Ieng Sary lawyers warned

Photo by: SOVANN PHILONG
A gate outside the courtroom at the ECCC. Critics say the court should strive for greater transparency, not hide behind closed doors.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Georgia Wilkins
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

Judges order website closed, or risk ‘legal consequences'

INVESTIGATING judges at Cambodia's war crimes tribunal have issued an order to shut down a website set up by defence lawyers for Ieng Sary, threatening them with sanctions and fuelling a debate over confidentiality at the UN-backed court.

A press release from the Office of Co-Investigating Judges (OCIJ) Tuesday stated that the website, set up in December, had been in clear breach of confidentiality rules at the court by allowing the public access to documents considered confidential.

It added that if content was not removed within 48 hours, the lawyers could face legal consequences.

"The co-investigating judges have ordered that the defence lawyers immediately cease to publish any documents relating to the judicial investigation, other than those already published on the ECCC website; and remove any such documents from the Defence website within 48 hours, or face sanctions for a new offence," it said.

The order claimed that a decision was made in accordance with the court's rules, which state that "[i]n order to preserve the rights and interests of the parties, judicial investigations shall not be conducted in public".

Lawyers from the Ieng Sary defence team Tuesday said they were willing to cooperate with the judges but would not shut the site down.

"We intend to cure whatever error or misunderstanding there may be, but we do not intend to shut down the website," co-lawyer Michael Karnavas told the Post by email.

"We are miffed that the OCIJ did not contact us last week when I was there. We would have welcomed an exchange of views," he added.

"In any event, we have no intention to act contemptuously, but we will also not refrain from making the process more responsive and transparent."

Cambodian co-lawyer Ang Udon told the Post Tuesday that his team had received no warning about a breach of confidentiality or possible sanctions, but said it was unable to comment further until he had spoken to his team.

The website was set up by the lawyers in reaction to what they saw as a deliberate suppression of defence filings that were embarrassing or "which called into question the legitimacy and judiciousness of acts and decisions of the judges", the site claims, citing a letter to the ECCC Deputy Director of Administration Knut Rosandhaug in December.

"...the current practice by the Judicial Chambers and Co-Investigating Judges at the ECCC, of suppressing Defence filings ... under the fig leaf that these are necessary measures to protect the supposed confidentiality and integrity of the investigation or judicial decision-making process, must be discontinued without exception," the letter, reproduced on the site's main page, states.

Andrew Ianuzzi, a legal adviser to the defence team for Brother No 2 Nuon Chea, said the issue was further evidence of a reluctance by judges at the court to make documents readily available.

"Despite the confidentiality of the investigation, the ECCC is a public institution. The OCIJ is clearly failing in its role to keep the public informed about developments in the investigation," he told the Post Tuesday.

He also said judges were upholding a double standard with regard to what they deemed public information.

"I'm not sure why the OCIJ has decided to single out the Ieng Sary defence team. I can tell you that other organs at the court - including the [pretrial chamber] and the OCIJ itself - have revealed certain pieces of information that could be classified as confidential under the OCIJ's current definition of the concept," he said.

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...The OCIJ isclearly failing in its role to keep the public informed.
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"In the case of the OCIJ, I'm thinking in particular of the distribution of the unredacted version of the closing order in case file 001 to certain NGOs. In the case of the [pretrial chamber], I have in mind the revelation in a public decision of portions of [detainee] Duch's presumably confidential statements to the OCIJ. Of course, this raises the issue of whether standards are being uniformly applied," he added.

Michelle Staggs Kelsall, a court monitor for the East-West Centre's Asian International Justice Initiative, said that, although it is the judges' right to uphold internal rules, the court risked setting a bad example if it did not also consider its broader role as an international institution.

"The threat of sanctions is an overly harsh determination, given that the defence lawyers were clearly acting in the interest of transparency.

Counsel should certainly have the right to reply before threats are given," she said.

"As an internationalised tribunal ... it is in the court's interest to, so far as possible, make documents available to the public. ... Given that a primary function of the court is to provide a model process for other Cambodian courts, the more transparent that process is, the better."

Co-investigating Judge Marcel Lemonde has previously recognised the educational value of releasing portions of confidential investigations in other forums.

Writing on the French judicial system for academic publication, he has noted that flagrant breaches of confidentiality by the French Ministry of Justice resulted, paradoxically, in "documents of real educational value" being open to the French public.

"Arguably, this [availability of documents] would be of even greater significance in the Cambodian context, given the country's legal system is in its embryonic stage of development," Staggs Kelsall said.

German nabbed on paedophile charges

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Chrann Chamroeun
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

A GERMAN national was arrested in Preah Sihanouk province Tuesday on charges of committing indecent acts with two boys, ages 11 and 14, and has remained in police custody for questioning before his case is sent to court, according to Suon Sophan, deputy chief of the province's Department of Anti-human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection.

Suon Sophan identified the suspect as a 46-year-old man named Walter Orson Novak, and said he was arrested at a guesthouse where he was renting a room.

Samleang Seila, country director of the anti-paedophile NGO Action Pour Les Enfants, said officials at his group became suspicious last week when they saw the suspect buying food for, and giving money to, a group of six boys.

He said he reported the man to police following conversations with APLE officials in which two of the boys said the man had taken them to the beach and given them US$5 to play with each other's genitals. He said police corroborated the incident after they interviewed the boys, although Suon Sophan would not comment on what specific actions police believed the man had committed.

The incident follows a spate of arrests of foreigners for sex crimes against minors. Preah Sihanouk's provincial court last Friday charged a French national with committing indecent acts with two girls, ages 10 and 13. Last Tuesday, an American man was arrested in Siem Reap on charges of purchasing sex with two boys, ages 13 and 14.

NGOs reject regional rights body

Photo by: SeBastian Strangio
Civic leaders discuss the proposed Asean rights body at a meeting Tuesday.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Cheang Sokha And Sebastian Strangio
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

Local civil society leaders call for changes to a draft Asean human rights mechanism, saying the proposal gives member governments too much control over appointments to the body.

A COALITION of local human rights groups on Tuesday rejected the draft proposal for a regional human rights body adopted at last weekend's Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Thailand, citing "significant concerns" relating to the body's "independence, accountability and effectiveness".

A draft proposal for the Asean Human Rights Body (AHRB) was adopted by the foreign ministers of Asean's 10 member states Tuesday, in line with the Asean Charter adopted in November 2007.

But in a joint statement Tuesday, local NGOs criticised the adopted terms of reference (TOR), arguing that appointments to the body - to be made by Asean member governments - would directly compromise its independence.

"We are concerned that this body will not operate effectively because most human rights violation cases are committed by government officials or state institutions," the statement said.

"The AHRB should be accountable to the Asean peoples and to the victims of human rights violations instead of being accountable to the respective appointing governments only."

The statement argued that the proposed AHRB's role will be "purely consultative" if it is not also given a mandate to conduct fact-finding missions, publish findings and enforce its rulings.

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The AURB should be accountable to... victims of human rights violations.
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It also called on the High Level Panel on the Asean Human Rights Body to incorporate the civil society recommendations when the TOR are finalised at an Asean ministerial meeting in July.

"We see that the first draft mechanism is very weak," said Thun Saray, president of local rights group Adhoc, at a press conference Tuesday.

"Civil society groups want revisions to be made, not just by consulting with us on human rights issues but also to ensure protection against human rights abuses in the region."

However, a fully independent human rights body is likely to be a challenge in a regional grouping that contains Myanmar - a military dictatorship - and Vietnam and Laos, one-party communist states.

Conflicting priorities
Although Asean's charter pledges it to establish a regional rights body, the goal appears to clash with some of its core political precepts - including the "non-interference in member states' internal affairs" - raising fears that the body will lack the political will to enforce human rights standards.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Myanmar counterpart Thein Sein reportedly blocked Cambodian and Myanmar human rights activists from taking part in a rare face-to-face meeting with Asean leaders, drawing criticisms from international rights groups.

