Thai PM cancels visit to Cambodia: official

www.chinaview.cn

2009-04-14

PHNOM PENH, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Due to the current instability in his country, Thai Premier Abhisit Vejjajiva has canceled his visit to Cambodia originally scheduled on April 18, national media on Tuesday quoted official source as saying.

"I received official notification that (Abhisit) has canceled his trip to Phnom Penh because of the political chaos in Thailand," Koy Kuong, spokesman of the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, told English-language daily newspaper the Phnom Penh Post.

Abhist was scheduled to arrive here on Saturday for talks with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen and meeting with King Norodom Sihamoni and other senior officials.

Sry Thamrong, Hun Sen's personal advisor, told reporters last week that at least 7 out of 24 pieces of ancient Khmer artifacts will be returned to Cambodia, during Abhisit's expected visit to Cambodia.

These Khmer artifacts were stolen and trafficked out of Cambodia, but finally arrested by the Thai authorities.

Local media also reported that Hun Sen and Abhisit are expected to discuss the border disputes between the two countries during the Thai premier's visit here.

Editor: Yao

Tense stand-off in Thailand after deadly violence

euronews

After a day of violence in which two people died, all was calm at Government House in Bangkok early this morning.

But a tense stand-off is continuing in the capital between Thai troops and protesters loyal to exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The state of emergency declared by the man currently in the job did nothing to prevent unrest earlier, which raised fears of fresh violence. But, during the night, security forces encircled demonstrators, including women, children and a few Buddhist monks, who are calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Refusing to negotiate with Thaksin, the protesters’ figurehead, Abhisit has said this is a “do-or-die” moment for the rule of law.

Thailand has been mired in turmoil since the military toppled Thaksin in a coup in 2006. The unrest confronts British-born Abhisit with his biggest challenge since he took office in December.

As well as claiming two lives, Monday’s clashes also left at least 113 people injured.

Thailand declares two-day holiday after protests

gulfnews.com
Agencies
Published: April 14, 2009

Bangkok: Thailand's government said on Tuesday it would extend a three-day local New Year holiday for two more days after protesters abandoned violent demonstrations.

Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said banks and other institutions could decide whether to apply the holidays on Thursday and Friday, which give Thais 10 days off in a row over the Songkran festival.

Authorities had already declared last Friday a holiday because of protests which eventually shut down a major Asian summit.

"The prime minister held discussions with ministers and in order to ensure public security and clean up places affected by the protests, the cabinet declares April 16 and 17 as government holidays," Panitan said.

"State enterprises, commercial banks, financial institutions and the private sector can decide on suitability," he said, reading from an official statement.

Protesters calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva ended a three-week siege of his offices on Tuesday, a day after clashes in Bangkok left two dead.

Thailand in State of Emergency, travellers warned away

Travel Blackboard
Tuesday, 14 April 2009

Clashes between red-shirted anti-government protestors and government troops in Thailand’s capital have already left more than a hundred injured, and resulted in the government once again imposing a “state of emergency” on Bangkok.

Australian travellers already in Bangkok are being warned to stay away from protestors and protest hotspots, and Australians thinking of travelling there are being advised to “reconsider” their plans.

“The Australian Government is deeply concerned at developments in Thailand,” said Stephen Smith, Australian Foreign Affairs Minister, in a press conference yesterday.

“At this stage... we have no evidence of any Australians being caught up in these demonstrations or in the violence.”

“We urge Australians not in Bangkok to reconsider their need to travel to Bangkok,” he adds. “Those Australians who are in Bangkok, we urge them to stay within their homes or their hotels, to certainly avoid demonstrations, and to certainly avoid large gatherings of people.”

This time round, to avoid a takeover at the airports, the government has already sent troops to reinforce security at the nation’s major transport hubs. Despite these actions most airlines are allowing travellers to postpone or cancel plans without cancellation fees, even though services are operating as per normal.

Late last year, the two major airports in Bangkok were closed for a week after anti-government protestors overwhelmed security forces and set up camp inside the terminals.

In what is another hit to the local tourism industry, the clashes coincide with the close of the peak travel period in Thailand, as well as the nation’s New Year festivities.

Early estimates have predicted that the resonating effects from these protests, combined with the shutdown of airports late last year, will slash a third of the country’s tourism income for 2009.

After imposing the state of emergency on Sunday, scuffles between the police and protestors escalated to high levels of violence on Monday, with numerous attacks around the city in places like Government House.

Anti-government protestors, or the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, believe that the current Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, rose to power illegitimately, and are supporters of the previously ousted Thaksin Shinawatra.

Pro-Thaksin red shirts battle troops in Bangkok

Photo by: AFP
A Thai soldier is hit by a Molotov cocktail as he charges supporters of exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and fire rounds in the air Monday in Bangkok.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Anusak Konglang
Tuesday, 14 April 2009

BANGKOK

Demonstrators in Bangkok burn buses, throw stones and Molotov cocktails at soldiers as armed forcesfire back in street battles that have injured 74.

BANGKOK - Thai soldiers fired volleys of shots in the air to disperse protesters blocking key roads Monday in Bangkok, as the first show of force by the government since declaring emergency rule left 74 wounded.

Demonstrators sent hijacked buses and Molotov cocktails hurtling towards military lines in a chaotic battle at one intersection, where soldiers fired assault rifles and tear gas shells as they advanced, AFP reporters said.

The supreme military commander vowed to restore order using "all possible means", a day after embattled Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva announced a state of emergency to curb protesters who had disrupted a key Asian summit.

In a televised address on Monday, Abhisit accused the red-shirted supporters of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of stockpiling weapons and warned peaceful demonstrators calling for his resignation to disperse.

"Those who want to help the government restore normality can return home," Abhisit said. "The government has carefully mapped out a plan to implement the law."

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The government has carefully mapped out a plan to implement the law
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Thailand has endured years of political turmoil, but this is the biggest crisis that Abhisit has faced since he came to power in December, following a controversial court ruling that drove Thaksin's allies out of office.

Troops first moved before dawn to secure Bangkok's busy Din Daeng intersection, with soldiers firing hundreds of rounds into the air after protesters pelted them with rocks and Molotov cocktails, AFP reporters said.

The government announced it had secured the area, but demonstrators played cat-and-mouse with soldiers throughout the morning, before a second round of clashes erupted at lunchtime at the nearby Victory Monument landmark.

Protesters set fire to hijacked buses, but as soldiers advanced with water cannons, the demonstrators weighted down the pedals of at least three buses with water bottles which then careered towards the lines of military.

Soldiers unleashed deafening bursts of automatic gunfire for several minutes in a number of locations after the bus attacks.

"We reserve the right to use weapons in self-defence," the military's Supreme Commander, Songkitti Jaggabatara, said in a television address.

It is the first time the army has taken action since Abhisit ordered tanks and soldiers onto the streets of Bangkok on Sunday.

Abhisit said 70 people were wounded, 23 of them soldiers, but rejected claims on a protesters' radio station that four demonstrators were killed. Police later said another four were hurt and that there were 10 gunshot wounds in total.

The government said it would move to protect airports and ports, while soldiers were deployed at train stations and at strategic locations including the electricity authority.

But authorities made no effort to clear the main body of some 10,000 so far peaceful protesters who defied the state of emergency and remained camped out at Government House.

"Abhisit, are you still a human being? This is a most inhuman act, to crack down on unarmed protesters," protest leader Jatuporn Prompan told the crowd there.

Demonstrations also reportedly spread to northern Thailand, Thaksin's stronghold, where he is popular among the rural poor.

PM visit off over chaos in Thailand

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Vong Sokheng
Tuesday, 14 April 2009

THAI Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has cancelled his upcoming visit to Cambodia because of the deteriorating political situation in Bangkok, Cambodian Foreign Ministry officials said Monday.

