Building approvals rocketing skywards

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Written by Soeun Say
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

Officials approved 618 construction projects worth a combined US$919 million in the first three months of 2009, Lao Tip Seiha, director of the Ministry of Land Management's construction department, said Tuesday.

The figures compare favourably to the 468 projects worth $481 million approved in the first quarter of 2008.

"In just three months I received 618 new projects from both Cambodian and foreign investors, which is a good result for the construction sector compared to 2008 when I got only 468 projects," he said.

The dollar value was boosted significantly by the approval of a $583 million project to build a mixed-use development in a special economic zone in Sihanoukville.

Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone Co plans to build a five-star hotel, business centre, garment factory, supermarket and warehouses in the coastal resort.

But National Valuers Association of Cambodia President Sung Bonna cautioned against getting too excited by the figures.

"It's good to hear that proposed capital investment in the construction sector has increased - but if investors don't actually develop their projects they will remain just as numbers and will not help the economy grow," Sung Bonna said.

He said many developers had asked for construction permits but had no intention to start work."

This is something that we are all worried about," he said.

Figures released previously show the ministry approved 2,156 development projects in 2008 worth a combined US$3.191 billion, down 0.64 percent on 2007 when 1,942 projects worth $3.211 billion were approved.

Only $500 million worth of projects were approved in 2003. More than 30 percent of construction projects may have been placed on hold due to the global downturn, the UN Development Programme said in a report released last month.

Phnom Penh slammed in new liveability assessment

Photo by: Tracey Shelton
Poor drainage caused by the city’s location on the Mekong floodplain is one reason Phnom Penh ranks low in "liveability".

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Written by Nathan Green and Soeun Say
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

A new survey ranks Phnom Penh the worst city in Southeast Asia in terms of health care, stability, culture, environment, education and infrastructure

APhnom Penh deputy governor has rejected a survey released Monday that ranked Phnom Penh as the worst Southeast Asian city to live in.

Only 12 cities out of 140 assessed worldwide scored lower in the Economist Intelligence Unit's EIU's 2009 Liveability survey.

The EIU survey assessed living conditions based on health care, stability, culture, environment, education and infrastructure.

Mann Chhoeun told the Post Tuesday that the survey did not take into account all the relevant factors that made a city liveable.

"We are developing Phnom Penh from nothing, and we are on the right path," he said.

"It is a beautiful city and we are proud of what we have achieved with Phnom Penh today."

Dana Langlois, owner of JavaArts and Java Cafe, who has lived in Phnom Penh for more than 10 years, said she had not seen the survey but thought the city had its good and bad points.

"The biggest problem is the cost and the expense compared to what you get," she said. She referred to homes on the market for a million dollars in a city lacking public transport, a consistent electricity supply and adequate drainage.

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I've seen a lot of changes over the years – and most of them are positive.
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"But overall the city is great. I've seen a lot of changes over the years - and most of them are positive," she said.

Vancouver was ranked the world's easiest city to live in and Harare, Zimbabwe, the toughest.

Asian and African cities dominated the lower rankings: Bangkok 100th, Manila 108th, New Delhi in joint 114th spot with Cairo, Mumbai 120th, Nairobi 122nd and Lusaka 126th.

Canadian and Australian cities held six of the top 10 spots. Vienna was in second place followed by Melbourne, Toronto, Perth, Calgary, Helsinki and Geneva, with Sydney and Zurich in joint ninth position.

The survey's authors said high-scoring cities tended to be midsized, in developed countries with a low population density, and benefited from cultural or recreational availability but without the crime or infrastructure problems that could be caused by large populations.

"At the other end of the ranking, most of the poorest-performing locations are in Africa or Asia, where civil instability and poor infrastructure present significant challenges," they said.

The liveability ranking is part of the EIU's Worldwide Cost of Living Survey. It is based on a rating of relative comfort for over 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across the five broad categories.

The survey gives an overall rating of 1-100, where 1 is intolerable and 100 is ideal. Any city with a rating of 80 or more will have "few, if any, challenges to living standards", while any city with a score of 50 or less will "present daily challenges to living standards".

Just 13 of the cities surveyed scored less than 50, including Phnom Penh, Tehran in 129th place, Karachi in 135th and Lagos in 136th.

The authors said the prospect of violence, whether through domestic protests, civil war or the threat of foreign incursion, played a significant role in the poorest-performing cities.

"This can exacerbate the impact of instability on other key liveability categories, such as infrastructure, health care indicators or the availability (or freedom) of certain activities," they said. The Economist Intelligence Unit is a branch of The Economist Group, which publishes the weekly news magazine The Economist in London.

This latest EIU survey follows one in March that claimed Cambodia was the fourth most at-risk country for instability in the wake of the global economic crisis, equal with Sudan and ahead only of Zimbabwe, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The report, "Manning the Barricades", was widely condemned by the Cambodian government and business groups.

ACLEDA Bank Vice Chairman John Brinsden, who was among those who condemned the March report, said he had not seen the EIU's liveability rankings, but questioned what they really proved.

"I stopped looking at the EIU's assessment for these liveability type things in the mid-'80s when they were doing a rating on Taiwan," he said.

"They don't even come out here; these guys are sitting overseas just collecting data - so how can they talk about liveability?"

Cambodia EIU researcher Danny Richards said by email from London that the rankings were not necessarily related to the business operating environment, except perhaps in terms of assigning a hardship allowance as part of expatriate relocation packages.

Instead, the ratings quantified the challenges that might be presented to an individual's lifestyle in any given location, and allowed for direct comparison between locations.

The poor result for Phnom Penh was therefore unlikely to have a "major negative impact" on foreign investment, he said, with investors concerned primarily about a host of other factors, such as market opportunities, the quality of the labour force and taxation.

He also noted that Phnom Penh was only a few notches below Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Inside Business: Shoemaker tries to keep apace amid slump

Photo by: SOEUN SAY
Workers make shoes at Ay Sisovann's factory.

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Written by Soeun Say
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

A DECADE ago, when Ay Sisovann learned the art of shoemaking from his father, he saw a local market niche ready to be filled. Starting out with untried knowledge and US$100,000 in savings, Ay Sisovann, 42, is now the director of Toul Sleng Shoemakers, a flourishing business he has built from the ground up since 1998.

"I left my family when I got married, and I thought that to make a business out of shoemaking would be a good opportunity," he told the Post. "So I kept my eyes on making shoes and invested over $100,000 in raw materials, a cutting machine and other equipment."

Ay Sisovann's first factory opened in 1998 with five employees to sew shoes and package the finished products. Initially, Ay Sisovann said he tried to hire the best craftsmen in the field, with three workers operating the cutting machinery, while two more were employed to sew and two to glue hand-stitched shoes made from alligator skin, snake skin, and cow and buffalo leather. At the company's small factory in Phnom Penh's Boeung Keng Kang III district, the sounds of weaving machines roar incessantly as the staff - now expanded to a dozen workers - pack hand-made shoes into plastic bags.

Today, Toul Sleng Shoemakers produces between 30 and 40 pairs daily for clients from Phnom Penh, Battambang, Siem Reap, Pursat, Preah Sihanouk and Kampong Cham provinces.

"Most of my clients are government officers, students, NGO staff and foreigners," he said.

Priced at $27 to $35 a pair, Ay Sisovann said that his shoes are a good quality product at a price that suits low-income customers, as well as allowing Cambodians to buy Kingdom-made shoes - a relative rarity in a global market flooded with mass-produced Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese products.

"We are Khmer so we must use something made by Khmer people. In order to help Cambodian products grow, we must use local products," he said. "I have bought good quality samples from Vietnam so that I can copy them."

He added that the company can produce show styles similar to those from Italy, Thailand, China and America.

But as with many businessmen, the world financial crisis has hit Ay Sisovann's business hard, cutting 40 or 50 percent from his bottom line since the same time last year.

