Anti-Thai protests blocked

Photo by: TRACEY SHELTON
Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan (left) and union leader Rong Chhun (right) speak at separate press events Wednesday.

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Meas Sokchea

City Hall halts demonstration marking one-year anniversary of Thai troops' border incursion near Preah Vihear temple.

MUNICIPAL authorities prevented about 150 members of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions (CCU) from holding a demonstration in front of the old National Assembly building on Wednesday to mark the one-year anniversary of Thai troops crossing the border near Preah Vihear temple, CCU members said.

Instead, CCU leaders held a press conference at their office, during which they aired their grievances about the Thai government's handling of the Preah Vihear issue as well as the Cambodian government's decision to halt their demonstration plans.

"We express today as a day against Siam's invasion of our Cambodia," CCU President Rong Chhun said during the press conference, adding that the group's attempt to mark the anniversary would have been a show of nationalism that would have encouraged the Thai government to acknowledge the 1962 World Court ruling that stated that Preah Vihear temple belonged to Cambodia.

Chea Mony, president of the Free Trade Union, said his entire group became frustrated when it was barred from demonstrating in front of the old National Assembly building.

"This is not an issue that belongs to an individual. This is a national issue," he said.

City Hall on Wednesday sent a letter, signed by Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema, to the CCU informing it that its plans to stage a public protest against Thailand's military actions along the border near Preah Vihear temple had not been approved.

The letter did not offer any explanation as to why the protest would not be permitted.

Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said Thursday that the government did not want the demonstrators to wreak havoc on traffic in the capital, adding that the intention was not for the government to prevent members of the CCU from expressing their opinions.

"I just don't want them protesting in roads because it is not civilised," he said.

At a separate press conference Wednesday, Phay Siphan said that Cambodia had enough troops to defend itself should Thailand decide to enter Cambodian territory, though he said the military's policy was to avoid using force unless it was deemed absolutely necessary.

Phay Siphan said the international community supported Cambodia in the Preah Vihear dispute, which has erupted in violence several times since UNESCO approved Cambodia's application to list the temple as a World Heritage site last July.

He said some of Thailand's actions with regard to the temple were attempts to stoke nationalist fervor within Thailand.

"If Thailand continues to use the issue ... for political reasons ... then it will lose support from the international community," he said.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY VONG SOKHENG

Families suffering with mentally disabled kids

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Christopher Shay And Khuon Leakhana

But experts say they believe there is consensus that more action should be taken with this group.

FAMILIES dealing with intellectually disabled children often face rampant discrimination and crushing emotional burdens, according to Cambodia's first report on the subject, released on Wednesday.

Despite the challenges, government officials and NGOs say Cambodia is moving towards better and more inclusive treatment of what one expert described as Cambodia's most vulnerable population.

In a country where an estimated 36 percent of people live on less than US$0.63 a day, a child with an intellectual disability can cut family income in half because at least one family member may have to stay home with the child, according to the report, titled "Toward a Cooperative Approach: A Study on the Situation of Children with Intellectual Disabilities".

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Parents who have [a child with an intellectual disability] tend to be hopeless.
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"Parents who have this kind of child tend to be hopeless," Kong Vichetra, executive director of the Komar Pikar Foundation, a foundation for children with intellectual disabilities, said in an interview. "They have to look after the disabled children who cannot be left alone."

Kong Vichetra said he believed people with intellectual disabilities to be "the most vulnerable in Cambodia".

Because programmes that target children with intellectual disabilities require highly individualised care and are unable to reach large populations, donors have largely overlooked these children.

That trend has pushed "individuals with intellectual disabilities to the margins of NGO activity in Cambodia", the report claims.

Cristina Togni, who has worked with mentally disabled Cambodians for a decade, said she has seen some improvement, but that overall awareness remains low.

Compared to 10 years ago, when the concept of an intellectual disability was largely unknown, people can now recognise when a family member is affected by an intellectual disability, she said.

But Plong Chhaya, a child protection officer at UNICEF, said many Cambodians still believe people acquire an intellectual disability because "they did something bad in a past life".

According to the report, the next few years will be critical in the effort to improve the plight of people with intellectual disabilities.

As today's children with disabilities grow up and their parents die, they will require substantial care, putting a heavy financial strain on NGOs and the government, the report states.

But with last week's signing of the national disability law by King Sihahomi, many experts said they believed Cambodia was headed in the right direction.

"The law could pave the way to improving the participation of persons with intellectual disabilities in exercising their rights," Plong Chhaya said.

Jennifer Carter, author of the report and a researcher at the Swiss NGO Hagar, told the Post that the ratification of the disability law - along with the participation of three separate ministries at the workshop - showed that there was a general consensus that action was needed.

"We're all on the same team," she said.

Duch begs deputy to tell the truth

Photo by: AFP
Tuol Sleng prison chief Kaing Guek Eav testifies at the Khmer Rouge tribunal earlier this week.

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Cheang Sokha

In his last day of testimony, former S-21 deputy Mam Nai denies playing down his role at Tuol Sleng.

FORMER Tuol Sleng prison chief Kaing Guek Eav begged his former deputy to tell the truth to judges at Cambodia's war crimes court Wednesday, after the deputy denied that he had downplayed his role at the torture facility earlier in the week.

Mam Nai, 76, admitted to the court that he felt regret for "some" innocent people who died at Tuol Sleng, but he said there were fewer innocent people than guilty people among the victims.

"I feel regretful for those small groups of good people who died. But I have never felt regret for those less-good people who died at S-21," Mam Nai said.

"I have been very remorseful because even my brothers, relatives, my wife and children died or suffered from the regime. I think it was a chaotic situation."

The former deputy, brought in as a key witness in his former boss's trial, wept from the dock as Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, demanded that he be honest about what happened at the prison.

"Now we are before history. You cannot use the basket to cover the dead elephant," Duch told Mam Nai.

"I think since I am ready to accept or be accountable for the crimes I have committed, I would want you to do the same. Please don't be afraid to die; just tell the truth."

Prosecutors confronted the witness on Wednesday with his own prison logbook, which contained numerous references to torture. But Mam Nai denied any knowledge that inmates were abused.

"Personally, I was never instructed on how torture was used," said Mam Nai. "And I have no idea what other kinds of practices were applied."

When prosecutor William Smith asked whether he was seeking to block from his mind the "horrible criminality" of his past actions, Mam Nai answered: "I have never had such [an] idea. I am testifying based on the activities I have done."

Former S-21 guard Him Huy was also brought in to testify Wednesday, but the court adjourned to allow him to consult with his lawyer over the issue of self-incrimination.

Court invites Pol Pot's brother
Around 100 villagers from Stung Sen district in Kampong Thom province, where Pol Pot was born, have been invited to attend the court on Thursday, including Pol Pot's brother, Salot Nhep, court spokesperson Reach Sambath said Wednesday.

"We have found Pol Pot's brother, Salot Nhep, 84, living there, and we want to invite him to attend the hearing," Reach Sambath said.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AFP

Voluntary sex work on the rise: UN report

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Katrin Redfern

THE FINANCIAL crisis has prompted more women to enter the sex trade voluntarily in response to unemployment, declining wages or rising debts, according to a survey released Monday by the UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP).

The survey, which yielded "indications of an increase in women and girls entering the entertainment sector during the timeframe of the financial crisis", drew from interviews with 357 Phnom Penh sex workers working in brothels, massage parlours and karaoke bars.

