'Spoiled youngsters' become govt target

The Phnom Penh Post
Monday, 13 July 2009
Khuon Leakhana

Officials say new disciplinary measures will help address the problem of juvenile delinquency.

FOLLOWING a directive issued last month by Prime Minister Hun Sen, the government has launched a crackdown on juvenile delinquency that will target "spoiled youngsters" in a bid to maintain social order, an Interior Ministry official said Sunday.

According to a list of disciplinary measures to be posted in towns across the country, young people will be more closely monitored and could face more serious charges if caught engaging in crimes.

"We have just begun to gradually implement the disciplinary measures after the prime minister called for action against spoiled youngsters,"

Ministry of Interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak told the Post Sunday, referring to a directive on June 24 ordering ministries and law enforcement officials to crack down on "gangster activity".

'Big brothers' disciplined
"We see that nowadays young people's acts are sometimes entangled with crime and the destruction of culture and tradition," Khieu Sopheak said.

"If we do not have any measures to cope with [young people], our society will definitely become chaotic, and children of the next generation will imitate such a lack of discipline."

Khieu Sopheak said most of the young people that the ministry has picked up so far were "big brothers" associated with criminal gangs.

"In the past, we have gathered thousands of young people who were acting immorally and causing trouble to society. Having gone through rehabilitation, some young people are sent back to their parents.... However, in some serious cases, they are sent to the court," he said.

The new disciplinary measures are being tested in pilot programmes in the country's more densely populated areas, though Khieu Sopheak said it would likely be taken to small villages.

"We thought delinquency only happened in the cities, but now this culture of immorality has become widespread."

Him Yun, vice president of the Khmer Youth Association, told the Post Sunday that he welcomed measures to control delinquency, but he warned authorities not to use the directive as a front for their own bullying.

"While we approve measures to cope with problematic youngsters, local authorities should implement measures effectively," Him Yun said.

Bars warned against allowing striptease dances, loud music

The Phnom Penh Post
Monday, 13 July 2009
Chrann Chamroeun

Distribution of Interior Ministry rules in Daun Penh district comes less than a week after authorities shut down a bar and arrested 15 people.

BAR owners in Daun Penh district were told by the Ministry of Interior over the weekend that they were required to close at midnight and to ban striptease dancing and the showing of pornographic films, several bar owners and the district governor said Sunday.

District and police officials on Saturday distributed a list of rules drafted by the ministry to bar owners and instructed them to sign contracts stating that they had read the rules and understood that they would have to close if they did not comply with them.

Daun Penh District Governor Sok Sambath said Sunday that the officials were simply reminding the bar owners of rules that were already in place.

"We just re-informed all bars to follow the contract - to close their bars after midnight, not to play loud music, not to show pornographic videos, not to allow drug use and not to allow strip dancing," Sok Sambath said.

Yim Nuch, a manager at the Velkommen Inn on Street 104, said she had been visited by the officials Saturday.

"They came to my bar and showed me the [Interior Ministry's] information, which mainly mentioned conditions about strip dancing, drug smuggling and pornographic films," she said.

"They asked us to sign five identical contracts, and I agreed to sign them."

She added that she had been told she could face criminal charges if she failed to follow the rules, though she said officials did not elaborate on what those might be.

Chhan Sro Em, 26, a manager at the UpDown Bar on Street 136, said Sunday that she had not received any information about the rules.

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Our bar hasn't had any illegal activities such as sexy or strip dancing.
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"Police just come around for drinking and then go," she said. "They never talk to us about that."

She said the UpDown Bar had been open for "over a year" and routinely closed at 1am or 2am without incident and without any objection from the police.

She added: "Our bar hasn't had any illegal activities such as sexy or strip dancing."

Citywide enforcement?
Sok Sambath said the rules applied to all bars in the capital and had been on the books for years, despite the fact that many regularly stay open past midnight. Ministry of Interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak could not be reached Sunday to confirm whether the rules would be implemented citywide.

Both Yim Nuch and Chhan Sro Em said they welcomed the rules.

"We will follow the ministry's order to close our bar after midnight if we are told by police to do that," Chhan Sro Em said. "We welcome these prohibitions, which are very good for encouraging our Cambodian girls to be gentle women, not too sexy."

The distribution of the letters in Daun Penh district came less than a week after police and local authorities arrested 15 people at the Blue Lagoon Bar, which is also located in the district on Street 108.

The officials made the arrests on suspicion that patrons were given the option of watching women strip naked.

Commune Chief Hov Shinith said last week that the bar had been closed temporarily and that municipal officials were debating whether to allow it to continue operating.

Air travel dipped 16pc in early '09, official says

Photo by: SOVANN PHILONG
People wait at the departures terminal at Phnom Penh International Airport.

The Phnom Penh Post
Monday, 13 July 2009
Kay Kimsong

Number of passenger flights down 10 percent compared with first 5 months of 2008, while cargo sees sharper decline

THE number of passengers entering Cambodia in the first five months of this year dropped 16 percent on the same period last year, with the number of flights down almost 10 percent. Cargo brought in and out by air was also sharply down.

Khek Norinda, communications and marketing manager for Societe Concessionaire de l'Aeroport (SCA), which runs the Kingdom's airports, told the Post that flights were down as a result of reduced demand.

"We have witnessed a significant slowdown in traffic at the two international airports in Phnom Penh and in Siem Reap, both for passengers and cargo," Khek Norinda wrote in an email.

Figures from the government's State Secretariat for Civil Aviation (SSCA) showed during that period 1.15 million passengers arrived or left on domestic and international flights through Phnom Penh and Siem Reap airports. That was down from 1.37 million in the first five months of 2008, a drop of 16 percent.

Siem Reap was worse affected than the capital, with passenger numbers down almost 19 percent to 555,000 in the first five months. The total number of flights into and out of the country dropped by 1,500 to 13,914.

Cargo figures through Phnom Penh International Airport - the Kingdom's sole air-cargo hub - were hit hard. The airport received 3,353 tonnes of cargo between January and May 2009, down 41 percent on the same period in 2008. Cargo leaving the country dropped 31 percent to 3,093 tonnes.

Representatives of Korean Airlines and Bangkok Airways - two of the key carriers - could not be reached for comment on Sunday.

But Khek Norinda said airlines would be affected.

"Less traffic means contraction of revenues. Financial results will be obviously affected like all other stakeholders in [the] aviation industry compared to 2008," said Khek Norinda.

Despite the release of passenger, flight and cargo numbers, SCA again failed to publish figures on its revenues. The latest figures available - in the Cambodian Civil Aviation Data Book published by the Civil Aviation Authority in February - showed that SCA made revenues of US$10.77 million in 2006.

Mao Havannal, secretary of state at the SSCA, told the Post earlier this month that swine flu and lower disposable income were the main reasons behind the drop in air passengers.

Khek Norinda said that, despite the current problems, the mid- and long-term prospects for Cambodia's airports remain strong.

SCA said it had taken measures aimed at boosting air traffic to Cambodia in order to overcome the current effects of economic crisis.

"We have implemented an ambitious incentive package policy: We offer significant discounts to encourage airlines to open additional routes and to increase their flight frequencies in our international airports," he wrote. "Obviously, specific conditions are offered in Sihanoukville airport in order to facilitate opening of new routes to the airport."

SCA said it is also undertaking marketing at trade fairs in conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism to promote the Kingdom.

Govt rejects union data on jobless workers

The Phnom Penh Post
Monday, 13 July 2009
CHUN SOPHAL

AN argument has blown up between the government and a leading trade union over the number of garment workers thought to have lost their jobs due to the economic crisis.

Chea Mony, president of the Free Trade Union of the Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia, told the Post Sunday that he estimated 63,000 workers had lost their jobs since the economy was hit last year, a figure he based on the closure of 78 garment factories represented a monthly loss of US$3.5 million in wages.

"The garment sector is very fragile in the face of the global economic crisis," Chea Mony said. "Many more workers face unemployment if the government fails to remove corrupt officials and ... strengthen effective implementation of the law."

The union's estimate was rejected by Um Mean, secretary of state at the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, who said most workers had been re-employed and that fewer than 20,000 workers were jobless.

"We cannot depend on the union's figures because the ministry has collected its own statistics, which are more accurate," he said on Sunday.

However, Um Mean was unable to provide the government figures, saying the officials responsible were not at work.

The union's figures were endorsed by the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia, whose labour issues official Cheath Khemara said the situation would improve if workers and factory owners worked together to weather the global economic crisis.

Parliament OKs deal to send migrant labourers to Kuwait

Photo by: SOVANN PHILONG
A student checks a job advertisement board in Phnom Penh. Following an agreement between Cambodia and Kuwait, job seekers will soon be able to secure work in the Middle Eastern country.