"In 2007-2008, my business ran smoothly. I earned $400 per day, but now I earn between $100 and $200," he said.

A key challenge, he added, was competing with cheap imported shoes, which are flooding markets and malls and undercutting local demand for handmade shoes made mostly from imported materials.

"Cambodia cannot compete with Thailand, Vietnam and China for raw materials. Some 85 percent of our raw materials are imported from other countries, and prices have been on the rise since 2006," he said.

Another challenge is that the local industry became crowded at the same time as the financial crisis began to pinch.

"The number of shoemakers is increasing by the day, while Vietnamese and Chinese shoes are selling in the local markets at low prices," he said.

Although he says he has lost the chance to bring his products to overseas markets - Ay Sisovann says he lacks the capital to produce the minimum 3,000 pairs per month required to supply US wholesalers - he says he hopes to use proceeds to expand production.

"When I have enough capital from selling my land, I will increase production over the next two years," he said.

Boeung Tompun lake to become new city

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Written by Nguon Sovan
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

THE government has given the green light to a joint-venture proposal to develop Boeung Tompun lake into a new residential satellite city, according to officials, with around 200 residents expected to make way for the project.

"A local company in joint venture with a foreign company has been granted in-principle approval to develop Boeung Tompun as a satellite city," Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema told the Post Tuesday, adding that he could not remember the name of the company or the value of the investment. "They do not have a shortage of money to invest, and everything is now on track. It just awaits approval from the CDC (Council for the Development of Cambodia)."

In an interview in September, Deputy Governor Pa Socheatvong told the Post that the Boeung Tompun lake area - which encompasses Phnom Penh's Meanchey and Dangkor districts and Takhmao district in Kandal province - is a large natural catchment covering nearly 2,600 hectares, with about 200 families living on the lake, while many other people had purchased plots on or near the shoreline for resale.

When the project materialises, Kep Chuktema said that residents of the lake will be relocated and the resulting development would benefit the city.

"Between keeping it polluted and anarchic or development, we choose development if it benefits the economy and the majority of the people. But we know that the development will affect residents on the site, so we will resettle them properly," he said. "So far, those residents have no land titles, so we won't issue them land titles and we won't allow them to continue constructing anything on that area."

He added that the environmental impact of the development would be studied thoroughly due to Boeung Tompun's status as a natural catchment site.

Sok Chenda, secretary general of the CDC, declined to comment on the investment proposal.

Sam Rainsy Party spokesman Yim Sovann expressed concern that Phnom Penh will be troubled by increased floods if the lake is developed. "Boeung Tompun lake is the largest lake to store run-off from the city. If there is development, there will be a filling of the lake and the city will be subject to serious floods," he said.

He added that he did not expect that the residents at the site would be offered fair compensation for their removal from the site given past experiences of forced relocations and evictions.

Air arrivals dip 16pc in first four months

Air arrivals fell 16 percent in the first quarter, affecting numbers to both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. BLOOMBERG

The Phnom Penh Post
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Written by Chun Sophal
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

Tourism official blames losses on package tours, but says land entries offset drop from airports

THE number of tourists entering Cambodia by air has decreased by 16 percent during the first four months of 2009 compared with the same time last year, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

A ministry report states that 421,998 foreign tourists entered Cambodia by air during the first four months of this year compared with 503,328 during the same period in 2008.

It stated that 181,479 tourists flew in to Phnom Penh International Airport during this period - 30,045 down on last year - while 240,519 entered Cambopdia via Siem Reap, which was 51,285 down on 2008.

Kong Sophearak, director of the ministry's Department of Information and Tourism Statistics, said the decrease was due to the reduction in package tours stemming from the global economic recession.

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The decrease is not only a problem in Cambodia but it is a worldwide concern.
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"Many tourists no longer want to spend as much money travelling into our country by air, which is an expensive means of travel," he said, adding that a 15 percent increase in entries by land and waterways had offset losses from air traffic.

Some 329,017 tourists entered Cambodia by land and air from January to April this year, compared with only 282,216 last year.

Chea Aun, director general of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, confirmed that the number of tourists flying to Cambodia had decreased, but that "not one flight" had been cancelled.

Ang Kim Eang, president of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents, said Monday that economic instability and political crises in Thailand were the two main causes for the decline.

"We think that the decrease is not only a problem in Cambodia but it is a worldwide concern, and we hope that the problem will improve soon," he said.

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The Phnom Penh Post
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Written by Chun Sophal
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

THE Ministry of Planning has released preliminary results from its 2009 listing of businesses in Cambodia, hoping the results will facilitate an economic census planned for 2011.

According to the report, released Tuesday by the ministry's Institute of Statistics and conducted in February and March with support from the Japanese government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Cambodia has 375,095 businesses, excluding agriculture, forestry, fisheries and mobile retail.

The report said that Phnom Penh leads with 55,802 businesses - 14 percent of the total - with Kampong Cham second with 43,787 (11.7 percent). Kep province has the fewest registered businesses: 789, just 0.2 percent of the country's total.

Minister of Planning Chhay Than said the data was of great importance. "The economic census will be useful for the government in its forecasts of future economic growth." he told an audience of government officials and development partners at the launch of the new report at the ministry.

ANZ regional economist sees negative growth for this year

Photo by: Tracey Shelton
Agriculture will see a small GDP contraction this year, said ANZ Bank’s chief Asia economist.

The Phnom Penh Post
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Written by Steve Finch and Nguon Sovan
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

Chief economist for Asia Paul Gruenwald predicts agriculture also likely to see GDP contraction in 2009 as farming officials say its too early to forecast yields

ANZ Bank's chief Asia economist said Tuesday that Cambodia could expect a small contraction in GDP growth this year, which would also hit the agricultural sector, which the government has touted as an economic safety net.

Speaking Tuesday at ANZ Royal's head office in Phnom Penh, Paul Gruenwald said it remained difficult to forecast the Kingdom's economic prospects given a lack of reliable data, but he noted that the days of near double-digit GDP growth were over, at least in the short term.

"I think we can see perhaps a small negative number this year," he told the Post, endorsing recent predictions from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that foresaw a 0.5 percent GDP contraction. "But certainly the risks are on the downside until we can have more confidence that the financial crisis is abating."

Gruenwald said he was surprised at the severity of the downturn in the garment sector, which has seen exports drop more than one-third in the first quarter year-on-year on the back of falling international demand, particularly from the United States, Cambodia's main export market.

"Clothing and textiles is usually something that holds up well," he said, adding that garments are necessities and discretionary goods.

Gruenwald said that Cambodia should expect tourism to suffer a prolonged downturn given that travel was a luxury, even if Cambodia is considered a less expensive destination.

"Tourism is one where there is probably a fair amount of downside," he said. "We don't expect those types of expenditures coming back until things get a bit more solid [in terms of a global recovery]."

Although Gruenwald acknowledged that there was a marked lack of data on agriculture - given its largely informal nature - he predicted "a mild negative this year" in terms of GDP growth.

The assessment was based on Cambodia's strong agricultural performance last year when a concerted effort was made to up production in the face of rising soft commodity prices. This year, the sector was therefore departing from a high base level, he said, meaning growth - given the economic climate - would be difficult to achieve.

ANZ Royal CEO Stephen Higgins noted, however, that accurate forecasts were problematic.
"With Cambodia, to pick your point number is very difficult," he said.

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The risks are on the downside until we can have more confidence that the financial crisis is abating.
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Gruenwald also acknowledged that evidence in the agricultural sector was largely anecdotal, a point acknowledged Tuesday by the Cambodian Centre for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC).

"I have inspected various places - more rice crops have been planted [this year] but there are no figures available," said CEDAC President Yang Saing Koma.

"We expect the rice harvest will be higher this year [compared with 2008]," he added, noting, however, that it largely depended on rainfall which had been heavy early this year but was forecast to tail off more than usual towards the end of the wet season in October.