The majority of women surveyed said they were not tricked or deceived into joining the sex trade but rather had done so to support their families.

"It was nice to see that the numbers being deceived since the financial crisis is actually quite small, about 3 percent overall," said Lisa Rende Taylor, chief technical specialist at UNIAP. "We found they're going into these jobs on their own or through the assistance of a family member or friend."

New daycare centre opens for Prey Sar prison children

Photo by: Heng Chivoan
The daughter of a Prey Sar inmate inspects clothes being mended by prisoners there. A new daycare centre opened at the prison this month for the children who live there.

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Mom kunthear

Centre to provide food and education for nine of 18 children, all under 6 years old, growing up behind bars with their mothers.

PREY Sar prison opened a daycare centre this month for children whose mothers are detained there, the prison's chief told the Post on Monday.

Chat Sineang said there are 18 children currently incarcerated with their mothers at the prison, nine of whom will be cared for at the new centre.

"They are sent to the daycare centre in the morning and sent back to the prison in the evening," he said.

"Our caregivers take care of their health, give them food and provide education," he said.

Most of the children, all under 6 years old, have no choice but to stay at the prison because they have no other relatives willing to take them in.

"I am happy that all of those children now have a good place to stay, enough food to eat and education just like other children," Chat Sineang said. "We are waiting to get more funding from other organisations for the centre."

There are currently at least 50 children aged 6 and under living in prison with their mothers in Cambodia, according to the rights group Licadho, which tracks prison populations in 18 of the Kingdom's 26 prisons.

Before the construction of the daycare centre, children at Prey Sar would spend the entire day with their mothers.

Chat Sineang said some mothers were afraid to leave their children at the daycare centre because they feared they could become victims of human trafficking.

Chheav Hourlay, a prison researcher for Licadho, said this made it important for the daycare centre - where children can get experience interacting with other children and adults - to be close to the prison itself.

"We did not want to build a daycare centre far from the prison because then we would separate children from their mothers," Chheav Hourlay said.

Groups such as Licadho have attempted to reach out to the children at Prey Sar - most recently by bringing them gifts and hiring comedians to perform for them on International Children's Day in May.

But no comprehensive support system has yet been established for children who leave Cambodia's prisons, which they are required to do when they turn 6.

Authors of report on dolphins will not face charges, official says

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
SAM RITH

Chief of Cambodia's Commision to Conserve Mekong River Dolphins had earlier said group could be charged for report that was 'all lies'.

A GOVERNMENT official said Wednesday he had decided to forgive the conservation group WWF for publishing what he has described as a false report on the Mekong River Irrawaddy dolphin population, backing off earlier threats to pursue false-information charges but adding that future reports would require advanced discussion before publication.

Touch Seang Tana, chairman of Cambodia's Commission to Conserve Mekong River Dolphins and Develop Eco-Tourism, said Wednesday that he reached his decision after consulting with Nao Thouk, director of the Fisheries Administration at the Ministry of Agriculture.

The report, released last month, said that environmental contaminants in the Mekong River had contributed to the deaths of 88 Irrawaddy dolphins since 2003, some 60 percent of which had been calves under two weeks old that succumbed to a bacterial disease.

Touch Seang Tana immediately lashed out at the report, calling it "all lies" and suggesting that WWF was reluctant to discuss its findings with officials.

He said Wednesday that documents sent last week to his office by WWF did not sufficiently explain the findings in the report, which he said his office had "rejected".

Nevertheless, he said he would not go forward with false-information charges, nor would he make any attempt to prevent WWF from continuing its work in Cambodia.

"I will make an effort to coordinate to have WWF to continue working in Cambodia," he said. "But in the future we will not allow them to publicise reports without prior discussion with us."

WWF voices relief
WWF Country Director Teak Seng said Wednesday that the government's decision was a good one, adding that it could ultimately help efforts to conserve the dolphins.

"This is a positive response," he said. "It is a good sign in working together to conserve dolphins."

Building on the shoulders of a giant

Photo by: Courtesy of the national archives of Cambodia
The Vann Molyvann-designed VIP Pavilion, since demolished, at Siem Reap's old domestic airport. Few examples of the influential Cambodian architect’s work remain in Siem Reap.

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Peter Olszewski

New hotel claims to be design of Vann Molyvann, but details of the project remain obscure.

THE building under construction on Siem Reap's hectic hotel row is seemingly insignificant; just the featureless concrete shell and bristling bamboo scaffolding of yet another hotel in the making. But a sign outside the construction of what will become the Sokhalay Angkor Hotel, owned by Youvak Peanich Co Ltd, has created a buzz in architectural circles because listed as architect is none other than the iconic Vann Molyvann, recognised as Cambodia's most remarkable modern architect and engineer of an enlightened national social development policy that was planned for the Kingdom during the 1955-1970 Sangkum Reastr Niyum or "Golden Age" regime under guidance of Norodom Sihanouk.

This, of course, all fell apart when General Lon Nol staged a brutal coup d'etat, and Vann Molyvann rapidly exited the country, returning only in 1991.

Molyvann turns 83 in November and it was widely assumed that he'd packed up his Alvin architect's scale and his pencils and given the game away, but lo and behold, here on Siem Reap's infamous hotel row, unheralded, unfolds the latest creation of the master.

Or so it would seem. Except that nobody is officially talking about the project. Emails to Vann Molyvann about the project remain unanswered, phone calls to the number listed for the owner elicit only abuse from the unidentified man who answers the phone, and enquiries at the site elicit only abuse from a worker who petulantly points out that the project is undermanned and delayed due to lack of capital.

Photo by: Peter Olszewski
Darryl Collins, co-author with Helen Grant Ross of Building Cambodia.

One of Cambodia's leading architectural experts, Siem Reap-based Darryl Collins, co-author with Helen Grant Ross of the 2006-published book Building Cambodia: 'New Khmer Architecture' 1953-1970, is obviously intrigued but lacks details about the putative Molyvann project.

"I did a double take when I saw the name Vann Molyvann on the sign," Collins told the Post. "It did surprise me because I had no idea that he was working on a new project on Airport Road. But the building has never really jumped ahead, and I know nothing of the project."

Diminished legacy
The desultory air of neglect that envelops the building is redolent of the almost-tragic legacy that Vann Molyvann has in Siem Reap, where nothing remains of his work apart from scant-recorded memory and a virtually unknown private residence tucked away in a little-visited rutted riverside road on the edge of town, close to a rubbish recycling plant.

The modest concrete and brick residence consists of two parts, sits on one piece of land, and is reminiscent of the 1960s contribution to Khmer architecture that that is Moylvann's mark.

Part of the residence is tenanted by a wealthy businessman. The other part, used as a sort of weekender by the Molyvanns in the family's better times, now sits largely vacant behind a screen of trees, hidden from prying eyes in a quest for privacy.

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I DID A DOUBLE TAKE WHEN I SAW THE NAME VANN MOLYVANN ON THE SIGN.
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This home is believed to have been built relatively recently, around the turn of this century before Molyvann was ousted in 2001 from the Apsara Authority, which he helped found in 1995, when he was appointed president and executive director.

Photo by: Peter Olszewski
A secluded retreat in Siem Reap, one of the few remaining examples of Vann Molyvann’s work in Cambodia’s second city.

Other buildings that bore Molyvann's mark in Siem Reap have been rendered to dust and ruins.

