Kasit to visit area near temple

http://www.bangkokpost.com

PM confirms no Thai land lost to Cambodia

Writer: POST REPORTERS
Published: 10/09/2009

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has instructed Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya to visit a disputed border area near the Preah Vihear temple.

Mr Abhisit yesterday said a trip to the disputed area would give Mr Kasit a chance to gain first-hand information.

He said it would also allow the foreign minister to explain to residents about the government's attempts to settle the dispute with Cambodia over the 4.6 square kilometre border area.

Thailand insists the area is in Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket, while Cambodia says it is in Preah Vihear province.

"We confirm that we can protect our territory," the prime minister said after holding talks with security authorities and Foreign Ministry officials.

Mr Abhisit also said the suggested visit would help the foreign minister's attempts to explain Thai opposition to Cambodia's registration of the ancient Hindu temple as a World Heritage site.

During yesterday's meeting at Government House, the army reaffirmed that Thai soldiers were still deployed in the disputed area, the prime minister said.

He dismissed reports that Thailand had lost sovereignty over parts of the disputed area.

Permanent secretary for foreign affairs Virasakdi Futrakul, who was present at the meeting, also denied Thailand had lost any part of the disputed land to Cambodia as claimed by some officials and academics.

The meeting also discussed a proposal to amend Article 190 of the constitution which stipulates that international agreements must have parliamentary approval.

Mr Abhisit asked the meeting to assess what implications such amendment would have on talks to settle the country's border disputes with Cambodia.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission is expected to rule on Sept 22 whether the Samak Sundaravej cabinet and some government officials, including Mr Virasakdi, violated the constitution by issuing a cabinet resolution on June 17 last year supporting Cambodia's move to register the Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage Site.

Thailand later reversed that decision.

Cambodia praises Viettel for its support

VOV News
http://english.vovnews.vn/

09/10/2009

Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Cambodian Council of Ministers, Sok An has recently highlighted activities of the army-run telecommunications company Viettel in Cambodia.

At a reception for Viettel’s deputy chairman Hoang Anh Xuan, the deputy PM stated that the installation of a cable network linking Phnom Penh to other provinces has met the demand for better communications in Cambodia.

He said that Viettel will help the Cambodian government to develop an e-government system soon, improve state management skills and reduce cumbersome administrative formalities.

Addressing the reception, Mr Xuan confirmed that Viettel will stick to Cambodia’s Investment Law to maintain their long-term cooperation. Viettel’s investment in Cambodia is not only aimed at making a profit but also to promote the traditional relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia.

Mr Xuan added that Viettel will make a greater effort to help Cambodia develop its electronic telecommunications system so that Cambodians can enjoy mobile phone services at the lowest rates.

Thong Khon reelected as Cambodia president of NOCC

http://english.people.com.cn

September 10, 2009

Cambodia's Tourism Minister Thong Khon was reelected as president of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) for its fifth mandate at a conference held at Phnom penh, local media reported on Thursday.

Officials from 16 National Sports Federations voted unanimously to allow Thong Khon to resume his presidency from 2009 to 2012 andalso voted him president of the executive committee, it reported.

Thong Khon was quoted by the Phnom Penh Post as saying during his address that the conference was arranged in accordance with Asian and Intenational Olympic Committee mandates to evaluate the work done by the NOCC over the previous three-year term.

The minister said the meeting would also "set up goals for the fifth mandate ... as well as amend the committee's charter to comply with the present situation and constitutional law of the International Olympic Committee".

Source: Xinhua

WB Officials Urges to Promote Cambodian Economy

http://www.dap-news.com

Written by DAP NEWS -- Thursday, 10 September 2009

World Bank (WB) on Wednesday urged the promotion of the Cambod- ian economy as Cambo-dia is one of many countries in the world affected by the global downturn, according to a Wednesday WB press release.

The Second Investment Climate Assessment, published in 2009 by the World Bank and IFC, identifies priorities to significantly improve the business environment by helping to retain existing investors and attracting new ones, said Qimiao Fan, Country Manager for the World Bank in Cambodia. “This would position Cambodia well to benefit from a recovery in the global economy, and also help its small firms to develop and create jobs.”

IFC’s Resident Representative in Cambodia, Julia Brickell, noted that Cambodia is making efforts to improve some aspects of the business environment. “IFC, with support from the European Commission and other donors, is assisting the government to improve commercial dispute resolution mechanisms through the establishment of the National Arbitr- ation Center, which will be a quicker and cheaper alternative to the courts. We are assisting with the selection of arbitrators and preparing a program for training them to arbitrate commercial disputes. Effective commercial arbitration is crucial in helping businesses enforce contracts in ways that are less costly and time consuming than is currently the case,” said Brickell. Due to the press release, as a result of its reforms, Indonesia—the region’s most active reformer this year—moved up to 122 from 129 on the global ease of doing business rankings. Indonesia cut the time required to start a business by 16 days and the time to transfer a property by 17 days. The country also strengthened disclosure requirements for related-party transactions to protect investors.Singapore, a consistent reformer, is the top-ranked economy on the ease of doing business for the fourth year in a row, with New Zealand as runner-up. Singapore introduced online and computer-based services to ease business start-up, construction permits, and property transfers.

Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday claimed that the Cambodian Government had decided first to discontinue the Land Management and Administration Project (LMAP), a project financed by development partner the World Bank.

“I clarify that Cambodia decide to end the partnership with World Bank in land titling as it has complicated points,” said the premier during the ceremony of the 2008 population census at Chaktomuk hall.

Hun Sen reiterated that Cambodia decided to terminate the project first, not the World Bank. “Do not act like the prestigious one which confirmed to terminate first; Cambodia terminated first,” he said.

Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), on Monday told DAP News Cambodia that he regretted the Cambodian Government’s decision to cease the World Banká project.

Following a decision by the Council of Ministers on Friday 4 September to terminate World Bank financing of the Land Management and Administration Project (LMAP), World Bank Country Director for South-East Asia, Annette Dixon, made the following statement:

“Land security and a fair, transparent approach to resolving land disputes and resettlement are among the greatest challenges facing Cambodia today. People without land or secure title to land are much more likely to be poor and stay poor,” according to the statement released on Monday.

Khmer Rouge Tribunal ‘Not Able’ to Put Other Leaders on Trial: PM

http://www.dap-news.com

Written by DAP NEWS -- Thursday, 10 September 2009

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday claimed that Khmer Rouge Tribunal (KRT) is unable to seek charges for another 5 leaders of the brutal Democratic Kampuchea regime headed by Pol Pot.

The KRT’s international prosecutors on Tuesday said they would seek to charge another 5 leaders. By internal regulations, the proposal passed by 4 supporting votes to one opposed vote.

However, Hun Sen said the main priority for Cambodia should be peace and stability, national reconciliation and development, not more prosecutions. He said the Cambodian Government could block the prosecutions. “You cannot win as you have only two voices, but the Cambodian party has three voices. As a result, it can result in a row in the court,” Hun Sen stated. “If Cambodia is peaceful, they are not happy, but if Cambodia has a war, they will be happy as it’s easy to control, but that definitely cannot happen in Cambodia,” the premier said. “You have to proceed by internal measures and regulations, but the last result is zero.”

Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday sent a strongly worded warning to anyone suggesting that other leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime be put on trial. Five high ranking former cadre are currently on trial.

“If you want to do anything, you have to prioritize safety, peace and reconciliation first; do not push one side without thinking of the other side,” the premier said during a ceremony to mark the release of data from the the 2008 population census in Chaktomuk.

Strongly warning on Monday by The premier also referred to Youk Chhang, director of the Documenta-tion Center of Cambodia (DC-CAM), who the premier said made the suggestion other leaders be charged last week. Youk Chhang denied having made any such remarks .

Youk Chhang told DAP News Cambodia that he had not week forum related to any ideas to push charging other leaders in Khmer Rough Regime to be on trial beside the 5 leaders.

The Khmer Rouge Tribunal has faced increasing criticism at home and in the international community for perceived inefficiency, incompetence, foot-dragging and corruption.

Situation Normal at Veal Intry Temple: Cambodian Military

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

Written by DAP NEWS -- Thursday, 10 September 2009

The situation at Veal Entry temple at the Cambodia-Thai border is still normal though tense, a high-ranking Cambodian officer said on Wednesday.

The clarification follows rumors that both nations’ soldiers stationed around Veal Intry (Eagle Field) temple were readying for battle.

