US, SKorea envoys discuss NKorean nuclear claim

South Korean Unification Minister Hyun In-taek, right, shakes hands with the U.S. special envoy for North Korea Stephen Bosworth during their meeting at the South-North Dialogue Secretariat building in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009. Washington's special envoy on North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, is in the region for discussions with China, South Korea and Japan over how to bring Pyongyang back to six-nation talks that the North has boycotted since earlier this year. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

By KWANG-TAE KIM, Associated Press Writer

SEOUL, South Korea – Top nuclear envoys from South Korea and the United States held talks Saturday on a strategy to bring North Korea back to disarmament talks, a day after the North claimed it is in the final stages of enriching uranium.

U.S. special envoy on North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, and South Korean envoy Wi Sung-lac made no comments after their meeting. Bosworth later met with South Korea's minister in charge of relations with North Korea, and the Unification Ministry said the two agreed to closely cooperate in resolving the nuclear dispute.

Bosworth said in Beijing on Friday that any nuclear development in North Korea was a matter of concern.

"We confirm the necessity to maintain a coordinated position and the need for a complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," he said.

Bosworth is to leave for Tokyo on Sunday for similar consultations with Japanese officials. Chief U.S. nuclear negotiator, Sung Kim, plans to return to Seoul on Tuesday to meet with Russian nuclear envoy Grigory Logvinov.

North Korea also announced it is continuing to weaponize plutonium. Uranium offers an easier way to make nuclear weapons, and uranium-based bombs may work without requiring test explosions.

Washington shows no signs of easing pressure on North Korea through new U.N. sanctions, despite a series of conciliatory gestures by the North, including the release of two detained American journalists and a reported invitation to top U.S. envoys, including Bosworth, to visit Pyongyang.

"We are prepared for both dialogue and sanctions," the North said in a letter to the U.N. Security Council carried Friday by its official Korean Central News Agency. If some members of the council put "sanctions first before dialogue, we would respond with bolstering our nuclear deterrence first before we meet them in a dialogue," it said.

The North warned it would be left with no choice but to take "yet another strong self-defensive countermeasure" if the standoff continues. It did not elaborate.

A pro-North Korean newspaper in Japan urged the U.S. to hold talks with the North to make the Korean peninsula nuclear-free. The Choson Sinbo newspaper, widely seen as a mouthpiece for North Korea, said time is not "limitless" for the U.S. to decide whether to hold talks or continue to pursue sanctions.

The U.S. has pressed for North Korea to return to six-nation talks on its nuclear program with the U.S., South Korea, China, Russia and Japan.

North Korea has said it will only talk one-on-one with the Obama administration.

Bosworth said Friday the U.S. is willing to have direct talks, but only within the framework of the six-nation talks.

Analysts said the North appears to be trying to add urgency to the standoff.

"The North is saying that the more delayed U.S.-North Korea talks are, the greater its nuclear capabilities will become," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at Seoul's University of North Korean Studies.

Meanwhile, a report by the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security said there is no sign of reconstruction at the North's main Yongbyon nuclear reactor, which was partially disabled under an agreement reached in the six-nation talks. It cited commercial satellite imagery taken Aug. 10 by DigitalGlobe.

Separately, North Korea also said it will continue to seek self-defensive measures in response to an alleged U.S. move to develop a new bunker-buster bomb, KCNA reported. It claimed the U.S. is accelerating production of the bomb to destroy "underground nuclear facilities" in North Korea and Iran.

___

Associated Press writers Jae-soon Chang and Wanjin Park in Seoul, Chi-Chi Zhang in Beijing and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

Swine flu: Death toll rises to 119 in India

http://www.newkerala.com/

New Delhi, Sept 5 : With two women in Hyderabad and a man in Pune dying of the deadly H1N1 virus, the death toll in swine flu in India rose to 119 Saturday.

Thirty-eight-year-old resident of Bholakpur area in Hyderabad, Rupa Devi, who was admitted to government-run Chest Hospital in Hyderabad last week, died Saturday, said health officials. The second death reported is that of Kadapa town resident Lakshmi Devi.

At present 126 swine flu cases have been reported in Hyderabad, said health department records.

The same day (Saturday), a man died of the deadly viral disease in Pune, taking the toll to 34 in the city.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Saturday said swine flu has claimed at least 2,840 lives across the world and over 2.5 lakh of confirmed cases of the virus have been reported.

'At least 254,000 laboratory confirmed cases of H1N1 virus has been reported from all over the world, which means that actual number could be much more,' WHO's Gregory Hartl said at a news conference in Geneva.

'With the virus circulating so widely around the world, it is unfortunately to be expected that there will be deaths as the volume of cases and deaths is increasing,' he said.

According to the latest update issued by WHO, tropical regions of South and South-East Asia continue to experience geographically regional or widespread influenza activity in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

Many countries in the region are reporting increasing or sustained high levels of respiratory disease, and a few, including Thailand and Brunei Darussalam, have begun to report a declining trend in the level of respiratory diseases, reported Times Now.

--IBNS

Life in focus

Locals call it Smoky Mountain. Stung Meanchey Municipal Waste Dump is a 40-hectare tip on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, where thousands come to escape the crippling poverty of rural Cambodia. Here, amid the haze of toxic smoke from the smouldering garbage, they scavenge their living. Sonang, 13 (above), is one of the many children whose families live and work here. Photo: Simon O'Dwyer

http://www.theage.com.au

CLAIRE HALLIDAY
September 6, 2009

WHEN Age photographer Simon O'Dwyer first visited Cambodia in 1997 to photograph the landmine clearing work being done by AusAID and the Cambodian Mine Action Centre, he found a country devastated by war and death.

Under the command of Pol Pot, between 1975 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge systematically killed an estimated 2 million Cambodians, almost a quarter of the country's population.

The victims' ''crimes'' ranged from having an education or speaking a foreign language to being a soldier or government official from the previous regime. Entire families were imprisoned and murdered and, even today, the country remains forever changed, with generations lost to the Killing Fields.

Back in 1997, despite Cambodia's continuing struggles with poverty and disease and the pain still so visible on the scarred bodies of so many people, O'Dwyer also saw a resilience and hopeful dignity.

It was a resilience and hope that he explored further on a recent trip back - photographing the displaced people of Andong Village, the Stung Meanchey garbage dump and the historic temples of Angkor.

"For me, returning so many years later, the growth of tourism has taken a small part of that initial charm, but the spirit of the people and their hopes for a happier future remain," O'Dwyer says.

With more than 42 per cent of the country's population under the age of 15, Cambodia is a young country that is trying to move forward; taking what it can from a growing tourist market that draws international visitors to both the memorials of its grisly past and a raw beauty that decades of killing and conflict have not been able to destroy.

Next weekend, as part of the third Ballarat International Foto Biennale, a collection of photographs from O'Dwyer's two Cambodian journeys will be on display. It is just one of the exhibitions being staged at venues in and around the Ballarat Heritage and Arts precinct featuring at least 2000 images from up to 500 photographers.

For festival director Jeff Moorfoot, the decision to include O'Dwyer's work was based on his belief in the photographer's "humanist approach" to the subjects he photographs.

"There is a real empathy with his subjects, rather than sensationalism," Moorfoot says.

For more information, see ballaratfoto.org.

Cambodia finds its 1st ancient ironworks site in history

www.chinaview.cn
2009-09-05

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Apsara Authority of Cambodia has found and excavated for the first time in its history the ancient ironworks site at Khav village, Khav commune, Chi-kreng district of Siem Reap province where is the home of Angkor Wat temple, the local media reported on Saturday.

"We have excavated four sites and each site has size of five meters in length and two meters in width, and we also found iron mines, some potteries, pieces of cook, some bamboos, other ancient materials, and a tube for blowing the air into the ancient cook to melt the iron stone," the khmer language newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea quoted Ea Darith, deputy director of temple conservation for external affairs of Angkor wat park as saying, who is also expert for leading the excavation group.

