Chinese lakeside link confirmed

Photo by: Pha Lina

Boeung Kak residents protest against the Chinese involvement in the controversial development of the Boeung Kak lake at Phnom Penh’s ‘Freedom Park’ yesterday.

via CAAI

Thursday, 06 January 2011 22:10 Khouth Sophak Chakrya and James O'Toole

Prime Minister Hun Sen has approved a joint-venture partnership to develop the controversial Boeung Kak lake project involving a Chinese firm and a local company linked to ruling party senator Lao Meng Khin, according to a document signed by the premier and Phnom Penh Municipal Governor Kep Chuktema.

In 2007, local developer Shukaku Inc, owned by Lao Meng Khin, was granted a 99-year lease to develop the lake. In a letter dated November 12 of last year and obtained yesterday, Kep Chuktema wrote to Hun Sen to inform him that Shukaku had established a partnership with China’s Inner Mongolia Erdos Hung Jun Investment Co.

“Shukaku’s owner has asked to register the land in the 99-year lease agreement ... under the new name of Shukaku Erdos Hung Jun Property Development Co, Ltd, for directly implementing the project in the Boeung Kak area,” Kep Chuktema wrote.

Hun Sen initialled the letter on November 27 along with a brief, handwritten notation reading: “agree to the offer”.

Rights groups say the emergence of the document, which confirms earlier reports of Chinese involvement in the lake development, underscores the lack of transparency surrounding the project and the willingness of the government to approve large-scale foreign investment deals without assessing the consequences for local residents.

The lakeside development, which rights groups say will ultimately displace more than 4,000 families, is the largest and most prominent example of the urban evictions that have displaced thousands of the capital’s poor in recent years. Protests by Boeung Kak residents have become a weekly occurrence in Phnom Penh, as homes are flooded or even submerged by the filling of the lake and villagers charge that they are being denied market value in compensation for their homes.

Kep Chuktema’s letter follows Chinese-language news reports from September stating that Hung Jun had set up a partnership in July with Shukaku and Cambodia International Investment Development Group.

CIIDG is also linked to Lao Meng Khin. According to an undated government investment publication available online, the firm runs a special economic zone in Sihanoukville, with Lao Meng Khin listed as the “zone developer”.

In a 2009 announcement to the Malaysian stock exchange, Malaysia’s Leader Universal Holdings announced a proposed joint venture agreement with CIIDG to develop a coal-fired power plant in Sihanoukville. The listed headquarters for CIIDG in the announcement is the same Daun Penh district address that houses Pheapimex, a local conglomerate owned by Lao Meng Khin’s wife, Choeung Sopheap.

In September, Hung Jun chairman Wang Linxiang traveled to Cambodia for a meeting with Hun Sen that was also attended by Choeung Sopheap. The lake development was part of a US$3 billion package of investment deals that also included a 750-megawatt power station in Sihanoukville and a bauxite exploration project in Mondulkiri province, according to Chinese news reports.

At the time, Eang Sophalleth, assistant to Hun Sen, told The Post that the meeting was to discuss the power station project and real estate developments, but did not mention Boeung Kak lake.

The prime minister, Eang Sophalleth said, “fully supported” Hung Jun’s proposals. Eang Sophalleth did not respond to a request for comment yesterday.

Shukaku representative Lao Vann declined to comment yesterday on the Hung Jun partnership.

“I don’t know about this, and now I am sorry, I’m busy finding a solution for people who have volunteered to receive compensation,” he said.

Chinese Embassy spokesman Qian Hai denied that any Chinese firm was involved with the project, declining to comment on Kep Chuktema’s letter or the Chinese news reports on Hung Jun’s involvement.

“There’s no Chinese company involved at this stage,” he said.

Some Boeung Kak residents said this week that they would boycott all Chinese products if Hung Jun does not send a representative to negotiate with them.

“We will starve to death if they do not find a solution for us and forcibly evict us from our homes,” 32-year-old lakeside resident Naon Sok Nen said yesterday.

City Hall claims around 2,000 families from the lack have already accepted compensation packages.

Those facing eviction have received varying compensation options, including cash payments of $8500, housing at a relocation site in Dangkor district, or on-site relocation, the plans for which have yet to materialise. In the meantime, many of those still in their homes have complained of rashes and health problems as the lake-filling inundates the community with floodwaters and sewage.

“The Chinese… should conduct the impact assessment and should do a public consultation with the residents,” said Sia Phearum, secretariat director of Housing Rights Task Force.

Kep Chuktema said in his letter to the premier that the relocation process was going smoothly, held up only by “powerful people and opportunists trying to make difficulty for the company”. But Nora Lindstrom, programme development manager at local housing NGO Sahmakum Teang Tnaut, called this claim unfounded.

“Faced with forced eviction, it is the residents right to demand adequate compensation that does not push them into poverty,” she said in an email.

Sia Phearum said Kep Chuktema and his subordinates likely felt pressure to emphasise “potential for development and benefit” rather than giving a proper account of the project.

“The residents really want to meet with the government, top leaders of the municipality, or the private companies, both local and Chinese,” Sia Phearum said. “They want to support the government, but so far, there’s no public consultation - they never consult with the people.”

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SEBASTIAN STRANGIO

Banks benefit from recovery

via CAAI

Thursday, 06 January 2011 19:57 May Kunmakara

Leading Cambodian banks said outstanding loans and deposits grew substantially during 2010 compared with the previous year’s figures, boosted by the Kingdom’s strengthening economy.

In Channy, ACLEDA Bank president and chief executive, estimated the Kingdom’s overall banking industry grew about 20 percent last year compared with 2009.

“Last year, we had more commercial enterprises opening, which was a very good sign for our country because [people] can see our economy is growing constantly and especially that our regulations are strong,” he said.

ACLEDA Bank saw outstanding loans rise by 36.82 percent to US$744.31 million by the end of 2010 from $544 million.

