VIP Bodyguard beaten a truck driver

This is the ANIMAL bodyguard with violent savagery to the Khmer Peoples

This kind of activity has proved that Cambodia is still running by a group of mafia style people. These idiots with monies and wants to show off other people about their power by ignoring that this kind of actvities will bring into Cambodia more shames and more laughable. People from outside will consider that Cambodia is a farm of untrainable animals( behaviour of people who owned all these animal bodyguards ). -- Areak Prey

Phnom Penh city – The driver of a dirt hauling truck was beaten by men dressed in bodyguard uniform on 07 January. This incident took place along National Road 5, in front of the Petrol gas station, at the entrance to the Kob Srov dike, at 8:15 AM.

On the morning of the incident, a procession of cars led by a car blaring siren sound was seen in traffic, however, it is not known whom the car procession belonged to, whether a high-ranking official or a rich businessman. The procession came across a dirt hauling truck which was turning the corner, in the direction of the Kob Srov dike, but because of the heavy traffic in that area in the morning, the truck driver could not pull back to make way for an easy passage of the VIP car procession. Even though the VIP car procession, including the car blaring the siren sound, was able to pass the truck already, the last car in the procession loaded with bodyguards, pulled back and blocked the truck, and out came three bodyguards. One of them pointed at the truck driver, but no one can tell what they were saying at each other, nevertheless, the bodyguard was seen grabbing the truck door and opened it, and he pulled out an (AK-47) rifle to point at the driver, he then pulled out the driver and dropped him down to the ground, and proceeded to beat him up. The truck driver was lucky when he dodged the beating aimed at this head, but he was beaten on the back instead. After the beating, the bodyguards took off, and the truck diver hurried to climb back into the truck and took off to the Kob Srov dike direction.

The incident took place under the plain sight of hundreds of travelers and residents living nearby. Everybody was exasperated by the action taken by these bodyguards, some of the spectators even cursed them because they pitied the truck drivers.

This event took place on 07 January, a day when all Cambodian people were freed from the blood-soaked hands of the KR regime, however, for this particular truck driver, it is a day when he was beaten up instead. The morning spectacle led some of the spectators to become speechless when they witnessed such violent savagery.

Foreigners get 120 yrs jail in Cambodia drugs bust

Jan 11, 2008
AFP

PHNOM PENH - FOUR Chinese nationals and a Thai man arrested last year in Cambodia's largest-ever drugs bust have been jailed for a combined total of 120 years, a court official said on Friday.

The five were among 21 people seized in April, during a police raid on a massive drugs laboratory located on a plantation 50 kilometres from the capital Phnom Penh.

Police discovered two tonnes of chemicals used in the production of 'yaba', a cheap and potent methamphetamine widely used throughout Southeast Asia.

Another tonne of drug-making chemicals was later found in Phnom Penh.

The Thai, along with three Chinese men, were sentenced on Thursday to 25 years each, Judge Iv Kimsry said, adding that a Chinese woman was jailed for 20 years.

A sixth suspect who has fled to Thailand was jailed in absentia for life, he said.

'The court found them guilty for involvement in illegal drug production,' the Judge said. 'It's the largest drug trial ever seen in Cambodia.'

Fourteen Cambodians also arrested at the scene were acquitted after the court determined that they had been tricked into thinking they were employed to spray chemicals on farmland, Judge Iv Kimsry said.

April's bust was the first evidence of large-scale drugs production in Cambodia, which is an increasingly popular trafficking point for narcotics after neighbouring Thailand toughened its stance on illegal drugs in 2002.

City welcomes Viet Kieu for Tet

11/01/2008
VietNamNet

Bridge – The HCM City People’s Committee has assigned the HCM City Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs to design programs to welcome Viet Kieu returning to Vietnam for Tet in late January and early February 2008.

Welcoming receptions will be organized at the Tan Son Nhat Airport from January 8 to February 16. The airport’s terminal has the motif of a traditional Tet festival. Volunteers will be posted at the airport to help the overseas Vietnamese when they arrive.

On February 18-19, the HCM City Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs and Vietnamese Embassies in Cambodia, the Vietnamese Association in Cambodia and HCM City’s Youth Union will pay visits and present gifts to disadvantaged Vietnamese in Cambodia for the occasion of the lunar new year.

A meeting with overseas Vietnamese will be held on January 29 at 111 Ba Huyen Thanh Quan, District 3; participants will include HCM City’s senior officials and around 600 Viet Kieu.

The Overseas Vietnamese Liaison Association and the Overseas Vietnamese Business Association will organize a meeting with overseas Vietnamese to welcome the Tet festival on January 24 at the Phu Tho Sports Club.

(Source: Tien Phong)

Invading tourists force Cambodian school to rope off classrooms

11.01.08 07:34
DPA

A Cambodian-based not-for-profit educational charity has cooperated with students at a school near an ancient temple to stop foreign tourists wandering through their classes.

British-registered Schools for Children of Cambodia (SCC) posted the advisory on its website this week, saying it had roped off classrooms "to keep tourists from wandering on campus, photographing (the children) in class, and disrupting their education." "The school stands within 100 metres of the entrance to the 9th-century Lolei temple ruins, which attract hundreds of visitors each day," SCC general manager for Cambodia, Andrea Messmer, said in a statement.

Lolei Primary School's position at the edge of the famous Angkor Wat temple complex in the northern province of Siem Reap, about 400 kilometres from the capital, means it is prohibited by royal decree from erecting any permanent structure to control curious travelers, or potential sexual predators posing as tourists.

"While some tourists enter the school grounds to use the toilets ... others enter to get a glimpse of everyday Cambodian life," Messmer wrote.

Two Cambodian men vapourised by anti-tank mine

Fri, 11 Jan 2008
Author : DPA

Phnom Penh - Two Cambodian farmers were vapourised by an anti-tank mine they accidentally triggered while cutting bamboo, police said Friday. Nuth Veat, 43, and Mour Koy, 41, died instantly along with the two cattle they were using to pull their cart, Kamreang district police chief in the north-eastern province of Battambang, Cheam Kimhong said by telephone.

"There was not much left. The bodies of the people and the animals were obliterated and turned to rain. We can tell what is what from clothes alone," he said.

He said Wednesday's tragedy was followed within 24 hours by another landmine explosion nearby which left one man dead and three injured after they played with the mine and detonated it.

The Cambodian Mine Action Center said the number of deaths and injuries in Cambodia from landmines and unexploded ordinance last year fell to 339 from 450 in 2006 but provinces like Battambang, which saw heavy fighting during the 30-year civil war, still suffer a rate higher than the national average.

Hun Sen: Defectors Are Not Turncoats

By Mean Veasna,
VOA Khmer Original report from Phnom Penh
10 January 2008

Listen Mean Veasna reports in Khmer

Prime Minister Hun Sen told a group of government officials Thursday that defectors from the royalist party to the ruling party should not be considered turncoats.

Addressing a group of Funcinpec officials at an agricultural development meeting, Hun Sen said members of any political party had the legal right to move to another without being branded traitorous.

"He said, firstly, don't use the word 'submission' for those who defected from Funcinpec to the CPP. It's not right," said government spokesman Khieu Kanharith. "And, secondly, don't use the word 'turncoat' either. It is neither submission nor turncoat, because it is their political right to do so."

Funcinpec is the parliamentary partner of the ruling Cambodian People's Party, though its influence has steadily declined since it was a viable rival in the late 1990s.

"Actually, some people are former politicians in the CPP, and we'd just appointed them, so the majority are now going back to their party," said Funcinpec Secretary-General Nhiek Bun Chhay. "That's why some people just said those politicians are traitors. This point is not right either, because they are going back to where they once belonged."

Some Funcinpec officials have steadily moved their allegiance to the CPP and other parties following a sound defeat of royalist representatives in local elections in April 2007.

Forced Evictions Highlights Hazards of Urban Development

By Sok Khemara,
VOA Khmer Washington
10 January 2008

Listen Sok Khemara hosts 'Hello VOA' in Khmer

Recent clashes between residents of a Phnom Penh shanty neighborhood and a local construction company, along with the torching of the company's truck Tuesday, highlight some of the uncertainty Cambodia's urban poor live under.

More than 100 families are facing persecution and intimidation from city authorities and private business interests in the Red Earth neighborhood of Tonle Bassac commune, Chamkarmon district, said Am Samath, a monitor for the rights group Licadho.

The area is slated for development and the residents have been ordered to leave, leading to several clashes in recent weeks.