Ministry of Agriculture Secretary of State Chan Tong Yves agreed it was still too early to tell what the agricultural yield would be this year but said there remained potential to sell produce overseas.
The government has previously said that agriculture could absorb workers laid off due to the crisis, particularly from the garment industry, and would spur overall economic growth this year.

"The ministry is still actively helping to diversify agricultural products for foreign markets," said Chan Tong Yves.

Food prices fall
Farming has been hit by a slide in prices since last year when concern grew over inflation. In the first quarter, food commodity prices fell nearly 5 percent year-on-year.

Ministry figures showed that agricultural production as a percentage of total GDP rose from 28 percent after last year's harvest to 34.4 percent this year, said Chan Tong Yves.

The London-based Economist Intelligence Unit this month predicted that the sector would grow 3 percent this year as part of the total economy, which was projected to contract by 3 percent, it said.

The government, by contrast, has projected about 6 percent GDP growth for 2009.

Night on the town

TRACEY SHELTON

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

Written by Tracey Shelton
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

Reaksmey, 4, an orphan from Kampong Cham, stands in the park by the Royal Palace on Tuesday. His grandmother said they had spent all their money on travel and had to spent the night by the riverside. They were on their way to a children's hospital to treat Reaksmey's throat infection.

Bar council to receive results of Kong Sam Onn probe this week

Photo by: Heng Chivoan
Government lawyer Ky Tech in a file photograph.

The Phnom Penh Post
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Written by Meas Sokchea
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

Mu Sochua’s lawyer vows to appeal if council finds him guilty of violations

A MEMBER of the Cambodian Bar Association panel investigating a complaint against the lawyer for Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Mu Sochua said Tuesday that he expected a recommendation to be forwarded to the bar's disciplinary council this week.

The 19-member council will then decide whether Kong Sam Onn violated bar rules, for which he could be suspended or disbarred.

Hem Socheat, the panelist, said he did not know how long it would take for the council to reach a decision.

Ky Tech, the lawyer for Prime Minister Hun Sen who brought the complaint against Kong Sam Onn, appeared briefly before the panel Tuesday. He said the panel asked him only whether he had anything to add to his complaint.

"I answered that my stance has not changed," Ky Tech told the Post Tuesday.

The complaint relates to defamation suits - one filed by Mu Sochua, and a countersuit filed by Hun Sen - stemming from an April 4 speech in which Mu Sochua said the prime minister made derogatory comments about her.

Ky Tech alleged in his complaint that Kong Sam Onn violated Bar Association rules by asserting during a press conference held April 23 - three days before Mu Sochua's suit was filed - that Hun Sen defamed her.

Kong Sam Onn said he believed the council was not independent, adding that he would appeal a decision that was not in his favour. Bar Secretary General Suon Visal acknowledged Sunday that two council members - whom he declined to name - held positions in the government, but said this would not affect the final decision.

Resource gaps frustrate midwives

Photo by: SOVANN PHILONG
Than Sopheap (third from right), 38, Nuon Srey Mom (second from right), 25, and Pech Leas (far right), 30, wait in the hallway of the Treal Health Centre for midwife consultations.

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

Written by Robbie Corey-Boulet and Sam Rith
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

As officials in Phnom Penh mark National Midwife Day by acknowledging their ‘critical role’, midwives in Kampong Thom grapple with resource shortages and limited outreach efforts

Kampong Thom Province

ON MONDAY morning, three neighbors from Kiri Andeith village waited in the hallway of the Treal Health Centre, located in Kampong Thom's Baray district, for midwife consultations. All were pregnant, and all were anxious.

Nuon Srey Mom, 25 and two months pregnant, said she did not have enough to eat, adding that the long days at her job as a farm labourer frequently left her dizzy and short of breath.

Than Sopheap, 38, said she was worried that her age would leave her susceptible to pregnancy complications.

And 30-year-old Pech Leas said she was concerned because nine years had elapsed since she gave birth to her first and only child.

"I'm worried that too many years have passed since I had my first baby," she said. "I want a skilled midwife this time because I'm afraid it will be difficult to deliver."

As a group, they entered the office of Ma Saren, 56, a midwife of 19 years who said she counsels between 120 and 150 pregnant women each month, advising them on issues including diet, the importance of antenatal care and the signs that often foretell complicated deliveries.

She said her job has grown easier in recent years, citing the hiring of a second midwife to help out at the centre, as well as an incentive payment program instituted last year, through which she receives US$15 for every successful birth performed there.

These improvements, however, have not been extended throughout Kampong Thom province, which continues to grapple with resource limitations, said Khiev Pharin, a provincial health officer for UNICEF Cambodia.

Last year 27 percent of births in the province were attended by skilled health personnel, according to provincial health department data. Though this marked an increase of 9 percent since 2007, it remained far below the 2010 Millennium Development Goal target of 70 percent.

The number of births taking place in health centres rose nearly 10 percent to 12.2 percent, but it remained below the national average of 22 percent reported in 2005, the last year for which reliable national maternal health data is available.

Midwife Day
At an event Tuesday morning marking National Midwife Day, Koum Kanal, director of the National Maternal and Child Health Centre (NMCHC), acknowledged that midwives' workloads had increased along with demand for their services: Skilled birth attendants performed 44 percent of live births nationwide in 2005, up from 32 percent in 2000.

In his remarks at the event, held at the NMCHC in Phnom Penh, Minister of Health Mam Bunheng told roughly 100 midwives from all 24 provinces and municipalities that he wanted "to reconfirm that the government and the prime minister recognise that you all have a very critical role".

He said a subdecree currently at the Council of Ministers would establish a midwifery council to work in concert with the Cambodia Midwives Association to advocate for resources and other forms of government support.

Mam Bunheng also called for additional outreach, which, as in other provinces, has proved difficult in Kampong Thom.

Khiev Pharin said the province's 149 midwives are often overworked, meaning they can make only one outreach visit per month.

As a result, he said, they are often unable to reach women in remote areas, who are more likely to turn to traditional midwives, who cannot provide emergency obstetric care if the delivery turns dangerous.

According to World Health Organisation estimates, approximately 15 percent of deliveries require emergency care.

Ma Saren also cited a need for more outreach to women who are inclined to avoid health centres altogether, saying, "For people who live far away from here, it's a bit difficult to get them to come".

To supplement the midwives' outreach work, UNICEF and the WHO launched a pilot programme in March in which two villagers in eight villages have been enlisted to visit pregnant women and encourage them to go to health centres, particularly if they suspect pregnancy complications could arise.

Nao Sinom, 38, who participates in the program in Banha Chhi village in Santuk district, said she visits three families each month. She said many of the women who are reluctant to visit health centers do not have money for medical fees.

"People who cannot afford it, they just say they don't want to go to the centre," she said, adding that villagers had recently decided to pool donations to cover some of the payments.

Deployment
The Ministry of Health has adopted the goal of deploying at least one trained midwife at each health centre this year.

In Kampong Thom - a province that Pen Sophanara, a communications associate for the UN Population Fund, described as middle-of-the-road in terms of midwife deployment - all health centres have one midwife, but only 26 percent have two.

Treal Health Centre has two midwives, including Ma Saren. It is open around the clock, and both the health centre chief, who lives next door, and one midwife are on-site at all times.

These advantages notwithstanding, sometimes there is little the centre can do.

In the case of Nuon Srey Mom, the 25-year-old pregnant woman who complained of fatigue and lack of food, Ma Saren could tell her only "to have enough food to eat and to stop working". During many consultations, she said, "We just have the ideas for them. We don't have the budget to actually help them overcome the challenges they face."

Talks in Siem Reap lead to demarcation goal with Vietnam

The Phnom Penh Post
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Written by Vong Sokheng
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

Infrastructure projects, including hydropower, are also encouraged by Vietnam’s ambassador during discussions on greater cooperation

THE KINGDOM'S top border negotiator said Tuesday that committees from Cambodia and Vietnam agreed during a meeting in Siem Reap province to plant 200 demarcation poles along the countries' shared border by 2012.