Abhisit was scheduled to arrive Saturday in Phnom Penh for talks with Prime Minister Hun Sen, King Norodom Sihamoni and other senior officials, but backed out after escalating protests by anti-government demonstrators forced him to declare a state of emergency and deploy troops in the Thai capital.

"I received official notification that [Abhisit] has cancelled his trip to Phnom Penh because of the political chaos in Thailand," Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said.

Talks on the dispute over the two countries' shared border were expected to be on the agenda at the weekend meeting, following discussions between the two leaders Friday on the sidelines of the aborted ASEAN summit in Thailand. Three Thai soldiers were killed in border clashes earlier this month.

Sam Rainsy Party spokesman Yim Sovann said recent border fighting would hobble negotiations and that the standoff was unlikely to be resolved through bilateral talks.

"Thailand has violated the sovereignty of Cambodia, and I think they have no political will to resolve the issue," he said Monday.

Reordained, monk Tim Sakhorn flees: NGO

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Meas Sokchea
Tuesday, 14 April 2009

KHMER Krom activist Tim Sakhorn was ordained again as a monk at a pagoda in Battambang on Friday and has now fled to Thailand where he is seeking refugee status, according to Sann Sang, the deputy director of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community.

"Now, it is up to the UNHCR [the UN High Commissioner for Refugees] to determine if he has the right to stay in Thailand," he said.

He added that Tim Sakhorn would be willing to leave for another country if necessary.

The 41-year-old monk was arrested in June 2007 by Cambodian police and defrocked before being extradited to Vietnam.

But after imprisoning Tim Sakhorn for a year and then keeping him under house arrest, Vietnam allowed him to visit Cambodia, which issued him a visa until April 17.

Even though Tim Sakhorn has said he just wants to live with his family and tend his farm in Cambodia, he did not feel the Cambodian authorities were protecting him, according to Ang Chanrith, the executive director of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Human Rights Organisation.

"When he was arrested, the [Cambodian] government did not take action to protect him, so he has lost confidence in the government," Ang Chanrith said last week.

Christophe Peschoux, the country representative of the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, could not confirm that the monk had fled to Thailand.

"If he went to Thailand, it's because he feels unsafe in his own country," Peschoux said.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CHRISTOPHER SHAY

Residents afraid to leave city

Photo by: Heng Chivoan
Khun Malay, one of the residents living near the Lycee Francais Rene Descartes who is facing eviction, prepares food on Monday.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Chhay Channyda and May Titthara
Tuesday, 14 April 2009

Families near the Lycee Francais Rene Descartes say they will celebrate the New Year in Phnom Penh for fear of being evicted.

FAMILIES living near the Lycee Francais Rene Descartes say they are afraid to leave their homes for Khmer New Year for fear of being evicted in their absence.

Cambodian media Saturday quoted Daun Penh district Deputy Governor Sok Penh Vuth as saying that the families will be evicted on April 20, just after the New Year.

Now, 37 families living next to the French international school near Wat Phnom say they are worried something could happen even sooner.

"This year, I decided not to celebrate the New Year in my hometown, Kampong Cham province, because I fear that an eviction will take place," resident San Lim Sreang, 60, said Monday.

"Other neighbours are also gathering their families and celebrating the New Year in Phnom Penh," he added.

San Lim Sreang's family is one of four families offered of US$10,000 and a plot of land from the municipality in return for moving out of his current home.

But he said the compensation for his 167-square-metre house should be more in the vicinity of $40,000.

"I have lived here since 1979 and the government claims it is state land and that I cannot get a land title. I do not want to go against City Hall or the government, but the compensation must be acceptable so that we can have enough money to build new homes on the relocation site," he said.

Residents have been divided into three compensation categories depending on how many years they have lived there - $10,000, $7,000 and $5,000, all with a block of land.

San Lim Sreang said, however, that the plot of land offered to him, at only 32 square
metres, was also much smaller than his current house.

"Waiting for the order"
Sok Penh Vuth could not confirm Monday when the residents near Lycee Descartes would be moved out from the area, but said he will "wait for the order from [City Hall] if there is a plan to clear people".

"Fifty percent of residents have been happy with their compensation deal," he added.

When asked about the eviction by reporters in an unrelated press conference Monday at City Hall, Phnom Penh Deputy Governor Mann Chhoeun said that the city has succeeded so far in relocating people to the outskirts of the city as it continues following its development master plan.

He added that City Hall has never moved people out of the city without making sure their living standards continued to be met.

"We have relocated 43 communities to relocation sites, all of which have good infrastructure," he said.

Foreigners arrested for child sex

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Mom Kunthear and Khuon Leakhana
Tuesday, 14 April 2009

Western pair arrested, await charges in court.

TWO foreigners have been arrested on suspicion of soliciting sex from a 16-year-old girl outside Wat Phnom last week, police said.

A Greek national and a French national, both friends in their 40s, were arrested over the weekend after police suspected them of for sex with sex from the underage girl on separate nights at guesthouses on Boeung Kak lake, said Keo Thea, head of Phnom Penh's Anti-Human Trafficking police.

"We are now compiling our report to send to the prosecutor to make an inquiry and formally charge the individuals in court," he said.

Keo Thea said the two men were also suspected of taking pornographic photos of the girl.

"As police officers, we have a duty to implement the law, and in the case of minors with foreigners like this, it goes against the human-trafficking law," he said.

Samleang Seila, country director of the anti-paedophile NGO Action Pour Les Enfants, told the Post on Monday that the girl's family had alerted the group, who then alerted police.

"So far in 2009, there have been over nine foreigners arrested, which is an increase from the same period last year. This is what we are worried about because it shows that the law is still weak," he said.

Number of arrests to rise
Samleang Seila said that he expected the number of foreigners arrested over child sex abuse to increase in 2009.

"Authorities on all levels are working hard day and night to investigate and search for sex tourists," Keo Thea said.

A quiet New Year on the front lines

Photo by: THET SAMBATH
A Cambodian soldier stands at the Cambodian market destroyed by border fighting earlier this month.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Thet Sambath and Michael Fox
Tuesday, 14 April 2009

PREAH VIHEAR

Few furloughs as border troops to remain on alert during holiday following deadly fire fights.

AS CAMBODIANS flock to their home provinces for the Khmer New Year, soldiers stationed along the contested border with Thailand say they will sacrifice the traditional family activities to maintain a watchful eye over the front lines.

"I'm very sorry I can't attend the New Year but I think that defending Cambodian territory is more important. When we have land, our children and wives will be able to enjoy life," said Sann Sokhom, a Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) officer stationed at Preah Vihear temple.

"If I leave [the border], who will defend the nation?"

Major Kang Saray of RCAF's Brigade 8 also said that his professional responsibilities - after deadly gunbattles left three Thai soldiers dead earlier this month - would outweigh any New Year's considerations.

"I have not been given permission to go home to spend the Khmer New Year with my family because the situation is fragile at the front line following the clash between the Thai and Cambodian armed forces," he said at his base at Preah Vihear temple, but added that some families would be allowed to return home if the situation eases up.

Brigade 8 commander Yim Phim confirmed the army is arranging for some soldiers to have time off with their relatives in the next week, but that a number had to stay on to watch over the border.

Home for the holiday
In Pheap, a soldier based at Preah Vihear temple, is one of the lucky ones to have been given leave to return to his home province.

"I am leaving the temple to spend the New Year with my wife and children in Banteay Meanchey province," he said Sunday.

"Some soldiers are allowed to go to the provinces to join in the New Year celebrations, but most of them are staying at the base."

