Phnom Penh land dispute unresolved

Australia Network News
http://australianetworknews.com

The latest deadline for the removal of a group of 70 families resisting eviction in central Phnom Penh appears to have passed without incident.

The city government had offered the residents $US5,000 cash and a plot of land on the outskirts of the city in exchange for their moving out.

But so far, fewer than 10 of the families are reported to have taken up the offer.

Sebastian Strangio, from the Phnom Penh Post, says those that remain appear to be holding out for a better deal.

"They have occupied this land, some of them since the early 1980s. And according to the land laws that Cambodia has, they have a right to claim possession of this land," he said.

The disputed land is adjacent to Australia's new embassy compound.

The Post quotes an embassy spokeswoman as saying that while it's "not appropriate" to comment on specific land disputes, the embassy does encourage local authorities and citizens "to work together to find mutually acceptable, equitable" solutions to such issues.

Cambodia steps up conservation measures near Preah Vihear temple

www.chinaview.cn

2009-05-05

By Xia Lin

PHNOM PENH, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia recently stepped up its culture and nature conservation efforts near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, while its dispute with Thailand over border issues still remain unsolved.

Construction of the Samdech Techo Preah Vihear Museum will begin in one week in Chom Ksan district of Preah Vihear province, which is expected to bring more tourists to the disputed area bordering Thailand, said Chinese-language daily newspaper the Commercial News on Tuesday.

"The museum is for national and foreign researchers to study and learn about the history of the Preah Vihear temple and the Cambodian history," said Suos Yara, undersecretary of state at the Cambodian Council of Ministers.

The museum will house artifacts from the temple complex, as well as from other nearby temples, he added.

Japanese and Cambodian donors have provided some 145,000 U.S. dollars to build the museum, but more cash will be needed to finish the project, he said.

"The money is not enough, but we will do it step by step. When we get more money, we will keep on working on it," he added.

Meanwhile, the Cambodian government is preparing to relocate the Kor Muy village near the temple for the sake of conservation, village chief Bun Leng told Xinhua by phone on Monday.

"Up to now, we have not seen the formal notification of the government yet, but the whole village will be moved 20 kilometers away from the temple, because this area is under conservation control of the Preah Vihear Temple Authority," he said.

The land circling the temple will become a belt of development, management and conservation, as it is a World Heritage Site recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), he said.

"There are about 600 families in my village. Some of them are unhappy when they heard the news because their usual business will be affected," he said.

On Sunday, Phay Siphan, secretary of state and spokesman of the Cambodian Council of Ministers, confirmed to local media that Kor Muy village will be moved in order to make way for the government's conservation work.

The Preah Vihear temple became a World Heritage Site of UNESCO in July 2008, which immediately drew criticism and protest from Thai nationalists who claimed the ownership of the temple by their own motherland.

Although the International Court in The Hague decided in 1962 that the temple and its surrounding area should belong to Cambodia, Thailand has never stopped coveting its archeological and sovereignty value.

To make things worse, temple obsession is ever increasingly combined into the bilateral border dispute.
Cambodia and Thailand have never fully demarcated their 800-km-strong land border. Demarcating work cannot be carried out, as both sides have different interpretations of historical maps and worry about the landmines left there from years of civil war in Cambodia.

Both troops have been built up within the border area since July 2008, and brief military encounters in October 2008 and April 2009 have sparked concerns of possible war between these two countries.

Gunfire exchange during the armed clashes led to bullet pits and other slight wound of the temple, which has prompted UNESCO to study the loss and non-governmental organizations (NGO) to ask for payment.

In the meantime, some 147 Cambodian families living near the temple also urged Thailand to pay for the damages of their houses as a result of the April armed clashes.

Rocket bombs hit their houses and then led to total damage, said the Khmer Civilization Fund, a NGO representing the compensation seekers.

The fund had submitted the request letter to the Cambodian government, who later presented it to the Thai Embassy.

So far, the Thai side has not responded to the demand yet.

Editor: Xiong Tong

Thai labor ministry to issue new registration for migrants

Shan Herald

http://www.shanland.org

Monday, 04 May 2009
Hseng Khio Fah

Thai labor ministry will issue a new round of labor registration for another 700, 000 migrant workers from Burma, Laos and Cambodia, according to sources from human rights Groups.

Permission would be for less than a year work till 25 February 2010. The registration period will only be a month.

During the period, border checkpoints would be strongly tightened in order to stop outsiders coming to take the opportunity, a member of the right group said.

Although registration dates have not been set up, an agent says it will come soon.
“However, we have not been officially informed yet,” he added.

In the same time, the same applicants are also required to finish submitting the new nationality identification process which started in March. Only those who pass the process of the nationality identification by their country will be allowed to work for another 2 years.

To date, about 500 migrant workers in Chiang Mai have reportedly registered with the process and only about 100 people passed it, according to a worker from Workers Solidarity Association (WSA).

So far there has been no official announcement.

In addition, people holding new registration cards will be banned from changing their bosses, if not their work permit will be expired and they would have to apply it again, said a source.

On 3 May, Bangkok Post also reported that the planning to issue color-coded employment cards for workers from the three countries, Burma, Laos and Cambodia.

Following the new registration, it better regulation of foreign workers and would be guaranteed migrant labors would be stopped from changing jobs repeatedly, Labor minister Paitoon Kaewthong was quoted in the report.

The employment would be for six different sectors which most of Thai workers shunned like fisheries, agriculture, construction, domestic works and animal husbandry said a source.

According to the report, about 500,000 migrant workers have registered with the labor ministry up to now. There are at least 2 million legal and illegal migrant workers in Thailand.

Cambodian media group calls on government to promote freedom of expression

SEAPA

http://www.seapabkk.org

4 May 2009
Source: CAPJ

The following is a statement from the Cambodian Association for the Protection of Journalists (CAPJ), a SEAPA partner based in Phnom Penh:

Long live the spirit of World Press Freedom Day

On the occasion of the observance of World Press Freedom Day 2009, the Cambodian Association for the Protection of Journalists (CAPJ) wishes all the Cambodian journalists great health and success in their noble mission to serve their audiences and readers both inside and outside of Cambodia.

CAPJ noted that the press freedom situation in Cambodia in the year 2008 slightly improved compared to 2007 and still maintained a good score among countries in Southeast Asia in spite of the existing negative points such as the arrests of journalists, the threats ad lawsuits brought forward against them, the denial of access to information to media workers and the numerous pending and unsolved cases ating back to 1993.

CAPJ recorded 32 violations of press freedom in 2008. These include 14 arrests, six incidents of threat, two lawsuits, three cases involving the temporary halt of publication and broadcast, three cases of camera and recorder seizures, three duty-related injuries and road accidents and one case of killing.

Along with the above-mentioned incidents, CAPJ deplores the lack of freedom to freely operate the electronic media as this type of platform continues to be dominated by the ruling party thus giving an unfair opportunity for other parties to make their messages heard to the grassroots people. CAPJ insists on a change of this trend.

CAPJ appeals to the judiciary system to refer to the 1994 Press Law when passing judgment to an accused Cambodian journalist. It also expresses its full endorsement of the recent statement of donor countries' representatives dated April 28, 2009 which called on the Cambodian government to speed up the process of adopting the Anti-Corruption Law and to guarantee the public in general, and the Cambodian press in particular, the right to access information.

CAPJ also would like to make an appeal to the media owners to help upgrade the journalists' living condition by ensuring a decent salary and other benefits for their employees in order to help curb corruption among Cambodian journalsists. Furthermore, it expects the journalists to strictly abide by the media code of ethics in order to place a high value on their profession and avoid a breach of professional ethics.

