The wrong kind of shooting

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30-year-old actress Sveng Socheata receives treatment at a private clinic in Siem Reap after being accidentally shot by a military police officer on Saturday morning.

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Sunday, 31 October 2010 19:45 Mom Kunthear

Four people have been arrested and remanded in custody following a dispute in Siem Reap that left two military police officials and film star Sveng Socheata wounded.

Nhem Sila, provincial deputy military police chief, said the arrests were made early on Saturday morning after two officials were injured trying to break up an argument at a pagoda where about 10 people were partying after a day of filming.

He said the officials arrived at the pagoda about midnight, after the owner of film company Seven Productions phoned to report that the party had devolved into a noisy argument.

“We went down there in order to stop their argument, but they did not listen to us,” he said. “They fought us and caused two of our officials to get seriously injured.”

Vo Sophen, one of the military police officials injured in the brawl, said he had been discharged from hospital after receiving stitches for five separate head wounds.

He has filed a complaint to the provincial court demanding US$5,000 in compensation.

He said the owner of the production company had reported the pagoda party to police because he was concerned the noise would disturb monks and other people living nearby.

“When we arrived there we told them stop [the party] and go to take a rest, but they didn’t listen to us and cursed us many times,” he said.

After about half an hour of trying to convince the partying crew to disperse, he said, one man grew tired of the interference and attacked the two officials with a big stick. Others soon joined the fracas.

“We protected our security from their fighting and then we shot into the sky three times to threaten them to stop,” he said.

They only learned later that 30-year-old actress Sveng Socheata had been hit in the arm by one of the bullets.

Bich Savin, the owner of Seven Productions, said that he would consider legal action against Sveng Socheata and friends of hers who attended the party.

“I tried my best to stop them drinking beer and making noise in the pagoda, but they did not listen to me,” he said. “If Sveng Socheata does not say sorry to me for this case I will take measures through the law.”

He said the revellers had “destroyed the honour of his production” and that the incident would delay filming, costing his company up to $7,000.

Sveng Socheata could not be reached for comment.

Stance on UN expulsion flipped

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Sunday, 31 October 2010 19:31 Cameron Wells

The government has apparently done an about face on its stance over the closure of the United Nations human rights office in Phnom Penh, with an official contradicting previous claims that the government had requested the office be shuttered unconditionally.

In a meeting with visiting UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday, Prime Minister Hun Sen proposed that Christophe Peschoux, the long-time head of the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, resign from his post.

“If Mr Peschoux is not removed, then the UN human rights office in Phnom Penh will be closed,” Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said after the meeting.

Information Minister Khieu Kanharith confirmed later that the office would be closed regardless, quoting Hun Sen as having requested the closure of the OHCHR office on the grounds that “other countries in the world don’t have human rights offices, and Cambodia doesn’t want this office either”.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong has backed away from Khieu Kanharith’s comments, insisting the government would ask the UN to close the office only as a last resort.

“He [Peschoux] is a spokesperson for the opposition party and does not cooperate with the government of Cambodia,” he said.

Koy Kuong said said Peschoux had failed to adhere to the agreement between the government and the UN that established the office.

“We don’t just want to close [it], we just want the UN to replace Christophe Peschoux,” he said. “If they do not replace him, they [the UN] should close down the office.”

He called the OHCHR “unnecessary” and said there were countless human rights groups capable of filling its role, but reiterated that the office’s closure would only come as a last-ditch measure if Peschoux was not removed.

“We have a lot of NGOs and international organisations working on human rights issues in Cambodia, a lot,” he said. “We have enough Christophe Peschouxs.”

When contacted, Khieu Kanharith said the government had put “mechanisms” in place to solve the issue, but declined to elaborate. “I cannot make any further comments at the moment,” he said.

On Saturday, civil society representatives, NGO officials and diplomats discussed the situation in a scheduled meeting with Kang Kyong-wha, deputy high commissioner for human rights. Yeng Virak, executive director of the Community Legal Education Centre, said a coalition of civil society groups planned to send an open letter to Ban Ki-moon this week, expressing support for the OHCHR office.

The meeting came after Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International jointly called for United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who arrived in Cambodia this weekend, to “publicly express support” for the office in the wake of the comments.

“This attack by the government on the OHCHR Cambodia office should be seen as a direct assault on the UN’s human rights mandate,” read the statement, issued on Friday.

The two groups also called for donor governments to Cambodia to “voice their strong objections to the Cambodian government’s statements”.

Koy Kuong dismissed the statement, saying the government considered HRW a “rubbish organisation”. Officials from OHCHR could not be reached for comment.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY VONG SOKHENG

Access to Drugs A Life Saver for People with HIV

Monks like Thorn Vandong have gotten involved in bringing key HIV services to rural Cambodians.  Credit:Irwin Loy/IPS

 

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By Irwin Loy

KAMPONG CHAM, Cambodia, Nov 1, 2010 (IPS) - The monsoon rains soaked the ground beneath Mon Hol’s home until it turned to ankle-deep mud. The aged thatched-leaf roof of his hut, badly in need of replacement, provided little protection.