But those who remain at the border will be treated to in-house celebrations, care of the Defence Ministry, according to Yim Phim, who said his brigade had been given money to throw a party at its base.

"We have 22 million riels (about US$5,370) from Minister Tea Banh to buy beef for our soldiers' party to welcome in the New Year," he said. But soldiers will be allowed only limited beer rations, he said, given the tense situation on the frontier.

Neak Vong, deputy commander of Brigade 42, said Monday that his brigade had also received more than 20 million riels from Tea Banh when he paid a visit to soldiers at Ta Moan Thom temple Sunday.

"We have bought 20 cows for our soldiers' party, [which] is being done at different places along the front line," he said. He added that 20,000 Cambodians had arrived at Ta Moan Thom temple by Sunday and would be joining in celebrations with Thai visitors at the site.

No meat but a little music for New Year's in the slammer

INMATE INCREASE
Cambodia's prison population increased by 7 percent in 2008. Heng Hak said he has requested additional funds to deal with the population growth by asking for an increase in funding per prisoner from 1,500 riels a day to 2,800 riels, but has yet to receive more money.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by May Titthara
Tuesday, 14 April 2009

With little funding, New Year's at Prey Sar prison this year will be a spartan celebration without beef or pork, but there will be dancing.

EVERY year the Correctional Centre Two (CC2), the women's dorm at Prey Sar prison, holds a New Year's celebration for its inmates. But this year, due to a lack of funds, the party will be even more of a no-frills affair.

"This year there is no budget, so we will not celebrate a big party as in previous years. We will just invite three monks to bless prisoners ... and allow them to collect alms," said Chat Sineang, Prey Sar's prison chief.

"Last year, we bought two cows and one pig to make food for them during the three days, but this year we won't have [any beef or pork to eat]," he said.

But despite lacking the usual banquet, Chat Sineang said he would provide opportunities for the prisoners to celebrate.

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When I listen to Khmer music about ...New year, i feel as if I'm home.
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"We will allow them to use the loudspeaker for dancing ... and we will organise a dance with males and females," he said, adding that only the low- and medium-level security prisoners will be allowed to join in.

Despite attempts by the prison chief to make the holiday enjoyable, many prisoners aren't looking forward to spending Khmer New Year in jail.

"I miss my homeland with the New Year arriving soon because during that time in the past I was happy with my family," said Keo Reaksmey, 39, who is serving an 8-year sentence for human trafficking.

Chheav Hourlay, a Licadho prison researcher, said that another source of sadness for the prisoners was watching their guards celebrate the holiday freely.

No money for monks
The director general at the Ministry of Interior's Prison Department, Heng Hak, said he hoped that all the inmates would have the opportunity to be blessed by monks. But Cambodia's jails simply do not have the money to ensure that the monks show up.

"All the prisons in Cambodia will invite monks to bless the prisoners, but we haven't any budget to support them," he said.

But Mi Srey Phal, who is serving a seven-year sentence for trafficking drugs, said that although the New Year is a difficult time to be away from home, even the small efforts of the prison make the holiday a bit better.

"I feel so sad during the New Year, because I miss my family ... [but] at night when I listen to music about the New Year, I feel as if I'm home," she said.

Police Blotter: 14 Apr 2009

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Lim Phalla
Tuesday, 14 April 2009

ONE OF TWO MOTO THIEVES ARRESTED
Banon district police arrested one of two thieves on Wednesday for allegedly stealing two motorbikes in Battambang province. Police arrested Sol Heab, 22, while a man known only as Touch evaded capture on the motorbike stolen from the victim, Mao Sameth.
RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

PHONE-SNATCHERS ARRESTED
Meas An, 25, and Chea Danith, 20, were arrested by Tuol Kork police on Friday after allegedly stealing Pen Socheat Ratanak's cell phone. The two men are accused of snatching the victim's phone while he was making a call on his motorbike.
RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

REPORTED POLICE SPY GUNNED DOWN
A suspected police spy was shot dead on Saturday at K2 Karaoke and Guesthouse in Phnom Penh. The victim, who is said to have been working for police, was shot dead by two men suspected of being drug traffickers. Both perpetrators were known to K2 security, and police say they are pursuing several leads.
KOH SANTEPHEAP

GANGSTERS NABBED AFTER BRAWL
Mong Russei police arrested two reported gangsters on Wednesday after a fight broke out in Anlung Tamok village, Battambang province. Chhay Samnang and Noeun Vannak were apprehended while another man, Sy Ro, accused of stabbing Norn Kim Suor during the scuffle, managed to evade authorities. Witnesses say the fight is part of an ongoing feud between rival gangs.
KOH SANTEPHEAP

CAMKO CITY WORKERS ARRESTED IN ATTACK
Some 18 Camko City construction workers were arrested by Svay Pak police after the group, armed with various weapons, attacked two men in revenge for a previous assault on one of their workers. Workers accuse Ngvean Yaing Chan and Kim Em of attacking Saing Makara while walking home from work alone. Both victims were left seriously wounded by the mob.
KOH SANTEPHEAP

WOMAN ROBBED OF BIKE, PHONE, MONEY
Four armed men stole a motorbike, 160,000 riels (US$39) and a cell phone from Leuk Chany, 19, while she and her mother were riding home last Tuesday. The robbers remain at large.
KOH SANTEPHEAP

Looking out for one another

Photo by: HENG CHOVOAN
Thearith, 30, delivers bananas and banana saplings to O'Russey Market on Monday from his farm in Kandal province. Thearith, who only sells his products in Phnom Penh during New Year, says sales are down this year due to increasing competition.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Ross Dunkley
Tuesday, 14 April 2009

FOR many, the anticipation of seeing a difficult year end and a successful one begin can be hard to sustain amid the apprehension - both economic and social - that is spreading throughout our world.

People are anxious - from Paris to New York, Sydney to Shanghai - and in our own backyards. No one is immune. People are fearful about whether they will be able to ride out the rough times that will inevitably lie ahead, preserve their savings, maintain their businesses, educate their children, keep a roof over their heads and even feed themselves. Who will look after them?

The arrival of a new year, of course, should be a time of excitement and expectation as we prepare to unwind for a few days, see friends and family, and exchange greetings or gifts. Some among us may also resolve to be better people in the coming year.

So, how do we resolve the disparity between our apprehension and our expectation of better things in the days ahead?

Part of the answer lies in looking beyond current challenges to consider that our crucial focus must be the desire for extended peace, economic prosperity and hope for a better future together.

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May this Year of the Ox ease apprehensions and restore our confidence ...
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But in the midst of our New Year's celebrations - a time of devotion, sacrifice and spiritual renewal - let us also work for something more.

In Cambodia, and among our brothers and sisters in Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Sri Lanka, let us spread a message this new year of our commitment to the fundamental equality of all and freedom for all.

It is a failure to respect others that engenders so much of our social and personal disquiet.

This holds true, as well, in matters of commerce.

The values of trust, honour and reliability have simply buckled under the weight of our collective greed and led to a reluctance to belong and to contribute to our communities.

Rampant and unregulated commercialism has rocked our global trust and must be replaced by a more responsible capitalism and a closer relationship between the creation of wealth and its stewardship for the common good.

The advent of Khmer New Year gives us all an opportunity to reflect on the kind of society we want for ourselves and our children, and a motivation to work together to achieve it.

In that spirit, The Phnom Penh Post extends its best wishes to every household for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. May this Year of the Ox ease apprehensions and restore our confidence in others and in ourselves.

New Year tourist slump predicted for Preah Vihear

Photo by: AFP
Tourists visit Preah Vihear temple in this file photo taken last year.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Nguon Sovan
Tuesday, 14 April 2009

Forecasts of low visitor turnout at peak holiday time come as province reports arrivals down 30 percent in first quarter due to temple dispute.