Last but not the least, CAPJ calls on the government to take a firm stand to put an end to violence against journalists and permanently end the culture of impunity in Cambodia.

Issued by

Mr. Um Sarin
President of CAPJ

umsarin59@yahoo.com

umsarin@hotmail.com

Neways Donates Funds for Safer Water in Cambodia

SPRINGVILLE, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children report, only 41 percent of Cambodia’s total population has access to safe water. Many families use water from small, open reservoirs, and tens of thousands of children die each year from unsanitary conditions.

The main solution to this problem is providing wells that draw clean, safe water. However, building reliable wells is expensive. In April 2008, Neways started raising funds to help build wells in Cambodia.

“Our goal as a company is to help people around the world create healthier homes for their families,” said Neways CEO Eric Larsen. “We do this in numerous ways, including participating in worthwhile humanitarian projects that benefit people in less-prosperous circumstances.”

To date, Neways has collected donations of more than 1,250,000 yen, and these funds have helped build 30 wells in common areas, making safe water available to everyone living in surrounding villages and settlements.

“This effort represents wonderful cooperation between the Neways Japan office and many of our independent distributors,” said Larsen. Including 717,404 yen from distributors and 532,596 yen from Neways Japan, the company’s initial donation was presented to Cambodian prince Sisowath Sirirath. Donations continue to be accepted at six Neways showrooms throughout Japan.

About Neways

Known as the Safety-Conscious Company, Neways is dedicated to helping families transform their homes into Healthy Homes. With dozens of safe, effective nutritional and personal care products that are free of questionable ingredients, the company has strived since 1992 to make the world a healthier place, one home at a time.

In addition to providing exclusive products, Neways enhances people’s lives with a home-based business opportunity. About half a million active Neways distributors share the products in 29 countries, with nearly half of the company’s annual revenues paid back to distributors as commissions.


Contact:
Neways International
Jennifer Wolbers, Vice President, 801-418-2000
www.neways.com
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Court Mulls Bringing ‘King Father’ to Court

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
04 May 2009

Representatives for former king Norodom Sihanouk have warned that any bid to call him to the Khmer Rogue tribunal would be counter to the laws of the country.

No investigators have yet decided on a proposal by defense lawyers for jailed leader Nuon Chea that the former king, who offered support to the Khmer Rouge following his ouster in a 1970 coup, be summoned.

But in an April 27 Khmer-language letter to VOA Khmer in response to questions, the former king’s cabinet chief, Ke Kim Se, asserted that calling the “king father of the nation” to the court would be “violating the constitution and law of preparation of the royal title and royal privilege of His Majesty.”

Defense attorneys for Nuon Chea, Pol Pot’s chief lieutenant, say Norodom Sihanouk could provide important historical information about the regime, having entered a coalition with the guerrillas until March 1976.

The attorneys, in a request to investigating judges at the UN-backed court, also recommended calling top Cambodian officials like Prime Minister Hun Sen, Senate President Chea Sim and National Assembly President Heng Samrin to testify.

The three leaders of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party were once members of the Khmer Rouge and could provide additional information, the attorneys say. None have so far commented on the request.

Norodom Sihanouk is currently in Beijing, seeking medical treatment, and Ke Kim Se said he had postponed a trip to Cambodia in April for more check-ups.

“We never asked them to be investigated,” Andrew Ianuzzi, a member of Nuon Chea’s defense team, told VOA Khmer in a phone interview. “We simply asked for them to be called as witnesses, because we understand those individuals, mainly Hun Sen, Chea Sim, Heng Samrin and former king Sihanouk, were in Cambodia during the period of the Khmer Rouge regime.”

Testimony of Norodom Sihanouk could be especially important, he said, because the former king had frequent interaction with top leaders of the regime.

Son Arun, a Cambodian defense lawyer for Nuon Chea, confirmed by phone that the team had made the request but said they had not yet received a response from the investigating judges.

Legal monitors note that it is, in fact, not against the constitution to call the former king and senior leaders to the court, though it may be a sensitive risk.

One observer said the question could lead to another stalemate, such as the ongoing debate between tribunal prosecutors over whether to indict more senior leaders of the regime.

Organization Ranks Cambodia Media ‘Not Free’

Karin Karlekar, managing editor for freedom of the press at Freedom House, in Washington D.C.

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
04 May 2009

Harassment of Cambodian journalists and the murder of an opposition reporter during 2008’s national election period contributed to Cambodia’s “not free” press status by the organization Freedom House, an official said.

The “not free” status is shared by countries such as Burma, China, Cuba, Iran and North Korea, and was issued by Freedom House in its annual report.

“It was actually the impact of the election last year and greater harassment and the murder of the journalist in Cambodia,” said Karin Karlekar, managing editor for freedom of the press at Freedom House. She spoke at a ceremony in Washington marking the release of the report.

Opposition journalist Khim Sambo was shot dead along with his son in July 2008, just two weeks before Cambodians went to the polls to elect National Assembly representatives. That murder, for which no arrests have been made, followed the detention of Dam Sith, the editor of the same opposition paper, Moneaksekar Khmer.

The “not free” rating was a slide for Cambodia, which was given “partly free” status the previous year.

Phay Siphan, a spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said by phone the murder was under investigation and Freedom House’s rating did not accurately reflect Cambodia’s media environment.

Cambodian journalists “can write whatever, even criticizing the prime minister, which does not happen in other countries,” he said, adding that the “effectiveness and quality are another matter.”

Most of Cambodia’s media, especially broadcast, provide favorable coverage of the ruling party, and critics say biased coverage affects the outcomes of elections.

The opposition Sam Rainsy Party, responding to a recent story about land grabbing, called one of the largest papers, Reaksmey Kampuchea, a mouthpiece for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party.

Cambodia ranked 61st of 132 countries in the Freedom House report, in a year where the organization said press freedom had declined in every region for the first time.

UN Committed to Corruption Talks: Official

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Origingal report from Washington
04 May 2009

With an emergency infusion of Japanese funding keeping the troubled Cambodian side of the Khmer Rouge tribunal alfoat, the UN remains committed to seeing corruption allegations properly dealt with, a senior UN negotiator said.

The Cambodian side of the UN-backed, hybrid court, which is conducting its first trial, will now be able to pay its staff salaries for April and May, thanks to $4.1 million from Japan.

“The result of is that the court will not collapse for economic reasons,” said Peter Taksoe-Jensen, who is the UN’s assistant secretary-general for legal affairs.

“I have no other comment than the fact that we continue to need to normalize the flow of funds to the court,” he told VOA Khmer in a phone interview, “and the way to do that is to bring the issue of corruption behind us, together, the Cambodian authority and the UN.”

Taksoe-Jensen left Cambodia negotiations in April, having failed to reach an agreement on how the court should handle allegations of corruption, following reports from staff on the Cambodian side, who said they paid kickbacks for their positions.

The two sides deadlocked over whether to name future complainants or protect their anonymity, with the Cambodians demanding so-called “whistleblowers” be identified. The UN has remained firm on anonymity.

Some donors have proven reluctant to fund the national side of the court, claiming the allegations, if true, could harm the credibility of the court, which took years to make functional and is now trying a former Khmer Rouge prison chief, Duch, for atrocity crimes.

Taksoe-Jensen said he was “very optimistic” the sides would find a way to address the allegations, noting that donors had called on both the UN and the Cambodians to reach an agreement.