Darryl Collins agrees that Molyvann's Siem Reap legacy is sparse. He said, "Compared with the number of buildings in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap didn't fare as well. But this may be explained because many of Vann Molyvann's commissioned buildings in Phnom Penh were for state functions, and so they were big and they were commissioned obviously by Norodom Sihanouk in the main.

"But there was no doubt there was another part of Vann Molyvann, and that was to extend development right through Cambodia. There were a smaller number of projects in Siem Reap maybe related to the fact that it was a tourist venue."

'Mutilated' masterpiece
Vann Molyvann's most significant Siem Reap structure came to a sorry end: initially "mutilated" as Collins puts it, then destroyed "about a year or two ago".

This was the VIP Pavilion, built at the former Siem Reap domestic airport in 1963 to receive the stream of international heads of state and luminaries such as Jackie Onassis, who visited Angkor Wat in the 1960s.

It was a beautiful and striking building, said to have been inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, with a jutting V-shape inspired by the notion of flight, and a soaring, almost spiritual entrance that was glass-encased from floor to roof.

According to Collins, "It was there until fairly recently and only demolished maybe one or two years ago. It no longer looked like it originally did. I guess you could say it had been mutilated. The glass frontage was destroyed and virtually cemented up. The building lost all semblance of its original appearance."

It's interesting that Vann Molyvann is now named as architect of the under-construction Sokhalay Angkor Hotel because another hotel that bore his name as architectural adviser, but was designed by French architect Claud Bach, ended up as one of the great disasters of Siem Reap's recent tourism history.

This was the Angkor Hotel, partially financed by Air France. Construction started in 1968, but it wasn't completed until 1973, when the Kingdom was in chaos.

The Angkor Hotel was also mired in controversy because of its location, just to the left of the steps leading to the front of Angkor Wat, near where vendors stalls now stand. This was considered by many detractors as being inappropriate.

And although the hotel was completed, not one tourist set foot in the place because it was never opened to the public.

"It stood there completely devoid of tourists because when it was finished Lon Nol was in charge of the country and Siem Reap was a no-go zone," Darryl Collins said, "Severe fighting was taking place in Siem Reap, and Claude Bach's assistant had to be evacuated from the site. After suffering damage, what was left of the hotel was dismantled by local people seeking building materials for their own houses. A few traces of the foundation are still visible."

Possibly one of the great tragedies in Siem Reap's recent history is that Molyvann found himself out of favour with the powers that be at the turn of the century and was never able to achieve the master plan he'd envisaged for the city.

He was originally commissioned to create a town plan for Siem Reap during his time in charge of the Apsara Authority, but he was fired in 2001 when he refused to bow to the pressure of developers and a government eager for hotels and became involved in a dispute over building codes for Siem Reap.

Photo by: Peter Olszewski
A sign advertises the 'forthcoming' Sokhalay Angkor Hotel in Siem Reap, which claims to be designed by Vann Molyvann.

Molyvann's master plan
In late 2007, journalist Ron Gluckman interviewed Vann Molyvann, who told him that Siem Reap could have resembled Kyoto or Nara, well-preserved ancient cities in Japan.

In a subsequent article in the March 2008 edition of Urban Land Institute magazine, Gluckman wrote, "Vann shows off his old master plan, brilliant in simplicity and logic. The central core of the town would remain much as in the Angkor era. Development would take place in a nearby area, separated neatly from the old city by a moat."

Another ill-fated project was Vann Molyvann's proposal for a museum in Siem Reap for which he drew up plans about eight or nine years ago.

That museum was never constructed, and instead the much-criticised so-called Angkor National Museum with its odd birthday-cake-decoration-style architecture was foisted on the city.

But Vann Molyvann's biggest contribution to Siem Reap was not a structure as such, although it was closely related to the country's most famous structure, Angkor Wat. And, oddly enough, a contemporary commercial adaptation of his original lighting venture for the temple is now also mired in controversy.

During 1958 to 1966, Vann Molyvann designed and was responsible for organising light and sound and dance performances for state visitors to the temple.

These were lavish, heady affairs hosted by the then-head of state of Cambodia, Prince Norodum Sihanouk, attended by some of the great international leaders of the time such as Indonesia's President Sukarno, and National Geographic featured a photo of an illuminated Angkor Wat during this period.

That photo, plus a handful of architectural drawings are the only permanent legacy of Vann Molyvann's public contribution to Siem Reap. His private contribution, his modest home, does still stand, but is certainly not on the tourist map, and it seems unlikely that the Sokhalay Angkor Hotel, when and if construction is finished, will ever be regarded as a Vann Molyvann tour de force.

Tragic fashions to be remedied

Photo by: Peter Olszewski
An example of the offending ball gown style favoured by many young Cambodian women

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Peter Olszewski

SIEM Reap's trendy clothes designer Elizabeth Kiester rolls her eyes in mock horror as she enunciates, "Those dresses are a time warp."

She's referring to the strange candy-coloured confections that perhaps could loosely be described in a Western context as ball gowns, the dresses that bedeck the gals who gather misty-eyed at weddings, or appear in the many, many karaoke videos featured on local TV.

"I'm convinced those dresses are inspired by a lot of old outdated TV shows," says Kiester, who is also the proprietor of Wanderlust clothes store.

"I think the young Khmer women get the designer feel from those programmes, not realising that they were filmed 20 years ago."

Secretly, Kiester would love to liberate the Khmer gals from their fashion hell, but she knows it's not going to happen overnight.

"But look, I'm willing to help them cut some of those sleeves off to make the dresses a little more interesting."

Actually, with a little help from her friends at the new American NGO, the Coalition for Financial Independence (CFI), she is already making some headway.

"Those horrible ball gowns are often made from Ikat silk, and while I can't help them with those dresses, I can help them make the prints that are on those dresses a little more not-so-dated, and from a more global design perspective," she said.

"I am working on a project with CFI ... in Takeo where the women weave and work in ikat. I'm trying to help them to be a little bit more modern in their colour palettes and sensibility."

A new style of ikat material, a blend of cotton and silk, has already been produced as part of the project.

CFI's executive director, Pierre Mainguy, recently travelled with Kiester to New York to show people in the design and interior design industries what is being done with modern ikat, and the feedback has been positive.

Fibre-optic cable links region's data networks

Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN
Telecom Cambodia Director General Lao Sarouen speaks at Wednesday’s inauguration.

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
HOR HAB

Laos connection completes first phase of infrastructure project to allow regional telecoms to provide next-generation services.

THE initial three-year phase of a huge IT project to build a telecoms network linking Cambodia with the region was completed when the fibre-optic cable to Laos was officially inaugurated on Wednesday. The laying of the cable was finalised last month.

Lao Saroeun, the director general of Telecom Cambodia (TC), the government telephone company, said more access points would be built along the new line, which has a transmission speed of 620 megabits per second.

Lao Saroeun said the completed line links the six countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) - Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand - and that the fibre-optic network now covers two-thirds of Cambodia.

"Telecom Cambodia hopes to continue developing other high-speed information links, including the Internet, using optical fibre ... and landlines on the existing network to efficiently provide Internet services," he said.

The 650 kilometres of fibre-optic cable runs from Siem Reap to Kampong Cham, and from there east to Memot and north to the Laos border via Kratie and Stung Treng. At Siem Reap it links with an existing cable that runs from Vietnam through Phnom Penh and south of the Tonle Sap to Siem Reap and the Thai border at Poipet.