PREAH Vihear province's tourism sector has been hit hard by a long-simmering dispute with Thailand over ownership of land surrounding an ancient cliff-top temple and the local tourism authority is bracing itself for a quiet New Year after fighting broke out again earlier this month.

"This New Year, there are likely to be fewer tourists to Preah Vihear temple than last New Year due to fears of artillery fire from Thailand but, in fact, security in the province is strong and stable," Preah Vihear provincial tourism chief Kong Vibol said Monday.

Ownership of land around the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple near the Thai border has long been in dispute, despite the World Court awarding the temple to Cambodia in 1962. Tensions flared last July when UNESCO, the UN cultural agency, approved Cambodia's bid to have the Preah Vihear temple named a World Heritage site, leading to several outbreaks of fighting between Cambodian and Thai troops over the last nine months.

The latest flare-up was on April 3 when Cambodian and Thai troops traded fire with guns, rockets and artillery. Each side blamed the other for reigniting the conflict.

Kong Vibol said the ongoing dispute had resulted in a 30.1 percent year-on-year decline in tourist arrivals in the first quarter of the year from 23,898 to 16,700. "The main drop was at Preah Vihear temple due to the border conflict," he said.

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The main drop was at Preah Vihear temple due to the border conflict.
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He predicted that tourist numbers for the full year would fall sharply from the 120,000 received last year, most of whom, he said, visited the Preah Vihear temple. "Based on the first-quarter report, it is predicted that the number of tourists to Preah Vihear will drop sharply," Kong Vibol said. Koh Ker temple and Preah Khan Kampong Svay temple were also popular tourist destinations in the province, he added.

Statistics from the Ministry of Tourism show that 65,182 domestic tourists visited the province in 2008, up from 37,530 visitors the year before, while the province hosted 62,258 foreign visitors, well down on the 90,693 that visited in 2007.

A month-by-month breakdown was not available Monday, but anecdotal reports last year showed that domestic visitors to the temple surged surrounding UNESCO's decision to list the temple as a World Heritage site but fell away as the standoff continued. Foreign arrivals also plummeted at that point.

Ho Vandy, a board member of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents and managing director of World Express Tours & Travel, said Monday that the border conflict and the ongoing global financial crisis had combined to limit visitor arrivals at the site. "Since the start of the border conflict last July, we have sold very few tour packages to Preah Vihear temple," Ho Vandy said.

Preah Vihear province has only seven guesthouses with 120 rooms, Kong Vibol added.

Over 3,000 ancient temples remain in Cambodia, but so far just two have been listed as World Heritage sites: Angkor Wat in 1992 and Preah Vihear temple in 2008. Cambodia is preparing other temples throughout the country for nomination to UNESCO, including Sambo Preykub and Banteay Chhmar.

Taxi and bus prices up as City Hall's pleas ignored

Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN

Travellers take a taxi out of Phnom Penh on Sunday.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Kay Kimsong and Hor Hab
Tuesday, 14 April 2009

Transport operators take advantage of demand-side pressure for New Year holiday as 70pc of capital expected to travel.

DESPITE officials' efforts to discourage taxi drivers and bus companies from inflating fees during Khmer New Year, several interviewed by the Post said they had no intention of passing on the opportunity to make extra dollars.

Phnom Penh Deputy Governor Mann Chhoeun said Governor Kep Chuktema met with taxi and bus companies last week to urge them to charge standard fares in the holiday. But he said City Hall would not punish those who raise prices.

"This is not a legal directive," he said. "City Hall has to inform taxi owners every year. I think there is no reason for increasing transport prices, because the price of gasoline didn't increase."

Minister of Tourism Thong Khon said at a press conference Thursday that he expected 70 percent of Phnom Penh residents to head to their home provinces.

Chhay Veth, who drives a taxi between Phnom Penh and Battambang province, said he believed fares would increase by 10 to 20 percent during the holiday, adding that customers expected fee inflation because it happened every year.

"Once a year, it is ... a seasonal price," he said. "We like to ask for higher fees if passengers are available to pay more."

This view was echoed by Sam Vuth, who drives a taxi between Phnom Penh and Kampong Cham province. He said most drivers on that route would increase prices from 17,000 riels (US$4.09) to 25,000 riels.

"I think officials may not be able to stop drivers from increasing fees because people are used to it already, and the New Year is a good time to earn more profits," he said.

Chhay Veth said the fees would be even steeper for taxi passengers travelling at night.

Phan Na, general manager of Phnom Penh Sorya Transport, said his company would charge one extra dollar for all tickets during the holiday and one or two days after, when travellers make their return trips.

From Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville, the cost would rise from 19,000 riels to 23,000 riels. These fees went into effect Saturday.

Motorbike market crashed, say dealers

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Nguon Sovan and May Kunmakara
Tuesday, 14 April 2009

Usually high-sales season sees few buyers despite price markdowns, vendors report.

MOTORCYCLE dealers said this week that demand has plummeted and that they fear that if the situation did not change, their businesses could fail.

"In the first three months of last year, I sold about 300 motorcycles, but during the first quarter of this year, only 80 motorcycles have been sold," Hang Heng, a motorcycle dealer in Chamkarmon district, said.

So far, April has not brought any relief for motorcycle businesses, they said - the influx of customers that normally buy before the Khmer New Year have not appeared.

"Ahead of last New Year, there was a flood of customers queuing to buy motorcycles," he said, adding that he blamed the real estate downturn for the decline in sales.

Kim Hout of Chhay Honda said: "This time last year I could sell 40 to 50 motorcycles per day, because most of them were bought for travel during the New Year, even though they cost a lot."

But this year, not even discounted prices have brought in customers during what is normally the busy season, Kim Hout said.

"Last year a Honda Dream cost between US$1,700 to $1,800, and now it is just $1,630 per motorcycle," he said.

Lay Piseth, another motorcycle dealer in Phnom Penh's Chamkarmon district, said that since the sharp drop in motorcycle sales, he has been in the red every month.

"Last year, around 10 motorcycles were sold per day, but now one motorcycle sells every three days," he said.

Hang Heng was worried that if the tough times continue, he would have to close his business.

"I have lost money every month since the start of the year. If the situation has not recovered in six months, I will shut down my business."

Matoba Michifumi, managing director of Yamaha Motor Cambodia Co, told the Post that Yamaha sales had dropped 25 percent in the first quarter of 2009 compared with the same period last year, and that the outlook did not look good for the rest of 2009.

"Prior to the crisis, we estimated that motorcycle demand was around 140,000 a year, but now we have re-estimated the number to be 100,000 a year, mainly due to the real-estate crisis," he said.

Khmer New Year in Phnom Penh need not be boring

Photo by: Tracey Shelton
Kids play with powder during Khmer New Year celebrations.

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Tom Hunter
Tuesday, 14 April 2009

As Phnom Penh empties for Khmer New Year, a few restaurants and bars are to remain open, offering provide entertainment throughout the holiday.

THE mass exodus of capital residents from Phnom Penh to their home provinces or various waterside retreats for Khmer New Year has left the city with only a scattering of residents wondering what to do with their precious time off work.

It's hard to imagine the capital lying dormant in the heat for three days and, thankfully, this will not be the case, with live music and a range of restaurants and bars remaining open over the festive period.

It's business as usual at the FCC, Comme a la Maison, the Magic Sponge, Tamarind, Metro and Chow, to name only a handful.

Some of the city's hotels are offering special deals for the New Year, with Raffles celebrating the holiday period with a special Khmer New Year dinner available every night of the holiday at the Restaurant Le Royal.

Prices start at US$35 for three courses, with one person dining free of charge at a table of four.