“The situation is still normal in here and the soldiers stationing here are not facing off against one another,” Nak Vong, Veal Intry temple Cambo- dian commander-in-chief told DAP News Cambodia.

However, on Wednesday afternoon, nearly 10 Thai soldiers holding one piece of wire and hammer closed the road to Veal Intry temple. Cambodian soldiers intervened, according to the latest news reports from the area.

“Just a moment ago, one Thai soldier pickup came to pick up and drive those soldiers back to Thailand,” one soldier told DAP News Cambodia.

Cambodian experts on Tuesday expressed dismay over Thai claims that Cambodian officials appointed to look after Khmer temples lack skills.

Thai Arts General Department Director Kreang Krai told the Thai media that there had been some difficulties of his group in looking after Cambodia’s Preah Vihear temple for more than a year as two both sides have dug in soldiers at the border. In response, Hang Sot, Cambo-dian Preah Vihear general-director, told DAP News Cambodia on Tuesday that “this is the raising of Thailand to claim that Cambodia does not have the ability to look after all Cambo-dian temples by itself.”

He called the claims “completely groundless,” as “We can look after our selves effectively.”

The Thais, historically a relative newcomer to the Southeast Asia region after being displaced from Southern China, “do not have any ancestral any living temples to their children,” Hang Sot claimed.

Preah Vihear temple has indeed suffered damage recently—from Thai bullets and shrapnel fired during two skirmishes with Cambodia that resulting in several deaths and many injuries. The previous Thai Government supported Cambodia’s effort to inscribe Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage Site, in addition to the wealth of internationally recognized documents and maps that clearly show that the land belongs to Cambodia.

Ros Chandarabot, a Cambodian historical expert, told DAP News Cambodia that the temple is in Cambodia so “we can look after it by ourselves.”

Over 200 Thai Vendors Demonstrate at Cambodia-Thailand Border

http://www.dap-news.com

Written by DAP NEWS -- Thursday, 10 September 2009

Over 200 Thai vendors demonstrated at Cambodia-Thailand border at Beoung Trakourn border crossing to ask for free imports and exports between Cambodia and Thailand, according to local authority said on Wednesday.

Chief of the Cambodian Beong Trakourn border crossing Nou Yath told DAP News Cambodia that “Thai people always demand we open this gate to them and another corridors as well, but both local authorities did not agree to permit this because it is illegal.”

“There were over 200 Thai vendors who demonstrated in front of the gate,” he added. He stressed that he invited the Thai district governor to discuss this case, and both sides agreed to open the gate, but “some of the vendors always try to do like this, so it is an illegal aggression towards Cambodia, although the two district governors made agreement.”

Nou Yath reported the goings on to the Banteay Meanchey governor Sar Cham Rong, who told DAP News Cambodia that “I do not know what happened at the border crossing yet.”

“The Thai side should inform us three to seven days before they [permit protests] like this,” Nou Yath added. Further inquiries from DAP News Cambodia about the case were fruitless.

Sum Chan Kea, a Banteay Meanchey local staff member of rights group Adhoc, told DAP News Cambodia that “It was maybe in case of corruption in Cambodia, such as bribes.”

Three Cambodians Disappeared in Morakot Storm in Taiwan

http://www.dap-news.com

Written by DAP NEWS -- Thursday, 10 September 2009

Many people in Taiwan island have disappeared after the recent Morakot storm, including three Cambodian workers, the Taiwanese Government announced on Wednesday.

Ya Navuth, director of Kampuchea Human Rights Association Maintain Immigration (KHARAM), said that the Taiwanese Government had only just made the official statement.

“Our organization announced this information in public, after this storm appeared Taiwan,” Ya Navuth said.

Relatives of the victims should contact the KHARAM organization or the Taiwanese Government, he said. There are many illegal Cambo-dian immigrants working and living in Taiwan. Most enter via Vietnam and passed to the island with an arranged marriage. There are thought to be around 5,000 illegal Cambodian workers in Taiwan, he added. “They always ask us to help them when they meet a problem.”

Cambodian vice secretary of state of Ministry of Labors Um Mean told DAP News Cambodia that the kingdom cannot do very much as the workers are in Taiwan illegally.

“Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, and Korea, all Cambodian workers are legal, but for Taiwan they are wrongdoing; some of them left by relative or business contacting,” Um Mean added. KHARAM called for all relatives of the victims to contact to get more information.

The three female victims, Khat Srey Mach was born on September 09, 1976 and hold ID passport no. 0079595, Kong Srey Mom, was born on January 18, 1977 hold ID passport no. 0219467 and the last, Mol Khmao was born on September 06, 1980, hold ID passport no. 0297387.

Phnom Penh Municipal Court Adjourns Ho Vann Verdict to September 22

http://www.dap-news.com

Written by DAP NEWS -- Thursday, 10 September 2009

Phnom Penh Municipal Court prosecutors on Wednesday ruled to delay declaring the verdict in Ho Vann’s case to September 22, 2009.

Ho Vann, Phnom Penh Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker, was sued earlier this year by Royal Cambo-dian Armed Forces (RCAF) officers after he allegedly made comments to local media NGO the Cambodia Daily about the officers’ academic degrees awarded by a Vietnamese military institute. The Cambodia Daily published the remarks in their daily newspaper.

However, 22 senior armed forces officials demand the court charging to fine CR220 million, each one filing for damages of CR10 million. The court later charged the writer of the article after it emerged Ho Vann had distanced himself from the remarks in a written letter. The parliamentarian said that the Cambodia Daily’s reporter had misquoted him. The foreign editor of the newspaper, a well-respected international journalist, insisted the court withdraw the charges against his reporter and charge him instead. He claimed to have a voice recording of Ho Vann making precisely the remarks that were published.

Ho Vann now is reportedly in the US with Mu Sochua. SRP spokesman Yim Sovann could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

Ou Virak, director of the Cambod- ian Human Rights Center, has previously suggested the court delay its hearing until the SRP lawmaker can be present. Defamation cases should not be brought against opposition party officials, he said. Prosecutors sent a letter dated August 19 recalling Ho Vann to face the court over charges of the defamation of 22 senior armed forces officials.

On the morning of June 22, 2009, the National Assembly, controlled by the majority ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) approved the suspension of Ho Vann’s parliamentary immunity.

The request for immunity suspension came from a Phnom Penh Municipal Court prosecutor via the Ministry of Justice, to pave the way for the court to bring the RCAF lawsuits.

Recently one SRP lawmaker, Mu Sochua, lost a defamation case against Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Cambodia lacks Spokespeople: Information Minister

http://www.dap-news.com

Written by DAP NEWS -- Thursday, 10 September 2009

Information Minister and Gover-nment spokesman Khieu Kanarith on Wednesday said that Government agencies still lack spokespeople to provide information to the media.

“Actually, we have trained a lot of spokespeople but those people worked only a short time in their Government institutions before they were promoted and it made the Governmental agencies lack spokespeople again,” he said at the launch ceremony of Khmer version of the Phnom Penh Post newspaper.

Journalists working in Cambodia are often subject to an almost come-dic odyssey of unanswered phones when looking for comment from ministries or big business.

“The most important things for our journalists have to know are that they should have personal contact with and build relationships with all Governmental sources so that it will be easy to contact Governmental officials,” Khieu Kanarith said.

He also confessed that Cambodia lacks human resources and skilled people to be spokespeople. In recent months, “the Information Ministry trained about 50 spokespeople and photographers for the Government, including top Governmental officials,” he noted.

“Spokespeople are the officials who are close to the top Govern-mental officials or decision makers of their institutions that they have rights to decide on all issues involving their agencies,” he added.

Cambodian journalists often cite the Petroleum Authority of Cambodia as one of the most difficult Govern-mental agencies to get information from, though one foreign correspondent based in Phnom Penh said many sources seem unwilling to speak with foreigners.

Prizes for non-puffers

Photo by: Louise White

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:01 TEP NIMOL

Ten former smokers receive rewards on the first "Quit smoking, Get Awarded" competition set up by the Cambodia Movement for Health Organisation on Wednesday. Two motorbikes and eight color televisions were given to some of the 588 chain smokers who stopped smoking for one month in order to compete.

Pair of reports on land rights face cynicism

Photo by: Sovan Philong
A man stands on the railway tracks near Boeung Kak lake in Phnom Penh last week. Plans to rebuild the lines have left residents in Tuol Kork and Daun Penh next in line for eviction.