The project - known as the GMS Information Superhighway - has been managed and run by TC and Huawei Technologies, a Chinese IT company.

Lao Saroeun said that now the fibre-optic network is in place, the project will upgrade 11 network stations and build 15 new stations to connect with the existing national network.

Minister of Posts and Telecommunications So Khun told attendees that the GMS project would help improve access to communications technology.

"The government is taking significant steps to build the ICT infrastructure, especially optical fibre, which is key to helping Cambodia catch up with opportunities using the next generation of telecommunications," he said.

So Khun said that other than the Telecom Cambodia, three more companies are currently improving the nation's telecommunications network.

They are China-based Cambodian Fiber Optic Communications Network Co, a local firm called Telcotech and Viettel from Vietnam.

The Chinese firm has built more than 2,200 kilometres of a projected 8,600 kilometres of underground fibre-optic cable in a five-year project that began in 2007. Telcotech is building an undersea cable, while Viettel has constructed more than 1,000 kilometres of land-based fibre-optic cable.

"The government will continue investing in and developing this backbone infrastructure to improve ICT sector, especially high-quality fibre-optic cables," said So Khun. "This will also contribute to the development of rural ICT."

Minister of Economy and Finance Keat Chhon told delegates that the GMS project was initiated by China in its July 2005 Kunming Declaration and would cost around US$66 million.

He said the project had three phases: The first was to build a fibre-optic network for the six GMS countries - this stage is now complete. The next phase is to upgrade the first phase and build a high-speed ring network between the GMS nations to help further develop their economies. The final step will connect all public services in Cambodia such as government, education and health.

"The GMS project will help strengthen cooperation between people and the GMS countries and will boost Cambodia's economy and the regional economy," Keat Chhon said. "It will also help Cambodia improve its ICT standard in the near future."

Exchange designs to be ready in November

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
SOEUN SAY

THE architectural design for the Cambodian stock exchange will be finalised in November, a Ministry of Economy and Finance official said Wednesday.

World City Co Ltd of South Korea told the Post last week that designs had been rejected by the ministry after they were deemed not sufficiently Khmer.

Mey Vann, director of financial industry at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, said Wednesday that the government is looking for a design that represents Khmer culture and international business.

"This is history for our country to build a stock market in Cambodia," he said.

The final design will be ready to start construction on schedule at the end of the rainy season, he added.

Duk-kon Kim, vice president of World City, agreed Wednesday that, overall, the US$6 million project remains on schedule.

"We have already discussed all this and we planned to begin construction ... by the end of the rainy season this year," he said, adding that he did not know when architectural plans would be completed.

"I think that the stock exchange will open on schedule; we just follow the government's comments [on this]," he said.

Kim previously told the Post that it would take eight months to complete construction and a further three months to test electronic equipment at the site at Camko City - on the outskirts of Phnom Penh - before the four-storey exchange building would be ready to go online.

Vimpelcom in $303m bonds issue

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
STEVE FINCH

VIMPELCOM, owner of Beeline, the newest entrant into Cambodia's increasingly crowded mobile-phone sector, announced late Tuesday it was issuing bonds totalling 10 billion Russian rubles (US$303 million).

In a statement on its Web site, Russia's second-largest mobile-phone operator said the issue "will be used for refinancing of VimpelCom's existing indebtedness denominated in foreign currency and the development of VimpelCom's core business".

The announcement comes after the company acknowledged Thursday in an interview with Bloomberg News that it was interested in acquiring Millicom International's Asian assets, which include a 58.4-percent stake in the Kingdom's market leader Mobitel.

Vimpelcom said it would pay 15.2 percent interest semi-annually on the bonds, which are due to mature on July 8, 2014.

Vimpelcom (NYSE: VIP) rose 5.8 percent to $10.58 on the New York Stock Exchange in Tuesday trading.

Preah Sihanouk Intl Airport opening delayed, says SSCA

Photo by: SOVANN PHILONG
The inauguration of the new national carrier will now take place at Phnom Penh International Airport (above), the SSCA said.

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
MAY KUNMAKARA

Inauguration of new national carrier Cambodia Angkor Air on July 27 to be held at Phnom Penh International Airport, according to revised government plans.

THE government has announced that the July 27 inaugural flight of the new national airline will not leave from the newly upgraded Preah Sihanouk International Airport, but will instead fly from Phnom Penh International Airport.

Mao Havannal, secretary of state at the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, said the airport's French development company hopes to persuade French President Nicolas Sarkozy to attend the airport opening as a guest of honour later this year.

Cambodia Angkor Air's inaugural flight was meant to coincide with the official opening of Preah Sihanouk International Airport. Mao Havannal said the airport would officially open later this year but would be used in the meantime for between two and four daily flights between Phnom Penh or Siem Reap airports.

"We have changed the opening schedule of Preah Sihanouk International Airport to November because the French development firm asked to suspend it in order to invite the French president or his representative to join the inauguration," he said.

He said the presence of the French president would be most welcome since the development company is French firm Societe Concessionaire de l'Aeroport.

However Koy Kuong, the undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said he did not know whether Prime Minister Hun Sen had invited President Sarkozy to visit Cambodia. Hun Sen has just completed a five-day state trip to France.

The minister of tourism, Thong Khon, confirmed the switch, and said the inaugural flights would go from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville and from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap.

"The new airport is fully developed and equipped with modern, high-tech facilities that meet international standards. Now we are just waiting for the official inauguration, but I am not sure when that will be," he said.

Thong Khon said the upgraded airport would benefit the tourism industry, as it would allow foreign visitors to access the coastal province easily from Siem Reap.

"Having our own domestic airline will mean visitors won't have to travel overland to get to Preah Sihanouk province," he said.

CAA is a joint venture between the Cambodian government and state-owned Vietnam Airlines. Cambodia owns a 51-percent stake in the company, and Vietnam owns the remainder.

Nautisco to commence exports in September

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
NGUON SOVAN

NAUTISCO'S seafood processing factory in Sihanoukville will begin exports in September, nine months later than originally scheduled, said factory president Sam Peou. He blamed the delay on technical issues and sub-contractors.

"The construction process has been slowed down," he told the Post by email, adding that construction is now in its final stage, with the first hire of 130 staff and workers due to start training on August 3.He said another 100 people would be added to the payroll once the first employees are fully trained.

"Hopefully we'll be able to export around mid-September," he said.

"The quality control management training process for workers can prove a challenge for the first one to two months, but once we have achieved the quality standard we anticipate, we'll export."

He said between 100 and 200 tonnes of shrimp would be sent monthly to Japan, Canada, the United States, Russia and Eastern Europe.

Sam Peou, a joint Cambodian-Canadian citizen, said supply of shrimp is a key concern.

"Raw material prices are one of the main factors in determining daily production outputs. Shortages of raw materials could be a result of processors not willing to pay higher prices for raw materials," he said.

"Therefore, we need to work with our supplier in order to be more cost-efficient and establish a win-win position for all sides."

He said raw unprocessed shrimp costs between US$1,500 and $4,500 a tonne depending on quality, and the processed product sells for between $10,000 and $25,000 a tonne depending on the size of the shrimps and whether or not they are cooked.

No government backing
The government has already shot down the idea of encouraging the development of shrimp farms in its waters.

In an interview last September, fisheries department director Nao Thouk said the government has no plans to promote shrimp farming because the end result would be the destruction of mangrove forests to clear space for shrimp farms.