For those looking for something more casual, the Magic Sponge on the lakeside will be playing the Champions League Football each night with food and drink specials available during Liverpool games.

And for punters who want to let their hair down in a more traditional sense, well, Phnom Penh is still the place to be.

Traditional games
City Hall is throwing a party each night at Wat Phnom.

Traditional games such as chol chhuong will be played in the early evening between 3pm and 6pm, followed by live music late into the night.

Chol chhoung is a traditional Khmer New Year game played on the first night of the holiday between groups of boys and girls.

The game simply involves throwing the chhoung at your opposing team to wither down the opposition's integrity, with Khmer songs thrown in for fun. It's the Khmer version of dodge-ball, minus Vince Vaughn.

At Wat Botum, the party will begin with a comedy show from 7pm to 12am, and with a popular dance concert to follow.

On the downside, an array of places will shut for extended periods over the Khmer New Year.

The Shop, Fresco, Gasolina, Java, Meta House, Talkin' to a Stranger, Vans, Gym Bar and Green Vespa are just a few of the places that will be closed.

Contemporary Cambodian Artist Sopheap Pich’s Rattan Sculptures

Source: psfk.com

April 13, 2009

By Sean Leow (PSFK Shanghai)

Armed with simple tools and local materials, Sopheap Pich creates rattan sculptures and other works of art that reflect his Cambodian roots. Fleeing the country in 1979, Sopheap studied art in the US before moving back to Cambodia in 2002. Much of Pich’s work focuses on the current changes in Cambodia society as well as the serious health problems, embodied in his human organ shaped rattan sculptures.

Pich describes his work:

my main materials are rattan, bamboo, and metal wire – the stuff that is common and cheap in cambodia. my tools are simple: razorblades, knives, axes, pliers, a blowtorch. the manual labor allows me the time to contemplate on the forms and my relationship to it. this relationship between the viewer and the form is what matters most to me, and each pieces are open to interpretations by the viewer.

Pich’s work is currently showing at the 10 Chancery Lane Gallery in Hong Kong.

Self-sufficiency program almost ready to launch

Mission Network News

14 April, 2009

Cambodia (MNN) ― The FARMS International self-sufficiency program in Cambodia is almost ready to launch as final details are underway.

FARMS has been present in Cambodia for years and has long been formulating a program that will steer Cambodians away from dependence. After a great deal of planning and preparation, a program providing aid such as micro-financing and lessons in technical skills will launch through local churches.

"We have seen really a real glimmer of hope in the eyes especially of the Christian community," says FARMS Executive Director, Joseph Richter. "I believe Cambodians are looking for a much better future and have hope for that."

Christians are especially excited about the program and will be the ones to really get the program going. As other Cambodians see the progress Christians are making toward self-sufficiency, they will hopefully come to the church for help as well. In a previous interview, Richter explained, "FARMS really accomplishes evangelism through the changed lives of the people involved in the churches."

This program will undoubtedly spur on the already-growing church. "The church is growing very quickly, especially among the younger segment of the population (which is the majority of Cambodians anyway)," says Richter. More leadership will soon be needed in the church. In the meantime, FARMS is working with the current leadership to guide churches to financial stability as well.

The program should officially launch within the next month, provided all goes according to plan. Richter assures us "the need is very urgent" in Cambodia. "To effectively provide enough to make a real impact is our prayer. We're hoping people will come behind this project because it's an open door."

Pray for the leadership to catch a vision for the self-supported church. Pray also that FARMS would successfully be able to launch the program and that it would transform many lives for the glory of God.

If you would like to be a part of the project, click here.

Cambodian gov't accuses media cartoon of affecting ties with Thailand

www.chinaview.cn

2009-04-14

PHNOM PENH, April 14 (Xinhua) -- A recently-printed media cartoon depicting Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra playing golf together could seriously affect the Cambodian-Thai relations, said a press release of the Cambodian Information Ministry received here on Tuesday.

In the hand-drawn picture published by English-language daily newspaper the Phnom Penh Post on April 10, Thaksin shot a mine instead of a ball with his golf pole into the territory of Thailand, saying that "YES, IT'S MINE!!! THEREFORE I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANTN WITH IT..."

Hun Sen, together with Thaksin on the land of Cambodia, said that "BUT... WHAT ARE YOU DOING? IT IS YOUR COUNTRY..."

This cartoon was politically-oriented and would make readers misunderstand the political stance of Cambodia, said the ministry in its press release.

Cambodia already spiked the rumor that Thaksin was hidden here, but the cartoon obviously told readers that he was temporarily living in Cambodia, Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said in the release.

The Phnom Penh Post should submit its evidence for Thaksin's stay in Cambodia, he said.

By publishing the cartoon, the newspaper had violated the relevant law of Cambodia, he said, adding that any media should be objective and neutral in its reporting.

In early April, spokesman of the Cambodian Council of Ministers Phay Siphan told reporters that "Thaksin actually didn't have any presence in our country."

For anything that he did, Thaksin could observe his own country's law and the international law, he added.

Demonstrations by the opposition force have led to serious instability in Thailand. Thaksin used to relay supportive messages to the protesters from his overseas location.

Editor: Yao

Cambodian gov't agrees to contain temple vandalism with int'l intervention

www.chinaview.cn

2009-04-14

PHNOM PENH, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian government has agreed to ask for international intervention to help contain vandalism of the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple at the border area with Thailand, national media said on Tuesday.

The government agrees with the proposals submitted by some NGOs(non-government organization) to guarantee the security of the temple with international law, and sue any ruiner for vandalism at the international community, spokesman of the Cambodian Council of Ministers Phay Siphan told Chinese-language daily newspaper the Commercial News.

The temple was awarded with the title of World Heritage Site inJuly 2008 by UNESCO (the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization), and it deserves Cambodian as well as international management and protection, he said.

It is a pity that UNESCO is only a cultural organization and can't handle lawsuits, he said, adding that the government is collecting evidence of Thai vandalism of the temple in order to help terminate such acts and seek for compensation.

Two armed confrontations between Cambodian and Thai troops at the border area in early April, together two others last year, have left a number of bullet pits and other ruins on the temple.

The damages have prompted NGOs to protest for the sake of the intactness of the historical site. They also urged the Cambodian side to take legal actions against the Thai side.

Cambodia and Thailand have never fully demarcated their over 800-km-long land border, but the International Court in Hague ruled in 1962 that the Preah Vihear temple and its surrounding area should belong to Cambodia.

Editor: Yao

Ongoing political turmoil in Thailand affects Songkran Festival

A boy looks at kites for sale at Sanam Luang in Thailand's capital Bangkok on April 13, 2009. The Songkran Festival - the country's traditional new year festival - kicked off on Monday but there were less celebrations this year than previous years due to the ongoing political turmoil. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)

A Buddhist monk walks past Sanam Luang in Thailand's capital Bangkok on April 13, 2009. The Songkran Festival - the country's traditional new year festival - kicked off on Monday but there were less celebrations this year than previous years due to the ongoing political turmoil. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)

A few floats rest at Sanam Luang in Thailand's capital Bangkok on April 13, 2009. The Songkran Festival - the country's traditional new year festival - kicked off on Monday but there were less celebrations this year than previous years due to the ongoing political turmoil. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)

http://www.chinaview.cn/
2009-04-13

Thailand's Darkening Days

Forbes

Tina Wang

04.13.09

Thailand's economic fundamentals aren't bad. But that's little comfort amid the ongoing political chaos.

HONG KONG -- Economically speaking, Thailand could have been ASEAN's strongest link. It entered the global economic crisis with the least vulnerability: it isn't as addicted to leverage, exposed to the global trade slump, or too poor for a stimulus splurge. Instead, it descended into chaos, as leaders like Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao found themselves fleeing by helicopter from rooftops rather than working on healing battered economies this weekend, after mobs stormed the ASEAN summit in Thailand.

