Cambodians accuse Thailand of redeploying troops at border temples

Topnews

Submitted by Mohit Joshi
Mon, 08/11/2008

Phnom Penh - Cambodian border officials Monday accused Thailand of disregarding agreements to move back from three border temples in northern Oddar Meanchey province, but said they would not act until after bilateral ministerial talks in a week.

After negotiations Tuesday, Thai troops agreed to pull back from the Ta Moan group of temples, but moved back into the area Saturday, said a senior border official who asked not to be named.

"We have held four rounds of negotiations with the Thais and they just don't respect any agreement," the official said. "They have not built a barricade at the temple - that has been there for a long time - but they are making it bigger."

However, he said Cambodia refused to react until after talks between the nations' foreign ministers scheduled for August 18.

"We will not be drawn," he said. "We await the orders of Prime Minister Hun Sen and he has ordered peaceful negotiation."

The English-language Cambodia Daily quoted provincial governor Pich Sokkin as saying about 20 Thai troops were now at the temples, with 70 more stationed nearby, and said they were fortifying barricades.

Thailand moved troops into the disputed border area on July 28, further worsening relations over a spat concerning the Preah Vihear temple, which was recently listed as a World Heritage site, about 150 kilometres east of Ta Moan.

Preah Vihear's listing by UNESCO on July 7 came despite protests by Thailand, which complained the surrounding border area remained in dispute and Thai troops moved in not long after. Later that month the spat spread to Ta Moan.

Cambodia has repeatedly said it has proof that the Ta Moan group of temples are sovereign territory but has stressed it seeks a peaceful resolution to the dispute. (dpa)

Lesbians struggle against discrimination, prejudice

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Mom Kunthear and Chrann Chamroeun
Monday, 11 August 2008

While not banned by law, same-sex marriages in Cambodia are often made impossible by red tape and social hostility

DESPITE fears that same-sex marriages would degrade traditional Khmer culture, lesbian couples in Cambodia are demanding that the government make marrying their partner an easier proposition.

"Some women don't want to live with a man or to marry a man," said Ouk Mony, from the NGO Women's Network for Unity, who is a staunch supporter of same sex unions.

But lesbian marriages currently face a lot of "unreasonable and unknowledgeable" discrimination in the Kingdom, she added.

Neither the Cambodian marriage law nor the constitution mention whether same-sex marriage is allowed.

While the first lesbian union in recent memory occurred in 1995 and others have followed, the legal ambiguities make same-sex marriage a complex process. Couples are sure to encounter considerable difficulty in obtaining the official trappings of marriage - certificates, documents and forms - necessary to make the union fully legal.

"Even though I have the body of a woman I consider myself a man. I have had a wife for eight years and now we live with each other," said Chock Sophorn, 26 who prides herself on being a good husband to her wife and the breadwinner of the household.

" My wife’s family have forbidden us to love each other. "

"I have heard people say that I and other lesbians should not be in the society. I really suffer and I cry when I hear this," she added.

"[My wife's family] have forbidden us to love each other because we don't have the ability to have children," said Chock Sophorn, adding that she hopes that with enough popular support the Cambodian marriage system could mature, as it has in several Western countries.

"I don't think that we do anything against the Khmer tradition and we will marry if the government allows us to," Chock Sophorn said. "It is my right to love someone."

So Vita, 47, who has lived with her wife for 20 years and has adopted a daughter, said that she has never regretted her decision as "my wife and I are happy," she said. The couple face widespread discrimination but "I try not to think about their hard words and I tell them that they should think how their words will impact on my feelings," So Vita said.

According to Dr Song Ngak, deputy chief for Family Health International, there are some common myths around homosexuality - for example, that it is caused by the food a mother eats during pregnancy - which need to be dispelled.

"Lesbians and gays make up 2 to 3 percent of Cambodia's population," he said. "They don't really impact on Khmer tradition. One day homosexuality will become normal like in England and other countries that have legalised same-sex marriage."

Dams threaten Siamese crocs

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Sovan Nguon
Monday, 11 August 2008

Rare reptiles face shrinking habitat in mountains of Pursat

THE construction of hydro-electric dams in the Cardamom Mountains in central Cambodia will damage the habitat of an endangered species of Siamese crocodiles, conservationists have warned.

The reptiles are also called mountain crocodiles because they live in the rugged altitudes of Koh Kong and Pursat provinces, with a few in the northeast, said Nhek Ratanapich, national coordinator of Flora and Fauna International's Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Programme.

"The Cardamom Mountains are the largest breeding habitat for endangered Siamese crocodiles," Nhek Ratanapich said. "Their numbers are small, so it is hard to gather them for breeding."

But three new hydro-electric projects in Pursat province have been approved by the government since May of this year.

And Siamese crocodiles cannot survive in areas flooded by dams, said Seng Bunra, country director of Conservation International.

The China Datang Corporation and its partners, CHD Cambodia Hydropower Development and Cambodia Power Grid, unveiled plans in May to invest US$313.36 million to build the 120MW Atay River dam, which is due for completion in 2012. Two others were approved in mid-June, including the China National Heavy Machinery Corporation's $540 million project to build the 246MW Tatay River dam, due for completion in 2013, and the 338MW Russey Chrum Krom project, to be completed in 2015 by the Michelle Corporation at a cost of $495.7 million. The approval of two more dams is pending."

This species is almost extinct and is now found only in Cambodia, Indonesia, and parts of India and Africa," said Seng Bunra.

"A new natural habitat should be prepared to evacuate Siamese crocodiles because such crocodiles prefer to live in lakes or valleys in the mountains at least 500 metres above sea level."

He estimated that there was a population of 260-280 of the crocodiles currently living in the Cardamom Mountains and warned that flooding their habitat would reduce breeding opportunities.

A female crocodile can lay 30-40 eggs, while less than 20 percent escape being eaten by other animals.

A VERY SHY SPECIES
Siamese crocodiles rarely attack humans. They can grow to a length of up to four metres and a weight of about 150 kilograms. They can live as long as 80 years and are an endangered species in Southeast Asia, facing extinction.

Nhek Ratanapich said that environmental impact studies may have mitigated some of the harm caused to the crocodiles by the hydro-power projects.

But he also pointed out that the reptiles are endangered throughout Southeast Asia.

"Cambodia is one of the last habitats for this species," he said. "Some foreign tourists are also interested in seeing them - they are an eco-tourism attraction."

Opinion: Election results signal bright future for Cambodia's economy

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Benny Widyono
Monday, 11 August 2008

The landslide victory of the Cambodian People's Party at the July 27 elections, in which it is expected once official results are released to have won 90 seats out of 123, a gain of 17 seats from the 2003 election, bodes well for the future of Cambodia and it will bolster the 23-year rule of Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen, who is considered a fulcrum of economic stability.

Hun Sen's victory, the third since UNTAC (United Nations Transitional Authority of Cambodia) conducted elections in 1993, carries a special significance.

It is the first election under the constitutional amendment of March 2, 2006, requiring only a simple majority, 50 percent plus one, rather than the unwieldy two-thirds majority laid down in the Constitution adopted after the UNTAC elections.

This time, CPP won at the expense of Funcinpec, the royalist party, which had won the UNTAC-administered elections in 1993, and has now practically disappeared from the radar screen, obtaining only two seats. The main opposition party is now the Sam Rainsy Party, which gained 26 seats, three more than in 2003.

" Cambodia has an $8-billion economy, but this could easily be a $100-billion economy within another 10 to 20 years, providing stability continues".

The landslide victory can no doubt be attributed to rapid economic progress since the UNTAC elections of 1993, driven by four Fs: foreign aid, foreign investment, foreign trade and foreign tourists.

Since 2004 Cambodia has become Asia's fastest growing economy after China. Starting from a low base, average annual growth rate during 2001-2006 was 9.9 percent compared with Asean's 6.5 percent. Everywhere one can see a rapidly emerging middle class living in ever better accommodations, reflecting the construction boom and rapidly escalating land prices, while more and more families are sending their children to public and an increasing plethora of private schools and universities.

In the last 10 to 15 years, the four Fs were augmented by a rapidly growing, vibrant and dynamic domestic sector.

An example can be found in Lucky enterprises, which during UNTAC days had a small store serving high-spending UNTAC personnel. Now Lucky boosts five supermarkets including one in Siem Reap and seven Lucky Burgers and Lucky Sevens.

FDI surge

In 2004, foreign direct investment began to surge from less than one percent to eight percent of GDP in 2007. Today, foreign investment is dominated by North Asia, particularly Korean companies who are building skyscrapers and condominium complexes. The growth of domestic enterprises has attracted American capital, including Leopard Capital, a private investment fund aimed at building a diversified portfolio of Cambodia's leading businesses in key sectors it has identified such as financial services, energy, telecoms, real estate, hotels, manufacturing, agribusiness and natural resources.