Deposits reached $911 million from $692 million, an increase of 31.65 percent.

“People are starting to understand and trust our banking industry as it offers convenient and safe services for them,” he said.

Canadia Bank saw total assets reach more than US$1 billion – a 30 percent increase on 2009 – according to Dieter Billmeier, the bank’s vice president and advisor.

Loan demand similarly increased about 30 percent, based on internal audits, especially in the second half of 2010, Billmeier said via email.

Gross loans rose to a total $520 million by the end of 2010, from $385 million for 2009.

Deposits increased by more than 40 percent from 2009, reaching about $820 million. Billmeier attributed the growth to the developing of local industries such as agriculture, import and export trading and tourism-related projects.

The property sector, however, especially consumer products like home loans, did not follow the high growth rates of other loan sector applications, he said.

“Since business and economic confidence is returning in Cambodia, I predict growth rates for this sector to be stronger in 2011,” he said, adding that the bank’s shareholders’ equity was set to pass $130 million at the end of December 2010.

Smaller operators also saw improvement. Two large South Korean banks, which opened subsidiaries in Cambodia around mid-2009, also reported increasing business. Kookmin Bank Cambodia, which began operating locally in May 2009, saw outstanding loans sharply increase on a percentage measure, given its low base.

End of year figures showed loans doubled to $16.2 million in 2010, from $8 million, while deposits hit $19.9 million, an $8.5 million increase, according to Jang Ki-sung, chief executive of the Cambodian subsidiary.

“The economy in Cambodia is recovering from the global financial crisis in 2008, that’s why our loans and deposits are increasing because Cambodian people are gradually beginning to use the bank more,” he said.

Han Peng Kwang, senior vice president of Hwang DBS Commercial Bank which opened its doors late July 2009, said loans rose by about 200 percent with total borrowers increasing. Deposits increased 14 percent.

Hwang DBS mostly offered business loans to small and medium enterprises, and some home loans.

“We believe that SMEs play an important role in contributing to the economic growth of the country and we can play our part in the country’s growth by providing the necessary financing and services required by these businesses to grow and expand,” he said.

ACLEDA reported 0.5 percent of its total loan book was non-performing loans, dropping from 0.8 percent in 2009.

Hwang DBS had an NPL rate of 1.7 percent, Kookmin reported zero NPLs, and Canadia saw its NPLs fall to 6.2 percent from 8.2 percent in 2009.

Global lessons for NGO law

Photo by: Heng Chivoan

Yeng Virak, executive director of the Community Legal Education Center, speaks to residents of the city’s Dey Krahorm community following their eviction in January 2009.

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Good NGO legislation should enshrine the rights of Cambodian citizens to speak out, associate and organise.

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via CAAI

Thursday, 06 January 2011 21:38 Thomas Miller

ON December 15, the government finally made public a draft of its new NGO law, trumpeting it as a tool for fighting terrorism and crime, increasing transparency in the Kingdom’s vast NGO sector and regulating groups that are “working for the opposition”.

As civil society workers across the nation brace for the law’s passage, local activists have voiced fears about the possible effects of the legislation.

Coming amid a resurgence in government confidence – which has seen the jailing in absentia of opposition leader Sam Rainsy and public threats of the expulsion of United Nations officials and diplomats – local rights group Licadho described it as “the most serious threat to civil society in years”.

If implemented in its current form, critics say the draft law – lacking sufficient safeguards – will violate the right to freedom of association and hamper NGO activities, especially those of small community organisations.

They have called on the government to accept a longer period of consultation and a joint working group to finish drafting the law. Licadho and other organisations have stated that they don’t want an NGO law at all.

As the two sides trade invective in both public and private, the implementation of similar regulations in other countries may provide a cautionary tale about the granting of too much power to governments to regulate civil society.

The view from Dhaka

Representatives of the Bangladeshi human rights organisation Odhikar, founded in 1994, say that its activities have been increasingly restricted under current regulations that place tight controls on any NGO activities linked to foreign funding.

In a rights report issued last month, Odhikar documented an increasing level of government interference in its programmes, in addition to the surveillance and intimidation of the state’s security apparatus.

In August 2009, the government’s NGO Affairs Bureau, which is under the authority of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s office, ordered Odhikar to halt a programme focused on documenting and preventing torture, citing the “reservations” of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Though Odhikar submitted a writ petition to the High Court, which eventually ruled against the government, the message from the authorities was clear, said Odhikar’s executive secretary Adilur Rahman Khan.

“Human rights organisations, especially [those] which are critical against the atrocities of the government, torture, ill-treatment and impunity of the regime, like Odhikar, face massive difficulty in getting their projects approved,” Khan said via email.

In recent months, the organisation has documented numerous instances in which security or police officials paid visits to Odhikar’s offices to request information from its leadership.

In November, after several such visits, an official warned Odhikar’s director that the government was “extremely annoyed” with the organisation, and that officers from the Special Branch of the police were “constantly monitoring” their office.

“Such incidents of constant visits, telephone calls and request for information that can be obtained from government records are clear examples of harassment and intimidation and an attempt to disrupt the functioning of a human rights organisation,” states the Odhikar report.

Other countries too have seen a recent tightening of regulations. In a special report issued last month, the United States-based International Centre for Not-for-Profit Law took aim at what it termed the “wave of constraint” embodied by legal developments in countries such as Venezuela, Ecuador, Honduras, Iran and Bahrain, all of which took place in November and December.

“The restrictions proposed in these laws will create a burdensome web of regulations for civil society groups and are evidence that the backlash against civil society is ongoing, transcending legal systems and political cultures,” the report states.

ICNL said Cambodia’s law also bore many of the hallmarks of this global crackdown, including restrictions on the number and nationality of NGOs’ founding members, onerous registration requirements, government powers to suspend or terminate organisations and limits on the activities of foreign NGOs.

