via CAAI News Media
Cambodian PM Hun Sen is Pleased with Metfone system
Tuesday, 09 February 2010 06:25 AK MADRA
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen called armed forces to use Metfone mobile system given the company has provided good service nationwide compared with other telephone companies who are currently operating in the kingdom.
The current border situation near Thailand is also a reason, which prompted Cambodian military and police to use Metfone system for security reason to avoid from being tapped the telephone conversations. Dealing with Metfone is safe.
The Metfone cable networks are planted underground. Other companies dealt with air services. “So for security reason, all the military division and brigades facilities must be equipped with Metfone cable network so that to prevent any leaking the secret/confidential plan of military,” he said.
“I asked His Excellency Tea Banh and His Excellency So Khun to immediately set up the telephone’s cable system of Metfone which already reached this area,” he told the crowd at the weekend where he joined the inauguration of the military facilities worth $3.5 million in Preah Vihear province.
Tea Banh is defence minister and So Khun is the minister for Post and Telecommunications. “After the Metfone cables are in place in the area, we use the service the maximum.”
Metfone is a brand name for Viettel (Cambodia) PTE.,Ltd. Metfone proudly launched its services in October, 2008 with largest mobile network, whose coverage of 90 percent all areas in this kingdom including urban and rural areas.
The company has been invested more than $100 million to implement and manage a wide and high quality network with significant operations through all 24 provinces.
Metfone has launched many services like mobile network (MetEco, Met4ever, MetGold, MetBiz), wireless fixed phone network (MetHome) and Internet services with 20 percent cheaper than the others, charging per second.
The company has a big amount of customer care and the call centre staffs to deal with customer all the time, and have 100 Metfone showrooms in all provinces.
Metfone has a lot of new promotions with a special convenience for customers like VAS (Value Added Services) includes I-muzik, I-Share, Call Me Back, Miss Call Alert, GPRS service, SMS Service (Gold Price, Money Exchange Rate, Weather Forecast...)
Hun Sen encouraged the officials to use Metfone rather than other companies, whose services were absent in the areas.
“I and Kun Kim turned on mobile phones which used with other mobile services but did not work, so I had to use Metfone instead,” Hun Sen said in the gathering of more than 4,000 military along with commanders including military deputy military commander Kun Kim.
He also called the government’s inst- itutions concerned to facilitate the works of expanding the Metfone optic cable networks across the country for serving people better the telecom service.
At the end of 2009 Metfone will have 3000 BTS and 10.000 km optic cable, and cover a long the national road, provincial road, urban areas, border areas as well as remote sea islands.
Viettel (Cambodia) is officially the first company launching all services Internet ADSL, IP Leased Line, VoIP, Mobile Network and Wireless Fixed phone.
Metfone provides Internet uses to high schools nationwide, costs about $5 million.
Viettel Cambodia was a Cambodian company invested by the Vietnam leading GSM mobile operator, Viettel, which now serves more than 20 million subscribers, a quarter of Vietnam population itself.
It has over four years of mobile operating experience; however, Viettel is proud to be a well-known brand of the most fast-growing mobile operator in Vietnam. To date, it shares 50 percent of the market, a giant step from the number zero in late 2004.
Cambodia’s telecommunications minister So Khun has been called for more foreign firms to invest in the country’s mobile phone sector to satisfy demand that has been growing 40 percent a year in terms of the number of users. The government also wanted to extend reliable coverage to the whole of the country.
In May, 2009, Russia invested $200 million in telecom service in Cambodia.
A leading Russian listed Vimpel-Communications, VIP, announced $200 million investment in Cambodia, where the company saw a great potentiality of mobile phone users.
VimpelCom was the first Russian company to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange ‘NYSE’ under the symbol ‘VIP’ consists of telecommunications operators providing voice and data services through a range of mobile, fixed and broadband technologies.
Anna Aybasheva, of VIP, has said that the company has planned invest in total of $200 million in the next three years times included a $70 million is now being injecting for the operation through the end of this year.
This impoverished Southeast Asian nation has eight mobile phone firms, all foreign-owned except market leader Mobitel, which worked in partnership with Luxembourg-registered Millicom International Cellular.
Cambodia has an estimated 4 million mobile phone subscribers out of a population of about 14 million people of which nearly 90 percent lived in the countryside.
Cambodia to Spend US$100 Million for Military Development Near Thai Border
Tuesday, 09 February 2010 06:23 AK MADRA
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Saturday that his government to invest $100 million for the development of military and social sector in Preah Vihear province alone, the move aimed at strengthening its defense system and the living standard of the locals.