A cabinet spokesman, Phay Siphan, said by phone that Cambodia remains open to another round of talks in a negotiation that has spanned the last four months

But observers in the US worry prolonged corruption charges—denied by senior officials—could hurt the credibility and functioning of the court, damaging a chance for justice for the victims of the brutal regime.

Opposition Worries Over New Consulate

Cambodian consulate office, Lowell, Massachusetts.

By Taing Sarada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
04 May 2009

PHOTO SLIDESHOW, by Taing Sarada

With the new consulate in Lowell, Massachusetts, open just a week, opposition party supporters in the US said they were concerned the facility would not provide enough services for Cambodians and could be used instead to serve the ruling party.

Un Sokhom, an activist for the Sam Rainsy Party in Lowell, said the consulate was likely going to be used to open doors for businesses that would earn money for the Cambodian People’s Party.
“The establishment of the Cambodian consulate in Lowell is a chance and to open a door to suck the Cambodian and Cambodian-Americans’ money in order to support the ruling party in Cambodia,” he said.

Visa fees for foreign tourists are $20, business visas $25 and fees for pilots and crew $15. No visa fees are collected from diplomats, non-governmental organization staff, children under 12 and returning Cambodians. The consulate also earns money from passports and certificates of birth, marriage and death.

Un Sokhom said the consul-general, Ou Sovann, who was once a member of the Sam Rainsy Party, could be sending information on opposition supporters back to the CPP.

“Sam Rainsy Party activists both new and old are strongly concerned that Ou Sovann, consul-general, could report about people’s biographies who have political leanings to the opposition party in Cambodia, and he could report about Sam Rainsy’s activists activity in America,” he said.

During the run-up and aftermath of last year’s national election, the Sam Rainsy Party saw a raft of supporters declare allegiance to the CPP, which handily won the election.

Ou Sovann said he would work as consul under guidelines from the Cambodian government, and he denied prejudice of people or political parties.

“I don’t discriminate who is who, or any political party, at all, but only need to complete my duties as an official for Cambodian consulate affairs,” he said.

Another Sam Rainsy Party activist in Lowell, Long Chamreun, told VOA Khmer that he supported the establishment of the Cambodian consulate, but he suggested that the Cambodian consul and the Cambodian ambassador in Washington needed to accept protesters’ demands and report them to the Cambodian government.

“It is good because there are many Cambodian people living” in Lowell, he said. “But we have seen so far that in every protest in front of the Cambodian Embassy in Washington, DC, the Cambodian ambassador has never come out to meet the protesters or brought their appeals and demand letters to the Cambodian leader. I think if they dare to report this, the government in Cambodia would withdraw them from their positions in the US. I think to open this consulate is good so that we can do the protests in the future, because we have full freedom for demonstration.”

Sam Rainsy Party’s president for North America, Chea Kimly, told VOA Khmer that his party does not oppose the Lowell consulate or the defection of Ou Sovann, but he wants to see the new consulate work without political discrimination.

“There is nothing wrong if they really serve the people, but we want to see that service without political discrimination and without service only to some individuals or only one specific political party,” he said.

The Lowell consulate opened April 26, and Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said at the opening ceremony the government hoped to have another, in Long Beach, Calif., in the near future.

ASEAN economy experts meet in Cambodia

SAP Business Objects
http://news.id.msn.com

Agence France-Presse - 5/4/2009

Regional economics experts met in Cambodia Monday to discuss strategies for coping with the global financial crisis, officials said.

Representatives from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) began talks a day ahead of a meeting of their economics ministers in the country's northwest tourist hub of Siem Reap.

ASEAN deputy secretary-general S. Pushpanathan said the ministers would address "specific issues affecting the ASEAN economic community to see how we can resolve those issues and move forward with economic integration."

ASEAN countries plus key dialogue partners China, Japan and South Korea formally agreed Sunday in Indonesia to a 120-billion-dollar emergency currency-swap fund to ease the region through the economic crisis.

During a three-day retreat in Cambodia, the economics ministers will discuss trade and investment within Southeast Asia, S. Pushpanathan said.

"We are looking at how we further enhance economic integration. It is very important for the region to work together," he said.

"This is the time for the region to come together," he added.

Trial of Kaing Guek Eav (alias "Duch")

Cambodia Tribunal Monitor
http://www.cambodiatribunal.org/

30 April 2009: Trial of Kaing Guek Eav (alias "Duch")

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

29 April 2009: Trial of Kaing Guek Eav (alias "Duch")

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

28 April 2009: Trial of Kaing Guek Eav (alias "Duch")

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

Council campaign begins

Photo by: TANG CHHIN SOTHY
CPP supporters rally Saturday ahead of May 17's provincial, district and municipal council election. AFP

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com

Written by Vong Sokheng
Monday, 04 May 2009

CPP fires first salvo with thousand-strong march through city.

SEVERAL thousand supporters of the Cambodian People's Party marched through the capital Saturday to kick off the two-week election campaign running up to May 17's provincial, district and municipal council polls.

Just four parties - the CPP, Sam Rainsy Party, Norodom Ranariddh Party and Funcinpec - will take part in the election, with voting restricted to the country's 11,353 commune councillors.

"The general political environment during the early part of the election campaign has been calm, and we haven't received any complaints from the political parties," said Tep Nytha, secretary general of the National Election Committee.

But he said that due to the indirect nature of the election, many campaign activities were being conducted within the country's 1,621 commune offices rather than in public.

Senior CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap said the CPP would hold additional rallies as the campaign unfolds in order to educate people about its political program and encourage other parties' councillors to vote for the CPP.

But the opposition raised criticisms the campaign would make no difference to the election results, and that its "indirect" nature made it irrelevant for the Cambodian people.

"The SRP is holding campaigns at its commune councillors' offices to strengthen their determination not to sell their consciences to the CPP," said Sam Rainsy Party spokesman Yim Sovann, referring to its recent allegations of vote-buying by the ruling party.

Party President Sam Rainsy told the Post Thursday that the party would also run a "highly visible" campaign that would disseminate the SRP's message, despite the May 17 poll being a foregone conclusion.

"This is more than a campaign limited to the action voters. It is intended for the 8 million potential voters in the next election," he said.

Local election monitor Comfrel has said it will boycott the elections, claiming that since the poll is restricted to party representatives it will not reflect the will of the people.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SEBASTIAN STRANGIO

Press less free in '08: monitors

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com

Written by Sebastian Strangio and Khouth Sophak Chakrya
Monday, 04 May 2009

Violence, courts used to silence local press, say media observers.

THE state of the Cambodian media worsened in 2008 due to an increase in threats and violent attacks against journalists, local and international media monitors say.

In its annual press freedom survey released Friday, the US-based Freedom House rated the Kingdom 132 out of 195 countries for press freedom, downgrading it from "partly free" to "not free".

"Cambodia slipped into the ‘not free' category as a result of increased violence against journalists, particularly ahead of the July elections," the organisation said, highlighting the daylight killing of Moneaksekar Khmer journalist Khim Sambo during last year's national election campaign - the first slaying of a journalist since 2003. Cambodia's media was judged "partly free" in both 2006 and 2007.

In advance of World Press Freedom Day Sunday, local organisations also highlighted the Khim Sambo killing, as well as an increase in threats against journalists, as the source of a decline in press freedoms last year.

The Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ) said threats against journalists doubled in 2008 - from seven to 14 - while journalism-related arrests rose from six to 10. CCJ also cited figures from Reporters Without Borders, which rated Cambodia 126 out of 173 countries in 2008, down from 86 in 2007.

The Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR) said that last year saw 61 human rights abuses against journalists and media workers, including 15 threats, 14 "spurious" arrests, and five defamation and disinformation lawsuits aimed at silencing the media.