The Phnom Penh Post
Monday, 13 July 2009
May Kunmakara

Agreement to supply workers to the emirate, awaiting Senate approval, would pave way for Cambodians to learn more about the oil and gas sector, official says

PARLIAMENT last month approved an agreement with Kuwait allowing Cambodians to work in the Gulf state, an official said Sunday.

Um Mean, a secretary of state at the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, said the final step was for the Senate to approve the deal.

"After that both parties will set up a joint task force to study the job requirements in more detail," Um Mean said, adding that Kuwait has already approved the deal.

The two states signed a memorandum of understanding late last year on the issue of migrant workers.

An Bun Hak, the president of the Cambodian Recruitment Agency, which has permission from the ministry to provide workers for the scheme, said most jobs would be in oil and gas as well as hospitality.

"We will lead a delegation to gauge the job market in Kuwait early next month and investigate it in-depth," he said, adding that monthly wages would be around US$350.

The agreement follows a deal between the two states allowing Kuwait to lease tracts of Cambodian land to grow food.

An Bun Hak said that for cultural reasons Cambodia's Cham Muslim minority would likely benefit most from the scheme, although he stressed that his firm would not discriminate.

"We will recruit both Cambodian Muslim workers and non-Muslim workers," he said. "But Cambodia's Cham Muslim people will have more ability because they will be able to adapt to Kuwait's culture more quickly than other Cambodians."

He said the first workers - a trial group of up to 200 people - would be sent to Kuwait before the end of the year.

"Kuwait has not set a quota, so we hope to send between 6,000 and 7,000 workers each year," An Bun Hak said, adding that workers in the oil and gas sector would gain valuable skills for Cambodia's upcoming resources industry.

Thun Saray, the president of local human rights group Adhoc, welcomed the deal, saying it is important that the government does what it can to help Cambodians find work.

"What worries me is the laws protecting workers," he said. "Before the government allows people to work overseas, it should provide them with information about working conditions so they can avoid disputes. They must be properly informed about where they will be working."

Cambodia's 20 private recruitment agencies have to date sent 21,000 migrant workers to South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia. Wages vary widely, with a worker in South Korea able to earn up to $700 per month. In Malaysia they can earn between $120 and $150 per month, while wages in Thailand are $80 to $120.

Swatch to expand in Cambodia

The Phnom Penh Post
Monday, 13 July 2009
Hor Hab

SWISS watchmaker Swatch Group said its franchisee will open two more branded stores in Cambodia. Its first store opened in April.

The company said the Kingdom's demographics mean it should prove a good market.

Thai Philippe from Swatch franchisee K Thong Huot Telecom said one store will open in Phnom Penh and the other in Siem Reap, both likely next year in shopping malls.

Although Swatch sales are currently low, he said the arrival of a new collection should help to raise the brand's profile locally.

"A lot of people are attracted to the design of Swatch, but they are hesitating to buy it because the brand is not yet well-known here," he said.

At the launch of Swatch's new collection in Italy last month, Nicolas Hayek, chairman of Swatch Group, said global sales had held during the downturn.

"[Worldwide] sales of Swiss watches went down 27.6 percent last year, but Swatch has performed much better and we haven't seen much of a decrease," he said. "Even in the US market Swatch is doing very well - dropping just 9 or 10 percent when compared to some other brands which are down 50 percent or more."

MFIs see lending growth dip

Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN
ACLEDA Bank, which offers microfinance loans, opens a branch in Kampot last month.

The Phnom Penh Post
Monday, 13 July 2009
NGUON SOVAN

Economic crisis halts lending expansion and causes NPL rates to escalate, say MFIs, with little progress expected by year's end

MICROFINANCE institutions (MFIs) said loans are down sharply in the first half of the year, while bad debts have risen due to the economic crisis.

Hout Ieng Tong, president of the Cambodian Microfinance Association, predicted the situation would not improve before the end of the year. He forecast the average level of nonperforming loans (NPLs) for the industry would rise tenfold to 3 percent this year.

Chea Phalarin, manager of market leader Amret, said the company was being cautious in its lending, while clients were afraid they would be unable to make repayments.

"We planned to disburse US$50 million of loans in the first six months of this year, but only $33.5 million was lent to 230,000 customers," he said, adding that Amret lent $30 million in the first half last year.

The NPL rate increased from 0.08 percent at the end of last year to 2.8 percent at the end of June, he said.

Sim Senacheat, general manager of Prasac, the nation's second-largest MFI, said last week that loan disbursements were down 13 percent to $33 million from $38 million in the first half of 2008. Prasac also has fewer clients now: 87,700 as opposed to 100,000 at the end of June last year.

"The economic and real estate downturn mean we have restricted our loans - especially large-scale loans.... That's because we are concerned about repayment capacity," said Sim Senacheat, adding that bad loans were up from 0.23 percent at the end of 2008 to 1.35 percent at the end of June.

MFI Sathapana echoed the problems of its competitors. Chairman Bun Mony said loans were one-third below target at $22 million, and bad loans stood at 1.7 percent, up from 0.2 percent at the end of 2008.

Helping to reinstall art into Cambodian consciousness

Photo by: HOLLY PHAM
Venn Savat [left] and Khun Sovanrith

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WE WANT TO USE PAINTINGS AS COMMUNICATION TOOLS TO EXPRESS LIFE VALUES.
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The Phnom Penh Post
, 13 July 2009
Holly Pham and Chan Soratha

A new exhibition at the Reyum Institute showcases the inspiring work of one of its resident teachers

KHUN Sovanrith and Venn Savat, two Cambodian contemporary painters, are presenting their latest works at Reyum Institute, open today from 5 to 8pm.

According to the two artists, the status of painting as a relatively new art form in Cambodia, especially when it comes to contemporary art, motivated them to contribute to the emerging national scene through this exhibition.

As a member of the first generation of painters trained at the School of Fine Arts following the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime, Venn Savat remarked that painting has been growing more prominent in Cambodian arts since the 1980s.

However, most Cambodians are still far more familiar with sculptural works, and thus his and Khun Sovanrith's commitment to art education will remain strong and proactive for the foreseeable future.

The exhibition at large consists of varying styles and themes, including sceneries, still lifes and abstract paintings. Buddhism is explicitly expressed throughout the exhibition, as shown by the series of lotus, Buddha and Nirvana paintings. The artists hope to send messages of peace to their audience through such works.

"When people are reminded of Nirvana, they will try to limit their demand and share what they have with others," Khun Sovanrith said.

The artists said the variety on offer in their exhibition aims to depict the big picture of Cambodian daily life.

"We want to use paintings as communication tools to express [Cambodian] life values," said Khun Sovanrith.

Increased opportunities
Currently working at Reyum as a teacher, Khun Sovanrith said he also wanted to provide more art-related opportunities as well as increased exposure to the public free of charge, particularly to Cambodian youth.

"Paintings do not draw much interest in Cambodia because the country is still impoverished.
"Most of my students [at Reyum Institute] are poor and not educated enough about arts," he said.

Before working at Reyum, Khun Sovanrith worked at the Department of Pegagogical Research within the Ministry of Education as a book illustrator from 1996 to 1999.

Though this experience drew him into art education, he was limited to producing black-and-white sketches that could be literally understood. Now with painting, he is free to be creative and use artistic abstractions to imply different messages and target different audience groups, a practice he feels is more fitting for an art teacher.

Khun Sovanrith has nine paintings, and Venn Savat fourteen, on display at Reyum. This exhibition marks Venn Savat's 20th exhibition and the sixth for Khun Sovanrith.

Crown, Naga stroll to CPL wins

Photo by: NICK SELLS
Naga Corp’s Sun Somprathana (right) pulls on the shirt of Spark FC’s Plong Chanthou during their Cambodian Premier League game at Olympic Stadium Saturday.

The Phnom Penh Post
Monday, 13 July 2009
DENE MULLEN

Phnom Penh Crown draw within a point of the league leaders with a 3-1 win over National Defence Ministry on Saturday, while Naga Corp smash Spark FC 3-0

A second-half display of power from Phnom Penh Crown was enough to overwhelm a plucky National Defence Ministry (MND) side Saturday and ensure that they kept up the pressure on Preah Khan Reach at the top of the Cambodian Premier League table.

After a slow opening to the first half, the game received the desired shot in the arm on 22 minutes when MND took a shock lead against the run of play. Nov Sokseila provided the moment of divine inspiration when he picked up the ball on the right and burst into the box.

After beating two players, the angle was against him, but the tiny winger managed to toe-poke the ball past the keeper to cap a glorious solo effort.