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:04 Robbie Corey-Boulet and Chhay Channyda

TWO new reports addressing land rights in Cambodia argue, as others have, that the pursuit of development has led to widespread rights violations, including forced, sometimes violent evictions.

But they also share a conciliatory message that emphasises the importance of government dialogue with affected communities and civil society.

That message has drawn scepticism from civil society and opposition figures, who on Wednesday said they doubted such an approach would amount to much in light of the government's tactics in recent land-dispute negotiations.

An overview of land disputes released today by the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of NGOs, offers "a painful look into the lives of people affected by forced evictions and intimidation".

It then positions the coalition as "a bridge to support genuine and productive dialogue between communities and policymakers".

Similarly, a report to the UN Human Rights Council, released Monday, expresses concern over the "commonplace" evictions of families who had been living in their homes for years.

The report's author, Surya Subedi, a UN envoy on human rights in Cambodia, later adds: "This is an area where I will be happy to offer my advice and seek to foster cooperation in the search for long-term solutions to this painful issue."

In interviews Wednesday, observers said this faith in dialogue might be misplaced.

CHRAC Executive Secretary Suon Sareth acknowledged that several past attempts by affected residents and civil society to engage constructively with the government had failed.

He cited a case last month in which about 300 Cambodians involved in land disputes in 19 different provinces petitioned the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Interior and the National Authority for the Resolution of Land Disputes.

The effort was an attempt to circumvent unresponsive provincial authorities, but Phnom Penh officials also failed to respond to the villagers' petition, Suon Sareth said.

"The complaints have been ignored," he said.

Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak said Wednesday that all complaints were forwarded to the ministry's inspection department. He added, as did other officials, that the government was more than willing to engage with residents affected by land disputes.

"The ministry has always welcomed complaints from people about land cases," he said.

But Yim Sovann, spokesman for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said he believed threats and other forms of intimidation were often conveyed under the pretense of constructive dialogue, citing as examples meetings between officials and residents of the evicted Dey Krahorm and Group 78 communities.

"I get a lot of complaints from people who say they were forced to leave there, that they were forced to take compensation," he said. "Then the government tells the media, 'Oh, the people have agreed to leave, they have agreed to take the compensation.' There are threats and intimidation behind that."

Naly Pilorge, director of the rights group Licadho, also said officials' interactions with villagers involved in land disputes were often of little benefit to the villagers themselves.

"Information about the dire situation of people and abuses committed on people related to land are often dismissed despite credible evidence," she said.

For his part, Ou Virak, president of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, said the stated goal of the UN and CHRAC to foster more good-faith government engagement might not be unrealistic given that government officials want to keep donors happy and retain voter support.

"The strongest reason for the government to be concerned," he said, "is the fact that this is the biggest issue that could undermine the ruling party."

Inquiries could sink ECCC: PM

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:03 Vong Sokheng

PRIME Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday predicted that an attempt to charge additional suspects at the Khmer Rouge tribunal would be unsuccessful.

If the push for indictments were to go forward, he said, "the result of the trial would be zero".
"All the suspects would die, and the court would run out of money," he said.

His remarks in Takeo province came one day after the tribunal announced that acting international co-prosecutor William Smith had on Monday formally requested the investigation of five more suspects. Also Monday, Hun Sen repeated in a speech at Chaktomuk Theatre his warning that further investigations risked sparking civil unrest that could claim hundreds of thousands of lives.

On Wednesday, he delivered a message to former Khmer Rouge cadres.

"I would like to appeal to the brotherhood and sisterhood of the former Khmer Rouge to remain calm," he said. "There will not be any problems happening."

Hun Sen also said his statements about the tribunal did not amount to an attempt to influence its work.

"Please go ahead with your procedures. I will not have a say, but the thing is that you need to find a supporting force ... you need four votes," he said in an apparent reference to the Pre-Trial Chamber vote that opened the door to new investigations.

In that vote, announced last week, the five-person chamber failed to resolve a disagreement between the international co-prosecutor, who pushed for more investigations, and the national co-prosecutor, who argued against them. The chamber voted 3-2 against them.

The tribunal's internal rules held that the proposed investigations would go forward in the absence of a supermajority, or 4-1 vote.

Hun Sen's statements about the court this week have drawn concerns about political interference, including from Human Rights Watch, which said Monday that judicial considerations should be based solely on evidence.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AFP

Officers seek $53k from SRP MP

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:02 Meas Sokchea and James O'toole

TWENTY-TWO RCAF officers who have sued Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian Ho Vann for defamation are demanding that he pay them 10 million riels (US$2,412) each, their lawyers said Wednesday at a hearing at Phnom Penh Municipal Court.

The suit stems from an April 2009 article published in The Cambodia Daily newspaper in which Ho Vann was quoted as saying that academic degrees awarded to the officers by a Vietnamese military institute were "worthless".

Ho Vann was not present at the hearing on Wednesday, but wrote in a statement read to the court that the article had misquoted him, and that after writing a clarification letter, he considered the matter resolved.

Neou Vannarin, the reporter who wrote the article and has also been charged in the case, was not present, but was represented by Sok Dara of the Cambodian Defenders Project.

Cambodia Daily Editor-in-Chief Kevin Doyle, however, appeared for questioning and said that Ho Vann had been quoted accurately, but that the interview was not recorded.

The officers' lawyers told the court that they sought compensation only from Ho Vann.
Judge Sin Visal said that a verdict would be announced September 22.

Hun Sen incites ghosts

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:02 Vong Sokheng

PRIME Minister Hun Sen launched an attack against his political opponents Wednesday, saying "ghosts" out for the Pchum Ben festival would come to threaten their lives.

"The ghost are around them and will take them along," Hun Sen told a few hundred supporters during the inauguration of a pagoda in the Kirivong district of Takeo province.

"[The opposition leaders] want to be the prime minister, but they have never had an opportunity, and it will be impossible," Hun Sen said. "They have had no ability to work, but they are accusing us of corruption."

Yim Sovann, spokesman for the Sam Rainsy Party, said the prime minister's remarks were part of a "political campaign" aimed at strengthening his power. Human Rights Party President Kem Sokha told the Post that he wasn't interested in reacting to the speech.

Child sex trial hears evidence, conspiracy

Photo by: SOVAN PHILONG
Jacques Bernard Collinet leaves the court on Wednesday.

------------------
THERE WAS A CONSPIRACY WITH ANTI-PAEDOPHILE NGOS, NGO SHELTER CENTRES AND POLICE TO PROSECUTE…
-----------------

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:02 Chrann Chamroeun

A French national accused of having sex with a 16-year-old Cambodian girl will learn his fate next week after a Phnom Penh Municipal Court judge heard evidence against the 63-year-old Wednesday.

Jacques Bernard Rene Collinet stands accused of "the purchase of child prostitution". He was arrested in April at the International Guesthouse in Daun Penh district's Kandal 2 commune, after the girl's mother contacted anti-human trafficking police to accuse the man of raping her daughter.

During the four-hour hearing, Collinet denied the charges and insisted he never had sex with the girl. He said the girl told him she was actually 18 years old, by writing the number on her hand. Collinet said he met the girl near Wat Phnom - where he said he hangs out and does exercises - and she agreed to come to his guesthouse to give him a massage.

The alleged victim, however, told the court a different story. "I agreed to go with him ... to his guesthouse for a massage," she said, "but once I got into his room, he ordered me to bathe and then he put on a condom. Then he had sex with me." The girl testified Collinet gave her US$25 in total after having sex four times.

Defence lawyer Dun Vibol, however, claimed the girl was a prostitute. She is listed as a victim in three other child prostitution purchasing cases against other foreigners. "There was a conspiracy with anti-paedophile NGOs, NGO shelter centres and police to prosecute foreigners to earn money," he said.

The head of one group specialising in child sexual exploitation scoffed at the suggestion. "To accuse our organisation and police of conspiring with the victim to prosecute the man is not only untrue but an insult," said Samleang Seila, country director for Action Pour Les Enfants.

If convicted, Collinet faces up to five years in prison. The victim's mother is also asking the court to impose a fine of US$5,000 in compensation.

