DAP News ; Breaking News by Soy Sopheap

via CAAI News Media

Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority wins industry water award 2010 from Sweden

Wednesday, 02 June 2010 11:21 DAP-NEWS by Tep Piseth

Phnom Penh water supply authorities announced Wednesday that it named Phnom Penh water supply to get 2010 industry award for its role effective role in water management that classified in world model,” the statement from the Stockholm International Water Institute said.

It said that the 2010 winner is the Cambodian Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) under the leadership of General Director Ek Sonn Chan, for its world class performance in water supply and self-sufficiency.

“The PPWSA has successfully fought corruption and shown this can be achieved in a developing country on a large-scale basis using simple but effective management techniques that are based on well-accepted business principles and strategies.

As a self-sufficient company, operating without subsidies from the state, PPWSA today provides 24-hour service and 90 per cent coverage to a city of 1.3 million and fully recovers its costs as it continues to develop both its infrastructure and management.

Cambodia refused “Thai Red Protesters train for social unrest activities in Thailand”

Wednesday, 02 June 2010 11:41 DAP-NEWS by Tep Piseth

The Spokesman of the Press and Quick Reaction Unit of the Office of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday totally rejected a Thai ASTV report dated 31 May 2010 at 09:00 am that “the Thai Regional Military 2 commander, Vivalit Chhonsomrit, claimed that there are a number of armed Red Shirt elements who moved into the Cambodian territory in Anlongveng district of Oddor Meanchey province, where they are trained how to carry out social unrest activities and create political upheaval in Thailand prior to the setting up of a command headquarter in Thai Sokonnakhan province, in a move to announce that the country’s northeastern region is under Red Shirt’s control.”

The Spokesman of the Press and Quick Reaction Unit of the Office of the Council of Ministers is duty-bound to bring clarification to the national and international public that the Kingdom of Cambodia is bound by its Constitution, of which Article 53, paragraph 2, 3, and 5 stated as follows: “The Kingdom of Cambodia follows a policy of peaceful co-existence with its neighbors and with all other countries throughout the world.”

“The Kingdom of Cambodia shall not invade any country, nor interfere in any other country's internal affairs, directly or indirectly, and shall solve any problems peacefully with due respect for mutual interests”, and “The Kingdom of Cambodia shall not permit any foreign military base on its territory and shall not have its own military base abroad, except within the framework of the United Nations.”

In order to maintain bilateral and friendly relations between Cambodia and Thailand, the Spokesman of the Press and Quick Reaction Unit of the Office of the Council of Ministers insists that Thai officials and military officers as well as its media must be cautious not to disseminate baseless information, which would mislead the national and international public opinion and unnecessarily cause misunderstanding between Cambodia and Thailand.

U.S. found winners for Cambodian students on Mock Trial

Wednesday, 02 June 2010 11:43 DAP-NEWS by Chantha

The students from the Royal University of Law and Economics has won 2010 National Mock Trial Competition which supported by The US embassy in Cambodia, the statement from US embassy said on Wednesday.

It added that a team from Royal University of Law and Economics won the fourth annual Mock Trial Competition, which tests the legal and advocacy skills of talented Cambodian law students.

It noted the three-day event, which concluded with an awards ceremony on Friday, May 28, was sponsored by the United States through USAID and hosted by the Royal University of Law and Economics.

“I am so happy to have won this competition, it’s my dream,” said Kim Maryan, a member of the winning team was quoted by the statement a saying. “I have learned a lot of new skills and techniques especially advocacy and case analysis that will help me in law school and in my future career.” She said.

The statement added that the competition featured nine teams of five students and was presided over by a mixed panel of international and Cambodian legal professionals. The contest is designed to improve the effectiveness of the Cambodian legal system by strengthening the skills of students who will soon embark on careers as lawyers and judges.

It stated that through several rounds of competition, the teams were presented with difficult legal cases and had to organize evidence around a theory and persuasively argue their case to the panel of judges. The team from the Royal University of Law and Economics won the silver medal.

In addition to the winners, teams from eight Cambodian law schools participated in the competition. The law schools represented were University of Cambodia, Pannasastra University of Cambodia, Norton University, Royal University of Law and Economics, Cambodia Mekong University, Build Bright University, National University of Management and the Cambodian University for Specialties.

USAID, together with its implementing partners East West Management Institute, The Asia Foundation and the American Bar Association, has provided approximately $5 million in assistance this year to support legal education strengthen Cambodia’s legal system by training judges and lawyers, and provide the public with greater access to information.