After the UNTAC elections in 1993, the country was governed by two prime ministers, Prince Ranariddh, head of the royalist Funcinpec party who won the elections and Hun Sen of the CPP who came in a close second. Ironically, soon businessmen who flocked to Cambodia, as well as donor governments discovered that in order to get things done one should turn to the ex-Communist Hun Sen wing of the government rather than to the erratic and haphazard Ranariddh who headed the Royalist wing of the government.

Today, Cambodia has a US$8 billion economy - but this could easily be a $100 billion economy within another ten to 20 years, providing stability continues, and there is no reason to think it won't.

There are many other compelling reasons to invest in the country including a remarkably open economy, its central location as the epicentre of a fast growing region, no separatist movements, a young and hardworking population eager to learn new skills, and low labour costs.

Land boom

Let us look at some specifics. The property boom including the building of a great number of housing projects and malls have driven land prices sky high especially in the centre of Phnom Penh where land values rose from $500 a square metre in 2003 to over $3,000 today.

Many feel that this will be followed by a crash. However, look at the history at such countries like Thailand and Indonesia, who suffered a property bubble during the financial crisis of 1997, but have since continued to boom and are now at levels much higher than before the crisis.

The plans for a stock market to open its doors in 2009 will further boost the rapidly growing financial services sector attracting both domestic funds as well as international funds through mutual funds following the pattern of other Asian countries.

International banks have started to move in but there is room for much faster growth in this sector.

With economic stability assured, other internationally known banks will follow and move in.

Decades of fighting has had one consequence which makes Cambodia so desirable to investors:

the availability of vast swathes of arable and fertile land just waiting to be cultivated for rice and other valuable cash crops for exports, agricultural materials including food processing is another untapped resource for growth.

Finally, in addition to Angkor Wat, Cambodia offers beautiful untouched beaches to attract tourists. Indeed, Cambodia is still relatively unexplored in tourism potential.

Overall, there is no doubt in my mind that the elections will usher in another five years of dynamic growth and stability in the country.

Benny Widyono, Ph.D., was the UN secretary general's representative in Cambodia from March 1993 to May 1997. He is a professor of economics at the University of Connecticut.

Acleda poised to shift focus out of Cambodia

August 10 2008
By Raphael Minder in Hong Kong
Financial Times (UK)

Acleda, a Cambodian microfinancier that has built up the country’s largest retail banking network, is considering opening its shareholding to a western commercial bank as it starts to expand outside its home market.

Last month Acleda became the first Cambodian bank to make a foray abroad, after obtaining a banking licence from neighbouring Laos. The bank is eyeing China and Vietnam next.

In Channy, chief executive, told the Financial Times that Acleda had received 19 investment proposals and would decide next month which one would make the best “strategic shareholder”. Western banks are on the list, although he would not disclose names.

Acleda began 15 years ago as a microfinance program­me backed by the United Nations and has since established itself as one of Asia’s leading providers of microcredit.

It has also developed a full-fledged retail business, with 214 branches across Cambodia. Mr In Channy forecast that, in five years, microfinance would represent 30-40 per cent of Acleda’s lending business, down from 50 per cent now and 70 per cent in 2005.

Mr In Channy added that there was no specific timetable for expanding into more countries but sounded particularly optimistic about filling a void in the Chinese lending market. “There is just no institution in China like ours serving the lower sector,” he said.

To meet such ambitions, Mr In Channy said Acleda “really needs the capital base to grow”, at a rate of about $70m a year. Adding a shareholder, however, could alter the balance of power, since Acleda is currently 51 per cent-owned by its staff and other locals, while the other 49 per cent is owned by foreign funds and international donors, including the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank’s private lending arm.

With inflation recently soaring in Cambodia, Mr In Channy insisted that Acleda could weather any serious economic downturn, noting that its rate of non-performing loans was 0.02 per cent in 2007, compared with an average of 5.2 per cent for the country’s banking sector.

In a report earlier this year, Standard & Poor’s, the credit ratings agency, commended Acleda for its good asset quality, “although the laws on secured transactions are not well-defined in Cambodia and recovery is not guaranteed. This might call into question the bank’s ability to enforce claims and magnify its exposure to structural weakness in the economy.”

Cambodia: CPP Wins Almost 60% of Vote

PHNOM PENH, Aug 11 Asia Pulse - The Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) won 58.1 per cent of the popular vote in the July 27 general election, according to figures released by the National Election Commission (NEC) on August 9.

NEC also said that with 21.9 per cent of vote, the Sam Rainsy Party is the CPP's nearest rival.

According to a NEC official, turnout was 75.21 per cent or six million of the 8.1 million eligible voters.

But the official declined to say how many parliamentary seats each party had won before a further announcement next month in which full official results will be revealed.

The Sam Rainsy Party on the same day rejected the outcome and demanded a re-run.

Earlier, the CPP claimed it had captured at least 90 of the 123 seats in Parliament.

(VNA)

Military must justify budget

The Bangkok Post
Monday August 11, 2008

Costs have been rising for everyone lately, but the nation's elected representatives should take a long and careful look at the new request for funds by the armed forces. In testimony late last month to a House committee, senior officers said the military needs 169 billion baht for the next fiscal year, which begins on Oct 1. That is about 26 billion more than the current year, or nearly 18%. And this year's budget of 143 billion baht is a full 60% higher than fiscal 2006, thanks to the largesse of the government installed by the military coup.

Now inflation is high, but no employee or civil servant will be getting a raise that works out to about 51% in two years. Thus far, the commanding generals, admirals and air marshals have been quite vague about what they will do with such a large budget rise.

Defence Ministry permanent secretary Gen Vinai Patthiyakul told the special House budget committee that an internal study showed that Thai military power was rated ''a bit lower than Singapore and South Korea''. But neither of those countries borders Thailand or poses a threat.
Compared with Laos and Cambodia, Thai forces rate ''a bit higher''. One certainly hopes so. Laos has about 29,000 troops using Indochina war-era weapons, spending the equivalent of 470 million baht. Cambodia's total armed forces of perhaps 100,000 men account for a budget equivalent of 4.5 billion baht.

While spending does not always parallel effectiveness, there clearly is no comparison between the capabilities of the Thai armed forces, with more than 200,000 men and women on active duty or in paramilitary forces on instant call.

The military, rightly, has a special place in the nation's budget, just as it has a special place in the nation. It defends the Thai borders, and there is no more sacred duty. The armed forces play a vital role in society, and have frequently been called on to sacrifice at home and abroad. At the same time, however, the military is subject to government control. The national treasury is limited, and both the government and parliament must oversee a huge number of programmes that are important to the country.

Gen Vinai and the commanders of each of the armed forces told the budget committee that equipment is wearing out, and both maintenance and new weapons are needed. But an important part of managing the military in peacetime is keeping supplies in the pipeline, exactly so that taxpayers can afford the bill.

The army and air force have also been coy about how they have used 38 billion baht out of this year's huge budget increase. The deal to buy 96 armoured cars from Ukraine was pushed through with undue and even unseemly haste. It was hard to imagine a more suspect, opaque purchase _ until the air force bought 12 combat aircraft from the Swedish firm Gripen International. No senior officer or defence minister showed up to explain to the country or to parliament just why these cars and planes were necessary, and the funding was shrouded in mystery.

The military needs to be far more cooperative and accountable in explaining its budget. The country will not let the armed forces down when it needs manpower, equipment or money. But neither can taxpayers afford to simply hand over whatever commanders want, with no explanation.

Like the Foreign Ministry, the military should appear before parliament and justify its request for a massive spending increase.

Wild frontiers

SIDE VIEW - A collection of stoned heads up for sale aside the road in eastern frontier of Thailand.

By Manote Tripathi
The Nation
Published on August 11, 2008

The provinces bordering the Cambodian border are rich in ancient architectural wonders

Hot, dry and very dusty for much of the year, the Kingdom's eastern provinces along the ThaiCambodia border are best explored during the rainy season. Although the heat can still be a killer between downpours, there are so many natural and ancient attractions scattered across Prachin Buri and neighbouring Sa Kaeo, which was elevated to provincial status in 1993, that this area more than merits the drive from Bangkok for a weekend break.

Known for their topclass national parks, waterfalls and whitewater rafting courses, both Prachin Buri and Sa Kaeo boast a number of classic Dvaravati and Khmer temples dating back more than a millennium. The drive to the two provinces is like journeying back in time through Thai and Khmer history and art ending, for those who wish it, in a very modern Vegasstyle spread just across the border from Aranyaprathet.