Discretionary authority in the draft law has emerged as a critical issue. The Cambodian Centre for Human Rights concluded from a review of 50 countries that NGO laws should be “evaluated, first and foremost, for the vagueness of the language and the broad discretionary powers that they grant to governments”.

Best practice?

However, a number of countries, including Azerbaijan, Iraq, Kosovo, Macedonia, Mexico, Russia and Serbia, have recently adopted changes to their legal frameworks that safeguard civil society, according to ICNL.

“Good NGO legislation should enshrine the rights of Cambodian citizens to speak out, associate and organise, which underpin the very existence of civil society and which form the basis of effective community development,” said David Robinson, ICNL’s programme manager for Asia and the Pacific.

“However, as in Cambodia and also in Vietnam, there was a reluctance to endorse and encourage the local community decision-making and action that would result from progressive, enabling legislation,” he added.

In contrast, the ICNL points to a law passed in Iraq last year, which recognised “the right to form an NGO as well as the right to associate without forming a legal entity”. It also includes “objective rules” for registration and operations that limit the government’s discretion in refusing registration or interfering with NGO affairs. NGOs are permitted to fundraise both domestically and abroad.

Though ICNL criticised the Iraqi law for restrictions on foreign NGOs, it noted that the legislative process included a large coalition of civil society members with support from the UN that introduced revisions to a more restrictive draft law proposed by the government.

Adapting to political realities

However, some say that within the current Cambodian context, the perfect may well be the enemy of the good. Hisham Mousar, a former staffer for local rights group Adhoc and the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights, said NGOs should ensure that the law is consistent with human rights, but that they would be better off with a law than without.

“It reflects the reaction, the continuous reaction of civil society, is to refuse,” said Mousar, who currently heads the French cooperation programme at the Royal University of Law and Economics.

“But we have to build the rule of law, we have to build something. We cannot say that the judge is not independent, we cannot say that we do not trust in the lawmaking process, and [on] the other hand, continu[e] to be here, to take salary, to have big cars, [to have an] easy life in Cambodia.”

Mousar said civil society organisations felt particularly vulnerable because of the lack of political opposition following the Cambodian People’s Party landslide victory at the 2008 national elections.

“They prefer to wait for a better day when they can benefit, [when] they can enjoy, as in the past, the umbrella of political opposition,” Mousar said. “Now they are too exposed.”

Mousar argued in favour of an engagement between civil society and government – despite the mismatch in power between the two sides.

Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said the law was geared towards creating “one civilised nation”.

“If you live in the jungle you don’t need a law – but in society … you have to comply with the law,” Phay Siphan said.

Ultimately, however, Robinson said an NGO law should do more than simply place restrictions on civil society.

“[Such laws] should not simply be a mechanism for encouraging and controlling international NGOs providing aid in line with pre-determined government priorities,” he said.

“This is, to a large degree … what the Cambodian law provides for.”

Jailed Thai MP questioned

Photo by: Heng Chivoan

A group of Thai nationals, including Thai Democrat Party lawmaker Panich Vikitsreth (second from left), are escorted into Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday.

via CAAI

Thursday, 06 January 2011 21:57 Cheang Sokha and James O’Toole

A Thai parliamentarian arrested for trespassing in Banteay Meanchey province last week told Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday that he had “unintentionally” crossed into Cambodian territory, his defence lawyer said.

Cambodian lawyer Ros Aun, who is defending Panich Vikitsreth, a lawmaker from Thailand’s ruling Democrat Party, said his client told investigating judge Chang Sinath that he had traveled to the contentious Thai-Cambodian border to meet with Thai villagers who claimed border markers had been moved by Cambodians onto Thai territory.

“He said he crossed the border unintentionally,” Ros Aun said. “His visit to the border area came at the request of the [Thai] villagers.”

Panich was arrested last week along with six other Thais near a military encampment in Banteay Meanchey’s O’Chrou district. The group were charged last week with illegal entry and unlawfully entering a military base, charges that carry a combined maximum sentence of 18 months in prison.

Ros Aun said yesterday that the investigation remained ongoing despite a day-long questioning session. A trial date in the case has not yet been set.

Arrested along with Panich was Veera Somkwamkid, an activist from Thailand’s “Yellow Shirt” movement who has staged repeated rallies at the border to protest against alleged Cambodian encroachment.

Panich’s claim that he accidentally entered Cambodia is seemingly at odds with statements he reportedly made in a video of his expedition that surfaced in the Thai press this week. In the video, Panich is seen talking on the phone to his secretary, asking that an aide to Thai premier Abhisit Vejjajiva be informed that the group had crossed into Cambodia.

Abhisit has admitted sending Panich to investigate the border area, but has denied ordering him to enter Cambodia.

The arrests followed several months of relative amicability in the oft-strained relationship between Thailand and Cambodia. In August, the countries normalised ties that had been downgraded in 2009 following Cambodia’s provocative appointment of ousted former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra as an economics adviser to the government.

Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said the case was “separate from our diplomatic relations”. He declined to speculate on whether Prime Minister Hun Sen would request pardons for the group following a possible conviction.

“Right now, it’s in the hands of the court,” he said.

Ministry issues alcohol warning

Photo by: Pha Lina

Son Chanthy, a 25-year-old construction worker from Kandal province, drinks rice wine with friends after clocking off work in October.

via CAAI

Thursday, 06 January 2011 18:05 Mom Kunthear

Health Minister Mam Bun Heng has made calls for people to limit their alcohol consumption in a bid to cut government spending on related health and social problems.

The December 31 statement, which has been published in Khmer-language newspapers, warns that alcohol consumption can lead to health problems including liver or stomach ulcers, as well as heart attacks and strokes “that can cause death”.

In addition, the statement cautions, alcohol contributes to social ills.

“To drink wine or other alcohol also causes domestic violence, arguments in restaurants or other public places, and [can lead people] to face HIV/AIDS when they lose control of themselves,” it states.

It also notes that about 100 people have died over the past four years after indulging in homemade moonshine.

