambodian sovereignty, but others see this day as their second life when Vietnamese troops toppled the Khmer Rouge regime.

However, to celebrate this day is not significantly representing Cambodians as the whole nation. It is only celebrated by the Cambodian People's Party, which has been in power since the day of January 7, 1979.

In the past, the celebration of January 7 was likely to honour the victory over the Khmer Rouge regime and aimed to condemn, to ban the Khmer Rouge and make it impossible for them to control the country again, and, legally, to sentence them to death in absentia.

But in this year, the theme of the celebration after its 30 years in power, according to the news, is that the CPP will focus on increasing the awareness of sovereignty protection, economic development and leading Cambodia to enjoy a further level of advancement.

Hence, the January 7 day has significantly belonged to the CPP. It has not been generally accepted by the Cambodian people. Whatever theme each celebration expects to achieve, those themes still belong to the CPP, and it is truly reminding Cambodian people of the brutality, the foreign invasion and the nonstop division among Cambodian nationals.

I understand that the CPP holds this day as very important for their internal bond and achievement of pride, particularly the victory during each national election. This day might not work any longer to recall the brutality of the Khmer Rouge because by doing so, it might not be smart to pursue national unity, long-sighted leadership, national reconciliation and an advance of Cambodia to further achievement in the age of globalisation.

Sophan Seng
PhD student in political science
University of Hawaii at Manoa