"Those sites were used for melting iron mines and it was belonged to aborigine "Kouy" and their relatives still exist in living in Cambodia now," he said. "They melted those iron mines to produce as guns, swords, javelins, and other daily households including axes, knifes, and chisels for the king at that time," he added.

"According to the analysis on potteries, those sites were constructed in the 11th or 13th century," Ea Darith said.

At the same time, Apsara Authority also found the ancient Chinese ointment containers which Khmer imported from China. "Khmer and Chinese people got married and lived at Angkor Wat region at that time. So we could find them," he said, adding that those ancient Chinese ointment containers were made in 12th or 13th century.

"Our excavation of the sites was stopped temporarily because our experts need to take those materials for laboratory and took photos to print on books for keeping for next generation to research. There are five sites of iron works here and we will excavate one more in the future at the area," according to Ea Darith.

Editor: Xiong Tong

Succulent souvenir of Cambodia

http://www.postbulletin.com

9/5/2009
By Julie A. Warner

Our community has been enriched by recent immigrants from many countries, including Cambodia. Being a foodie, my conversations with my Cambodian friends often turn to their cuisine.

So I was excited recently to have the opportunity visit Cambodia with my daughter to experience the food, an important part of their culture.

During the course of this backpacking adventure, we traveled with an experienced guide who knew where and what to eat, be it roadside rest stops or fine dining. The colors, textures, aromas, and fellow diners were most unlike Rochester, but because of my contacts with our local community, strangely familiar as well.

One memorable stop on our journey was near Siem Reap, where we explored the ancient temples of Angkor Wat. After a morning of prowling these fascinating ruins we found ourselves at a very basic, outdoor roadside restaurant.

We dined under the shade of a canopy that provided welcome relief from the broiling sun, at red vinyl-covered tables fashioned from rough wood. The kitchen was also outdoors, without the benefit of shade, hidden behind a rather flimsy temporary wall. We wondered what was going on behind that wall!

Wanting to sample a traditional regional dish, I asked our guide for a suggestion, and he suggested loc lac or marinated beef strips with lime sauce. Our pretty young waitress took my order and I anxiously awaited my lunch.

I was not disappointed -- when the dish arrived, I found lime-marinated beef strips placed delicately upon a bed of green lettuces, red tomatoes, and golden fried potato wedges with a lightly fried egg placed on top.

To accompany my dish there was the common condiment of cracked black pepper, salt and lime wedges, the ingredients to make a dipping sauce by squeezing the lime wedges and mixing the juice with the salt and pepper.

I eagerly tasted the beef, and found it to be tender to the bite, sweet yet tangy to the taste and balanced by the richness of the fried egg. I savored each bit and was amazed that one could find such cuisine in such a humble roadside restaurant.

When I came home, I wanted to recreate this lime-marinated beef in my own kitchen.

This is the recipe I modified and shared with my family with great success.

Even though I do not have Angkor Wat in sight as I relish my loc lac I can still smell, see and savor a traditional Cambodian meal in my own home. Enjoy, enjoy!

Julie A. Warner is a chef at the Mayo Clinic Foundation House in Rochester.

Cambodia Rejects Thai PAD Claims of Lost Preah Vihear Land

http://www.dap-news.com/

Written by dap-news
Saturday, 05 September 2009

Cambodian high ranking officials on Friday rejected claims from the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in Thailand that Thailand lost 4.6 square-kilometers to Cambodia. The Cambodian officials stressed that such a stance is not the official line of the Thai Government.“This claim is not Bangkok’s government’s stance and [they are] willing to solve with the Cambodian Government,” Koy Kuong, a spokesman of the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, told DAP News Cambodia on Friday.

“This protest is from only Thai nationalism group to claim Cambodia invaded Thailand,” Koy Kuong confirmed. “If the two governments have not solved the problems yet, they cannot claim it is the sovereignty belonging to Thailand.”

The Thais “often claim to be encroached upon and envied by Cambodia, but they base [claims] only on their own map, Koy Kuong added.

Va Kimhong, president of the Cambodian Border Committee could not be reached for comment on Friday. “Thailand should not say that they lost around 4.6 square kilometers of their land in accordance with an international ruling of June 15, 2009,” he has previously told DAP News Cambodia.

“Thailand cannot say as the area and the surroundings of the area do not belong to Cambodia. When they said they lost land, it is not based in reality or evidence.”

Va Kimhong showed disappointment over Thailand’s slow progress in fulfilling vows to demarcate the border.

The People’s Alliance for Democ- racy networks from 16 southern provinces held a public announcement urging the Government to investigate Thailand’s rights to 4.6 square kilometers in the vicinity of the Preah Vihear Temple, in order to prevent the country from losing the disputed land, according to Thai-Asean News Network on Friday.

PAD coordinator for southern networks, Soonthorn Rakrong, made an address on behalf of the PAD networks from the South, acknowledging their support of a group led by Weera Somkwamkid in investigating a so-called “disputed” 4.6 square-kilometer area along the Thai and Cambodia border.

The area is close to Cambodia’s Preah Vihear Temple.

“The group claims that evidence indicates that Thailand has obviously lost its ownership over the disputed area to Cambodia and that the Thai government remains inactive and appears to be supporting Cambodia’s actions,” the agency added.

The PAD has apparently called for the Thai Government to preserve the country’s sovereignty and revoke any contracts or agreements made between the two countries.

The PAD networks said that if the government still remained inactive about the issue, they would join forces with the public sector to reclaim the nation’s sovereignty. They will hold a gathering on September 9 in Nakhon Srithammarat province to “put a concrete plan into action.”

ASTV on August 18 broadcast a live talk show with Thai nationalists, two Thai academics and Prince Vanvichear Charonnoun. Those present wrongly insisted that over 4.6 square kilometers around Cambodia’s Preah Vihear Temple and nearby Danngrek Mountains had been lost to Cambodia.

Some attacked Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Patama, who they said ignored Thai sovereignty.

A Thai academic told the talk show that “The matter could not be solved as the name of Preah Vihear was not agreed jointly.”

Following Thai soldiers encroach- ment into Cambodian sovereignty in July 2008, Thailand asked Cambodia to also call the temple Phra Viharn—the Thai name for the ancient Cambodian sanctuary—in official documents but Cambodia refused.

Prince Vanvichear Charonnoun said that, “After the two countries agreement could not be solved, a compromise appeared asking to call this area as Phoumakdeu and Chorngtathoa as this area Cambodia strongly need to control. If Cambodia could not control this area, Cambodia could not request Preah Vihear Temple to be inscribed as a World Heritage Site.”

“We could believe and depended on Thai Foreign Ministry officials as they ignored and not focused on the nation’s benefits,” the prince added.

The Cambodian Government has often repeated its stance of not encro- aching upon Thai territory “even one millimeter,” though Cambodia has vowed to stand fast to protect its land area at Cambodia’s Preah Vihear temple and it environs.

However, Thai assembly recently approved reporters of The Thai Boundary Committee over demarcation with Cambodia at Cambodia’s Preah Vihear.

The Cambodia-Thai border dispute looks like it could soon be resolved and return to the situation before July 15, 2008, as the Thai Parliament on Wednesday gave the nod to Cambodia-Thai border demarcation.

The Thai Parliament on Wednesday approved reports from the Thailand-Cambodia Joint Border Commission (JBC), a move that essentially gives the go-ahead to boundary demarcation at a disputed area around Cambodia’s Preah Vihear temple, according to The Nation newspaper.

the Cambodian side of the JBC, on Wednesday told DAP News Cambodia he welcomed for the Thai approval. he said the move would help reduce tension around the Khmer temple of Preah Vihear, noting that the border demarcation in the area has stalled since 2006.