“[People] can become poisoned if the wine or other alcohol is produced without good standards,” reads the statement, which then goes on to highlight the links between alcohol consumption and traffic accidents.

A total of 1,649 people died in traffic accidents last year, 12 percent of which involved people driving under the influence of alcohol, according to Ministry of Interior Ministry figures.

Sok Sokun, director of the municipal Department of Health, said Thursday that moderate consumption of alcohol, about 10 millilitres per day, could have health benefits, but warned against binge drinking.

“We can drink a small glass of alcohol a day to make our health good, but if we drink too much it affects our health and safety,” he said, adding that alcoholism could also contribute to poverty.

“The Ministry of Health usually thinks about the people’s health and benefits in order to reduce poverty because some people drink alcohol without working,” Sok Sokun said.

During a meeting last month, a coalition of civil society groups called on the government to restrict advertising and increase taxes on alcoholic beverages in a bid to stem alcohol-related health and social issues.

A study conducted by the People’s Centre for Development and Peace presented at the workshop showed that 30 percent of the daily expenses of 1,400 people surveyed across seven provinces went towards alcohol.

Overall, 16 percent of those surveyed were found to be alcoholics, while 58 percent of respondents aged between 15 and 25 said they drank every day.

There is no law regulating the minimum drinking age in Cambodia.

Smartphone demand rises

via CAAI

Thursday, 06 January 2011 20:22 Jeremy Mullins

Cambodian consumers are increasingly purchasing higher-end phone handsets, according to industry experts.

“Consumers are definitely very savvy and we can see they are updated with the latest and coolest [handsets],” said mobile provider Hello’s marketing manager Gary Foo on Thursday. “We recognise consumer trends [are] moving towards smartphones.”

Hello was the first service provider to introduce Blackberry handsets to the Kingdom two years ago and has launched two new models this week – the white Blackberry Bold 9780 and the Blackberry Curve 9300 phones.

Hello now has five different Blackberry models available from Canadian handset manufacturer Research in Motion.

Data demand

Gary Foo said Hello was seeing strong demand for its data services, though voice related calls were now its main revenue driver. Declining to give the exact number of data users, he said figures were growing healthily and were encouraging.

“Voice will continue to be the majority revenue contribution so it will take time, but nonetheless [data services are] something we would continue to invest in,” he said.

“The challenge is keeping up with consumers’ ever changing trends.”

The move towards smartphones was most evident in major cities and among businessmen, he said.

A number of other companies providing smartphones have recently made pushes into the Kingdom.

Nokia and LG push

South Korean handset manufacturer LG opened an outlet on Mao Tse Toung Boulevard last year, while Finland’s Nokia also opened its first office in Cambodia in 2010.

Nokia Business Development Manager for Cambodia and Laos Mohammed Mesbahuddin said that most of the major international handset brands were now present in Cambodia. Data services were becoming a key driver in how companies sold handsets, he said.

“Mobile internet will overcome fixed internet [on computers] in a short period of time,” he said. “It’s already happening in [other parts of] Asia.”

Nokia launched a new data handset in Cambodia this week, the X2-01, which is aimed at a younger demographic.

Area man works to protect children from exploitation

 via CAAI

By Carrie J. Sidener

Published: January 06, 2011

Credit: Kim Raff/The News & Advance

Gary Reynolds spoke at an international law enforcement conference in Cambodia to talk about child sex trafficking.

It wasn’t until the tail end of his career that Gary Reynolds encountered a case that changed him.

The law enforcement officer was serving as chief of police in Winchester when his department investigated the abduction of a 13-year-old girl.

She had been groomed by a man she met on the Internet. He abducted her and sexually assaulted her at a local hotel.

“That was when I first became aware of the Internet being used for the sexual exploitation of children,” Reynolds said.

“I’ve seen catastrophic crashes, fatal traffic accidents, stabbings, shootings, and yet when I see images of children being sexually assaulted. … It sticks with me more than anything else.”

When Reynolds retired, he came to work for the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office as part of the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children task force, known locally as Operation Blue Ridge Thunder.

He also became involved in the nonprofit Safe Surfin’ Foundation, whose mission is to educate the public about Internet-related crimes against children and provide communities with the information to protect children from Internet predators.

Reynolds began to look into the sexual tourism trade in foreign countries. He soon became an adviser to the Intergovernmental Child Cyber Control Organization, which works to protect children on the Internet through education.

Child sexual exploitation happens in every economic, social, ethnic and religious group, according to the organization’s website. The Internet provides a more anonymous way to seek out and exploit children for pornography, sex acts and sexual tourism.

That association led Reynolds last month to a United Nations conference in Cambodia involving representatives of 52 Asian nations, where he spoke about international sexual tourism and how the Internet is used typically by American men to facilitate sexual relations with children in those countries.

Safe Surfin’ and the Cambodian government paid for Reynolds’ expenses.

“It was very eye-opening for me,” he said. “I went into downtown Bangkok and I was able to observe firsthand children on the street corners offering themselves up for prostitution.”

“It’s obscene to see police officers standing on the corners where this was occurring and yet taking no action to stop it,” he said.

Nations with thriving sex tourism industries also suffer from widespread poverty, high illiteracy rates and limited employment opportunities.

Poorer nations rely on tourism and can end up turning a blind eye to the crimes.

Pimps go to the farms in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand and offer families $500 cash, telling parents they are taking the child to a major city to give them a job and an education. Those children end up in a life of prostitution.

“I was told for a young girl or boy who was inexperienced, the Johns are charged up to $10,000,” Reynolds said.

The vast majority of those who travel to these countries to pay for child prostitutes are white men from North American and European countries. They are typically over the age of 35 and are professionals or retired.

“A lot of people just don’t understand how often this goes on,” he said. “We have laws in the U.S. that prohibit Americans from going to other countries to engage in sexual acts with minors. But it is very hard for us to enforce them in other countries that provide little support.

“Many laws are almost impossible to enforce because of limited resources.”