In addition to Khim Sambo's killing, CCHR pointed to the June 8 arrest of Dam Sith, Moneaksekar Khmer editor-in-chief and a Sam Rainsy Party election candidate, for reprinting controversial comments about Foreign Minister Hor Namhong.

"The arrest of Mr Dam Sith... was a good example of how political motivations often lie behind charges of defamation and disinformation brought against journalists," the group said.

CCHR also said it has documented eight cases of human rights abuses against journalists so far in 2009, and called on the government to take "appropriate action" to address press freedoms.

Cheam Yeap, a senior lawmaker for the ruling Cambodian People's Party, dismissed the findings of international observers, saying the Cambodian government routinely exposed itself to criticism.

"I regret any organisation that scores press freedom in Cambodia poorly while the governments of some other countries do not allow journalists to report anything critical of the government," he said.

"The Cambodian government is wide open for all the people to criticise."

He added, however, that although people had rights and freedoms, those rights were constrained under domestic and international law.

Abuse of the law
Local media observers, however, said freedoms in Cambodia fell well short of those guaranteed in law.

"Press freedom is guaranteed in the Constitution, but in practice journalists still face challenges in reporting about sensitive issues like corruption, land grabbing and high-ranking government officials," said Moeun Chhean Nariddh, a veteran journalist and director of the Cambodia Institute for Media Studies.

He added that although there had been undoubted improvements since the 1990s - when daylight killings were relatively commonplace - the silencing of reporters now took place through the courts.

CCHR President Ou Virak agreed there had been some improvements, but said freedoms had been eroded since the consolidation of power by the ruling CPP after last year's national election.

He also cited more subtle constraints, including the difficulty of obtaining broadcast licences and the increasing use of quasi-legal means to silence the media.

RCAF, police plates targeted

Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN
RCAF plates on vehicles parked outside Phnom Penh's Sorya Shopping centre on Sunday.



The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com

Written by Sam Rith
Monday, 04 May 2009

Hun Sen says cars with unauthorised police and military number plates could become property of the government.

PRIME Minister Hun Sen warned last week against the use of police and military licence plates by civilians and low-ranking officers, saying the government would seize vehicles bearing unauthorised plates as part of a crackdown set to go into effect this month.

"Officials who put RCAF and police plates on their personal cars have to take them off immediately," he said during the inauguration of a granary at the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port.

"Otherwise, the vehicles will become the property of the state."

National Police Chief Neth Savoeun wrote a letter to officers in February instructing them to begin enforcing in May a law already on the books that outlaws the unauthorised use of police and military registration plates.

Article 91 of the Land Traffic Law, which went into effect in March 2007, gave the drivers of private vehicles bearing police and military plates one year to switch to private plates, meaning drivers who continue to drive with unauthorised plates have been flouting the law since March 2008. Under the law, violators face two to five years in prison and a fine of between 4 million riels and 10 million riels (US$970-$2,424). The law does not stipulate that violators can lose ownership of their vehicles.

Enforcement disconnect
Phnom Penh Traffic Police Chief Tin Prasoeur said he viewed Hun Sen's remarks as a "notice that we have to start implementing" the law.

"We immediately started implementing it after the prime minister's speech," he said, although he said this "implementation" involved only the recording of registration plate numbers that appeared to be in violation of the law.

"We just take the plate numbers down. We do not fine them," he said.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[right now] we just take the plate numbers down. we do not fine them.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

El Narin, deputy traffic police chief, said he believed Hun Sen's remarks would prompt violators to make the switch to private plates.

He said officers were in the process of trying to educate violators about the law and that they would begin assuming possession of their cars "later on".

Hun Sen said the drivers of cars bearing police and military plates are more prone to drive recklessly, a point echoed by opposition Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian Son Chhay, who said such drivers "do not respect traffic lights".

"Officials have to respect the law, but in Cambodia it is very hard to have officials respect the law," Son Chhay said.

He added that he believed the ministries of defence and interior had done little to curtail the use of unauthorised plates.

Touch Chankosal, a secretary of state at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, also called on the ministries of defence and interior, which issue the plates, to focus on the problem.

New Malaysian labour laws could aid Cambodian workers

LABOUR WOES

Migrant domestic workers in Malaysia are explicitly excluded from most of Malaysia's 1955 Employment Act. Under the law, domestic workers are not considered "workers" have no right to regular time off and no guarantees about working conditions.

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com

Written by Khuon Leakhana And Christopher Shay
Monday, 04 May 2009

But migrant labour groups say they were not consulted about the draft legislation and have been unable to receive copies

VAT Srey, 32, went to Malaysia as a domestic worker six years ago to try to support her family; but the moment she landed, it became clear that domestic work in Malaysia was not what she had hoped for.

"The agency [that brought me to Malaysia] deprived me of my passport as soon as I arrived," she said.

Her employers threatened her and forced her to work long hours, leaving her exhausted and frightened.

"I had to get up and start work at 3am ... and then continue until midnight," she said. "Before they [the family I worked for] left for work, they would always threaten to cut my fingers."

Vat Srey isn't alone. The country employs about 400,000 migrant domestic workers, according to Malaysian migrant labour group Tenaganita, and they still do not enjoy the same rights as other foreign workers.

Accurate statistics about the number of Cambodian domestic workers in Malaysia are unavailable, but the Coordination of Action Research on Aids and Mobility (CARAM) says there are about 10,000 Cambodian migrants in Malaysia, many of whom are domestic workers.

But Malaysia is drafting new laws aimed at protecting this vulnerable population.

"We have proposed three new provisions in law to deal with sexual harassment, wages and their working conditions," said Sabri Karmani, the deputy director general of the Malaysian Labour Department told AFP last week.

Ivy Josiah, the executive director at the Women's Aid Organisation in Malaysia, said a law protecting domestic workers would be a welcome step.

"If we have a specific law," she said, "it would heighten awareness among employers and agents that all of those people [exploiting domestic workers] are breaking the law."

But Tenaganita is not yet convinced that real solutions to domestic worker abuse are in the pipeline.

Glorene Dass, a program officer at Tenaganita, said that though the organisation had heard about new laws, it had not been able to obtain a copy and that it and other relevant groups had not been consulted by the government.

"We are not aware of the status nor the progress of the legislation ... we have not been called for any dialogue by the relevant agencies before drafting the legislation - therefore we are a little concerned," she wrote in an email last week.

Yath Navuth, the executive director of CARAM, welcomed protections for domestic workers and said Cambodia should make similar strides.

"The Cambodian government should consider making similar laws so that Cambodian domestic workers who come from the provinces to Phnom Penh households can be protected by the law."

Two men jailed for paying teachers with counterfeit money

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com

Written by May Titthara
Monday, 04 May 2009

The deputy director of a Kandal province school suspected of paying his staff in fake 10,000 riel notes could face up to 20 years in jail: police.

A SECONDARY school official and his associate were arrested by district police in Kandal province Sunday on suspicion of paying teachers in counterfeit 10,000 riel notes, police said.

"Vann Vong Reaksmey, 55, the deputy director of Cheung Kerb secondary school, and his partner, So Pha, a 60-year-old vendor, were arrested after receiving complaints from teachers that they had been paid in fake money," said Seung Seng Ly, chief of the provincial Minor Crimes Department.

The two men face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of fraud, said Eav Chamreun, the provincial police chief.

Police confiscated 5.53 million riels (US$1,341.90) in counterfeit 10,000 riel notes, Seung Seng Ly said.

The two men said they had three other accomplices who remain free, said Seung Seng Ly.