For time efficiency, it makes sense to start your itinerary from the far end and work inwards. At 236 kilometres from Bangkok an easy threehour drive the hilly expanse of Sa Kaeo is strewn with remnants of ancient Khmer heritage that spill over from the Korat plateau in lower Isaan
For history buffs, this is an ideal destination for many reasons. First, these lesserknown Khmer temples are a lot older than the famous ones like Angkor Wat. Secondly, many of these are tucked away deep in the forest and are relatively unknown to most tourists.

It's a long drive to Sa Kaeo, but Road 359 offers priceless views of endless eucalyptus plantations set against a backdrop of distant hills as the road rises and dips through slopes all the way to the provincial capital. Driving in the rain, you almost get to touch rain clouds hovering just above treetops.

Ironically, the first landmark you'll notice is not an ancient temple but rather a Baan Uathorn (lowcost) housing estate at the beginning of Road 348. Rows of white houses with blue tile roofs contrast beautifully with the green swamp but memories of that eye candy soon fade on the approach to Sadokkokthom Temple in Khok Sung subdistrict, the biggest Khmer temple in eastern Thailand. Still in a much better condition than any other in the province, the temple lies east and is just 400 metres from the Cambodian border. Beyond the borderline are unmarked minefields in Banteay Meanchey.

Tucked away behind rural villages and surrounded by big trees, the temple has two large baray (reservoir) to the east and the north, the former the biggest at 240 by 440 metres. Inscriptions from two stone blocks (now kept at the National Library) found here reveal that the temple was unusual.

Built of laterite and pink sandstone from Khao Lone nine km to the north during the reign of King Aditayavarma II (10491066), Sadokkokthom was originally a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Chairat Sakulpram, a volunteer guide, says that the temple was the most important of all in the area because it was the centre of knowledge for all Brahmins who wanted to serve in the royal Khmer court. They came here to study all aspects of the religious protocol before entering the service in the ancient court.

Much of the damage, Chairat says, is the result of looting that started during the 1960s, much of thought to have been perpetrated by GIs stationed in the northeast in the wake of the Vietnam War.

The partially disfigured reclining vishnu lintel still adorns the gopura but the Shiva Linga from the main tower sanctuary is now missing.

From Sadokkokthom Temple, it's tempting to visit Aranyaprathet just opposite Poi Pet if for no other reason but to observe Cambodian life without actually crossing the border markets. These day, visitors come to Aranyaprathet for three main reasons: to try their luck in one of the casinos just over the border, to hail a Toyota Camry taxi for a Bt500 trip to Siem Reap to see Angkor Wat or to shop at Talat Rong Klua market for handicrafts and products from Tonle Sap, Vietnam and China.

It's a hot and dusty market full of contradictions, with young Cambodians both selling their wares and begging for mercy. On the other side, buses with the names of casinos plastered on the windshield ferry gamblers across the border.

Around Aranyaprathet, there are a few more Khmer temples to be found. Since most are in ruins beyond restoration, they are better ignored. Instead, turn the car inland and head towards Prachin Buri on Highway 33.

Downtown Prachin Buri, just 155km from Bangkok, is a frenzied market town with ubiquitous restaurants, glassfront barber's shops and beauty salons. A favourite spot with locals is the Bang Pakong River, which boasts countless riverfront restaurants, temples and a spectacular Chinese shrine on its banks.

One of the best known attractions is Chaophraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital, home to the renowned colonialstyle Chaophraya Abhaibhubejhr building. Built in 1909 as a residence for King Rama V on his next visit to Prachin Buri, it was never graced by the monarch, as he passed away the following year. However, it did serve other members of the royal family including King Rama VI who visited in 1911.

Named after the son of the Cambodian ruler of Battambang who served the Fifth King when this city and other parts of Cambodia came under Siam's rule, the hospital is now known as a centre of traditional Thai medicine and produces the kingdom's best known line of herbal products.

From Prachin Buri, it's an easy drive south on Road 319 to the ancient Dvaravati city of Si Mahosot. Or, if you've had enough of history, can head northwards on Road 3077 to Khao Yai National Park with its renowned waterfalls, camping sites and wildlife observation stations
A favourite stopover on the northern route is Haeo Narok waterfall (literally "the hellish abyss"), which made the headlines some years ago when some hapless elephant calves strayed off the beaten track and fell 60 metres to their death.

Heading back to the urban sprawl, you either exit on the other side of the national park, in Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima, and pop into Choke Chai farm for some tasty ice cream made from real milk, or make your way back to Prachin Buri and admire King Naresuan Shrine right at the intersection of Road 3077 and Highway 33.

After that, follow the highway for 15km to Nong Chaom fruit market, then turn left into Road 319 for Bangkok with a stop at Si Mahosot ancient city.

Prachin Buri and Sa Kaeo make for an incredible driving experience and a great weekend stay - check them out while the weather is still pleasantly cool and the showers still frequent.

A land of great beauty and heartbreak inspires an artist

Artist Rachel Peters with Enduring the Spirit, one of the works in her exhibition inspired by Cambodia. 080810LP01Picture: LEANNE PICKETT

THE STANDARD
BY ALEX SINNOTT
11/08/2008

GENOCIDE, war, famine and renewed hope in a land redefining itself after the murderous regime of Pol Pot are subjects explored by artist Rachel Peters' exhibition on Cambodia.

Colours of the Khmer was inspired by Peters' three-week visit to Cambodia last year to meet up with a long-time friend, Kannikun Ouk.

Peters first met Kannikun in 1988 through her work in the charity organisation Initiatives for Change.

"When Kannikun was a child her father was killed, and he, like many others, were killed for the simple fact that they were teachers," Peters said.

As a teenager Kannikun became separated from her mother after fleeing Cambodia to a refugee camp in Thailand.

"For many years she didn't know that her mother was still alive in Cambodia until she was able to return to Phnom Penh in the mid-1980s," Peters said.

Visiting Cambodia in June 2007, Peters said her meeting with Kannikun was bittersweet as her physical condition had deteriorated after her experience as a refugee.

"It's a sad country. There's still a lot of corruption, but the Cambodian landscape is so rich and exotic and so aspects of that went into my artwork," she said.

Proceeds from the exhibition, which will run at the Allan Lane Community Gallery until August 17, will go to the Cambodia Trust.

Cambodia set to build more dams

Radio Australia

Cambodia will spend roughly 400 million US dollars later this year to begin construction of new dams in a bid to improve the country's irrigation system and boost rice exports.

The Mekong Times quotes Water Resources Minister Lim Kean Hor as saying that irrigation will eventually cover one million hectares of paddies throughout the country.

He says the first construction steps have started and the government hopes irrigation will reach nearly 60 percent of the entire country's rice fields, currently only 44 percent are irrigated.

Cambodia's Sokimex Group Building 5-Star Hotel in Phnom Penh

asia.cnbc.com

PHNOM PENH, Aug 11 Asia Pulse - Cambodia's Sokimex group has held a ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a five-star hotel in Phnom Penh in an effort to improve tourism infrastructure in the country.

The US$100 million hotel, the third of its kind in Phnom Penh, is expected to be full operational in two years time.

The 16-floor hotel, once completed, will have 799 rooms, two great conference halls and 10 ballrooms.

At present, the Cambodian capital has only two five-star hotels and four four-star ones.

Meanwhile, the number of foreign travellers going to Cambodia has increased rapidly, reaching 1.1 million people in the first half of 2008, up 13 per cent over the same period of last year.

The Cambodian tourism authorities have set a target of attracting 2.5 million foreign travellers this year, as compared with over 2 million visitors in 2007.
Sokimex, established in the early 1980s, is one of Cambodia's biggest business groups.

(VNA)

Vietnam - News : flood in the North - 10.08.2008

Politiktoons : " We're the world,aren't we ? "

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

Cambodia Town Inc. raises cash for neighborhood library

Press Telegram Long Beach

Members of the nonprofit organization Cambodia Town Inc. will be presenting a check representing a five-year pledge to raise $150,000 at the Mark Twain Neighborhood Library at 1401 E. Anaheim St. on Monday at 5:30 p.m.

The celebration will also honor the one-year anniversary of the opening of the Mark Twain Neighborhood Library. The celebration will feature special programs, highlighted resources and refreshments during Mark Twain's working hours, noon to 7 p.m.

The donation by members of Cambodia Town Inc.'s Ambassador Circle of Giving will go towards the Mark Twain Family Learning Center Endowment Fund.

For more information about the event, contact the Long Beach Public Library Foundation office at 562-628-2441.

12 Chinese teachers to work in Cambodian schools

www.chinaview.cn

2008-08-10

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Association of the Chinese People in Cambodia (ACPC) here Sunday welcomed 12 teachers from China's Shandong and Jiangsu provinces to work at six Chinese Cambodian community schools with Chinese language education on curricula.

