Saturday, 31 July 2010

DAP News. Breaking News by Soy Sopheap

via Khmer NZ

Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cabinet Refused Information of Allowing Intercity Group to Open Casino in Siem Reap

Saturday, 31 July 2010 08:26 DAP NEWS / Vibol

CAMBODIA, PHNOM PENH, JULY 31, 2010-Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s cabinet On July 30 refused the information of allowing the Intercity Group to open casino in Siem Reap province, home of famous 12th Angkorwat temple and the cabinet also asked the local English language newspaper to correct the article on that news.

“I would like to inform you that in past years, the government has not allowed any foreign or local companies to open casino gambling in Siem Reap province and in the meeting with Intercity Group on July 29 July yesterday, PM Hun Sen also did not permit the Intercity Group to open the casino in Siem Reap province as mention in your articles. Please correct the article completely, “The letter signed by the Ho Sothy, cabinet chief of Prime Minister Hun Sen to editor of local English newspaper the Cambodia Daily.

The information that Cambodian government allowed the Intercity Group to build casino in Siem Reap province was published most local English newspapers in Phnom Penh and even the famous foreign news agencies like Bloomberg and Reuters reported about that news.

SOUTH Korean developer Intercity Group plans to start construction in October on a US$400 million casino resort complex near Siem Reap that aims to draw high rollers from Macau and Singapore, “The Phnom Penh Post reported on July 30.

Harrah’s Entertainment Inc and MGM Resorts International, the largest casino owner on the Las Vegas strip, are among potential investors to visit the site, James Cho, Intercity’s vice president quoted as saying by the Phnom Penh Post. The first phase of the project is set to finish in 2012. All these big guys are interested in operation management deals,” Cho told the Post. “We’re confident because the feasibility is there and gaming concessions in this region are so rare.”

Intercity is betting the casino complex, with an investment value equivalent to about 4 percent of Cambodia’s gross domestic product, will draw Asian gamblers looking for an alternative to more established gambling centers,” The Post noted.

Cambodia plans to export one million tons of milled rice by the end of 2015

Friday, 30 July 2010 13:48 DAP-NEWS

Cambodia’s trade ministry announced on Friday said that the country plans to export about one million tons of milled rice be the end of 2015.

The announcement of export made during the workshop on WTO sanitary and Phyto-sanitary (SPS) agreement and notification training in Phnom Penh. Kem Sithan, secretary of state for commerce ministry said,” Cambodia expects to export about one million of milled rice by the end of 2015,”. Cambodia remains about three tons of rice products this year after collecting about 7 million tons of rice product,”. From this workshop, we will learn about sanitary and phyto-sanitary for exporting products, he noted.

He continued that in addition to numerous commitments, sps is one of the main components that enable Cambodia to accelerate its exports to world markets, especially for her agricultural commodities. With no assistance from two secretariats and other international agencies, Cambodia would find it difficult to fulfill this obligation. Hence today workshop is crucial for Cambodia, especially for all ministries involving in SPS matters.

“It is noticed that the percentage of people living under the poverty line fell from 45 per cent in 1993 to 35 per cent in 2004 and further declined to 30 per cent in 2007. Every year, virtually over 1 per cent of population has been taken out of poverty. At this rate, Cambodia will be on the right track to meet her poverty alleviation –related Millennium development goals by the year 2015,”he added.

He added that after having been for decades a self –consumed agricultural commodity producer, Cambodia started to play a more important part of the world food export. Of this food export, Cambodia expects to export approximately one million tons of milled rice by the end of 2015.

He continued that however, we face many pressures to upgrade sps management capacity. Cambodia is a member of WTO but it still faces difficulties in its compliance with its membership requirement on market access and protection of imports.