At the time Nao Thouk said daily shrimp catches from the sea total between five and ten tonnes. He said fewer than 100 families raise shrimp, and their harvests generate only around 100 tonnes in total annually.

Nautisco's $4 million plant is located on five hectares of land in O'tres commune in Preah Sihanouk province. It will have the capacity to process 30 tonnes of shrimp daily, the company said.

At peace with Angkor

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Dave Perkes

Looking for a peaceful and unusual route into Angkor Wat to avoid most of the crowds? A suggestion is to go via the eastern causeway that is mostly quiet in the low season. A morning approach is best, with the sunlight behind you. If you go through the eastern gateway, you get a nice view of the central tower framed by trees and, as you walk down the causeway, the rest of the five towers come into view. You will eventually see the entire eastern side in its full glory. Hopefully, you will get photos of this without the crowds. Continuing through the wood gate, you will see the centre tower and the large printed panels showing the Churning of the Ocean of Milk to your left. After visiting the central sanctuary, instead of following the path down the main causeway, head right to the north, where a path leads to the virtually unvisited Northern gate. In July the sun is to the north, so in late morning the north face of the gate is illuminated. If you have time, walk around the north and west of the walls along the moat, which is usually deserted, and exit by the western side. It's a very tranquil experience.

Police Blotter: 16 Jul 2009

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
KONG SAKUN

TUOL KORK CRASH KILLS 18-YEAR-OLD
A traffic accident claimed the life of an 18-year-old student of Wat Phnom High School on Tuesday. Bun Thoeun Phally Voleak, daughter of the well-known Cambodian composer Chum Bun Thoeun, died while driving her Suzuki Step on Road 315 in Tuol Kork district's Boeung Kak II commune. The other driver, in a green Nissan lorry, fled the scene.
KOH SANTEPHEAP

GANGSTERS BEAT MAN ON DANCE FLOOR
Two men were arrested on Saturday night by Kampong Speu's Samroang Tong district police for severely beating a 20-year-old man during a dance party in the district's Srey Sampong village. The gangsters were identified by police as Sun Kunthea, 22, and Chorn Van, 22. Police said the victim, Pon Lacy, suffered a serious head injury during the clash, and that the perpetrators tried to run but were unable to flee the scene.
KOH SANTEPHEAP

DRUNKEN HUSBAND BEATS 'SLOW' WIFE
An intoxicated man was arrested on Sunday for striking his wife with his knee and trying to suffocate her in the water of a rice field. Police identified the violent husband as Prak Hong, 38, who lives in Kratie's Sambaur district. After the arrest, the man confessed to police that he had become enraged by his slow wife, who showed up late after transplanting seedlings at a slow pace. Pov Khak is currently in the hospital.
RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

DRUG DEALER ESCAPES POLICE RAID
Phnom Penh anti-drug police, in cooperation with Daun Penh district police, on Monday raided a house believed to house a notorious drug trafficker. Police said the home, which is behind the French Embassy, is owned by Meas Sophea,26, a military official in Unit 70 who has been arrested numerous time for involvement in drug-trafficking rings. The Monday raid failed to catch the suspect, who fled the house ahead of the arrival of police.
RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

THREE ARRESTED IN BRUTAL KILLING
Three men were arrested on Monday in Kampong Speu's Oral district for hacking a villager to death on June 1, 2008, police said. The suspects were identified as Men Vin, 42, Bun Rat, 40 and Sun Thy, 37. The three live in the district's Chhnang Dey village with the victim, Meng Chom, who was attacked with machetes.
RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

Siem Reap Scene: 16 Jul 2009

Photo by: PHOTO supplied
Loven Ramos, considered one of Siem Reap’s hot young 'creatives'.

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Post Staff

COLL RUNS HOT
Siem Reap's elevation to the new capital of cool continues in the current issue of Bangkok Airways Fah Thai magazine with a cover line about "Why young creatives are being drawn to Siem Reap." An article titled "The New Siem Reapers", written by Charlie Lancaster with cool photos by photographer Vinh Dao, explores why "more and more artists are moving to Cambodia's second city". The three artists profiled in the article are graphic designer Loven Ramos, couturier and curator of Hotel de la Paix's The Arts Lounge; Don Protasio and fashion designer Elizabeth Kiester. In the article, Loven Ramos posits: "Siem Reap has the spice of cosmopolitan life, but the casualness of the beach without the sand. The vibe is very much now." Don Protasio added: "We want to change people's perspective of art and fashion in Siem Reap; it isn't all 2D depictions of Angkor Wat, it is charming, edgy, young." Siem Reap also scored high in the creative stakes in Fah Thai's May-June 2009 issue, with some of its architecture feted in a feature about Asia's five foremost creative architects. One of the listed architects was Siem Reap's Lisa Ros, known for her distinctive work in town. She cut her career teeth helping her father Ros Barath redesign the Kantha Bopha children's hospital. Also highlighted in the article is Kerry Hill of Singapore, whose legacy in Siem Reap is the unusual upmarket bunker-like design of Amansara hotel.

TIGHTENING BELTS
Big changes are under way in Siem Reap's hospitality sector as the low season and recessed global economy bite in. Reports from many large hotels suggest that staff have been asked to take unpaid leave, and some smaller cafes and bars are shutting down. One of the victims is Angelina's Art Cafe and Night Bar, which has thrown in the towel and sold off most of its fittings and equipment. This joins about half a dozen SMEs that have closed their doors in recent weeks, with perhaps The Grill setting a record for the quickest shutdown of a new venture. Alex Sutherland transformed his Burgers Without Borders diner into a dinner restaurant called The Grill but shut it down just over a week after opening due to lack of clientele. There was also an ownership change last week with Bruno Luciani quitting Le Bistrot de Paris, which opened in 2006. The new owner is Victor Remigi, who operates a resort business on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. Remigi has installed Patrick Lesecq as manager. Lesecq says he has lived in Siem Reap for about two years, but becomes quite agitated when asked what he did during that period. An expat icon, the Angkor Market, is now certain to quit its present location towards the end of this year, moving across the road to a new building under construction on what was the former site of Abacus restaurant.

CITY OF OOZE
Siem Reap made a surprise appearance in Travel + Leisure magazine's 14th annual World's Best City Awards readers' survey announced last Friday. Siem Reap was ranked as the 18th best city in the world in the American Express-owned magazine's survey. Other cities in the Southeast Asian region that scored rankings above Siem Reap were Bangkok, rated 3rd; Chiang Mai, rated 5th; and Luang Prabang, rated 7th. For the first time, Udaipur, India, was named World's Best City, displacing last year's winner Bangkok. The magazine stated that criteria for ranking the cities included sights, culture/arts, restaurants/food, people, shopping and value. Siem Reap's high Travel + Leisure ranking follows a drubbing by the very same magazine in its May issue in a special report about "Shangri La destinations" that have lost their shine due to popularity. World-weary veteran travel writer Anthony Mecir was particularly harsh on Siem Reap, describing it as a "frenzied, dust-blown work site", the home of "multi-storey hotels with plate-glass windows ... springing up on the banks of the river, into which raw sewage oozed from legions of guesthouses". Mecir also ridiculed rich tourists who are attracted to Siem Reap. "The world's rich and coddled had also discovered Angkor, so the spiritually traumatised can now book healing sessions with 'life coaches' flown from the US, or 'Angkorean' stomach wraps of lotus leaf and warm rice at luxury spas."