Escalating clashes between protestors and government forces continued to rattle foreign investors on Monday, as the country faces recession and an exodus of tourists. Some observers think the tolerance of the urban middle class for political chaos will shrink as the economic toll mounts and jobs weigh in the balance. But the military, police and Thai society remain too divided for any political stability to last. Meanwhile, the man at the center of it all, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is waiting on the sidelines to see if, or when, the four-month old administration will topple so that he can return.

"If the government cracks down more violently, the middle class in the city will agree, said Kitti Prasirtsuk, an associate dean on the political science faculty at Thammasat University, Bangkok. "That is my feeling. The middle class is now more and more impatient with the Reds' violence."

The hundred thousand protestors on the streets this past weekend and on Monday are "red shirts," or pro-Thaksin groups who want current Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to step down and another round of elections to be held. "Yellow shirts," or anti-Thaksin groups occupied government offices and the international airport last year, forcing out previous pro-Thaksin administrations.

With the country's transportation disrupted, foreign companies are now wondering how exports of electronics and pick-up trucks will get out, and will likely reduce orders until they're more assured of delivery. Then again, political instability should be no surprise for them, said one major investment banking analyst, who said there is no clear sign yet that foreign investors are abandoning their investments. "Nobody hoped for a quick recovery in the political situation. It's not good news, but it's not shattering news," he said.

Thailand has had four political turnovers and brief military rule since Thaksin, who still faces an outstanding prison term for corruption, was ousted in a peaceful coup in 2006. UBS forecasts Thailand's economy to contract by 5% this year. January exports fell 25.3%, from a year earlier. A fifth of Thai exports go to the U.S.

At the heart of the protests is not just an urban-rural or rich-poor divide but a battle of ideas -- between economic efficacy and democratic participation, Kitti said. Thaksin garners support from the poorer, rural areas in the country's north, as well as the slice of the middle class that thinks he could spawn higher economic growth and manage the country better. But a strong segment of society criticizes Thaksin and his governance for a lack of democratic integrity, Kitti said.

The military and police remain hesitant to use stronger force due to internal division. The head of the military is anti-Thaksin, though there is a pro-Thaksin group in the army, and the police is mainly pro-Thaksin. Government forces have thus far fired tear gas into the crowd and bullets above the crowd, though over 70 people have been reported injured.

Bangkok turns into warzone

RussiaToday

Violence is escalating in the Thai capital Bangkok, as the army clashes with anti-government protestors.

Thailand: The restitution of cross-border smuggled artifacts from the Government of Thailand to the Government of Cambodia

ISRIA

H.E. Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, handed over one of the seven cross- border smuggled artifacts, seized by the Thai authorities, to Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

On 10 April 2009, H.E. Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, handed over one of the seven cross- border smuggled artifacts, seized by the Thai authorities, to Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Also witnessed the hand-over ceremony were H.E. Mr. Kasit Priomya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Theera Slukpetch, Minister of Culture, H.E. Mr. Hor Namhong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia and H.E. Mrs. You Ay, Ambassador of Cambodia to Thailand, who attended the 14th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits at the Royal Cliff Beach Hotel, Pattaya.

The seven artifacts are among the fifty pieces intercepted by Thai customs officials in early 2000 as they were being smuggled from Cambodia across the border into Thailand. Since then the authorities of both countries have closely coordinated on this matter, taking into account the internal legal procedures of both countries, particularly in the verification of evidence which required detailed work from both sides. Finally, on 24 February 2009, the Thai Cabinet adopted a resolution to restitute the seven artifacts to the Government of Cambodia in accordance with the Agreement between the Thai and Cambodian governments to combat illicit trafficking and cross-border smuggling of moveable cultural property and to restitute it to the Country of Origin which both countries signed in 2000.

Cambodia, Laos open new border gate to boost trade, tourism

www.chinaview.cn

2009-04-13

PHNOM PENH, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and Laos have opened a new border gate to improve trade and tourism, at the eve of the Khmer New Year which falls on April 14-16, said national television TVK on Monday.

"This new gate will provide more chances for trade exchange and tourism growth, and eventually benefit the two countries," Tram Iev Tek, Cambodia Minister of Public Works and Transportation, was quoted by the state-run Television Kampuchea (TVK) as telling the inauguration ceremony last week.

It will also help promote the economic cooperation within the Great Mekong Sub-region, he added.

The border gate is situated between the Trapaing Kreal area in Stung Treng province of Cambodia and the Nong Nokkhien area in Champasak province of Laos.

Also last week, Cambodia and Laos agreed to open some of their provinces for mutual transportation in order to facilitate trade and economic development.

According to the agreement, all Laotian vehicles can travel to Siem Reap province and capital city of Phnom Penh of Cambodia, and all Cambodian vehicles to Pakse province and capital city of Vientiane of Laos.

Editor: Deng Shasha

Red Cross cancels plans to send team to help girl in Cambodia

Lisa Gatt (left) and her sister Lia.

Times of Malta
Monday, 13th April 2009

The Malta Red Cross has been forced to cancel plans to send a team to Cambodia to assist a Maltese girl, Lisa Gatt, who was seriously injured in a traffic accident last week.

"Due to an impossibility to contact the national Red Cross society in Cambodia to arrange logistical assistance, the Malta Red Cross shall be unable to send the paramedic team to repatriate Lisa Gatt. Unfortunately, without the cooperation of our counterpart in Cambodia we are not in a position to undertake this repatriation operation safely," the society said.

It earlier announced that it had launching an appeal for funds to assist in the repatriation and medical expenses of Ms Gatt.

She is currently being cared for in a small clinic in a rural village in Cambodia where she underwent surgery. Although she is still in need of medical care, she will be dismissed in only a couple of days, the society said.

Donations can be made directly at the Red Cross offices at 104, Saint Ursula Street, Valletta, at Room 6,University of Malta, Xewkija, Gozo or in Bank of Valletta Account number 10206374012.

Police Prepare for New Year Security

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
13 April 2009

National police are preparing to widen their presence at traditional Buddhist New Year sites, strengthening security as a three-day holiday begins Tuesday.

Police in Phnom Penh and across the country will be deployed at pagodas, gardens and any other place where revelers tend to gather, to prevent theft and gambling, police officials said Monday.

“We take action to protect people’s security every year,” said a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak. “Many police are deployed in areas where festivities are held.”

During the three days of the New Year festival, “police have no holiday,” he said.

Police and traffic police will be spread out from Tuesday to Thursday, which marks the beginning of the Buddhist year 2533, the Year of the Ox.

The New Year is a time for people to return to their homes, be with families, pray for the dead at pagodas, and, for the young, play traditional games and dance in the streets. But it can also be a time of negligence and danger.

Phnom Penh firefighters, for example, will also be on alert, working 24-hour shifts, in case of fires in the homes of the myriad people who will leave town this week, possibly leaving on their gas stoves, lights or appliances, Deputy Phnom Penh Governor Man Chhoeun said Monday.

Last year, two large fires within Phnom Penh started just ahead of the new year, one in Tuol Kork district, of 40 homes, and one in Stung Meanchey, which destroyed hundreds of homes.

Phnom Penh Police Chief Brig. Gen. Touch Naroth said Monday he had already met with city officials about “tightening security” in the capital.

“Now police have received orders already from the Ministry of Interior to go to the places where villagers gather,” he said.

Students Embark on Japan-Asean Exchange

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
13 April 2009

Twenty Cambodian high school delegates left for Japan Monday, participants of a 10-day exchange trip with other Southeast Asian students.