The goal certainly caused alarm in the Crown defence, and just minutes later the defending champions' back line were pushing the panic buttons again when Um Kompheak connected well with an acrobatic volley, only to see it whistle past the post.

With 16 minutes left in the half, Crown had their best chance so far when a Chan Rithy corner cleared everybody, including a shaky-looking Samrith Seiha in goal, but when the ball fell to Tunji Ayoyinka at the far stick, his cross-cum-shot evaded everybody when all it needed was the slightest touch.

After the break, Crown set the tone from the off with Oscar Mpoko hitting a vicious shot with the outside of his boot from the edge of the box. The ball was flying into the top corner, but Samrith Seiha leapt like a praying mantis and acrobatically clawed it away.

It didn't take long for the goal to come however, and just five minutes into the half Crown were level. Ayoyinka was sent rocketing down the left and, although he could have gone it alone, the Nigerian forward unselfishly squared to Srey Veasna, who arrived at the far post to tap in.

Photo by: NICK SELLS
Phnom Penh Crown's Chan Rithy takes a touch during the CPL match against National Defence Ministry Saturday.

Crown then laid siege to the MND goal, with a shot from Mpoko dubiously disallowed. However, they had to wait until the 85th minute before the breakthrough finally came. Chan Rithy played a delicious reverse pass with his weaker right foot for Mpoko to control. Without breaking his stride, the midfield dynamo volleyed a sumptuous lob over the keeper and into the net.

Somewhat harshly on MND, it was soon three when, in injury time, Ayoyinka collected a long ball, held off two defenders and finished calmly to wrap up the points for Crown.

Naga Corp 3 Spark FC 0
In Saturday's second game, Spark FC were unable to deal with a Naga Corp side that coasted to victory without ever moving out of second gear.

After almost opening the scoring in comedic circumstances when the Spark goalkeeper's attempted clearance bounced off Teab Vathanak and just wide on seven minutes, Naga eventually found the back of the net, although once again there was more than a whiff of good fortune about it.

Naga's Yemi Oyewole was fed on the edge of the box, and the cultured midfielder's attempted cross looped over the goalkeeper and dipped just in time to sneak into the far corner for the opener.

Twenty-two minutes in, though, Spark almost nicked an equaliser against the run of play through a superb Plong Chanthou header, but Chaom Veasna was able to flick the ball away from just underneath the bar.

Nine minutes later, Oyewole almost grabbed his second of the afternoon, but his header flashed just wide, with the keeper scrambling. Then, with eleven minutes left in the half, Naga made it two. Teab Vathanak twisted up his marker on the left, fired in a great low ball across, and with numerous players sliding in, Olawaseun Olatide made a hash of his clearance and turned it past his own goalkeeper.

It was more of the same in the second half. Sunday Okonkwo almost added a third for Naga in the 51st minute when he picked the ball up 30 yards from goal, drove at the defence and unleashed a thunderbolt with his left foot which Pouv Raksa did well to turn over the bar.

Just a minute later, Okonkwo went even closer when he met Teab Vathanak's low cross from the left with the outside of his right boot. The shot beat the keeper but thudded off the base of the post and rebounded to safety.

Naga were rampant by this point, and after Oyewole saw his strike well saved by Pouv Raksa, they got the third goal their dominance deserved. Teab Vathanak outfoxed a defender on the edge of the box and slipped a sly pass through to Friday Nwakuna, who kept his composure and placed the ball into the corner to put the seal on an impressive Naga performance.

Phouchung Neak shock leaders

Photo by: NICK SELLS
Build Bright United’s newest purchase Augustine Ogemi (front) brushes past his Post Tel Club defender Sunday at Olympic Stadium.

The Phnom Penh Post
Monday, 13 July 2009
ANDY BROUWER

CAMBODIAN Premier League leaders Preah Khan Reach (PKR) had the wind knocked out of their sails by Navy side Phouchung Neak in their top-versus-bottom clash at the Olympic stadium Sunday that ended a 2-2 draw. It was all one-way traffic as PKR struck the woodwork twice in a frantic opening, but they were left reeling from a double sucker punch in as many minutes.

Tith Dina leapt around in jubilation after his screamer from twenty-five yards sailed into the top corner after PKR failed to clear the danger from a corner kick on 19 minutes.

Just as fans were getting their breath back, Phouchung, with just one point from their previous nine games, doubled their lead when debutant Wilson Mene sent his teammates into more raptures with a well-executed volley at the back stick from Heng Sokly's sweet cross. The navy side didn't deserve their scoreline, but they weren't complaining.

In response, PKR stepped on the gas and reduced the deficit on the half-hour. Olisa Onyemerea rose above everyone to powerfully head home Tum Saray's corner. Phouchung held out for fifteen minutes of the second period, until was Onyemerea on hand again to turn in a low cross from Khounla Boravy, though the expected onslaught from PKR never really materialised. Honours were shared, although it was a massive moral victory for the Navy side over their illustrious opponents.

Post Tel Club 0 Build Bright 2
In a much quieter affair, Build Bright United (BBU)took the points in the second game of the afternoon, with a straightforward 2-0 success over Post Tel. The result was never in doubt as BBU always held the upper hand. Indeed, in new signing Augustine Ogemi, they had the game's best player by a country mile.

After arriving from PKR during the mid-season break, the Nigerian took just nine minutes to register his first goal for his new club. Rising above despairing Post Tel goalkeeper Thong Chanraksmey, he planted his header into the net from a gorgeous inswinging cross by Ek Vannak.

BBU settled the game fifteen minutes into the second half when Oriola Adeseye applied a deft touch to lift his shot over Thong Chanraksmey when a corner fell to him in the box.

Crown fail to sign hotshot Prince Justine

The Phnom Penh Post
Monday, 13 July 2009
KEN GADAFFI

THE much speculated transfer of the Cambodian Premier league's top scorer Prince Uche Justine finally never happened with his club Spark FC unable to reach an agreement with Phnom Penh Crown. Crown manager Makara Be claimed he did everything possible to lure the prolific scorer to the reigning champions, but to no avail, resigning to the signing of former Naga striker, Cameroon born Ousmannou Mohamadou as his foreign player transfer allowance during the July window. Prince Justine was suspended for Spark's game against Naga Corp Saturday after receiving two yellow cards.

Meanwhile, Crown striker Tunji Ayoyinka played possibly his last game for the club Saturday ahead of his trip to join an undisclosed side in the Turkish second division. According to the player, two teams are interested in his signature.

Expats celebrate Ashes series

Photo by: NICK SELLS
Australian expat team member Adam McNeil swings at a delivery during a friendly game against an England team at Boeung Keng Kang school Sunday.

The Phnom Penh Post
Monday, 13 July 2009
DOM FIELD

English, Australians play a 15-over friendly at Boeung Keng Kang

REPRESENTATIVES from Australia and England's expat communities met at Boeung Keng Kang High School on Sunday to celebrate the start of the 2009 Ashes tour with a friendly 15 overs match. It may not have been Cardiff, and it certainly wasn't Lords, but the cricket was of a fairly high standard, fought with plenty of spirit. In the end, the English team emerged victorious, having set the Australians a score 175 for 6 from their innings, with the antipodeans managing 143 for 8.

The Australians took the field first, cutting a dash in their green-and-gold team shirts. A shocking start left the English floundering on six runs for two wickets, before captain Chris Dring approached the crease with a swagger of confidence. He pulled the first delivery over square leg for six, and drove the second along the ground for four past mid on. This steadied the boat, and partnerships followed with Adam Mallard and Christian Field. Rana Asif dominated over the bowlers in the mid-order, top scoring with a wonderful 45.

The Australians remained cheerful and confident during the lunch break, despite English suggestions that the innings prophesised success at home. Free-flowing refreshments were provided by Majid Wazir and his restaurant, Saffron, with barbecued pork replacing the smell of cut grass and linseed oil, as the sun reached its highest point in time for the English bowlers to warm up.

The English seemed to be on a nostalgia trip early in the Australian innings with smoking on the boundary reminiscent of the days of Phil "The Cat" Tufnell.

The Australians made a strong start, with Lachlan Pontifex opening with 30 and Adam McNeil retiring on 44. Skipper Matt Duckworth was bowled for one, and his dismissal marked the beginning of an Australian collapse. Tenacious in the field and accurate with the ball, the English never allowed Australia's mid-order to settle. The run rate fell well below what was necessary, and as the final overs approached, an Australian recovery became beyond them.

The Australian team, an amalgamation of embassy staff, lawyers and teachers, were gracious in defeat and assured their opposition that a different story would emerge as the official Ashes series progresses over the coming weeks. The English contigent went home feeling rather surprised by the result.

Thanks go out to captains Dring and Duckworth for organising the event, and to Saffron restaurant for the catering.