But despite these conditions at home, he and his wife were healthy; his three children had enough food to eat today. That was not always the case.

Just three years ago, Mon Hol’s world was spiralling out of control.

The results of a medical test came through: HIV-positive. His wife, Roun Ry, also tested positive. Mon could barely fathom what it meant.

His neighbours in this tiny village in rural Cambodia, however, had their own ideas. Word of his condition spread. Then came the taunting and the ridicule. He would ride his bicycle through the village and neighbours would point. Don’t talk to him; don’t even drink with him, they said. He has AIDS.

Then there was his health. He would need to take medicine every day to manage his condition, doctors told him. But the nearest clinic was an hour away. He could barely afford to feed his family as it was, let alone the cost of a motorbike taxi to pick up his medicine. How would he cope?

"I was scared," Mon said. "I was afraid. I didn’t even know anyone who had HIV. Then I realised that I had it."

Mon’s situation underscores just one of the challenges authorities in this South-east Asian nation face in addressing HIV. Countries have pledged to reduce the prevalence of HIV and offer life-saving anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment to all those who need it as part of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals.

But in rural Cambodia, far from even basic medical care and a world away from city hospitals, the best intentions abruptly run up against the realities of daily life.

Three years ago, there were few options for Mon. He knew little about the virus that had taken control of his body. There was no care in his remote village, no counsellors, no one to talk to about the illness. Cambodia’s health system did not reach as far as his village and few non-governmental organisations operated in the area.

The hospital in the provincial capital was an hour away. For a poor farmer living hand to mouth, it might as well have been in another country.

In 2009, however, a non-government organisation led by monks, the Buddhism and Society Development Association (BSDA), stepped in with a programme that Mon says has changed his life.

It linked people living with HIV, like Mon and his wife, with counselling and offered health education to them and their neighbours. More vitally, they have also made it possible for Mon to get his medication on a regular basis. BSDA’s support includes a monthly stipend that allows him to make the trip to the nearest clinic to pick up his treatment.

"People who live in the village are very poor," said Pheaktra Lansamrith, a project coordinator with BSDA. "If they don’t have money, then some of them just won’t get the help they need."

Cambodia offers free ARV treatment to people like Mon – those who are least able to afford them. In remote rural areas like this, extra measures are crucial to ensuring people living with HIV can get the help they need.

"HIV and AIDS is the big issue, the big challenge in Cambodia, especially in rural areas like Kampong Cham," said Thorn Vandong, a monk and BSDA’s executive director.

Thorn said while authorities may embrace the importance of addressing HIV and AIDS, many villagers in poor rural areas have a poor understanding of it.

"They don’t think that HIV and AIDS is the biggest problem. They can have sex without condoms; they don’t care," Thorn said. "In Khmer, we say ‘they’re not afraid of AIDS; what they are afraid of is not having sex’."

Still, for a country still mired in poverty following decades of conflict, statistics suggest that HIV is one of the key areas in which Cambodia has taken significant strides. Cambodia committed to cutting the HIV prevalence rate among adults to 1.8 percent by 2015. Current estimates peg this at around 0.7 percent, ahead of target.

Cambodia has also seen a rapid scale-up in the proportion of people receiving ARV treatment. In 2002, only 3 percent of those who needed ARVs had access to them and only two health facilities even offered the treatment. The government says more than 40,000 people now have access to ARVs – representing roughly 86 percent coverage.

By end-2009, ARV treatment had reached clinics or hospitals in 20 out of 24 provinces, but this translated into only half of the country’s 78 health districts.

Kampong Cham itself is one of Cambodia’s most populous provinces and its capital is a relatively close 125- kilometre drive from the capital Phnom Penh. But there are still areas where HIV programmes have yet to reach.

"We just started our programme last year," said BSDA’s Thorn. "So you can imagine what happened here after 20 years with no HIV programmes in the community."

A couple of years ago, Mon Hol’s older brother, Hon, then living on the other side of the country, also tested positive for HIV. He moved back to Kampong Cham because his brother told him he could get help here.

Today, he is healthy and manages to take his medication regularly. "I’ve learned a lot from the counsellors. Not just about the virus, but they’ve also given me the motivation to continue," Mon Hon said. "There’s hope for the future. And there’s hope for the future of my children as well." (END)

US Secretary Of State Hilary Clinton Arrives In Siem Reap

Siem Reap At Night

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Visiting Cambodia

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, center left, walks during a visit to a shelter for victims of sexual exploitation in Siem Reap province,about 230 kilometers, 142 miles, northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010. Hillary is in northern Cambodia, about as far away as one can get from the intense political battle going on back home. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)  

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, right, talks with a group in a center during a visit to a shelter for victims of sexual exploitation inSiem Reap province, about 230 kilometers, 142 miles, northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010. Hillary is in northern Cambodia, about as far away as one can get from the intense political battle going on back home. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)  