The government seized many opportunities to capture the necessary support to further its objectives of trade mainstreaming. As a member of ASEAN and Great Mekong sub-region (GMS), we need to increase our trade with partners within the region. Some of these partners have far greater capacity than Cambodia to address in terms of food safety, animal and plant health issues and are able to benefits more from the protection offered by the SPS agreement than Cambodia. Certain significant products continued to be excluded from export market on the ground of safety due to poor hygiene in handing or other contamination or on the ground of potential environment risks. Our institutional and technical capacity such as monitoring and surveillance, inspection, testing and certification of export product needs to be strengthened. We use the SPS agreement and various tools to ensure an adequate response to notifications that affect Cambodia.

“It is about having greater participation in the activities of the WTO, which will also increase confidence of trading partners, bilateral agreements and help with other important issues such foreign direct investment in the long run,” he emphasized.

Cambodia claims “big victory” for Preah Vihear management plan at UNESCO meeting

Friday, 30 July 2010 13:29 DAP-NEWS

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Dr.Sok An said in live televised from Brazil on Friday that Thailand signed on July 30 along with Cambodia and Brazilian minister to support the Cambodian management plan at the U.N. listed temple of Preah Vihear.

His Excellency Dr. Sok An, who led delegation to attend the 34th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) from July 25 to August 3, said that the representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Brazilian cultural minister also hailed the Cambodian good management plan of the Temple including the achievements made after the listing of Preah Vihear as world heritage site.

The 900-year-old Khmer temple of Preah Vihear was listed by World Heritage Committee in 2008 in Canada, Quebec, as World Heritage Site but was rejected by Thailand’s opposition.

“What Thailand did not accept before, now they did,” he said referring to Thailand's Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti signed on July 30 the decision drafted by the World Heritage Committee, of UNESCO, in the meeting chaired by Brazilian culture minister Joao Luiz Silva Ferreira

“This is a big victory for Cambodia, but a huge loss of Thailand,” said Dr. Sok An, who is also minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers.

World Heritage Committee acknowledged Cambodia submitted reports of the management development plan of Preah Vihear and Thailand now accepted the result of World Heritage Committee made in Spain 2009, he said of the decision.

Dr. Sok An said that World Heritage Committee received the submission of Cambodian development plan of Preah Vihear temple at the World Heritage Centre.

“World Heritage Committee takes note with satisfaction of the progress made in developing a management plan and encouraged the state party (Cambodia) to implement its provision, with contribution of the international community,” H.E. Sok An said of the decision by World Heritage Committee (WHC).

The Committee also welcomed Cambodia to establish an international coordinating committee (ICC) for the sustainable conservation of the Temple, H.E. Sok An said.

“They (UNESCO) did not only accept Cambodian proposal of management plan at Preah Vihear, but they also praised us for good planning,” he said in live broadcast on local TVs.

“WHC did not postpone in its official decision as the Thais claimed but decided to consider the management plan for Preah Vihear sustainable conservation at its next session to be held in Bahrain,” he said.

Dr. Sok An said the World Heritage Committee of UNSECO made decision of supporting reports on the Cambodia of conservation of the temple inscribed on the World Heritage List.

He said that Cambodia explained to UNESCO and the member countries of the World Heritage Committee about Thailand used secret and unilateral map, which never accepted by Phnom Penh.

The UN legal institution of International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 1962 ruled out that: the Temple of Preah Vihear is situated in territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia.

The court found that Thailand is under obligation to withdraw any military or police forces, or other guards or keepers, stationed by her at the Temple, or in its vicinity on Cambodian territory.

Thailand is under an obligation to restore to Cambodia any objects of the kind specified in the Cambodia’s fifth submission which may, since the date of the occupation of the Temple by Thailand in 1954, have been removed from the Temple or the Temple area by the Thai authority, said ICJ’s Judgment.

UNESCO Accepts Cambodia Preah Vihear’ Management Plan

Friday, 30 July 2010 04:04 By Soy Sophea

CAMBODIA,PHNOM PENH,JULY-30-2010:Cambodian senior officials on Friday confirmed that UNESCO has accepted Cambodia’s World Heritage Management Plan in its world heritage meeting in Brazil although Thailand objected the plane.

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