Land dispute: Residents fear eviction

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:02 May Titthara

More than 100 families living near Phnom Penh International Airport say they fear being evicted from their homes if City Hall goes forward with plans to create a new park. Residents claim Phnom Penh Deputy Governor Mann Chhoeun accused them of living there illegally. "We have lived here since 1980, and we have old land titles recognised by the commune chief in 1991," said resident Teng Sa Khorn. Hem Darith, Dangkor district's deputy governor, said Wednesday that the residents' land titles are meaningless if they come from the commune. "We have never provided them [with official] land titles," Hem Darith said. Mann Chhoeun could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

Judge sued for bribery, false imprisonment

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:02 Chrann Chamreoun and Kim Yuthana

A KAMPONG Cham woman has launched a lawsuit against a local judge, accusing the magistrate - who she claims tried to bribe her - of unlawfully keeping her son behind bars.

Ea Heang Leng, 58, a resident of Suong Khang Lech village, Suong commune, alleges the judge violated the law in detaining her son unfairly.

His imprisonment, she said, has brought pain and shame on his family.

Her son, Nguon Sok Sreng, 23, was arrested in August, months after he had allegedly attacked another person, the woman's lawyer, Kea Eav, said Wednesday.

"The event happened seven months ago, but the judge has detained the suspect ... without referring to any reasons, evidence or reports for charging him at all," he said.

Kea Eav also claims the judge demanded that the family pay US$2,000 to speed up the legal process, an allegation that is not part of the lawsuit, which was filed with the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Council of Magistracy.

The Post reached the accused Kampong Cham province judge, Nhean Sovan, by phone this week, but he said he could not comment on the case because he was busy in a meeting.

For Ou Virak, president of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, the case is more evidence that "corruption" has turned the judiciary system into a "fish market".

"Judges, clerks and prosecutors make irresponsible decisions that are not based on clear sources or evidence," Ou Virak said.

Workers seek factory reforms

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:01 Mom Kunthear and Kim Yuthana

PROTESTS against poor conditions in garment factories flared up on Wednesday as workers from two sites refused to work because of ongoing disputes.

More than 300 workers from the Sky High garment factory in Dangkor district took their protest, which started on August 24, to the National Assembly.

Chan Dary, one of the workers' representatives, said a letter had been sent to National Assembly President Heng Samrin asking for help.

"We continue the protest so factory owners will agree with our conditions and allow workers to return to work as normal," he said.

Grievances at Sky High include a 1,000-riel reduction in monthly wages, a lack of help for those who lose vehicles on company property and unpredictable work stoppages. If the Assembly refused to help, Chan Dary said, the workers would take legal action.

Chea Mony, president of the Free Trade Union of Cambodian Workers, urged the government to intervene. "I hope the National Assembly will receive their complaint and call the minister of labour to talk about this problem," he said.

Meanwhile, 800 workers from Whitex garment factory also took action. Mai Vathana, coordinator for the Khmer Youth Federation of Trade Unions, said workers wanted the factory owner to agree to 10 conditions such as reimbursing travel expenses for those with cars, two extra days off during the festival of Pchum Ben and two cans of milk for workers' children.

"We are helping them, but we have not had any luck yet," he said. Neither of the factories' owners could be reached for comment on Wednesday.

Govt seeks Heritage seat

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:01 Khouth Sophakchakrya

THE government declared its first candidacy earlier this week for the World Heritage Committee following UNESCO's announcement that elections will take place from October 23-28 in Paris.

Sok An, deputy prime minister and president of the National Commission for UNESCO in Phnom Penh, said: "Within the committee, Cambodia would support the global strategy for a balanced, representative and credible World Heritage List."

Terms of office are usually six years, but Cambodia would voluntarily serve only four years if elected in order to let other state parties be part of the committee, he said at the National Museum on Monday. Meeting once a year, the committee determines World Heritage sites.

"We warmly welcome the Kingdom of Cambodia to a candidacy on the World Heritage Committee for heritage preservation, environmental protection and accommodation of local communities," said Teruo Jinnai, head of the UNESCO office in Phnom Penh.

Storms hinder search efforts

Photo by: Sovan Philong
A man stops to put on his poncho during a rainstorm Wednesday in Phnom Penh.

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:01 Tep Nimol

THE bodies of two girls who were swept out to sea at a Preah Sihanouk province beach this weekend still have not been found, officials said Wednesday, as storms continued to sweep across Cambodia.

"The coast guard is looking for the bodies but cannot find them," said deputy police Chief Yin Binnath. "It is very difficult because it is still raining very heavily."

Meanwhile, Kampot province officials said floods have nearly receded except in two communes, Mak Prang and Kraeng, both in Teuk Chhou district, according to Sou Chea, deputy governor of Kampot province.

Ratanakkiri province's Lumphat district, along the Sre Pork River, has been reported to be seriously affected by floods, with officials forced to evacuate almost 300 families.

Lumphat district Governor Kong Srun said Chey Otdam, Ka Laeng and Seda communes have been severely flooded, with the river bursting its banks Wednesday.

Seth Vannareth, director of the Department of Meteorology at the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, warned that the rain would continue to fall in coastal areas and the central plain area around the Tonle Sap River. "Cambodia has been affected by the low pressure of the southwestern monsoon. The meteorology department will announce later when the effects are expected to end."

Mangrove forest planted

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:01 Khouth Sophakchakrya

The Fisheries Action Coalition Team (FACT), an environmental group, hosted a mass mangrove planting on Wednesday in Preah Sihanouk province.

Nearly 10,000 mangrove seedlings were planted in the event presided over by Nao Thouk, director general of the Fisheries Administration and governor of Preah Sihanouk province.

Om Savath, programme manager of the Fisheries Action Coalition Teams, said Wednesday that hundreds of hectares of natural mangrove forests have been destroyed in recent years through deforestation.

Ing Try, deputy director of the Fisheries Administration within the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said mangrove forests play an important role in the survival of fish and other marine species and thus can help boost fishermen's incomes.

"Mangrove forests could directly benefit coastal fishing communities by more than US$2,000 per hectare per year," he said.

Trade with Thais falls 32pc

Photo by: STEVE FINCH

Vendors pass through the entrance gate to Cambodia at Poipet on the border with Thailand. Bilateral trade between the two neighbours fell 31.7 percent in the first seven months of 2009.

Thailand again blocks Cambodian rice
THAI officials have banned imports of rice into Thailand through a local checkpoint in Banteay Meanchey province following a protest by Thai farmers. Soung Moeun, the chief of O’Beichon commune, in the province’s O’Chrov district where the checkpoint is located, said farmers across the border in Thailand’s Sa Keo province asked officials “a few weeks ago” to temporarily ban imports of Cambodian rice until they could sell their own harvest. “Thai officials told us they have carried out the ban according to their people’s request," he said. “Our Cambodian rice is not allowed to be exported to Thailand.” Soung Moeun called the ban unfair and said other goods, including cassava from Cambodia and products from Thailand, were being traded as usual. At the O'Romduol checkpoint in Battambang province’s Phnom Proek district, between 10 and 20 trucks loaded with rice were still crossing into Thailand on a daily basis, said Song Sopheak, the district police chief. Banteay Meanchey province Governor Ung Oeun said he was not aware of the blockade but would investigate the issue before discussing it with Thai officials. Soung Moeun said officials on the two sides of the border met every three months at least, and often on a monthly basis, to exchange information and resolve disputes. “We have good communication with Thai officials”, he said. Officials at the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh did not respond to calls for comment Wednesday. THET SAMBATH

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:01 Nguon Sovan

Government blames economic crisis – not border dispute – for decline in bilateral trade between Cambodia and Thailand in the first seven months

BILATERAL trade with neighbouring Thailand fell by almost a third in the first seven months of 2009 year on year, according to official figures supplied to the Post Wednesday by the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh.

Total trade in the first seven months between the two countries dropped 31.7 percent to US$913.58 million, the figures collated by Thai customs showed, from $1.34 billion during the same period last year.

"The crisis has lowered consumer incomes, which slows down purchasing power," said Jiranan Wongmongkol, director of the Thai Embassy's Foreign Trade Promotion Office, adding that the border dispute between Bangkok and Phnom Penh over Preah Vihear had had little impact.

She forecast that overall trade for this year between the two countries would fall about 30 percent from $2 billion in 2008.

Kingdom's exports fall
Cambodian exports to Thailand declined more sharply than the overall slide as the Kingdom maintained a large trade deficit with its more industrially developed neighbour.