He hopes that his work can help prevent more children from falling victim to such predators.

“I considered it a personal honor to speak there. I hope it makes a difference.”

No bail for seven jailed in Phnom Penh

 via CAAI

By The Nation, Agencies
Published on January 7, 2011

Drawn-out taking of testimony leaves lawyers no time to file requests; Panich claims unintentional crossing as Veera remains defiant over charges

Seven Thai nationals who faced trail in Cambodian court for trespassing were in critical situation yesterday as their prosecution would drag on with no time to submit bail request, resulting in longer stay in Prey Sar prison.

The seven Thais including the ruling Democrat Party's lawmaker Panich Vikitsreth and yellow shirted activist Veera Somkwamkid appeared in the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in blue prisoner dresses.

They testified in the closed door court room one by one, beginning with Panich who told the court that he crossed to the disputed border area by accident.

Panich told the court that he had "crossed into Cambodian territory unintentionally," his Cambodian attorney Ros Aun told AFP by telephone.

"He said he came (to the border area) because Thai people claimed it is their land. He said he was walking without knowing that he was entering Cambodian territory and was captured by the authorities."

Veera, who was previously arrested in the same location in August, told reporters briefly as leaving the court that "they are forcing us to accept the accusation."

Panich, Veera and other yellow shirted activists who claimed they are patriotic group were arrested last week in the border near Sa Kaeo's Ban Nong Chan while inspecting the disputed area. A leaked video clip indicated that Panich and the group were aware of entering into Cambodia side as he phoned to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's aide to convey his message.

The Royal Thai Survey Department indicated that the group went 55 meters deeper into the territory under sovereignty of Cambodia before the capture.

The Thai government failed to settle the case outside the court room since Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen reportedly was furious with Veera's second trespassing.

They were charge of illegal entry and unlawful entering to military areas, the charges with combined 18 month jail term.

The Thai foreign ministry said it would allow the Cambodian court to continue without intervention but urged Phnom Penh to speed up the process and hand them only lenient punishment.

The court spent the whole yesterday for the testimony of seven detainees and it set no time line when the entire trail would be completed.

Their lawyer had no time to submit bail request yesterday and would not until Monday as Friday is Cambodia's public holiday. The court has five days to consider the bail request, said Thai Foreign Ministry's spokesman Thani Thongpakdi. "We expect to know whether they would get free on bail by January 14," he said.

Prime Minister Abhisit called a meeting with many concern ministers and officials including Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, Justice Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and Kasit's secretary Chavanond Intarakomalyasut to discuss the situation of the seven Thai people in Cambodian court.

Chavanond told reporters after the meeting that Prime Minister Abhisit did not have any more instruction but wrapped up the situation and expected the group would have to stay longer in the Cambodian prison.

Thai MP in Cambodia court over border incident

Thai Democrat Party lawmaker Panich Vikitsreth (R) and another activist walk at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court

via CAAI

PHNOM PENH — A Thai ruling party politician charged with illegally entering Cambodia told a court in the capital Phnom Penh Thursday that he had crossed the disputed border by accident, his lawyer said.

Panich Vikitsreth of the Democrat Party was taken from prison to Phnom Penh Municipal Court with six other Thais for a closed-door preliminary hearing in a case that has strained diplomatic ties between Cambodia and Thailand.

Panich told the court that he had "crossed into Cambodian territory unintentionally," his Cambodian attorney Ros Aun told AFP by telephone.

"He said he came (to the border area) because Thai people claimed it is their land. He said he was walking without knowing that he was entering Cambodian territory and was captured by the authorities."

The detainees, dressed in blue prison clothes, did not respond to questions from reporters as they were led into court for questioning. No trial date has yet been set.

The seven Thais were charged late last month with illegally crossing the border and entering a military area with ill will, despite a call from Thailand for their immediate release.

If convicted on both counts they face up to 18 months in prison.

Thai officials have acknowledged that the seven were on Cambodian territory when arrested.

Deputy Thai Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said Thursday Bangkok might seek a royal pardon for the seven if the court sentences them.

"I expect the court will deliberate the case based on the fact that Thais trespassed without ill-intention and with mercy to Thai nationals," he said.

"We want Cambodia to know that we are very worried, although we respect its judicial system and sovereignty. I am optimistic that the trial will be quick," he said.

The neighbours have long been at odds over their border, which is not fully demarcated, partly because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia. There was a series of deadly border clashes in 2008.

But Cambodian foreign ministry spokesman Koy Kuong told AFP the case would "not affect diplomatic relations" with Thailand.

When asked about a possible pardon, he said: "The case is in the hands of the court. I cannot say anything now."

Volunteer Doctors From US See Throng of Patients

Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Washington, D.C Thursday, 06 January 2011

via CAAI

Photo: AP

A nurse checks dengue fever patient.

“Some of the patients rarely go to see a doctor, and some didn't even know their diseases.”

More than 50 volunteer medical personel from the US are in Cambodia to treat some of the country's poorest on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

The group is led by Tan Song, a Long Beach, Calif., doctor, and hope to treat a number of diseases, from seasonal colds to diarrhea, intestinal worm infections, high blood pressure, lung infections and diabetes.

More than 700 people sought the free services of the doctors and medical staff on the first day, Monday.

“Some of the patients rarely go to see a doctor, and some didn't even know their diseases,” Tan Song told VOA Khmer.

Most of the patients came from nearby areas of Phnom Penh, although some came from as far as the provinces of Kampong Cham, Kampong Speu and Prey Veng.

The volunteers worked nearly non-stop, with just a short break for lunch, Tan Song said. “This is testament that each of them is very dedicated to the mission,” he said. “They love the people.”

The project received a boost from the unplanned visit of US congresswoman Laura Richardson, whose House of Representatives district, the 37th, includes Long Beach and has some 50,000 US-Cambodian constituents.

Richardson was on a separate fact-finding mission to Cambodia earlier this week.