In a program sponsored by the Japanese government, top students from high schools in Kampot and Takeo provinces and Phnom Penh were chosen by their directors to take place in the program.

“This program is very important for the Cambodian youth to exchange experience, culture, traditions, and customs among Asean youth and Japanese youth, for development and peace,” Phan Sokim, director-general of the Ministry of Education, said.

“All the Cambodian delegates need knowledge, understanding and experience from Asean countries and Japan, to develop themselves and the country,” Phan Sokim said. “This program is a high-value opportunity—a golden opportunity, a diamond opportunity—for the future of Cambodia’s youth.”

The students will visit sites and local communities in Japan, participating in “various exchange events with Japanese youth and citizens, including home-stays, school visits and workshop[s],” the Japanese Embassy said in a statement.

“When I arrive in Japan, I will know how the Japanese live, their cultures, traditions and customs and other experiences from Japan,” Kampot high school student Hem Reach Sovann, 17, told VOA Khmer ahead of his trip Monday.

“I want to know what the differences are in the education systems of the two countries,” he said. “I also can bring some experience of modern technology from Japan to tell my schoolmates.”

Koy Vichny, 17, a delegate from Takeo province, said she would show other students aspects of Angkor Wat and ancient Khmer dance.

“I hope that I can get some experience and culture and knowledge from those countries too,” she said.

Street battles in Thai capital leave 2 dead

Anti-government protesters and supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra hold a picture of Thai King as they plead to soldiers not to use violence against them outside Government House Thailand Monday, April 13, 2009. Thousands of Thai troops, firing automatic weapons and tear gas, have forced rampaging anti-government protesters across Bangkok to retreat to their main encampment ringing the seat of government. The demonstrators said they were prepared for a 'final stand.' (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

An anti-government protester and supporter of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra pleads to soldiers not to use violence against them outside Government House Thailand Monday, April 13, 2009. Thousands of Thai troops, firing automatic weapons and tear gas, have forced rampaging anti-government protesters across Bangkok to retreat to their main encampment ringing the seat of government. The demonstrators said they were prepared for a 'final stand.' (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

By AMBIKA AHUJA and GRANT PECK, Associated Press Writers

BANGKOK – Thousands of troops fired warning shots and tear gas to turn back rampaging anti-government protesters Monday night, forcing retreating demonstrators into one neighborhood where a clash with residents left two people dead.

The evening gunbattle came after a full day of clashes between the protesters — who are pressing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to resign — and soldiers across the city. Troops fired warning shots and tear gas at the demonstrators and finally forced most to retreat to their base outside the prime minister's offices.

There, said leaders of the protest movement, made up largely of supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, they would make their "final stand."

Two people died in clashes between protesters and city residents enraged at their violent tactics. More than 100 people were hurt in the more than 12 hours of running street battles — a major escalation of the country's ongoing turmoil.

The violence threatens to slash tourism revenue and could lead to the loss of 200,000 jobs in the industry that directly employs about 2 million people, said Kongkrit Hiranyakit, chairman of the Tourism Council of Thailand.

It is also likely to give pause to foreign businesses considering building factories or making other investments — especially since it comes just months after a group of rival protesters occupied the capital's airports for a week, stranding thousands of tourists and businessmen and sending the economy into a tailspin.

The unrest caused malls and shops to shutter, and official celebrations for the Thai new year were canceled. More than a dozen countries, including the United States, issued travel warnings urging citizens to avoid trips to Thailand and for those already in Bangkok to stay in their hotels and away from the protests.

Protesters commandeered public buses to block several key intersections and sent two unmanned buses, one of them burning, hurtling toward lines of soldiers. One swerved and then careered off trees on the side of the road before coming to a halt, with no one injured.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said in a nationally televised address there was concern about what the demonstrators would do next.

"We worry that the protesters tonight will cause damage, like arson and throwing explosives," he said.

As evening fell, some of the 6,000 troops deployed in Bangkok began moving toward Government House, where the protesters have held out since March 26. An estimated 5,000 demonstrators were gathered in the area.

Fighting broke out in several neighborhoods between demonstrators and angry residents, said government minister Sathit Wongnongtoey.

The two killed were males aged 19 and 53, said Dr. Chatri Charoenchivakul, adding 133 people were hurt Monday.

The 53-year-old resident was in a crowd of people hurling abuse at protesters who then shot at them, said Sathit. His account could not be independently confirmed. Clashes erupted earlier between protesters and residents in at least three other areas.

In a Muslim-dominated neighborhood, hundreds of protesters threw objects at residents, burnt tires, barged into a mosque and tried to set food stalls on fire. Residents fought them with sticks.

Demonstrators were stationed at a half-dozen points in Bangkok, defying government-imposed state-of-emergency measures that ban gatherings of more than five people.

In one of several confrontations, a line of troops in full battle gear fired volleys of M-16 fire, most of it aimed above the heads of protesters, and turned water cannons on the crowd near Victory Monument, a major traffic circle. An army spokesman said troops fired blank bullets at the crowds and live shots overhead.

In an interview with CNN on Monday, Thaksin accused the military of lying about firing blanks at the crowd, saying soldiers used live ammunition, killed protesters and dragged away their bodies. "They shot people. Many died. Many people were injured," he said.

Hundreds of soldiers and police assembled at the Royal Plaza, about a mile (less than 2 kilometers) from Government House, confronting about 100 female protesters who knelt down and screamed "Please stop, brothers." Some hugged the soldiers.

"I don't mind dying right here if it means we become a real democracy. You can kill me right here. I am not here to cause trouble. I just want my rights," said Tanyawalai Wongsuriyaneth, 46, a female protester.

The protesters believe Abhisit came to power unfairly and want new elections. They accuse the country's elite — the military, judiciary and other unelected officials — of undermining democracy by interfering in politics.

Political tensions have simmered since Thaksin was ousted by a military coup in 2006 amid accusations of corruption and abuse of power. He remains popular in the impoverished countryside for his populist policies.

His opponents — many in urban areas — took to the streets last year to help bring down two governments led by his allies, seizing Bangkok's two airports in November for about a week.

France, Britain, Australia, the United States, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines were among countries that issued travel advisories Monday, urging citizens to avoid trips to Thailand and for those already in Bangkok to stay in their hotels and away from protests.

The U.S. Embassy issued a warden message urging Americans "to avoid the areas of demonstrations and to exercise caution anywhere in Bangkok."

Monday marked the beginning of the Thai New Year, normally the country's most joyous holiday. The Bangkok municipal government canceled all its festivities, but despite the rioting many Thais and foreign tourists began engaging in the ritualistic water throwing and general partying.

Thailand Tries To Quell Protests; Death Reported

Sakchai Lalit
Firefighters, working alongside a line of Thai soldiers, attempt to put out a fire Monday after a bus was set ablaze during anti-government protests in Bangkok. AP



NPR.org, April 13, 2009 · Soldiers in Thailand fired into the air and used tear gas Monday in an effort to disperse mass demonstrations in the capital, Bangkok, after a state of emergency was declared to quell the anti-government protests. One person has been killed and dozens injured in clashes, according to reports.

One person was shot dead in fighting between the protesters and residents, Satit Wongnongtaey, an official at the prime minister's office, said on television. The Associated Press reported that at least 100 people had also been injured in the street demonstrations.

The clashes came after protesters, who are calling for Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to step down, stormed the venue of a weekend summit of Asian leaders held in the southern city of Pattaya, forcing its cancellation.

Shopping malls and shops were closed and official celebrations for the Thai New Year were canceled. There were several confrontations at major intersections where protesters blocked traffic. In one such standoff, a line of troops fired above the heads of protesters and turned water cannons on the crowd near Victory Monument, a major Bangkok intersection, AP said.