At least six people have been charged following a rock-throwing exchange on Tuesday, as residents worried the 7NG company from tearing down their homes, Am Samath said. At least one person was in Prey Sar prison as a result of clashes, which also led to the burning of a truck, he said, speaking as a guest Thursday on "Hello VOA."

Company officials have said they are caught between a city policy to move the people and the people's resistance to moving.

"We want only peaceful resolution and proper compensation," said Chan Vichet, a village representative who was also a guest on Thursday's show. "We do not want intimidation or problems."

He appealed to Prime Minister Hun Sen to help the residents find a "reasonable exchange."
Since the truck was lighted on fire, said Loa Seyha, another resident on the show, parents have not allowed their children to go to school.

"We fear [authorities] will remove our homes," Loa Seyha said.

In 2005, 1,200 families were similarly removed from a Dankao District development site, and have since faced daily challenges far from city services, schools or jobs. Even now, the families have only informal land certificates, leading to worries they could be moved again.

The residents of the Red Earth neighborhood say they fear the same fate.

Samlot Residents Report Widespread Illegal Logging

By Chiep Mony,
VOA Khmer Original report from Phnom Penh
10 January 2008

Listen Chiep Mony reports in Khmer

Environment Ministry and military officials in a former Khmer Rouge stronghold are stripping the forests of luxury hardwood, a local official told VOA Khmer Thursday.

Government forces are giving logging businesses free rein to strip the forests in Samlot district, Battambang province, the official, who asked not to be identified, said.

"Those involved in the luxury wood trade are high-ranking officials, those at the border, those soldiers, police and military police and their networks," said the local official. "They allow traders to do their business with no arrests. They are paid."

Cambodia has seen relentless logging of its pristine forests over the years. Much of the money goes to a small circle of politicians and business owners with close ties to Prime Minister Hun Sen, a report by the monitoring group Global Witness says.

A Samlot official Thursday denied allegations illegal loggers were operating in his area.

"If I said no, you would not believe me," said Samlot District Chief Hem Sophal. "So you don't have to believe either me or the informants, you'd better come and see for yourself with your own eyes."

Interactive travel show to hit Cambodia next week

Big News Network.com
Thursday 10th January, 2008

Alex Boylan winner of the "Amazing Race" will be in Cambodia next week. Want to explore the remote wilds of Kruger National Park, South Africa and Arusha, Tanzania without having to leave the comforts of your own home? Around The World Productions provides a multiplatform interactive reality travel show, "Around The World For Free," that allows you to do just that.

The show follows the travel adventures of Boylan as he circumnavigates the globe without a cent in his pocket.

The Internet fan community and the strangers that Boylan meets along the way are able to dictate the outcome of the show. Boylan says, "It is an honor to be welcomed into a complete stranger's home and treated as a member of their family where I can experience and learn about other people's culture. It makes me want to seek out new locations, new stories and new experiences to share with the Around The World For Free community."

In three months alone, the Internet fan community at www.aroundtheworldforfree.com has seen a wide variety of countries and people. In Peru, viewers travelled alongside Boylan as he arrived at the ruins of Macchu Picchu, where they were able to marvel at this natural wonder. While in Chile, they walked alongside him as he trekked and got lost in the Atacama Desert, the driest desert on earth, bordering Bolivia and Peru. In contrast, they got entangled in the rugged Kruger National Park in South Africa where they went on a ,safari with Boylan and met rhinos, hippos, black mambas and enjoyed the passing parade of wildlife.

Other features of the portfolio have included parasailing, rafting, surfing, 4 wheeling, walking through the jungle, working at a winery, working on a banana farm, and working as a camp counsellor.

New ASEAN Secretary-General Expects to Have an ASEAN Human Rights Organization

Phnom Penh: The new ASEAN Secretary-General, who has just taken up this position, expressed optimism that the ASEAN countries will join to create an ASEAN human rights organization as an important instrument to promote human rights in the region.

“Mr. Surin Pitswuan, the former Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs, who just took up the position of ASEAN Secretary-General in early January 2008, said that he believes ASEAN will have its human rights organization in five years, while the process for its creation has already started.

“He went on to say, ‘ASEAN will have an human rights organization.’ He added, ‘ASEAN government leaders have already announced the creation of this organization in a joint statement, and this is a positive process.’

His speech was quoted by the Antara News Agency of Indonesia after he had said so at a press conference this Monday.

“Ms. Seng Theary, the President of the Center for Social Development, a non-government organization in Cambodia, told Rasmei Kampuchea that she welcomes the creation of such an organization.

The president of the Center for Social Development added that this will be an important contribution to promote human rights in the ten member countries of ASEAN.

“At a conference of ASEAN ministers in 2007 in the Philippines, the ten ASEAN countries, including Myanmar (Burma) which previously had opposed this creation, now it also expressed its support for the creation of an ASEAN human rights organization.

“It should be stated that Samdech Akak Moha Senapadei Dekchor Hun Sen, the Prime Minister of Cambodia, expressed full support for the initiative when Cambodia was in the chair of an unofficial ASEAN conference on the creation of an ASEAN human rights organization, in 2007 in Siem Reap.

Samdech Akak Moha Senapadei Dekchor Hun Sen hinted that Cambodia is also on the way to create a national organization for human rights.” Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4484, 9.1.2008

Publisher Urges Municipal Court to Demand $20,000 from Radio Free Asia

The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 542

Phnom Penh: Mr. Bernard Krisher, the publisher of The Cambodia Daily, said on 6 January 2008 that he explained to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on 25 December 2007 his lawsuit against Radio Free Asia [RFA] demanding approximately US$20,000 compensation, because RFA copied all pieces of information from them, The Cambodia Daily for more than ten years.

“During October 2007, Mr. Kem Sos, the President of the Khmer service of RFA, gave explanations to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court regarding the lawsuit of The Cambodia Daily.

Mr. Kem Sos made no comment when Koh Santepheap contacted him by phone, but he passed questions on to his lawyer to answer instead of him, but also the lawyer did not make any comment.

“Mr. Bernard Krisher added that for two years, RFA had copied and faxed all pieces of information from The Cambodia Daily from Phnom Penh to Bangkok, and then they sent it to the United States.

He affirmed, ‘We will not allow this, no matter how much would be paid, because it is a violation of copyright legislation of the country.

They can quote some pieces of information but not all – for example for teaching students.’ “A RFA staff member, who asked that his name should not to be mentioned, said that as far as he knows, this issue had already been settled between the leaders of the two institutions.

The same staff member said that the lawsuit might have already been finished. “However, a RFA staff member had said that some issues were to be decided by the [RFA] leaders in Washington, USA. “Mr. Bernard Krisher went on to say, ‘We want the court to demand the money from RFA to be paid into our account. Then we will use that money to help poor people, such as by constructing school buildings in Kandal etc.’

He continued to say that when he was explaining the issue to the court, the court required him to give them the name and the address of the president of RFA, and he gave this information already to the court. “

Mr. Bernard Krisher added, ‘According to law, they cannot copy all pieces of information from The Cambodia Daily; previously they had acknowledged that they were guilty and they said they would not commit the offense any longer, but later on they did the same.’

He continued that during the first two years, he wrote to Mr. Kem Sos about this issue and there was an apology at that time, but after that, they said that they were not guilty concerning this issue.

Therefore, Mr. Bernard Krisher decided to file a complaint to the court, asking for help to find justice.

“The publisher of The Cambodia Daily affirmed that previously, the Sam Rainsy Party had copied whole articles and posted them on their homepage, but he wrote to them and then they paid $2,000 and promised not to continue to do what they had done any longer.

He continued that also the United Nations Development Program used to do the same, but they paid US$5,000. ‘We do not prohibit to quote from the content for publication, but not the whole content.” Koh Santepheap, Vol.41, #6239, 8.1.2008

Near Anniversary of Leader's Murder, Union Calls for Mass Rally Over Salaries

By Heng Reaksmey,

VOA Khmer Original report from Phnom Penh
10 January 2008

Listen Heng Reaksmey reports in Khmer

A trade union in Cambodia is seeking government permission to hold a massive rally Jan. 25 over workers' salaries and the rising cost of living in Cambodia.

Chea Mony, brother of slain union leader Chea Vichea and president of the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia, told VOA Khmer he was seeking permission to gather 100,000 workers.

The proposed rally would come just three days after the fourth anniversary of the murder of Chea Vichea, which sparked widespread worker unrest.

Cambodia earns much of its foreign revenue from garment factories, and unions continually clash with authorities over their rights.

Chea Vichea was murdered Jan. 22, 2004.

In two separate letters, to Minister of Education Kol Pheng and Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema, Chea Mony requested permission to rally 100,000 workers from 180 factories near Olympic Stadium.