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton shares a laugh with a group of girls from the Siem Reap Center, a shelter run by AFSEIP that provides rehabilitation,vocational training, and social reintegration for sex trafficking victims, on Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)  

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, left, watches as a girl works a loom during a tour of the Siem Reap Center, a shelter run by AFSEIP thatprovides rehabilitation, vocational training, and social reintegration for sex trafficking victims, on Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (C) poses for a group photo with human trafficking victims at the Siem Reap AFESIP rehabilitation and vocationaltraining center October 31, 2010. AFESIP stands for Agir pour les Femmes en Situation Precaire, which means Acting for Women in Distressing Situations. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea  

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton talks to a group of girls during a tour of the Siem Reap Center, a shelter run by AFSEIP that provides rehabilitation,vocational training, and social reintegration for sex trafficking victims, on Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)  

REFILE - CORRECTING SPELLING U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is greeted by human trafficking victims Van Sina (2nd L) and Somana (3rd R) at theSiem Reap AFESIP rehabilitation and vocational training center October 31, 2010. Clinton's visit to Cambodia is the first by a U.S. Secretary of State since 2003. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea  

REFILE - CORRECTING SPELLING U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (C) listens to Van Sina, 25, a human trafficking victim, beside another victim, Somana,20, at the Siem Reap AFESIP rehabilitation and vocational training center October 31, 2010. Clinton's visit to Cambodia is the first by a U.S. Secretary of State since 2003. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea 

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton listens to a story from a victim of sex trafficking during a tour of the Siem Reap Center, a shelter runby AFSEIP that provides rehabilitation, vocational training, and social reintegration for sex trafficking victims, on Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)  

A group of girls reach in to hug U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during a tour of the Siem Reap Center, a shelter run by AFSEIP that providesrehabilitation, vocational training, and social reintegration for sex trafficking victims, on Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)  

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits the Angkor Wat in Siem Reap October 31, 2010. Clinton's visit to Cambodia is the first by a U.S. Secretaryof State since 2003. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea 

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton talks to a group of girls during a tour of the Siem Reap Center, a shelter run by AFSEIP that provides rehabilitation,vocational training, and social reintegration for sex trafficking victims, on Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton bows to children during a tour of the Siem Reap Center, a shelter run by AFSEIP that provides rehabilitation,vocational training, and social reintegration for sex trafficking victims, on Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (C) visits the Angkor Wat in Siem Reap October 31, 2010. Clinton's visit to Cambodia is the first by a U.S.Secretary of State since 2003. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea 

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, right, walks past an Apsara relief on the wall of the famed 12th century Angkor Wat temple complex in SiemReap, about 230 kilometers (140 miles) northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010. Clinton was in the midst of a two-week, seven-nation tour of the Asia-Pacific. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)  

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, front right, listens to a Cambodian guide during her visit to the famed 12th century Angkor Wat templecomplex in Siem Reap, about 230 kilometers (140 miles) northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010. Clinton was in the midst of a two-week, seven-nation tour of the Asia-Pacific. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)  

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) visits the Angkor Wat in Siem Reap October 31, 2010. Clinton's visit to Cambodia is the first by a U.S.Secretary of State since 2003. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea  

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, center, listens to a Cambodian guide during her visit to the famed 12th century Angkor Wat temple complexin Siem Reap, about 230 kilometers (140 miles) northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010. Clinton was in the midst of a two-week, seven-nation tour of the Asia-Pacific. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)  

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, center, walks through the famed 12th century Angkor Wat temple complex in Siem Reap, about 230 kilometers(140 miles) northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010. Clinton was in the midst of a two-week, seven-nation tour of the Asia-Pacific. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)  

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits the Bayon Temple near Siem Reap October 31, 2010. Clinton begins her visit in Cambodia, the first visitto the country by a U.S. Secretary of State since Colin Powell in 2003. REUTERS/Stringer  

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (C) visits the Bayon Temple near Siem Reap October 31, 2010. Clinton begins her visit in Cambodia, the first visitto the country by a U.S. Secretary of State since Colin Powell in 2003. REUTERS/Stringer  

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (4th R) visits the Bayon Temple near Siem Reap October 31, 2010. Clinton begins her visit in Cambodia today, thefirst visit to the country by a U.S. Secretary of State since Colin Powell in 2003. REUTERS/Stringer

Two child deaths linked to AusAID Cambodia project

http://www.theage.com.au/

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Hut Heap, 13, drowned in May.

Richard Baker and Nick McKenzie

November 1, 2010

ON A hot afternoon in May, 13-year-old Hut Heap and her nine-year-old brother Hut Hoeub left their makeshift family home near Battambang in western Cambodia to search for fresh water. Hours later, their bodies were found at the bottom of a deep pond.

It was just four days since the children, their family and 50 others had been uprooted from their homes and moved to a resettlement site so work could begin on a rail project partly financed by the Australian government and operated by Melbourne firm Toll Holdings and its joint-venture partner, Cambodia's Royal Group of Companies.