The teachers only discovered their wages were fake when they tried to buy gasoline, he said, suggesting that it was not immediately obvious to the teachers that the notes were counterfeit.

Choung Sam On, chief of the Kandal Stung Education Department, said that he gave Vann Vong Reaksmey the money to pay his staff in 100,000 riel notes, not 10,000 riel notes.

"I don't know how he exchanged all that money and got fake money like this," he said. "When he gets back from the prison, I cannot allow him to work in this school again because his staff has lost confidence in him."

Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association (CITA), said events like these dishonour Cambodia's teachers.

No review of KRT graft claims aired on CNN

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com

Written by Georgia Wilkins
Monday, 04 May 2009

CORRUPTION allegations against the Cambodian side of the Khmer Rouge tribunal aired by the American news network CNN on Friday will not be investigated, a court official told the Post on Sunday.

"There is nothing in the report that is new, or that I haven't heard before," said public affairs chief Helen Jarvis. "There are no specific complaints that are identified or clear enough."

The report included interviews with two court staffers, their identities hidden, who claimed Sean Visoth, the court's chief administrator, took kickbacks totalling US$40,000 a month from staff salaries.

Jarvis said Sean Visoth is no longer on the court's payroll.

Phay Siphan, a spokesman for the Council of Ministers, told the Post on Sunday that the corruption allegations were not only unfounded, but were made with malicious intent.

"These are just accusations from people wanting to discredit the court and bring it down," he said. "We have had seven international audits of the court already and none has found solid evidence."

The kickback allegations were the subject of an earlier UN review, the results of which have yet to be made public, despite calls for their release from defence lawyers at the tribunal.

Phay Siphan rejected calls for another investigation, saying the UN "is not perfect. They are not God. They did not come from heaven".

Study Abroad: A year in Hawaii - on the farm

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com

Written by Robbie corey-boulet
Monday, 04 May 2009

Study Abroad

Five former volunteers for Youth Star Cambodia will head to Hawaii on Sunday for a yearlong Worldwide Farmers Exchange program designed to expose them to modern farming techniques and business practices. The program will mark the first time that Youth Star, a youth service organisation, will send volunteers overseas, said Catherine Cecil, its communications and policy adviser. Each of the five volunteers - four men and one woman - has a bachelor's degree in agriculture or business, as well as some type of farming experience. Cecil said the volunteers will, upon their return, help Youth Star establish a training program so that the skills they learn abroad can be transferred to young Cambodians. Like his fellow volunteers, Seng Saramany, who has never been out of the country, said he was looking forward to learning "everything about Hawaii, but especially about agriculture". Youth Star Executive Director Eva Mysliwiec said the volunteers will learn, among other things, quality control techniques that will improve crop presentation.

Australian benefactor gets new homes for dump families

Photo by: TOM HUNTER
Residents of the Stung Meanchey dump visit their new houses near Udong mountain.

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com

Written by Tom Hunter
Monday, 04 May 2009

With closure of the Stung Meanchey dump, 21 families facing eviction will move near Udong mountain with help of Australian and Habitat for Humanity.

PAUL Munn's cane sank into a mountain of Phnom Penh waste; losing his balance and about to fall into the refuse, Munn was saved by a young boy who grabbed his palm to steady him.

This simple act last year proved a pivotal moment for a community of 21 Stung Meanchey dumpsite families facing eviction.

Munn returned to Australia to raise money for the community to purchase a small plot of land at the base of Udong mountain for them to be relocated.

The French NGO Pour un Sourire d'Enfant estimates that around 400 Stung Meanchey dump families will be displaced when the site closes later this year, having been declared a blight on the expanding capital.

Munn used to visit the dumpsite regularly, taking children food and other aid. Following his near collapse into the city's rubbish, Munn found himself being guided through the trash hills by the son of community leader Chea Chandy.

Munn met with Chea Chandy that afternoon and discussed the future of his small community. Chea Chandy took a holistic view of the dump's closure, but voiced concerns about the eviction.

"The dumpsite is my home, and it is my source of income. Evicting me from my home is wrong, but I am also a human being, and I realise that this is not how I should live," he told the Post Friday.

"Living at the dump, I have no dignity.... Closing the dumpsite and moving to Udong is going to be better for my children and better for the environment," he added.

Upon his return to Australia, Munn raised about US$15,000 for 3,000 square metres of land near Udong in Kandal province.

Munn approached Habitat for Humanity to construct 21 new houses at the site, and now there are plans to aquire an additional 7,000 square metres of land adjacent to the housing project for agricultural production.

The move to Udong has inspired Chea Chandy to rename his community "The New Life Community", saying that it represents the hopes he holds for his new life.

"At Udong, we'll have to adapt by seeing what other villagers do and do something similar," Chea Chandy said, adding that he was not sure how the would make a living.

Habitat for Humanity plans to build 21 houses in five days with the help of 300 volunteers as part of the annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project.

"We've now built a community centre in five days with 14 US Peace Corps volunteers, community leaders and skilled labourers," Melissa Cronin, the resource development and communications officer for Habitat for Humanity Cambodia, said Friday.

Increase water supply: Hun Sen

Photo by: SOVANN PHILONG
A water treatment plant in Phnom Penh's Chroy Changvar district.

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

Written by May Kunmakara
Monday, 04 May 2009

Tells officials to expand access during launch of new supply station.

PRIME Minister Hun Sen last week urged the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority to increase service to the outskirts of Phnom Penh, saying that the expansion of access to clean water would allow for the construction of new factories and would also benefit the poor.

"I recommend that [the authority] try to supply water to the remaining 10 percent of people who are left without it and to connect areas that lack water," he said last Monday at the launch of a new water supply station in Chroy Changvar district.

Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Suy Sem said at the launch that data from 2008 indicated that 90 percent of Phnom Penh residents had access to clean water, compared with 51 percent of Cambodians living in all cities and provincial towns.

The new Chroy Changvar station is expected to double water production - from 65,000 cubic metres to 130,000 cubic metres per day - at the site, which already has one supply station.

Hun Sen praised the water authority for its efforts to reach out to the poor, citing its efforts to administer US$400,000 in water subsidies to 17,590 families since 2001. He said the authority should continue cooperating with development partners to bolster production capacity and services.

New station on the way
Hun Sen also said the recently announced Niroth Water Supply Project - funded in part by a loan that was secured in March - would be completed in 2013.

"I am not sure whether it will be finished before the National Assembly's mandate or after the 2013 election in July," he said. "I admire the [authority] and development partners for their help in making this possible."

Authority Director General Ek Sonn Chan said the Niroth project - to which the Japan International Cooperation Agency donated $35 million and the French development group AFD donated $20 million - would allow the site to serve some settlements on the outskirts of Phnom Penh as well as districts in Kandal province.

WBank to put US$15m towards improving higher education

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com

Written by Khuon Leakhena
Monday, 04 May 2009

THE World Bank is to inject US$15 million to support tertiary education in private and public universities and institutes in Cambodia, the Ministry of Education has said.

The money will be spent over five years and will be aimed at boosting standards and providing scholarships for needy students, while improving academic research and financial management.

Pith Chamnan, a secretary of state at the ministry, said last week that the funding would be a significant boost in addressing weaknesses in the sector.

"Fifteen million US dollars is enough to support the higher education sector across the country," Pith Chamnan said.

"It is a small sum, but we consider it a start. We must ensure the four areas of spending reach their goals so that education quality will improve."

He said the ministry hoped for further funds if the project was successful, adding that the initial tranche of money had not yet reached the ministry. The cash will be spent between 2010 and 2015.