Cambodia's Aussie Boss Scott O'Donnell Assembles Coaching Staff

http://goal.com

Cambodia are putting things in place...

13 Jul 2009

Cambodia national coach Scott O'Donell has appointed former internationals Van Piseth and Bouy Dary as his assistants in shaping the future of the national team.

And the three have certainly not wasted time as they have been consistently on the lookout for players in the on-going Cambodian Premier League 2009.

“Both Piseth and Dary were with me before (in 2007),“ said O’Donell.

“I trust and respect them. Both were national team players and have a good knowledge of the game, and we already have a mutual understanding of what we want to achieve.”

Van Piseth, 47, was a former Cambodian international in the mid-1980s and played his football for the most part with the Army team before beginning his coaching career at Khemara FC.

He is due to take his AFC C-Licence coaching certificate next month.

The 23-year-old Bouy Dary on the other hand was the assistant to former national coach Prak Sovannara, and is one of the younger generation of coaches in Cambodia.

He played under O'Donell at the SEA Games in 2005 whilst with the Royal Navy team, and already has his C-Licence.

“The next stage is to get a squad together, with the SEA Games in Laos in December as the next major challenge,” added O'Donell.

“I want to put on a series of trials for around 40 players in the last three weeks of July at the National Olympic Stadium, with a view to sizing it down to a squad of 25 players.

“Then I'd like to get the squad with me a couple of times a week during August and September, which is why I met with the CPL coaches a couple of weeks ago, as I need their cooperation.

“I'd be concentrating on their technical and tactical awareness rather than their stamina until the end of the current season.”

The 42-year-old Australian is also looking to further strengthen his squad's preparation for the SEA Games in Laos with a couple of friendly international matches and two training camps away in South Korea and Vietnam.

Burmese 'Passports' Mark New Phuket Deal

A Burmese worker shows off his permit to work on Phuket
Photo by phuketwan.com/file

http://phuketwan.com
By Phuketwan Reporters
Sunday, July 12, 2009

SENIOR officials from Burma and Thailand met on Phuket yesterday to discuss the future of legal and illegal workers from Burma.

A new system is being introduced that involves large-scale changes designed to legitimise by registration as many Burmese workers as possible.

If the worker has a job, then his or her position can be legitimised.

The change represents a comprehensive attempt to reduce people-smuggling along the Andaman coast and throughout Thailand.

According to the official figure for possible registration, Phuket's population contains 91,453 illegal and legal Burmese workers. Sixteen Cambodian and 120 Lao workers are also listed.

At yesterday's top-level meeting, the Permanent Secretary of Burma's Foreign Ministry, Maung Myaint, met with Thai Labor Minister Pitoon Keawtong at the Thavorn Grand Plaza in Phuket City.

Efforts are being made to register as many illegal workers as possible this month throughout Thailand. The Burmese involved will have the opportunity after registration to retunr to Burma to be issued with a worker's ''passport.''

Maung Myaint said he had been trying for five years to resolve the problems associated with Burmese in Thailand.

''From July 15, all Burmese working in Thailand will be able to return to Victoria Point [the Burmese twin port of Ranong] and two other border towns, to register as Burmese citizens,'' he said.

However, he said the system could only process 200 applications a day at each crossing point.

Just how the Burmese officials propose to deal with the thousands of people who will be seeking to register remains unclear.

The Burmese part of the process would be at no cost, Muang Myaint said. Those who were being told there would be a fee are being given misinformation, he added.

The Thai authorities would ask each Burmese to pay 2000 baht for a two-year visa, Khun Khun Pitoon said.

The issue of people-trafficking and illegal workers is likely to be a focus at next week's Asean and associated summit meetings.

News outlets report today that two men have been charged with the trafficking of two Burmese refugees in Malaysia, that country's first such cases of people smuggling for the purposes of ''forced labor''.

Second-hand goods trader Azhar Yusof, 32, and self-employed Mohamad Nazeri Mat Hussein, 50, appeared separately in court on Friday, according to the New Straits Times.

The two Malaysians, who allegedly made 1500 ringgit ($419) in each deal, face up to 20 years in jail and a fine of 500,000 ringgit if convicted. Both denied the charges.

Prosecutor Mohamad Dusuki Mokhtar said they were believed to be part of a human trafficking syndicate.

Last month, the US put Malaysia back on a people smuggling blacklist, saying the country had failed to comply with minimum standards to eliminate trafficking.

Revival efforts start paying off, NTC Mills on hiring mode in Coimbatore

The Economic Times
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

12 Jul 2009

COIMBATORE: Not long ago, a bleak future starred at a group of National textile corporation operated spinning mills in the texcity Coimbatore. The sick mills encountered problems like surplus workforce, vintage machinery and lower output. Now, they are on a come back trail thanks to the modernisation programme.

What is more, the four NTC run mills are on a hiring mode. The mills revived by the textiles ministry through a modernisation scheme at a cost of Rs 64.35 crore in the last twelve months, are looking to hire an additonal 1000 workers to increase production.

The mills- Cambodia Mills, Coimbatore Murugan Mills, Pankaja Mills and Rangavilas Ginning, Spinning & Weaving Mills are seeing the benefits of the modernisation scheme.

While the Cambodia Mills weaving unit was upgraded with imported machinery, the other three mills had also equipped themselves with latest technology. Apart from importing machines from China, NTC also procured latest machines from LMW, the Indian textile machinery major.

While the formal inauguration of the mills ( after modernisation) is scheduled to take place later this month, they have already kick started production. "After the modernisation, the four mills are working at 80% capacity and they have also reached breakeven in the last two months," NTC southern region chief GM (technical) M M Chockalingam told ET.

"We need additional 1000 workers to reach 95% utilisation level ," he added. Currently there are 2337 permanent workers and around 2000 causal workers employed in the four mills.

"We have already received more than 1000 applications for the vacant spots and it is in the process of scrutiny. We will soon call them for interview and hire them on our rolls as casual workers. Later, we will shift them to fill the permanent vacancies and pay occupational salary," said a senior executive in NTC.

Currently, NTC pays around Rs 125 to Rs 135 per day for casual workers and up to Rs 6000 per month for permanent employees.

Apart from aiming to make profits, the four mills are also ready to compete with private mills by producing value added products. Following upgradation of machines, the spindles speed has gone up to 21000 RPM from the earlier 13000 RPM. "We are expecting a increase in production from earlier 60 to 65 gram per spindle to up to 100 grams per spindle," said Mr Chockalingam.

He said, among the four, Coimbatore Murugan Mills and Rangavilas Mills are the top performers and they are specialised in producing round form hand yarn, which would be useful for handlooms. "These two mills would mainly produce cotton yarn and new value-added products like slub yarn, high twist yarn and cotton 2/1 gassed mercerized yarn," he added.

The other two mills would concentrate on 100% polyester yarn and also polyester mixed with cotton and viscose yarns respectively. The mills are also planning to produce hosiery yarn as a value-added product. Mr Chockalingam said the yarn from the four mills would go to all the important markets in India apart from supplying to local markets in Tirupur, Somanur and Erode.

In the last 30 to 35 years, ten mills had come under the purview of NTC in the texcity. When four mills were shutdown (two sold and two under litigation), surplus workers were relieved through VRS scheme or accommodated in other running mills. Two more mills namely, Sharadha Mills and Coimbatore Spinning & Weaving Mills are to be operated under JV and the remaining four revived through modernization scheme.

Figures available from NTC show that nearly 2352 people opted for VRS scheme following closure of mills or on medical grounds. Also more than 2000 people had retired from these mills and NTC hasn’t filled up the vacancy following ban on recruitment.

Recently as one of the highlights in the Textile Ministry Agenda for 100 days, Union Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran said, the seven modernised mills under NTC in the country would be made operational. Among the seven mills, four are in Coimbatore.

Singapore largest investor in India among ASEAN nations

http://www.sindhtoday.net

New Delhi, July 12 (IANS) Singapore is the largest investor in India among the 10 ASEAN countries with its investments rising from Rs.1,416.9 crore in 2005 to Rs.15,775.9 crore in 2008, says an industry lobby report released Sunday.

Malaysia ranks second, with its investments in India going up from Rs.21.3 crore in 2005 to Rs.453.8 crore in 2008, according to the report by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

ASEAN is a geo-political and economic organisation of 10 Southeast Asian countries – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam – that was formed to accelerate economic growth, social progress, cultural development and foster peace among members.

According to FICCI, cooperation with the ASEAN block is expected to get a shot in the arm when India signs the Foreign Trade Agreement with it next month.

The FICCI analysis shows that while foreign investment inflow from Thailand actually came down from Rs.23.3 crore in 2005 to Rs.12.9 crore in 2008, inflow from Indonesia rose from Rs.4.2 crore to Rs.24.5 crore.