"We will strive for border demarcation to be completed in accordance with our master plan, and after that we will have a stable, peaceful border that will ensure the sovereignty of each country," Var Kimhong told the Post.

On Monday, Ngo Anh Dung, the Vietnamese ambassador to Cambodia, met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Hor Namhong to discuss border-related issues, touching on demarcation, as well as projects that would improve infrastructure and promote economic development along the border, said Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong.

"In the past few years, Cambodia and Vietnam have enjoyed smooth cooperation on border issues, and both countries have determined to push to resolve any lingering border issues by 2012," he said.

Border projects
Koy Kuong said improving transport links across the border would improve living conditions on both sides.

He added that Hor Namhong told Ngo Anh Dung that Cambodian officials would like to see Vietnam promote bridge construction, in particular a bridge that would link Vietnam to Kandal province's Chrey Thom district.

Officials from the two countries are scheduled to meet in Preah Sihanouk province in November to discuss any unresolved border issues, Koy Kuong said, adding that officials hoped the meeting would lead to improved cooperation on development projects.

Koy Kuong said Ngo Anh Dung encouraged Cambodia to develop hydropower projects on the Sesan and Srepok rivers that would provide electricity for local use and for sale to Vietnam.

HIV/AIDS tests rose 1,233pc over 2007, govt report shows

Photo by: SOVANN PHILONG
A newborn child is given a dose of antiretrovirals to prevent vertical HIV transmission.

The Phnom Penh Post
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Written by Khoun Leakhana
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

Experts say more testing could lower the prevalence of HIV, which in 2006 infected 0.9 percent of adults in the Kingdom

HIV/AIDS testing increased by more than 1,200 percent in 2008, according to a report released last week, a trend welcomed by health professionals who said it could reduce HIV prevalence - particularly by lowering mother-to-child transmission, which accounts for one-third of Cambodia's new infections.

The report from the National Centre for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (NCHADS) states that 400,000 people took HIV blood tests last year, up from just 30,000 in 2007.

Of those who opted for the tests, 5 percent were found to be HIV-positive, compared with 7 percent in 2007.

NCHADS Director Mean Chhi Vun said he attributed the jump to a campaign promoting free and anonymous testing.

"Our campaign about free, anonymous testing has been very successful," he said. "We believe that more people will come to have their blood tested in 2009 because people are more aware of the risk of HIV/AIDS."

He added: "That more and more people have their blood tested for HIV/AIDS is a very good sign."
This year, he said, NCHADS hopes to see 700,000 people take HIV tests.

Mean Chhi Vun said health professionals were working in particular to reduce mother-to-child transmission, noting that HIV tests are being offered to more of the Kingdom's expectant mothers when they come in for antenatal checkups at state health centres.

NCHADS is partnering with the National AIDS Authority in targeting expectant mothers.

"We encourage people, especially [high-risk groups such as] sex workers and also pregnant women, to be brave to have their blood tested because we want this problem to be in the open so we can reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS," authority President Tia Phalla said.

"If they are still shy and still try to hide, this will cause two bad effects: They will die sooner than they should, and the disease could spread to others, especially [the partners] and children of infected individuals," he added.

The AIDS Authority and NCHADS provided some kind of HIV/AIDS testing or information to 27 percent of expectant mothers in 2008.

Tia Phalla said he wants to reach 40 percent by 2010.

"According to our research, wives are more receptive to HIV campaigns than their husbands," he said.

Tests are now available at more than 200 private and public clinics, most of which offer free, anonymous testing and follow-up services.

Tia Phalla emphasised that all HIV testing was voluntary, adding that education campaigns have been designed to explain to people the benefits of knowing their HIV status.

Chak Chanda, clinic manager for the Reproductive Health Association of Cambodia, said the quality of service available to Cambodians who opt for voluntary tests has improved significantly.

"We do not just test their blood immediately when they arrive, but we also give them counseling and all results are anonymous," she said.

Information on safe-sex practices is given to those who test negative in order to lower the risk of future infections.

Counseling is offered to those who test positive, including information on how to access antiretroviral drugs when necessary, she said.

The estimated HIV prevalence among Cambodian adults in 2006 was 0.9 percent, according to government figures.

HIV families at Borei Keila to be evicted this week, City Hall says

Photo by: Christopher Shay
One of the remaining residents at Borei Keila looks out of her house on Tuesday. Authorities confirmed Tuesday that they would be evicted this week.

The Phnom Penh Post
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Written by CHRISTOPHER SHAY AND KHOUTH SOPHAK CHAKRYA
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

After years in limbo hoping they would be allowed to remain in the city centre and near the antiretroviral drugs they need, the HIV-positive community is told to prepare to move

AFTER weeks of eviction rumours, the forced relocation of a community of families where at least one member has HIV/AIDS will take place this week, according to the Phnom Penh Deputy Governor Mann Chhoeun.

The HIV-affected families will be moved 20 kilometres away from their current neighbourhood near Olympic Stadium to the outskirts of Phnom Penh, where they will be housed in green, zinc shelters, far from the life-saving medical services they need.

"This week the authorities of Phnom Penh will move 23 HIV families from the Borei Keila community to Tuol Sambo," Mann Chhoeun said.

He added that the Ministry of Tourism has spent 20 million riels (US$4,800) to purchase two tuk-tuks for community members to travel into the city to receive medical treatment.

Right now, the Borei Keila community consists of 32 families affected by HIV.

But Mann Chhoeun said that nine of these families will receive on-site housing after they were able to provide documentation that they had been living at Borei Keila for at least five years.

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They move us to tuol sambo ... they want to keep us separate from other people
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In Borei Keila, however, families said that the government has not provided anybody with official confirmation that they will receive on-site apartments.

Community members also said they believed 11 families, not nine, would be receiving flats.

Residents despair
Seang Vy, a blind HIV-positive mother who has been informed - though not provided with documents - that she will be receive an apartment remains worried.

"I only have a little hope that I will receive a flat in Borei Keila," she said.

Suon Davy, 42, another HIV-positive Borei Keila resident, said that the government had intentionally separated their community from the rest of Borei Keila and that this discrimination will continue at the new site in Dangkor district.

"City Hall discriminates against us," she said.

"They move us to Tuol Sambo, which means that they want to keep us separate from other people," Suon Davy added.

Manfred Hornung of the Cambodian rights group Licadho said that this separation violates a 2002 AIDS law, which requires a nondiscriminatory approach to combating the virus.

"If you take entire families to an isolated spot where everyone can point at them, it's definitely a breach of the HIV/AIDS law," he told the Post.

Economic crisis fuels human trafficking in Cambodia: officials

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

Written by Thomas Fearon
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

Men increasingly becoming vulnerable as jobs dry up at home, authorities warn, saying better police training is needed to implement laws

Siem Reap

HUMAN trafficking in Cambodia has surged in the wake of the global financial crisis, an international task force of government and NGOs said Tuesday at the opening of a workshop in Siem Reap.

"The impact of the global economic crisis in Cambodia will be visible [through] an increase in criminality," said Christian Guth, law enforcement adviser for the World Vision project named Law Enforcement Against Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking of Children.

"Girls and boys who are without work will go to the countryside and work in the rice fields. But once this temporary work finishes ... they return to the town and can fall into prostitution and trafficking," the former French police commander told the Post at the start of the three-day workshop involving government departments, police and officials from the World Vision project.

The opening day's agenda unveiled new strategies on training police and judges to better understand anti-human trafficking laws, how to collect evidence in cases and introduce new interview techniques for victims, especially women and children.