"The World Bank has previously shown interest in the education sector, but that was predominantly at the primary and secondary education level," he said.

"Tertiary education is very important for development - studies show that an economy improves once a country has people with good-quality higher education."

Pok Thavin, director general of the ministry's Tertiary Education Department, said the Kingdom currently has 77 higher education institutions and 130,000 tertiary students.

But standards are mixed. A recent ministry report noted that some institutions provide little benefit to students, while Prime Minister Hun Sen told attendees at the National Education Congress in March that some master's and PhD candidates were unable even to type on computers.

Pith Chamnan said the World Bank had provided US$3 million for three higher education projects in 2006 and 2007.

One-third had gone to the higher education sector, another third to the accreditation committee that develops educational standards in the Kingdom and the final third to enlarge the Hun Sen Library at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.

A report written by the Education Ministry in January showed that the number of scholarships on offer at state higher education institutions now benefits just 12 percent of students, whereas previously, higher education at all public institutions was free.

A total of 10,000 students have benefited from scholarships in the three years since 2006.

Wheel of a time

Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN

The Phnom Penh Post

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

Written by Heng Chivoan
Monday, 04 May 2009

Participants in an annual cycling competition organised by the Cambodian Bicycle Federation race past Independence Monument on Sunday. The federation says it hopes to expand the competition to include racers from overseas next year.

Phnom Penh SEZ still on schedule: officials

Photo by: Kay Kimsong
Workers prep the site of the Phnom Penh SEZ in this file photo.

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com

Written by Soeun Say
Monday, 04 May 2009

Special economic zone official says project is moving ahead with construction, despite the recent economic downturn

THE Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone (SEZ) announced Saturday that it has attracted 12 enterprises, despite worsening economic conditions in the country.

The announcement comes following an impassioned speech by Prime Minister Hun Sen last week in which he lashed out at the Sihanoukville SEZ for persistent delays.

"Seven companies are operating and five are still building and waiting for additional investment at the Phnom Penh special economic zone," Samrith Eang, assistant to the chairman of the Phnom Penh SEZ, said at a celebration for international Labour Day.

"We have been successful in attracting additional investors," he said.

He added, however, that two of the companies were not yet registered with the Council for the Development of Cambodia.

The SEZ offers companies a number of benefits, including a nine-year tax break, unrestricted repatriation of profits and 99-year leases on property.

Samrith Eang said that construction was proceeding on schedule despite the economic downturn.

Tough market
Chea Vuthy, deputy secretary general for the Council for the Development of Cambodia, told the Post Saturday that although the first phase had been smooth, progress would depend on a recovery this year.

"We cannot force anyone to develop; it depends on market conditions," he said.

"But it's no problem. We will provide facilities to make it straightforward ... once companies register to invest in the zone," he added.

Samrith Eang said the SEZ hopes to employ more than 8,500 workers in 2010, including more than 5,600 female workers and 210 foreign workers.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We cannot force anyone to develop, it depends on the market conditions.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He said the SEZ would also try to employ people laid off as a direct result of the global economic crisis.

PM pressure
The prime minister last week accused planners of the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of delaying construction and costing the government in interest payments.

The government took out a US$3 million loan in 2006 from the Japanese government that was earmarked for design work on the SEZ, but no progress has been made, Hun Sen said.

"I have told the [Japanese government] to begin building the SEZ.

"We already signed an agreement in 2006, but we are still waiting," Hun Sen said.

He added that the delays are also deterring Japanese companies from investing in the SEZ.

Cambodia has 21 registered special economic zones, but many have delayed construction due to the economic slowdown.

Last month, the Duong Chhiv Group announced that a major SEZ in Takeo province was only 10 percent completed, despite receiving a government licence in 2006.

The Manhattan SEZ near Phnom Penh also said it is behind schedule.

Hun Sen threatens to abolish ministries

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com

Written by Nguon Sovan
Monday, 04 May 2009

PRIME Minister Hun Sen warned he may dismantle the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Finance because of an ongoing dispute between the Department of Customs and Excise and Camcontrol, which falls under the Ministry of Commerce.

The disagreement centres on control of the country's customs committee, he said.

"The two men have bad blood," said Hun Sen, referring to Pen Simon, chief of the department of customs, which controls tariffs; and Mok Pichrith, chief of Camcontrol, which controls food safety.

The premier lashed out at the officials during a ceremony to inaugurate a new crane at Sihanoukville Autonomous Port at the end of last week.

"Why are they negotiating an agreement between the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Finance? It is like the two ministries are independent states," said Hun Sen. "There should be an inter-ministerial announcement, not an agreement. If this continues, I will dismantle the two ministries and combine them."

The customs department has the role of chairman and Camcontrol appoints the deputy to the government committee for customs control.

"If the chairman does not give the order, the deputy cannot do anything," said the premier.

He said the two units have joint responsibility for imports. "We created a one-stop service to let the two units work together. The two must harmonise."

Neither Pen Simon nor Mok Pichrith could be reached for comment.

Economist predicts recovery in garment sector by end of 2009

Photo by: TRACEY SHELTON A woman sells designer-label garments made in Cambodia Sunday at the Central Market.

Garment expo set for Wednesday

A GARMENT machinery exhibition will be held at the Hotel Cambodiana on Wednesday to boost exports, said organisers. Tep Mona, director of the Garment Industry Productivity Centre (GIPC) which is running the event, said it will target small and medium enterprises (SMEs). “This is the first exhibition of machinery used by our garment factories and small and medium enterprises,” she said. “Five garment and SME machinery companies will display their products.” She said the occasion was to show investors the machinery available and to push for export-focused production. NGUON SOVAN

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com

Written by May Kunmakara
Monday, 04 May 2009

One of country’s leading economists says that international organisations have been too pessimistic about Cambodia’s economic outlook for this year

AN independent economist has predicted Cambodia's beleaguered garment sector could recover as early as late 2009, noting that orders have stabilised since the early part of the year.

Kang Chandararot, president of the Cambodia Institute for Development Study, said Sunday that assessments by international institutions were too pessimistic, and they ignored the fact that new factories had opened in 2009.

The Economist Intelligence Unit and World Bank have projected that Cambodia's economy will contract this year, largely based on a huge drop in demand since the start of the global economic crisis.

"I think that [national] GDP growth will be about 5 percent higher than predictions by international institutions," Kaing Chandararot said, adding that the garment sector will recover this year. "Tax subsidies are one measure the government initiated to boost the garment industry because it can maintain economic stability by focusing on domestic markets," he said .

"Our garment industry will improve this year because factories have received orders and new factories have opened this month," Kaing Monika, external affairs manager for the Garment Manufacturers' Association of Cambodian (GMAC), said Sunday.

But Kaing Monika said that the sector still faces downward price pressure and that more layoffs were possible. He said about 20 factories had closed this year and about 13,000 people were made jobless.

"I don't think working conditions in the sector are getting worse - they are still good compared to regional countries, according to the ILO (International Labour Organisation)," he said.

He said the government had suspended its 1 percent advance profit tax until 2012, and reduced employer contribution to social security to 0.05 percent of gross salary, from 0.08 percent, for 2009 and 2010.

The government has allocated US$6.5 million to vocational training for jobless garment workers.

Cambodian People's Party parliamentarian Cheam Yeap said the government has tried to offer agricultural training.

"The government has proposed ... to offer loans with lower interest rates to people to increase their farming capacity and offer more opportunities for people to work in agriculture," he said.