According to Pay Lin, an elder brother, the pair went to the pond because there was no fresh running water at the resettlement site for washing dishes, cleaning clothes or bathing.

Hut Hoeub, 9, also drowned.

''The younger one drowned first. The bigger one went to help, but couldn't. The water was too deep,'' he told representatives of aid group Bridges Across Borders Cambodia.

Months later, there is still no fresh piped water and people have to draw water from the pond or an adjacent rice field polluted by chemicals that burn the skin.

''If there were people coming to install water and electricity before I moved to live here, my siblings would not have died. There is no water … that's why my siblings came here [to the pond] to get fresh water for dish-washing,'' Pay Lin said.

David Pred, executive director of Bridges Across Borders Cambodia, and Australian human rights lawyer Natalie Bugalski, told The Age the resettlement site also did not have affordable electricity and was far from places of work, forcing already poor families to borrow money to survive.

The deaths of Hut Heap and Hut Hoeub raise uncomfortable questions for Australian government aid agency AusAID, which contributed $21.5 million to the rail project, and Toll Holdings, whose Cambodian joint venture with controversial tycoon Kith Meng holds a 30-year contract to build and run the rail network.

Mr Pred and Dr Bugalski want to know what measures AusAID, the Asian Development Bank - the project's major financial supporter - and the Toll/Meng joint venture took to ensure the relocated families would have access to basic services and livelihood opportunities.

They want to know why elderly widows - survivors of the Khmer Rouge's rule in the 1970s - have not been given compensation or their own plot of land at the resettlement site and survive only through the support of family and neighbours.

They want to know why families forced to leave their established home have in some cases been given a mere $200 as compensation.

Mr Pred and Dr Bugalski believe the Australian government has a moral and legal obligation to ensure those affected by the development projects it funds are afforded the basic essentials of life.

''The often disastrous displacement impacts of infrastructure projects are well known,'' Dr Bugalski said.

''AusAID is being negligent in failing to ensure that Australian aid is not being used in a way that harms poor families in developing countries.''

Mr Pred said AusAID should have conducted a human rights impact assessment before committing funds to the project, which will cause the displacement of thousands of people.

AusAID was informed by Dr Bugalski and others on October 4 of the deaths of the two children and of concerns about conditions at the resettlement site.

After waiting for a reply from AusAID for more than two weeks - but not receiving one - a coalition of non-government organisations wrote a letter to AusAID deputy director-general Richard Moore on October 21 informing him of the deaths and urging him to conduct an investigation and provide reparation to their family.

An AusAID spokeswoman said the Cambodian government was responsible for the site. She said an AusAID-funded adviser was monitoring the resettlement and concerns had been raised with Cambodian authorities since July.

Asked about the drownings, the spokeswoman said investigation of them was a matter for the Cambodian government.

Toll Group also said questions should be referred to the Cambodian government and the Asian Development Bank. ''It's not part of our responsibility under the concession,'' a spokesman said.

The controversy over the Battambang relocation site is not the first in Cambodia involving the Australian government or Toll's joint-venture partner, Kith Meng.

In June last year, Australian diplomats moved into a new embassy in Phnom Penh on land the federal government bought from Mr Meng for $15 million.

Two weeks later, armed police surrounded adjacent land and evicted several poor families who had lived at the site for years.

As the evictions took place, the Australian embassy signed a petition calling on the Cambodian government to stop the forced removal of people from disputed land, prompting accusations of hypocrisy from rights groups which viewed the response as ''too little, too late''.

Fugitive red shirt 'is not in Cambodia'

DEFENCE MINISTER SPEAKS OUT

Published: 31/10/2010

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Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh yesterday denied that red shirt leader Arisman Pongruangrong was in hiding in his country.

The remark came in the wake of a report from Thai authorities that Mr Arisman entered Cambodia with a fake exit stamp from Thai immigration.

Mr Arisman is wanted on charges of terrorism in connection with political violence during the red shirt protests.

When asked if Mr Arisman was in Cambodia, Gen Tea Banh said he did not know.

When asked if Cambodia would extradite Mr Arisman if he was hiding there, he said:

"That I said 'I didn't know' means he's not in Cambodia. If he is, we would have known about it."

He also said the matter had already been discussed by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen at the Asean summit in Hanoi.

When asked about a report by Thai authorities that a group of red shirt supporters underwent weapons training in Cambodia, he said he was not comfortable discussing the issue.

He said certain issues were delicate and too sensitive to address.

Gen Tea Banh, who was attending the 7th meeting of the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) in Pattaya, also said there was no reason for fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra to travel to Cambodia in any official capacity after he resigned as an economic adviser to Hun Sen.

"He has quit and he has no reason to be in Cambodia," Gen Tea Banh said.

Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said yesterday that Thailand and Cambodia had reached no agreement to reduce or withdraw troops around Preah Vihear temple.

He said a redeployment of troops is likely in the future depending on the border situation which has been calm over the past months.