Ou Virak, president of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, said Sunday that while the involvement of civil society in Asean proceedings may have ruffled some authoritarian feathers, several Asean countries had taken large steps to ensure NGO participation.

"If you look at Asean as a regional body, [civil society involvement] is not the norm. But if you look at individual governments, it is the norm.

The Philippines in particular is very good at setting up parallel meetings on the side of the official meetings," he said.

Koul Panha, executive director of local election watchdog Comfrel, likewise said he had "a lot of hope" for the AHRB, citing recent human rights reforms in other Asean member countries, including Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

"I hope that some major Asean countries will encourage the formation of a political and economic community, and that we can use [human rights] policies to pressure individual countries," he said.

Thun Saray said that he did not expect the AHRB would be as binding as similar bodies in Europe and the United States, but that civil society would take action to ensure "a maximum degree of protection" against rights abuses in the region.

He added that the High Level Panel had already incorporated some civil society recommendations into the draft TOR and was hopeful more would be included in the final document at July's meeting.

Hun Sen requests ousted general appointed deputy PM: official

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Thet Sambath
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

NEARLY two months after his removal as commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, General Ke Kim Yan has been tipped to become a deputy prime minister, a government official said, although mystery surrounds the nature and timing of the new appointment.

Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith told the Post by phone Tuesday that Prime Minister Hun Sen had "requested the appointment of Ke Kim Yan as deputy prime minister" and was "awaiting the approval of the National Assembly".

He said also that he hoped the appointment would put to bed "speculations" about a rift between Hun Sen and Ke Kim Yan.

"What Ke Kim Yan said is that he never lost confidence in his boss, meaning Hun Sen," Khieu Kanharith clarified later via email.

Lack of information
But Ke Kim Yan, who has been jobless since losing his post back in January to his former deputy, General Pol Saroeun, in what officials have described as a military "reshuffle", told the Post that he had "not been informed" of the new appointment and could not confirm whether it was true.

Likewise, Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said he had heard the news but could confirm only that it "might" be true.

Nguon Nhel, deputy president of the National Assembly, said similarly that he had not yet received a request from the government for Ke Kim Yan's promotion but that if and when the request came, the National Assembly's permanent committee members would hold a meeting to decide on the issue.

"If there is a request, the permanent committee members will have to hold an extraordinary session because parliamentarians are on vacation until the end of March," he said.

But an official at the Council of Ministers who spoke on condition of anonymity said he was preparing Ke Kim Yan's photos to put in a photo album of government leaders.

"We know he is being promoted to the post of deputy prime minister, so that's why we need to select his photos to put in the album," the official said.

Crime down in 2008: officials

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Chrann Chamroeun
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

CRIME nationwide dropped by 22 percent last year but has rebounded in the first two months of 2009 - posting an 11 percent rise over the same period last year, according to Mok Chito, chief of the Crime Department at the Interior Ministry.

He said reported cases in 2008 were down in all three of the "serious crime" categories, with armed robbery dropping 16 percent to 514 cases, murder dropping 20 percent to 325 cases and rape down 20 percent to 198 cases.

He attributed the jump in crime in early 2009 to a spate of robberies, especially of gold vendors.

Mok Chito acknowledged lapses in the application of legal procedure in arrests, saying at times suspects had been detained without being handed a formal charge.

This was not the only positive review by offcials of last year's crime rates. In early February, National Police spokesman Keat Chantharith reported a 23 percent drop in national crime in 2008 compared with the previous year, and Phnom Penh police chief Touch Naruth said crime in the capital had dropped even further, falling 29 percent in 2008.

Four parties approved for council polls

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Vong Sokheng
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

THE National Election Committee on Monday officially approved four political parties to contest the provincial, district and municipal council elections on May 17, amid renewed opposition criticisms that the indirect elections are undemocratic.

NEC Secretary General Tep Nytha said Monday the ruling Cambodian People's Party has listed candidates in all 24 provinces, with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, Norodom Ranariddh Party and Funcinpec listing candidates in 23, seven and five provinces,respectively.

"[On Monday] we closed registrations for political parties and their candidates," he said, adding that there had been "no problems" in the registration process and that parties will have five days more to lodge complaints about irregularities in the process.

But SRP President Sam Rainsy said that the very process itself was flawed, and that May's "indirect" council elections - in which only the 11,353 existing commune councillors will be able to vote - would be a parody of democracy.

"I think that this is the worst kind of election system because it does not allow local people to have a direct vote," he said Monday.
He added that the election of the new councils similarly diverged from the government's policy of decentralising power and that control would remain concentrated in the hands of the chairmen of the councils - which he expected to be dominated by ruling party candidates.

"The CPP does not want people to have a direct vote in every election in Cambodia because it is still concerned about the democratic movement," he added.

Senior CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap said, however, that the opposition must work hard to build confidence among the people rather than resorting to criticisms of the ruling party.

"The CPP respects the laws and regulations of the NEC, and we see that the NEC has done a good job following the electoral law," he said.

"The NEC freely allows media to access all information related to the election."

SRP lodges checkpoint complaint

Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN
Farmers drive loads of palm wood through a village in Kandal province last year.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Meas Sokchea
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

But provincial governors deny there is a problem with authorities extorting cash from farmers.

OPPOSITION Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian Khim Laky, of Kandal province, has written to Prime Minister Hun Sen requesting that he crack down on illegal provincial border crossings, following renewed complaints from cross-border traders.

The letter, issued Monday, states that illegal checkpoints in Kandal, Kampong Cham, Prey Veng, Takeo and Kampot provinces have forced small-time traders to bribe corrupt border officials to ensure the passage of goods.

"These checkpoints were created to take money from farmers transporting crops," the letter said.

Khim Laky said the illegal checkpoints operate under the guise of transportation tax collection points.

Kandal Governor Chhun Sirun, Kampong Cham Governor Hun Neng and Kampot Governor Khoy Khun Huor told the Post there were no such checkpoints in their provinces.

"I will oust [any] authorities that dare to put [up] illegal checkpoints," Hun Neng said, adding that he had eliminated some checkpoints already.

"If there were illegal checkpoints, the opposition party would be successful in the next election," Khoy Khun Huor told the Post.

Chhun Sirun said that the opposition party was only making this statement to get votes from the poor farmers.

An official of Cheuo Khmao commune in Kandal province who declined to be named told the Post Monday there are two checkpoints in his commune, but he did not know whether they were illegal or not.

Hun Sen has condemned the existence of illegal checkpoints in all provinces, saying that if any province allows corrupt officials to take bribes from struggling farmers, the governor will be ousted from his position.

Superstitions targeted in efforts to reduce rural livestock deaths

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Chhay Channyda
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

Recent outbreaks have killed thousands of livestock in Pursat, but authorities are succeeding in educating locals about preventive care.

AUTHORITIES in Pursat province are calling on residents to abandon traditional superstitions about how to cure sick animals, saying that rising livestock deaths have been countered by educating residents about proper medical care and providing vaccines to protect them from transmitted diseases.

Kong Reatrey, chief of the Animal Health and Production Bureau at the Pursat Provincial Department of Agriculture, said that infectious diseases had killed around 250 cows and buffaloes since October.

But although recent outbreaks were worrying, he said bovine diseases had been stemmed by encouraging people to abandon superstitions about animal sickness and adopt up-to-date medical procedures to deal with sick livestock.

"They pray to ancestor forests, asking them to give good health to their animals," he said Tuesday.

"We educate people not to believe that superstition will treat sick animals.... They have to bring their animals to be vaccinated. We are not against their belief, but they must also follow our instructions."

Bovine curses
The most common diseases for cows and buffaloes - especially in the hot season, when diseases are more transmittable - are infectious diseases such as cowpox, foot-and-mouth disease and sepicemia haemorrhagic diseases, which can be prevented through vaccination.