Inflows from Myanmar, which invested a measly Rs.23 lakh between August 1991 and December 2005, raised its stakes sharply in India with inflows shooting up to a whopping Rs.34.7 crore in 2008.

Inflows from the Philippines actually dropped from Rs.4.2 crore in 2005 to Rs.70 lakh in 2008. There was no investment from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Brunei in these two years.

During this period, the services sector accounted for about 30 percent of inflows from ASEAN – the highest.

Mekong River sand dredging to be regulated

River sand exploited and transported in the Mekong Delta (Photo: SGGP)

SAIGON
http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/

Sunday ,Jul 12,2009

The Mekong Delta City of Can Tho is to regulate sand dredging and selling, in a bid to stop exploitation where riverbanks may collapse, as well making licensed owners clearly display traffic signs and their specific areas of dredging, the city's administration has announced.

Following the Cambodian government’s ban on sand exports, hundreds of local barges have been working at full-blast on the Can Tho stretch of the Hau River (a main branch of the Mekong) to dredge sand, causing irregular water flows and inflict major environmental damage.

In addition, at least another 300 boats have been used to carry sand to foreign boats from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia or domestic construction firms.

Since early 2009, the Vietnamese government has allowed boats carrying sand from Cambodia to anchor at the Hau, which flows through Can Tho City in the Mekong Delta.

The river stretch has become a major trading post for sand with boats collecting the Cambodian sand after docking at the Can Tho and Cai Cui ports in the city.

Authorities have already given 25 licenses to 16 businesses to exploit more than 25.2 million cubic meters of sand. However, everyday hundreds of unlicensed sand dredgers and transporters, both domestic and foreign, work on this section.

In June 2009, when inspecting the Hau, Thot Not District Police and authorities made 54 reports, such as operators not having a captain’s license, overloaded ships, illegal sand dredging in nautical jets and 14 reports of exploiting sand in inappropriate areas.

Dang Huu Phuoc, head of the Office of Mineral Resource, Water and Hydrometeorology, admitted that the office cannot know the real output of sand exploitation in each area, as dredgers do not inform authorities of how much sand they take.

Estimates of dredged sand exported to foreign countries vary from 25,000 to 50,000 tons.

According to Phan Van Ho, deputy head of the Can Tho City People's Committee Secretariat, another “sensitive” issue to draw much public interest is evidence of illegal dredging disappears after unannounced inspections.

Such uncontrolled actions cause riverbanks to collapse, pollution, and sand shortage, but provide large profits to individuals without benefit to the State.

In 2008, Can Tho’s tax department collected just VND500 million (US$28,100) from sand dredging operators.

Consequently, Mr. Ho suggested that Can Tho authorities should regulate the situation as soon as possible by checking and projecting sand mines in the area, holding an auction of dredging licenses to earn more money for the city’s budget, and rejecting inexperienced and incapable dredgers.

By Nhat Chanh - Translated by Uyen Phuong

Road show to explore new land link

By PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI
THE NATION
Published on July 13, 2009

The Foreign Trade Department will lead local businesses on a roadshow to Cambodia and Vietnam next week in a bid to explore trade and investment opportunities along the new land link between the three countries.

Representatives of the Board of Trade of Thailand, the Federation of Thai Industries, the Thai Machinery Association and the Thai Chamber of Commerce in Trat province, as well as cross-border traders, will participate in the roadshow along Route No 48, or R48.

The 151.5-kilometre road to Cambodia, which extends another 300km into Vietnam, begins as an east-west corridor in Thailand, including four river-spanning bridges. Construction of the stretch linking Thailand with Cambodia was completed in June last year, at a total cost of Bt1.8 billion.

Unchana Withayathamthat, deputy director-general of the Foreign Trade Department, said the road would facilitate trade and investment growth between the countries.

"This roadshow, conducted from July 15 to 18, will pave the way for Thai enterprises to find new opportunities to increase trade and investment, in particular by securing farming and machinery-production contracts in the neighbouring countries," said Unchana.

Four Cambodian provinces with strong growth potential lie along R48: Koh Kong, Kampot, Sihanoukville (recently renamed Preah Sihanouk) and Takaew. These include six special economic zones, making them attractive for Thai investors. Unchana pointed out that potential businesses for Thai investors include contract farming for soybeans and sugarcane with local farmers; and establishing plants to produce processed seafood, garments and hydroelectric power.

Thai investors are allowed 100-per-cent ownership rights in Cambodian special economic zones. However, transportation of goods along the new route is subjected to a 5-per-cent customs tariff.

City Championship golfer fights through case of the shanks

Yuthea Hem follows his drive Saturday on the second hole at Sunset Golf Course during the second round of the Mile High Banks Men’s City Championship. Jill P. Mott/Times-Call

http://www.timescall.com/

Publish Date: 7/12/2009
By Ray Sobczyk
© 2009 Longmont Times-Call

LONGMONT — Whether it’s on the golf course or in the world of war, good fortunes always seem to follow Yuthea Hem. It’s been that way his entire life.

With all that prosperity comes adversity and new challenges.

Entering Saturday’s second round of the Mile High Banks Men’s City Championship, Hem was tied for first place in the 1st flight. He carded a 67 at Twin Peaks Golf Course on Friday.

Things couldn’t have started off any better for Hem, who is competing in his first organized golf tournament.

Then came the narrow fairways and fast greens at Sunset Golf Course on Saturday, and Hem’s chances of claiming the top prize took a big hit.

He carded four double-bogeys and eight bogeys, and finished the second round with a 15-over 87. Hem is now 16 strokes behind leader Tyrell Elcock, who shot a 71 on Saturday.

Today’s final round — for all flights — is at Ute Creek Golf Course.

“I came out and played aggressive,” said the 35-year-old Hem. “I didn’t gameplan being this bad. I resorted back to hacking.”

Brad Adams, who played in Hem’s foursome, was there to support his opponent.

“Every time he stepped into the box, it was going right,” said Adams, who shot an 81. “I said, ‘Dude, forget about that. You have to focus on positive thoughts.’”

Adams is proof of that philosophy, too.

After a double-bogey on the third hole and triple-bogey on the fourth hole on the back nine of his round, Adams did the unthinkable. With his four iron, he sank a hole-in-one from 193 yards out on the par 3 No. 5.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve played that hole — maybe 100,” Adams said. “After coming off a triple (bogey) the hole before, I forgot about that, buckled down and focused.

“It was going right at the pin. ... I yelled, ‘Go in the hole!’”

In fact, Adams said his dad, Fred, aced the same hole in 1994.

“That’s what’s fun about this,” said Adams, who is in a tie for fifth place.

Meanwhile, don’t think Hem isn’t capable of rebounding. He’s been through too much turmoil in his life to give up in any situation — even in a golf tournament.

When Hem was 5, his family fled the war zone of Cambodia for the Philippines — where his parents, two brothers and sister would stay for the next nine to 12 months.

A longtime civil war, stemming from the Vietnam War, was in full effect in Cambodia. In order to survive, Hem and his family had to escape.

“I knew where and who we were running from. I didn’t know the extent of it — obviously, not to get killed — but you don’t grasp everything at 5,” Hem said. “You just know you’re in trouble. I was just tagging along.”

From the Philippines, Hem said, his family traveled to the Bronx in New York, where they stayed for a year. And they definitely experienced culture shock.

Hem said that for the first time in his life, he watched television, ate an ice cube, walked on concrete and saw tall buildings. Plus, he finally felt safe.

“We were never exposed to anything like that,” Hem said. “If it makes the Bronx seem safe, it must have been pretty bad.”

With relatives living in Longmont, Hem and his family made the journey to Colorado. He graduated from Niwot High School and now owns Daylight Donuts on Hover Street.

At the age of 18, Hem began taking up golf because of his friends’ interest. However, he didn’t start taking the sport seriously until 2004.

Hem said he couldn’t handle losing to his friends in a casual round of 18 holes, so it was time to bring out his competitive edge.

“I started reading books and learning the little nuances of golf,” said Hem, who has taken only one golf lesson in his life. “Once you play long enough, you hit a wall and say: ‘Why don’t I just do it? Competition is fun.’”

Make no mistake, though: Hem plays to win, and his competition plans on him bringing that attitude into today’s final round.

“If you’re not feeling the adrenaline and you’re not feeling some sort of nerves, than you’re not out here to win,” Adams said. “It’s the spirit of competition.”