He said the priority of the troop redeployment would be to increase the safety of people along the common border.

A source close to the GBC said yesterday that Cambodia had rejected Thailand's proposal to pull out some of the troops.

Thailand and Cambodia have deployed about 3,000 soldiers each in the area. Bilateral ties have been difficult since June 2008 amid a continuing border conflict over land surrounding the temple.

According to the source, under the redeployment plan, joint guidelines will be drawn up to minimise confrontation.

Several pacts have been signed at the GBC meeting to boost bilateral co-operation on various issues including combating crime, bolstering trade and improving public health.

Philippines, Cambodia in rice talks

A farmer inspects rice stalks after Typhoon Megi hit Isabela province, Oct. 19. -- Reuters

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October 31, 2010

CAMBODIA has offered to sell rice to Manila as it faces a supply surplus, but talks are only exploratory and no deal has been reached yet, the head of the Philippines state grain agency said on Friday.

Angelito T. Banayo, administrator of the National Food Authority (NFA), said in an interview that Cambodia has a surplus of 1-1.2 million metric tons (MT) of paddy rice which it can sell.

He had met Sok Siphana, advisor to the Royal Government of Cambodia, on Thursday to discuss food security issues.

Mr. Banayo said the Philippines, the world’s biggest rice buyer, was open to purchasing the grain from its Southeast Asian neighbor, but clarified that a deal was some way off.

"The reason for their coming over was basically to find out what are the demands of importing countries such as us. It’s basically exploratory," Mr. Banayo said.

Mr. Siphana said in a later interview that his mission in the Philippines was to explore options and work out the how his country could start exporting large quantities of rice.

"We want to export everything we can but we are also mindful of the fact that we are the new kid on the block," said Mr. Siphana.

"We want to start slowly and tread carefully because our traders are not used to the international trading system, so we want to start with smaller quantities, especially in ASEAN," he added.

He said his government would prepare a formal draft of a memorandum of understanding with the Philippines on rice supply, with the document possibly signed within the year.

Cambodia, which is trying to develop its rice export sector, has offered to sell at least 100,000 MT per year to the Philippines, another state official said, but details still needed to be worked out.

"We will not be able to export in this number right away, but we will start with what we have," Mao Thura, secretary of state of Cambodia’s Commerce Ministry, said, adding that state-owned rice exporting firm Green Trade Company would be the shipper.

Green Trade Director General Thon Virak said Cambodia had suggested it could export 200,000 MT, adding that while details were still being worked out, there was already approval from the Philippine government.

The Philippines, which imported a record 2.45 million MT of the commodity for this year, usually buys the grain from Vietnam and Thailand.

A strong typhoon two weeks ago was estimated to have brought minimal damage to rice crops in northern Philippines and officials said there was no need for more imports this year. Mr. Banayo said that, based on his agency’s survey, a total of 257,653 MT of unmilled rice were lost due to Typhoon Megi, less than half an estimate by the Department of Agriculture as of Thursday.

But he added that the Philippines was not in a rush to buy rice for its 2011 needs.

The government will decide in November or December the volume it will import for next year, but he said the final amount would probably no more than 1 million MT, with the purchases in small tranches.

"I can afford to wait until prices go down. If prices begin to soften, then I might buy," he said. -- Reuters

Cambodia: Closure of UN office threatens rights efforts

http://bikyamasr.com/

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Oct 31st, 2010

By Bikya Masr Staff
 

LONDON: Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have issued the following statement about comments by senior Cambodian officials concerning the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia:

Cambodia: Joint Statement of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch Regarding the Situation of the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International strongly condemn the public statements by senior officials of the government of Cambodia demanding the removal of the director of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Cambodia, Christophe Peschoux, and stating the government intends to force the closure of that office.

From our close knowledge of the work of the OHCHR Cambodia office, we reject as baseless the statements attributed to Foreign Minister Hor Nam Hong that the office has acted as a “spokesperson for the opposition party.” This attack by the government on the OHCHR Cambodia office should be seen as a direct assault on the UN’s human rights mandate, encompassed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the international human rights conventions, many of which Cambodia has ratified.

We expect the leadership of the United Nations to continue to speak out in support of the OHCHR Cambodia office, its representative, and staff. Donor governments to Cambodia should likewise voice their strong objections to the Cambodian government’s statements. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who will visit Cambodia on October 31 and November 1, should publicly express support for the OHCHR Cambodia office and the UN’s human rights mandate. Both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International will continue to closely monitor the situation in Cambodia and expose human rights violations and promote accountability.

HRW/Amnesty

Abhisit says 2000 Thai-Cambodian MoU precludes UN, third country interventions

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BANGKOK, Oct 31 -- Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday countered criticism that the 2000 Thai-Cambodian memorandum of understanding (MoU) related to the survey and boundary demarcation and three documents dealt with by the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meeting that might put Thailand at risk of losing its territories.

Speaking during his weekly TV and radio address, Mr Abhisit said his government has continued to defend Thailand’s territorial integrity.