Men in the firing line
Bruno Maltoni, project coordinator for the International Organisation for Migration, said men had become prime targets for human trafficking during the economic downturn.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
... They return to the town and can fall into prostitution and trafficking.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"We're seeing more and more cases of Cambodian men being exploited. We've found fisherman who have been exploited for labour in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and even Somalia," he said.

"Since 1992 there has been a focus on protecting women and children, which is important, but now we have to face new challenges to be able to change our approach to tackling human trafficking."

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently pledged US$1.39 million to the project, which will be used largely to support police training.

"Even when you apply training there can be problems with police officers implementing the training on the job due to a lack of communication or resources," Maltoni said.

"We have very good cooperation between the government and organisations providing training, [but the] idea is to have more balanced and widespread training," he added.

National Police Brigadier General Ten Borany praised female police officers for their sensitive work with victims, but said the key to successfully combating human trafficking was more police training.

"The main challenge facing law enforcement is strengthening the numbers of specialised officers and ensuring they follow the provincial prosecutors in building cases," said Ten Borany, acting director of the Interior Ministry's Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Department.

Key ECCC testimony delayed

A live-feed video grab taken Tuesday shows Duch during his trial at Cambodia’s war crimes court. AFP

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

Written by Georgia Wilkins
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

Judges defer statements by former S-21 staff as Duch blames Pol Pot for harnessing a ‘criminal’ mix of communist theories

KEY testimony from the only other S-21 staff to be called so far to Cambodia's Khmer Rouge tribunal was delayed Tuesday, while former prison chief Kaing Guek Eav blamed a "criminal" mix of communist ideologies for the atrocities that occurred under the regime.

Presiding Judge Nil Nonn said that recent courtroom debates had taken "a lot of time" in explaining the postponed appearances of former Tuol Sleng deputy chief Mam Nai and guard Him Huy, who were expected to provide eye-witness statements.

Nil Nonn said the pair would be invited back to the stand "when the facts related to [these witnesses] arise".

Their turn to speak was postponed shortly after their former boss, who is better known by his revolutionary name Duch, launched into a further explanation of the regime's ideology

'Criminal' mix
Duch told the UN-backed court that Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, who died in 1998, applied a mix of communist ideas to orchestrate extreme social reforms.

Duch described this as a "criminal" mix of the theories of Marx, Lenin and China's "Gang of Four".

Duch argued that the regime had "more seriously cruel policies than those of [the] Gang of Four of China" since it enslaved the population on collective farms and began carrying out mass killings immediately after seizing power.

Duch went on to dispute testimony from last month in which Khmer Rouge scholar Craig Etcheson, author of The Rise and Demise of Democratic Kampuchea, presented a list of prisoners who appeared to have been released from Tuol Sleng.

"The people who were arrested and sent (to Tuol Sleng), they were all killed," Duch said, refuting the idea that the list cast him in a more favourable light.

Further remorse
He added that he would "not betray [his] remorse" by blaming other people for his crimes in an unprompted pledge that drew objections from civil party lawyers, who said his comments were off topic.

Their objection, however, was overruled by the judges.

"All the crimes I will be responsible for," the 66-year-old former maths teacher said.

"I will not betray my remorse, and I will not just let my remorse fade away," he added.
"I am in such pain. I always say, a wrong decision for one minute can lead to sorrow and remorse for the entire life.

"I am responsible, ideologically and psychologically, for the results suffered by the entire population of Cambodia," he said.

The mea culpa was one of several Duch has made since formally apologising in March for his role in the regime.

Tuesday's session marked the second day of proceedings following a weeklong recess during which defence lawyers for other former leaders voiced concerns pertaining to corruption, security and a potential conflict of interest at the court.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AFP

National carrier to fly in July

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

Written by Ros Dina and Holly Pham
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

A NEW national carrier scheduled to make its maiden flight July 18 will be a joint venture between the Cambodian government and Vietnam Airlines, a source within the Phnom Penh International Airport told the Post Tuesday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the government would own 51 percent of Cambodia Angkor Air and the state-owned Vietnamese carrier 49 percent.

The airline will initially fly two routes linking Preah Sihanouk province's Kang Keng Airport to Siem Reap and Phnom Penh using a pair of short-haul 72-500 turboprop aircraft from French manufacturer ATR, the official said. He did not disclose how much would be spent on the joint venture, or any other financial details.

A source at the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, speaking on condition of anonymity, also confirmed the joint venture was with a Vietnamese airline, but did not specify which carrier.

The news comes after Vietnam Airlines last week signed a $120 million loan package with a consortium of banks to finance the purchase of six 72-500 aircraft from ATR. The contract was signed in December, in addition to five ATR 72-500s already on order, AFP reported last week.

Vietnam Airlines Corp Head of Market Planning Trinh Ngoc Thanh refused to comment when contacted by the Post. He said the airline would release a statement "when it is appropriate".

Ownership of the national carrier is a closely guarded secret. Aom Chenda, an information official at the Council of Ministers, told the Post Tuesday that Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An told a Vietnamese oil company delegation Monday that a new national carrier would make its maiden flight July 18.

He repeated the comment to reporters following the meeting but did not disclose who owned the airline, saying only that it was a local company. He also told the reporters the maiden flight would be July 17, contradicting the earlier statement.

Meanwhile, Mau Havannal, secretary of state at the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), said Tuesday said that an "anonymous private local company" was preparing documents to apply to run flights out of Kang Keng Airport but that no official application had been received. "We do not know who owns the national carrier because it has not been named yet," he said.

Chea Aun, director general of the SSCA, confirmed that the "private local company" would use French-made ATR planes.

The planned launch of Cambodia Angkor Air appears to have brought to an end a joint-venture relationship between the government and two Indonesian companies first mooted in November 2003. Sok An signed a memorandum of understanding on the joint-venture carrier with officials from Rajawali Group and PT Ancora International in which the foreign partners would take a 49 percent stake but receive 70 percent of the profits, according to a joint statement at the time.

Rajawali was founded by Indonesian entrepreneur Peter Sondakh, ranked by Globe Asia magazine last year as the 19th wealthiest Indonesian with a net worth of $510 million. The chairman of PT Ancora International, Ith Vichit, was CEO of Cambodia's last national flag carrier, Royal Air Cambodge, which after six years in the air closed in 2001 due to bankruptcy caused by tough competition and mismanagement. A statement released by Rajawali on April 10, 2008, announcing the deal was still going ahead contained no mention of PT Ancora.

The airline was due to have launched in 2008, with Sok An having since drawn heavy criticism from Prime Minister Hun Sen over the delay.

Another domestic carrier, Siem Reap Airways, was banned in November amid concerns over safety standards and financial irregularities. According to a source within the SSCA, the ban came after an audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) found the Kingdom in breach of 107 international standards, adding that it would ban all Cambodian airlines if action was not taken.

Kampot acid attackers guilty

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

Written by Chrann Chamroeun
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

THE Kampot Provincial Court found three people guilty of premeditated murder on Tuesday for the gruesome January 2008 acid attack that killed Thom Saroeun, 46, and her 3-year-old granddaughter, Thai Srey Thim.

Only one attacker, Mom Ton, 27, was in court, while two others - Mao Yan, described as the "mastermind", and Chok Heng - remain on the run and were convicted in absentia.

Presiding Judge Pich Chhoeut sentenced Mom Ton to 16 years in prison, while the Mao Yan and Chok Heng received 18 years and 16 years respectively.

The judge also ordered the three to pay 10 million riels (US$2,412) in compensation.

Fueled by jealous rage, Mao Yan had Mom Ton, her son, and Chok Heng, her nephew, kill Thom Saroeun after Mao Yan became convinced the woman was having an affair with her husband, according to the rights group Licadho.

Yun Phally, a Kampot-based researcher for Licadho who was present at the court, said the decision "is very acceptable and it really gives a complete justice to the deceased victims and the living ones, although the compensation was not the 30 million riels that the victims requested."