He added that in Pursat, superstitions were most prevalent among ethnic minority peoples living in the forest or in remote mountainous areas.

Thim Ngok, chief of Chheu Tom commune in Krakor district, said that villagers in his area would indulge in superstitious practices when their animals fell sick.

"They believe that their animals will get better. We cannot get rid of their beliefs," he said.

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They believe their animals will get better. we cannot get rid of their beliefs.
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Chek Sath, a villager in Chheu Tom commune, said he did not bring his two buffaloes to get vaccinated because he has been busy in his rice fields and has no money to pay for vaccines, even though his animals fell sick when the weather became hot in January.

He said that he once tried to get vaccines from animal health officials, but that he had to pay them 1,000 riels (US$0.24).

"I do not want to pay for vaccines," he said. "I don't know why officials get money from poor people."

But Kong Reatrey said that vaccines are provided by the Ministry of Agriculture free of charge, but that local animal health officials charged people a small fee of 500 to 1,000 riels for their services, since they work as volunteers without salary from the government.

"They are also villagers who volunteer to educate people about animal diseases," he said.

Pursat authorities and health officials will hold a meeting today to discuss ways of educating people on how to treat their animals in line with current medical practice.

Lenders decline to discuss farmers' debt: SRP leader

Photo by: TRACEY SHELTON
Opposition SRP lawmaker Mu Sochua speaks to reporters on Tuesday morning.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Meas Sokchea
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

Opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua accuses four microfinance institutions of bailing on meeting to discuss farmers' plight.

OPPOSITION parliamentarian Mu Sochua told reporters Tuesday that the heads of a number of microfinance institutions had rejected a request to meet at the National Assembly to discuss solutions to the plight of small farmers hit by spiralling debt problems.

Mu Sochua said 15 institutions were invited, and the representatives of four creditor institutions - ACLEDA, Tong Fang, Vision Fund and Prasac - had said they would attend, but all four cancelled on the morning of the meeting.

The Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker added that her request to hold the meeting at a National Assembly meeting room had been rejected Friday by the parliament's secretary general, Leng Penglong.

At the press conference Tuesday, Mu Sochua said the purpose of the meeting was to seek a resolution for creditor institutions and those in debt to them. Many farmers, she said, had been unable to repay what they had borrowed because crop prices had fallen sharply, and that meant they were unable to support their families.

"This problem must be discussed and addressed by government," she said.

Small farmers hurting
Mu Sochua said she recently visited eight districts in her constituency of Kampot and met with affected farmers. She said they had borrowed between US$100 and $200 for farming improvements, but falling crop prices meant they were unable to repay creditors their debt and interest.

Losing their land and their houses, she said, would mean they would lose their lives. For that reason, the SRP wanted to request that microfinance institutions suspend the confiscation of land and houses to provide time to resolve their debts.

Mu Sochua said Leng Penglong had refused the request for a meeting room for the creditor agencies to meet with her. The press conference took place in an alternative venue - an SRP lawmaker's office at the National Assembly.

Leng Penglong was unavailable for comment Tuesday.

The Post tried without success to ask the various microfinance heads whether they had been pressured to cancel their attendance at the meeting. The head of ACLEDA, In Channy, could not be reached for comment. An official at Prasac, who would not give his name, said the confirmation letter for the meeting had arrived late, and the head could not spare the time. The chief of Tong Fang, who also refused to give her name, referred the question to the Cambodian Micro Finance Association (CMFA), an industry body, as did the head of Vision Fund, who gave her name as Phea.

The director general of the CMFA, Hout Eang Tong, said Tuesday his members had decided not to participate because they were involved in the association's meeting with donors.

US vows closer Asean relations

Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN
Scot Marciel, the American ambassador to Asean, speaks to reporters following bilateral talks with Foreign Minister Hor Namhong at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tuesday.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Sebastian Strangio
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

Washington's envoy for regional bloc says last month's visit by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the Asean Secretariat marks the start of a closer engagement in Southeast Asia.

THE United States will intensify its relationship with Cambodia and other Asean member states under the Obama administration, the US ambassador to the regional body said Tuesday.

Following bilateral talks with Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, Ambassador Scot Marciel said that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to the Asean Secretariat in Jakarta last month heralded a stronger Southeast Asia orientation in US foreign policy.

"She [visited]... to highlight the very strong attachment United States places on Asean and our relationship with Asean and all its member nations," he told reporters after the meeting.

Marciel said that the talks had focused on continuing US support to Cambodia during the current global economic downturn and American support for the goals of "promoting prosperity" and implementing good governance reforms.

While noting that there were "legitimate criticisms" to be made of Asean's progress on human rights, he also acknowledged the progress on the establishment of an Asean Human Rights Body, calling its inclusion in the Asean Charter a "big step" forward.

"Asean and all the Asean members have made it clear that they are striving to make this a stronger, more effective organisation that has greater international credibility," he said.

"Obviously, the stronger and more credible the human rights body is will reflect strongly on Asean."
Hor Namhong said that while Cambodia did not have a perfect record on human rights, recognition should be given to the government's attempts to improve in that area.

"We are living in an imperfect world, [and] no country is perfect on this matter" the foreign minister said.

"But what is important is the commitment of the Royal Government of Cambodia, with the assistance of all our friends, to help us to take specific measures [on human rights]."

New drug law to get tougher on traffickers

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Khuon Leakhana
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

THE National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) will submit for approval a new draft law targeting drug traffickers by month's end, Moek Dara, the authority's secretary general, told the Post Monday.

The NACD held final discussions of the law at a consultation workshop on Monday and Tuesday with officials from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, who have served as advisers during the drafting process. Workshop participants also included representatives from government agencies, donor countries and NGOs.

Under the proposed law, those caught in possession of 80 grams of heroin would receive life imprisonment. Currently, life terms are only handed down to those in possession of at least 100 grams.

Lars Pederson, officer in charge and project coordinator for the UNODC in Cambodia, said during a speech at the workshop that the law would "uphold the distinction between illicit drug users on the one hand and dealers and traffickers on the other". He added that the specific provisions of the law were designed to discourage traffickers from bringing drugs into the Kingdom or setting up facilities to manufacture them.

Moek Dara said NACD officials would eagerly await decisions from the Council of Ministers and the National Assembly on whether to approve the law, adding that officials "need to use this law" to go after traffickers.

Military engagement in Sihanoukville port

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Michael Hayes
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

Crewmen aboard the Japanese naval vessels JDS Setoyuki and JDS Kure lower the flags at sunset in Sihanoukville port. Three ships from the Japan Self-Defence Force including the JDS Shimakaze (not pictured), all based in Okinawa, made a five-day port call in an effort to develop relations between the JSDF and the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. About 200 RCAF officers attended a reception aboard the JDS Setoyuki on Monday.

Govt to request nearly $3b on infrastructure projects

Photo by: TRACEY SHELTON
A building site in Phnom Penh. The government is planning to significantly increase spending on the construction of public infrastructure over the next three years.

Project 2010-2012
Next three years of investment spending set to increase on recent injection of capital:
- Double spending in 2009 compared with last year’s $500 million investment
- $2.8 billion planned for the next three years on transport, irrigation and other public works
- Government to invest half the total capital, the other half to come from backers Source: Ministry of Planning

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Chun Sophal
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

Investment planned from 2010 to 2012 represents sharp increase on money spent on development in previous years

OFFICIALS are seeking approval to spend US$2.8 billion on public investment between 2010 and 2012, Minister of Planning Chhay Than told the Post this week.

His comments came five days after Finance Minister Keat Chhon said the government would spend $1 billion on public investment in 2009, doubling the total spent in 2008. That money, Keat Chhon said, would be spent primarily on transportation, public infrastructure and irrigation projects.

Chhay Than said the money for 2010-12 would be allocated to similar projects, which he said would create a friendlier environment for small businesses.

"We have included 539 projects in our public investment program, and we hope that all projects can be carried out," Chhay Than said. Of those, he said, 60 percent are to be implemented in rural areas.