Under the arrangement of the Chinese government and the coordination of ACPC, which is the largest Chinese Cambodian community organization in the kingdom, the teachers arrived here Saturday and will soon go to work at four schools in Phnom Penh, one in Bantey Meanchey province and one in Kampong Speu province, on their one-year term.

"Your arrival embodies the care and support from the Chinese government for the education cause of the Chinese Cambodian community schools," said ACPC secretary general Ming Lean at the welcome ceremony.

Duan Jinzhu, political counselor at the Chinese Embassy, said that the teachers are expected to fulfill their glorious task and contribute to the bilateral cultural and educational exchanges between China and Cambodia.

In the past decade, the Chinese government sent at least two batches of experts and teachers here to help train the personnel at the Chinese Cambodian community schools.

Meanwhile, more than 100 teachers at Chinese-teaching schools were invited by the government to China to accept professional study.

In the whole country, there are currently some 70 schools that teach Chinese language, with about 30,000 students and over 1,000 teachers, according to ACPC.

Editor: Lin Liyu

Ailing Khmer Rouge leader leaves hospital: court

Former Khmer Rouge leader Ieng Sary seen at the Extraodinary Chambers in the Court of Cambodia in Phnom Penh

PHNOM PENH (AFP) — Ailing Khmer Rouge leader Ieng Sary has been discharged from hospital after one week of treatment and returned to the custody of Cambodia's genocide tribunal, a court official said Sunday.

The 82-year-old former foreign minister of the ultra-communist regime was rushed to Phnom Penh's Calmette Hospital on August 1 after he found blood in his urine.

He was taken back to the court on Friday afternoon, said tribunal spokesman Reach Sambath.

"He is getting better now. However, the doctors are still taking care of him because he has many illnesses," he told AFP.

Ieng Sary is one of five top Khmer Rouge leaders currently detained by the United Nations-backed court for crimes against humanity allegedly committed during their 1975-79 rule.

Up to two million people died of starvation and overwork or were executed by the Khmer Rouge, which dismantled modern Cambodian society in its effort to forge a radical agrarian utopia.

Ieng Sary was previously hospitalised in late January for treatment of a chronic heart condition. He was in hospital again in February, spending a week there after he began urinating blood.

Ieng Sary has suffered from deteriorating health since his arrest last November, highlighting the fragile condition of the tribunal's likely defendants, who are mostly in their 70s and 80s.

Their age and failing health has increasingly raised fears that some will not live long enough to be brought to trial.

Tribunal officials have said they expect the court's first trial to begin in September with proceedings against Kaing Guek Eav, also known as "Duch," who ran a notorious torture centre in Phnom Penh.

The opposition still challenging the election results of the 27th of July

Cambodge Soir
09-08-2008

One day before the NEC announced the preliminary results of the elections, three political parties once again threaten to boycott the parliamentary opening session in September.

“Unacceptable”, declare the three main opposition parties in advance, the SRP, the HRP and the NRP, the day before the announcement of the preliminary election results of the 27th of July by the National Election Committee (NEC).

During a press conference on Friday 8th of August, the gathered representatives of these political parties have disputed the analysis of the NEC in advance. They also requested the committee to dispense justice on the “incorrect” use of the 1018 form and on the “abusive” radiation of names from the rolls.

The head of the SRP has eloquently explained a parallel between “the Pol Pot regime which killed more than two million people and now the CPP which destroys the civil rights of approximately two million voters”.

Muth Chantha, spokesperson for the NRP is directly attacking the committee: “The NEC has committed a serious crime; it has denied the citizens the right to vote.”

Concerning the continuation of the events, the representatives of the opposition were clear. If their complaints aren’t processed according to the law, they won’t join the parliamentary opening session on the 24th of September.

Moreover, Sam Rainsy doesn’t think that the King will be there. “Why would Hun Sen take decisions instead of the King”, did he say, before adding: “two million people didn’t get to vote. These are King’s subjects, the King represents the people.”

The opposition will take the matter further. The parties are thinking about introducing a complaint with the countries that signed the “Paris Agreements” of 1991, in which was stated that Cambodia had to follow a democratic system.

This whole excitement doesn’t seem to bother Khieu Kanharith, the current Minister of Information. Interviewed by “Cambodge Soir Hebdo”, he reacted to the threats of the SRP, the HRP and the NRP not to join the first session of the National Assembly in September. His answer is radical: “Usually, if a party member dies or resigns, his party has to appoint a successor. If a party doesn’t acknowledge the Assembly, it means that it withdraws and its seats will then be shared.” The opposition has now been warned.

Officials and Staff of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal Have Not Received Their Salaries because of a Corruption Scandal

Posted on 10 August 2008
The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 572

“Recently, the UN Development Program office [UNDP] decided to delay the transfer of funds for the salaries of more than US$300,000 for Khmer officials and staff of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, after there were complaints about corruption at the Cambodian side. The delayed salaries for around 250 Cambodian officials and staff are for July.

“Ms. Amy Brown [phonetic], UNDP public relations officer, explained by e-mail that the decision to delay the transfer of salary funds for the Khmer staff was made after new claims about corruption had been made. At present, UNDP and donor countries are reviewing everything related to the case. She explained that the UNDP had decided to delay the transfer of the salaries in order to assure the integrity of the funds.

“The UN spokesperson of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, Mr. Peter Foster, said that some Cambodian officials and staff had lodged complaints to the UN relating to corruption and to some other irregularities. A UN oversight office in New York checking internal problems is investigating these cases.

“Regarding the aforementioned problems, Ms. Helen Jarvis, a public affairs official of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, did not explain the reasons for the delay of the Khmer staff salaries, she just considered it to be related to a late availability of the funds for the salaries. She said, ‘As it is known already, there are US$300,000 for the salaries for July, but we do not yet have the possibility to provide the July salaries. However, all together we are still waiting for much bigger funds than the funds to provide the salaries.’

“Both Ms. Helen Jarvis and Mr. Peter Foster explained that negotiations are proceeding to solve these problems, and solutions will be found soon. It is not the first time that the Khmer staff of the Cambodian side of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal receive late salaries, but it is the first time that the UNDP delays the Khmer staff’s salaries in order to investigate corruption.

“In early 2007,an organization concerned with law reform activities, which has its seat in New York in the USA – the Open Society Justice Initiative – revealed that it had received information about Cambodian staff paying part their salaries as a kick-back to officials of the Khmer government in return for having been employed at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. What the Open Society Justice Initiative had raised made Sean Visoth, the head of the administration of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, very angry, and he announced to stop cooperating with this US organization.

“It should be noted that the UNDP administers the funds to provide the salaries of Khmer staff from the Cambodian section of the site.

“This new scandal makes the public aware that the international community starts to have less and less trust in the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, because the scandal of 2007 is not yet solved, and now there is another shameful scandal. It is therefore not so easy for the Khmer Rouge Tribunal to seek additional millions of dollars to operate until the end. So far, in addition to Japan, France, Australia, and Germany, no other countries provide additional funds for this mixed tribunal [with a Cambodian and a United Nations component].

“Recently, officials of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal reported that the trial of Kang Kek Ieu, called Duch, the former chief of the Tuol Sleng Prison, will be conducted in September or October, but what causes serious concern is that the Khmer Rouge Tribunal is facing a serious financial crisis - and it is facing a shameful corruption scandal. So this crisis might delay the trial of former senior Khmer Rouge leaders, where all the suspects, who are being detained in the special Khmer Rouge Tribunal detention center, are old and have serious and alarming illnesses.

“Nevertheless, Khmer citizens in Cambodia and abroad want the trial of Duch, as well as of other former senior Khmer Rouge leaders, to happen as soon as possible as long as they are still alive and are able to reveal facts while standing trial. But if the trial is still delayed, the suspects detained for trial might die one by one, and the secrets of the Killing Field regime will be buried with their deaths. Therefore, the sooner the trail of the former senior Khmer Rouge leaders is held, the better, because the health of Khiev Samphan and of Ieng Sary is getting worse.

“Observers of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal since it was started said that, if this mixed tribunal has the intention to find justice for more than 1.7 million Khmer citizens who were killed during the Killing Field regime, the trial of Duch has to happen in September or October as planned. If not, it means that the Khmer Rouge Tribunal has no intention to find justice for the victims, and Khmer citizens will never see the light of real justice. Therefore the international community and donor countries must press on with the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, to try the suspects soon as a warning for the next Khmer leaders not to repeat a cruel massacre like the former Khmer Rouge leaders committed.”

Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.15, #3534, 9-10.8.2008
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:Saturday, 9 August 2008

Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia join in promoting tourism

Gia Lai, Aug 9 (VNA) - Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian tourism experts met in Central Highlands Gia Lai province on August 8, to find ways to promote tourism between the three countries.