FUTURE CHEF
Young up-and-coming Siem Reap chefs can now apply for the Miele Guide Culinary Scholarship Program 2009-10, with the deadline for applications set for August 31. Consultant Cheryl Chia told the Post that young Cambodian chefs aged 18 to 29 years old are eligible to apply for the scholarships. "Aspiring chefs from Cambodia will have their shot at receiving the training they need since Cambodia is one of the countries evaluated in the guide," she said. This could be a career boost for one of the legion of young chefs in Siem Reap, as the scholarship provides training at the At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy in Singapore. The scholarship program is jointly sponsored by Miele and At-Sunrice, and supported by Singapore Workforce Development Agency under the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications framework this year. For more details, go to www.mieleguide.com/scholarship. The results will be revealed at the launch of The Miele Guide 2009-10 on September 30, 2009, and voting for restaurant placements in this edition has now closed.

Siem Reap Airways still blacklisted

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
STEVE FINCH

EU keeps Cambodian airline on its list of banned carriers despite assurances that it was never a safety concern, as Siem Reap Airways works with the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation in bid to have European Union decision overturned.

THE European Union says it has kept Siem Reap Airways on a blacklist that prevents airlines from landing at its airfields or flying into EU airspace.

In a statement released late Tuesday, the EU did not explain its decision to maintain its ban on the Cambodian airline - a ruling it first enacted in November - but said that any barred airline that felt it had later conformed with necessary safety standards "may request the commission to commence the procedure for its removal from the list".

The State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) said Wednesday that a team led by Director General Chea On was currently in place collating "technical documents" to be submitted to the Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICOA) in a bid to have Siem Reap Airways removed from the blacklist.

"We will meet the standards of the ICOA," Mao Havannal, secretary of state for the SSCA said. "We will reopen [Siem Reap Airways]."

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We will meet the standards of the ICOA.... We will reopen [Siem Reap Airways].
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The EU initially blacklisted the airline on November 14 following an ICOA audit that found Cambodia's civil aviation operations wanting in a number of areas, particularly safety.

The SSCA has since been reluctant to discuss fundamental details of the audit that were not publicly released by the ICOA.

Chea On was unavailable for comment Wednesday.

In its original statement notifying the airline of the blockade, the European Commission said that "[Siem Reap Airways] does not operate in compliance with the Cambodian safety regulations, nor does it meet the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)".

It added: "Significant concerns have also been expressed by ICAO with regard to the ability of the Cambodian civil aviation authorities to implement and enforce the international safety standards."

However, the airline maintains it was in full compliance, a position it reiterated on Wednesday.

"Siem Reap Airways has never had a safety issue," new CEO and Managing Director Terence Alton told the Post, adding that the issue was between the SSCA and the ICAO and EU, not with the airline specifically.

Given that Siem Reap Airways was the only Cambodian airline operating at the time, it was the only one affected, he said.

Following the EU blacklist, the airline last year posted a notice on its Web site saying that all domestic flights were to be suspended from November 22 and all international flights from December 1. The airline hasn't flown since.

Bangkok Airways - which runs Siem Reap Airways as a subsidiary - flew in its place on previous routes between Bangkok, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

The airline had never flown into European airspace, but Alton said that its reputation following the EU blacklist had been tarnished, not least because many travellers to Cambodia are from Europe.

"If a perception is generated that an airline is unsafe, from a business point of view, you're throwing money away," he said.

Airline still confident
Alton added that he remained "confident of fulfilling every requirement" of both the SSCA and ICAO as Siem Reap Airways worked with the authorities in a bid to lift the blacklisting, admitting that his staff currently had very little to do given that the airline was still grounded.

It was not immediately clear, however, how Cambodia's blacklisting might affect the forthcoming launch of Cambodia's latest national carrier - Cambodia Angkor Air - on July 27.

Garment comp aims to take sector past cut-make-trim

Photo by: NATHAN GREEN
Sem Sokny with her winning design in 2007’s inaugural I am Precious competition.

Made in cambodia ... well, almost

The Made in Cambodia T-shirts created for the launch of the garment sector’s I Am Precious competition came with one slight snag. They were made in Thailand. Tep Mona, the director of the Garment Industry Productivity Centre, acknowledged the mistake, but said the T-shirts came from the ILO’s storeroom and were just a stop-gap measure to ensure they were ready for the launch. “It was done at the last minute,” she said. Organisers planned to produce additional T-shirts to promote the initiative, this time in a Cambodian garment factory, she said. Plans had not been finalised, but any proceeds from the sale of T-shirts would likely go towards training courses for the finalists, she said. Well, you can’t have everything; at least the shirts were designed in Cambodia.

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Nathan Green

Initiative aims to reward the most ‘precious’ worker, as well as develop local design talent and build confidence in the domestic garment industry

Garment sector stakeholders launched a competition for workers Wednesday to promote the Made in Cambodia brand and highlight the importance of home-grown designs for the future of the country's largest export sector.

The second "I Am Precious" T-shirt and dress design competition was opened to the Kingdom's 300,000-plus garment workers as well as workers that have recently been laid off as a result of falling export orders in the wake of the global economic meltdown.

Launching the competition, Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Secretary of State Prak Chantha said it was a special occasion for garment sector workers, especially women.

"This campaign will help workers be more self-confident, creative, skilled and knowledgeable," she said. "It's a good opportunity for garment factory workers to expose their skills and talents."

Troubled times
The garment sector was facing troubled times, she said. "We need to work together here in order to help Cambodia, Cambodian people and Cambodian society in this time of global economic crisis. This campaign is a mechanism to build trust and confidence in the quality of Cambodian garments during this time of economic crisis. If we can show people that Made in Cambodia garments are good quality, then money will flow into the country."

The ministry was teaming up with the International Labour Organisation's Better Factories Cambodia initiative, the Ministry of Women's Affairs, the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC), the Garment Industry Productivity Centre (GIPC), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), union groups and Precious Girl magazine to organise the competition.

Around 100,000 entry forms were being distributed to workers through Precious Girl magazine, and GIPC Director Tep Mona said she was expecting more entries than the 460 received in the inaugural 2007 competition, won by Maxlin factory worker Sem Sokny.

Sem Sokny said her employer, the Maxlin factory in Phnom Penh, had given her its full support and provided paid leave while she took part in the competition. "They were proud that one of their workers could win such a contest," she said.

In a video made during the inaugural competition, Sem Sokny jokingly suggested the outcome was never in doubt. "I deserved first place," she said. "My design is by far the best."

The competition is the central part of a wider campaign that will also provide information about career opportunities in the fashion industry, raise awareness about the wider garment sector supply chain, feature stories about successful young workers and managers, and provide a forum for discussion about the industry's future prospects.

UNDP Assistant Country Director Hin Wisal said the global financial crisis had led to a much more competitive global market and had had a severe impact on Cambodia's garment sector. "It's a long way from Wall Street to the main streets of Cambodia," he said. "But as Cambodia has become more integrated into the global economy, Cambodia has become more exposed."

He said the country must learn to compete by boosting productivity and lowering unit costs through better technology and training and by expanding the value chain. "For Cambodia, this means developing design capacity so that the country can export garments based on its own designs," he said. "We have to see this campaign as a mechanism to promote the industry and bring the attention of international buyers and the government."