Chhay Than said he expected the spending plan to be approved by the Council of Ministers on March 5.

The year-by-year breakdown of the plan is as follows: $920 million for public investment in 2010, $930 million in 2011 and $950 million in 2012. Of the $2.8 billion total, about half will come from the government and half from development partners, Chhay Than said.

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It will not be a problem for the government to find $3b for three years.
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Theng Panhathun, a ministry official who works on public investment projects, said the government tends to spend less than it plans to because some projects cannot be carried out on schedule.

"From 2006 to 2008, the government had planned to spend a total amount of $1.95 billion on public investment, but the real expenditure was only $1.86 billion," Theng Panhathun said.

Keeping projects small
Yang Saing Koma, president of the Cambodian Centre for Study and Development in Agriculture (Cedac), said the government should spend more money on small-scale development projects in rural communities than on the type of large-scale projects it has favoured in the past.

"The government must invest its capital in training farmers all over the country in techniques for growing rice and maintaining small-scale irrigation systems, which are the core of economic growth," Yang Saing Koma said.

"I think it will not be a problem for the government to find $3 billion for three years because it has a lot of development partners, and the international community supports it."

Projects will be finished: officials

Photo by: Heng Chivoan
A building site at Camko City in Phnom Penh. The project is one of number of large construction initiatives that has been delayed in the capital by the financial crisis.

Building Phnom Penh's Mega-projects
- Camko City by World City company of South Korea Projected completion date: 2015 at the earliest
- Grand Phnom Penh International City by Cambodia’s YLP Group and Ciputra Group of Indonesia Projected completion date: 2015 at the earliest
- Koh Pich by Canadia Bank Projected completion date: 2016 at the earliest
- Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone by Attwood Import Export Co

Projected completion date: unknown

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by NGUON SOVAN AND SOEUN SAY
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

Large-scale construction projects in the capital have been delayed by the global financial crisis but will be completed, behind schedule, property developers and city officials say

CAMBODIA'S large-scale construction projects are going ahead, but are behind schedule, said officials and developers at a recent conference.

"The development of suburban mega-projects - such as Camko City, Grand Phnom Penh International City, Koh Pich [Diamond Island] and Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone - is still under way, even with the real estate downturn," said Chhay Rithisen, director of Phnom Penh municipal Department of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction. He made the comments Tuesday at the Phnom Penh Master Plan Development 2020 meeting in Phnom Penh.

Nhem Sothea, marketing manager of the Grand Phnom Penh International City, said the first phase of construction for the 510 residential units is forging ahead. The project began one year ago and completion has been moved back one-year due to the slowdown.

"So far, about 40 percent of the residential unit construction has been completed and we planned to finish in 2010, but due to the real estate downturn, it may take up to 2011 to complete," said Nhem Sothea. "We are not very concerned about the real estate downturn because our investment is long term and we expect the recovery will come soon."

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The development of suburban mega-projects ... is still under way .
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He said 200 out of the 510 units have been sold. "We recognise that our sales declined up to 40 percent since the start of the crisis, and now customers are buying homes for about US$80,000 to $100,000. They are not buying houses or businesses for higher prices."

Charles Vann, deputy general manager of Canadia Bank, which has a stake in Diamond Island City, said the development infrastructure is under way, despite the crisis.

"We are going to develop Diamond Island City. Now our project is under way; we have not stopped - even though the global financial crisis affected Cambodian property... Now we are building the infrastructure to prepare the riverbank," said Vann.

Kheng Ser, assistant to Camko City Vice President DK Kim, told the Post on Tuesday that building has progressed and the first phase of residential units will be ready next month.

"We have sold about 90 percent of the 1,009 residential units in the first phase - 120 families out of 160 families will move in April," he said.

However, he admitted that property sales have fallen. "About 90 percent of sales took place in 2007 and 2008 before the property crisis. Now it is very quiet, we cannot motivate clients to buy," he said.

3.5% population growth in the city per year

Phnom Penh will add 10,000 families per year to its population, meaning that by 2020 two million people will live within the confines of the capital

An expert on the municipal development plans said that the progress is positive, but they will not address Phnom Penh's urban planning issues.

"Those mega-projects reflect economic development, but they are affordable for are the rich. Ordinary people still have no place to live," he said.

"The city needs to deal with population growth - now the population is 1.3 million, and will grow 3.5 percent or 10,000 families per year, to reach up to two million in 2020," said Frederic Mauret, the city's French technical expert for the 2020 municipal master plan.

Protesters target SKorean company

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Kay Kimsong
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

Sou Ching accused of colluding with police as 300 protesters demand right to own businesses

MORE than 300 tourist industry workers in Siem Reap Tuesday protested a Korean-owned company they claim has colluded with police to prevent them from selling tickets to tourists. The protesters - a mix of tourist boat owners, travel agents and tuk-tuk drivers - called on the Sou Ching company to negotiate with them.

The Sou Ching company has the concession to operate the upgraded Chong Khneas port at Siem Reap where tourist boats dock. In exchange, the boat owners pay the company one dollar per ticket sold to tourists.

Protester Roeun Thouen, who owns a travel agency in Siem Reap that sells tickets on behalf of one group of boat owners, said the protesters demanded the right to run their businesses.

"[The company] ordered police and security guards to prevent us from selling tickets to travellers, and to force travellers to buy their tickets from [a rival boat association] instead," he said. Roeun Thouen added that company representatives had not turned up for talks.

The local travel agents joined forces for the protest with the Tourism Boat Association (TBA) to make their case. TBA head Pum Lay said his grouping, which has 60 members, was authorised in 2002 by the Ministry of Interior.

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If the company doesn’t tackle this issue, hundreds of families ... will face financial problems.
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Pum Lay claimed that a former boat driver, Heng Mao, had colluded with the Korean company to set up a rival boat association in late January. Since then the tourist police were forcing tourists to buy tickets from Heng Mao's association, which has around 90 boats. The Post was unable to contact Heng Mao by press time.

"We can't sell any tickets to tourists any longer - the police and military police have disrupted our business," Pum Lay said, adding that the dispute was affecting 300 people working on the boats, transport and travel services. Each one had lost between US$16 to $20 a day over the past month.

However, management at the Sou Ching company rejected the allegations. Var Chuda said the problem was simply an internal dispute between the rival boat associations.

"We invested a large amount of money [upgrading the port], but we collect only one dollar per ticket," he said.

Var Chuda said his company had nothing to do with the split, and said it had taken place because the TBA boat owners had been unwilling to fix the prices of boat tickets for tourists. The new association had undercut the TBA with their ticket prices, and that was why they were angry, he added.

Ho Vandy, former president of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents, said the company and the protesters should resolve their differences.

"If the company doesn't tackle this issue, hundreds of families in the community will face financial problems as they depend on this for their daily income," he said. "I don't agree with the impact of this sort of investment - it is against government policy, and that means it is not a proper investment."

Angkor Wat tickets to be extended: minister

Angkor Extension

The new Angkor ticket system:
One-week ticket - $40
One-month ticket - $60
Source: Ministry of Tourism

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by May Kunmakara
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

MINISTER of Tourism Thong Khon has agreed to a proposal by the private Tourism Working Group to extend Angkor Wat tickets in a bid to attract more tourists, he said on Monday.

Following a recent meeting with the Apsara Authority, the body responsible for Angkor Wat revenues, the minister said the decision had been made to extend the validity of tickets.

"I support the task force with this proposal ... [it's an] appropriate request," said Thong Khon, adding that the ministry had been thinking over the idea for some time.

Three-day tickets to visit the Unesco World Heritage site - costing US$40 - will now be valid for one week, and week-long tickets can be used at any time for one month at $60 each, the minister said, adding the system would start next week.
But Bun Narith, director general of the Apsara Authority, said he had not yet heard news of a final decision.