Even United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon acknowledged during the ASEAN-UN summit, held in Vietnam last week, that third countries should not interfere in the Thai-Cambodian territorial dispute as the two countries signed an MoU with their Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) in operation, Mr Abhisit said.

He said those who are dissatisfied with the MoU and JBC should understand that the existence of these two would help prevent third country and the UN from interfering into the territorial dispute between the two countries.

He quoted Mr Ban as saying during the summit that negotiations must be held by Thailand and Cambodia.

The Thais should not worry that the country would lose some territory to Cambodia because the Thai constitution stipulates that approval must be given by Parliament before any government can make an agreement with that country.

He said the Thai parliament would only ratify this Tuesday minutes of the previous meetings between the two countries.

However, future meetings on the issue between the two countries must be approved by the Thai Parliament again, Mr Abhisit said.

His remarks were made as activists of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) last Friday petitioned the Central Administrative Court, asking it to stop parliament from considering the proceedings. The court is expected to rule on the injunction Monday.

The PAD also threatened to rally at Parliament this Tuesday, the same day that MPs consider the border commission's proceedings.

The PAD Yellow Shirts have claimed that documents originating from the MoU signed by Thailand and Cambodia in June 2000 related to the survey and boundary demarcation recognises a French map with a scale of 1:200,000 sq km which put Thailand at risk of losing territory. (MCOT online news)

Child Sex Trafficking in Cambodia: Victim Helps Victims

http://www.associatedcontent.com/

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Published October 31, 2010

by: Bonnie Sherman

Somaly Mam grows up as a victim.

Somaly endured horrific treatment as a child after being forced into the child sex trafficking in Cambodia. She was born about 1970-71 in a rural forest village in Cambodia. When she was a young child, her parents abandoned her. She somehow survived through her own resilience and a little help from the villagers. At about age ten -twelve, she became the slave of an older man she called "grandfather" He beat and tortured her whenever she displeased him. One day grandfather took her to the big city, Phnom Penh, to visit "Aunty". This was no visit! Somaly was sold into slavery in a filthy brothel and told to obey Aunty. She was twelve years old.

Along with many other young girls, Somaly was forced into prostitution and subjected to violent beatings by her clients. These girls were often punished by the most horrific means when they didn't obey the brothel owners. The girls often lost their sense of self and any feeling of being loved. They became broken-down children. At age sixteen, Somaly managed to escape, but she said in her memoir, The Road of Lost Innocence "I had been a prostitute in Phnom Penh for four years, and I didn't know how to get out of the whole system. I wanted to, but in my mind I was trapped. I wasn't worth anything."

Learning skills and developing a meaning of life

While living on the streets, she met a foreign worker from France. Pierre was kind and generous to her and they eventually married. She spent eighteen months in France, learned French and worked at respectable jobs. When she and Pierre returned to Cambodia, Somaly felt more whole and no longer just like damaged goods. She began volunteering at a medical clinic. She helped take care of some of the children and young girls who were brought in from the brothels.

Strong need to help the young victims of prostitution

As she continued to help the young victims, she felt a compulsion to form a bond with them, show them love and try to rescue them and help them mend. She felt she was able to do this. After all she had "been there".

Somaly began to assess the needs of the girls in the brothels and find ways to help them. She was willing to give them a way out. She knew they would need education, advice about HIV and AIDS, and a safe place to live if they escaped or were rescued. She set up training for learning such skills as seamstress work and hair design so they could earn a respectable living. But most of all, they needed love, understanding and support. Somaly wrote in her book, "I felt like I couldn't change the world - but I could change one little life and then another and then another."

Co-founds charity- AFESIP (Acting for Women in Distressing Situations)

This charity provided a place for the girls to go that was safe. In addition, Somaly continued to go to the brothels to help the girls and encourage them to escape. She tried to work with the police (many of whom were corrupt) to try to resolve problems. She set up safe houses and job training sites as funds were donated.

Somaly has been a compassionate, hard-working and brave heroine. She has received many prestigious awards from many countries and has been featured on many TV programs and in magazines. She has pursued her work along with raising three children. Numerous times, her life has been in danger. We all should have the highest admiration for this remarkable woman and support her cause.

Sources:

Somaly Mam, The Road of Lost Innocence, 20008

Clinton, in Cambodia, shuns US midterm madness

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton gestures during a news conference with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem at the ASEAN summit on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010 in Hanoi, Vietnam

 

via CAAI

By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press – Sun Oct 31, 2010

SIEM REAP, Cambodia – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is in northern Cambodia, about as far away as one can get from the intense political battle going on back home.

As her husband and fellow Democrats campaign frantically ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections, the self-proclaimed ex-politician is spending Sunday visiting a rescue and rehabilitation center for child prostitutes and touring Cambodia's famed 12th century Angkor Wat temple complex.

Clinton is barred from partisan political activity while serving as America's top diplomat.