“We welcome the information that Thai parliament approved to demarcate Cambodia-Thai boundary,” said Koy Kuong. “It shows a positive sign for the two nation’s cooperation.”

The JBC met in November last year, and in February and April this year to set a framework for border demarcation and provisional arrangement at what the Thais claim is a “disputed area” near Cambodia’s ancient Preah Vihear temple.

Thailand and Cambodia have long been at loggerheads over areas adjacent to the temple since last year. The JBC was asked to set a provisional arrangement to jointly run the disputed area while the demarcation takes place.

The Cambodia-Thai borer standoff started on July 15, 2008 after the temple was declared a Cambodian UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some Thais mistakenly view the temple as Thai propery.

The tensions have has been eased following the recent exchange of official trips by high ranking officials. As the last a two-day official visit of supreme commander of Thai Royal army chief to Cambodia in August 24, 2009 was to joint agreed with Cambodian side’s development at the two nation borders.

Both the International Court and World Heritage Committee have agreed that Preah Vihear Temple is Cambodian territory, UNESCO inscribing the ancient sanctuary as a World Heritage Site. According to legal documents, Thailand has no right to illegally invade Cambodian land.

US to Provide US$34.8 Million for Health and Education

http://www.dap-news.com

Written by dap-news
Saturday, 05 September 2009

The US and Cambodia will sign amendments to two bilateral agreements on September 8 that will provide US$34.8 million in 2009 funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to support Cambodian priorities in health and education, according to a Friday press statement of the US Embassy in Phnom Penh.

It added that US Ambassador to Cambodia Carol A. Rodley will attend the ceremony and sign as a witness at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on Tuesday next week. Hor Namhong, deputy prime minister and minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and USAID Mission Director Flynn Fuller will sign on behalf of their respective governments. The new funding brings the total that the US has provided in support of health and education in Cambodia to over US$250 million since 1999. “The amendment to the first agreement consists of US$31.6 million in grant funds to achieve health objectives,” it added. “Funds will be used to promote a variety of activities to reduce the transmission and impact of HIV/AIDS; to prevent and control major infectious diseases such as tuberculosis; to fight avian influenza and other influenza-like illnesses; to improve maternal, reproductive, and children’s health; and to strengthen Cambodian public-health systems.”

The amendment to the second agreement will provide US$3.2 million in grant funds to support the Cambodian Government’s education objectives. These funds will support the launch of a new program that will build on USAID’s ongoing education program, which is improving the quality and relevance of basic education and increasing access to schooling for all children, including minorities, people with disabilities, and the very poor. Activities will also focus on reducing school dropout and repetition rates through improv-ements in teaching quality, school-management training, and measuring student academic achieve ment.

In addition to health and education activities, USAID supports a broad range of programs designed to benefit all Cambodians in areas such as human rights, rule of law, local governance and decentralization, anti-corruption, natural-resource management, economic growth, and combating trafficking in persons. USAID expects to commit US$61.8 million in assistance to Cambodia in 2009.

Cambodia to Use Media in Fight Against Child Trafficking

http://www.dap-news.com

Written by dap-news
Saturday, 05 September 2009

Cambodia and civil partners on Friday conducted a seminar on strategies for fighting against child trafficking using the media.

“Child trafficking is still our major concern currently and it is so important that we have used the media system for helping and preventing child trafficking,” Thach Phaen, secretary of state for the Information Ministry, told the seminar.

“Cambodia is still facing child trafficking and it is our challenging issue in the country … so we must deal with it and prevent any cases, especially those involving our women and children,” he added. “We also thank civic organizations that they have always cooperated with each other to lift strategies to fighting against the human trafficking to promote human rights and the dignity of the child victims.”

Cambodia has already signed several conventions on preventing child trafficking, including banning child soldiers from armed conflicts, and making illegal child trafficking, prostitution, child porn in 2002, signing a convention of child protection and cooperation on child adoption in Hague, Netherlands in 2007. Cambodia has also signed a bilateral agreement with other countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-region to strengthen the bilateral and multi-lateral cooperation in fighting against the trafficking of children, women and other vulnerable people.

Thach Phan stressed that the Cambodian Government has always prioritized the kingdom’s children and taken steps to implement children’s rights to life, protection, development and to join in society.

“We also recognize June 1 as Children Day and World Against Child Labor Day in June 12 and we always celebrate them every year,” he said. “The Government also determined in its policy to join the children rights and equity rights for women, gender, and we also promote the law against human trafficking and against the sex trade.”

The Information Ministry joined to raise awareness in print media, the radio and TV, and has banned any forms of discrimination against age, sex, race, skin color, religion or political beliefs, he said. “We all have to push the activities of equity gender to broaden for people, and stop family violence.”

“Media will help to write and broadcast with ethical production, and all spot organizers on TV and radio, and print media have to pay attention on the rights of children, women, and hotels and guest houses have to place posters for child protection, and also in entertainment clubs,” he added.

Mikor Essam, director of Project against Domestic Violence, said that child rights are still a concern, especially as the world faces a global financial crisis.

“We have to take care about women and children, and media is still important factor to promote and join in fighting against and prevent any forms of child trafficking,” he said. The law enforcement also is strength- ening and play an important role.”

Earlier this week, Cambodia and the US sent back home three American men who involved with sex abuse on minors. Both sides said they will cooperate further to fight against human trafficking.

Beeline Launches New Tariff

http://www.dap-news.com/

Written by dap-news
Saturday, 05 September 2009

Beeline, a mobile telecommunication company, on Friday launched a new tariff plan for Cambodian consumers, the company said.

Benoit Janin, commercial director of Beeline in Cambodia, said that “Our new proposal is addressed to the consumers who want to save their money and enjoy the quality of international services with a reasonable price.” The offer is valid until December 31, 2009.

“We are happy to inform them about, the possibilities of Super Zero. It brings a lot of positive opportunities to all consumers,” he added.

The major of new tariff plans are: affordable price for voice traffic within network (0 cents after the first minute for calls within network, for 6 cents a minute to calls local destinations, and reasonable price of international calls as 5 cents a minute for calls like US and for 15 cents a minute for the most popular destination as well, Beeline added.

The new Beeline product is available in 1722 specialized sim-card sales outlets and 5 own sales offices.

Moreover, Beeline ranks among the top 10 international telecom brands and brings the best international quality standards to the Cambodian telecom industry, the company said.

The Beeline Company stressed that they currently serve 18 cities and provinces: Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Preah Sihanouk, Battambang, Kandal, Kampong Cham, Takeo, Kep, Svay Rieng, Kampong Chhnang, Kratie, Koh Kong, Prey Veng, Kampong Speu, Banteay Meanchey, Kampong Thom, and Pursat.

US Hands over Military Equipment to Cambodia

http://www.dap-news.com

Written by dap-news
Saturday, 05 September 2009

In a handover ceremony at the National Defense Ministry on September 3 presided over by Brigadier General Skip Vincent and Lieutenant General Chau Phirun, General Director of Material and Techniques of the Ministry of National Defense, the US formally transferred nearly twenty forty foot containers of excess military equipment to the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF).

The original cost of the material was approximately US$6.5 million and includes 16,000 Kevlar helmets, 4,000 field packs and 6,000 camouflage uniforms, among other items. General Vincent was in Cambodia on an official visit and is currently the assistant to the director of strategy and policy for Pacific Command.

The equipment was donated through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program. Since 2006, Camb- odia has received approximately US$4.5 million worth of military equipment and technical assistance through this program.

The FMF program is also funding the grant of excess military transport equipment and technical assistance to the Ministry of National Defense and the High Command, English language training materials and technical assistance to the RCAF English Language Training Program and Maritime Security and Professional Development training to the Royal Cambodian Navy.

The equipment will be issued to priority units with RCAF, many of whom are currently receiving training and capacity building assistance from the US Government.