NOTES: Jon Chavez leads the championship flight after two rounds. He stands at 141 for the tournament. ... Clint Dudley has a four-stroke lead for first place in the senior flight. ... Brian Adams shot a 63 at Sunset, and has a 10-stroke lead in the 2nd flight. ... Glenn Miyasaki and John Zielinski are tied for first in the 3rd flight. ... Don Arnold and Johathan Nichols are even for the lead in the 4th flight.

Ray Sobczyk can be reached at rsobczyk@times-call.com.

Cambodia's New War

NewsBlaze,

http://newsblaze.com/

Published: July 12,2009
By Katrin Redfern

"Cambodia is a democracy on paper but in reality a dictatorship. Our party activists are murdered because they fight for justice-life is still cheap in Cambodia."

A new American president, many Cambodians hope, might change all that. Sochua Mu, an opposition leader and founder of the women's movement in Cambodia, recently returned to the U.S., lobbying Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to take a firmer line on democracy and human rights in her long-suffering country. "I needed to see the people in the new administration to urge them to re-assess U.S. foreign policy," says Sochua in an interview with The Daily Beast.

"Cambodia is a democracy on paper but in reality a dictatorship. Our party activists are murdered because they fight for justice-life is still cheap in Cambodia. Human trafficking, drug trafficking, land grabbing, and forced evictions are all carried out under the nose of the government."

Sochua Mu's story is uniquely Cambodian. Forced to flee for her life at 18 in the early 1970s as the Vietnam War spilled over the border, she left behind her parents, who vanished, as did one-quarter of the country's population during the Khmer Rouge's reign of terror. Sochua wound up in America, won a scholarship to the University of California at Berkeley, and worked as a counselor and translator for the Cambodian refugees who began to trickle over. She eventually became a U.S. citizen.

During the 1980s, she returned to Southeast Asia, organizing schooling for children and social services for women in the refugee camps set up by the U.N. on the border between Thailand and Cambodia. In 1989, she was finally allowed to re-enter her homeland, "a country in ruins." "I would take my young children on walks in streets where I learned to bike, where I wandered with my childhood friends, where I went to school, all the years of joy, of happiness, of deep feelings of comfort came back to me," she says. "I came back to help rebuild a nation. The war and genocide also changed my people. They have lost their sense of trust for each other; they have become hard inside and desperate for just daily survival."

Sochua started the first women's organization in Cambodia, Khemera, designed to help poor urban women earn a better living. She campaigned to include women's rights and concerns into the country's new constitution, drafted in 1993, and became involved in efforts to rescue girls caught in Cambodia's thriving sex trade. In 1998, Sochua ran for election and won a seat in parliament, taking over the women's affairs ministry, which had previously been run by men. In a country that considers women inferior, Sochua mobilized 25,000 female candidates to run for commune elections in 2002. It was a first for Cambodia, and 900 of them were elected.

She negotiated an agreement with Thailand that allowed Cambodian women trafficked as sex workers to return to their home country instead of being jailed. She pioneered the use of TV commercials to spread the word about trafficking to vulnerable populations. Her work in Cambodia also supports campaigns to end domestic violence and the spread of HIV/AIDS, as well as women's workplace conditions. In 2005, she was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her work against sex trafficking of women.

Her position in high government put her in direct conflict with Cambodia's long-ruling prime minister; Hun Sen. Rather than participate in the corruption she saw around her, Sochua Mu renounced the leadership and joined the primary opposition party in parliament. Last week, Sochua announced that she is considering legal action against the prime minister for allegedly using derogatory and threatening language against her in a speech he made last month during a visit to her parliamentary district. The speech, widely reported on Cambodian TV and other media, warned villagers not to seek help from members of the opposition party, but to approach the ruling Cambodian People's Party, and allegedly referred to Sochua using a Khmer term cheung kland-a gangster or unruly person, which has an especially insulting connation for women.

Her most frequent public disagreement with Hun Sen surrounds what she sees as a failure to prevent people in her district from suffering loss of property and livelihoods at the hands of powerful investors, often with the backing of local authorities and the military. Most Cambodians still depend on small-scale agriculture, forest exploitation, and fishing for their livelihoods but, because of the country's turbulent recent history, land ownership is generally undocumented and often contested. As a result, it is easy for the powerful to acquire land to develop. More than 150,000 Cambodians, according to Sochua, were victims of forced evictions and land-grabbing in 2007 alone. Studies have estimated that such concessions cover as much as one-third of the entire area of Cambodia.

"It is now common practice for powerful corporations and government officials to utilize armed forces to push citizens off their rightfully and legally held land," says Sochua. "These evictions are often violent, with soldiers wielding guns, tear gas and Tasers and burning houses to the ground, while citizens are beaten, maimed and arrested."

Cambodia's economy relies on three principal sources of income: tourism, agriculture, and textiles. The United States is the largest overseas market for the latter. As former U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia Joseph Mussomeli put it, "Levi Strauss or the Gap could destroy this country on a whim."

George W. Bush's policy, as Sochua saw it, focused on military and security-centered aid. According to the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. provided Cambodia $54 million last year and $700 million total since the agency opened an office in the country in 1992. Other international donors, meanwhile, have done little better in holding the Cambodian government accountable on human rights, preferring "closed-door diplomacy," as she calls it, to public criticism. "This practice has yielded next to no reforms," she says, "and donors continue to be satisfied with token actions taken by the government to give a façade to democracy and social justice."

Even that oversight is at risk. Chevron discovered oil offshore several years ago, and the Cambodian government says it hopes to begin pumping oil in 2011. The IMF estimated last year that the country could earn as much as $1.7 billion from oil within 10 years of the date that pumping begins-a big deal for this poor country, which relies on donors for half of its annual budget, but also more money that won't carry any accountability.

Some aid agencies have called for a moratorium on aid until basic governance and transparency frameworks are in place. Sochua says that won't happen until there's a new regime. "That can only happen when we have a real election that is free and fair," she says. "The West should insist on that, otherwise all the aid they have poured into Cambodia will not work".

Katrin Redfern is a writer and editor at The Indypendent in New York City.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-04-16/cambodias-new-war/full/

Comment on this story, by email comment@newsblaze.com

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How could Thai LIE to the world ? Did THAI PM feel ashame of publishing this fake video??

By Khmerization

A new website launched by the Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Saturday has caused a stir in the Cambodian local media as well as among top officials.

The website at the centre of the controversy, ilovethailand.org, claimed that parts of today's Cambodia were in fact Thai territories.

The website's claims make headlines in most major newspapers in Cambodia. Khmerization was the first site that has opened the debate on this controversial website when it received an email from Mr. Dith Nimol alerting the website's claims relating to Thai "lost territory".

Reaksmei Kampuchea newspaper picked up Khmerization's report. Then Khmer Sthapana, Deum Ampil and Khmer online website, everyday.com.kh, have all reported the Thai PM website's controversy extensively.

The major English daily, the Phnom Penh Post, reported that Cambodian officials are scurrying to investigate the claims. It quoted Mr. Phay Siphan, spokesman for Council of Ministers, as saying that "They (the Thais) are twisting the facts of history. It is completely exaggerated."

According to Phnom Penh Post, in 1794, Thailand - then known as Siam - annexed Siem Reap and Battambang provinces from the declining Khmer kingdom, but the territories were returned following a March 1907 treaty between Thailand and France.

And, according to historical records, other Khmer territories annexed by Thailand in the late 18th centuries include Kauk Khan (Sisaket), Surin, Sakeo, Nokor Reach (Korat) and many more provinces.

Beat to get louder

http://www.recordnet.com

Cultural dance program receives $10,000 corporate grant to expand

By Heather Ross
Record Staff Writer
July 12, 2009

STOCKTON - Eight young girls wrapped in red cloth and gold belts dance gracefully across the stage at the Park Village Community Center as their instructors weave among them, correcting postures and straightening costumes.

A group of curious children takes a break from a game of "steal the bacon" to watch from the floor.

The Rhythmic Quilt Dance Program, run by Stockton's Asian Pacific Self Development and Residential Association, teaches children at the Park Village Apartments traditional Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, Filipino, and Vietnamese dances.

The General Mills Foundation's Champions for Healthy Kids Program has awarded a $10,000 grant to APSARA to expand the Rhythmic Quilt program along with the health and nutrition education classes they offer as part of Park Village's after-school tutoring program.

The Champions for Healthy Kids program is a collaboration between General Mills, the American Dietetic Association and the President's Council on Physical Fitness. General Mills recognized that APSARA is an "underrepresented, high-need" group, with a unique take on physical education.

"We felt that they had a solid program and a good cultural spin with the Cambodian dance. They've really integrated culture into their program," said Adrian Jordan, program manager for General Mills.

The Park Village Apartments are resident-owned and provide housing for many low-income families and refugees of Southeast Asian descent. APSARA is Park Village's governing body, which also oversees their children's programs.