Cambodia, Indonesia share common benefits from visa exemption

Wednesday, 02 June 2010 11:23 DAP-NEWS by Tep Piseth

Cambodia and Indonesia, the two countries ASEAN on Wednesday inked an agreement on visa exemption tourism industry to share the common benefits between the two countries.

Hor Namhong, Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the visiting Marty Natalegawa, Indonesian foreign minister inked the agreement for visa exemption.

The visa exemption will provide for benefits for tourists from Indonesia to Cambodia and from this agreement, Cambodian people will be able to go to Indonesia easily,” Hor told reporters after signing ceremony.

According to the statement from foreign ministry, Marty Natalegawa paid a three-day official visit to Cambodia and he paid the courtesy call on Chea Sim, president of the Senate, Heng Samrin, president of the National Assembly and Prime Minister Hun Sen. Marty Natalegawa will also be received a royal audience by King Norodom Sihamoni.

Cambodia will look forward to inking other agreements on visa exemptions with other countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and in the Asian region and in Europe.

Cambodia has inked similar agreements with other members in ASEAN except Brunei, Myanmar and Thailand. ASEAN countries are walking forward to building ASEAN community in 2015.

Cambodian Supreme Court uphold for defamation between opposition lawmaker and PM Hun Sen

Wednesday, 02 June 2010 11:18 DAP-NEWS by Chantha

Cambodia's Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the verdict from lower court that ruled opposition legislator Mu Sochua had defamed Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The lower court convicted former women's affairs minister Mu Sochua to lose the defamation with Prime Minister Hun Sen and the courts ordered her to pay Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen with 2,000 US dollars as compensation and fined other 2,125 US dollars to government. After the top court announced the verdict, she told reporters outside : I lost the case because the court is biased. “The court was provided injustice for me,” she said.

I will not pay the money and allow the police to arrest me better than pay the money,” she stresses. The court dealt the case that filed by Prime Minister Hun Sen, But it did not take up my complaints against PM Hun Sen.

Prime Minister Hun Sen Said on Third Cambodia Development Cooperate Forum (CDCF)

Wednesday, 02 June 2010 10:02 DAP-NEWS

CAMBODIA, PHNOM PENH, June 2, 2010 - “Last year’s global economic crisis was a litmus test to measure sound achievement that we have made so far and to test the capacity of the Government in leading socio-economic development. While going through the hardest period of this crisis, Cambodia has gained lessons and experiences through designing and implement necessary policies to contain the interconnected measures aiming at helping the sectors that were directly hit by the crisis, by strengthening social safety nets for Cambodian people and giving priorities to sectors that has the potential to generate high economic growth and support the effort for economic diversification and poverty reduction, as well as improving livelihoods of the overwhelming majority of Cambodian people in the rural areas, namely the agriculture sector.

From these lessons and experiences, we must have a social security system that is formal, comprehensive and consistent with the capacity and needs of Cambodia. In the meantime, the conceptual framework for a social security system has already been developed, and we are taking a step further to transform this conceptual framework into concrete mechanism for implementation”. PM Hun Sen said.

"Based on experiences and lessons we have learnt, we clearly realize that when the global financial meltdown has subsided we must seek ways to define various policy measures that we must implement in order to ensure that Cambodia is on the pace of high economic growth, strengthen and expand our achievements in poverty reduction and sustainable development. We must also ensure that the Cambodia’s economic structure will be modernized and the basis for economic growth will be more comprehensively strengthened along with the progress of national and regional integration. Thus our key issue is to strengthen the competitive advantages of Cambodia. I believe that major priority that I have stressed earlier including the detailed policy measures stated in the Updated National Strategic Development Plan will help pave the way for spearheading the ship of Cambodia to move toward achieving the vision and strategic objectives of realizing the ambition set out by the Royal Government in the Rectangular Strategy II." he added.

PM Hun Sen Assures Donors Transparency, Fights Graft, and More Invest in Social Sectors

Wednesday, 02 June 2010 09:39 DAP-NEWS/ Ek Madra

CAMBODIA,PHNOM PENH, June 2, 2010– Prime Minister Hun Sen assured donors on Wednesday that he will ensure that the revenues from the extractive industry, vowed to fight graft and to further invest in social sectors as well as establishing stock market all of which for the benefit the Cambodian people.

Speaking at the third development cooperation forum (CDCF), known as donor meeting, Prime Minister said that “the government will strengthen the government capacity in collection and efficient, transparent and accountable management of revenues from all extractive industries, especially from gold mining, oil and gas”.

The Premier said that he encouraged all walks of lives in society to participate in fighting against corruption, which urged by donors as pressing issue needed to be implemented.

Prime Minister assured “the implementation of all important reforms by the government must aim at strengthening good government, through the reform of public administration, legal and judicial reform including anti-corruption.”