CDRP Plans to Serve the Urban Poor

http://www.dap-news.com

Written by dap-news
Saturday, 05 September 2009

With over US$25,000 to dole out in microfinance loans to Cambodia’s urban poor, the Cambodian Develo-pment Reduction Poverty will raise standards of living, according to the Cambodian Policy of Temporally Land Management (CPTLM) on Thursday.

Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction and President of CPTLM Im Chhun Lim said on September 3 that the funds would be provided at 8 percent per year interest to Cambodian poor in urban areas through microfinance and a crediting service.

“CPTLM is processing on this project; we have prepared some articles like owner assets, economic impact, and societal impact because the project does not ask donors to develop our country.”

“There are 300 illegal lands among 596 families in Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh Municipality who is resolved to them in temporarily,” he added.

He stressed that Cambodia, UNDP, UNHABITA, UN-ESCAP, English, Japan as well as India are good cooperated on reforming or preparing in the land management protocol.

Vice General Director of Department of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction Socheat Khemaro said that “All urban areas in Phnom Penh need to earn more benefits for Cambodians and it is a deep pressure for the business market and good for living.”

“To ensure our country to be green and human wellbeing” is the priority, Khemaro added.

Local authorities should resolve all concerns and determinate all buildings in urban areas; limit all unidentified land marks; census residents; note map markers of all location; consider to selecting areas for development; use appropriate policies to facilitate them; provide land certificates; support or provide public services; and limit all related constitutions to involve for the both sides on time resolution, he stressed.

Phnom Penh Deputy Municipal Governor Mann Chhoeun said that “We are very proud of the Cambodian Government got giving a chance to take the action for the full rights of Cambodian residents in urban areas who face hardships.”

Five Years in Prison for Would-be Assassin

http://www.dap-news.com/

Written by dap-news
Saturday, 05 September 2009

Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Friday ruled to imprison man for five years over the planned assassination of a lawmaker.

A convicted man, Rous Sovan, aged 27, was arrested January 13, 2008 in Chamkar Mon district, Phnom Penh after evidence that the man was willing to assassinate a lawmaker of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) in Kampong Cham province, Ngen Kim Sreng.

The verdict was declared already in 2008, but the court prosecutors ruled to postpone the sentence pending a full psychiatric evaluation by a qua- lified doctor as there had been suggestions the suspect was mentally ill.

“This offender has a mental problem. He could not sleep, has headaches, speaks in a low voice, just nods, but he was able to remember his mother’s phone number,” the doctor testified in the courtroom. “Therefore, it shows that he has enough mental ability.”

The offender’s mother said in the courtroom that “My son, named Rous Sovan had a mental problem as his father hit his head in the past time.”

“Also, when he was 16 years old, he fell out of a tree and when he was 18 years old, some gangers hit him and he passed out,” the mother added.

However, the prosecutor ruled that Rous Sovan is mentally competent enough to face his sentence as he could remember his mother’s phone number.

“My client is really a mental problem man as sitting in the courtroom; he said nothing,” the convicted man’s lawyer said. “We want to see clearly that if my client has a mental problem or not, and are requesting expert doctors check him again.”

Long An-Phnom Penh route opens

Saigon
http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn

An international direct route between Long An – Phnom Penh was opened September 4, the Department of Transport in the Mekong delta province of Long An said.

The director of the department, Luu Dinh Khan, said Lim Vannessa L.V.S Import Export of Cambodia proposed the route and the Vietnam government approved.

The route is 300 kilometer long. The company will run two trips a week on Wednesday and Saturday, with each trip carrying up to 45 passengers.

Fares cost US$12 per person, including bridges and road tolls and transfer border crossings fees.

By D. Tuyen - Translated by Uyen Phuong

Cambodia finds its 1st ancient ironworks site in history

www.chinaview.cn
2009-09-05

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Apsara Authority of Cambodia has found and excavated for the first time in its history the ancient ironworks site at Khav village, Khav commune, Chi-kreng district of Siem Reap province where is the home of Angkor Wat temple, the local media reported on Saturday.

"We have excavated four sites and each site has size of five meters in length and two meters in width, and we also found iron mines, some potteries, pieces of cook, some bamboos, other ancient materials, and a tube for blowing the air into the ancient cook to melt the iron stone," the khmer language newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea quoted Ea Darith, deputy director of temple conservation for external affairs of Angkor wat park as saying, who is also expert for leading the excavation group.

"Those sites were used for melting iron mines and it was belonged to aborigine "Kouy" and their relatives still exist in living in Cambodia now," he said. "They melted those iron mines to produce as guns, swords, javelins, and other daily households including axes, knifes, and chisels for the king at that time," he added.

"According to the analysis on potteries, those sites were constructed in the 11th or 13th century," Ea Darith said.

At the same time, Apsara Authority also found the ancient Chinese ointment containers which Khmer imported from China. "Khmer and Chinese people got married and lived at Angkor Wat region at that time. So we could find them," he said, adding that those ancient Chinese ointment containers were made in 12th or 13th century.

"Our excavation of the sites was stopped temporarily because our experts need to take those materials for laboratory and took photos to print on books for keeping for next generation to research. There are five sites of iron works here and we will excavate one more in the future at the area," according to Ea Darith.

Editor: Xiong Tong

South Thailand In Pictures

A suspected militant, still holding his weapon in hand, lies on the ground after he was shot dead by police in a jungle in Thailand's Yala province, about 1,084 km (674 miles) south of Bangkok September 2, 2009. REUTERS/Surapan Boonthanom

A suspected militant lies on the ground near a rubber tree after he was shot dead by police in a jungle in Thailand's Yala province, about 1,084 km (674 miles) south of Bangkok September 2, 2009. REUTERS/Surapan Boonthanom

Soldiers stand guard at the scene of an attack near a restaurant during lunchtime in southern Thailand's Pattani province September 3, 2009. More than 20 people were injured in two bomb attacks in Thailand's deep south of Pattani on Thursday. The first bomb was detonated in front of a grocery store. After the first bomb went off, the second bomb, planted in a gas cylinder attached to a motorcycle, was detonated in front of the restaurant, police said. REUTERS/Surapan Boonthanom

Police officers inspect the scene of an attack near a restaurant during lunchtime in southern Thailand's Pattani province September 3, 2009. More than 20 people were injured in two bomb attacks in Thailand's deep south of Pattani on Thursday. The first bomb was detonated in front of a grocery store. After the first bomb went off, the second bomb, planted in a gas cylinder attached to a motorcycle, was detonated in front of the restaurant, police said. REUTERS/Surapan Boonthanom

Police officers inspect the scene of an attack near a restaurant during lunchtime in southern Thailand's Pattani province September 3, 2009. More than 20 people were injured in two bomb attacks in Thailand's deep south of Pattani on Thursday. The first bomb was detonated in front of a grocery store. After the first bomb went off, the second bomb, planted in a gas cylinder attached to a motorcycle, was detonated in front of the restaurant, police said. REUTERS/Surapan Boonthanom

Police and soldiers inspect the scene of an attack near a restaurant during lunchtime in southern Thailand's Pattani province September 3, 2009. More than 20 people were injured in two bomb attacks in Thailand's deep south of Pattani on Thursday. The first bomb was detonated in front of a grocery store. After the first bomb went off, the second bomb, planted in a gas cylinder attached to a motorcycle, was detonated in front of the restaurant, police said. REUTERS/Surapan Boonthanom

Thai soldiers examine the site where a bomb exploded outside a row of open-air shops and restaurants in the city of Pattani Province Thailand Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009. Eight people were killed in a string of drive-by shootings and at least 25 were wounded in a bomb blast in Thailand's insurgency-plagued south, in what the army said Thursday was a 'unusually high' number of attacks in the restive region. (AP Photo/Sumeth pranphet)

Thai people help out injured people from a bomb explosion of a motorcycle parked outside a row of open-air shops and restaurants in the city of Pattani Province in Thailand Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009. Eight people were killed in a string of drive-by shootings and at least 25 were wounded in a bomb blast in Thailand's insurgency-plagued south, in what the army said Thursday was a 'unusually high' number of attacks in the restive region. (AP Photo/Sumeth pranphet)

Thai soldiers carry injury from a bombing explosion of a motorcycle parked outside a row of open-air shops and restaurants in the city of Pattani Province in Thailand on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009. Eight people were killed in a string of drive-by shootings and at least 25 were wounded in a bomb blast in Thailand's insurgency-plagued south, in what the army said Thursday was a 'unusually high' number of attacks in the restive region. (AP Photo/Sumeth pranphet)

Thai bomb squad units inspect the site of an explosion at a restaurant in Pattani province. The blast injured at least 27 people. Eleven people were shot dead and a powerful bomb wounded at least two dozen others as violence intensified in Thailand's Muslim-majority south during the holy month of Ramadan, police said (AFP/Tuwaedaniya Meringing)

Beggars choose to take the easy way out

Friday September 4, 2009

TAKE a walk around the city or any of its suburbs and you are almost guaranteed to run into a beggar. These beggars are usually disabled, old or very young and they sit along the pathways waiting for a handout.