2008 water revenues up to $20m

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com

Written by May Kunmakara
Monday, 04 May 2009

WATER supply revenues increased in 2008 to US$20 million from $17 million the previous year after a 15 percent increase in sales, Ek Sonn Chan, director general of Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA), said last week.

The municipality sold 85 million cubic metres of water in 2008, up from 72 million cubic metres the year before following the improvement of the capital's water-pipeline infrastructure, Ek Sonn Chan said, adding that water sales would likely continue to rise.

"Our revenue has increased every year because we have increased water connections by more than 100,000 every year," he said. "In 2009, we will start treating water at a new supply station in Chroy Changvar, which can produce 65,000 additional cubic metres of water per day."

Water prices have remained stable at about $0.24 a cubic metre, while 90 percent of Phnom Penh families have access to water, he said.

The PPWSA has worked with development partners to enlarge capacity, he added. By the end of 2009, the authority says it will be able to produce 235,000 cubic metres of clean water per day for 178,200 families.

Local rate control

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com

Written by James Lowrey
Monday, 04 May 2009

While Western rates hit rock bottom, depositors can get more than 7 percent in Cambodia

Although the dollar is widely used in Cambodia, interest rates for deposits and loans bear no reflection to US interest rates in major trading centres around the world.

The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) manages dollar and riel money supply but does not set cash rates for the dollar, leaving interest rates to the market.

The majority of bank deposits and loans are denominated in dollars, but money changers, foreign currency dealers and microfinance institutions are prolific in their riel-lending.

So what drives interest rates in Cambodia?

Interest rates are deemed the "future price of money". Supply and demand play a large role in determining prices, which are affected by economic and investment activity.

In many countries, central banks control official cash rates to influence the demand for money, thus inflation, through manipulating consumption. As the NBC has no influence over US monetary policy - and is limited in its ability to influence local rates - here they have increased.

The US Federal Reserve has lowered its benchmark target rate to between zero and 0.25 percent, a move that left it no room to cut rates further.

At the other extreme, the Central Bank of Zimbabwe increased rates for borrowing to 800 percent in 2007 to try to tackle hyperinflation!

But the central bank here is not completely hamstrung.

In early 2008, property activity led to increasing inflation.

To stem economic activity - and cut inflation - the NBC required commercial banks to double their reserve ratio requirements from 8 percent to 16 percent. This reduced the availability of surplus deposits to fund new loans.

As property activity and price growth cooled, inflation also fell. In response to the market conditions, the NBC cut the reserve ratio from 16 percent to 12 percent. The additional liquidity represents about one month of lending.

Local liquidity is related to M2 - or broad - money supply as regulated by the NBC. While the NBC can manage supply of riels, the control of dollars is not easy. Key sources of dollars have included foreign direct investment (about US$800 million in the past two years), foreign aid and private remittances, largely from Cambodians living abroad.

As banks raise most of their funding for dollar loans in Cambodia from domestic dollar deposits, and deposit interest rates are a function of the demand for liquidity in the country, the rates paid on dollar deposits have continued to rise in the past 12 months by as much as 3 percent per year.

As such, local depositors can enjoy very high interest rates on their dollar deposits in Cambodia compared with low rates paid in most of the world.

So, although central banks around the world are lowering official cash rates to stimulate business activity, because of the unique monetary system in Cambodia, interest rates have remained high.

There is, therefore, a need to improve monetary policy options to enable the country to respond to the extreme economic conditions it is currently facing.
_____________________________________________________
James Lowry is head of corporate and institutional banking at ANZ Royal Bank Cambodia.

Book Review: Failure of style and execution leaves novel short of breath

Timothy Hallinan. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Timothy Hallinan has lived in Southeast Asia off and on for more than 25 years. Breathing Water, to be published in August, is his latest novel. The author taught a writing seminar last week at the Australian Centre for Education.

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com

Written by Robbie Corey-Boulet
Monday, 04 May 2009

Hallinan’s forthcoming Breathing Water rarely strays from the trite and ordinary

The first sentence of Timothy Hallinan's forthcoming novel Breathing Water seems to mark the beginning of an ambitious piece of fiction: "The man behind the desk is a dim shape framed in a blinding light, a god emerging from the brilliance of infinity."

As he describes it, Hallinan's objective for the novel, the third in a series about the Bangkok-based travel writer Poke Rafferty, was in fact ambitious. He said in a recent interview that he wanted to produce a convincing portrayal of Thai politics, one involving a hero who must "find his way through this minefield of huge invisible gravitational fields of power".

Breathing Water begins with Rafferty winning, in a poker game, permission to write the biography of Pan, a billionaire with political aspirations who was born a poor northeastern villager. Rafferty and others suspect that Pan has a complex criminal past, and the writer finds himself caught between those who don't want that past revealed and those who do.

Escorting the reader through "this minefield" is a tall order, one for which Hallinan is poorly suited.

That overwritten first sentence, the reader discovers, masks the author's lack of ambition both as a stylist and as a recorder of anything beyond trite observations touching on the usual themes: income inequality, corruption and the plight of street children.

What is most frustrating about Breathing Water's shortfalls is that they are of little concern to Hallinan, a point driven home during a seminar he led Thursday night at the Australian Centre for Education titled "Happy Endings: Finishing Your Novel".

At the seminar, he distributed a handout containing his 10 "rules of finishing", the last of which was particularly instructive for someone trying to grasp his approach to fiction: "Remember - it's only a book".

Style flaws
Back to that first sentence, which displays one of two habits that undo Hallinan as a stylist: his commitment to describing the light in every scene.

He approaches these passages with an attention to detail so clinical that they read more like the notes of a theatre lighting director than lines in a novel.

At one point, he writes: "The morning light pours in through the sliding door to the balcony, bouncing off the glass top of the coffee table to create a rectangle of sunlight on the ceiling." This is a fine sentence, but Hallinan can't be bothered to do anything with the light besides place it - and leave it - up on the ceiling, where it becomes a distraction rather than a device.

Hallinan's other destructive habit is his dependence on similes. We are told, for instance, of a man who is "as lean as a matador and as dark as a used tea bag"; of a mouth that is "as unsettling as the underside of a starfish"; and of "a moment shaped like a vague question". These are either overdone - why can't that man just be lean and dark? - or, in the case of the "vague question" moment, outright puzzling.

At times, these two habits collide, resulting in a cringe-inducing combination of light references that fail to illuminate and similes that obscure: "There is enough city light reflecting off the low clouds to dilute the blackness of the hall into a kind of darkness in suspension, like a glass of water in which a writing brush has been dipped repeatedly." To which the only justifiable response is: What?

Plot hits and misses
Perhaps to fault Hallinan on style is to miss the point. He is interested, after all, in writing thrillers that work, and he excels at writing snappy dialogue that moves the story forward and at stringing many developments together to construct a plot with few holes.

But he gets carried away with the details. Of Poke, he told me, "I knew that I could write him because he didn't actually understand Thai culture." The implication being that Hallinan doesn't either.

While this self-awareness is commendable, Hallinan's attempt to circumvent this problem involves inflating what he does understand about Thai culture - income inequality, the nouveau riche, the usual themes - to unwarranted extremes.

He writes at length, for instance, about a benefit held at Pan's Greek Revival mansion "roughly the size of the Taj Mahal". To get there, guests travel "through a flaming gate" towards a garden that contains artificial apple trees, with apples covered in precious stones.

And then comes the incongruity, the curve ball designed to induce a guffaw. In front of the mansion sits "a small, rickety, blow-the-house-down northeastern farm village".

Said Hallinan: "It made sense to me that a guy like Pan would want to stress the ways in which he was different from, rather than similar to, his economic peers."