"We can offer ... only a one-month visit but not much more than that - [it would be] really hard to manage," he said.

Ho Vandy, co-chair of the Tourism Working Group, welcomed the decision Tuesday, a move he said was necessary to boost the flagging tourism industry - hotels, airlines and Angkor Wat have reported fewer travellers in recent months.

"If we don't take measures now, we will be too late this year to promote our tourism sector," said Ho Vandy.

President of the Cambodian Hotel Association, Luu Meng, said the initiative would afford tourists more time to visit Cambodia's most famous attraction, adding it would facilitate tour packages to the Kingdom.

Deficit a risky business during global crisis

Cambodia's trade deficit has increased steadily in the past decade as imports have soared. In 1998, the country recorded a $364 million trade deficit that has grown each year since except in 2001 and 2003, years that saw a slight dip, National Bank of Cambodia figures show. In 2006, the deficit for the year climbed to over $1 billion for the first time at $1.034 billion and since then has escalated at an increasing rate. In 2007, the deficit was $1.331 billion jumping to $1.852 billion last year, according to central bank estimates, as imports reached $11.47 billion.

Steve Finch

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by George McLeod
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

Emerging markets expert Vanessa Rossi of Chatham House, the UK’s Royal Institute of International Affairs, warns Cambodia may require a bailout due to a rising accounts deficit

Asian leaders maintain that the region is in better shape than other areas of the world. Do you believe that Asia will escape the worst effects of the crisis?

Asia has two major problems - current accounts deficits are rising and trade is in decline.... Over the next six months or so, countries with current accounts deficits will run into problems.... The second issue is trade. Trade is falling quickly, and Asia has a high percentage of exports to GDP - with Western demand falling, this is going to hit Asian countries hard.

The National Bank of Cambodia said the current accounts deficit may rise from 11.2 percent of GDP in 2008 to 12.1 percent in 2009. Should that raise concerns?

That rings bells, and it shows that this is not a regional problem - it is a problem within certain pockets in Asia. Most Asian countries have [current accounts] surpluses and large foreign exchange reserves, so they are not as vulnerable to the problems that were seen during the Asian crisis. But there are some specific spots that are exposed, and Cambodia is one of them. Cambodia will find it very difficult to fund these kinds of deficits with private sector capital flows.

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Its worrying, especially with the cambodian central bank coming out with those figures.
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[Investment] has been buoyant in recent years but this year it is disappearing very fast. Neighbouring Vietnam had similar problems.... It's worrying, especially with the Cambodian central bank coming out with those figures ... and it might require an eventual IMF bailout.

Running a deficit
Cambodia's current account balance year-on-year:

- 2007: -8.2 percent of GDP
- 2008: -11.2 pc of GDP (E)
- 2009: -12.1 pc of GDP (F)
E-estimate F-forecast
Source: National Bank of Cambodia

What are the options available to Cambodia?

Depending on the scale of the foreign-debt buildup, one of the options is to be discussing this with the IMF - a number of countries are already taking pre-emptive action in talking to the IMF about assistance, possibly the same with the World Bank, to try to be able to tide over these capital flows.

Other policies to be considered would cut back the import bill because you very rapidly need to reduce the trade deficit, so the government may have to impose some kind of trade restrictions, unpopular even if they are.

Cambodia has run a current accounts deficit for years. Why is it only a problem now?

Because if you have a deficit, you have to have a counterpart to pay for it, so you have to have capital inflows that cover this, otherwise the country runs out of foreign exchange reserves. And you have a balance of payments crisis. In recent years, there have been very buoyant capital flows, and investment coming into emerging economies. But unfortunately with this crisis, many of these flows have not just disappeared, but they have actually reversed. In this case, it will be very difficult to get those flows to match continuing trade and current accounts deficits. So the implications are quite severe.

How long can Cambodia hold on before it needs an IMF bailout?

If you look at the foreign exchange reserves, you can see how many months of cover the country has.

I think most countries aim to have something like five or six months of cover to protect themselves, but if you start to run this down, you face an escalating problem of confidence in your economy.

The central banks need to be very attentive to how much reserves they have, and not just to use up these reserves but they need to take pre-emptive measures before they get down to two or three months.

Economist Niall Ferguson predicted that Asian economies could fare worse than the US. How do you respond to that?

Well, there are pockets in Asia that will have to be extremely careful - Singapore is already announcing a very big loss of GDP and there are some very serious problems in northeast Asia with Taiwan, Korea and Japan likely to be far worse than the US. And, of course, there are pockets like Cambodia and Vietnam that may not be able to resist the financial problems, as well as the trade problems. In that sense, it's quite possible, and quite ironic, that the crisis originated in the US, but may hit hardest in other regions.

I think that many people realise that this wasn't just a US financial problem, there are genuinely difficulties with the debt situation that has built up in other areas of the world. Its not the housing market that's the biggest problem in Cambodia, but certainly this buildup of external debt and a dependence on capital flows is a huge risk.

Siem Reap offices facing a very different outlook

Photo by: Kyle Sherer
The typical combined office/living space is still in favour with cautious developers in Siem Reap.

Photo by: Kyle Sherer

Property adviser David Coleman says development in Siem Reap will take a much different course to Phnom Penh.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Kyle Sherer
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

Purpose-built office space may supplement multi-use buildings in Siem Reap – but there are no high-rise developments on the horizon.

While an increasing number of businesses are settling in Siem Reap, don't look for high-rises in the city of low-rise temples.
The limitation on building height is just one of the factors that means office space development in Siem Reap is set on a markedly different course to Phnom Penh, said David Coleman, property adviser at Cambodia Angkor Real Estate.

"I don't think you'll get the construction of tower-block offices, the kind of thing you'd see in London or New York - or even in Phnom Penh­ - simply because of the constraint on height," Coleman told Prime Location.

"There's a limit on how high you can build here because of the Angkor protection site, so the buildings aren't visible from Angkor Wat. But I wouldn't be surprised if there is more of a demand for specifically designed office space here.

"There's so much interest, particularly from the travel industry and overseas firms looking to come here, that I think that demand for Western-style offices is likely to grow."

Coleman said the Siem Reap office style has been shaped by pragmatism. In the past, people converted residential houses into offices, or built shops with a living space attached.

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Demand for western-style offices is likely to grow.
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"Those three-storey shops-cum-houses are often used as office space for small businesses," he says. "That's probably due to demand in the past not being very high - people made good with what already existed."

But Coleman said that even though more businesses are settling in, the majority of new developments are still multi-use office/living space arrangements, a trend he credited to caution on the part of investors.

"You put up a property that could be used for a number of different things, and then you have a better chance of selling it or renting it."

Now that Siem Reap is more of an established city, Coleman said there will be a move toward developing grander, purpose-built office space, rather than hedging bets with dual residential/commercial designs. But although developing such buildings might be a smart long-term move, Coleman warned of risks in the immediate future.

"The price of land here is still astronomically high, so you need to be sure if you're going to build a purpose-built office that you're going to get a return on your investment. And at the moment, that's obviously riskier than it was 18 months ago.

"As a real estate company, we were doing far better business 18 months ago than we are doing now. But there's still interest in the real estate market of Siem Reap, and office space is part of that interest."

While the economic crisis might scare off many investors, Coleman said it could prove ultimately beneficial. He claims that the global slump will correct real estate prices that were monstrously inflated during Siem Reap's boom period.

"I think there needed to be a settling-out period, where business goes a bit quiet and more realistic prices are asked by landowners. It's better that business slows for a bit, then picks up again with more reasonable prices being asked, than prices continuing to rise but nothing moves."

Coleman said he is not worried about the long-term effects of the global financial shortfall, noting that the fundamental qualities of Siem Reap will remain unchanged.

"These things never last forever, and there was such interest in the real estate market in Siem Reap. Such an incredible interest in the prices and the kind of properties available, and that's bound to pick up again.