"If the wage is still low while inflation keeps increasing, and the garment factory associations have shown the increase in products in both 2006 and 2007—up to 12 percent—we'd like them to use those profits to increase the salaries of the workers," Chea Mony said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Hun Sen told the Cambodian Union Federation in a letter Thursday the government's response to inflation could be to raise the minimum wage to $72 per month, while their living expenses are only $30 per month.

Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Union Federation, called the response "an excuse and temporary answer to avoid dealing with the problems, while inflation is worsening."

Rubber group to expand plantation in Cambodia

Mathaba News Agency
Asia Economy
2008/01/10

Phnom Penh (VNA) – Four subsidiaries of the Viet Nam Rubber Group (VRG) will plant a combined acreage of 4,100 ha of rubber in Cambodia this year.

The plan was announced at a conference of the VRG held in Phnom Penh on January 9 to discuss measures to speed up rubber cultivation in Cambodia under an agreement between the two governments.

So far, six companies under the VRG have been allocated over 22,000 ha of land in Cambodia to grow rubber trees.

Of them, Phu Rieng and Tan Binh companies have so far put 270 ha under rubber trees, generating many jobs for local people. However, the companies complained of the costly land reclamation due to poor soil, a lack of skilled workers, materials and machines and hindrances from import procedures.

Participants agreed on several measures to accelerate the planting, including looking for local supply of materials and equipment and training local labourers.

Thailand considers lending US$41 mn to Cambodia

BANGKOK, Jan 10 (TNA) – Thailand is considering giving financial assistance to the neighbouring country of Cambodia for the development of roads in that country, according to Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanond.

Gen. Surayud on Thursday presided over the first meeting in 2008 of Thailand's committee on neighbouring countries development cooperation at Government House.

He said after the meeting that the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) had earlier proposed many cooperation projects between Thailand and its neighbouring countries including construction of roads and bridges, cargo transportation and arms maintenance projects.

The committee agreed to forge ahead with a plan to lend Bt1.4 billion(US$41 million) to Cambodia to build a 100 km road from the Chongjom border pass in the Thai border province of Surin to Cambodia.

The projects will be submitted to the cabinet for approval at its next meeting, he said. (TNA)-E003

Trabant Team Tackles Two Continents, 320 Breakdowns

The four Trabi travellers who made it to Phnom Penh posed Tuesday with two of their vehicles. From left to right: John Drury, Daniel Murdoch, Lovejoy, and Anthony Perez.

Trabi drives past the Palace of the Republic, the former seat of the East German parliament, in Berlin in this 2006 file photo. The Trabant, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, is much maligned for its poor construction and shoddy performance -- it is made mostly of plastic, and is capable of a top speed of around 80 kilometers (50 miles) per hour. Nevertheless, Trabis are a pop culture icon in Germany.

A team of ambitious young travellers have driven a fleet of three Trabants, the infamous East German autos, from Germany to Phnom Penh as a fundraiser for Cambodian street children. The 16,100 mile journey spanned 21 countries -- and 320 breakdowns.

A team of intrepid young travellers arrived in the Cambodian capital this week to cap off a fundraising campaign that sounds as unlikely as their method of transport -- a fleet of East German-made Trabant cars.

John Lovejoy, a 27 year-old American, came up with the idea to drive Trabis from Europe to Cambodia in 2006 after buying one of the infamous Soviet-era autos in Hungary for $60 (€41). He promoted the so-called "Trabant Trek" as a fundraiser for street children in Cambodia, and set an ambitious goal to raise $300,000 (€204,000).

The four-person team that he led into Phnom Penh Monday piloted three jury-rigged Trabis all the way from Germany. The six-month journey took them 16,100 miles (26,000 kilometers) across 21 countries.

Eight people started the trip last July, but four dropped out along the way as the team struggled to coax the three Trabis -- named Dante's Inferno, Ziggy Stardust, and Fez -- across two continents.

The dauntless travellers endured more than 320 breakdowns. On some days, said Lovejoy, the finicky Trabis would need to be repaired 10 times. Only two of the vehicles made it to Phnom Penh.

Despite being much maligned for their shoddy construction -- the cars are made mostly of plastic and have a top speed of around 80 kilometers (50 miles) per hour -- Trabants are an icon of German popular culture. Trabiphiles celebrated 50 years of the cult car (more...) in 2007 -- the first Trabant rolled off the assembly line in the East German town of Zwickau on Nov. 7, 1957.

Lovejoy's Traban Trek was a fundraiser for two charities, Mith Samlanh and M'Lop Tapang, both of which work with homeless children in Cambodia.

"We're passionate about this cause and knew we'd have to take an unusual spin on traditional fundraising tactics to really get the word out," Lovejoy told the Associated Press. He said the team had raised $16,000 (€10,880) as of Wednesday -- slightly more than 5 percent of the original target.

Cambodia-based Acleda Bank assigned 'B+/B' CCR with stable outlook - S&P

January 10, 2008

BANGALORE, Jan. 10, 2008 (Thomson Financial delivered by Newstex) -- Standard & Poor's (NYSE:MHP) Ratings Services said it assigned its 'B+/B' counterparty credit ratings (CCR) to Cambodia-based Acleda Bank PLC with a stable outlook, citing the bank's adequate balance sheet strength and satisfactory asset quality.

The agency also assigned its 'D' bank fundamental strength rating on the bank.

S&P said it believes that the bank's asset quality on a long-run steady state basis might be weaker than that indicated by the current very low reported NPA levels due to portfolio seasoning.

An upgrade will hinge upon its ability to maintain good asset quality upon stabilization of its loan portfolio and improvement in core profitability through greater income diversity and an upgrade in Cambodia's sovereign rating, the agency said.

S&P said, however, substantial asset quality slippage from rapid loans growth or major economic deterioration will pose downward pressure on the ratings.Copyright Thomson Financial News Limited 2007.

All rights reserved.The copying, republication or redistribution of Thomson Financial News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial News.

Sacravatoons: The verballize Dictators

Cortesy of Sacravatoons: http://sacrava.blogspot.com/

Sacravatoons: Xmer-Terrorist

Courtesy of Sacravatoons: http://sacrava.blogspot.com/

FBI Has Helped Police Understand Terrorism, Chief Says

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer Original report from Washington
09 January 2008

Listen Sok Khemara reports in Khmer

Since cooperation with a new FBI office began last year, Cambodian police have learned more about the strategies and tactics of terrorism, the chief of national police said in a recent interview.

Cambodian police have updated their expertise in the fight against terrorism, thanks to a series of meetings and exchanges of information with FBI agents, Gen. Hok Lundy said in a rare interview last week.

There remains no terrorist threat in Cambodia, he said.

"How those tactics and strategies of terrorists have so far developed is included in the meetings and exchange of information with the US FBI representatives in Cambodia, so that we can be updated on the development of the terrorists," he said.

The FBI opened a legislative attaché office in the US Embassy in March 2007, drawing criticism from human rights groups for its close work with Hok Lundy, who has denied accusations of involvement in drug or human trafficking.

FBI officials in Washington said cooperation with Hok Lundy was necessary to better work in the region, assessing terrorist threats and conducting other law enforcement.

"We think that there has been significant knowledge gained from the cooperation in order to strengthen the security of the country," Hok Lundy said.

2 Opposition Members Arrested in Sihanoukville

By Heng Reaksmey,
VOA Khmer Original report from Phnom Penh
09 January 2008

Listen Heng Reaksmey reports in Khmer

Sihanoukville police arrested two members of the Sam Rainsy Party Wednesday, in what party officials called an act of political intimidation.

Chan Keng, 37, and Ngin Sat, 42, were arrested at their office, party members said, though they did not outline the charges against the men.

Human rights workers said the men were likely arrested for participation in several land disputes stemming from the ouster of 50 families from a Sihanoukville neighborhood in November.

Taiwan Request for Commercial Office Denied

By Chun Sakada,
VOA Khmer Original report from Phnom Penh
09 January 2008

Cambodian authorities have denied a request from the Taiwanese Overseas Commercial Development Council to open an office in the country, officials said.

Cambodia does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state, but follows a “one-China” policy. China considers the island a renegade province.

“I completely turned the request down,” Foreign Affairs Minister Hor Namhong said. “There can’t be any official representative or commercial or cultural mission or whatever from Taiwan. Cambodia permanently adheres to its one-China policy.”

Taiwan has no diplomatic representation in Cambodia, though many factories in the garment and textile sectors are Taiwanese owned.

The commercial office could have been used as an “unofficial embassy,” government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said. “It's better for these Taiwanese small business owners in Cambodia to establish their own association to coordinate their businesses.”