Delegates called for governments to increase infrastructure investment for the tourism sector and encourage both local and foreign companies to invest in the three countries' economic development triangle.

The triangle area includes Vietnam 's provinces of Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Lak and Dak Nong, Lao provinces of Atopu, Sekong, and Salavan, and Cambodian provinces of Stung Treng, Ratanakiri, and Mondunkiri.

At present, Gia Lai and Kon Tum provinces of Vietnam arrange tours to Cambodian and Lao localities through the Bo Y border gate.(VNA)

Thailand welcomes call for unity by Cambodia's PM

The Bangkok Post
Saturday August 09, 2008

THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL

Thailand yesterday welcomed Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's statement that the border disputes between the two countries need to be resolved through bilateral mechanisms. Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said the Cambodian leader's stance was in line with Thailand's as Bangkok also wished to find a solution to the Preah Vihear temple issue in a peaceful and amicable manner through bilateral mechanisms.

The existing mechanisms include meetings between the foreign ministers, the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) and the General Border Committee (GBC).

''Differences of views on boundary issues between two neighbouring countries are not unusual. Thailand and Cambodia have in common a 798-kilometre land border. Thailand shares the Cambodian prime minister's view that both countries will be able to find a solution by working together,'' said Mr Tharit.

Hun Sen on Wednesday said the two countries needed to stay together as good neighbours for tens of thousands of years to come.

Thailand and Cambodia needed to narrow their disputes and maximise bilateral cooperation including trade, he said.

Mr Tharit said the Preah Vihear temple issue was only one small part of their overall relations as the two countries have many common interests and cooperation in the economic, political, social and other dimensions.

Also, the people of both countries living along the Thai-Cambodian border have enjoyed close relations, sharing and celebrating the same traditions and cultures, he said.

''Thailand also agreed with Prime Minister Hun Sen that the second meeting between the two foreign ministers should be able to make good progress and pave the way for both sides to find a solution,'' he said.

The second ministerial meeting between Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Nam Hong is tentatively scheduled for August 18-19 at Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan.

Temple tantrum

The Bangkok Post
Saturday August 09, 2008

Thais hope rhetoric will cool before business climate sours, writes Umesh Pandey

With border tensions with Cambodia rising, Thai companies that have operations in the neighbouring country are wondering whether nationalistic rhetoric could threaten the closer economic relations the two countries are trying to create.

Cambodia, which only 13 months ago was pitching incentives and opportunities to Thai investors, is now a place where investors may be fearful of participating.

The Preah Vihear temple dispute, initially perceived as an election campaign rallying cry by the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), has not died down. Now the dispute has spread to involve the Ta Moan Thom temple, located in Si Sa Ket near the border.

Tensions in Cambodia are not new. Everyone recalls the hostilities that resulted in major damage to Thai businesses and the Royal Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh in 2003 after Cambodian media erroneously quoted a Thai actress as saying Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand.

Last year, the government of Cambodia assembled an audience of more than 200 investors and declared that nationalistic issues would not be a factor in the future.

"Let's put the past behind us and build the future. That was a political issue and we took responsibility (by paying compensation for the burning of the embassy)," was the response at the time of Kong Vibol, first secretary of state for the government of Cambodia.

"Now we provide a guarantee to Thai investors in order to make them more confident."
Cambodia, he said at the time, was among the freest countries in the region and had set itself firmly on the development path, offering a free hand to foreign investors to set up businesses.
They cannot own land but can lease it for 99 years. As well, he said, Cambodia had no foreign-exchange controls on current-account transactions.

However, the temple issue has opened old wounds, and with calls already for boycotts of Thai products, Thai businessmen are feeling the heat, although publicly they do not want to admit it.

"Yes, investing in Cambodia is risky and we knew that before we even decided to put our money in the country the first time around," said one major investor who asked that neither he nor his company be named.

"All I want to say is if the country wants to see funds flow into the country, it will have to avoid look at ways to avoid creating a situation where investors start to fear," he said.

Thai investors present in Cambodia include leading conglomerates Siam Cement Plc, Charoen Pokphand Group, Thai Beverage, PTT, Mitr Phol, Khon Kaen Sugar Mills Plc and more than 100 small and medium-sized companies.

Siam Cement, which only recently opened its cement plant in Cambodia, and CP Group, have both come out to openly state that their operations there are in good shape and are not being affected from the calls for boycott. But Saha Pathanapibul Plc, the maker of Mama instant noodles, is perceived as a possible boycott target.

ICC International Plc, a member of the Chokwatana family empire that includes Saha Pathanapibul, said it was seeing minimal impact in Cambodia so far.

"The impact we have had is very minimal as the business size that we have there is very small and it is our firm's policy to not invest too much in any single country that is new to us," said ICC chairman Boonkiat Chokwatana.

ICC sells a number of its cosmetic and apparel products in Cambodia.

"I must say that we are used to these kinds of downturns as we have experienced them in Burma too. What we do is we wait and see how things shape up and then make a decision," he said.

"They usually last for a short period and things go back to normal."

Despite the problems facing investors in the country, there are those who are brave at heart and are looking to participate in a market dominated by imported products.

With a population of 14.3 million Cambodia is "an interesting market to be present in", says one investor.

"Yes there are risks and we knew it after the 2003 incident, but Cambodia is a market where everything is basically imported and how many markets in this part of the world can you find where there is such a huge potential," he said.

"What we have to look at long-term potential and overlook the short-term issues."

The key, he says, is to look for a business that has potential and one that is less volatile in such situations. In all cases it is critical to keep Cambodian workers happy.

"Today despite all the perceived problems, we are not experiencing anything there, but then our project is not for mass consumption either and it would take years before we start to realise our returns," the executive said.

The key element of doing business in countries that are developing is not just your basic business model but also includes the key element of who you know and who is your local partner. As most SMEs are unlikely to have a risk management in place, seeking a partner who can be helpful in times like this.

Many large companies have good connections to Prime Minister Hun Sen and his allies, but those that don't need reliable local partners. The larger multinationals recommend that those looking to enter the market consult with the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh.

Despite all the problems, there has been an influx of investment into Cambodia, especially in labour-intensive industries. According to the Ministry of Commerce, exports to Cambodia grew by 71.8% in the first half of this year, the highest growth rate in five years, amid a surge in demand for Thai goods and growing trade relations.

Exports to Cambodia are expected to reach the target of $1.69 billion this year, an increase of 25%.

CPP wins 58% votes in 4th general election of Cambodia

www.chinaview.cn

2008-08-09

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The major ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) won around 58.11 percent of the votes in the fourth general election on July 27, according to the preliminary official balloting results declared by the National Election Committee (NEC) here Saturday.

Altogether 3,492,374 out of the 6,010,277 actual voters cast their ballots for CPP, who had already translated the victory into 90 out of the 123 seats at the National Assembly (NA) and claimed to be the landslide winner of the nationwide political showdown.

CPP's winning rate during the past three general elections respectively stood at 39.63 percent in 1993, 41.67 percent in 1998 and 47.30 percent in 2003, said NEC.

Trailing CPP in this year's election was the major opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) with 1,316,714 votes, or 21.90 percent of all.

Minor opposition Human Rights Party (HRP) and Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP) respectively won 397,816 and 337,943 votes, or 6.61 percent and 5.62 percent of all.

The co-ruling Funcinpec Party scored 303,764 votes, or 5.05 percent of all.

Altogether 11 political parties had run for the election this year. A total of 8,125,529 voters were registered to vote at 15,255 polling stations nationwide and 17, 000 local and international observers watched the polling process, according to NEC figures.

The voter turnout rate this year was only 75 percent, lower than 83 percent in 2003, 94 percent in 1998 and 90 percent in 1993, said NEC.

Final official results and allocation of the NA seats can be known at the end of this month and the new government will be established in September.

Editor: Pliny Han

Peace vigil, black magic and sabre-rattling over a temple

The Star Online
Thai Takes
By PHILIP GOLINGAI

No matter how good one’s intentions, there will always be others who feel bad vibes from the same action. It’s not surprising then to see the kind of responses and reactions so far in the Thai-Cambodian border dispute.

EIGHT days ago, Bun Rany, the wife of Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen, and about 1,000 compatriots – who included Buddhist monks and government officials – held a peace vigil at the Preah Vihear temple, which is at the heart of a border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.
With mists swirling around the mountaintop 900-year-old temple, Cambodians prayed for an end to the military standoff between the two countries that started on July 15.

“We are gathering here to pray to the souls of our ancestors, asking for peace,” said Cambodia’s tourism minister Thong Khon, referring to Khmer kings who built the temple between the ninth and 11th centuries.

“We also pray for success in our defence of our territory.”

That was how the Associated Press, an American news agency, reported the ceremony at the temple, which Unesco recently designated as a World Heritage Site.

How did the Thai newspapers view the Cambodian ritual?