The father of the murdered child, Sat Kunthea, told the Post, "I am very happy and accept the court's verdict, because it gives me justice, especially to convict the other two in absentia".

Police Blotter: 10 June 2009

The Phnom Penh Post
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

Written by Lim Phalla
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

13 Injured as rival gangs clash
A clash between gangs from Alaeng and Krous villages broke out while they were dancing on Sunday evening in Wat Chas pagoda, Alaeng village, Kampong Chhnang province. Thirteen gangsters from Alaeng village sustained wounds ranging from minor to severe. They were unarmed when they were attacked unexpectedly by a group from Krous village, armed with sticks and knives. Villagers said the clash was due to pre-existing quarrels. No one was arrested.
RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

Addict Arrested for using drugs
A drug addict was arrested while using narcotics on Monday morning on Street 97, Phsar Daem Thkov commune, Chamkarmon district, Phnom Penh, police said. The arrested was known as Ngvean Mintam, 23, who was living with an NGO close to where he was arrested, police said. The suspect told police his job was to collect recycled items, from which he earned enough money to buy illegal drugs.
RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

Bargaining ends in knife attack
A 47-year-old man named Kit Sao was arrested by Choam Chao police after an attack on a pork seller. Police said he attacked Rith Thary, 26, with a knife on Monday in Choam Chao commune, Dangkor district, Phnom Penh during a dispute over the price of pork. The seller was selling the pork at 15,000 riels (US$3.75) per kilogram, but the suspect wanted to buy at 10,000 riels per kilogram, and he became angry when the seller did not agree.
KOH SANTEPHEAP

Nigerian Arrested by police after scam
Phnom Penh police arrested a Nigerian man on Monday morning in a raid at My Huor Guest house on Monivong Boulevard in Daun Penh district, Phnom Penh. The man was accused of cheating a Cambodian businessman out of US$100,000. Police said the suspect told the Cambodian man that a Nigerian company would invest US$30 million in Cambodia and persuaded the Cambodian man to share in the investment, but began asking for large sums of money.
KOH SANTEPHEAP

Truck driver accused of rape
Meas Sophon, 29, from Pursat province, was arrested on suspicion of raping a 16-year-old girl in Tnaot Treit village, Pteah Prey commune, Pursat town, on the night of June 1. The victim's family sells general goods. The family said the suspect, who was a driver and slept in the truck cabin, asked her to bring him a box of cigarettes. He is suspected of raping her in the cabin after she brought him the cigarettes.
KOH SANTEPHEAP

The Phnom Penh Post News In Brief

In Brief: Fires rage during 2009 dry season

Written by Sam Rith
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

So far in 2009, 50 fires have occurred in 10 cities and provinces throughout Cambodia, an official at the National Committee for Disaster Management said Tuesday. Chao Lay, assistant to Ly Thuch, who is the second deputy president of the committee, said 650 houses, 230 stores and 60 tonnes of unhusked rice have been destroyed by fire this year, which also caused nine deaths and injuries to five people.

In Brief: Police get cameras, breath analysers

Written by Mom Kunthear
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

Speed cameras and alcohol testing devices have been donated to Phnom Penh police by Handicap International Belgium, Sam Socheata, the group's road safety program manager, said Tuesday. "Most traffic accidents happen because drivers speed or are intoxicated," he said, adding that 311 people died and 4,177 were injured on the road in the first two months of 2009.

In Brief: GROUP SLAMS GOVT's 'SOCIAL CONTROL'

Written by Christopher Shay
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

The Asian Human Rights Commission issued a statement Tuesday condemning the Cambodian government's "insidious" attempts to block the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR) from securing a venue to hold a public forum on the Boeung Kak lakeside development. "The Cambodian government should order the Municipality of Phnom Penh to abandon any attempt to deny the [residents] and the CCHR their right to hold a public forum," the commission said.

Exports from the Garment Sector Drop Dramatically in the First Quarter of 2009 – Tuesday, 9.6.2009

Posted on 10 June 2009
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 616
http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com/

“According to a repor from the Ministry of Commerce, the garment industry of Cambodia is recently facing a serious crisis due to the global economic crisis. The export of garments to international markets dropped, as there are less buying orders than before. However, it is expected that the situation will recover soon.

“According to the report, the export of garments to foreign countries fell sharply in March 2009 by about 38%, something which had never happened before. In February 2009, it declined by 18.60% and was worth only US$189.21 million. In January 2009, it dropped by 20.89% and was worth US$181.09 million. In December 2008, it had dropped by 13.64% and was still worth US$222.10 million, and in November 2008, with a drop of only 0.89% it was worth US$218.30 million.

“Based on this report, the export of garments to foreign countries started to drop in July and September 2008. So far, the United States of America is still the biggest and most important market for the export of the textile industry of Cambodia, but the export of the United States decreases while the export to Japan increases. In the meantime, the export of shoes to important markets in the European Union and in the Middle East increased to about US$6.5 million.

“As said in the report, the garment industry of Cambodia has encountered a downturn since July 2008 and the drop was sharp and alarming in March 2009.

“The president of the Cambodian Free Trade Union of Workers, Mr. Chea Mony, told Deum Ampil that due to the global economic crisis, more than 50,000 workers lost their jobs and 47 factories, with which the trade union worked, closed, while 7 new factories opened. He added that the 7 factories are just among those which had closed, and they relocated to new places [in the outskirts of the city] in order to escape from the labor law of Cambodia [some factories had declared bancrupcy and then they do not need to take responsibility to pay the final salaries of the workers]. However, the Cambodian Free Trade Union of Workers acknowledged that the report of the Ministry of Commerce has many points they agree with.

“The Royal Government of Cambodia has released much capital to salvage the situation which result from the global economic crisis which made some garment factories to close, making workers unemployed. Some former workers are trained in professional skills, so that they can find new jobs or run their own business in their localities.”

Deum Ampil, Vol.3, #205, 9.6.2009
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Tuesday, 9 June 2009

French Spy Agency Inspired Duch’s Prison

http://www.voanews.com/

By Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
09 June 2009

Tuol Sleng, the notorious Khmer Rouge prison that tortured thousands of Cambodians into fatal confessions, was inspired by a French counter-espionage service, its chief administratior, Duch, said Monday.

The structure was French, but the philosophy was Marxist, he said, adding that he had brought the idea to his superior, Son Sen, the minister of the interior and chief of the Khmer Rouge’s security apparatus.

“I said to my boss Son Sen that in France there was an intelligence agency called Service de Documentation Exterieur et de Contre Espionage [an external documentation and counter-intelligence agency], and then he advised me to set up S-21 in the way the counter-intelligence agency was run,” Duch said.

The voices of Vietnamese soldiers were recorded for radio broadcast and their photographs taken to prove to the Angkar that not a single enemy spy could escape the prison alive, Duch said.

Duch is facing charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture and murder for his role as head of Tuol Sleng and other prison and execution facilities.

Prosecutors say at least 12,380 men, women and children were killed at S-21 from 1975 to 1979.

The Vietnamese are believed to have outnumbered other foreign prisoners, after armed conflict officially broke out between the communist parties of Vietnam and at the end of 1977.

Anti-Corruption Law Far Off: Lawmaker

Yem Ponhearith, a lawmaker for the Human Rights Party.

http://www.voanews.com

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington
09 June 2009

Cambodia likely will be waiting a long time for an anti-corruption law to be passed, with the next move up to the government, an opposition parliamentarian told “Hello VOA” Monday.

Yem Ponhearith, a lawmaker for the Human Rights Party, which has three seats in the National Assembly, told “Hello VOA” in an interview in Washington that anti-corruption legislation has been in the making for more than a decade and there were no signs it had support now.

Donors have pushed hard for anti-corruption reform, while Cambodia is viewed as one of the most corrupt countries in Asia.

The government recently lashed out against statements by US Ambassador Carol Rodley, who estimated the country loses $500 million per year to corruption.