Those who beg tend to frequent places with high traffic like night markets or outside banks or gambling outlets in commercial areas.

A trader at the SS13 night market in Subang Jaya said he had seen various individuals, including handicapped children and adults, old folks and mother-and-child pairs begging at the night market almost every week.

Asking for sympathy: A mother and child seen begging at the SS13 night market in Subang Jaya.

The trader, who identified himself as Lam, believed that the beggars are part of a syndicate as his friend, who is a trader at the Kepong night market, has also seen the same faces.

“Someone will drop them off at the designated night market and they will find their way in before sitting down in the middle of the path to beg.

“I have actually seen the beggars wear old and torn clothing while begging, only to change into something cleaner before boarding a special taxi that comes to take them home,” he said.

Lam, who has been trading at the SS13 night market for three years, suspects that the beggars are mostly foreigners from countries like Cambodia and China and are attached to a syndicate that brings them around Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia to beg.

Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) Licensing Department director Ismail Salim said the council could conduct joint operations with the Social Welfare Department (JKM) in an effort to tackle the beggars.

In plain sight: A badly scarred individual seen begging at the Section 17 night market in Petaling Jaya.

Noting that there were also beggars in other public places like mosques and food courts, Ismail said that it was public sympathy that encouraged the beggars to continue looking for a handout.

“They will continue coming back as long as people give them money. If they genuinely need aid, they can always contact the JKM,” he said.

Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun echoed similar sentiments by saying the public should stop sympathising with beggars and donating money as it offered them an easy way to earn money.

“What the public needs to do if they spot any beggar is to call the Talian Nur or report to the nearest JKM office. There are more than 100 JKM offices located in each district office in Malaysia,” she said.

Chew said the Talian Nur operators would note the callers’ information and refer them to the relevant authorities and let them know what they should do.

High traffic: The beggars choose places where there are a lot of passers-by to maximise their gains.

To address the begging syndicate issues, Chew said the JKM conducts scheduled operations once or twice a week at areas with lots of street beggars, as well as joint operations with various agencies like the local councils, Immigration Department, National Registration Department, National Anti-Drugs Agency and hospitals.

“If a child (aged under 18) is found during the operation, then the Child Act 2001 will be used,” she said.

(Section 32 of the act states: Any person who causes or procures any child… allows that child to be on any… place for the purposes of begging, receiving alms, whether or not there is any pretence of… performing or offering anything for sale; or carrying out… illegal activities detrimental to the health and welfare of the child, commits an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding RM5,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or both.)

“The JKM protection officer will rescue the child and place him or her in a welfare home within 24 hours,” Chew said.

“A court order will be obtained from the magistrate’s court to place the child in a welfare home for the next 30 days while the officer prepares a report.

“If the child is found to have a family member or relative who can care for them, we will send them back.

“Putting them in a welfare home is the last option as we believe it is best for the children to grow up in a loving family environment.”

If they are to be put in a home, Chew said, the children would be placed in an orphanage or Rumah Tunas Harapan, a home that is run by couples with their own children.

The Ministry provides allowances for the relatives or Rumah Tunas Harapan families to care for the children.

Meanwhile, if adults are found during the operation, they would be rescued under the Destitute Person’s Act 1977.

“They will be placed in a welfare institution within 24 hours and a 30-day court order will obtained while the officers investigate their case,” said Chew.

“If a family member or caregiver cannot be found, they will be placed in a welfare home for three years. Those aged above 60 will go to the Rumah Seri Kenangan old folks’ home, while those under 60 will be placed in Desa Bina Diri workshops to learn soft skills.”

She stressed that welfare organisations and charities cannot use children to solicit donations.

“If an association wants to solicit donations in commercial or residential areas, they will need to get permission from the JKM and a police permit,” she said.

Talian Nur’s number is 15999. For a list of JKM locations and contacts, visit www.jkm.gov.my (search under directory).

Art as armor: Cambodian soldiers believe certain tattoos can protect them from bullets and landmines

REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodia Major General commander Srey Dek, right, arm wrestles with Thai Major General Kanok NetraKaveysana, left, during a joint lunch at Koe sekhakirisrarak pagoda near Preah Vihear temple April 5, 2009.

http://www.minnpost.com

By John Maloy

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Magic tattoos begin with a magic man. Typically a Buddhist monk or adjar (essentially a deacon) and known for great piety, this Khmer magic man can draw scripts and images into another's skin, granting with them supernatural armor against all kinds of harm. Understandably, such body art became popular with soldiers.

Reut Hath is one such magic man. He first learned the art of inking magic from his father, a farmer and martial arts trainer in northwestern Cambodia who was himself a "powerful magic man," according to the 52-year-old former soldier.

"Many people came to [my father], so he gave some of the work to me," Reut Hath said. "So, I had to learn magic."

Wherever Cambodian soldiers cluster, charms and amulets abound, from cloths scrawled with protection spells to bags of Buddha figurines to boar tusks — anything to gain a magically endowed edge over the enemy. And there is perhaps no more explicit display of belief in mystical powers than magic tattoos, geometric patterns of written spells and images that crisscross the bodies of many older soldiers.

The list of powers that supposedly come with the tattoos is long and includes: imperviousness to bullets, anti-landmine protection, invisibility, an amplified voice to address troops and "great gravity" magic to make one's fists into heavier, deadlier weapons. The intricate arrangements of some tattoos and the folk-like quality of others are often beautiful artworks in their own right. However, it's also a fading art, a system of belief that is disappearing from a military looking to recruit younger soldiers in place of aging veterans of the country's recent decades of civil war.

Reut Hath started tattooing soldiers in 1977 after himself fleeing executioners from the murderous Khmer Rouge to join the resistance against the Pol Pot regime. (In its effort to create a Maoist agrarian utopia, that regime was ultimately responsible for the deaths of more than 1.7 million people. In early 1979, the Vietnamese military toppled the Khmer Rouge government, sparking a 20-year civil war in Cambodia.)

Reut Hath joined the Khmer People's National Liberation Front (KPNLF), one of the main resistance groups that battled it out with the Vietnamese-backed Phnom Penh government throughout the 1980s. It is mostly former fighters from resistance groups like the KPNLF that have the magic tattoos.

The method
Magic men punch tattoos into the skin by hand, using a thin handle about 30 centimeters long with two syringe needles at one end. According to Reut Hath, any old ink will suffice, but during the civil war, when ink was often in short supply, he would create his own by mixing the material inside alkaline batteries with rice wine.

It only takes a few seconds to punch a single letter into the skin, though some soldiers have veritable essays written on their bodies, which require days of painful prodding.

Casting the spell
The spells are written in two ancient Indian languages — Sanskrit or, more commonly, Pali, which is the liturgical language of Cambodia's dominant religion, Theravada Buddhism. Reut Hath admits he can't actually understand any of the spells because they aren't written in his native tongue of Khmer.