Exports fell 38.5 percent to $32.41 million up to the end of July this year from $52.76 million during the same period last year in goods that primarily included agricultural produce, second-hand garments, fish and recycled metals.

Imports from Thailand were down 31.4 percent to $881.17 million from $1.29 billion last year.

Petroleum, consumer products, building materials and cosmetics made up the bulk of Cambodian imports from its neighbour.

Mao Thora, secretary of state at the Ministry of Commerce, said Wednesday that bilateral trade with other countries in the region had also fallen significantly so far this year, another reason that the Preah Vihear dispute should not be cited as a reason for the slump with Thailand.

"The downturn has not only affected Cambodia's trade with Thailand, but also with Vietnam," he told the Post Wednesday, adding that trade with all other countries would be shown to be down once official figures become available.

This month figures released by the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom Penh showed bilateral trade with Vietnam fell 21.87 percent to $743 million in the first seven months compared with $951 million for the same period in 2008.

Mao Thora agreed with the Thai Embassy that bilateral trade between the two countries would likely not rebound in 2009.

Tourism bright light
"Neither Thailand nor Cambodia's trade has recovered yet - for Cambodia, we have just seen a slight recovery in tourism," he said.

Although revenues for Cambodia's main tourism attraction Angkor Wat were down about 20 percent in the first seven months of 2009, the Apsara Authority - the body responsible for revenue collection at the temples - told the Post this week that foreign visitor arrivals to the Kingdom rebounded in July, according to official government figures.

Although tourism arrivals fell 1.1 percent in the first half of 2009 year on year, figures released at the end of August showed, a 10 percent annualised rebound in July meant that in the first seven months of this year the sector expanded an unexpected 0.3 percent.

Analysts agree that average spend per tourist in Cambodia has declined, however, since the onset of the global economic crisis.

Business no easier, rankings reveal

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:00 Nathan Green

CAMBODIA'S slide of six places in the World Bank's latest annual ease-of-business report released Wednesday shows it is "all the more important" for the Cambodian government to press ahead with its economic-reform agenda, the bank's senior country economist for Cambodia, Stephane Guimbert, said Wednesday.

The fall to 145th of 183 economies surveyed worldwide in the bank's Doing Business 2010 report, prepared in conjunction with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), came after the country climbed 11 places in the rankings a year earlier.

The rise was at the time attributed to the passage of the Secured Transactions Law and the Law on Bankruptcy, as well as Cambodia's success in cutting import and export delays.

The reversal suggests that the pace of business-regulation reform has slowed in Cambodia even as other countries accelerated changes to remain competitive in a global market rocked by an ongoing economic crisis, the two agencies said in a media statement accompanying the report.

A record 131 economies worldwide and 17 of 24 in East Asia and the Pacific reformed business regulations between June 2008 and May 2009, the period covered by the report.

Guimbert warned that the survey captured key parts, "but not all" of the business environment and said that Cambodia has made over the past two years a number of economic reforms that were not reflected in its ranking.

These include the launch of an automated system of customs data (ASYCUDA) in May 2008, the creation of a National Social Security Fund, responses to challenges posed by the economic crisis, and the establishment of the National Arbitration Centre to improve commercial dispute resolution.

The eight working groups of the Government-Private Sector Forum are discussing a number of additional reforms, such as simplifying trade processes, inspections and licensing, and improving the country's legal framework, Guimbert said. "All these measures are very important to improve the business environment, even though they are not all reflected in the Doing Business report."

The IFC's resident representative in Cambodia, Julia Brickell said Wednesday that the arbitration centre will be a quicker and cheaper alternative to the courts.

"Effective commercial arbitration is crucial in helping businesses enforce contracts in ways that are less costly and time-consuming than is currently the case," she said.

According to the report, it costs a business 102.7 percent of the value of the claim to enforce a commercial contract through the courts in Cambodia.

The annual survey ranks economies in 10 categories related to the time and cost for domestic companies to meet business regulations such as starting and operating a business, trading across borders and paying taxes.

Cambodia fell slightly in almost every category, the most drastic being the ease of paying taxes, where it dropped 33 places to 58th as a result of the introduction of a National Social Security Fund contribution.

Government-private sector tax committee Co-chair Edwin Vanderbruggen brushed off the result, saying the introduction of a simplified tax return and streamlined registration procedures in 2008 meant the relative difficulty of paying taxes is actually "moving in the opposite direction".

Room for improvement
However, he added that although paying tax in Cambodia is "very simple", the country has room to streamline procedures further, for example by removing the requirement for a company representative to physically submit the return for approval at the tax department before taxes can be paid.

In other countries, companies can self-assess and remit taxes straight to the treasury, Vanderbruggen said. "This is of course time that we lose in Cambodia that we don't lose in other countries."

Guimbert said Cambodia's relatively high ranking in the tax category shows that the Kingdom remains "overall a country where the tax rates are attractive for investors".

Cheam Yeap, chairman of the National Assembly's finance and banking commission, rejected Cambodia's slide in the rankings, citing a range of initiatives the government had undertaken to help businesses.

These include improved access to business loans, tax reform, tax exemptions for the agriculture sector, reductions in the time taken to register a business and efforts to find new export markets, he said.

The report showed it takes 85 days to start a business in Cambodia, compared to 41 on average across East Asia and the Pacific and 13 across Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries.

The report also showed that despite the passage of the bankruptcy law, bankruptcy proceedings have not gotten off the ground in Cambodia.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MAY KUNMAKARA

More economic research needed

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:00 Chun Sophal

A VISITING research fellow called on the Cambodian government Wednesday to do more to boost the country's research sector for the good of its economic development.

Pou Sothearak, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, told a gathering of 200 researchers from local and foreign institutes in Phnom Penh that government initiatives should also include a research network to facilitate the exchange of ideas.

"If Cambodia can form a group of autonomous researchers, it will be very good for the development of the country in the future," he said. "Development based on research yields a more satisfying result."

Larry Strange, executive director of the Cambodia Development Resource Institute, said better research was needed at the national level to create effective development strategies for Cambodia.

Hang Chuon Naron, secretary general of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, said Cambodia lacks the resources to carry out research vital to the nation's economic future. He said he supports Pou Sothearak's call for a national body of researchers.

"We want to arrange a research network that will allow all of Cambodia's researchers to meet and share their experiences on poverty, agricultural policies, economics and natural resource management," he said.

In remembrance of the old colonial row houses

Photo by: Jet Odrerir
Street 108 (above) and resident Chang Lean (right) as they appear today.

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I like the french stlye; There are not any other houses like it in phnom penh.
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The street is shown in 1990. Chang Lean is on the far left. PHOTO SUPPLIED

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:00 Jet Odrerir

As Phnom Penh develops and rebuilds itself, much of its colonial architecture is being replaced, but if you look closely, a few remaining traces can be found

ONE can imagine what the ad might have said 80 years ago: "For Sale: Charming two-story row house with European styling. Great views of Wat Phnom and a short walk to the soon-to-be-built train station! Avenue de la Gare and Street 51."

The style of accommodation called row housing originated in Europe in the 1600s. European colonialists introduced the style to Southeast Asia in the early 1800s as they rebuilt cities based on European styling, both in street and building design.

Row houses were originally designed to work together to appear as one grand structure. Often the windows and doors would be spaced to give the appearance of a columned building. Whereas apartments are defined as a collection of rooms inside a building, the row house was designed to be one distinct unit - ground floor to roof, facing the street.

The units share the wall that separates them, but each has its own separate infrastructure, allowing it to stand independently without requiring the support of the surrounding houses.

In Europe the main floor of a row house was typically used as the parlour, the dining room and, in the back, the kitchen.

When the row house was introduced to Asia, many owners chose to take advantage of the ground floor and turned them into noodle stalls, tailor shops and other small businesses. Thus, they are often called shop houses in this region.

In Phnom Penh, shop houses abound, but there are not many French colonial row houses left. Yet there is a beautiful collection of six row houses at 73-78 Street 108, built in 1931 in the Neo-Romanesque style.

The retail businesses on the ground floors have covered most of the street-level architecture with awnings and light boxes - though the round, arched doorways do peek out on two of them. The columns that were previously on the ground level matching the upper floor were all removed in the late 1990s to open up the doorways.

On the first floor of each two-level house there are two windows and a door - likewise all arched - leading out to a small balcony. The 18 arches run together from one end to the other looking somewhat like upside-down waves.