Trial Opens in Cambodia for Thai Nationals

Ron Corben
Bangkok 06 January 2011

via CAAI

Photo: AFP

Thai 'Yellow Shirt' activist Veera Somkwamkid (L) and Thai Democrat Party lawmaker Panich Vikitsreth (R) walk at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, 6 Jan 2011

A Cambodian court has begun hearings into the cases of seven Thais arrested last month for illegally entering the country. Some political analysts say the episode raises questions over the government’s close ties with nationalist group, the People’s Alliance for Democracy.

The Thais, including a member of parliament, were brought before a judge Thursday in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. They were detained December 29 after crossing into Cambodia.

If found guilty of illegal entry and entering a military area, the seven could face jail terms of up to 18 months.

The leader, Panich Vikitsreth, is a member of the Democrat Party of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Among those arrested was Veera Somkwamkid, a former leader of the People’s Alliance for Democracy, and of the Thailand Patriot Network, an offshoot of the PAD. Veera was briefly detained last year in the same area but was quickly sent back to Thailand.

The Thailand Patriot Network says Cambodian nationals occupy Thai territory along the border in Sa Kaeo province, 245 kilometers from Bangkok.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University, says the evidence indicates a deliberate crossing into Cambodia.

"The videos, the evidence so far and the statements from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - including senior officials - suggest that the seven Thais who have been arrested did indeed cross over into Cambodian territory," Thitinan said. "But what it says about the Patriotic Thais or the Patriot Thai Network is that it is intent on stirring up trouble."

In video clips posted on the Internet, Panich is seen speaking on a mobile phone, saying he crossed into Cambodia and asks that Abhisit’s secretary be told.

Thitinan says the incident points to the PAD’s influence on the Abhisit government. The PAD played a key role in protests that led to a military coup to oust former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006.

And in 2008 PAD demonstrators shut down Bangkok’s airports and occupied the prime minister’s office building, until court rulings removed two pro-Thaksin governments.

After that, parliamentary maneuvering brought Abhisit to power. Thitinan says those ties to the PAD are now hurting the government.

"This is a reminder that the liability from having been so closely tied to the PAD has come back to haunt and boomerang against the Democrat Party and the Abhisit government. It shows also that the government does not seem to know what its doing," Thitinan said.

The arrests have hurt efforts to improve relations with Cambodia. Ties had deteriorated after Thaksin visited Cambodia in 2009. He faces corruption charges at home and lives abroad.

Thai foreign ministry officials said the Phnom Penh court Thursday completed hearings for three of the detainees. More hearings must be held before a verdict is handed down.

The Thai government says it is working to get the seven released and sent home.

CAMBODIA: Winning the battle against schistosomiasis

 via CAAI

KRATIE, 6 January 2011 (IRIN) - Health officials in Cambodia are making inroads in their battle against schistosomiasis, a chronic and debilitating disease commonly known as snail fever.

Photo: Lynn Maung/IRIN

Freshwater snails act as hosts for the parasitic disease

In northeastern Cambodia, more than 80,000 people living along the 5,000km-long Mekong River are at risk of schistosomiasis, according to the National Center for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control (CNM).

"We've seen a very [big] drop from the last decade," Muth Sinuon, a parasitic worms specialist at the government body, said. She places current prevalence rates at less than 5 percent - a steep fall from the mid-1990s.

"Back around 1995, we saw that between 30 and 70 percent of people in Kratie and Stung Treng were infected," she said. The chronic disease is endemic in the two poor, remote provinces in northeastern Cambodia.

Schistosomiasis is known as snail fever because the parasite lives in freshwater snails. According to the UN World Health Organization (WHO), people become infected when larval forms of the parasite - released by freshwater snails - penetrate their skin during contact with infested water.

In Cambodia, residents go fishing in rivers when water levels are low during the dry season, from February to May, and contract the disease from infested water.

The disease spreads through bathing, washing laundry and fetching water, Muth said.

Left untreated, the worm is perilous even though mortality is low. Schistosomiasis can cause bloody faeces and urine, a bloated belly, intestine damage, liver disease and bladder cancer, say health experts.

In terms of its social and economic impacts, snail fever is second only to malaria as the most devastating parasitic disease in tropical countries, according to the Carter Center, a non-profit charity based at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Risk to children

Because of their hygiene and play habits in the water, children are particularly at risk.

"These parasites cause growth retardation in children, short- and long-term memory problems, difficulty with reasoning and reading comprehension," said Taing Tek Hong, a US-based Cambodian gastroenterologist, who travels regularly to Cambodia.

Heavily infected people are at risk of malnutrition.

Parasite's lifecycle

Photo: Courtesy of CNM

Abdominal bloating is a common outcome

When human urine or faeces containing the parasite's eggs enter the water, the eggs hatch and release larvae, which search for river snails that live in the fissures of partially submerged rocks.

They enter the snail and multiply, then look for a new host in the water. They break through human skin and infiltrate the blood, move to the liver, and grow into worms.

From there, the worms travel through the blood, laying thousands of eggs in the intestine or bladder.

Treatment

Since 2002, the Cambodian government has overseen a vast deworming programme. In 2004, the country was the first to reach the WHO's goal of covering three-quarters of school-aged children, or three million people.

Once a year in Kratie and Stung Treng, authorities treat schistosomiasis patients with Praziquantel, a drug that is usually effective with a single dose.

The campaign has led to a drastic fall in cases, said Duong Socheat, head of the CNM.

Even so, more needs to be done to improve sanitation and education, he said.

Many people still defecate into rivers because they have limited access to toilets. Fewer than 16 percent of rural Cambodians have access to adequate sanitation, says the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).

According to WHO, around the world, 700 million people may be at risk of schistosomiasis. More than 207 million people are infected worldwide, the majority in Africa. Most live in poor communities without access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

Control of schistosomiasis is based on drug treatment, snail control, improved sanitation and health education, the world health body says.