"I cannot read the Pali, but I know what letter is what letter, so I know what to write according to the formula," he said. "I learned it, but even I don't understand why the magic is so powerful."

The soldiers' stories
Sgt. Maj. Boung Thoeun is covered from head to toe in protective tattoos, his arms almost black from the dense web of Pali spells running up and down them.

The 50-year-old soldier, a former KPNLF captain, said that his tattoos twice saved him from landmines, which merely fizzled when he stepped on them. He also recalled getting caught in a nighttime ambush that should have meant certain death, but he came away unscathed.

"The enemy sprayed a lot of bullets at us," he said. "It was a dark place but there were so many [tracer bullets] flying about that it looked like the daytime." Cambodian army Maj. Gen. Lay Virak, formerly a KPNLF senior commander, said he knows of magic that prevents a person from getting lost in the forest. He also met a monk who knew magic that allowed one to walk through fire.

"During the war, we believed in the magic. We knew a lot, including magic that prevents you from being tied up or hurt by torture," Lay Virak added.

With so much power supposedly at their fingertips, it would seem like a half-dozen tattooed soldiers could take on an army. But when it comes to magical tattoos there's still a catch — several, actually.

"It is a question of your belief, your nationalism and your devotion to the rules," said Reut Hath of how one keeps their magic potent.

The basis of belief
These rules are typically based on morality and religiosity: Do not murder, do not steal, do not commit adultery, regularly burn incense and pray, recite magical mantras, etc. The rules establish a Buddhist grounding for the magic, taking what could be thought of as a selfish act to empower oneself and changing it into a promotion of moral behavior and faith. Of course, to the more cynical-minded, the rules also provide reasons why a man covered in protection spells might be killed on the battlefield: "If only he hadn't been so forward with his neighbor's wife," for example.

However, some of the rules might appear more arbitrary. Reut Hath forbids the men he tattooed from eating dog meat. In addition to dog, Lay Virak must also shun snake, turtle and pork, and in perhaps the most unusual limitation, he will sacrifice his protection if he urinates and defecates at the same time.

In addition, former resistance fighters say, the end of warfare in Cambodia has done much to reduce both the strict morality and magical potency associated with the tattoos — with easy living comes temptation.

"During the fighting, most of the fighters were powerful — the magic worked," Reut Hath said. "But with peace, many came to the cities and starting drinking, sleeping with girls and the magic has faded away."

This perceived decline in morality has driven Reut Hath to vow to never tattoo anyone ever again. "I decided to stop giving the tattoos because I cannot trust the young people these days. If they had tattoos they'd probably fight. Before, we thought about the liberation of our country. We had a good spirit."

He said he does know of some magic men who continue to tattoo people, but their numbers are dwindling. "Many soldiers have [tattoos] but they don't know how to pass them on," he added. Though not in any way prohibited, tattoos are now an increasingly rare sight in the Cambodian military. Even among those who fought in the 1970s and '80s, it was only in the resistance groups based along the Thai border that it remained a prominent tradition. Resistance fighters who joined the military after the war have also typically found themselves relegated to positions with little authority or influence.

"Usually it's the fighters from the border that have tattoos," said Maj. Gen. Chap Pheakdei, commander of Brigade 911, the army's elite paratrooper unit, adding that few of his soldiers have sought the protection of magical body art.

"On the Phnom Penh side during the [civil] war maybe two out of 100 would have [tattoos]," said one Brigade 911 officer who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the press. "Some guys go out with tattoos all over them and get killed, and a guy with nothing comes back fine — I believe in luck, not magic."

"But maybe," he added, "that's because our side has tanks."

Laos seeks to attract more visitors to boost economy

http://www.channelnewsasia.com

Asia Pacific News

By Channel NewsAsia's IndoChina Bureau Chief Anasuya Sanyal

Posted: 05 September 2009

LUANG PRABANG, Laos: Laos is aiming to expand tourism, with help from neighbouring countries and an emphasis on its natural beauty.

However, the country faces twin challenges of rapid development and the global economic slowdown.

In the northern town of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the old ways are preserved for all to enjoy. Nearby, nature's bounty - such as waterfalls - is on display.

Long seen as less developed than some of its neighbours, Laos has been welcoming visitors for about a decade.

By 2010, the country aims to attract over a million visitors a year to boost the economy, which has few exports or industries.

Critics said a greater influx of tourists could destroy the peacefulness the country is known for. But authorities said they are mindful of the situation.

Soukaseum Bodhisane, vice chairman, Laos National Tourism Administration, said: "We have to preserve and develop, but we have to maintain some conditions.

"First, we have to share the benefit for the people at the grassroots level, and second we have to help share the benefit for the community. Third, we have to have benefit for the tourists also. And (lastly), we have to preserve biodiversity."

Despite its growing popularity, tourism is expected to take a hit from the global economic downturn.

Regional cooperation could be the answer, with Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam coming together to showcase the various attractions each country has to offer.

Soukaseum Bodhisane said: "We, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, try to organise Three Countries, One Destination (concept)... So we would like to cooperate. That is what we try to do now... and we will discuss this in detail when we attend the ITE (International Travel Exposition) in HCM (Ho Chi Minh) in October - how to realise this dream."

The three countries also intend to upgrade infrastructure, facilitate border checkpoints and establish better air links between World Heritage sites. - CNA/ms

Student volunteers go around the globe

Student volunteers teach in a classroom in Cambodia. By Chang Ha-eun

http://joongangdaily.joins.com

International programs gaining popularity

September 05, 2009

“Gaeul ga-e, olchangi han mari...”

In a small schoolhouse, a group of Nepalese children were singing the olchangi (tadpole) song in Korean for the first time in their lives. Just a few hours ago, they had not even known the language existed. Now, their voices resounded with joy at the new sounds they were making. At the front of the classroom, the teacher was brimming with enthusiasm, ready to continue.

What may seem odd about this is that the teacher was a Korean high school student doing volunteer work.

“Although the weather, the food, the shelter and pretty much everything was unsatisfactory, I was happy that the children learned a lot with us,” said Cho Min, a high school senior who was part of a 15-member team that went to Nepal. “My volunteer group also had to build a house for a homeless Nepalese family,” Cho said. “We worked on that for a whole two weeks. At first, I was just tired and frustrated. However, as time passed, I think I got a glimpse of the true meaning of volunteer work. That’s why my teammates and I signed up in the first place, anyway.”

More and more high school students are traveling overseas for their volunteer assignments, according to Cho and other volunteers.

“I’ve gone on several service missions overseas, and I know many friends who have an interest in volunteer work. Although nobody wanted to go abroad before, it seems that everybody wants to do public service overseas these days and do something worthwhile for a change,” Cho said.

Korean high school students are required to complete 20 hours of community service every year for their graduation and college admission. Some find the task unnecessary. But more and more students are signing up to give their time overseas.

Lee Bo-hyung, a high school freshman, said that a lot of students want to do something that actually makes them feel good about themselves.

“To teach art, we made the necessary teaching materials by hand,” said Kim Hyun-ji, a high school junior. “We taught [the children] about Korea using maps, traditional fans and cultural brochures.”

Kim had signed up with Copion, a service organization, to work in the village of Svay Tour, Cambodia, where she went earlier this month.

“I stayed there for 11 days. The lodging facility was literally something out of the Discovery Channel, what with all the bugs and lizards in the sleeping quarters.” said Kim. “There were four teams, but some people had to stay behind in Korea, because so many signed up.”

Volunteer organizations such as Copion and Global PeaceMakers have definitely noticed the increase in interest among young people. According to a worker at Global PeaceMakers, an organization that targets high school and college students, there has been a 30 percent increase in the number of students who signed up this year.