US Christian Group Plans Phnom Penh Hospital

By Mean Veasna,
VOA Khmer Original report from Phnom Penh
09 January 2008

Listen Mean Veasna reports in Khmer

A Christian group from Colorado is hoping to build a large humanitarian hospital in a suburb of Phnom Penh, officials said Wednesday.

Under a plan that is now being studied for feasibility, Korean and American staff would run a hospital for the Christian Medical Ministry to Cambodia, also called Jeremiah’s Hope.

Chheum Uy Konnary, a representative of the organization, said it wanted to open the hospital in the Phnom Penh suburbs.

But Ouch Borith, secretary of state for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Wednesday the government was looking for suitable land further in the countryside.

"I will raise the request to the organization to find any location in the countryside, which is easier and more convenient for both the hospital staff and the poor,” Ouch Borith said.

Government delegation concludes Cambodia visit

Nhan Dan
January 9, 2008

The repatriation of fallen soldiers’ remains was in the spotlight during a freshly-concluded week long visit to Cambodia by a delegation of the Governmental Ad-Hoc Committee.
The delegation was led by its Deputy Permanent President Lieutenant General Bui Van Huan, who is also a member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Director of the Vietnam People’s Army General Politics Department. He was accompanied by Bui Hong Linh, Deputy Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs and many other senior officials from ministries and army officers.

The Vietnamese guests had a working session with Cambodian counterparts led by Gen. Pol Saroun, Deputy Commander in Chief of the Cambodian Royal Army and President of the Cambodian Governmental Ad-Hoc Committee.

Their talks focused on progress made in locating and repatriating remains of Vietnamese volunteers who were killed in the Cambodian soil during the war time.

Under the spirit of a relevant agreement signed by the two Governments, the Cambodian side pledged to make greater efforts and give bigger support to speed up the work.

During their stay from January 2-8, the Vietnamese officials made field trips to Siem Reap, Prek Vihia and Kongpong Chhnang provinces, to inspect the excavations sites for this purpose. They also had working sessions with Cambodian provincial taskforces on this issue.

From 2002, close to 10,000 sets of remains of Vietnamese volunteers who sacrificed their lives in Cambodian battlefields have been repatriated home. (VNA)

Thursday morning Phnom Penh time

The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 541

Wednesday, 9 January 2008

Deum Ampil, Vol.3, #51, 9-15.1.2008 Government Rejects Attempt to Open Taiwanese Trade Representative Office in Cambodia, but Opposition Politicians Support the Attempt Samdech Chea Sim Calls for International Community to Provide More Funds to Khmer Rouge Tribunal Samdech Dekchor Hun Sen Orders Engineering Unit and Bodyguards to Build Roof of [Sihanoukville’s] Market for the Vendors Which Was Destroyed by Fire. Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.7, #1540, 9.1.2008

Funcinpec Vows Not to [verbally] Attack Critics [those who leave Funcinpec and then criticize Funcinpec] [Prime Minister Hun Sen urges] International Finance Center in Phnom Penh Which Costs $1.1 Billion Should Be Built Soon [by the] South Korean construction company GF (phonetic - ?)]. Khmer Amatak, Vol.9, #544, 9.1.2008

If There Was No 7 January 1979 [when Cambodia was liberated from the Khmer Rouge regime], There Would Also Be No Illegal Yuon [Vietnamese] Living All over Cambodia Khmer Machas Srok, Vol.2, #88, 9.1.2008 Mr. Sam Rainsy Calls for Khmer Citizens to Vote for the Sam Rainsy Party in Order to Win Over Cambodian People’s Party [CPP] Parliamentarian Ky Lum Ang [from Battambang] and Parliamentarian Than Sina [from Kampot] Plan to Leave Funcinpec and Join Sam Rainsy Party. Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.15, #3359, 9.1.2008

Sam Rainsy Party Proposes that Citizens Should Have the Right to Elect Provincial and Town Governors That Many Illegal Yuon Immigrants Live in Cambodia These Days Is Achievement of CPP [mocking] Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4484, 9.1.2008 New ASEAN Secretary-General Expects to Have an ASEAN Human Rights Organization Swedish Assembly Delegates Come to Strengthen Relations with Cambodian Assembly Dey Krahom Community Area: Confrontation [between dwellers and 7NG Company] Results in a Truck Being Destroyed by Fire [by unknown persons – Chamkar Mon, Phnom Penh]

Ancient water system could save Cambodia’s sinking Angkor

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Radio Australia has reported that a 1000-year-old water system could be the answer to preventing the nation’s Angkor temples from sinking.

Cambodia welcomed two million tourists last year and with figures expecting to reach three-million this year, authorities are growingly concerned with the area's underground water reservoir. Scientists also believe that if unregulated pumping of water from beneath the temples continue, the ancient ruins could be destroyed forever.

Cambodia's Minister for Commerce, Cham Prasidh said that by reviving the ancient water system, pressure from the temple’s underground water supply could be alleviated.

Banking industry country risk assessment on Cambodia assigned Group 10

The Asian Banker
January 10, 2008

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said that Cambodia's banking industry has been categorized in Group 10 in its Banking Industry Country Risk Assessment (BICRA). This reflects the country's nascent stage of development with deficiencies in the structural, institutional, and legal frameworks, it said in a report titled "Banking Industry Risk Analysis: Cambodian Banks Poised For Growth, But Structural And Institutional Vulnerabilities Exist."

Other countries in Group 10 are Bolivia, Jamaica, Ukraine, and Venezuela. (For a list of Asian BICRAs see "Banking Industry Risk Analysis: Asian Banking Systems," published April 23, 2007. For an introduction to BICRAs see "Banking Industry Country Risk: These Are The Good Old Days," published June 6, 2006.)

Cambodia's economic prospects are good due to political stability and liberal economic and trade policies. As a result, banks in Cambodia are poised to benefit from strong growth opportunities as the economy gathers momentum. However, the Cambodian banking system is fragmented and lacks financial depth with poor access to credit. There are a wide variety of structural distortions that prevent the optimization of financial intermediation by banks in Cambodia. Key ones are inadequate legal framework for secured transactions, developing institutional framework, and information asymmetry arising from poor disclosure standards.

As Cambodia transitions to a market economy and credit growth picks up, its main challenge is to rectify these deficiencies. Cognizant of this, the country's central bank, National Bank of Cambodia, has taken steps to restore confidence and improve banking and business regulations articulated in the Financial Sector Development Blueprint. The recent entry of international players has also brought a much-needed infusion of best practices and expertise. All said, the reform process is in its early stages and proper execution is crucial.The BICRA reflects the strengths and weaknesses of a country's banking system relative to those in other countries. BICRAs classify countries into one of 10 groups ranging from the strongest banking system (Group 1) to the weakest (Group 10) from the perspective of country risk.

Standard & Poor's analyzes the credit standing of financial institutions in the context of broad economic, regulatory, legal, and competitive environments in which they operate. This sectoral analysis is integral to estimating the probability of a banking crisis, the potential severity of fallout in the event of a crisis, and the fundamental strength and creditworthiness of individual financial institutions.The report is available to subscribers of RatingsDirect, the real-time Web-based source for Standard & Poor's credit ratings, research, and risk analysis, at www.ratingsdirect.com. If you are not a RatingsDirect subscriber, you may purchase a copy of the report by calling (1) 212-438-9823 or sending an e-mail to research_request@standardandpoors.com. Ratings information can also be found on Standard & Poor's public Web site at www.standardandpoors.com; under Credit Ratings in the left navigation bar, select Find a Rating, then Credit Ratings Search. Members of the media may request a copy of this report by contacting the media representative provided.Re-disseminated by The Asian Banker

Water program has global reach

Chapel Hill project trying to bring safe water to Cambodia

By Prashant Nair, Special to The Chapel Hill News

Editor's note: This is the first of two articles on the Carolina Global Water Partnership.

Ka Har, a mushroom grower from the Angkor Ban village in Cambodia, lives on the banks of one of the world's longest rivers, the Mekong river of Southeast Asia.

One of Har's biggest concerns was getting safe drinking water for his family. Harvesting rainwater and boiling water from the river kept Har and his family disease-free.

That was until June 2006, when Har, 55, heard a radio ad for a newly developed water filter and saw a demonstration in his village. Ever since he bought one for his home, he has stopped worrying.

Har is one of 11 million rural Cambodians whose lives may be changed by an initiative conceived several thousand miles away in Chapel Hill.

The Carolina Global Water Partnership is a collaborative project to prevent children in Southeast Asia from dying of water-borne diseases by bringing safe water to their homes. Diarrhea accounts for more than 80 percent of the deaths among Cambodian children under 5 years of age.