“In the context of this vision, the government considers the fight against corruption as a top priority,” said Hun Sen, who has been in power over the last 30 years.

The Cambodian National Assembly in March approved the long-awaited anti-corruption law, which will be used by the government as a legal tool to fight graft but the critics said the law is not transparent could lead to the failure in tackling the corrupt acts.

Hun Sen also said that Cambodia committed to further invest in social sectors such as education, especially in agriculture, a country’s backbone economy, employed nearly 80 percent of the country’s jobs.

The Kingdom has high potential in agriculture followed by tourism and garment.

The country has been successful with rice production in the last decade and this prospect remains unchanged. The kingdom produced an estimated 7.3 million tones of rice for 2009/2010 of which the country saw another surplus of rice of 3.1 million tones available for exports.

“I would like to urge all stakeholders and partners, especially the private sector to support the effective implementation of those measures in order to ensure poverty reduction, improving the living standard of Cambodian as well as promoting the country’s sustainable development,” he said.

Hun Sen also said that Cambodia, who has set out ‘financial sector development strategy 2006- 2015’, will soon have stock market expected in September this year.

“By fast tracking the establishment of Cambodia’s exchange market to mobilize financial resources from both sides and outside the country for national development,” he said in his remark on first day of the meeting to end on Thursday.

It was not immediately known how much Cambodia was seeking from donors this week. The National Assembly of this former war-torn nation on Monday approved $6.3 billion, a policy blue print for National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) 2009- 2013, as investment budget. Cambodia expected donors to fix the shortfall of the investment budget.

The funds will be invested in social, economic, infrastructure and services, Chhay Than, minister of planning, told donors.

Last government-donor meeting in 2008, Cambodia received $951.5 million in assistance, the biggest aid ever since 1994, from donors who urged the country to more reforms including combating graft, land grabs and judicial reform.

The World Bank Country Director Ms Annette Dixon said in her remark “Cambodia has made significant progress in economic growth, poverty reduction and social development in the past decade.”

Cambodian growth hit almost double digits from 1998 to 2007. This Southeast Asian nation projected at 4.4 pct for 2010 and higher at 6 percent for 2011 thanks to the regional economic recovery. The country’s poverty line is now said 30 percent out of the country’s total nearly 14 million from nearly 50 percent in early 1990s when the factional leaders agreed to end the conflicts followed U.N. sponsored election in 1993.

Cambodia Rejects Thais Commander Claims Armed Red Shirt Trained in a Former Khmer Rouge Stronghold

Wednesday, 02 June 2010 07:38 DAP-NEWS/ Ek Madra

CAMBODIA, PHNOM PENH, June 2, 2010 – Cambodia “totally rejected” a Thais media reported that the Red Shirt are gathering in Cambodian Oddarmenchey province where they are trained how to carry out social unrest activities in Thailand, said the Spokesman of the Press and Quick Reaction Unit of the Office of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday.

The Thai Regional Military 2 commander, Vivalit Chhonsomrit, claimed that there are a number of armed Red Shirt elements who moved into the Cambodian territory in Along Veng district of Oddormeanchey province, where they are also trained how to create political upheaval in Thailand, in a move to announce that the country’s northeastern region is under Red Shirt’s control, according to an ASTV reported on 31 May.

“The Killing Fields” leader Pol Pot died in 1998 in Along Veng district borders with Thailand.

The Spokesman of the Press and Quick Reaction Unit of the Office of the Council of Ministers is duty-bound to bring clarification to the national and international public that the Kingdom of Cambodia is bound by its Constitution, of which Article 53, paragraph 2, 3, and 5, said the release.

“The Kingdom of Cambodia follows a policy of peaceful co-existence with its neighbors and with all other countries throughout the world.”

The release said that “the Kingdom of Cambodia shall not invade any country, nor interfere in any other country's internal affairs, directly or indirectly, and shall solve any problems peacefully with due respect for mutual interests”.

“The Kingdom of Cambodia shall not permit any foreign military base on its territory and shall not have its own military base abroad, except within the framework of the United Nations,” it said.

Cambodia urged Thais media and officials must be cautious not to disseminate groundless information, which would mislead the national and international public opinion and unnecessarily cause misunderstanding between Cambodia and Thailand.

“In order to maintain bilateral and friendly relations between Cambodia and Thailand, the Spokesman of the Unit of the Office of the Council of Ministers insists that Thai officials and military officers as well as its media must be cautious not to disseminate baseless information, which would mislead the national and international public opinion and unnecessarily cause misunderstanding between Cambodia and Thailand,” said the release.