The top of the building has a railing bordering the pitched roofs, which are covered with terracotta, fish-scale tile. Two decorated facades above the second and fifth units display the building date as well as a lot of scrollwork. Each facade also contains three monograms.

Some of the decorative pieces on the roof have been moved from one side to the other over the years, though no one knows by whom. All of the row houses would have originally been the same colour to give the effect of being one building, but now they are each painted differently, suiting their owners' tastes.

An interesting feature of these houses is that the bathrooms and kitchens are in separate structures in the back of the lot about eight meters from the front section and are connected to the front rooms by footbridges that overlook a large courtyard.

Current resident Chang Leah recalls moving from Kandal province to Phnom Penh in 1961 after getting married. He and his wife lived nearby then on Street 136, and he can still remember how the row houses looked then.

The whole space under the footbridges was paved with cobblestones, some of which still remain.

"This was a place for people to relax in the evening. There were tables and chairs here and here," he says pointing. "Now there are more buildings here, but before it was open."

People have been adding small homes to the courtyard and even some of the footbridges since the 1980s. Chang Leah's own home is built in the courtyard.

The sturdy 70-year-old says that in the 1960s most of the ground-floor units were occupied by companies, but they were mainly offices, not retail.

Two of the units were used for storage for a shop named Paris's near Phsar Kandal - he remembers that because he was a delivery driver back then, and occasionally he picked up items there.

Chang Leah shows me a picture from 1990 when he moved in, still with dark hair, standing in front of a then-unchanged row house No 75. It lasted 60 years with no major changes to the exterior.

Srey Thida lives on the first floor of No 76. She tells of her father-in-law, Ey Chorn, who was the first to move back into the buildings following the ousting of the Khmer Rouge in 1979, as Phnom Penh was slowly coming back to life. "He came with many members of his extended family and, like everyone else at that time, just moved in and made it their house."

With no paperwork remaining, people acquired their new property by living in it.

She says that most of the units were split into separate levels in the 1980s, and that now there is only one full row house.

Ey Chorn started a new family and has now passed his units down to his children. Srey Thida has been living in No 76 since 2000 and would like to bring it back to its original condition.

"I like the French style; the outside is so beautiful," she says, somewhat wistfully. "There aren't any other houses like it in Phnom Penh."

CCF adapts old, German folk tale for local viewers

Photo by: Sovan Philong
Scenes from The Girl Without Hands play out for the cameras.

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The audience were constantly caught between being frightened and laughing.
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The Phnom Penh post
Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:00 Roth Meas and Dene Mullen

French Cultural Centre’s head says Khmer culture buffs have been packing Chenla Theatre

THE play is about to start. "Action!" yells a director from backstage. As he does so, drums roar, smoke hisses its way across the stage, and the narrator appears to begin telling the tale of The Girl Without Hands.

Something, however, is missing. A vital component of any play's performance by normal standards as well; ah yes, an audience!

There is, of course, a reason why no paying customers are here to witness the performance. Tonight, The Girl Without Hands is being acted out in front of television cameras, and nobody wanted to take the risk of audience interference during the recording.

Not that such a thing has occurred during the play's three performances at the Chenla Theatre as part of the Lakhaon Theatre Festival. But Alain Arnaudet, president of the French Cultural Centre who organised the performance in collaboration with Compagnie Parnas, says that, because television can present the play to an otherwise unreachable audience, it must be perfect.

"Unfortunately, there are many complicated aspects to our production, such as sounds and other effects, which make it difficult for the show to travel. There simply aren't enough theatres in Cambodia which are equipped to accommodate us," Alain said

The Girl Without Hands began as a German folk tale, one which was taken up by the Brothers Grimm and given their iconic spin. It is a tale told all over the world, in a variety of guises, and was originally adapted into a play by the French.

Now it has made its Cambodian debut. Local performers and traditional Khmer instruments tell this twisted fairy tale. It is firmly targeted at the local population, and although the story originated in Europe, it perhaps resonates more with contemporary Cambodian society than it ever has in the West. Indeed, Arnaudet describes the reception it was given as "wonderful".

The play tells the tale of a simple miller who is working in the forest near his mill one day when he is approached by an affable stranger. This mysterious visitor offers the miller great wealth in return for everything he finds behind the mill.

Believing there to be nothing more than an old tree behind the mill, the miller quickly accepts the outsider's deal, only to find that, as well as the tree, his daughter is there drying clothes. The wealthy charlatan is then revealed to be the devil, who warns that he will return to collect his prize in three years' time.

All of the actors for this production of The Girl Without Hands were recruited from in and around Cambodia, and their skilful performances masked the fact that they had only one-and-a-half months to learn their lines and rehearse before the first official show.

The play had a three-night run at Chenla Theatre in the past week, from Friday to Sunday, and Alain proudly describes the shows as complete sell-outs every night, estimating that most audiences consisted of up to 95 percent Khmers.

He also observed with glee just how affected the audience seemed to be, particularly by both the scenes of great horror and those of a happier nature.

"The audience were constantly caught somewhere between being frightened and laughing," he claimed. "When the miller cuts his daughter's hands off, I could see the reaction in the crowd; their minds were going 'Oh my god! What's going on?'"

The play lasts around an hour and 15 minutes, and it is expected the filmed production will run to the same length. There are no dates or times confirmed as yet for a television broadcast, although the French company that originated the project, Compagnie Parnas, is planning to release the play in book format in Cambodia. It will be translated into English, French and Khmer, and will also include a copy of the filmed performance on DVD.

Compagnie Parnas is a French drama company that have begun working on productions in Cambodia. It is responsible for choosing the subject material and working on all dramatic aspects of the performance.

The French Cultural Centre, on the other hand, organised the logistical side of the event, such as where and when it would be performed.

The two institutions have worked together before, putting on a play derived from a Cambodian legend called The Male Partridge and the Female

Partridge last year. That, allied with the recent success of The Girl Without Hands, has people over at Parnas scratching their heads, already thinking about next year's production.

Whether the play has its roots in Cambodian or Western culture, next time around, The Girl Without Hands will be certainly a tough act to follow.

Ongoing theatrics
In the meantime, those looking for a further theatrical fix can still catch the Lakhaon Theatre Festival's final two productions tonight and tomorrow.

Le Pouvoir du Maitre, or The Power of the Master, is an Opera Bassac which follows a man's murderous escape after he is accused of abusing a young girl. It can be seen tonight at 7pm at Chenla Theatre.

Following that, Ream Eyso et Moni Mekhala, a slice of classical Khmer theatre about the battle between a giant and a water goddess told through dance, will be performed Friday, also at 7pm at Chenla Theatre.

Unionist's killing case at city court

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:00 Chrann Chamroeun

LABOUR leader Chea Vichea's murder case was sent back Monday to Phnom Penh Municipal Court for further investigation, a judicial official said Wednesday, following last month's order by the Court of Appeal to reopen a probe into the killing for which two men are widely believed to have been wrongly convicted.

"We've decided to send [the case] back to Municipal Court because they can cooperate well with the police in the investigation," Court of Appeal judge Chuon Sunleng said, adding that once the probe is completed, the Appeal Court will schedule another hearing to consider any new information.

Chea Vichea, former head of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions, was gunned down on January 22, 2004, while buying a newspaper near Wat Lanka.

Two men, Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun were convicted of the crime the same year in a trial that was widely condemned by Cambodian and international rights groups.

The Supreme Court ordered their provisional release in December 2008, citing contradictory evidence in their previous trial, and the pair remain free pending the new investigation.

Sok Sam Oeun's lawyer, Hong Kim Suon, said it was too early to tell whether this second investigation will be fair.

"We always believed that Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun were innocent. The Court of Appeal and Supreme Court acknowledged this fact," he said.

Chea Mony, Chea Vichea's brother and president of the Free Trade Union, expressed anger at the Kingdom's judiciary for taking five years to review the case. "I am waiting to see if this new investigation discovers the real killers or not."

Thong Khon is re-elected

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:00 Kim Yuthana

TOURISM Minister Thong Khon was re-elected as president of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) for its fifth mandate at a conference held at Phnom Penh's Naga World Hotel Wednesday morning.

Officials from 16 National Sports Federations voted unanimously to allow Thong Khon to resume his presidency from 2009 to 2012 and also voted him president of the executive committee.

Thong Khon said during his address that the conference was arranged in accordance with Asian and International Olympic Committee mandates to evaluate the work done by the NOCC over the previous three-year term.