“The most important matter is to make sure the law can be out for implementation, and the question of effective implementation or not that is another issue,” Yem Ponhearith said. “The law should be passed and promulgated first.”

Responsibility for the law was currently in the hands of the administrative government and not the National Assembly, he said.

PetroVietnam Seeks Oil Investment in Cambodia

RIGZONE

http://www.rigzone.com

Xinhua News Agency
Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Vietnamese petroleum company is seeking an investment opportunity in Cambodia's oil exploration, said a senior government official on Tuesday.

Pen Ngoeun, advisor to the Cambodian government said that Dinh La Thang, chairman of PetroVietnam, on Tuesday met with Sok An, deputy prime minister and minister of the Council of Ministers, expressing his company's interest in investing in oil exploration in Cambodia.

He said Sok An, in response, welcomed the move, but suggested more study and discussions be made with Cambodian National Petroleum Authority before making into any agreement.

Many international petroleum companies, including the U.S. Chevron Corp, Polytec, Medco, Kuwait Energy and CNOOC, expressed their interests in putting investments in the sector after this country had revealed to the public of its available national resources in oil and gas in its offshore in the Gulf of Thailand.

Ho Vichet, vice chairman of the Cambodian National Petroleum Authority said last year that Cambodia's expectation of its first oil development before 2010 was unlikely due to the slow submission of a development plan by the U.S. giant Chevron Corp.

He said Cambodia permitted Chevron to exploit the country's offshore Block A, one of several blocks, to do more exploration and appraisal.

According to Vichet, Chevron operates the block A with a 55 percent interest, while Mitsui Oil Exploration holds a 30 percent and South Korea's GS Caltex a 15 percent stake.

Cambodia has earlier estimated its oil production would reach 400-600 million barrels, but have later turned down their estimates saying it was too early to speculate the outcome before a business gets started.

Cambodia - Garment exports fall 26pc in first quarter

http://yarnsandfibers.com

09 Jun, 2009 - Cambodia

Ministry of Commerce figures show fifth consecutive month of decline in March as exports fall 38pc, a sharper fall year-on-year than in February

Garment sector representatives are attending a regional trade fair in China this week in an effort to drum up orders and attract new investors as Commerce Ministry figures released Friday showed exports declined for the fifth straight month in March.

Exports were down 38 percent year-on-year to US$164.3 million in March, the latest month for which reliable figures are available, dragging exports for the first quarter down 26.4 percent to $534.6 million, according to the ministry's Trade Preferences Systems Department.

The department records all exports under the generalised system of preferences (GSP) and most favoured nation (MFN) schemes, through which Cambodia exports almost all its garments, textiles and shoes. The schemes allow the world's least-developed nations to avoid quotas imposed by richer countries on exports from developing countries.

Roger Tan, secretary general of the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC), said the official figures were not surprising. "Everybody expected a decline," he said. "It was just a question of how much."

He said he hoped delegates attending the China Kunming Import and Export Commodities Fair would return with fresh buyers and new investors after preaching the benefits of sourcing from Cambodia.

"We are there to expose our products to potential buyers and make people aware of Cambodia," he said. "We need to diversify our markets, but buyers also need to diversify their sources of garments and we need to show that we can compete for those orders."

About $25 billion in trade and investment contracts are signed each year in Kunming. The government and private sector delegation was led by Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh and GMAC President Van Sou Ieng.

The March decline comes after garment exports fell 18.6 percent to $189.21 million in February, 20.89 percent in January to $181.09 million, 13.64 percent in December to $222.1 million and 0.89 percent in November to $218.3 million. Garment exports also fell in July and September last year.

The figures show that the United States is still the main destination for Cambodian garments, but its share fell from 72.6 percent in the first quarter of 2008 to 64.9 percent in the same period this year after exports fell 34.17 percent year-on-year to $347.2 million.

Europe's share of total exports increased from 17.3 percent to 20.3 percent over the same period after exports fell a more modest 15.2 percent year-on-year to $136.3 million.

Garment exports to Japan grew 91.51 percent in the quarter to $5.4 million, and Cambodia also continued to make gains in other markets with exports up 35.9 percent to $30.4 million to all areas other than the US, EU, Canada and Japan.

Shoe exports to these other countries, which include Russia and the Middle East, grew 513 percent to $6.5 million, while shoe exports to all countries climbed 28.3 percent year-on-year to $27.5 million.

The majority of shoe exports still went to the EU, which imported 3.8 million pairs of shoes worth $14 million over the first three months, though this was down 4.1 percent on the first quarter of 2008.

Textile exports were down 39.25 percent to $6.18 million compared to the first quarter of 2008.

Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh could not be reached in Kunming for comment over the weekend, but he told the Post last month that export orders over May and June would provide a strong indicator of the sector's prospects for the rest of the year as these coincided with the start of the "hot season" in the US and Europe. However, official export figures for May will not be available until the end of July when the majority of garment exporters will have lodged certificate of origin applications with the ministry.

Mean Sophea, the director of the Commerce Ministry's Trade Preferences System Department, said early release of data can negatively skew the figures. This happened last month when the Post reported a 35 percent decline in garment exports for the quarter based on incomplete Commerce Ministry data supplied by GMAC that showed a 60 percent decline in March exports.

Virtuoso agents wowed by Exotissimo’s familiarization trip of Vietnam and Cambodia

Travel Blackboard
http://www.etravelblackboardasia.com

Exotissimo Travel hosted a number of Virtuoso agents on a familiarization trip of Cambodia and Vietnam in 9-22 May 2009.

A Virtuoso on-site since July 2008, Exotissimo took this opportunity to introduce these American agents to Vietnam and Cambodia and demonstrate the unparalleled services provided by Exotissimo.

Lee Marona, President of Exotissimo North America, said ‘This particular group of professionals in our industry was a pleasure to be with. None of these agents were “kids out of travel school”. They were all surprised at the breadth of Exotissimo’s operations in Cambodia and Vietnam, the superb quality of our guides, and our overall ability to produce amazing travel venues in our region of the world. We all look forward to working with these, and many other Virtuoso agents in the future’.

The program balanced a combination of touring activities and facility inspections. A strong focus was placed on showing the agents more than the usual tourist attractions by incorporating Exotissimo’s signature tours into the itinerary.

Highlights included a visit to Beng Mealea, a remote temple on the outskirts of Siem Reap, where the group enjoyed a gourmet lunch within the shady grounds of the temple. Reflecting on the experience, agent Les Berger said ‘It made us feel special once again to have "found" this treasure before the masses.’

At Hotel de la Paix, the group was treated to cocktails at The Arts Lounge which had been specially decorated for the event. Ice blocks dangled from the ceiling and candles floated in the central pool, creating a stunning ambience and a fitting prelude to the gourmet meal which followed at Meric Restaurant.

Continuing to Vietnam, Exotissimo immersed the group on a south to north journey of cultural and culinary discovery. In the Mekong Delta, the agents enjoyed a mouth-watering lunch with a local family in their elegant colonial villa.

The trip culminated with an overnight cruise on the luxurious Emeraude steamer in Halong Bay. A fitting farewell for the journey, the guests relaxed on the boat’s decks, took part in a cooking demonstration and kayaked through the Bay’s waters.

The agents were enthusiastic to plan trips to Southeast Asia with Exotissimo especially Laurielle Penny from Toronto: ‘I truly enjoyed every moment. It was wonderfully informative and I've come back bubbling with ideas for future programs. I am (even more strongly) an Exotissimo fan; I was so impressed with the entire operation and all the colleagues we met along the way. I consider myself part of the team and your ambassador in Canada! It's my job now to go forth and sell more!’

Car wash benefits disabled Cambodian student

Students from Nevada City School of the Arts held a fundraiser recently for their class sponsorship of a wheelchair-bound Cambodian student's education.
Submitted photo

The Union of Grass Valley
http://www.theunion.com/

By Trina Kleist
Staff Writer

The 29 seventh-graders of Nevada City School of the Arts are aiding the education of a Cambodian girl as a school project, director Holly Pettit said Monday.