"I think there's a high availability of office space in Siem Reap. Anybody could come here and find office space, either purpose-built or converted from an existing building. There's plenty of scope for setting up here, and the construction companies are capable of building property to order.

"This is a pleasant, safe place to be, there are a lot of NGOs centred here, and it's an attractive town to move your business to."

Vespas in Cambodia

Photo by: STEPHANIE MEE Monivong Vespa.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Stephanie Mee
Wednesday, 04 March 2009

Italy's iconic scooter remains a presence in Phnom Penh thanks to the efforts of a handful of enthusiasts and shop owners.

That famous Italian mode of transportation, the iconic Vespa scooter, has seen better days in Cambodia. Once a popular mode of transport in the Kingdom, the Vespa has now taken a back seat to the popular Honda Dream motorbike and its cousins.

But despite this fact, there are a few devotees left who are making the effort to prolong Vespas' lifespan in Phnom Penh.

Currently there are two shops in the capital that sell and restore Vespa scooters, Monivong Vespa on Monivong Boulevard, and Kim Hong Vespa on Charles de Gaulle Boulevard.

According to the elderly Bun Choun, owner of Monivong Vespa, the ‘60s and ‘70s were a heyday for Vespas in Cambodia, with Vespas coming in just behind cars as the trendiest mode of transport.

After the Pol Pot regime and ensuing civil war, many Vespas were exported out of Cambodia to Thailand and Vietnam, as well as a few European countries, and today the number of remaining Vespas has dropped significantly.

"Khmer people like newer, more modern bikes," said Bun Choun. "Vespas are mainly popular with foreigners, who more often than not, will buy the bikes here and then ship them home when they leave Cambodia."

Sam Sambath, or 'Bo', who owns the Kim Hong Vespa shop, said that today most of the Italian Vespas in Cambodia are leftover vintages from before the war, while the newer models come from the Vespa manufacturing plant in Taiwan.

"Generally, the models from Taiwan are cheaper and easier to care for as they are newer," said Bo. "The older bikes sometimes have engine problems, although they are easy to fix and we can replace any old parts with newer parts from Italy, Taiwan or Thailand."

Bo echoes Bun Choun's observations regarding the Vespa market in Cambodia.
"In general, customers are mainly foreigners or expatriates here in Phnom Penh. I think it's all about aesthetics; foreigners like the look of a Vespa, while Khmers prefer the more modern Japanese style bikes."

Despite the lack of popularity for Vespas here in Phnom Penh, there are a few enthusiasts who swear by their Vespas and hope to raise awareness and approval ratings of the bikes.

Tong Soprach, a local freelance consultant, has recently created the Phnom Penh Vespa Club with his friend Ben, and they organize biannual Vespa rallies in and around the capital.

"Anyone can join the Vespa Club and the rallies," said Tong Soprach. "The idea is to make new friends and acquaintances through Vespas and to show people that Vespas are still present and fashionable in Phnom Penh."

"People sometimes tease me about owning a Vespa," said Tong Soprach. "They say if you drive a Vespa you won't have a girlfriend because Cambodian girls don't like Vespas, but I don't care," he said laughing. "I like the design, the stability, the strength of the engine, the safety of the storage compartment, and even the sound."

Alan Haire, well-known Vespa owner and proprietor of the popular riverside bar and restaurant Green Vespa, also cited some advantages of owning a Vespa.

"Vespas are good city bikes in that they have storage compartments, which makes them easy to go shopping with, they seat two people very comfortably, and in general, people don't steal them."

Alan points out that the Vespa's lack of popularity in Cambodia may well be what keeps them exempt from theft.

"Most Cambodians see Vespas as ‘uncool' or a relic from the past, and they are therefore un-stealable," he said.

Vespa paraphernalia can be purchased at Green Vespa. Merchandise includes t-shirts, caps, beer coolers, and prints of vintage photographs of famous film stars and their Vespas, from the original Piaggio 50th anniversary calendar.

For Vespa riders and aficionados, the next Vespa rally will take place on International Women's Day on Sunday, commencing at the Post Office at 10am, and will include a tour of Sisowath Quay, Norodom Boulevard, Monivong Boulevard, ending at the Independence Monument.

Monivong Vespa is located at 703Eo on Monivong Boulevard. Kim Hong Vespa is located at 341Eo on Street 217.

Green Vespa Pub and Restaurant is located at 95 Sisowath Quay.

U.S. can lead field of human rights

PACIFIC DAILY NEWS
March 4, 2009

The Burmese student who asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Feb. 17 at Tokyo University about U.S. policy toward Burma, put to the test President Obama's words in his inaugural address: "To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."

The clenched fist reference is about all authoritarian regimes, including Burma, Cambodia and China, among others.

"We want to see a time when citizens of Burma and the Nobel prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi can live freely in their own country," answered Clinton. "Because we are concerned about the Burmese people, we are conducting a review of our policy," she said.

A day later, she told reporters in Jakarta, "Clearly, the path we have taken in imposing sanctions hasn't influenced the Burmese junta," but "reaching out and trying to engage them has not influenced them either."

On Feb. 19 the Washington Post reported, "Shift Possible on Burma Policy." It published former State Department speechwriter Rena Pederson's "Burma's Agony," about the world community's "failing to produce an effective, moral, organized response" to the Burmese generals who "defy world opinion."

On Feb. 20, Stanley Weiss of Business Executives for National Security argued in the International Herald Tribune's "Whom do sanctions hurt?" that "punitive sanctions" had "failed to moderate (Burma's) behavior"; the U.S. "must find a new way forward" and "should increase humanitarian assistance, channeled via the United Nations and NGOs."

On the same day, the Post editorialized in "Burma's Clenched First: Is it time for the United States to reach out to the junta?": "We hope that the coming policy review is truly realistic. ... The United States and other countries have been supplying food and fuel to North Korea for over a decade, with no appreciable change in that regime's horrific treatment of its people. Mr. Obama should conduct a policy review, by all means. But he must stick to the priorities implied in his inaugural address: If the United States is to extend a hand to Burma, that country's tyrants must first relax their grip on power."

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Jim Hoagland's Feb. 22 "Obama vs. Clenched Fists" summarized Obama's "dominant foreign policy metaphor": "An American hand reaching out to an unclenching authoritarian fist, ... a simile of hope, as the president intends -- but also one of vulnerability, as Obama may discover sooner than he expects."

Clinton's remarks in Beijing that human rights issues "can't interfere" with discussions with China -- the biggest foreign holder of U.S. debt, says the Post -- on other important topics, brought human rights groups' response: This does not eliminate the gravity of Bejing's human rights abuses.

In "Not So Obvious: The secretary of state underestimates the power of her words," the Feb. 24 Post editorialized, "Ms. Clinton's statement ... will demoralize thousands of democracy advocates in China, and it will cause many others around the world to wonder about the character of the new U.S. administration."

Last Nov. 24, the Post editorialized in "The Freedom Challenge" that "the United States can regain and retain the stature to lead in the world, only if it is using its power on behalf of universal ideals."

It seems America's founding fathers' belief in the equality of all men, "with certain unalienable rights," and in the creation of government "to secure these rights," has found an echo in the Chinese human rights Charter 08 that "freedom, equality, and human rights are universal values of humankind and ... democracy and constitutional government are the fundamental framework for protecting these values."

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights warns, "disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts," and "it is essential, if man is not to be compelled ... to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law."

It cites "the highest aspiration of the common people" for a "world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want."

The nonprofit Global Integrity tracks governance and corruption trends in the world. Its 2008 report reveals concerns about the transparency or the flow of currency between and among governments and the danger that "foreign governments" funnel money to ruling parties "in exchange for economic and commercial concessions."

In its 2008 rankings of corruption in 180 countries, Denmark, Sweden and New Zealand lead the list of "highly clean," followed by Singapore, fourth. Cambodia is 166th and Burma, next to the last. Somalia is the most "highly corrupt."