Mark Sobsey, an environmental scientist at the UNC School of Public Health, heads the project, which is trying to bring inexpensive, household water purifiers to rural Cambodia.

3 Americans, 1 Briton drive Trabant cars to raise money for charity work in Cambodia

John Lovejoy, a 26-year-old American who is the team leader of the Trabant Trek, talks to the press in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008. Lovejoy was among four young foreign travelers who arrived in Phnom Penh on a quest to raise money for street children in this impoverished Southeast Asian nation, after traveling through 21 countries by means of two unlikely vehicles, the much maligned Trabant cars produced by the former East Germany.(AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Anthony Perez of the U.S. pushes his Russian Trabant Trek before Daniel Murdoch of Britain can start their 1987 car in front of the Independence Monument in Phnom Penh January 9, 2008. The duo, along with John Drury and John Lovejoy of the U.S., end their road trip in Cambodia, after having started last July from Germany. They have since travelled across 21 countries within six months in a bid to raise $300,000 for Cambodian street children as well as to increase awareness for child poverty worldwide.REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea (CAMBODIA)

John Drury (L), John Lovejoy (2nd R) and Anthony Perez (R) of the U.S., as well as Daniel Murdoch of Britain pose on their Russian Trabant Treks in front of the Independence Monument in Phnom Penh January 9, 2008. The team ends its road trip in Cambodia, after having started last July from Germany. They have since travelled across 21 countries within six months in a bid to raise $300,000 for Cambodian street children as well as to increase awareness for child poverty worldwide.REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea (CAMBODIA)

Trabant cars produced by the former East Germany, drive past Cambodia's main capital of Phnom Penh, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008. Three Americans and a Briton, after traveling through 21 countries, have arrived in Cambodia by means of the two unlikely vehicles. Throughout their six-month journey, their cars broke down some 320 times. But despite the odds, they reached Cambodia in their quest to raise money for street children in this impoverished Southeast Asian nation.(AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

2008-01-09

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - Three Americans and a Briton, after traveling through 21 countries, have arrived in Cambodia by means of two unlikely vehicles _ the much maligned Trabant cars produced by the former East Germany.

Throughout their six-month journey, their cars broke down some 320 times. But despite the odds, they reached Cambodia in their quest to raise money for street children in this impoverished Southeast Asian nation.The Trabant, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, is made mostly of plastic and has a top speed of 80 kilometers (50 miles) per hour. Its considerable deficiencies have long been the butt of jokes.John Lovejoy, a 26-year-old American who is the team leader, said Wednesday that the journey has so far raised US$16,000 (¤10,880), still far short of the original target of US$300,000 (¤204,000).

He said the money will be given to Mith Samlanh and M'Lop Tapang, two non-governmental organizations working with street children in Cambodia.«We're passionate about this cause and knew we'd have to take an unusual spin on traditional fundraising tactics to really get the word out,» said Lovejoy, from Washington, D.C.The trip started out in Germany in July last year.

It initially included eight people from Europe and the United States, but four dropped out along the way due to problems with the vehicles.He said that on some days the cars had to be fixed up to 10 times.The group traveled the cities of Europe, the desert of Turkmenistan, the mountains of Tajikistan, the Kazakh steppe and Siberia during winter, said Dan Murdoch, a 25-year-old Briton from London.

Last month, his team made it across China, spent Christmas and New Year in Laos before arriving in Cambodia via Thailand on Monday, Murdoch said.«The last few weeks have been really challenging, the cars have been giving us a lot of grief,» he said.After traveling more than 26,000 kilometers (16,100 miles), the group left Phnom Penh Wednesday for Sihanoukville, Cambodia's coastal city, to continue their fundraising and enjoy the beach after the tough trip.

7NG Company and Phnom Penh Authorities Intent on Inciting Disorder in Cambodia's Capital

Published on January 9, 2008

Since the night of Saturday January 5, 7NG company workers and police have persistently attempted to place roadblocks on the two main public streets leading to Dey Krahorm village in Phnom Penh, repeatedly provoking confrontations with community residents which culminated on the night of January 7 with the burning of a truck used in one of the roadblocks. Residents claim that it was 7NG workers themselves who set the truck alight, in order to accuse the community of doing it.

Tensions have escalated since 7NG workers, protected by numerous police and military police, began blocking the two roads with empty gasoline drums at 3.30am on Saturday night. Residents, fearing that access in and out of their homes would be cut, reacted by pushing the drums to the side of the road and preventing the workers from filling them with water to weigh them down.

Police maintained a loose cordon of the area throughout the night and most of Sunday. About 9.30pm on Sunday night, 7NG workers again tried up to fill the drums with water.

A crowd of residents once more prevented this, and pushed the drums out of the way. Later that night, company workers re-positioned the drums, along with a parked truck, across the road to block access to Dey Krahorm from Sothearos Bvld.On Monday, company workers or police in civilian clothes who were manning the roadblocks prevented people from delivering supplies to Dey Krahorm market - an apparent attempt to cut off the livelihoods of many community residents who make an income selling goods at the market.

Sihanouk : I Stop Producing Movie Now...

S. Korean company to build skyscraper, new cities in Cambodia

January 09, 2008

A South Korean construction company has unveiled plans to construct a skyscraper and new cities in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, local newspaper on Wednesday quoted an advisor to Prime Minister Hun Sen as saying.

Kevin Kab Ryal Kim, executive director of GS Engineering and Construction, told Hun Sen of the projects during a meeting in Phnom Penhon Tuesday at the premier's residence in Kandal province's Ta Khmao district, according to Cambodian-language newspaper the Kampuchea Thmey.

Sry Thamrong, advisor to Hun Sen, said that the firm will begin constructing a 53-storey international financial building in mid-2008 on nearly seven hectares of land near the Russian Embassy in Phnom Penh's Tonle Bassac commune and the construction is scheduled to be completed in 2012.

In the building, there will be supermarkets, shops, offices, schools, and apartments able to accommodate around 10,000 people, said the advisor, adding that the plan will create 3,000 jobs, reported another Cambodian-language newspaper the Rasmei Kampuchea.

Kevin Kab Ryal Kim said that his company also plans to construct a satellite city on 145 hectares of land on the outskirts on Phnom Penh alongside National Road 6, adding that another city with five-star hotels and an international airport will be built in Sihanoukville.

Hun Sen expressed support for the firm's projects and vowed to ask state institutions to ease the company's work, said the newspaper.South Korea surpassed China in 2006 to become the largest foreign investor in Cambodia.

Source:Xinhua

Thaksin’s wife returns to Thailand

Pojaman Shinawatra, wife of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, arrives at the Supreme Court in Bangkok yesterday. (REUTERS)

1/9/2008
AFP

bangkok • The wife of Thailand's ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra returned yesterday to defend herself in court against charges of corruption, as her husband insisted on their innocence.

Pojaman Shinawatra, a shrewd political player in her own right, arrived in Thailand with her husband's political allies facing legal hurdles to forming a new government despite their victory in last month's general elections.

She was immediately escorted by police to the Supreme Court to face corruption charges and then to the special investigations unit of the justice ministry to hear fraud charges.

A short while later she was released after posting a total of six million baht ($178,000) in bail. Pojaman smiled at the throngs of reporters who followed her every move but said nothing.
Dressed in a black suit and dark sunglasses, Pojaman was accompanied by her three children and waved to the handful of supporters who had gathered to greet her.

The 51-year-old has spent more than six months overseas with her husband while investigators here piled charges against them.

"She came here today to prove her innocence," her lawyer Noppadon Pattama told reporters after the court hearing.

Noppadon said Pojaman would go to Bangkok's Grand Palace later in the day to pay her respects to Princess Galyani, who died of cancer last week at age 84. The princess was the sister of revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Pojaman and Thaksin are charged with corruption in the purchase of a plot of prime Bangkok real estate. Investigators say Pojaman used her husband's political influence to buy the land from a government agency at one-third of its estimated value.

They are also accused of making fraudulent filings to securities regulators in 2003 when they listed a property firm on the local exchange.

Pojaman, her step-brother Banpot Damapong and her personal secretary Kanchanapa Honghern also face additional criminal charges of tax evasion.

Conviction on any of the charges could result in prison sentences.

Thaksin has lived in self-imposed exile since the military toppled his government in a bloodless coup in September 2006, but yesterday he again vowed to return home to defend himself in court once the political situation settles.

"I have long said that I will return to Thailand to prove my innocence and to fight for justice, but I do not want to trigger any conflicts that would worsen the situation," Thaksin said in a statement on his website.