The red-shirted demonstrators, who support former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, say the current government is illegitimate. Thaksin was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and Abhisit was installed after a subsequent pro-Thaksin government was forced from office by a court order after similar weeks-long protests in the capital paralyzed the country.

The political impasse has exposed deep divisions in Thai society, pitting the country's rural poor, many of whom have benefited from Thaksin's anti-poverty initiatives and are loyal to him, against the urban educated class that opposes him. Thaksin fled Thailand last year to avoid corruption charges, but even from abroad he continues to wield considerable influence over his supporters.

On Sunday night, Thaksin issue a stark message to his followers.

"Now that they have tanks on the streets, it is time for the people to come out in revolution," he said, adding that he would come back to Thailand "when it is necessary."

Abhisit has vowed to restore order using "the softest measures possible" to end the deadlock.

"All the work I am doing is not to create fear or put pressure or to harm any group of people. It's a step-by-step process to restore order and stop violence," Abhisit said on nationwide television.

The chief of Thailand's armed forces, Gen. Songkitti Jaggabatara, echoed the desire to use minimal force, saying his soldiers would use "every means to end the chaos" but employ weapons only for self-defense and not "excessively."

By late afternoon on Monday, many protesters were withdrawing to the area around the prime minister's office, where thousands have been encamped since March 26, AP reported.

On Saturday, at the meeting of the 16-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Pattaya, a mob of the red-shirted protesters smashed cars carrying Abhisit and his aides. The secretary-general of Abhisit's office, Niphon Promphan, was dragged from the car and beaten, suffering head injuries and broken ribs.

Thailand's tourism industry, already reeling from weeks of protests that helped topple the previous government and shut down the capital's ultramodern airport — a major Asian air hub — is likely to suffer further from the latest violence.

France, Britain, Australia, the United States, South Korea and the Philippines were among countries that issued travel advisories Monday, urging citizens to avoid trips to Thailand. Those already in Bangkok were urged to stay in their hotels and away from protests.

From NPR staff and wire reports

Fears for premature end to Khmer Rouge tribunal

Radio Netherlands Worldwide
Monday 13 April 2009

In an interview with Radio Netherlands Worldwide, Dutch lawyer Viktor Koppe says he fears a premature end to the international Cambodia Tribunal in Phnom Penh. The tribunal was set up to try senior members of the Khmer Rouge for crimes against humanity. Mr Koppe is defending one of its leaders. Although the tribunal consists of judges from both the United Nations and Cambodia, Mr Koppe believes political interference by the Cambodian government is threatening its successful conclusion.

The Khmer Rouge was the ruling political party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. During that rule, an estimated 1.5 million people died from torture, execution, starvation or forced labour. Today, many of the party's leaders and supporters occupy important government positions in Cambodia. This, says Mr Koppe, is prompting the government to question which of those former leaders should be prosecuted. He believes there is a very strong possibility the Cambodian government will remove the United Nations from the tribunal sometime in 2009.

Thai premier cancels visit to Cambodia

Thailandnews.net

PHNOM PENH, April 13 (AP) - (Kyodo)—Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva canceled a visit to Cambodia set for Saturday, a Cambodian government official said Monday.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong told Kyodo News the cancellation notice came via a diplomatic letter.

He said Thailand expressed regret at the cancellation but gave no specific reason for the change.

But Koy Kuong said there was little no doubt that internal problems in Thailand, where antigovernment protesters forced postponement of Asian summit meetings last weekend and are disrupting daily life in Bangkok, were a factor in Abhisit's decision.

He had been scheduled to make a one-day official visit to Cambodia on Saturday to strengthen bilateral relations and discuss border issues that have flared into violence several times over the past nine months.

Cambodia’s Unlikely Heroine

Jakarta Globe

April 13, 2009
Tracie Barrett

S omaly Mam is an unlikely heroine. But her story, though harrowing, captured me from its opening sentences and held me — in turns appalled, amazed, angered and in tears — until I turned the last page and realized I’d read my morning away.

Born in a small Cambodian village “sometime around 1970 or 1971,” the author was left with her grandmother as a small child, then abandoned by her grandmother also. As she writes in her autobiography, “The Road of Lost Innocence,” “Being an orphan in Cambodia is no rare condition. It is frighteningly ordinary.”

Somaly doesn’t even own her name, and can’t remember what her parents called her. She was named by a kindly schoolteacher who said he was her uncle.

At the age of 9 or 10, Somaly was introduced to a stranger whom she was told was her grandfather, and accompanied him to his home province. She expected to be loved and cared for but instead was treated as little more than a servant, and the brunt of her grandfather’s anger when he was “drunk and out of money.” As her body matured, “Grandfather” started touching her breasts, so she spent as little time as possible in his presence, doing chores for him but sleeping most nights by the river.

One evening he sent her to a merchant to whom he owed money, where she was raped, although the young girl didn’t understand what had occurred. “At the time I had no words for it,” she writes. “I didn’t know about penises. I thought he had used a knife.”

At about age 14, “Grandfather” gave her in marriage to a violent soldier, who beat her, “sometimes with the butt of his rifle on my back and sometimes with his hands.” When her husband didn’t return one day, her “Grandfather” sold her to a brothel owner in Phnom Penh.

Obviously, “The Road of Lost Innocence” is neither a feel-good tale nor a comfortable read, but it is compelling in Somaly’s matter-of-fact portrayal of human trafficking.

Somaly escaped with the aid of a French aid worker, Pierre, whom she met and married, and together they went to Paris. Pierre was restless though, and after 18 months, they returned to Cambodia.

The Somaly who returned was a different woman from the inexperienced girl who left a year-and-a-half earlier. “I was like the people we call Khmers de France,” she writes, “Cambodians who live in France and come back on holiday with money and power and with the white person’s sense of self-assurance.”

Pierre’s new job was for Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), and through volunteering at the NGO’s clinic Somaly made contact with prostitutes in need of medical aid. She returned to the brothels, but this time to try to educate the inmates. She helped one girl escape, then another, and with Pierre and another friend, founded a charity to shelter runaway prostitutes and teach them a trade.

But this is no fairy tale and there’s no happily-ever-after ending. Somaly and her family are threatened, her shelter is attacked, her adopted daughter is kidnapped and her marriage dissolves under the strain of her work. She also receives a humanitarian award from Queen Sofia of Spain and recognition internationally, and now heads a US-based foundation. And through it all, one thing is foremost in her mind.

As she writes: “I don’t feel like I can change the world. I don’t even try. I only want to change this small life that I see standing in front of me, which is suffering. I want to change this small real thing that is the destiny of one little girl. And then another, and another, because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself or sleep at night.”

The Road of Lost Innocence
Somaly Mam
Random House
208 pages

Cambodian students depart for Japan for social study

www.chinaview.cn

2009-04-13

PHNOM PENH, April 13 (Xinhua) -- A Cambodian delegation of 22 people, with 20 high school students, one government official and one teacher, departed here on Monday for a 10-day trip of social study in Japan.

This has been the seventh delegation of its kind under the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) Program, according to a press release of the Embassy of Japan.

During their visit to Japan, the students will visit sites mainly related to social and cultural affairs, as well as local communities, it said.

They will participate in exchange events with Japanese youths and citizens, including home-stays, school visits, and workshop, it said.

Different from the previous delegations, the seventh one will join the delegations from nine other ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries during their visit.

The 10 countries' participants will be divided into 10 groups and each group is a mixture of students from the 10 countries, said the press release, adding that they are thus expected to enhance their friendship and mutual understanding.

Last year, 160 Cambodian youths visited Japan under the JENESYS Program, which was one of the memorable events for the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cambodia and Japan.

Editor: Deng Shasha