"Governance ... is as old as human civilization," says the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; it is a decision-making process and a process of implementing the decisions made.

ESCAP says "good governance" that includes rule of law, transparency, responsiveness, accountability, is an "ideal" -- a topic worth examining.

To "ensure sustainable human development," says ESCAP, "actions must be taken to work towards this ideal with the aim of making it a reality."

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Jim Hoagland's Feb. 22 "Obama vs. Clenched Fists" summarized Obama's "dominant foreign policy metaphor": "An American hand reaching out to an unclenching authoritarian fist, ... a simile of hope, as the president intends -- but also one of vulnerability, as Obama may discover sooner than he expects."

Clinton's remarks in Beijing that human rights issues "can't interfere" with discussions with China -- the biggest foreign holder of U.S. debt, says the Post -- on other important topics, brought human rights groups' response: This does not eliminate the gravity of Bejing's human rights abuses.

In "Not So Obvious: The secretary of state underestimates the power of her words," the Feb. 24 Post editorialized, "Ms. Clinton's statement ... will demoralize thousands of democracy advocates in China, and it will cause many others around the world to wonder about the character of the new U.S. administration."

Last Nov. 24, the Post editorialized in "The Freedom Challenge" that "the United States can regain and retain the stature to lead in the world, only if it is using its power on behalf of universal ideals."

It seems America's founding fathers' belief in the equality of all men, "with certain unalienable rights," and in the creation of government "to secure these rights," has found an echo in the Chinese human rights Charter 08 that "freedom, equality, and human rights are universal values of humankind and ... democracy and constitutional government are the fundamental framework for protecting these values."

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights warns, "disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts," and "it is essential, if man is not to be compelled ... to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law."

It cites "the highest aspiration of the common people" for a "world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want."

The nonprofit Global Integrity tracks governance and corruption trends in the world. Its 2008 report reveals concerns about the transparency or the flow of currency between and among governments and the danger that "foreign governments" funnel money to ruling parties "in exchange for economic and commercial concessions."

In its 2008 rankings of corruption in 180 countries, Denmark, Sweden and New Zealand lead the list of "highly clean," followed by Singapore, fourth. Cambodia is 166th and Burma, next to the last. Somalia is the most "highly corrupt."

"Governance ... is as old as human civilization," says the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; it is a decision-making process and a process of implementing the decisions made.

ESCAP says "good governance" that includes rule of law, transparency, responsiveness, accountability, is an "ideal" -- a topic worth examining.

To "ensure sustainable human development," says ESCAP, "actions must be taken to work towards this ideal with the aim of making it a reality."

It cites "the highest aspiration of the common people" for a "world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want."

The nonprofit Global Integrity tracks governance and corruption trends in the world. Its 2008 report reveals concerns about the transparency or the flow of currency between and among governments and the danger that "foreign governments" funnel money to ruling parties "in exchange for economic and commercial concessions."

In its 2008 rankings of corruption in 180 countries, Denmark, Sweden and New Zealand lead the list of "highly clean," followed by Singapore, fourth. Cambodia is 166th and Burma, next to the last. Somalia is the most "highly corrupt."

"Governance ... is as old as human civilization," says the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; it is a decision-making process and a process of implementing the decisions made.

ESCAP says "good governance" that includes rule of law, transparency, responsiveness, accountability, is an "ideal" -- a topic worth examining.

To "ensure sustainable human development," says ESCAP, "actions must be taken to work towards this ideal with the aim of making it a reality."

A. Gaffar Peang-Meth, Ph.D., is retired from the University of Guam, where he taught political science for 13 years. Write him at peangmeth@yahoo.com.

Vietnam – Cambodia border landmark inaugurated

03/03/2009

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam’s Southern Province of An Giang and Cambodia’s Takeo province on March 2 held a ceremony to mark the planting of the 281st border marker.

This border marker designates the international border line separating Lac Quoi Commune in Tri Ton District of An Giang Province from Som Commune in Kirivong District of Takeo province.

The border marker planting was part of the implementation of the Vietnam – Cambodia Land Border Treaty.

It marks the fact that after two years of negotiations and field surveys, the demarcation of the international border between Vietnam’s An Giang Province and Cambodia’s Takeo and Kandal provinces is completed. Border markers having been placed along 99.6 kilometers of the borderline.

The two sides have also agreed upon sites for another 46 border markers, designating the final 60 kilometers of the borderline between Vietnam’s An Giang Province and Cambodia’s Takeo and Kandal provinces.

VietNamNet/TT

UN Lawyer O'Brien Refuses Questions on Cambodia Tribunal, Ignores Logo Misuse

UN's Patricia O'Brien make pledge to UN's Ban, transparency and accountability not shown

INNER CITY PRESS
Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, March 3 -- The UN's new top lawyer, asking Tuesday about the funding and corruption crisis at the UN-affiliated genocide tribunal in Cambodia, refused to answer any questions about it.

At a press conference at UN headquarters in New York, Patricia O'Brien purported to respond to twenty minutes of questions about the so-called Hariri Tribunal, concerning the deaths of some two dozen people in Lebanon. The Cambodia tribunal, already plagued by allegations that local Cambodian staff paid bribes to get their jobs, is threatened with closure according to its top judge due to a lack of funds.

As Inner City Press asked what the UN is going to do, Ms. O'Brien said she would not answer any questions on that or any other non-Hariri Tribunal topic. Inner City Press followed up, will there be another opportunity to ask these questions? I am not undertaking any further commitment of availability, Ms. O'Brien said.

Several comparisons came to mind. The Cambodia tribunal deals with more than a million deaths, while the Hariri Tribunal deals with two dozen. On the latter, however, the UN has good news, or thinks it does. Its corruption-plagued tribunal, the UN would apparently prefer just went away.

Of this UN-assisted tribunal, "a report surfaced last week on the German legislature's Web site alleging that a top U.N. tribunal official had acknowledged the kickbacks and accused a senior Cambodian administrator of corruption. The head of public affairs for the tribunal refused to comment on the report."

Ms. O'Brien's predecessor Nicolas Michel, while more focused on Lebanon than Cambodia, nevertheless answered questions about Cambodia. Ms. O'Brien, since being awarded the UN's top legal job, has rarely if ever been available to the media. She came to one press conference and left before taking any questions.

Two weeks ago, Inner City Press approached Ms. O'Brien in the hallway of the UN, after a ceremony in which she and two dozen other Under Secretaries-General signed "accountability" compacts with Ban Ki-moon. Inner City Press told Ms. O'Brien of recent instances of corporations publicly using and misusing the UN logo and name to promote their business. Previously, when Inner City Press had raised such cases to the UN Office of Legal Affairs, which Ms. O'Brien now heads, some actions had been taken. Ms. O'Brien instructed Inner City Press to proceed as it had in the past.

Inner City Press e-mailed to Ms. O'Brien, at her UN-listed address, a half-dozen examples of corporate use of the UN logo. Having no response, Inner City Press sent the examples again, on the eve of Tuesday's press conference. Still no response, until the terse statement that only Hariri Tribunal questions about be entertained, and no other Q&A opportunity was envisioned.

The UN is ostensibly a public organization; in any event, Ms. O'Brien's salary is paid by taxpayers all over the world. While Ban's UN talks about accountability and transparency, even its top lawyer appears to resist or oppose both. We will have more on this.

Retired king of Cambodia says battle with cancer going well

www.chinaview.cn

2009-03-03

PHNOM PENH, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Retired king of Cambodia Norodom Sihanouk has reported that his battle with cancer is going well, said English-Khmer language newspaper the Cambodia Daily on Tuesday.

His treatment in Beijing, China, has successfully reduced the amount of B-cell lymphoma that was discovered late last year by his Chinese doctors, the paper quoted his latest statement as saying.

His "Lymphoma B cancer is smaller than before, following treatment by excellent doctors in Beijing," said the statement.