Countries like Nepal, Cambodia and China welcome the increase in foreign teenage volunteers, who build houses and teach children in remote villages in developing countries.

This kind of community work is not a one-time thing, however. All the students interviewed said that they wanted to take part again, with most saying they planned to do so after graduating high school.

“Because I’ve had a personal experience with the needy, my sympathy for them has developed into empathy. That’s why I want to go help them again. I also want to encourage this kind of public service.” said Chang Ha-eun, a high school freshman who volunteered in Cambodia early last month.

*This series features articles written and reported by high school students participating in the JoongAng Daily’s summer internship program. All articles were written with the guidance of our staff reporters.

By Lee Doh-yun [enational@joongang.co.kr]

Heart Diseases Are the Leading Cause of Deaths in Cambodia – Friday, 4.9.2009

Posted on 4 September 2009
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 628
http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com/

“Phnom Penh: Heart disease is considered to be a disease that causes the highest cause of deaths for Cambodian citizens, compared to other diseases.

“An official of the National Institute of Public Health, Dr. Chao Darapheak, said that according to a preliminary report from 14 provinces and cities in Cambodia, the mortality rates from cancer, heart diseases, and liver diseases have all increased among people over 40 years old. But heart diseases are the leading cause of deaths, as 19 out of 100,000 people die from heart diseases, followed by liver diseases with 8 deaths among 100,000, and cancer with 7 deaths among 100,000 people.

“Dr. Chao Darapheak added that the study about mortality rates in Cambodia was conducted from April to August 2009 by using already existing data. Fourteen provinces – Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kandal, Kep, Kompong Cham, Kompong Chhnang, Kompong Speu, Kompong Thom, Oddar Meanchey, Pailin, Preah Vihear, Siem Reap, and Stung Treng, and Takeo – had sent reports to the National Institute of Public Health. Other provinces will send their reports later.

“He said that the study will be finished in October 2009. In Cambodia, the life expectancy of men is 54-55 years, and of women it is 58.”

Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.8, #2040, 4.9.2009
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Friday, 4 September 2009

Three Advocates To Address US Rights Commission

By Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
04 September 2009

Three prominent Cambodians are scheduled as key participants in a US congressional hearing on human rights this month, as concerns persist over the government’s ongoing treatment of dissenters.

Mu Sochua, a Kampot National Assembly representative for the Sam Rainsy Party who recently lost a defamation suit to Prime Minister Hun Sen, is set to join Kek Galabru, founder of the rights group Licadho, and Moeun Tola, head of the Community Legal Education Center’s labor program, in Washington Sept. 10.

“It’s high time that we all talk about the reality there, and we have enough evidence,” said Mu Sochua, who last month was ordered to pay more than $4,000 in fines and compensation after she brought a suit against Hun Sen for allegedly degrading remarks in a speech in April.

The three are scheduled to give testimony to the House of Representative’s Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, co-chaired by Frank Wolf, a Republican from Virginia, and James McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts, examining “a concerning trend in the Cambodian government’s overall human rights record,” according to the commission.

The commission cited as one reason for the hearing a July 29 Washington Post report of “a heightened crackdown on journalists and opposition activists” that “has provoked new concern that the government [of Cambodia] is engaging in widespread abuse of the nation’s legal system to muzzle its detractors.”

It also referred to Mu Sochua’s defamation case, diminished rights for workers and labor, and the eviction of people from their land without compensation.

Mu Sochua said in an interview in Washington Tuesday she would discuss these issues and the suspension of her own parliamentary immunity, along with another SRP colleague, which paved the way for two lawsuits.

“I would like to make it clear that the Sam Rainsy Party will not make an appeal to cut aid to Cambodia, so the Cambodian people should not worry about this,” Mu Sochua said. “We are here at the US Congress to provide truth about a grave situation that might affect democracy and human rights in Cambodia.”

Kek Galabru said she will ask the US to assist Cambodia in ensuring its courts are made independent and in finding ways to tackle land issues.

“The land issue is very important because it is the life and bread of some 80 percent of Cambodians living in rural areas,” she said by phone Wednesday.

“The US should help find a way to distribute land in a fair manner to ensure good, successful and positive developments where the majority of people benefit, not just a small group, leaving the majority in tears,” she said.

Meanwhile, shorter work contracts for workers after a US quota program ended and suits filed against labor leaders are a concern, said Moeun Tola, adding “past killings of [union leaders] have never been solved…which is a threat to the freedom of unions.”

The rights commission hearing was announced Aug. 25, and its examination of the situation in Cambodia is a rare instance. Along with the Cambodians invited are representatives from the US State Department.

“I am sorry that the commission only invited an opposition team, without inviting another side…to give a balanced report and find out the truth for a solution,” said Koy Kuong, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

That the administration was not invited was “not fair, not neutral, and biased,” he said. “It won’t help promote human rights.”

Cambodia’s own human rights committee, headed by senior Hun Sen adviser Om Yienteng, was not aware of the hearing.

Om Yentieng, contacted Monday, said the government had not broken any laws in pursuing lawsuits against Mu Sochua and others.

“When they sue us, they push us to the court, but once we countersue, they tell us not to and ask us to leave them to exercise their freedom of expression,” he said. “I think that we should have a clear grammar for democracy. We should not use democracy wrongly and out of grammar, causing people to copy a bad example.”

Police Shoot One in Domestic Violence Response

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
04 September 2009

Eye witnesses and a human rights official said Friday one villager was shot and injured by police as they responded to a domestic violence case in Kampot province.

Chhor Vanak, 23, a farmer in Chhouk district’s Prich village, was shot twice by a commune policeman, Chhin Duol, 43, after he threatened the officer with a knife.

Em Sokha, police chief of Boeung Nimol commune, said the shooting took place as police were trying to prevent domestic violence. Chhin Doul was arrested and is being detained at the communal police post.

Try Chhoun , Adhoc coordinator for Kampot province, said she was investigating the case.

Group Urges Protection of ‘Rights Defenders’

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
04 September 2009

The Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission issued a statement Friday calling for the government to end its threats against rights defenders in the courts and to instead focus on rights protection in the interest of the public.

The public call comes following the ejection of Pen Bunnar, an advocate for the rights group Adhoc, from Ratanakkiri province, under threat from the provincial court, and charges of incitement against two rights workers in Bantheay Meanchey province.

“The Asian Human Rights Commission strongly urges the Cambodian government to honor all its international human rights obligations, and, in particular, to support the rights of all its citizens, human rights defenders and NGOs to undertake activities that promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Cambodia,” the group said. “The government and its agents must provide adequate protection to all human rights defenders.”

Pen Bonnar was forced from Ratanakkiri province after the court threatened to charge him with defamation, disinformation and incitement, “apparently under pressure from powerful persons interested in the exploitation of the resources that are supposed to belong to the indigenous people in the area,” the group said.

Om Yienteng, head of the government’s rights commission and a senior adviser to Prime Minsiter Hun Sen, welcomed the message, saying it showed the rights group “believes in the Cambodian government.” However, he said, the group’s concerns were not based on fact.

The rights commission said advocates had “not been secure in their work,” citing 2008 figures from Adhoc of “63 cases of threats of various forms, including arrests, against hundreds of defenders.”

Magic tattoos uncovered

Cambodia: Details are Sketchy
http://detailsaresketchy.wordpress.com/

September 4, 2009

Writing for the Global Post, John Maloy explores the secrets of magic tattoos. They are predominantly the mark of resistance fighters who opposed the Khmer Rouge, and their power is derived from how much you believe, your nationalism, and your adherence to “the rules.”

These rules are typically based on morality and religiosity: Do not murder, do not steal, do not commit adultery, regularly burn incense and pray, recite magical mantras, etc. The rules establish a Buddhist grounding for the magic, taking what could be thought of as a selfish act to empower oneself and changing it into a promotion of moral behavior and faith. Of course, to the more cynical-minded, the rules also provide reasons why a man covered in protection spells might be killed on the battlefield: “If only he hadn’t been so forward with his neighbor’s wife,” for example.