According to The Nation, an English-language newspaper, many Thais living in provinces close to the disputed temple wore yellow to shield Thailand from black magic spells cast by Khmer “wizards” at the ceremony chosen to coincide with a solar eclipse.

“Thai media reports said the mysterious black magic spells cast by Khmer wizards would not only protect the temple but also weaken Thailand. Some astrologers urged locals to wear yellow yesterday to deflect the spells,” The Nation reported on Aug 2.

A news story in The Bangkok Post said the ritual heightened fears among many Thais who thought that it would bring bad luck to their country.

“The anti-government People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) leaders last night led thousands of their supporters in a rival ritual to protect the country and block any ill-effects from the Cambodian one. Many Thais believe some Cambodians have expertise in black magic,” The Bangkok Post said in its report last Saturday.

The Deutsche Presse-Agentur German wire service reporting from Phnom Penh said claims published in the Thai media accusing Bun Rany of leading a black magic ritual would not help to diffuse anti-Thai sentiment in Cambodia.

“To be accused of sorcery is regarded as a terrible insult by Cambodians, who regularly kill those accused of it,” the news agency commented in an Aug 3 filing.

If the Thai newspaper reports had insulted Cambodians, wait till they hear Sondhi Limthongkul’s solution to the Preah Vihear dispute.

Sondhi is a core leader of PAD, which is using the Preah Vihear dispute, among other issues, to incite Thais to overthrow the Samak Sundaravej government.

The International Court of Justice awarded the Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia in 1962, and the ruling still rankles among Thais.

Prachatai (www.prachatai.com), a bilingual Thai news portal, reported that on July 28 Sondhi told anti-government street protestors camped near Bangkok’s Government House, the seat of the Thai government, how he would solve the dispute.

“The only way is to oust (the Samak) government and form a new government through ‘whatever means’, or else the dispute over the Preah Vihear temple and Thai-Cambodian border will never be solved,” Prachatai quoted Sondhi as saying.

Among other provocative statements he made then:

> Push Cambodians back from Thai territory if the dispute cannot be settled through bilateral negotiations; and

> Close all 40 Thai-Cambodian border checkpoints and ban all flights to Phnom Penh and Siam Reap from Bangkok (70% of flights to the two destinations originate from Bangkok).

Sondhi also told the crowd: “Remember my words. Thai foreign minister Tej Bunnag will never be able to solve the dispute, because the policy of this government is to betray the country.”

And as if allegations of Khmer black magic and the provocative statements were not enough to intensify Thai-Cambodian tension, another temple about 130km west of Preah Vihear has emerged as a second border flashpoint.

It started when Cambodia complained that some 70 Thai troops had occupied the 13th-century Ta Muen Thom temple and had barred Cambodian soldiers from entering it.

Those who engage in dangerous talk on Preah Vihear should pay heed to Hun Sen, who said on Wednesday: “We cannot just carve out Thailand to put in the sky or move our land away. We will coexist for tens of thousands of years to come.”

Cambodia's ruling party win confirmed

Agence France-Presse
Phnom Penh, August 09, 2008

Cambodia's ruling party took nearly 60 percent of the popular vote in last month's election, according to figures released by the election committee on Saturday.

The Cambodian People's Party (CPP) won 58.1 percent of the vote, compared with 21.9 percent for its nearest rival, the main opposition Sam Rainsy party, authorities said.

National Election Committee official Sin Chum Bo said turnout was 75.21 percent -- or six million of the 8.1 million eligible voters.

But she declined to say how many parliamentary seats each party had won ahead of a further announcement next month in which full official results will be revealed.

"This is just a temporary election result... while we allow for political parties to make complaints before we can divide the number of seats," she told reporters.

The CPP earlier claimed it had captured at least 90 of the 123 seats in parliament, with opposition leader Sam Rainsy and three other small parties dividing the rest.

The Sam Rainsy party on Saturday rejected the outcome, saying the election had not been conducted freely and fairly, and demanding a re-run.

International monitors agreed the election was flawed, despite improvements in the electoral process compared to past polls in Phnom Penh.

Cambodia plants 600 trees to welcome Olympic Games in Beijing

www.chinaview.cn

2008-08-09 12:22:05

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Banteay Meanchey provincial authority Friday planted 600 trees in its capital town to welcome the opening of the 29th Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Khmer-language newspaper the Kampuchea Thmey said Saturday.

"Eight o'clock in the evening, Aug. 8, 2008, is a luck time for us and means good fortune in Feng-shui theory. Therefore, we are planting 600 trees and also organize football tournament to welcome the Olympic Games to open in China and memorize the friendship between Cambodian and China, too," provincial governor Ong Eoeurn was quoted as saying.

This sports gala was very important for the diplomatic relationships between the two countries, which would make the bilateral ties closer, as Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni attended the opening ceremony of the games, he said.

"It is a great day for our best friend China to organize the event," he added.

The trees planted Friday are usually called "royal plant" or "king tree" in Cambodia. They are expected to blossom during the Khmer New Year in mid-April.

Led by Tourism Minister and National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) president Thong Khon, the Cambodian Olympic delegation will join swimming and tracking matches at the games in Beijing.

Editor: Xinhuanet

Cambodia's garbage to be turned into compost

Radio Australia

Cintri, the firm charged with the mammoth task of collecting garbage in the Cambodian capital has unveiled plans to recycle Phnom Penh's mountains of trash into organic fertilizer.

But the firm says city dwellers themselves will need to pitch in by sorting out the garbage into specific categories for the plan to be a success.

With fertilizer prices peaking at three times the cost in 2007, Cintri hopes to use the garbage to produce compost for the farmers.

The firm's deputy director, Seng Chamroeun, says Cintri will soon begin combing the refuse piles at Stung Meanchey landfill site for appropriateorganic waste.

Mr Seng says turning organic waste into compost is not complicated, the people just need to know the type of garbage which can be used to produce compost.

Cambodia's ruling party win confirmed

Radio Australia

Cambodia's National Election Commission says the ruling Cambodian People's Party has won 58 percent of the popular vote in last month's election.

It nearest rival is the Sam Rainsy party with 22 percent.

The NEC however declined to say how many parliamentary seats each party had won saying this would be decided later to allow political parties a chance to voice complaints, if any.

The CPP earlier claimed it had captured at least 90 of the 123 seats in parliament, with the other small dividing the rest.

The Sam Rainsy party which rejected the outcome, saying the election had not been conducted freely and fairly is demanding a re-run.

Custom and Excise Department Alarms Vehicle’s Smugglers

Phnom Penh, August 8, 2008

Cambodian Customs and Excise Department has alarmed vehicle’s smugglers to pay tax to the state otherwise they will face serous consequences and fine, said customs officer.

The warning was made known in its monthly summarize meeting on August 7 under the presidency of H.E. Pen Simon, delegate of the Royal Government of Cambodia in charge of director of Customs and Excise Department and attended by customs and excise officers throughout the country.

The meeting also reviewed the works in the past month and put forth new goals for the next month, particularly strict and concrete measures aimed at combating all forms of smuggles.

According to a report presented by the department, in July 2008 alone, the customs and excise officers have collected some 250,000 million Riel (Cambodian currency) equivalent to roughly US$ 62.5 million or 30 percent increased if compared to the same period of 2007. --AKP

(By Mr. KEO Chandara)

Storm Kammuri might cause floods in Cambodia

Storm Kammuri. ©DR

Cambodge Soir
09-08-2008

Kampong Cham, Kratié and Stoeung Trèng provinces might get hit by floods this week, said Lim Kean Hor, Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology, in a press release on Friday 8th of August.

Kammuri, the 9th tropical storm since the beginning of the year might hit the Mekong basin, and particularly Laos and Thailand. According to the minister, heavier rains might cause important floods in Cambodia during the next five or six days. On Friday 8th of August at the Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister requested the National Center for Disaster Preparedness to cooperate with local institutions and authorities concerned. The army has also been asked to prepare emergency equipment like mobile-homes and speedboats, as well as medication and rice seeds to help residents living in areas which might get affected. Hun Sen has also asked the TVK television channel to regularly broadcast updated weather bulletins. On the 7th of August, the water started reaching critical levels: 9.49 m in Stoeung Trèng (1.21 m from the critical level), 19.61 m in Kratié (2.39 m from the critical level), 13.27 m in Kampong Cham (1.93 m from the critical level), 7.92 m in Phnom Penh on the Bassac and the Chaktomuk (2.58 m from the critical level), 5.54 m in Neak Loeung (1.96 m from the critical level), 6.70 m in Koh Khel (0.70 m from the critical level) and 6.66 m in Kratié (2.84 m from the critical level).