“This amount of money ($100 million) is not going to spend in the field of defense operation, but also to invest in the social development in this area,” Hun Sen said without details.
Hun Sen assured that assured that his ruling party officials are always there to support military operations to protect the nation from being invaded by any foreign invaders including Thailand.
Roads, bridges and military bases as well as military’s houses have been built and upgraded across the province, where the Temple of Preah Vihear located.
“These facilities enable our soldiers to strengthen their capacities so as to prevent any invasion of the tricky neighbor,” Hun Sen said referring to Thailand.
At the same time, Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, who is also Minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers, said he was pleased with the progress has been made by the Royal Cambodia Armed Force (RCAF) over the constructions of military facilities on the 820 hectares of land.
“But we cannot achieve the every thing overnight,” said Dr. Sok An.
“At the same time we must take tough preventive measure on any foreign aggression of taking Cambodian land. We never let any foreign country takes Cambodian land even a single inch,” he said. The government will invest more in the defense field as long as the ruling party of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) continues to stay in power, said the officials.
Hun Sen recalled then the King Norodom Sihanouk who won the case against Thailand over Cambodia’s claimed the Temple of Preah Vihear in which the U.N. court of International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 1962 ruled out that: the Temple of Preah Vihear is situated in territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia.
“I assured our retired King Norodom Sihanouk that we are doing our best to protect the territory from being aggressive by any foreign countries,” he told to more than 4,000 soldiers who attended the ceremony, which displayed more than 20 tanks, heavy weapons including missiles.
“We do not want bloodshed with Thailand, but we will only if it’s necessary,” he was speaking at the inauguration of a US$3.5 million newly built military headquarter, which was funded by Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Sok An, also minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Minister.
“We are avoiding any militarily confrontation as fighting each other is so bad. But this issue is completely depends on the Bangkok government,” Hun Sen told the crowd.
He also slammed the Thais Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva who was quoted in Thais media this week saying that Cambodia’s leaders should negotiate first with Thailand before Hun Sen himself is going to visit the Temple of Preah Vihear.
“Where is the 4.6 square km of disputed area,” Hun Sen asked.
“We, Cambodia, have never accepted any Thais unilateral map.” he said loud.
“Cambodia troops must not pull out from the area. I do not need any negotiation with you (Thailand). That is our land and we do not need you to come and welcome us on our land,” Hun Sen said before he headed off to visit the Temple.
“I can go any time I want to and I can go anywhere if I want to. It is up to me, not you (Thailand’s leader),” he responded to Thais leader comments.
The relations of the two Asian nations have turned sour since Thailand was not pleased with the UNESCO listed the Temple in July, 2008.
The Cambodian Prime Minister warned that Phnom Penh will never reopen its entrance gate, which could be accessed from the Thais side unless the border situation to return to the situation before 15 July, 2008, when both troops clashed and the relations of the two Asian nations turned rocky since.
At least six soldiers were killed from both sides since the two Asian neighbors’ military armed clashed, which have been locked in a standoff since 2008, near at the Temple of Preah Vihear.
Hun Sen has regarded the armed clashes as incidence, not war.
The Cambodian 900-year-old Temple of Preah Vihear was listed by the UNESCO as World Heritage Site in 2008.
Cambodian FM Blasts Thai Media
Tuesday, 09 February 2010 06:22 DAP-NEWS
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said on Monday that Thai media reported false informaion about the visit of Hun Sen to border areas.
“I do not know why they commmented on the wrong things and interpreted PM Hun Sen’s visit in the wrong direction and made the public confused and created the tension. They themselves created tension with us,” Hor Namhong told reporters during a press conference at the Foreign Ministry yesterday afternoon. “They got confused information about the visit. Actually, PM Hun Sen does not have schedule to visit to Ta Moan Temples but Thai leaders and Thai media commented that Cambodia asked Thai side to enter the temples. It is false information.”
PM Hun Sen went to open a new army headquater about 6 km from Ta Moan temple, he explained. “Thai leaders and Thai media system are stupid and I am so sorry to say that. We should say honestly that they are illiterate,” he said. “I so regret that they commented again and again with false information. Moreover, the Thai media and Thai leaders said that they sent a Thai delegation to welcome PM Hun Sen’s visit to border areas, inclduing Preah Vihear temple. In fact, the Cambodian side allowed the Thai delegation to welcome PM Hun Sen on Cambodian soil at Preah Vihear temple.”
Hor Namhong said tensions between Cambodia and Thailand heightened after Thai troops encroached upon Cambodian soil along the border, especially in the Preah Vihear temple region, since July 15, 2008. “It did not come from the appointment of former Thai PM Thaksin as economic advisor to PM Hun Sen, and also it has not been from the non-extradition of Mr. Thaksin. The tension has occurred after current Thai leaders Abhisit and his subordinates used the issue of Preah Vihear temple as a political reason to topple one another and grabbed their own benefits.”