The former first lady, New York senator and presidential hopeful is in the midst of a two-week, seven-nation tour of the Asia-Pacific. She won't be back at work in Washington until a week after Election Day.

Thailand, Cambodia to hold talks on economic cooperation

 via CAAI

BANGKOK, Oct 31 -- Thailand and Cambodia will confer on economic cooperation between their border provinces next month, according to Thai Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot.

Speaking at Suvannabhumi Airport on his return from the 17th ASEAN summit ending in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi Saturday, Mr Alongkorn said that senior officials in the border provinces officials of the two countries will meet Nov 30 and discuss possible economic cooperation.

The upcoming meeting is considered as positive sign toward “improving relations both at the provincial and national levels,” Mr Alongkorn said.

Cambodia’s commerce minister discussed economic cooperation between the two countries with Mr Alongkorn at the sidelines of the ASEAN summit. Both agreed that a summit should be held in February.

Both countries agreed Saturday in the Thai resort of Pattaya to cooperate on seven issues during the seventh General Border Committee meeting. The cooperation included allowing citizens of both countries to cross the border freely, removing land mines and to oppose every type of terrorism affecting the two neighbours.

Thailand and Cambodia both claim a 1.8-square-mile (4.6-square-kilometre) parcel of land near the cliff-top Preah Vihear temple, named by UNESCO a World Heritage site in 2008 after Cambodia applied for the status.

The World Court ruled in 1962 that the ancient temple belonged to Cambodia, although its main entrance lies in Thailand. The exact boundary through the surrounding grounds remains in dispute, with occasional military skirmishes claiming a number of lives.

In another related development, the next ASEAN summit will be held in 2011 in Indonesia. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said during the closing address that ASEAN must strive forward and to continue following its principle.

ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) members include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (MCOT online news)

Recently released market study: Cambodia Infrastructure Report Q4 2010

http://www.prlog.org/

via CAAI

New Construction market report from Business Monitor International: "Cambodia Infrastructure Report Q4 2010"

PRLog (Press Release) – Oct 30, 2010 – Although Cambodia's infrastructure industry sector has seen remarkable growth in the last decade it still remains underdeveloped. Much of the country has very poor transport and energy infrastructure as a result of historical under investment. In 2010 a contraction is expected in the construction industry value, as a result of global recession with year-on-year (y-o-y) growth of -2.06%. From 2011 onwards growth is expected to return, however, with industry value rising from US$0.55bn this year to US$0.97bn by 2014.

Key developments contributing to forecasts included:

* Plans were announced for a US$1bn international airport in Siem Reap province. South Korean construction firm, Incheon International, announced plans to build the new airport according to the Phnom Penh Post.

* Development of Phnom Penh Autonomous Port (PPAP) continued apace with the authority announcing it aimed to fund the second stage of construction by itself if the port proves capable of generating revenues of US$6mn to US$10mn per annum during the period of 2012 to 2015.

* In September 2010, Mekong and Japanese economic ministers approved the Mekong-Japan Economic and Industrial Cooperation Initiative Action Plan. The plan calls for the development of physical infrastructure, trade facilitation, support for small and medium-sized enterprises and a boost in services and industrial sectors in five Mekong countries - Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar. The US$5.9bn action plan would help in initiating road projects in Cambodia.

Positive data on consumer price inflation in Cambodia for the first half of the 2010 has added upside to the economic picture for the country. This chimes with our view that the economy has enjoyed a pretty sharp bounce in activity in early 2010, further endorsing the upward revision to our real GDP growth forecast to 4.6% (from 3.5%) this year. This is expected to change next year with inflation expected to fall to 4.0% from 2011 onwards.

For more information or to purchase this report, go to:

- http://www.fastmr.com/prod/90297_cambodia_infrastructure ... 

Clinton: US will help end sexual slavery

via CAAI

SIEM REAP, Cambodia (AP) — Pledging to do more to help end the scourge of sexual slavery, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited a rescue and rehabilitation center for child prostitutes in northern Cambodia on Sunday.

Before touring the famed 12th century Angkor Wat temple complex, Clinton met with a group of about 50 victims of human trafficking at the U.S.-funded facility in Siem Reap and promised them continued American support.

"I am so proud of you," she told the girls and young women, most of whom are between 17 and 23. They receive an education and vocational training that includes weaving and sewing lessons.

"You motivate me," she said.

Clinton listened as one young woman, Vann Sina, recounted her story of being abducted at 13 and forced to have sex with 20 to 30 men a day for more than two years before being rescued from a brothel.

"To be a victim is very hard," she said, recalling how she did not understand what she was meant to do when she was told to "sleep" with a customer. "I cannot forget. Sometimes I dream and I get very scared."

The Siem Reap center received a $336,0000 grant from the State Department last year to fund its operating costs and Clinton said she would make sure money continued to flow.

"I wanted to come here today to see you for myself," Clinton said.

Clinton, on a tour of northern Cambodia, is about as far away as one can get from the intense political battle going on back home. Her husband and fellow Democrats are campaigning frantically ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections.