However, some of the rules might appear more arbitrary. [Tattoo magic man] Reut Hath forbids the men he tattooed from eating dog meat. In addition to dog, Lay Virak must also shun snake, turtle and pork, and in perhaps the most unusual limitation, he will sacrifice his protection if he urinates and defecates at the same time.

In addition, former resistance fighters say, the end of warfare in Cambodia has done much to reduce both the strict morality and magical potency associated with the tattoos — with easy living comes temptation.

“During the fighting, most of the fighters were powerful — the magic worked,” Reut Hath said. “But with peace, many came to the cities and starting drinking, sleeping with girls and the magic has faded away.”

Some things never change.

WHO: H1N1 flu widespread in South Asia

http://www.upi.com

Sept. 4, 2009

GENEVA, Switzerland, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia report regional or widespread H1N1 flu, World Health Organization officials say.

Pandemic H1N1 influenza continues to be the predominant circulating flu virus, both in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, WHO officials say.

Many tropical regions of South Asia and Southeastern Asia report increased or sustained high levels of respiratory disease, but Thailand and Brunei Darussalam report a declining trend.

In tropical regions of Central America and the Caribbean, flu activity continues to be geographically regional or widespread.

Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru and parts of Brazil report regional or widespread flu activity, with some reporting an increasing trend in the level of respiratory diseases.

However, Chile, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand have passed the peak of their winter influenza epidemic. Influenza continues in South Africa and in parts of Australia.

In the Northern hemisphere, flu activity continues to increase in Japan, indicating an early beginning to its annual influenza season. In Canada and the United States, influenza remains low overall, however regional increases are detected in the Southeastern United States, WHO officials say.

Little flu activity is being reported in Europe or in central and western Asia. A few countries are reporting geographically widespread flu activity -- Austria and Israel, for example -- or an increasing trend in respiratory diseases -- such as the Netherlands and Romania.

Got a dream but no cash? The Internet can help

By Claudia Parsons - Fri Sep 4, 2009

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Chris Waddell wants to climb Kilimanjaro in a wheelchair; George Del Barrio wants to make a film in Cambodia; Jeff Edwards wants to write a book about a science fiction writer: they want you to fund their dreams.

A website called Kickstarter.com is making it possible for people like this to raise sums ranging from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars to fund anything that captures the imagination of Internet users with a little money to spare.

It worked for Emily Richmond, a 24-year-old living in Los Angeles who plans to sail solo around the world for two years.

She has raised $8,142 from 148 people who will receive rewards such as Polaroid photos from the trip, an origami sailboat or a telephone call when she crosses the equator.

Landon Ray, who runs a marketing software firm called SendPepper.com, gave $500 after showing his 5-year-old daughter Richmond's video promising to keep donors updated by blog and send rewards such as a coconut mailed from a far-flung port.

"I thought this was a perfect learning experience for my daughter," Ray said, adding that he also dreamed of sailing the world himself, so it was partly about living vicariously.

Ray also plans to use his sponsorship as a marketing tool.

Many of the projects on the site are by filmmakers, musicians, artists and writers. Project creators set a time limit and a target. If they don't reach it, they get nothing.

COMMUNITIES ONLINE AND OFFLINE

Jason Bitner's pitch for $7,500 to pay for post-production of a documentary about the small Midwestern town of La Porte, Indiana, was so popular it raised $12,153.

The film is about an archive of portraits by a photographer who died in 1971. Bitner came across boxes of the pictures in the back room of a diner and has published a book. The film features interviews with the subjects 40 or 50 years later.

"This film is very much about community," Bitner said. "We decided early on we wanted to do community-based funding, sort of crowd-sourced things."

About a third of his 149 backers were friends and family. Others include residents of La Porte but also people from as far afield as Denmark and Australia.

Jonathan Scott Chinn, who is seeking $16,500 to make a short comedy-horror film called "Always a Bridesmaid," said the site was an efficient "creative marketplace."

"You're given the opportunity to make your pitch, and if it's really interesting, it will take off," Chinn said.

Independent singer-songwriter Brad Skistimas, 26, has been using the Internet for eight years to promote his one-man band Five Times August. He used Kickstarter to raise $20,000 to finance his new album "Life As A Song," due out October 13.

Donations amounted to pre-orders of the album, giving fans early access as well as additional material such as handwritten lyrics, photos and, for $1,000, dinner with the singer.

"It's a great way to get involved with fans," Skistimas said. "I was marketing to my own fans, so I said 'If you guys want more music from me, now's a great time to help me out.'"

Kickstarter co-founder Perry Chen said around $500,000 had been donated in the four months since it was launched, with more than 60 percent of projects achieving their goal. Until now the site has charged no fee, but from mid-September it will charge 5 percent of funds donated to successful projects.

Chen said so far there had been no scams that he knows of, though plenty of projects simply don't take off.

"The model works really well to prevent any type of misbehavior because the people who fund these projects; there's always a core group of the person's social network," he said. "Those are bridges people will work very hard not to burn."

(Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Eric Walsh)

Nearly 2,840 deaths attributed to H1N1 virus, reports UN health agency

UN News Centre
http://www.un.org

4 September 2009 – There are now at least 2,837 deaths attributable to the pandemic H1N1 which continues to be the predominant circulating virus of influenza both in the northern and southern hemispheres, the United Nations health agency reported today.
Gregory Hartl of the World Health Organization (WHO) told a news conference in Geneva that there are also at least 254,000 laboratory confirmed cases of the virus, adding that this number far understated the actual number of cases.

“With the virus circulating so widely around the world, it is unfortunately to be expected that there will be deaths as the volume of cases and deaths is increasing,” he said.

At the same time, there is no indication that the virus has mutated or changed its behaviour, said Mr. Hartl, noting that the virus is not causing more severe illness than before.

According to the latest update issued by WHO, tropical regions of South and South-East Asia continue to experience geographically regional or widespread influenza activity (India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia).

Many countries in the region are reporting increasing or sustained high levels of respiratory disease, and a few, including Thailand and Brunei Darussalam, have begun to report a declining trend in the level of respiratory diseases.

Although many countries in temperate regions of the southern hemisphere (Chile, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand) have passed the peak of their winter influenza epidemic, sustained influenza activity continues to be reported in South Africa and in the southern and western parts of Australia, noted WHO.

Meanwhile, in Canada and the United States, influenza activity remains low overall. However, regional increases are being detected in the south-eastern United States.

News Tracker: past stories on this issue
H1N1 virus found in turkeys poses no threat to human health, says UN agency

U.S. donates military equipment to Cambodian Armed Forces

www.chinaview.cn
2009-09-04

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The United States donated military equipment to the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) to help human resources and strengthen Cambodia's capacity, said a press release issued by the U.S. Embassy on Friday.

The U.S. formally transferred nearly twenty forty foot containers of excess military equipment to the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. The original cost of the material was approximately 6.5 million U.S. dollars and included 16,000 Kevlar helmets, 4,000field packs, 6,000 camouflage uniforms among other items.

The equipment was donated through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program. Since 2006, Cambodia has received approximately 4.5 million U.S. dollars worth of military equipment and technical assistance through this program.

The FMF program is also funding the grant of excess military transport equipment and technical assistance to the Ministry of National Defense and the High Command, English language training materials and technical assistance to the RCAF English Language Training Program and Maritime Security and Professional Development training to the Royal Cambodian Navy.

The equipment will be issued to priority units with the RCAF, many of whom are currently receiving training and capacity building assistance from the United States, it added.

The handover ceremony was conducted at the National Defense Ministry on Sept. 3 presided over by Brigadier General Skip Vincent and Lieutenant General Chau Phirun, General Director of Materiel and Techniques of the Ministry of National Defense.


Editor: Li Xianzhi