"I want to reassure you that when the appropriate time comes, I will return to Thailand to prove the innocence of myself and my family."

His allies in the People Power Party (PPP) emerged from elections last month just shy of a majority in parliament, but the military-appointed Election Commission has opened dozens of vote fraud investigations that threaten their ability to form a new government.

Sacravatoons: Hanoi's Tool

Courtesy of Sacravatoon : http://sacrava.blogspot.com/

Sacravatoons: Xihanuk's Film

Courtesy of Sacravatoon: http://sacrava.blogspot.com/

In December 1978, around 200,000 Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia and captured Phnom Penh om 7 January 1979.

Pol Pot overthrown on this day in 1979

Vietnamese troops seize the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, toppling the brutal regime of Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge.

FOCUS News Agency - Bulgaria7 January 2008

The Khmer Rouge, organized by Pol Pot in the Cambodian jungle in the 1960s, advocated a radical Communist revolution that would wipe out Western influences in Cambodia and set up a solely agrarian society. In 1970, aided by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops, Khmer Rouge guerrillas began a large-scale insurgency against Cambodian government forces, soon gaining control of nearly a third of the country.

By 1973, secret U.S. bombings of Cambodian territory controlled by the Vietnamese Communists forced the Vietnamese out of the country, creating a power vacuum that was soon filled by Pol Pot's rapidly growing Khmer Rouge movement. In April 1975, the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital, overthrew the pro-U.S. regime, and established a new government, the Kampuchean People's Republic.

As the new ruler of Cambodia, Pol Pot set about transforming the country into his vision of an agrarian utopia. The cities were evacuated, factories and schools were closed, and currency and private property was abolished. Anyone believed to be an intellectual, such as someone who spoke a foreign language, was immediately killed. Skilled workers were also killed, in addition to anyone caught in possession of eyeglasses, a wristwatch, or any other modern technology. In forced marches punctuated with atrocities from the Khmer Rouge, the millions who failed to escape Cambodia were herded onto rural collective farms.

Between 1975 and 1978, an estimated two million Cambodians died by execution, forced labor, and famine. In 1978, Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia, capturing Phnom Penh in early 1979. A moderate Communist government was established, and Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreated back into the jungle.

In 1985, Pol Pot officially retired but remained the effective head of the Khmer Rouge, which continued its guerrilla actions against the government in Phnom Penh. In 1997, however, he was put on trial by the organization after an internal power struggle ousted him from his leadership position. Sentenced to life imprisonment by a "people's tribunal," which critics derided as a show trial, Pol Pot later declared in an interview, "My conscience is clear." Much of the international community hoped that his captors would extradite him to stand trial for his crimes against humanity, but he died of apparently natural causes while under house arrest in 1998.

Cambodia blog watch

January 9, 2008

The latest crop of foreign bloggers, in no particular order.

John Vink - Photographer for the world-renowned photo agency Magnum. Great photojournalism.

Anne Elizabeth Moore - Former editor of Punk Planet, now volunteering in Cambodia. Offers a refreshing, new-comer’s perspective of the country.

Moniving Boulevard - Cambodia Daily journalist on local current events and American politics.
Grasshopper - Khmer boxing news from Paddy’s sports center.

Gordon Sharpless - Long-term Siem Reap expat and guesthouse owner. Covers the ins and outs and ups and downs of life in Cambodia and Thailand.

Andy Brouwer - Long-time Cambodiaphile recently transplanted to the motherland. Writes mostly about tourism-related subjects. Very informative.

The Daily gets competitors

January 9, 2008

According to Scoop, the new owners of the Phnom Penh Post plan to open offices in Siem Reap and take the paper daily.

Immediate plans for the paper are to turn it into a daily newspaper in about March. In April the newspaper will open an office in Cambodia’s second largest city, Siem Reap. Australian journalist Peter Olszewski will be bureau chief in Siem Reap and will assist with the launch of the daily edition in Phnom Penh.

Interesting. Because word on the street is that MC&D is on the verge of launching an English-language daily newspaper, too, perhaps as early as next week.

Thailand, a country with a lot more people than Cambodia, manages to support two daily newspapers, The Post and The Nation, but only just. It seems incredibly unlikely — impossible, even — that Cambodia will be able to support three.

Because of its NGO status, The Daily could ostensibly hang on for quite some time. But as advertising revenue gets thin, and, much more importantly, staff start defecting to the rivals, the quality of the Daily is likely to dive so precariously as to make it irrelevant, despite whatever financial life support from foreign friends of the publisher.

As for the other two, MC&D is a French-operated quasi-NGO publishing in a language it doesn’t speak very well. The Australians behind the Post are, well, Australians — it’s not like they speak English very well either. Which makes it a close call. But if you’re taking bets, the smart money is on the people with experience, and translating stuff from the Khmer papers doesn’t count.

Cambodia takes thousands of bullets, bombs from scrap merchants

Posted : Wed, 09 Jan 2008
Author : DPA

Phnom Penh - Cambodian authorities have confiscated 6,000 bullets and more than 1,000 bombs and grenades from scrap collectors near the Thailand border, authorities said Wednesday. Police chief for O'Chrou district in Banteay Meanchey province, Ung Song Yue, said by telephone that raids on at least seven scrap metal merchants had netted the dangerous haul but the operation was still not complete.

"We will conduct an inventory Thursday but the total is likely to go higher," he said.
"Cambodian scrap collectors sometimes think about money to eat with now more than their future."

An official with the Cambodian Mine Action Center, which is helping police with their work, agreed that the haul would probably be much higher than the 7,000 weapons and unexploded ordinance currently collected.

Cambodia is still recovering from a 30-year civil war and remains littered with unexploded bombs and bullets, which contain valuable metals, including copper, and provide collectors with lucrative incomes.

However, the death toll amongst scrap collectors is high and police said they feared the consequences of keeping large stashes of old and potentially unstable weapons in residential areas. Banteay Meanchey, home to several former Khmer Rouge strongholds, was the site of heavy fighting until just over a decade ago.

Biking for Development in Cambodia

Mara Hvistendahl
January 8, 2008

It started simply enough. In early 2005, Daniela Papi was finishing up a three-year stint as a English teacher in Japan and looking for a meaningful next step. She'd visited Cambodia a few years back and wanted to return. Her friend Greta Arnquist had volunteered there the summer before. The two decided they would bike across the country – and make a contribution along the way.

Papi had experience with other “voluntourism” trips and knew it would be difficult to find a project that benefited locals as much as it did her and Arnquist. Still, she says: “I felt like we could be using our funds toward something sustainable and ongoing.” The friends found American Assistance for Cambodia online and asked them how much money it took to build a school in Cambodia. AAfC said $16,000.

Giving themselves a year to raise the money, they set out on a tour of churches, synagogues, and community centers back home in America. (Papi is from New York, Arnquist from Minnesota). They met their target in three months – and kept going. By the end of the year, they had raised $100,000, most of it in checks of a few hundred dollars or less. The largest individual donation was $2,000.

Partnering with AAfC, they funded an addition on a primary school in Siem Reap Province. The school had been struggling to house 500 students in five classrooms. The money paid for a new building with another five classrooms, a solar panel, a generator, an Internet connection and salaries for computer and English teachers. And they had funds to spare.

They scheduled their bike trip to coincide with the opening of the school. Meanwhile, their fundraising campaign had an unintended side effect: a number of people who heard them speak wanted to tag along. As long as riders agreed to pay their own way and contribute funds to the school, they consented. By December 2005, they had assembled a group of 35 people from 13 countries – and they were turning people away. Protect the Environment Protect Yourself (PEPY) was born.

Two years later, Papi is leading several trips a year and overseeing seven full-time Cambodian staff members, along with eight foreign volunteers. (Arnquist now works for an NGO back in the U.S.) In March 2007, PEPY opened a middle school in Streung Treng province. The first school, meanwhile, has become a pilot for the One Laptop Per Child program.

PEPY has grown so quickly that it has split into two nonprofits, a development organization that funds and oversees schools and other initiatives and a separate tour company. Next year, PEPY Ride will have a Cambodian executive director. But the priorities that first sent Papi and Arnquist across Cambodia-- an interest in education and in finding a way to spur sustainable tourism – are still very much in focus.

Before each trip, PEPY organizers consider how riders might be most useful. On-the-ground local staff help identify community needs. While on the road, bikers strive to minimize their impact on organizations’ time. Rather than stopping at orphanages to play with kids or pounding nails into houses and schools, they might donate to worthy local projects – today’s riders commit to raising $1,000 each -- in exchange for a quick introduction to a local development issue.