The ethnic minorities highly criticise the government

Cambodge Soir
09-08-2008

On the World Indigenous Day, their representatives are considering appealing to the UN authorities in order to focus on their situation.

The ethnic minority representatives will appoint a spokesperson with the responsibility of alerting the UN authorities about their situation, said Um Mech, representative of the Kuoy who are living in Kampong Thom province, during a press conference of the 8th of August organised by the NGO Forum in Cambodia.

“The investments from companies obtaining concessions in the rural areas aren’t really benefiting the ethnic minorities who live there”, did he say, bringing up the example of the Prasat Balin district (Kampong Thom province), where “companies don’t hire local labour, forcing villagers to work for Thai companies.”

“It’s important for the donor countries to put pressure on the government, all the more so as an increasing number of foreign companies are asking for concessions in Cambodia”, continued Um Mech, deploring that the government had chosen to organise a day in honour of the ethnic minorities on the 29th of August in Pursat, while the world indigenous day takes place on the 9th of August.

Ros Hean, representative of the Kuoy in Kratié, has praised the government for its efforts towards the ethnic minorities on the field of investment and education, while regretting the pauperisation of these people. “In 2004, 50% of the people coming from the ethnic minorities were living under the poverty threshold, compared to 75% today”, did he say.

According to Ros Hean, the 15 provinces and towns in which 21 ethnic minorities are concentrated lack an adequate infrastructure and staff on the field of education and health.

Tep Tim, representative of the Kuoy in Preah Vihear province wants to focus the attention on the conditions according to which land has been granted to concessionary companies. “The sale often takes place when the owner has drunk, did she reveal. Moreover, the government never consults the community chiefs when granting a concession and rather confers with village chiefs.”

According to Tep Tim, people coming from ethnic minorities enjoy limited access to education. “During the final exams, most of them score C’s and D’s”, she said.

Civil society pleads for a quick resolution of Preah Vihear conflict

Cambodge Soir
09-08-2008

The situation creates a financial loss for the country. The UN has been called in to protect the site.

While the Khmer-Thai conflict seems to be long lasting, civil society reacts. On Friday morning, several representative of Adhoc, of the Cambodian Defender Project (CDP), of the Cambodian Woman Crisis Center (CWCC) and of the CCAWDU, involving several textile industry unions, have organised a joint press conference which evolved around two subjects.

First, the different representatives have expressed their concern about the Preah Vihear temple situation and are asking the government to find a quick solution. “This conflict has already resulted in financial losses and in a decreased number of tourists in the country”, said Sok Samoeun, director of the CDP, fearing an even more important loss if the standoff lasts.

Secondly, Sok Samoeun has strongly declared that, on behalf of all: “Cambodia shouldn’t discuss the border situation with Thailand, as the decision of the tribunal of The Hague in 1962, as well as the agreements of 1904 and 1907 state that this territory belongs to us. Now rests us to mark the border delimitated by these conventions”.

In a mail sent a few days ago to the General Secretary of the UN, the representatives of the Cambodian civil society suggest that the international organisation should designate an area around the world heritage temple, inside which military personnel wouldn’t be allowed. This is because the presence of weapons nearby the temple contributes to an explosive situation, likely to degenerate any time.

Reminding that “in case the conflict goes on, it won’t be the government, but the Cambodian population which will have to suffer. Chan Saveth, Adhoc investigator asks now for UN intervention”.

Tomorrow, Saturday 9th of September, several members of the civil society will travel to the site in order to bring along 19 million riels (4750 dollars) to support the military and the monks.

Dissatisfaction increases at the Central Market

Cambodge Soir
09-08-2008

The shopkeepers fear that the size of their stalls will be decreased after the renovation works.

On Tuesday, about one hundred shopkeepers from the Central Market demonstrated in front of the municipality building in order to express their dissatisfaction concerning the renovation project.

The source of their anger comes from the fact that, according to the plans that they received, the size of their stalls will get smaller at the end of the works.

A clothes shop with currently a surface of 2.5 square metres will only measure 1.4 square metres. Another example: the shop of a kitchenware seller, currently measuring 5 x 4 metres, will decrease to 2 x 1.5 metres, according to the demonstrators.

Unacceptable for the shopkeepers who demand that their stalls “remain the same size, at the same place and within the same business category at the end of the renovation”. On Monday they handed over a petition to the municipality, asking the Phnom Penh governor to help them with their demands.

The petition brings up the promises of the market chief from February 2006, who then committed not to change the situation of the stalls after renovation.

After meeting with one of the deputy governors of the municipality, he committed to “discussing the matter on Tuesday 10th of August”, in order to solve the situation.

During the afternoon, the market authorities increased pressure on the shopkeepers, which didn’t help to calm the atmosphere before the Tuesday meeting.

Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni attends the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni attends the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the National Stadium, August 8, 2008. The stadium is also known as the Bird's Nest.REUTERS/Eric Gaillard (CHINA)

Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni attends the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the National Stadium, August 8, 2008. The stadium is also known as the Bird's Nest.REUTERS/Eric Gaillard (CHINA)

Sacravatoons : " Siem-Soldier "

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

According to a report by General Sor Thavy, the deputy provincial governor of Preah Vihear province, at 6PM on 06 August 2008, there were some protests made inside the Wat Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak pagoda by Thai black-clad soldiers when Cambodians were installing light bulbs. Thai soldiers prevented the installation of these light bulbs, claiming that when the light bulbs are on, they have a hard time sleeping. Nevertheless, Cambodians insisted in installing these light bulbs until they succeeded.

Light fantastic: China's opening ceremony thrills the watching world

One Olympic ideal, the separation of sport and politics, died in the Chinese night

Sky light: The Olympic Games opened in truly spectacular style in Beijing Photo: Getty Images

Telegraph.co.uk
By Kevin Garside
08 Aug 2008

A global TV audience of four billion witnessed the burial alongside 91,000 in the Olympic Stadium. It was some send off.

Fireworks numbering 20,000 at goodness knows what cost, torched the sky, fairies floated in a constellation of incandescent beauty and 56 children representing China's ethnic mix paraded the flag of the People's Republic.

Soft power academics call it; the flexing of muscle via cultural means.

This was the eighth day of the eighth month, 2008, ground zero for the new China. President Hu Jintao sat alongside Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee.

Before them 4,000 years of Chinese history was condensed into the mother of all floor shows ostensibly to mark the opening of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad. Hardly.

This was the choreographed demonstration of might the like of which the Olympic Games has never seen; a rebuke to George Bush and Nicolas Sarkozy, vocal critics of Chinese foreign and domestic policy sitting in the audience, and the Beverly Hills radicals lounging by pools in Bel Air. Keep your noses out of Chinese affairs.

Vladimir Putin, his focus shifted by the military offensive in Georgia, was a study of quiet admiration for the global confidence his neighbour radiated. Tibet, Burma, Sudan and the colonisation of Africa are the issues routinely raised to keep the dragon in check; human rights the moral stick to beat the beast into submission.

Don't waste your time. This was history set to music and dance, every step reminding Bush and assembled world leaders that Beijing stands at the centre of a universe every bit as legitimate as those born of Greece and Rome.

Gunpowder, or the burning of medicines in these parts, we were reminded in a series of heady detonations was invented this end of the Silk Road half a millennia before the Mayflower set sail from Southampton carrying its cargo of English separatists to Massachusetts.

Paper, another creation of ancient China, and writing utensils made of bamboo slips dating back to the fifth century BC, featured heavily in a display of artistic hegemony worthy of the great nation China believes herself to be.

China has been down the reform road before. Change it must. Human rights abuses persist. But it does not have a monopoly on state oppression or international coercion.

Stand on any street corner in any major metropolis in America or Europe, and the great dispossessed of liberal regimes will nod their hooded disdain. In Baghdad and the Middle East, defiance is measured in blood.

The political messages arrowed inward, too. The China of Mao and the minimalist certainties of the old communist regime are gone.

China, and the 1.3 billion who sail in her, are on the move. For better or worse the embrace of wealth creation is irreversible.

For all our sakes, let's hope the next steps taken are the right ones. One world, one dream, as the slogan goes.

Day simmered mercilessly into night. The one aspect beyond the control of the ruling politburo, the weather, withered those from cooler climes. A toxic haze clung to the city all day, the roof of the Olympic Stadium bleeding into a grey canopy that passes for sky.

Everywhere young men in military green and white gloves marched dutifully, tapping out obedience in shiny black shoes. At 9am a city of 16 million was already unfeasibly traffic free, lending an unreal air to proceedings.

One conjured a vision of a thousand micromanagers, all volunteers, staring at surveillance screens, monitoring with pride every prescribed footfall, every staged greeting at the airport, the empty passage to the Olympic stadium.