The dangers of the road in Cambodia

via CAAI

Jan 06, 2011

By Laurinda Luffman For SOS Children

Nearly a quarter of Cambodia’s population (over 14 million people) now live in urban areas. The country’s economic growth and increasing urbanization bring benefits for people who migrate to the towns and cities, including easier access to services and health care. However, in Phnom Penh, residents face increasing danger from the overcrowded streets and surfeit of cars and bikes.

Nearly a quarter of Cambodia’s population (over 14 million people) now live in urban areas. The country’s economic growth and increasing urbanization bring benefits for people who migrate to the towns and cities, including easier access to services and health care. However, in Phnom Penh, residents face increasing danger from the overcrowded streets and surfeit of cars and bikes. Problems on the capital’s streets have been exacerbated by the influx of migrants who have little understanding of road safety and traffic laws. On average, the capital now sees 4.7 people dying from traffic accidents every day.

In a report released last month by the Cambodian government, in conjunction with the non-governmental organisation Handicap International, it was revealed that the number of accidents in Phnom Penh has risen over 200 per cent in the last five years, with fatalities reaching over 1,700 in 2009. Children in particular are at increasing risk, with road accidents now the most common cause of injury-related mortality among young people aged between 5-14 years.

In 2009, over double the number of cars were registered in Cambodia compared to five years earlier, with 1.4 million vehicles on the road. Speeding in particular is becoming a huge problem, particularly in outlying areas of the city. But in the main, it isn’t the wealthier citizens in cars who are being affected. As the recent report points out, it is mostly the poor who are vulnerable to the increasing trend of traffic-related deaths. Around 90 per cent of accident victims are motorbike riders, cyclists or pedestrians.

Those killed in accidents peak in the 20-29 age group and are often young men. The loss of a male breadwinner can tip a family into poverty. Even where accidents do not cause fatalities, the costs of medical care and the loss of income can cause extreme hardship, since most poor families have no savings to provide a safety net. When Cheng Heng was injured on his motorbike, the 31-year old factory employee was out of work for nearly a month, causing a loss in earnings of 250 dollars. With a family of 10 to support, this gap in his wages pushed him into debt. Mr Cheng anticipated it would take him at least three months to repay his loans.

Over the coming decade, the Cambodian government hopes to reduce the number of road fatalities by better enforcement of traffic laws. Since 2006, motorcycle drivers (though not passengers) have been required to wear helmets, but many avoid wearing them at night or where they feel traffic police are unlikely to catch them. But any change in habits which would reduce the number of injuries and fatalities may not come quickly. As one expert concedes, “it takes a generation to change peoples’ perceptions”.

Former young volunteers to Cambodia gather in Hanoi

 via CAAI

01/06/2011

President Nguyen Minh Triet on January 6 received a group of former experts from the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union who had been sent to Cambodia on an international mission after the country was liberated.

The group was formed by the youth league in June 1979 in order to assist young Cambodians facing numerous difficulties during the 1979-1989 period.

Mr Triet highly appreciated the former experts’ efforts to accomplish their international mission in Cambodia.

He noted that the ties of cooperation and friendship between the two countries have been strengthened, especially in the fields of economics, culture and education.

Cardiff construction manager to build homes in Cambodia

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/

via CAAI

01/ 6 /2011

by Jessica Flynn, South Wales Echo

A CONSTRUCTION project director is taking time out from his day job to build homes for Cambodian families.

Kanji Kerai, from Willmott Dixon in Cardiff, is travelling to the village of Siem Reap, where work is under way to create new homes for 100 families.

The working sabbatical from his usual role of managing major projects for Willmott Dixon was inspired by a vacation to the Siem Reap region to visit the ancient temple ruins of the Khmer Empire.

While there, he toured the area and saw the harsh conditions in which the families in the village live.

“It was evident that these people really needed assistance and that a little effort on the part of people like me could make a very real difference to their lives,” he said.

“I got in contact with the British charity Que Rico, which is working to build simple one-room timber houses to help regenerate the village and determined to make the trip as soon as work commitments allowed.”

Cambodia property prices drop

http://www.property-report.com/

via CAAI

PRSEA

Jan 06, 2011
 

Cambodia’s land values fell up to 15 percent year-to-year in 2010, according to the National Valuers Association of Cambodia (NVAC).

The drop from an average $2,500 to $4,500 in 2009 to US$2,000 to $4,000 per square metre for 2010, was experienced across the commercial and residential sectors.

Analysts say the real estate market will stablise this year, noting also that the rate of property transactions was increasing compared to 2009.

“The market has already hit the bottom – it will stablise this year. I hope that it will start to increase again for the next two years, but it is not likely to be a boom like in 2007 and mid-2008,” Sung Bonna, NVAC president was quoted as saying by the Phnom Penh Post.

Land values in the capital Phnom Penh are 40 percent to 50 percent lower than their peak in mid-2008.

Slowdown in construction

Some of the capital's biggest construction projects have slowed work or been put on hold. Photo: Phnom Penh Post

via CAAI

Thursday, 06 January 2011 15:00 Post Staff

THE value of construction projects granted the go ahead by the Cambodian government has fallen 66 percent in value in the first 11 months of last year, compared with the same period in 2009.

A report from the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction shows 2,000 projects worth US$655 million were approved in the first 11 months, down 66.34 percent from the 2,116 projects worth $1.948 billion for the same period last year.

“It’s true. We can see that it’s really fallen for the first 11 months of 2010 because we got only small construction projects here,” the ministry’s construction department director Lao Tip Seiha said.

But he hopes that the year-end figures would improve, due to a few large project investments being approved in December, but he did not confirm which company’s were involved.

According to ministry spokeswoman Nun Pheany, the construction sector in Cambodia is still suffering the effects of the world economic crisis with local and foreign investors waiting for an improved situation before they invest.

“It’s [value] decreased because we haven’t had any new large investments such as skyscrapers and satellites cities … we only have small project such a hotels, restaurants, warehouses and housing,” he said.