GMAC external affairs manager Kaing Monika said the inaugural competition was aimed simply to promote the value of workers, but it was now seen as part of a larger effort to grow the Cambodian part of the value chain beyond cut, make, trim.

"If Cambodia is able to design things our own way, we can go out and find buyers rather than wait for them to come to us," he said.

He also hoped it would boost the "self image" of workers and by increasing awareness of their work, abilities and skills and encouraging them to realise their potential.

Photo by: NATHAN GREEN
Garment Industry Productivity Centre Director Tep Mona launches the I Am Precious competition while Labour Ministry Secretary of State Prak Chantha, GMAC External Affairs Manager Kaing Monika and the officer in charge of ILO Better Factories Cambodia, Catherine Vaillancourt-Laflamme, look on.

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If Cambodia is able to design things our own way we can go out and find buyers.
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Unlimited opportunities
"Employment opportunities in the garment industry are not limited to cutting and sewing," he said. This is an industry with a very complex supply chain where many challenging positions are available, and we are confident that Cambodian workers can ... propel this industry to the next level."

For the dress design portion of the competition, entrants must submit a design for a dress to be worn at a traditional Cambodian occasion or any special event by September 14. The 10 best designs will be made into dresses and presented at a runway fashion show in November, from which three winners will be selected by representatives of garment sector stakeholders.

Three winners will also be selected from 10 finalists for the T-shirt design portion of the competition, and it was hoped the winning designs could later be produced and sold in the stores of the collaborating brand.

Catherine Vaillancourt-Laflamme, training specialist and officer in charge of the Better Factories initiative, said the prizes were geared towards long-term self improvement. Finalists and their families would receive insurance coverage from GRET, access to WING's mobile banking system, plus credit, and take part in pattern making courses offered by the GIPC.

"The whole purpose of this campaign is to give hope and tell people that the garment sector in Cambodia will flourish again in the future," she said. "Prizes will promote hope, empowerment and the development of skills for the finalists and winners," she said.

GIPC Director Tep Mona said the prizes will be meaningful to the winners. "They are not just prizes, they are something they can bring along with them to empower themselves for the future."

Better refs make better play

Photo by: NICK SELLS
Referee instructor Tetsu Karakida (left) watches the CPL games from the stands Saturday.

Photo by: NICK SELLS
Emmanuel Okoduwa attends the CPL games Saturday at Olympic Stadium.

Photo by: NICK SELLS
Referee Doung Socheat (right) blows up for a foul on Phnom Penh Crown’s Chan Rithy (left, below) during their Cambodian Premier League game aginst National Defence Ministry Saturday.

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
KEN GADAFFI

Appointed referee instructor Tetsu Karakida of Japan is attempting to boost standards for referees in Cambodia who have been subject to stinging criticism

SINCE the June 3 suspension of assistant referee Yem Manoura for his error of judgement that cost Phnom Penh Crown a victory against Khemara Keila, many officials have been cautious in their decision making.

Spark FC manager Dara Vann complained bitterly about the level of the officiating as he watched his team fall 0-2 to Build Bright United Sunday. "The big problem is referee because he listened to Naga players," he said. "I don't know why he listened like that. You can see for yourself, very bad referee."

Bottom-placed Phouchung
Neak coach Solomon Dema-gudu, whose side celebrated a remarkable 2-2 draw against league leaders Preah Khan Reach Sunday, also faulted some of the referees' decisions. "The level of officiating is not encouraging, especially for teams with young players," he stated. "The officials seem to give the bigger teams more protection than desired, and this is discouraging for the younger players who now go into games believing that they will lose because of the referees' poor decisions.

"If the referees can stay neutral, I am sure there will be lots of upsets as the lower teams have talented young players who can spring surprises. These young players are the future of Cambodian football, so they need to be encouraged," Demagudu opined.

Emmanuel Okoduwa, an AFC licensed referee, coach of the International School for Phnom Penh team and coach/referee for the Phnom Penh Soccer League (a youth academy that runs a soccer training programme every weekend at Northbridge International School), has identified many flaws in decision making of CPL referees.

"The level of officiating in the CPL is quite poor, and this has affected the standard of the game," Okoduwa retorted Saturday, after seeing the referee wave play on when a National Defence Ministry player was brought down in the eighteen yard box. "I have been following the league for some time now and have observed lots of schoolboy errors made by the officials which need to be corrected for the game to improve," he stated, adding that players need good officiating to help them raise their game.

Okoduwa, who was a professional footballer in Nigeria, Belgium, Holland and Singapore before retiring due to a nagging injury, also felt that referees are not being helped by wrong calls from their assistants, the linesmen, whose main responsibilities include signaling for offsides.

"The referees should be educated on the laws of the game. The rules are changing, and they [the officials] need to be updated," Okoduwa said.

Tetsu Karakida is a Japan Football Association (JFA) Class 1 referee instructor who has been seconded to the Cambodian Football Federation under the JFA's Development Assistance Programme of Asia. He is responsible for selecting referees and monitoring their activities on the field.

Although he agreed with Okoduwa's comments, Tetsu Karakida noted a "tremendous" improvement in the level of officiating over the last few months.

"Some of the referees are young and inexperienced, so you cannot expect them to come out clean all the time," he said. "They gain experience by officiating, and this is what we try to do by giving the younger referees games [to officiate] from time to time."

The Japanese official revealed that Cambodian referees Chhun Toy and Bun Tuy Bunhouern have been sent to referee instruction courses in Japan and the Philippines in the past few months, and that Doung Socheat, Cambodia's most experienced referee, with a FIFA Assistant Referee qualification, is being tutored to become a qualified centre referee. The 38-year-old Doung Socheat has officiated over a quarter of the CPL games played so far this season, with young referees, Koung Ly, Hun Samnang, and To Rythya also featuring prominantly.

Tetsu Karakida also frowned on the indiscipline of some players, citing intimidation tactics to force referees into making wrong decisions, and called on referees to be more assertive in their decision making, especially in punishing dissent with yellow and red cards. "The referee is powerful, and can use his power by issuing the cards," he declared. "But I've discovered that most Cambodian referees tend to be lenient in dealing with offending players, which is not very good."

Tetsu also bemoaned the poor movement of officials, saying "most of the referees in the league are slow to react".

With the abundance of foreign talent on show each week, perhaps its time for the FFC to seek the assistance of foreign referees to handle some local matches to help local referees develop quickly.

All photo by Nick Sells (www.nicksellsphotography.com)

CPL FOOTBALL: Khemara turn over Kirivong

The Phnom Penh Post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
KEN GADAFFI

Substitute Olatunde Oladiji came off the bench to contribute to Khemara Keila's 2-0 victory over Kirivong Son Sen Chey Wednesday to retain their top-four position in the Cambodian Premier League (CPL). The Nigerian-born striker, who replaced compatriot Anthony Aligochie after 20 minutes, rose above everyone on the field to head home from a Ty Bunvichet cross in the 38th minute. Khemara had taken the game to their opponents right from the whistle, with Mim Sophal almost getting what would have been the fastest goal of the season when his lob was punched away by Kirivong goalkeeper Kem Makara. Khemara never looked back and pushed their opponents harder, obviously with the 2-4 loss to Kirivong in the May 2 reverse fixture at the start of the season still fresh in their minds. If the first half ended with the pressure on Kirivong, the second half was more like one-way traffic as Khemara kept up the pressure with series of missed chances; mesmerizing Kuoch Sokumpheak and gangling Oladiji the worst culprits. Kirivong's numerous counterattacks were thwarted by Joel Omokara, who was a rock in the Khemara defence.