He's right: The concept makes sense. The problem lies in the execution, which is neither artfully embellished nor innocently fantastical.

The passage makes the reader cry out for Hallinan to abandon altogether his attempt to describe "this minefield of huge invisible gravitational fields of power" and instead get back to the plot. Because as a thriller, and only as a thriller, Breathing Water works.

Photographer finds inspiration in urban poor

Stung Meanchey dump. ©TONE ULLAND

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com

Written by David Gainsboro
Monday, 04 May 2009

THE intense heat radiated from the smouldering garbage below her, and the fetid smell permeated the air all around her. Amidst the refuse, a little girl climbed onto the lap of her mother whenever she stopped working: a strong mother-daughter bond clearly evident.

This is how photographer Tone Ulland spends her days in Phnom Penh: following the urban poor.

In her exhibition "Dignity", on display at Cafe Living Room, Ulland explores the daily lives of marginalised Cambodians in beautifully composed, but often graphic, pictures from her wanderings in the Stung Meanchey dump, and along the streets of the capital.

The photos capture the people who make up Phnom Penh's lower class: from street children to the middle aged and the elderly, to garbage collectors and street cleaners.

Last year, when walking the streets of Phnom Penh, a street cleaner caught her eye.

"Sometimes you just stop and stare deep into the eyes of someone and have so many questions," she said.

In this case, it was a woman and her daughter, picking up garbage. Enthralled, Ulland wondered: "We're both the same age, both mothers. Do you feel the same about your children as I do? Do you have the same hopes and dreams?"

She quickly realised that the only way to find an answer to this question was to spend numerous days following these "down and out" Cambodians. And the more she learned, the more she admired and respected these people.

She developed a deeper connection with a few of the children and was further inspired to write a children's book The One-Eyed Teddy of Stung Meanchey.

The book was co-written and authored by two of the children she photographed, Narath Un and Naran.

The book is filled with photographs of a girl and her teddy bear and follows the story of how her teddy bear loses its eye and the quest through the dump for a suitable replacement.

"Dignity" runs at Cafe Living Room until May 24.

Police Blotter: 04 May 2009

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com

Written by Lim Phalla
Monday, 04 May 2009

WOMAN KILLED IN FAMILY SHOOTING
Mom Bunly and her driver, Heng Eang Chiv, were shot dead Friday while driving to Phnom Penh from Steung Thmey village in Pursat province. Police have arrested Mom Bunly's son in connection with the attack, which policesay was caused by a family business dispute. A third person who was travelling in the car was also severely wounded and taken to hospital by police.
RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

VICTIM GETS BEATEN, BUT GETS BIKE BACK
Heang Bun,18, was arrested in connection with a motorbike theft last Thursday, during which the victim, Eng Saes, was severely beaten. Police have returned the motorbike to the victim and are still pursuing one man thought to have been involved in the robbery in Prek village, Preah Sdach district, Battambang province.
RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

ESCAPED ATTACKER NABBED BY COPS
Police have captured Snguon Seiha, 20, two years after he assaulted a man, leaving him severely wounded. A warrant had been issued for the arrest, which was made Friday in Beng village, Sangke district, Battambang province.
RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

PORNO-CAFE OWNER GETS 7 DAYS' JAIL
A Vietnamese national, Saing Sin, has been sentenced to seven days in jail and slapped with a 150,000 riel (US$37.50) fine for playing pornographic videos in her cafe in Choam Chao village, in Phnom Penh's Dangkor district. Saing Sin was arrested on Thursday and sentenced the following day.
RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

FEUDING IN-LAWS DUKE IT OUT
A long-running family dispute has resulted in a brutal fight between two men in Chbar Ampov village, Teuk Chhou district, Kampot province. It is believed that Keang Kea and his brother-in-law Eum Kim had been on bad terms for a long time before the incident. Police arrested both men, who were severely wounded during the fight.
KOH SANTEPHEAP

DRUNK MAN KILLED FOR LEAVING PARTY
A man was killed for attempting to leave a party because "he was already drunk and could not drink anymore", witnesses said. Chhun Bunthon, 38, was fatally stabbed on Wednesday by Nob Ny, 26, after he attempted to leave the event early in Srah Chak village, Kampong Tralach district, Kampong Chhnang province.
KOH SANTEPHEAP

Newly promoted stun Naga to draw

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

Written by Ung Chamroeun
Monday, 04 May 2009

NEWCOMERS Spark FC made a dream start to the Premier League season following promotion from Division A1 to force a 2-2 draw against Hun Sen Cup runnersup Naga Corp Sunday at Olympic Stadium.

Spark's Justine Prince blasted his team in front in the 15th minute after some selfish play, shunning the opportunity to pass to teammates.

Naga struck back to level the score through national team midfielder Sun Sovannarith with 7 minutes to go in the half. Just 3 minutes after the restart, Naga took the lead through club captain Om Thavarak. The national team defender directed his header past the Spark keeper off a Kim Chanbunrith freekick.

Spark kept playing with determination, and Justin Prince found his way through the Naga defence to net his second goal on the hour mark.

With the scoreline locked at 2-2, Spark players did their best to run out the clock while their opponents unsuccessfully pressed for the win.

Preah Khan Reach (PKR) went top of the CPL after beating Phouchung Neak 3-0 in a result that mirrored their third-place playoff match in the recent Hun Sen Cup on March 21. PKR striker Khoun Laboravy, who also stars in the national team, scored just before the interval and Alex Ikeduba scored twice in the second half with the defence keeping a clean sheet after Phouchung attackers missed their attempts.

The crowd attendance was depleted after fans were annoyed Saturday by the Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC) introducing a new admission price of 4,000 riels (US$0.97). "One dollar is so expensive for me. If the FFC continue to do this, I think that the match will be played without visitors. I'll [only] pay 1,000 riels," complained one visitor.

The FFC said that they are selling tickets to generate more income for organising tournaments.

Tickets for weekend matches cost 4,000 riels with Wednesday games priced at 2,000 riels.

The Phnom Penh Post News In Briefs

In Brief: US reviews CAmbodia terror risk

Written by Vong Sokheng
Monday, 04 May 2009

Porous borders, endemic corruption and "disaffected elements within the Cham Muslim population" are among the factors that make Cambodia vulnerable to terrorism, according to a report released last Thursday by the US State Department. US embassy spokesman John Johnson said the report, which lauds Cambodia's "political leadership" and "strong commitment to aggressive legal action against terrorists", was based on "information provided by the embassy".


In Brief: Group asks for Sok An's approval

Written by Cheang Sokha
Monday, 04 May 2009

The Khmer Civilisation Foundation (KCF) is to send a letter to Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, asking him if the KCF is allowed to actively pursue compensation from Thailand or if it is interfering in government affairs. " What I have done is on behalf of Khmer citizens ... but if it is wrong, I will stop," Moeung Sonn, the president of the KCF, said. KCF is asking for US$9 million in compensation from Thailand after Thai soldiers opened fire on a market near the Preah Vihear temple complex on April 3.


In Brief: Mu Sochua to appear in court

Written by Meas Sokchea
Monday, 04 May 2009

Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Mu Sochua is to appear at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court Thursday to clarify the details of her defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Hun Sen, a court official said Sunday. "Mu Sochua had been called to explain her case for suing the prime minister," said court prosecutor Hing Bun Chea, adding that another prosecutor was in charge of Hun Sen's countersuit. Mu Sochua said she was ready to defend herself in court. Prosecutor Sok Roeun, who will be in charge of Hun Sen's case, would not comment on when the prime minister would be in court.