The number of residential projects was increasing in the Kingdom, but investment projects had not shown signs of resurgence, she added.

“We hope that capital investment for construction projects in will get better because of new government policies to strengthen the construction sector,” he said. “The new policies are increasing the confidence of investors.”

She said that a new sub-decree allowing foreign citizens to own up to 70 percent of units in a development could provide a boost to the industry.

It is not only the value of construction approved that has fallen, but the real estate market in general also dropped by up to 15 percent last year, said Sung Bonna, the President of the National Valuers Association of Cambodia.

According to figures released by the National Valuers Association of Cambodia last Wednesday, land prices dropped between 10 percent and 15 percent in 2010 compared with 2009.

Douglas Clayton, the Chief Executive Officer of Leopard Capital, said the number of big projects underway in Phnom Penh already threatened to swamp the small market.

“I expect this industry to continue to lag in the broader economy in 2011,” he said.

Investors and developers were waiting for a firmer economic situation before investing in construction – particularly when it comes to the larger projects.

Work on the prominent Gold Tower 42 building on the corner of Sihanouk and Monivong Boulevards was temporarily halted in September and the US$300 million Posco development, located in Chamkarmon district’s Tonle Bassac commune, set to consist of 1,000 apartments in three apartment blocks – one 45-storeys tall and the others two 42-storeys high – was also postponed in September.

David Simister, the Chairman of CB Richard Ellis Co, said yesterday that 2010 was a year of market consolidation, with the exception of hotels in Siem Reap and villas in the suburbs of the capital. Modern Cambodia has not seen anything that could be described as a building boom, he said. But he added that as the economy grows, there are clear areas of future demand.

“The areas of importance I can see which are currently not being adequately supplied are coastal tourist properties to exploit and make use of the Ream [Sihanoukville] Airport. We believe Cambodia can attract the same market that Thailand has enjoyed for the last 25 years uncontested,” he said.

Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra hotel unveiled in Cambodia

http://www.worldinteriordesignnetwork.com/

via CAAI

Published: 06-Jan-2011

Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra hotel, styled in grand colonial style with wood details and marble floors, has been unveiled in Penh, Cambodia.

Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra is set on riverside amongst landscaped gardens in the old quarter of the city. The 12-storey colonial style hotel features 201 luxurious rooms and suites with Mekong or Bassac river views. An array of accommodations are featured ranging from 121 Superior rooms to 45 Luxury Suites, 23 Junior Suites, 11 Prestige Suites, and one Opera Suite, all marked by glass-walled baths.

Featuring a unique combination of classic European design and contemporary Cambodia sophistication, the new $50 million five-star hotel is distinct for its wooden floors, high coffered ceilings, and wooden latticework.

A range of chic restaurants and bars, an upscale spa, two swimming pools, a sports club and the finest conferencing facilities in Cambodia are some other notable features of this new hotel. The So Spa features 10 treatment rooms, two squash courts, four tennis courts, a So Fit fitness center, the Phokeethra Sports Club, and two pools.

The Club Millésime at the hotel is designed to offer stunning views of the city and the river, and combines outdoor space and sophisticated décor. Nearly 20,000 square feet of meeting space is included. The ballroom and a grassy lawn by the pool have been designed to accommodate 2,000 guests in an outdoor setting.

Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra is close to key attractions, embassies and the central business district. Sofitel is an upscale brand of French hospitality company Accor.

Seven Thai Detainees Wait For Cambodian Court's Verdicts

via CAAI

BANGKOK, Jan 6 (Bernama) -- Seven Thai nationals, including a ruling Democrat Party MP Panich Vikitsreth who have been detained in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital, on charges of illegal entry into the Cambodian territory since they were arrested by Cambodian border soldiers last week, are hearing verdicts against them being delivered by a Phnom Penh court on Thursday, reports Thai News Agency (TNA).

The seven Thai detainees left Prey Sor Prison in the Cambodian capital early morning Thursday and arrived in prisoners' attire at the Phnom Penh Court at 7.33 am local time.

All of them seemed to be in good health and the Democrat MP was apparently in good spirit.

The seven Thais were set to testify before the court individually. Reporters are not allowed to sit in; while the verdict is being delivered.

Chiv Keng, head of the Phnom Penh court, told reporters that the court would try to finish all the seven hearings and hand their verdicts by Thursday as Friday is a public holiday in Cambodia, the day commemorates the Cambodian government overcame rebellious Khmer Rouge forces 32 years ago.

A deputy Cambodian attorney told a TNA reporter that Veera Somkwamkid, a leading activist of the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy or PAD who is one of the seven Thai detainees, could be additionally charged with espionage after the court found new evidence against him.

The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent two lawyers to Phnom Penh to assist the seven Thai nationals and to seek their release on bail.

Relatives of the Thai detainees are also at the court waiting for the judicial verdicts.

Cambodia starts hearing against 7 Thais

 via CAAI

Jan 6, 2011

Thai 'Yellow shirt' activist Veera Somkwamkid (second left) and Thai Democrat Party lawmaker Panich Vikitsreth (right) are escorted by Cambodian police at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court. -- PHOTO: AFP

THAILAND - A CAMBODIAN court on Thursday commenced its hearings against seven Thais including a Democrat MP charged with illegal entry into Cambodia.

The seven were also accused of entering a Cambodian military base without permission.

A TV footage showed MP Panich Vikitseth and activist Veera Somkwamkit entering a court building one by one. No one talked to reporters; Panich, a Bangkok MP just waved to the waiting reporters; both Thais and Khmers.

The group were arrested while inspecting a site in Sa Kaew's Kok Soong district, which is opposite Banteay Meanchay province of Cambodia last Wednesday.

They were taken to Phnom Penh and detained in a central prison, pending trial.

Earlier reports said they will testify before court one by one. The court will decide whether to consider the case. -- THE NATION/ANN