"The plan is to keep the rhythm going and keep kids interested in their culture and the music," said Vanna Prasit, assistant director of APSARA.

The Rythmic Quilt dancers are members of the Peace, Love and You multicultural arts network, which sponsors performances by Stockton-area groups that celebrate the city's ethnic diversity.

"We have several age groups that we teach Cambodian dance to. Some of them are older college students who went back to Cambodia to learn more about their culture, and they came back to teach the younger kids," said Sovanna Koeurt, director of APSARA.

Sophanary Sok is one of those students. Two years ago, she visited Cambodia, where the dance techniques she learned at APSARA were refined and corrected.

"I used to be a dancer as well, but now I'm older and it's time to pass it on," Sok said.

Sok hopes that the grant money will allow the Rhythmic Quilt group to travel, purchase new costumes and hire a more experienced dance teacher.

"We haven't performed out of the city or out of the state - only locally," Sok said.

"Maybe we can get a better instructor - someone who can tell us the history of the dances."

In addition to expanding the dance program, the grant money will help to promote chronic disease prevention among the families of Park Village through health and nutrition education for children.

Park Village's existing after-school tutoring program will be augmented by having participants split into two groups for part of each afternoon. The groups will rotate between tutoring and a healthy living class, taught by a registered dietician. APSARA hopes to have this program implemented by the start of the new school year in August.

Contact reporter Heather Ross at (209) 943-8576 or at hross@recordnet.com.

American Experts Praise the Khmer Rouge Tribunal while It Is Notorious for Corruption – Saturday, 11.7.2009

Posted on 12 July 2009
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 620
http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com/

“Despite allegations that there is corruption in the structure of court officials, hearing former Khmer Rouge leaders from the Cambodian side, two experts from the United States of America said that this court offers many positive points to establish a model for the judicial system of Cambodia, which is now seen as having no independence and no integrity.

“These experts said that the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Cambodia will become a model for the creation of other tribunals around the world to seek justice for victims suffering from similar crimes.

“Mr. Gregory H. Stanton, is the founder and director of Genocide Watch, the president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, the founder (1981) and director of the Cambodian Genocide Project at the Yale University of the USA, and the founder (1999) and chair of the International Campaign to End Genocide, and in 1999 [when he worked at the US Department of State] he drafted many resolutions for the United Nations to create the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

“Mr. Gregory H. Stanton told a foreign radio station in the USA that at present, the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Cambodia can be taken as a model for other tribunals, as it is a court that uses local law as the basis to charge the accused, and local procedures are the basis of this court, modified by international procedures.

“Mr. Gregory H. Stanton said, ‘This tribunal has influence beyond its limits; that means that participating judges will bring their experiences for future use. Therefore, I think it is a model for other tribunals. A problem of the other international courts is that they do not leave a heritage, but as for this mixed court, it will leave a heritage in the country.’

“Another expert said that the model of arrangements for this tribunal is really as positive as mentioned by Mr. Gregory H. Stanton. He added that this model was implemented after international hearings from around the world, and they have experience in international legal systems.

“That expert went on to say that the person who initiated to form this hybrid tribunal to be started in Cambodia can offer this model also for other places.

“These international experts expressed such praise, while the hearings of the former Tuol Sleng, or S21 Prison chief Duch continue, where victims of that regime recount the savage activities of Duch.

“Also, the director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, Mr. Chhang Youk, expressed an opinion similar to the two experts above. He said that the Cambodian-international hybrid court has four special and important characteristics: first, it involves participation by citizens, because it is established within the country. Second, it consumes less expenses compared to the international courts in The Hague, but it can lead to the same justice just as at that court. Third, it is created within the country, facilitating the arrests of the accused. Fourth, it eases the use of evidence, which can be found almost everywhere around the country, without the need to transport it to other countries.

“He added that, moreover, this court is a model for the judicial system in Cambodia. Mr. Chhang Youk said, ‘This court is special and essential, as it serves as a basis for countries that suffered from genocide, to achieve reconciliation by teaching students and resulting in discussions about the freedom of expression. This court provides functions at a higher standard of justice that the courts at present can achieve. Thus, this court shows that Cambodia can move ahead and has an existing model, materials, and recourses, that can be used.’

“He added that these characteristics overcome the present deficiencies and it helps to build a state of law for Cambodia’s future.

“Also, a judge of the Cambodian Supreme Court, experienced in the judicial system in Cambodia, Mr. Mong Chakriya, hopes that the Khmer Rouge Tribunal will provide many benefits – beyond offering justice for the victims of the worst regime that existed, the regime of ‘Democratic Kampuchea,’ but also creating a model for the judicial system of Cambodia.

“The Khmer Rouge Tribunal, which suffers from corruption allegations and a lack of funds, is praised by two US experts and the keeper of documentation for the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, as having many positives points, useful for the creation of courts to try criminals in other countries.”

Khmer Machas Srok, Vol.3, #444, 11.7.2009
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Saturday, 11 July 2009

Thailand urges Fiji to arrest former PM Thaksin

People's Daily Online

July 12, 2009

Thailand has requested the Fijian government to temporarily arrest ousted former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra after learning he is now in the South Pacific island country, according to Thai News Agency report on Saturday.

Office of the Attorney-General's international affairs department had communicated with the Fijian government through Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry earlier this week, requesting the Fijian side to temporarily apprehend Thaksin, said Sirisak Tiyapan, executive director of the department.

Thaksin was ousted by the military coup in September 2006 in accusation of corruption, and kept in exile since then. Thaksin returned to Thailand in February 2008 to face corruption charges, but he later fled into exile again and was convicted in absentia.

The Dubai-based former premier was reportedly to have visited the South Pacific nation, seeking asylum in the country. However, Thaksin denied the reports.

Thailand has no extradition treaty with Fiji. Consequently the possible application of an extradition request depends on the voluntary cooperation given by that country, Sirisak said.

Source: Xinhua

Cambodians may get floating toilets

http://www.timesoftheinternet.com

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, July 11 (UPI)

Cambodia's high infant and child mortality rate can be fought by improving hygiene in river communities, a resource development charity said Saturday.

Lien Aid, a Singapore-based non-governmental organization, is developing a toilet that can be used in river communities where homes are constructed on floating platforms and moved seasonally.

Currently, residents use the river rather than latrines, Resource Development International - Cambodia told the IRIN news agency. This practice contributes to many deaths from waterborne diseases, a Resource Development spokesman said.

Waterborne diseases account for 74 percent of all deaths in the country, the organization said.

Lien Aid says its "River of Life" project works to prevent waterborne illness. Their designers are working on a toilet built on a floating platform and attached to river homes. The toilet is still being tested, Sahari Ani, the head of Lien Aid, said.

The prototype separates urine from feces and allows dry soil, ash or wood chips to be added to the feces to reduce odor and pathogens. A secondary storage chamber completes decomposition and pathogen destruction.

Thailand wants to bolster co-operation with Vietnam

Nhan Dan
http://www.nhandan.com.vn/

July 12, 2009

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva affirmed his wish to bolster co-operation with Vietnam in economy, security, education, transport and agriculture.

The Thai leader made the affirmation while answering questions from the host country’s media in Hanoi on July 10.

The PM said that in terms of education, the two countries would boost the exchange of students and the teaching of the Thai and Vietnamese languages. In transport, they would focus on developing a network to link them through Laos and Cambodia.

Congratulating Vietnam for its socio-economic achievements in recent years, Abhisit Vejjajiva said that not only Thailand, but also the world, could see Vietnam’s potential.

Vietnam was even able to make marked economic progress despite the global crisis, he emphasised.

Thai investors are paying close attention to Vietnam and seeking investment opportunities in the potential market, he said.

About co-operation in ASEAN, PM Abhisit Vejjajiva wants the two countries to continue to work together to build a strong ASEAN community and boost the effectiveness of co-operation in the Mekong sub-region and on the East-West corridor, among other areas.

He said that the two countries and others in the Mekong region needed a shared understanding of how best to use and protect the river for the benefit of all countries involved and for the common sustainable development in the area.

PM Abhisit Vejjajiva stated that Thailand will transfer know-how and share experiences as it lends its support to Vietnam in assuming the ASEAN presidency in 2010.

On rice export co-operation, he said, as the world’s leading rice exporters, the two countries should tighten co-operation to help each other and take the initiative in solving problems.

Food plays an important role in ensuring social welfare throughout the region, so co-operation is necessary to build rice reserves between the two countries, he added.