“Thai leaders are stupid leaders, and I am sorry I said these words,” Hor Namhong continued. “Military relations on both sides are good and normal but the politicians in Bangkok always provoked a bad situation with Cambodia. Not only Thai leaders and Thai media system are crazy, but also the spokesman for the Thai foreign ministry is crazy. They are trying to create problems.” He stressed that area near Preah Vihear and temple clearly belongs to Cambodia according to interntaional law, including at the World Court in the Hague in 1962. “If they want (the land), they should please file a complaint to the International Court,” Hor Namhong said.
Thailand apparently plans to protest the registering Preah Vihear temple as a Cambdian World Heritage Site with UNESCO again in July 2010 in Brazil, despite their previous failure. Hor Namhong called the planned Thai actions and “out of date protest” and a “daydream for Thai leaders.”
Hor Namhong confirmed that Cambodia has never asked for Thai assitance for PM Hun Sen’s visit to the border area. “PM Hun Sen walked on Khmer soil and we do not need to ask the Thai side for permission. This is our land,” he stressed.
He also blamed a Thai princess who created for confused comments about Thai-Cambodia tensions. “She is confused about history as a lecturer at the university,” he added.
Aid floods in for Border Dam
Tuesday, 09 February 2010 06:20 DAP-NEWS
Following an appeal from Cambodian soldiers stationed at Veal Entry led by Soy Sopheap, DAP Media Center Director-General, to construct a dam, so far over US$5,000 has been donated by local and overseas donors.
Seang Chan Heng, Heng Development Company Director-General, gave US$2,000 the Cambodian People´s Party (CPP) branch in Massachusetts, US led by Chea Sarun gave US$1,000; So Chong Hour, Sihanouk Provincial Advisor Chief, gave US$1,000; Leang Ching Chay, a Cambodian living in the US gave US$1,000; Khoy Khun Hour, Kampot Province Governor, gave US$1,000; Chorn Chan Leakhena, Cambodian actress, gave US$200; and Chum Sivutin, a student at a Cambodian University, gave US$10.
Veal Entry battle field Commander in Chief Nou Sarat told Soy Sopheap that all soldiers are appealing for aid from all Cambodians both in the country and overseas to build a dam at a cost of more than US$5,000 for the soldiers’ needs. “The dam will be 2m high, 8m wide and it will be able to store the water all the time,” he added.
Leang Ching Chay told DAP News Cambodia that, following his visit to Preah Vihear temple, he saw soldiers short of water. He called for other people living in the US to donate to soldiers stationed at Preah Vihear.
Nou Sarat thanked donors and vowed to protect Cambodian territory, not allowing Thai soldiers to encroach illegally.
Gov’t Blasts ‘Crazy’ Abhisit
Tuesday, 09 February 2010 06:19 DAP-NEWS
Cambodian Prime Minster Hun Sen on Monday had harsh words for Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who has made remarks suggesting that some of the areas visited by Hun Sen are Thai territory.
Hun Sen noted that that Thai Citizens have recently thrown human excrement into Abhisit’s compound, demonstrating their hatred and contempt of him.
“Thai soldiers encroached illegally into Kesekha Kirisvarak pagoda,” Hun Sen said, stressing that the area is not Thai territory as Abhisit had suggested.
“I tell Thai citizens that, among all Thai Prime Ministers, Abhisit is the worst,” Hun Sen said, before addressing Abhisit himself, adding that, “You are very crazy.”
Hun Sen also blasted two Thai newspapers, the Bangkok Post and the Nation, saying they have published erroneous information regarding his three-day visit to border areas.
Thailand has sent more troops to the Ta Morn Thom temple and mistakenly claimed that this area belongs to Thailand. Cambodian has asked Thai forces to withdraw from the area but the Thais insisted that they will stay here to protect a rally of pro-royalist ‘yellow shirts’.
The two nations called for talks to ease the situation then Thai soldiers withdrew from the area.
The Cambodian Foreign Ministry held a press conference to reply to Thai government leaders’ allegations.
“You are crazy and you do not have good advisors,” veteran Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters, apparently also addressing the Thai PM. “You are a Prime Minister (but) you got false news from the news agencies.” The Cambodian Foreign Ministry also displayed documentation proving the Ta Morn Thom temple belongs to Cambodia under international law.
Monday was the third day of Hun Sen’s visit to Preah Vihear temple and other areas at the border with Thailand.