B-cell lymphoma, a cancer affecting blood cells crucial to the body's immune defenses, was first discovered in 1993 in his prostate gland, and despite treatment, it once recurred in 2005.

The 86-year-old former king will remain in Beijing for continuing treatment, according to the statement.

Editor: Xiong Tong

Small Countries Key in US Security, Top U.S. Officials Say

By Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
03 March 2009

Senior US statesmen say cooperation with small countries like Cambodia and regional neighbors Thailand, and Indonesia is essential to global security and improving US relations with Muslim communities around the world.

Speaking at a briefing on the Project on National Security Reform, Ambassador Thomas Pickering, a member of the project’s Guiding Coalition, said his group has looked at broad priorities for the US administration, not challenges they face on a daily basis.

Pickering said the recommendations put forth by the project envision the U.S. stepping up cooperation with big and small nations alike. In response to a question posed by VOA Khmer about the role of small countries such as Cambodia in future U.S. national security plans, he indicated a greater flexibility would improve U.S. international relations.

“You have defined precisely the kind of problems that new system would be in a stronger position to deal with because it involves obviously multiple American interests and multiple countries,” he said in an auditorium at the VOA headquarters.

US-Cambodian relations have improved since after the lifting of a 10-year ban on direct assistance, in February 2007. Cambodia is now the third largest recipient of US development assistance in Southeast Asia, after Indonesia and the Philippines. Cambodia received $61 million last year alone, with one of the main objectives of the assistance to reduce threats from terrorism.

“The Cambodian government has been an excellent partner in the fight against terrorism, and mostly the assistance that we provide in that area is to try to build the capacity in combating crime, trafficking in persons and strengthening their border operations,” John Johnson, the US embassy spokesperson in Cambodia, told VOA Khmer by telephone Monday.

Cambodia’s cooperation with the US included an absentia life sentence to Jemaah Islamiyah’s ringleader, Hambali, and two associates in 2004.

Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for the Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior, said that the arrest of Hambali, through Cambodian help, in Thailand in 2004, showed the “good cooperation” Cambodia extended to the US.

Meanwhile, the US put on trial US-Cambodian Chhun Yasith, leader of the Cambodian Freedom Fighters, who allegedly orchestrated an attack on the government in late 2000, while the two countries are cooperating to hunt for more plotters of failed bomb attacks near government buildings late last year, Khieu Sopheak said.

Cambodia has improved its security system and destroyed its stockpiles of surface-to-air missiles to prevent them from falling into the hands of terrorists.

“In Cambodia we use our existing principles to fight terrorism, which is to prevent terrorism activities from happening, instead of finding a solution when a problem already arises,” Lt. Gen. Nem Sovath, director general of the Ministry of Defense’s department of politics and foreign affairs, told VOA Khmer by phone Sunday.

Gen. Pol Saroeun, commander of the Cambodian armed forces, praised the US government for extending technical and humanitarian assistance to the ministry and said the country still needs more support fighting terrorism.

As part of increasing global security, the US has begun paying attention to improving relations with Muslim communities.

A study by a US-Muslim project, released in February, concluded now is the right time for national discussions on relations with the global Muslim community.

In a hearing, titled “Engaging With Muslim Communities,” at the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee last Thursday, Sen. John Kerry spoke about President Barrack Obama’s intention to open a new chapter to improving relations with the Muslim world.

“Today, we must send a simple message to all Muslims: we share your aspirations for freedom, dignity, justice and security,’’ Kerry said at the opening of the hearing, which was attended by VOA Khmer.‘’We’re ready to listen, to learn, and to honor the president’s commitment to approach the Muslim world with a spirit of mutual respect.”

Former US secretary of state Madeline Albright told the Senate hearing that the West’s interest in Muslim communities spiked after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

“A dialogue driven by such a traumatic event is sure to evoke accusations on one side and defensive on the other,” she said. “This means that if we are serious, we should separate our engagement as much as possible from the context of terrorism.”

Cambodia has around 500,000 Muslims living in the country and, as Zakariya Adam, secretary of state at the Ministry of Cults and Religion, told VOA Khmer in a phone interview, they are moderate and normally do not resort to violence to achieve their goals.

Without Immunity, Sam Rainsy Flies To Europe

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
03 March 2009

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy left the country Tuesday, to visit family and report on the suspension of his National Assembly immunity to the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Switzerland.

Sam Rainsy has been without immunity since a Feb. 26 vote to revoke it by the National Assembly’s Permanent Committee, after he failed to pay campaigning fines to the National Election Committee.

He has since paid the $2,500 in fines, which were levied for allegedly disparaging remarks made about the leaders of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party during election campaigning last year. However, his immunity remains in suspension.

Sam Rainsy said on Tuesday he would discuss the incident with European representatives of the IPU, an international body of parliamentarians.

“It was not my plan to visit Switzerland, but I reported already to the IPU, so I will spend my time to visit IPU to report about my parliamentary immunity,” he said. “I just told IPU to know that in Cambodia and the National Assembly and the Constitutional Council, the law is not respected. [The CPP members] use the Permanent Committee to threaten members of the National Assembly.”

CPP officials in the National Assembly, which is in recess, could not be reached for comment Tuesday, but National Assembly President Heng Samrin has said the body will reconsider Sam Rainsy’s immunity question when it reconvenes in April.

SRP Deputy Secretary-General Mu Sochua said the Permanent Committee’s withdrawal of the immunity purposely came before a long recess and was a “political” decision.

No Case Left Behind, Senior Policeman Says

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington
03 March 2009

National police have begun investigating documents related to the killings of film stars, politicians and others, as part of an effort to strengthen national security, a senior official said Monday.

“We do not leave any case behind, that is the order of Gen. Neth Savoeun, the chief commissioner of national police,” Maj. Gen. Mok Chito, chief of the serious crimes department at the Ministry of Interior, said, as a guest on “Hello VOA.”

Neth Savoeun became chief of national police after the death of general Hok Lundy, in a helicopter crash, in October 2008.

Addressing concerns about the impunity in some killings, as well as attacks on film stars, singers and monks, Mok Chito said the police needed time to solve the cases. He also acknowledged the problem of hold-ups on gold sellers.

About 2,880 crimes were reported in 2008, a drop of 22 percent from the year before, he said, adding that Prime Minister Hun Sen had been clear in ordering integrity within the police and the punishment of law enforcement officials who commit wrongdoings.

“We will continue our effort to address crime,” he said.

Khmer Rouge lawyers threatened with sanctions over website posts

The Earth Times
Tue, 03 Mar 2009
Author : DPA

Phnom Penh - Judges at Cambodia's UN-backed genocide tribunal on Tuesday said lawyers of a former Khmer Rouge leader faced "sanctions for a new offence" unless they removed confidential court documents from a website. A statement released by the court said judges had told lawyers for former head-of-state Ieng Sary that they must remove all legal documents from the website, other than those available on the tribunal's own website.

Lawyers were ordered to remove confidential documents already on the independent website within 48 hours, or else they will "force sanctions for a new offence," the statement said.

Ieng Sary, 83, is one of five former Khmer Rouge leaders facing trial for their roles in the deaths of up to 2 million people through execution, starvation or overwork during the ultra-Maoist group's 1975-1979 reign.

His lawyers have previously stated that judges' refusal to make a range of legal documents public has undermined the court's transparency.

Indonesia to provide cultural scholarship for Cambodian students

PHNOM PENH, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia will soon start to provide scholarship for Cambodian students in the fields of dance, cinematography and fine arts, said the official news agency AKP (Agence Kampuchea Presse) on Tuesday.

Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Him Chhem made this announcement upon his recent return from Bali, Indonesia, where a memorandum on Cambodia-Indonesia Cultural Cooperation was signed.

"The memorandum is very important. It helps strengthen our cultural cooperation, human resource development and the close relations between both countries," he said.

In the near future, there will be students, art performance and cultural delegation exchanges between Cambodia and Indonesia, he added.