The minister said the meeting would also "set up goals for the fifth mandate ... as well as amend the committee's charter to comply with the present situation and constitutional law of the International Olympic Committee".

Police Blotter: 10 Sep 2009

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:01 May Titthara

Gangsters create mayhem at pagoda
Police in Toeuk Vel commune in Kandal province's Sa Ang district said last week they arrested one of a group of gangsters who disrupted a Pchum Ben ceremony at a local pagoda during which members of the clergy, including a monk and a nun, fled for fear of danger. The melee began when the group of gangsters entered a pagoda dining hall and attacked a youth attending the ceremony with his parents.
KAMPUCHEA THMEY

Man jailed in rice field death match
One man was killed and another arrested last week in what police say was a pre-arranged fight in a rice field in Kampong Thma commune in Kampong Thom province's Santuk district. The dead man was identified as Tha Khom Khean, 23, but the second combatant remains unidentified. Police said they think the cause of the death match was the result of a drunken dispute.
KAMPUCHEA THMEY

Man takes sword to birthing wife
A pregnant woman sustained severe injuries on Monday after her husband attacked her with a samurai sword after she went into labour in Stung Kach commune, Pailin city, police said. The victim, Che Phy, 38, delivered the baby but remains in critical condition in a local hospital. Police arrested the husband, identified as Sim Yan, 40.
RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

Man arrested in hammer killing
Police in Poipet on Monday arrested Hun Hoeun, 35, on suspicion of killing Soeun Ram, 61, in Poipet city. Police said the woman died of severe head trauma, and that a blood-soaked hammer had been recovered from the suspect's house.
RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

Bandits maul owner of grocery store
An unknown number of bandits robbed a grocery store in Poipet town, Banteay Meanchey province, last week, during which they severely beat the owner. The owner's husband, Phean Po, said he could not say how many attackers were involved in the robbery, and that his wife remained unconscious. Police said they have not yet identified any suspects.
KOH SANTEPHEAP

The Phnom Penh Post News in Brief

In Brief: New iOne in Canadia

Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:00 Soeun Say

AN official reseller for Apple Inc products in Cambodia, iOne Company, opened its fourth store Wednesday in Phnom Penh's Canadia Tower, which is set to be the tallest building in the Kingdom. Minister of Justice Ang Vong Vathana, who attended the opening ceremony, said the new store was a further sign that IT is developing in Cambodia. "This shows that Cambodia's economy is growing ... and I hope that there will be more investors coming here in the future," he said. The store will sell a range of Apple MacBooks and iPods along with accessories and software.


In Brief: Qb launches new tariff

Thursday, 10 September 2009 15:00 Post Staff

Qb, the mobile phone brand by Cambodia Advance Communication Co, became the latest company to announce a new tariff Wednesday, "Talk all you want", offering unlimited calls and messaging services at a fixed price of US$3 per month. The provider follows Hello, Mobitel and Beeline in announcing new tariffs within the past fortnight. Also Wednesday, qb announced it would finish a project extending coverage to major roads in Kampong Thom, Svay Rieng, Kampong Speu, Takeo, Kampot, Kampong Chhnang, Pursat and Banteay Meanchey provinces.

Director Sam B. Lorn takes viewers on a gritty journey through 'The LBC'

http://www.examiner.com

LA Asian American Movie Examiner
Ed Moy

"The LBC" might best be described as "an epic for it's size and budget."

Produced by Forlorn Films and directed by Cambodian-American filmmaker Sam B. Lorn, the movie offers viewers a look inside the gritty dark side of Long Beach, California (aka "The LBC").

Born and raised in Cambodia, Lorn survived the "Killing Fields" and emigrated to America where he settled in Long Beach, California with his surviving relatives.

In 1991, Lorn moved to New York City to pursue a filmmaking career. He studied acting at HB Studios and graduated from the world-renowned New York Film Academy.

He learned about all aspects of the film and distribution industry by working at Assembly Films, Screen Gems, The American Museum of Natural History, Shelter Films and several other independent production companies.

Over the years, he has worked with the best in the film industry, including such directors as Robert Deniro, Woody Allen, Steven Spielberg, Alan Rudolph, Rick Famuyiwa, Alfred Cheung, Bruce Law, and Derek Wan. He has also worked with actors such as Christopher Walken, Leonardo DiCaprio, Nicholas Cage, Matt Damon and Tom Hanks.

As a director, writer, producer and actor, Lorn's feature film credits include: "Little Patriot," "Moving Target," "Young Survivor," "Manhattan Midnight" and "Lovesick."

"Lovesick," was realized with backing from Angelina Jolie. The compelling film tells "a modern-day Romeo and Juliet-type-story with a Khmer-American twist. A young Khmer-American woman is forced into an arranged marriage when she falls in love with another man. She is faced with the dilemma of honoring her family and respecting tradition or following her heart."

Completed in 2004, "Lovesick" was self-released on DVD domestically.

Recently, Lorn took time to answer a few questions about his new film "The LBC" for Examiner.com.

What inspired you to make LBC?

After living in long Beach for two years and seeing Cambodian people going through hardships, it reminded me of Cambodia.

As an independent filmmaker what challenges did you face getting this movie made?


Three things:
1. This subject matter, no one would help me with finance, so I have to do it with a small business man, Randy Hor.

2. Other filmmaker did not understand my vision, so I have to work extra hard to tell a story that people can relate to.

3. Working with shoestring budget, I had to cut pre-productions and rehearsal and had to limit production to only 12 days of shooting. I was very fortunate that my cast and crew, they were able to pull it together.

Tell us about the themes of the movie... what is it about?

THEME: Carpe Diem, Karma. LOG LINE: One man endeavors to avenge his mother’s death while being thwarted by a local drug kingpin. SYNOPSIS: Long Beach, California can change from a beautiful place to a deadly one on the turn of a dime. A gangster wannabe (Ivan Djurovic) slips deeper into the criminal underbelly seeking to avenge his mother’s death. He finds common ground with a man (Sam Lorn) searching for his brother’s murderer. When they are confronted by a ruthless drug kingpin (Larry Parrish), anarchy and betrayal reign supreme leading to a climatic bloody showdown on the streets known as “The LBC”.

How long did it take from start to finish on production?

Two years.

When can moviegoers see the film on dvd?

October 2009

What's your next project?

Lovesick 2 with Jim Leung as Vinny, hoping to shoot this Christmas.

For more info:
http://www.lbcthemovie.com

International Co-Prosecutor Orders to Investigate Five More Persons – Wednesday, 9.9.2009

Posted on 9 September 2009
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 629
http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com/

“Phnom Penh: The International Co-Prosecutor, Mr. William Smith, sent two documents for investigations (the second and third introductory submissions) to the Co-Investigating Judges [at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal] in order to open the way for the Co-Investigating Judges to investigate more suspects.

“In a statement released on Tuesday [8 September 2009], the Acting International Co-Prosecutor stated, ‘The last two Introductory Submissions for investigation cover different crimes which are a part of a “joint criminal enterprise,” and relate to five suspects.’

“According to the same statement, Mr. William Smith said that identifying five new suspects for the Co-Investigating Judges for further investigation will show a broader field of responsibilities for different crimes, committed during the Democratic Kampuchea Regime from 1975 to 1979.

“But, according to the procedures, the investigations will be conducted without arrests and detentions of the suspects. After the investigations end, arrests and detentions can be made only if there are warrants signed and approved by both National and International Co-Investigating Judges. In case that the Co-Investigating Judges disagree, the side that wants to have arrests and detentions must find support of at least 4 votes among the 5 judges of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, otherwise arrests and detentions cannot be made.

“Actually, according to the law, documents sent for investigations have to be kept confidential, but considering the importance of the trial chamber’s affairs and the necessity to provide information to the public about the progress of the procedures, the internal rules allow that the Co-Prosecutors provide summary information to the public, considering certain limits related to the identities of the victims, witnesses, and the investigation.

“According to the published statement, the second Introductory Submission identifies eight instances of alleged murder, torture, unlawful detention, forced labor, and persecution. If testimonies are found related to the above instances, they will be considered to constitute crimes against humanity, which seriously violate the Geneva Conventions and Cambodia’s penal code of 1956 [which was in effect when the Khmer Rouge took power in 1975]. The third Introductory Submission describes 32 instances of alleged murder, torture, unlawful detention, forced labor, and persecution. If testimonies are found, they will constitute crimes against humanity and violations of the penal code of Cambodia of 1956.