The students have raised $800 so far from a car wash held at the school May 29 and a two-week popsicle sale the last week of May and first week of June.

“It's becoming a tradition in our school,” Pettit added.

This was the second year the seventh-grade class has sponsored Kak Sreimom, a wheelchair-bound girl who is about to begin her final year in high school and plans to continue to college. The sponsorship program is through an organization called Sustainable Cambodia.

David Emery, the uncle of a former student at the school, lives in Cambodia most of the year, but visits family in Nevada City. He spoke to the students about the girl, Pettit said.

Abhisit to Visit Cambodia on Friday

Bangkok Post
http://www.bangkokpost.com

Published: 9/06/2009

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will pay an official visit to Cambodia on Friday for bilateral talks and to officially hand over Khmer artifacts, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday.

Mr Abhisit would have talks with Cambodian leader Hun Sen.

The prime minister would have an audience with King Narodom Sihamoni of Cambodia and pay a courtesy call on Heng Samrin, president of the national assembly.

The Thai and Cambodian prime ministers would officiate at a ceremony to return seven stolen Khmer artifacts to Cambodian authorities.

These artifacts were smuggled from Cambodia and seized by Thai authorities. Their return indicted Thailand’s commitment to the agreement to combat illicit trafficking and smuggling of movable cultural property and to return it the country of origin, which was signed on 14 June 2000, the ministry statement said..

Vietnam and Cambodia combat drug crime together

http://english.vietnamnet.vn

09/06/2009

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong assured Cambodia of stronger links to combat drug-related crimes during a meeting with the country’s senior narcotics squad in HCM City on June 9.

Trong told Ke Kim Yan, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and President of the National Committee for Drug Control, that the two countries should enhance their channels of information as well as provide each other with regular assistance in drug control, drug detox facilities, rehabilitation and in the management of former drug addicts.

“ Vietnam has recorded some achievements in the fight, including successful models of detoxification centres and community-based and voluntary detoxification, vocational training and job placements for former drug users,” said Trong.

In response, the Cambodian Deputy PM sounded satisfied with the assistance Vietnam was providing in the fight against drug lords. He said Cambodia was looking for more information and help from Vietnam to train up its drug squads and open drug detoxification centres as well as joint initiatives in the fight against cross-border drug crime.

The same day, Yan, who is leading the senior delegation from the Cambodian Committee for Drug Control met with senior Police officials from the Ministry of Public Security.

Major General Lam Minh Chien, Deputy General Director of the Police Department, briefed his guest on drug crimes in Vietnam, focusing on drug dealers and traffickers from overseas and the country’s experience of breaking and tracking down drug gangs.

He also shared Vietnam ’s experiences in raising the public’s awareness of the dangers of growing addictive plants and drug education in schools.

The Cambodian guests are scheduled to visit several detoxification centres in HCM City and leave Vietnam on June 12.

Vietnam to host high-level meeting on drug control

Vietnam will host a meeting of senior officials to discuss a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on drug control amongst countries in the Mekong Delta sub-region in 2010.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong on June 8 asked the Ministry of Public Security to work with the relevant ministries and departments, which are members of the National Committee for AIDS, Drug and Prostitution Prevention and Control, MOU member countries and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to prepare for the event.

Initiated by the UNODC, a cooperation framework among Greater Mekong sub-region countries was formed in 1993 with its first members including China , Myanmar , Thailand and Laos , to deal with the complex problem of drug production and use in the region.

Since joining the MOU in 1995, Vietnam has become an active member of the organisation. Thanks to joint co-operation mechanisms, Vietnam has also worked with other member countries to address common problems such as destroying poppy fields and developing other crops whilst cracking down on drug cartels.

Gov’t religious affairs delegation visits Cambodia

The Chairman of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, Nguyen The Doanh, is leading a senior-level delegation to Cambodia from June 8-12.

During a meeting with Minister of Cambodia’s Cults and Religious Affairs Min Khin, both parties informed each other of their positions on religion and shared experience in implementing religious policies in their respective countries.

They agreed that increased religious cooperation between the two countries will contribute to enhancing Vietnam and Cambodia ’s traditional relationship.

Minister Min Khin thanked the Vietnamese government and its people for their support and sacrifices during the fight against the Khmer Rouge atrocities in Cambodia .

He also spoke highly of the cooperation shown by the committee in helping Cambodia implement its religious policy to win the hearts of the people in every walk of life for peace and socio-economic development.

During his stay in Cambodia , Chairman Doanh and his delegation were received by Senate President Chea Sim, Chairman of the National Assembly Heng Samrin and Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The delegation will also visit Battambang and Siem Reap provinces to study their religious activities.

VietNamNet/VNA

Barges Link Cambodia, Vietnam, U.S.

The Journal of Commerce Online
http://www.joc.com

Thomas L. Gallagher Jun 9, 2009

River route to Ho Chi Minh’s new deep-water terminal cuts transit time

Ocean carrier MOL launched river barge service from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to bring containers via the new deep-water terminal in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, to the United States.

Freight that used to travel by truck to feeder vessels from southern Cambodia to Singapore for transshipment to line-haul vessels can now go directly to the Tan Cang Cai Mep Terminal for transfer to MOL’s container ships, cutting two to 10 days from transit time to the U.S. West Coast.

Delivery from Phnom Penh to key ports will be reduced to the following:Los Angeles, 20 days; Oakland, 24 days; Seattle, 19 days; and Vancouver, 21 days.

In addition to reduced transit times, customers will also experience cost savings in intermodal and inventory-carrying costs, MOL said.

"As the pioneers of this service, MOL management has spent a significant amount of time scrutinizing every detail to ensure seamless transport. Our service development process included actual ‘process trips’ to familiarize ourselves with customs and operations procedures," said Richard Hiller, vice president trans-Pacific trade, MOL (America).

Contact Thomas L. Gallagher at tgallagher@joc.com.

Convicted Belgian paedophile to wed mother of Cambodian victim

The Sun Daily
http://www.thesundaily.com

Phnom Penh (June 9, 2009) - A twice-convicted Belgian paedophile who moved into a victim's home after being released from a Cambodian prison plans to marry the victim's mother, national media reported Tuesday.

Anti-trafficking police said Philippe Dessart, who was released from prison April 4, proposed to his victim's mother shortly before he left for Belgium on June 3, The Cambodia Daily reported.

Dessart was released after serving three years of an 18-year prison term for abusing the then-13-year-old boy after a successful appeal of his sentence.

Anti-paedophile groups said in April that they were shocked to discover Dessart had moved in with his victim, now 16, after his release and expressed concern over a younger male sibling also living in the house.

Police said Dessart travelled to Belgium to arrange documents for the marriage and would return to Cambodia in the next few weeks. -- dpa

I Was In Fact a Murdering, Torturous Bastard

The American Spectator
http://spectator.org

By Paul Chesser on 6.9.09

The fascinating trial of the Khmer Rouge's top jailer, Comrade Duch, continues, with him refuting yesterday evidence that would have spared him at least a little culpability. He would have none of it:

Duch went on to dispute testimony from last month in which an American expert witness presented a list of prisoners who appeared to have been released from Tuol Sleng (the Phnom Penh prison where an estimated 17,000 began their path to execution).

"The people who were arrested and sent (to Tuol Sleng), they were all killed," Duch said, refuting the idea that the list cast him in a more favourable light.

"I did not release anyone... It is not exculpatory evidence at all because I am responsible for my crimes. I cannot accept that document," he added.

Duch also explained that Cambodian dictator Pol Pot mixed a vicious cocktail of the communist theories of Marx, Lenin, and China's "Gang of Four." This may have been the most evil regime ever, but then again, who keeps tallies of such things?