“People like to paint something and get dirty,” Papi says, “and that’s when they feel like they’re most valuable. But actually they’re being useful just by being there and talking to people.”

Riders might also talk with kids at PEPY schools about career options or teach them English. In exchange, children lead lessons on Cambodian culture. “We try to show people that they can learn as much as they give,” Papi says.

The emphasis on learning ensures that after the trips riders go home armed with ideas about how to keep working on some of the issues they encountered in Cambodia. After the first PEPY ride, one woman spearheaded a similar project for Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans. Two riders developed master’s thesis topics based on their experiences.

The program has also had less tangible outcomes. When asked what they want to do when they grow up, many local kids used to say they want to be shop owners. After exposure to other opportunities, many now say they’d rather become teachers. “They’re learning to expand their horizons,” Papi says.

Images: PEPY.

Gov’t delegation concludes Cambodia visit

09/01/2008

VietNamNet Bridge – Repatriating remains of fallen soldiers was in the spotlight during a freshly-concluded week long visit to Cambodia by a delegation of the Governmental Ad-Hoc Committee.

The delegation was led by its Deputy Permanent President Lieut. Gen. Bui Van Huan, who is also a member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Director of the Viet Nam People’s Army General Politics Department.

He was accompanied by Bui Hong Linh, Deputy Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs and many other senior officials from ministries and army officers.

The Vietnamese guests had a working session with Cambodian counterparts led by Gen. Pol Saroun, Deputy Commander in Chief of the Cambodian Royal Army and President of the Cambodian Governmental Ad-Hoc Committee.

Their talks focused on progress made in locating and repatriating home remains of Vietnamese volunteers who were killed in the Cambodian soil during the war time.

Under the spirit of a relevant agreement signed by the two Governments, the Cambodian side pledged to make greater efforts and give bigger support to speed up the work.

During their stay from January 2-8, the Vietnamese officials made field trips to Siem Reap, Prek Vihia and Kongpong Chhnang provinces, to inspect the excavations sites for this purpose.

They also had working sessions with Cambodian provincial taskforces on this issue. From 2002, close to 10,000 sets of remains of Vietnamese volunteers who sacrificed their lives in Cambodian battlefields have been repatriated home.

(Source: VNA)

Cambodia rejects Taiwan's bid to open business representative office

January 09, 2008

The Cambodian government has reiterated its rejection of the so-called Taiwan External Trade Development Council's request to open a business representative office in Cambodia, local newspaper the Deum Ampil reported on Wednesday.

The council plans to open a branch in Cambodia and a number of other countries in Asia to seek new markets for Taiwanese businesses, according to the reports of Channel News Asia (CNA) on Monday.

The attempt to reopen a business representative office is impossible, said Om Yentieng, advisor to Prime Minister Hun Sen.

A Taiwanese business representative office was opened in 1993 in Cambodia but closed following factional fighting in 1997.

The Taiwan business council also plans to organize a delegation visit to promote business ties with both Cambodia and Myanmar, according to CNA.

Some 1,000 Taiwanese investors do business here, mainly in the garment sector, said Om Yentieng, adding that five shoemaking factories in Cambodia are owned by Taiwanese investors, with each employing around 8,000 to 10,000 Cambodian workers.

The Cambodian government consistently supports China's One-China policy and in July last year announced its opposition to Taiwan's bid to join the United Nations.

"There is only one China in the world, namely the People's Republic of China, and Taiwan is an integral part of China," Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Namhong told Xinhua at the time.

Source:Xinhua

Cambodian French Quarter Hosts Property Investment Opportunity

(OPENPRESS) January 9, 2008 -- Whether you’re looking for a sleek and stylish property to boost the appeal of your property portfolio or simply looking for the levels of investment return that only come with an overseas property investment, a second home in Cambodia’s emerging market hosts the perfect opportunity. Overseas property investment specialists David Stanley Redfern Ltd are offering investors the chance to own an affordable, financially rewarding 1-2 bedroom property from as little as £29,151 so, the failsafe ownership of a highly desirable riverside property in the revered French Quarter of Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital city, is there for the taking, along with all of its attached benefits.

Cambodia’s current capital growth promises an enticing 15%-20% net rental return, however, these apartments include a 2 year guarantee of a 10% minimum return, so a little peace of mind comes with the package too.. With Cambodia’s profile attracting an increasing number of holiday takers and investment makers alike, the vast rental opportunities are simply undeniable. Any emerging property market place holds great rewards for the assertive and the shrewd investor particularly perhaps, but with Cambodia’s ever strengthening economy taken into account, the future of the region and any investment made in it will surely flourish.

But just what exactly is being offered for your investment? Well, it’s breathtaking contemporary master-class at its most alluring, so it’s somewhat reassuring to know that a £1000 reservation fee will secure a property with no construction risks and nothing to pay until completion after an initial post-due diligence payment of 35%. An accessible 1-2 bedroom apartment complete with full utilities that’s serviced by 17 airports in landlord friendly Cambodia can now belong to any buyer on the international property market. As always, ensuring you have a reputable and reliable agent such as David Stanley Redfern Ltd is highly recommended, so as to alleviate any sense of worry that overseas property buyers can often feel.

Truck-maker Hino expands to Laos, Cambodia, Haiti

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

TOKYO, Jan 9, 2008 (Asia In Focus via COMTEX) -- Japan's HINO MOTORS LTD.

(TSE:7205) is looking to cultivate demand in emerging markets, entering Laos and Cambodia and launching sales in Haiti and other countries with the help of parent TOYOTA MOTOR CORP. (TSE:7203). Hino has formed sales agencies in Laos and Cambodia, becoming the first Japanese commercial-vehicle manufacturer to enter these markets.

* Hino plans to take advantage of the Toyota group's networks to begin marketing in Haiti, Algeria and three other countries by the end of March.

* Annual truck sales in Laos, Haiti and other new markets are projected at only 200-300 vehicles initially, compared with the 5,000-plus units Hino sells in nations such as Thailand, the U.S. and Australia.

Mondolkiri Residents Protest Arrest of Four

By Chun Sakada,
VOA Khmer Original report from Phnom Penh
08 January 2008

Listen Chun Sakada reports in Khmer

A group of 120 hill tribe villagers from remote Mondolkiri province are protesting for the release of four arrested men, officials and representatives said Tuesday.

The protest follows the decision by the provincial court to jail four men accused of attempting to murder the provincial deputy military commander following an altercation.

Protestors say the charges against the men are unfair, as they were involved only in a small scuffle with the commander and his party.

Village representative Sieng Sareth said the group was unhappy with the charges against Chreb Chreh, 36, Pek Khek, 38, Ghas Tung, 30, and Peal Peng 34.

Provincial court prosecutor Lou Sosambath said the case was proceeding according to law.

Construction Co. Truck Torched After Dispute in 'Red Earth' Neighborhood

By Heng Reaksmey,
VOA Khmer Orginal report from Phnom Penh
08 January 2008

Listen Heng Reaksmey reports in Khmer

Residents of a Phnom Penh neighborhood slated for development demolition allegedly set fire to the truck of a construction company's truck, officials said Tuesday.

Chhim Savuth, an investigator for the Cambodia Center for Human Rights, said residents of the Red Earth neighborhood, near the National Assembly building, and employees of the 7NG Company had thrown rocks at each other.

An hour later, he said, a 7NG truck parked near the entrance of the neighborhood was lit on fire.
Several witnesses said company personnel set fire to the truck and blamed the villagers.

The fire is the latest in a round of sparring between the residents of Red Earth, who claim they are being unfairly evicted from their homes, and 7NG.

Srey Sothea, a representative of 7NG, said Tuesday the company was being caught up in a dispute between residents and local authorities.

Tribunal to Hold Public Forum in Former KR Stronghold

By Mean Veasna,
VOA Khmer Original report from Phnom Penh
08 January 2008

Listen Mean Veasna reports in Khmer

The Khmer Rouge tribunal will hold a public meeting in Pailin next week, in an effort to allay fears of lower ranking cadre they could be arrested too, officials said Tuesday.

Pailin, in the mountainous jungles of northwest Cambodia, had been the home of chief ideologue Nuon Chea and nominal head Khieu Samphan before their arrests late last year. Many of their family members and supporters still live there.

Tribunal spokesman Reach Sambath said the goal of the forum would be to reassure former low-ranking Khmer Rogue soldiers they would not be similarly prosecuted.

Co-investigating judges will explain to participants that the tribunal's mandate is to indict top leaders only, he said.

Pailin authorities will disseminate information ahead of the meeting in an effort to include as many participants as possible, he said.