(VNA)

Special Report: SE Asian countries share water worries

The Jakarta Post
http://www.thejakartapost.com

Sat, 07/11/2009

Singapore hosted the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) for the second time, June 28 to July 2. With the theme "Sustainable Cities -Infrastructure and Technologies for Water", the event invited various groups interested in achieving water sustainability, including municipal leaders and businesspeople. The event comprised of an expo, leaders' summit, conventions and business forums. To promote the event in Indonesia, the event committee invited The Jakarta Post's Triwik Kurniasari. This is what she learned.

Many problems persist in providing potable water in most country's in the Asia-Pacific region, as the development of water sources is not keeping pace with population growth and projected demand.

Strong economic growth in the region and population pressures, compounded by increased urbanization, have led to a sharp rise in the use of treated water. Pollution and climate change meanwhile pose ever present threats to the precious resource.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) reported that in 2004, 635 million people in the Asia-Pacific region did not have access to safe drinking water. These are some of the 1.86 billion people that currently do not have access to adequate sanitation.

The huge number of slum areas in the region complicates the problem.

According to the ADB's latest data, the Asia-Pacific region has 554 million slum dwellers: 64 percent of the global total. At least 40 percent of these people also lack access to piped water or sanitation services.

"This demographic requires investment and infrastructure and service deliverance in resource management," said Anthony Jude, director of energy and water division of ADB's Southeast Asia Department.

"From a regional perspective, I can tell you that urban and rural water supply and sanitation are priority areas for the ADB in Southeast Asia."

The forum was attended by delegations from a number of Southeast Asian nations including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia and the Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR).

In Indonesia, the ADB works hand-in-hand with the government to develop metropolitan sanitation infrastructure and projects that will improve public health, reduce pollution and better the lives of the people. They also work to improve wastewater collection, sanitation services and treatment and solid waste management.

Mayor of Palembang Eddy Santana Putra, who represented Indonesia at the forum, said the capital of South Sumatra lacks the technical assistance and technology needed to improve water services.

"We currently provide 85 percent of our residents with clean water, but we need more trained experts to improve our water management," he said, adding that the administration hopes to increase supply to 95 percent of residents by 2012.

He said that during the SIWW, members of the Palembang administration received training from Singapore's Public Utilities Board on how to control water revenue and detect leaks.

The administration, Eddy said, is in the process of installing new water pipes to expand capacity and reach new areas.

"Although we have plenty of water, we are encouraging people to save more water, consume it wisely and efficiently, and keep water resources *rivers* clean, because we might face water scarcity in the next five or 10 years. We will never know," he said.

He said that he aimed to lessen the rate of water consumption, which stands at 200 liters per person, per day.

Meanwhile, sewage and sanitation systems remain a major problem, with septic tanks being the predominant method of waste management in Palembang.

"Palembang and other big cities in Indonesia, including Jakarta, are behind in sewage systems," said Eddy. "We should learn from other countries about how to manage the wastewater and treat it properly."

Cambodia, which has an area of more than 181,000 square kilometers, also struggles to supply water to its 13 million citizens.

Ek Son Chan, general director of the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority, said that as of 2005, 68 percent of Cambodia's urban population and 30 percent of its rural population had access to clean water.

"We have set a target of increasing the number to 74 percent in urban areas and 40 percent in rural areas by 2010," he said.

In a bid to achieve this goal, the Cambodian government has set aside US$70.4 million to achieve a production capacity of 10,000 cubic meters per day and lay 195 kilometers of pipes by the end of this year.

"In 2015, we will undergo the second project with a production capacity of 130,000 cubic meter per day and 195 kilometers of distribution networks," Ek said.

The Lao PDR is meanwhile aiming to provide clean water to its 5.8 million people.

As of 2008, Sommad Pholsena, the Minister of Communications, Transportation, Post and Construction, said the country supplied more than 83 million cubic meters of clean water to serve 825,500 citizens, or nearly 140,000 households in 54 towns and villages.

The country, he said, has 61 water treatment plants. In urban areas, 51 percent of the population is served.

"We target to increase the availability of safe and piped water to 80 percent of the urban population by 2020," Sommad said.

He said that the Lao government had plans to expand services, with a focus on poor areas, in cities across the country, including the capital of Vientiane, secondary towns like Pakse, Kaysone, Thakhek and Luangprabang, as well as small towns that do not have piped water.

Brunei Darussalam, which supplies safe, potable water to 100 percent of its 385,000 citizens, is nonetheless also building infrastructure including dams, treatment plants, reservoirs, pipe mains and storm drains and improving technology to cater for growing demand.

The ADB is working to assist governments in the Asia-Pacific region to provide clean water through the Water Financing Program 2006-2010, which is expected to provide more than 95.5 million people access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation.

ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda encouraged governments in Asia and the Pacific to continue to invest in water infrastructure in spite of the economic crisis lest they face fundamental threats to economic growth and social development.

Kuroda said economic recessions could present opportunities, noting that a shortage of public funding for water sector infrastructure could be filled by the private sector.

Woman Hears Call, Responds, Raises More Than $2,600 For The ‘Silent'

http://www.tylerpaper.com

By PATRICK BUTLER
Religion Editor

The saga of how area kindergarteners raised $680 to assist children sold into slavery in another country is a story worth telling repeatedly as an encouragement to those wanting to "do something," said an area children's minister.

Missy Zivney, children's minister at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, helped raise more than $2,600 in July for the locally based nonprofit For The Silent.

The story starts in January, when Missy Zivney, a mother of four, went to see the child sex-slave traffic rockumentary "Call + Response." The depiction of abused children "gripped my heart," she said. She left the Times Square Cinema, which showed the film in cooperation with local churches, feeling bewildered and almost paralyzed.

"The problem of sex trafficking children is so pervasive and so overwhelming, you can get paralysis from the analysis," said the Whitehouse mother of four. "It's a temptation to just want to shut it out, and have it be 'out of sight, out of mind.' For awhile, I was wondering what one person could even do."

But not for long. During a benefit concert in May at Rose Heights Church with Paul Balouche, she heard more about For The Silent, a local nonprofit featured in the Tyler Morning Telegraph during the sold-out "Call + Response" showings. For The Silent founders Kenny and Julie Rigsby, 27 and 25, respectively, said their effort focuses on poverty stricken Cambodian children sold into slavery. The children have few or no advocates and almost no resources to help them escape a dismal life of servitude in seedy brothels.

"At the concert, I heard Kenny speak about this horrible and heinous crime on their bodies that these kids experience, and it gripped my heart all over again," Mrs. Zivney said. "After the concert was over, I saw all these For The Silent donation envelopes on the floor and in the pews. I sent two of my children to gather them all up, and I said, 'Lord, I'm going use these somehow.'"

She wasn't sure just how until a meeting at Pleasant Hill weeks later to form a church day camp for her young charges.

"That's when it hit me like a lightening bolt," Mrs. Zivney said. "We would structure our whole day camp around For The Silent. I didn't want to just have a fun day camp where the focus is just having a good time. I wanted to issue a challenge to get them to go out and do something, something with a meaningful basis, something to do with ministry."

Getting some church teens to help with the approximately 160 kids from dindergarten to sixth grade who came to camp each day June 29 through July 3, Mrs. Zivney set up a crafts fair. The children made and painted birdhouses, rocks, paperweights, picture holders and colorful tiles to be used as trivets in kitchens.

Then they sold them from 50 cents to $ 1.

"I'm telling you," Mrs. Zivney said, "the response was overwhelming. Parents sent in $20 $50 and $100 checks for a $1 item. They got so excited and behind this ministry that the kindergarten-age camp class alone raised $680."

The grand total from the entire camp was $2,600. When Kenny Rigsby heard the total raised, he was momentarily speechless.

"It's completely incredible to see kids helping other kids going through some of the worst things imaginable," he said, "and area kids having a positive impact on children they'll never know or see. It's always cool to see young kids caring about what God cares about."

The money will go toward purchasing a vehicle for a Cambodian After Care ministry that desperately needs a vehicle to transport children rescued from the slave trade, Rigsby said.

"That's hugely important in Cambodia," he said, "because vehicles cost so much there and there is little money to buy them. The center needs safe transportation for the children to go to school, visit the doctor and to see their families. We take transportation for granted here, but there it makes a tremendous difference."

And making a difference is what the children of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church did for some children in Cambodia.

Rigsby said, "What Missy did is what we always ask people; do what they already know how to do to make a difference in the lives of these children. She used her camp and influence to extend her reach into families. She did Day Camp For The Silent and look at the result."

Mrs. Zivney said, "Our kids got T-shirts that read, 'Go Win With Jesus For The Silent.' What better way to minister to those children in need than through our children?"

Donations of about $10,000 are still needed to purchase the vehicle for the After Care ministry. To donate online, visit www.forthesilent.com, or send donations to For The Silent, P.O. Box 998, Tyler, 75710. Call 903-530-4931 for information.