A self-proclaimed ex-politician, Clinton is barred from partisan political activity while serving as America's top diplomat.

The former first lady, New York senator and presidential hopeful is in the midst of a two-week, seven-nation tour of the Asia-Pacific. She won't be back at work in Washington until a week after Election Day.

Hillary Clinton, in Cambodia, pledges to help end sexual slavery

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrives at Phoenix International Airport in Sanya, China, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

via CAAI

By Matthew Lee (CP)

SIEM REAP, Cambodia — Pledging to do more to help end sexual slavery, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited a rescue and rehabilitation centre for child prostitutes in northern Cambodia on Sunday.

Before touring the famed 12th century Angkor Wat temple complex, Clinton met with a group of about 50 victims of human trafficking at the U.S.-funded facility in Siem Reap and promised them continued American support.

"I am so proud of you," she told the girls and young women, most of whom are between 17 and 23. They receive an education and vocational training that includes weaving and sewing lessons.

"You motivate me," she said.

Clinton listened as one young woman, Vann Sina, recounted her story of being abducted at 13 and forced to have sex with 20 to 30 men a day for more than two years before being rescued from a brothel.

"To be a victim is very hard," she said, recalling how she did not understand what she was meant to do when she was told to "sleep" with a customer. "I cannot forget. Sometimes I dream and I get very scared."

The Siem Reap centre received a $336,0000 grant from the State Department last year to fund its operating costs and Clinton said she would make sure money continued to flow.

"I wanted to come here today to see you for myself," Clinton said.

Clinton was the first sitting secretary of state to visit Angkor. She was thronged by tourists as she strolled the grounds of the massive site with her aides, accompanied by a bevy of security agents and photographers.

On a tour of northern Cambodia, Clinton is about as far away as one can get from the intense political battle going on back home. Her husband and fellow Democrats are campaigning frantically ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections.

A self-proclaimed ex-politician, Clinton is barred from partisan political activity while serving as America's top diplomat.

The former first lady, New York senator and presidential hopeful is in the midst of a two-week, seven-nation tour of the Asia-Pacific. She won't be back at work in Washington until a week after Election Day.

ecretary Clinton's October 30-November 1 Visit to Cambodia

http://www.state.gov/

via CAAI

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

October 30, 2010

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Secretary Clinton’s two-day trip to Cambodia October 30-November 1 highlights the United States commitment to enhanced, sustained, and comprehensive engagement in Southeast Asia, as well as our desire to assist the Cambodian people in their efforts to recover fully from decades of conflict, to achieve political and legal reforms, and to strengthen economic development. This trip is the first Secretary of State visit to Cambodia since then-Secretary Powell visited in 2003.

The United States has a strong interest in a Cambodia that contributes to regional stability, upholds democratic values, and integrates fully into the international economy. Our wide-ranging assistance programs touch on all aspects of Cambodian life and affirm these strategic interests. Secretary Clinton will encourage Cambodia to continue its recovery from conflict and its progress on democratic development. She will stress the importance of a credible opposition and respect for human rights in a stable, well-functioning democracy and highlight our interest in seeing Cambodia continue to play a constructive role in regional stability. She will also express appreciation for the country’s rich cultural heritage and underscore the critical role Cambodia’s young citizens play in the country’s future prosperity and development.

Sustained and Deep Engagement with Cambodia: Our engagement with Cambodia achieves a variety of political, security and humanitarian objectives. The United States provided Cambodia more than U.S. $70 million in foreign assistance this year, which goes to addressing issues such as human trafficking, HIV/AIDS, corruption, maternal and child health, and humanitarian mine action. Our maturing security cooperation with Cambodia represents a joint commitment to ensuring international peace and security, and continuing the transformation of the Cambodian Armed Forces into a transparent, accountable, and professional military. The U.S. partnership with the Lower Mekong Initiative is another example of how we are engaging with Cambodia to promote a multilateral response to the transnational challenges we all share, such as climate change and infectious disease.

A Democratic, Secure, and Prosperous Future for Cambodia: Our commitment to a democratic, secure, and prosperous Cambodia is reflected in the nearly $7 million we have contributed to the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (Khmer Rouge Tribunal), which seeks to bring to justice the Khmer Rouge senior leaders and those most responsible for the atrocities of the late 1970s, while also serving as a model for Cambodian rule of law, judicial independence, and national reconciliation. While in Cambodia, Secretary Clinton will visit Tuol Sleng, the former Khmer Rouge torture and interrogation center, will emphasize the need to fight corruption and improve transparency in all parts of the government, and will meet with opposition leaders to highlight the importance of a vibrant political arena where all voices are heard.

The Role of Cambodia’s Youth: The Secretary’s participation in a town hall event will provide an important opportunity to have a free-flowing discussion with Cambodia youth about challenges and opportunities facing the country, and how the United States can help. In turn, her outreach to Cambodia’s youth will promote an even better understanding of the United States and our shared values.