The welcome is unnerving rather than reassuring despite the obvious willingness of the uncritical masses to please. A block or two removed from the pageant, riders bolt across junctions on expiring scooters with infants hanging to their belt loops; authentic China going about her business in parallel with the packaged version. Authentic China was not invited last night.

It is not enough to set the sky ablaze. The 21st Century opening ceremony requires a pre-show, a formidable confection of 28 elements introduced to keep China's uber-elite entertained before the medicine burning began.

Oh for the early days of the modern Olympiad when the games kicked off with a short oration from the president of the organising committee and a declaration from some royal or other.

As is nearly always the case in China, the numbers overwhelm; all 2,008 members of the Fou Band wheeled their ancient instruments into the centre of the arena to light the fuse with their percussive brilliance.

An hour after the first Roman Candle fizzed Greece led the 204 competing countries into the arena.

We have London to thank 100 years ago for the parade of athletes, a predictably garish caricature badly in need of a working over by Trinny and Susannah.

Chinese Taipei followed Japan out of the tunnel. Guess who got the bigger cheer?

And who decided dressing Britain's finest as Avon reps was a good idea? Diver Tom Daley, at 14 the youngest competitor in the British team, rose above the bad taste with a smile that reminded all why we are here; to marvel at the very best of human endeavour on a sporting stage.

Enough of deconstructing dress codes. The party is about to start. While the great armies of medal prospects waved their way around the perimeter, the structure housing the Olympic flame was discreetly slotted on to the roof of the cat's cradle.

The flame, which made its first appearance in Amsterdam in 1938, commemorates the mythical theft of fire from Zeus by Prometheus. Here it might have represented the rather more real transfer of geo political dominance eastwards from the United States to the Orient.

The cheer for Chinese standard bearer Yao Ming, a fiscal pile driver all his own in the field of basketball, must have woke departing US president Bush from his vacant reverie.

Every inch of Ming's 7ft 6 ins frame radiated menace, a behemoth symbolic of his country's new global standing.

In Los Angeles in 1984, the space traveller was a central theme, illustrating America's universal hold on the levers of global power. In Beijing China rolled out its past to under line her credentials as a player on the evolving world stage.

Who knows what the next fortnight of competition might bring? What feats of athletic genius might reshape the sporting landscape? The host nation will bag its share of plunder, no doubt.

Michael Phelps might take a record eight golds back to America. On wheels and water Britain will have a say in the drama, too.

But the point that really matters was made in a four-hour ad of inescapable force, topped by the circumnavigation of the stadium roof, aided by chain and pulley, of the final torch bearer, gymnast Li Ning.

The protests that blighted the start of the torch's journey in London and Paris, heroic though they were in the eyes of Tibetan freedom fighters, were obliterated by the audacity of the coming power. China; no longer the sick man of Asia.

Warwick man avoids prison time in pyramid scheme

Aug 9, 2008

BOSTON (AP) - A Warwick man has been sentenced to a year of home confinement for his role in a pyramid scheme that stole $27 million from about 500 mostly Cambodian immigrants.

Authorities say 54-year-old Christian Rochon also received five years of probation at sentencing on Thursday in federal court in Boston.

Prosecutors asked for a 10-year prison sentence.

Prosecutors say the defendants told victims they would receive $300 a month for life, and the lives of their children, for every $26,000 they invested. Some victims were financially ruined after mortgaging their homes to get money to invest.

Rochon's coconspirators, 57-year-old James Bunchan and 61-year-old Seng Tan, a couple originally from Cambodia with multiple addresses, received long prison sentences in June 2007.

A convivial oasis in the shadow of fabled temples

La Residence d¿Angkor

THE AUSTRALIAN
Susan Kurosawa
August 09, 2008

WE want you to be happy, announces one of the airport gift shop signs when we arrive at Siem Reap in Cambodia. And we are, especially with our choice of hotel, La Residence d'Angkor, on the river in this gateway town to the fabled temples of Angkor Wat. The 55-room property is on the eastern side of the Siem Reap River and has a cosy character that lives up to its residential name.

There's abundant use of laterite stone and dark wood in the open-sided lobby, corridors and stairways, and guestroom floors, shutters and partitions. A generously proportioned day bed nudges against the tall windows in each guestroom and the granite bathtub is of hippo-wallowing proportions. Frogs hop about our wooden balcony and bowls of sweet fruit are replenished daily.

This is not luxury at its most opulent but much care has been taken to ensure guest comfort. The hotel was a Pansea property until the early 1990s and is now managed by Orient-Express Hotels, which knows a thing or 2000 about how to run things.

In tune with a more competitive approach, Orient-Express closed the hotel for refurbishment a few months ago and phase one opens this month with a new teppanyaki restaurant, fitness centre, martini lounge, computer nook and, on a rear-adjoining parcel of land, a spa with six ground-floor treatment rooms. On the first floor of the spa annexe, eight hotel suites have been added to complement existing accommodation.

Our room, this startlingly humid February, is on the first floor, looking down to the long saltwater pool through old trees, travellers palms and luscious vines; stay on the ground floor and it's just a few steps to the shiny peppermint water, which appears deeply cool thanks to thousands of shiny hand-made green tiles.

It feels like an oasis, well removed from night-time touts and the boisterousness of so-called Pub Street with its bars, clubs and Tomb Raider cocktails named in honour of Siem Reap's celebrity of choice, Angelina Jolie. The air-conditioning is pleasingly polar and we sleep under layers of bedding, our reading glasses steaming up when we emerge for a wake-up coffee on the balcony.
As we look down, a pool attendant is placing an orchid atop each folded towel on the lounging beds.

When not hunkered away at La Residence d'Angkor, we either stroll around compact Siem Reap or hop aboard a moto. Specifically, we hop aboard Mr Chan's Best Moto. The affable Chan lies in wait for us and, each time we emerge from the hotel, he zips across with his sunbeam smile and rattling exhaust, and how can we refuse?

The days assume an agreeable rhythm: up at dawn to take a hotel vehicle out to marvel at the wonders of Angkor Wat, a swim mid-morning, a lie-down and then off in the cool of late-afternoon for shopping, sightseeing, dinner and foot massages at one of the streetfront salons near the central market (our pick: the fascinatingly named Dr Feet).

We are assisted in our slow passage around Siem Reap by the Luxe Guide, which also covers Laos; it's a small concertina affair with a gold and magenta cover and it gives snapshots of where to go and what to avoid. But we make our own fabulous discoveries, too (the Luxe Guides lot just love that word fabulous).

We buy pleated silk purses and clutch bags at Jasmine Boutique next to the Foreign Correspondents Club on Pokambor Avenue; the Jasmine label is the work of Australian designers Kellianne Karatau and Cassandra McMillan and the clothing and accessories are fashioned from hand-woven Cambodian silk. The boutique looks expensive but its scarves and bags, in particular, are well priced.

Artisans d'Angkor is a must-visit complex; its craftspeople paint, carve wood and sandstone, lacquer and gild decorative pieces and weave silk, and visitors can wander around a series of workshops. The project started in 1992 to create work for young rural Cambodians and their wares are sold in a gorgeous gem-coloured shop, with silk ties for $US24 ($25), cushion covers $US12 and silk purses $US12; there's a big branch at the airport, too.

In the courtyard adjoining Meric at the art deco-inspired Hotel de la Paix, we sit on cushioned swings and drink Sicilian wine and chamomile and honey martinis. Back at the hotel we breaststroke through fallen frangipani petals and soggy coral bougainvillea on the surface of the ink-dark pool and sleep soundly in a room glowing with the same sunset colours as the silk shops of Siem Reap.

Checklist

La Residence d'Angkor, River Road, Siem Reap, Cambodia. Phone (+855) 63 963 390. Bookings via Orient-Express, (02) 8248 5200; www.orient-express.com or www.residencedangkor.com. Tariff: Hotel Club has doubles from $US208 ($223), including American breakfast; www.hotelclub.net. Check with Orient-Express for packages and seasonal deals.

Getting there: About 20 minutes from Siem Reap airport (one hour from Bangkok by air).
Checking in: Lots of Europeans; very casual vibe.
Wheelchair access: Possible in ground-floor rooms.
Bedtime reading: Luxe Guide to Cambodia and Laos; www.luxecityguides.com.
Stepping out: To Angkor Wat, naturally, but it is very crowded; the concierge may suggest going in the middle of the day, when tourist groups disappear for lunch. Even if it's blazing hot, this is a good option.
Brickbats: Service can be slow and hesitant. Housekeeping seems random; our room is not serviced until late afternoon each day.
Bouquets: Wi-fi in guestrooms has been upgraded during the refurb to the fastest broadband available in Cambodia. A homely hotel that feels planets removed from the Las Vegas-style edifices along Airport Road with their fountains and fakery. La Residence d'Angkor supports a local orphanage; look for the donation box at reception.