“It should be considered that the documents to investigate more suspects were sent on Monday [7 September 2009], the day when Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen expressed his concern that national instability might break out if more persons are indicted. However, Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen stated that whether to indict more persons or not is the Khmer Rouge Tribunal’s affair, but he said that he has the obligation to maintain peace in Cambodia.

“Do new tensions between Cambodia and the United Nations start again?”

Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.17, #4994, 9.9.2009
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Wednesday, 9 September 2009

Indictments Hint at Tribunal Independence: Scholar

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

An American professor who has been following and writing crucial articles about the UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal on Monday offered a cautious congratulations to the court’s latest development which could lead to more prosecutions of the regime’s senior leaders.

John Hall, a law professor at Chapman University School of Law, said in a letter to VOA Khmer that “by deciding to open the door to additional prosecutions, the tribunal has proclaimed its determination to remain above political manipulation.”

Hall was referring to a decision by the Pre-Trial Chamber last week to move five more indictments to the investigating judges, following the recommendation of the international prosecutor’s office and against the judgment of the Cambodian prosecutor.

Prime Minister Hun Sen has warned that further indictments could lead to instability or war, fears echoed by Cambodian officials and judges. (Three Cambodian Pre-Trial judges decided against moving the indictments forward, but with two international judges in favor of the move, the chamber did not reach the super-majority necessary to kill the prosecution’s submissions to investigating judges.)

“The apparent willingness of the tribunal to move forward with additional prosecutions suggests that the international judges at least are unwilling to allow Hun Sen to influence the legal proceedings with alarmist threats of impending civil war,” Hall wrote.

The concern of instability has little basis in the reality of contemporary Cambodia, Hall said, calling the split decision “particularly worrying, because the argument against additional prosecutions—a vague and less unconvincing threat of civil war from the prime minister—is clearly not a legal argument adequate for the court to reject additional indictments, such as an insufficiency of evidence.”

Now, Hall said, a worry lingers over whether Cambodian officials will cooperate with the court if the indictments move even further through the process.

“How will the Cambodian government respond if indictments are brought against former senior Khmer Rouge who are currently active supporters of Hun Sen and the CPP?” he asked, referring to the ruling party. “Will the prime minister then use the excuse of national stability to pull the plug on the hybrid tribunal, perhaps proceeding with a purely domestic trial only of the current five defendants?”

The tribunal is currently trying Kaing Kek Iev, the former prison chief known as Duch, and is holding Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith, four of the senior-most leaders.

At least one former Khmer Rouge commander, Meas Muth, a probable suspect for indictment who serves an advisory role to the Ministry of Defense, has said he does not fear prosecution for his role in what he says was defense of the country from foreign invasion.

No Duty for Rice to EU; Challenges Remain

By Ros Sothea, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
09 September 2009

The European Union began a deal this month to allow Cambodian rice to be imported duty-free, but many challenges remain before Cambodia can be a powerhouse rice producer.

The deal would open a market of 500 million people from 27 countries and “provide a price incentive for European importers to import the product from Cambodia,” said Rafael Dochao Moreno, Charge d’Affaires of the European Commission in Cambodia.

“So by providing this zero-duty entry for Cambodian rice, we are promoting Cambodia’s development, especially in the sector of rice production.”

The duty-free status for Cambodian rice is part of the EU’s “Everything But Arms” initiative, which was established in 2001 and gives preferences on all goods, except weapons, entering the EU from 50 least-developed countries.

Moreno said the very last product to become duty free will be sugar, which will be covered from Oct. 1. From that date onward, all products exported from Cambodia to the EU will be duty free, unlike Thailand and Vietnam, which are ineligible for the initiative.

Cambodia’s rice export pales in comparison to its neighbors and other countries. According to US figures, Cambodian rice export was around 500,000 tons in 2008, compared to 10 million tons from Thailand and 4 million tons from Vietnam.

Of 2008 rice exports for Cambodia, only 2,700 tons reached the EU, for a value of $2 million.

Nevertheless, Agriculture Minister Chan Sarun welcomed the duty-free status. “It will benefit our farmers, who are producing rice for export to the EU,” he said, adding that he hoped exports would increase with the new status.

However, challenges remain. Cambodian farmers need to improve the value chain, upgrade milling equipment, create standards for the rice market and enhance market prospects, Moreno said.

Without these improvements,Cambodia will likely benefit little from duty-free status, said Chan Sophal an agricultural economist.

“I expect that rice exports will increase to the EU, but not much, because we still face shortages of better mills,” he said. High costs for export and small ships at Cambodia’s ports are further challenges, he said.

Exporters were optimistic, however.

“Before, there were some brokers who wanted to export rice from our country, but the negotiation always failed, due to high costs of exporting,” said Kim Savuth, president of the Khmer Food company. “But now that is not a problem, because we are duty free. So compared to neighboring countries, rice exported from Cambodia is cheaper.”

He acknowledged that some exporters were not confident with the quality of Cambodian rice.

Phou Puy, president of the Rice Milling Federation of Cambodia, said quality would not be a concern, as a new mill of international quality would start operation at the end of the year. More and more mills will follow, he said, but a main challenge would continue to be a shortage of money to buy un-milled rice from farmers.

Sun Kunthor, president of the State Development Bank, said the government will provide an $18 million package for loan disbursement to rice mills between 2009 and 2010, enough to buy 90,000 tons of un-milled rice.

Cambodia has a total 3 million hectares of agricultural land, and 80 percent of the population depends on agriculture. Vast tracts of land are still underdeveloped.

Japanese in Cambodia Facing New Government

By Ros Sothea, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
09 September 2009

Japanese diplomats, businessmen and employees congratulated the win of Japan’s opposition in recent elections, which broke half a century of ruling party rule, but some were wary the new party would make many changes.

The Democratic Party of Japan defeated the Liberal Democratic Party in Aug. 30 polls with a landslide win that made it the largest party in the lower house of parliament, with 308 of 480 seats.

Yano Tusi, owner of Ko Ko Ro restaurant in Phnom Penh, laughed happily when he was asked about his new government.

“Before, [the ruling party] worked for the rich people,” he said. “Rich people became richer, poor people became poorer. But now maybe [the opposition] will work for the poor.”

Japan’s next prime minister will be the DPJ’s president, Yuko Hatoyama, who is expected to be formally voted in on Sept. 16 and to name his cabinet in the days that follow.

Hatoyama had a chance to overthrown his strong competitor, the former premier Taro Aso, and the ruling party, because the opposition vowed to recover nearly $98 billion in “wasteful spending” through reductions in civil-servant and personnel costs and the upkeep of government offices over the next four years.

The DPJ also promised free high school education, free highways, a four-year freeze on the consumption tax, which is currently at 5 percent, and the creation of jobs in the private and agricultural sectors.

“I hope it is good,” said Sathol Miura, president of the Japanese Travel Agency APEX, in Phnom Penh. “It will make changes in the economy to create jobs and tourism.”

Japan’s economy has fallen sharply in the last decade, bringing worries that it could lose its place as the second-largest in the world. Many Japanese lost faith in the ruling party after its officials faced internal scandals and failed to expand the job market and national economy.

However, not everyone is convinced the DPJ can turn things around.

“It’s a hard experience to change for the new party,” said Hiroobu Kurata, president of Kurata Pepper. “I can’t say the policy is good. I can only hope that it will be changed, but if they change all the policies, some projects might be broken.”

Yamasaki Yuki, a Japanese-Khmer translator, said she didn’t hold too much hope for the new party, as it contains parts of the old.

“I suspect that it is not so good because the new party and the old one is the same,” she said. “I’m not really satisfied with these two big parties.”

Hatoyoma, 62, finished his PhD in engineering at Stanford University. He was born into a wealthy political family. His grandfather, Ichiro Hatoyama, was the ruling LDP’s first former Japanese prime minister. He began his political career in 1983 with the ruling party and later lead his own party, the DPJ.

Japan is Cambodia’s biggest donor. According to a report provided by the Japanese Embassy, some 830 Japanese nationals now live in the country. They work in tourism, hotels, restaurants, embassies and NGOs. Some are students.

Prime Minister Hun Sen recently congratulated the success of the DPJ and said he expected bilateral relations between the two countries would strengthen.