Ly Kimseng, wife of Nuon Chea, said Tuesday she had not received information on participation.

Sam Rainsy: We All Welcome 7 January

Posted on 8 January 2008.
The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 541

“Phnom Penh: Mr. Sam Rainsy, the President of the opposition party in Cambodia, joined on 5 January with Khmer citizens countrywide to welcome the 7 January as a holiday, when Cambodian people’s lives were saved and the country was liberated from the black-clad regime of mass killings.

“Mr. Sam Rainsy, who has just returned to the country after visiting Europe, said, ‘We are all happy to welcome the 7 January, because we remember this day as the day when the Khmer Rouge regime was ended.’ He added that on the 7 January, the Pol Pot regime was overthrown and the Cambodian people were freed from the killings. He considered that the liberation of the Cambodian people gives a positive view to 7 January.

“People throughout the country acknowledge that without the 7 January 1979, many would not be alive, because the Khmer Rouge cruelly killed many people, causing the death of almost two million people.

“Though Mr. Sam Rainsy, the president of the opposition party of Cambodia, recognized the importance of the 7 January 1979, he also considered the 7 January 1979 to be the day when a foreign country invaded Cambodia. He said, ‘If they entered to free us and then they would have gone back home, we would be grateful to them. But they overthrew the Khmer Rouge regime and then they continued to control Cambodia. This was not good.’ He explained that the 7 January 1979 also made Cambodia lose its independence and sovereignty, and it was controlled by Vietnamese troops.

“Because the 7 January 1979 saved Cambodian people’s lives, it has become an important day in political afguments for the Cambodian People’s Party [CPP] to propagandize for votes so far. In general, it is recognized that the 7 January is an important element to help towards the success of the CPP in three national elections so far – i.e. in 1993, 1998, and 2003.

“However, Mr. Sam Rainsy, the president of the opposition party, said that after 29 years have passed, the 7 January has become ineffective for election campaigns. He thinks that the 7 January has no longer a powerful role as a political threat against the Sam Rainsy Party. He explained that in the 2008 election, the number of young people voting increases, and these young people do not remember anything.

“He went on to say that young people in Cambodia, and also worldwide, think more about their employment, their salary, and justice etc.

“A CPP official said that no one can deny that the 7 January 1979 is the second birthday of the Cambodian people. Therefore, we hope that the people will continue to support us; and moreover, we are also obliged to repay those who were before us their favor with the construction of the country, so that it is developed, peaceful, free from poverty, and it has social justice.

“Though Mr. Sam Rainsy does not consider the 7 January to be a threat against his party in elections, most observers and political analysts thought, ‘Whatever the degree, the 7 January will collect votes for the CPP which led the forces to free the Cambodian people from the killings by the Khmer Rouge. A political analyst, who has been working for a long time, said that when time passes by, more and more people in the young generation reach the age of voting. These young people know very little about what happened during the Khmer Rouge regime. Hence, the propaganda about the 7 January 1979 may be effective only with a small number among the young voters. He continued, ‘However, the 7 January is still deep in the heart of people in the middle and older age groups. Thus, they will still vote for the CPP.’

“This analyst went on to say that the overall effectiveness of the 7 January for voters may decline with the increase of the number of people of the younger generation participating in the elections. As a result, the CPP must think beyond the use the 7 January for its election campaigns. Economic growth, people’s improved livelihood, a clean society, and justice are what the Khmer people in general want. This is what the ruling party must consider to be among the priorities in its political platform, if they want the people to continue to support them.”

Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4482, 6-7.1.2008

Aussies Take Over At Cambodia's Phnom Penh Post

Tuesday, 8 January 2008
Article: MediaBlab

Aussie Businessmen Take Over Cambodia's Phnom Penh Post

Story From MediaBlab Australia

Two Australian businessmen with stakes in The Myanmar Times weekly have taken a controlling interest in The Phnom Penh Post, a respected Cambodian newspaper, according to Thomson Financial News.

Ross Dunkley, chief executive officer of Myanmar Consolidated Media, which publishes the Myanmar Times, said he and Bill Clough, an Australian miner and oil and gas entrepreneur, have taken a controlling stake in the paper.

The acquisition deal was formally signed in Bangkok on December 22, 2007.
He said the Cambodian paper would be run completely separately from the Myanmar publications, which include English and Myanmar-language weeklies.

The Phnom Penh Post, which publishes every two weeks, was founded by American journalist Michael Hayes 17 years ago.

Hayes will remain as editor in chief, while the project will be managed by Michel Dauguet, a French national with extensive experience working in Vietnam in media and software development.

Immediate plans for the paper are to turn it into a daily newspaper in about March. In April the newspaper will open an office in Cambodia's second largest city, Siem Reap. Australian journalist Peter Olszewski will be bureau chief in Siem Reap and will assist with the launch of the daily edition in Phnom Penh.

Olszewski, editor of MediaBlab news service, worked with Ross Dunkley in Yangon, as a journalism trainer. He wrote a book about Myanmar titled Land of a Thousand Eyes, published in Australia by Allen & Unwin.

The Myanmar Times began publishing in 2000 as that country's first private newspaper in over three decades. Dunkley also had experience working in tightly-controlled societies as editor of the Vietnam Investment Review.

MediaBlab reported late last year that this deal was in the offing (see archives.)

MediaBlab's report said that that Hayes has been saying he wants to sell for the last couple of years, and it seems the potential new buyers are keen to transform the paper into a serious daily to cash in on Cambodia's booming economy and thriving media market.

Hayes is a typically colourful expat character and landed a cameo role in the 2002 drama movie, City of Ghosts, co-written, directed by and starring Matt Dillon, about a con artist who goes to Cambodia to collect his share in money collected from an insurance scam.

Hayes plays the part of Harry an American expat who frequents a bar.

Michael Hayes first visited Cambodia in October 1974, one year before the Khmer Rouge came to power.

In October 1991, after working for an aid foundation in Thailand for several years, Michael returned to Phnom Penh looking for work and instead decided to set up the country's only independent newspaper.

Hayes and his then wife Kathleen moved into the Phnom Penh Post office, a three-story colonial villa, in May 1992. They slept on the floor, rewired the whole building and enlisted friends to bring computer equipment in with their hand luggage on trips from America.

All the printing houses were government-run and not permitted to do private print jobs, so at first the paper was printed in Bangkok and brought to Cambodia as 20 boxes of extra luggage.
The paper then forged a relationship with Wellington's Dominion newspaper in New Zealand, and the Wellington Polytechnic, now Massey University, journalism program.

Several Kiwi graduates of the university worked at the newspaper and Matthew Grainger, Jason Barber and Peter Sainsbury were to become three successive editors over seven years at the Phnom Penh Post, making up what Jason Barber called the kiwi mafia in Phnom Penh.

The paper reported, and survived, the 1997 coup. The airports closed, foreigners and volunteers were shipped out and the country was devastated, but the Post found a printer in Phnom Penh, covered the story and the paper got out on time.

The paper has continued to follow controversial stories about the human rights atrocities, poverty and corruption that are part of Cambodian society.

"All kinds of people are pissed off about our stories. Death threats are more common than Christmas cards here. People use them all the time," Michael Hayes told the Massey University Magazine.

Cambodia's oldest English newspaper to publish weekly

PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIA'S oldest English-language newspaper will publish weekly instead of once every two weeks under a new ownership deal meant to make the paper more competitive, its founder said on Tuesday.

Ross Dunkley and Bill Clough of Australia and Michel Dauguet of France have bought a controlling interest in the Phnom Penh Post, said Michael Hayes, a US citizen who founded the paper 15 years ago.

Mr Dunkley is the chief executive officer of Myanmar Consolidated Media, which publishes the Myanmar Times newspaper in that country, and Mr Clough owns a mining and oil exploration company in Perth, Australia, said Mr Hayes, who said he will stay on as the paper's editor-in-chief.

The newspaper is now published once every two weeks and will go weekly under the new ownership, Mr Hayes said. It was not immediately clear when the new publication schedule would start.

'It has been several years that I have been looking for an investor to help expand the Post,' he said in an e-mailed response to a reporter's questions.

Mr Hayes said that the Post is not in debt, though it just breaks even financially.

'It has never really been easy to run a paper here in Cambodia,' he said.

The Post is a respected publication in Cambodia's media world, and sometimes draws the government's ire. The paper is read mostly by expatriates, overseas subscribers and government officials.

The Post became Cambodia's first English newspaper in 1992 when Mr Hayes started it with US$50,000 (S$71,689) in savings - as well as two computers and a fax machine. -- AP