Khemara took the game beyond Kirivong when Nigerian-born David Adeyinka was given space to drive low from 25 yards and catch Kem Makara napping, to give his side a two goal lead inside 71 minutes. Kirivong had the referee to thank for keeping the score at 2-0 by denying Kuoch Sokumpheak a clear penalty shout, and the game ended with Khemara avenging their season opener.

Phnom Penh lets you spice things up

KYLE LANZER/SUN NEWS
Roath Bun, co-owner of Phnom Penh, in the dining room at the W. 25th Street location, near the West Side Market in Ohio City.

Cleveland Live

http://www.cleveland.com

by Jarrod Zickefoose
Wednesday July 15, 2009

Cambodia does not exactly have a lot going for it. Known mostly for the violent Khmer Rouge regime and crippling poverty, the country, surrounded by Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, is probably not the first place you think of when planning the family vacation.

However, one thing the country does have going for it is its food. Cambodian cuisine is a mixture of its surrounding influences with some distinctive local touches. Think chilies, lemongrass, galanga root, and tamarind.

KYLE LANZER/SUN NEWS
Bayon at Phnom Penh, a mixture of curry with zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, green beans and snow peas. You choose your protein or go vegetarian.

While not many restaurants specialize in Cambodian cuisine, two spots on Cleveland's Near West Side are putting out fine Cambodian and Vietnamese food. Phnom Penh, with locations near the West Side Market on West 25th Street and on Lorain Avenue, will please those seeking something out of the ordinary.

Mono Bun opened the Lorain spot a decade ago. The West 25th restaurant followed.

The menus at both offer more than 100 items, and most represent a lot of bang for the buck. Many entrees are the same dish with a different protein -- Asian basil fried rice with chicken or pork, for example (each $6.15). Most of the food -- including noodles -- is made in-house.

Diners are asked to specify the level of spiciness they prefer on a scale of "not spicy," "mild," "medium," or "hot." Be warned that the meaning of these designations varies depending on who is in the kitchen, and a friend and I have ordered the same dish on the same night with differing levels of spice -- hers medium, mine hot -- to find our entrees indistinguishable.

A favorite is the Salad Phnom Penh ($5.05). Finely shredded cabbage is combined with chicken, onion, bean sprouts, carrots, red basil, green peppers and peanuts and served with garlic sauce. The flavors are bright and subtle with a bit of citrus.

The vegetarian spring roll ($1.10) will stain a take-out bag with grease, but at the same time manages to be light and flaky. It's served with an exceptional, delicate slightly sweet sauce.

For this diner, no trip to Phnom Penh is complete without an order of the hue beef soup ($3.05 small, $6.10 large). The soup is a rich orange-red beef broth with slices of beef brisket, spices and wonderful round rice noodles. The soup is so spicy it will clear your sinuses, but there is nothing like it. A small order is enough for two.

Another wonderful dish is the Kuy Teav Chha Khmer ($6.10-$9.05). It's a mixture of your choice of protein or vegetables with carrots, cabbage, fried eggs, bean sprouts, Asian basil, scallions, ground peanuts and a house sauce tossed with rice noodles. All ingredients are chopped with great skill, so the dish presents itself as dense, aromatic and full of flavor. Again, watch out for the spice.

Phnom Penh does not serve alcohol.

Phnom Penh is at 1929 W. 25th St. and 13124 Lorain Ave., both in Cleveland. Hours, which may vary, are 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2-9 p.m. Sunday. Call (216) 357-2951 (W. 25th) or (216) 251-1230 (Lorain).

Contact Sun Life editor Jarrod Zickefoose at (216) 986-2379 or send e-mail to jzickefoose@sunnews.com.

Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey - BBC2/BBC HD, 8pm

http://www.mirror.co.uk/

By Jane Simon
16/07/2009

Become a chef – see the world. That could be Rick Stein’s motto as he nibbles his way around Cambodia tonight and then slips down the Mekong River to Vietnam on his latest exotic jolly.


Food-mad to a fault, the introduction to this new series sounds suspiciously like a Mitchell and Webb sketch. “I’m here to discover not just the food,” Stein promises, “but what makes places like Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam tick. What’s so special about Bali, Sri Lanka, Malaysia or Bangladesh? Well – the food of course. But beyond that it’s the people. People talking about food…”

With this suitably one-track mind, Stein enthuses tonight about mini mangoes, curry paste, fresh crabs and peppercorns and discovers that Cambodia’s French colonial past lives on in the shape of the baguette.

Every week he’ll also be finding recipes you can create in your own kitchen – but be warned, tonight’s taste sensation is a raw beef salad.

Opposition and dissidents persecuted in Cambodia, HRW says

AsiaNews
http://www.asianews.it

07/15/2009

The government of Prime Minister Hun Sen systematically uses violence to bolster its power. Nine people, including lawmakers, journalists and human rights activists, have been arrested. An appeal is made to the international community to put pressure on Cambodian authorities.

Phnom Penh (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The Cambodian government of Prime Minister Hun Sen “should end its campaign of harassment, threats, and unwarranted legal action aimed at consolidating its rule by silencing the political opposition and peaceful critics,” New York-based Human Rights Watch said today.
With the Prime Minister’s backing Cambodian authorities have “lodged at least nine criminal defamation and disinformation complaints against journalists, members of parliament, lawyers and critics of the government since April.”

Two members of Cambodia’s National Assembly were singled out. On 22 June Mu Sochua and Ho Vann of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party lost their parliamentary immunity for allegedly defaming the prime minister and 22 military officials.

On 26 June, a Phnom Penh court sentenced Hang Chakra, owner of the opposition newspaper Khmer Machas Srok, to one year in prison on charges of disinformation after the newspaper published articles on widespread government corruption.

On 14 July, Moeung Sonn, president of the Khmer Civilisation Foundation, was sentenced in absentia to two years in prison on charges of disinformation after he raised concerns about the effect of installation of lights on the Angkor monuments, which are a UNESCO world heritage site.

The UN's human rights office in Cambodia also issued a report warning that the spate of lawsuits against critics could nurture “fear, frustration and anger, with the risk of leading to further conflict and violence,”

HRW calls on international donors, which provide aide and assistance to Cambodia, to put pressure on the government to stop its domestic repression campaign.

“Hun Sen already controls almost every aspect of Cambodia's politics,” HRW’s Adams said. “Yet his efforts to silence dissent seem endless. Why does he seem to wake up every day looking for enemies to persecute? Will this ever end?”

Hun Sen has been Cambodian prime minister since November 1998.

He became paramount leader after Norodom Ranariddh, son of then King Norodom Sihanouk, was forced out of power after a coup.

Hanging over the prime minister are several allegations, including membership in the Khmer Rouges who were responsible for the death of about two million Cambodians between 1975 and 1979 as well as frequent charges of corruption.

'Killing Fields' Trial

Media officer of the Extraordinary Chamber in the Court of Cambodia (ECCC) Dim Sovannarom (L) explains the ECCC booklet to Pol Nip, 84-year-old, youngest brother of the democratic leader Kampuchea Pol Pot, at his house in Okanthor commune in Kampong Thom, about 165km (103 miles) northeast of Phnom Penh July 15, 2009. The ECCC invited all Cambodians to attend the trial of Khmer Rouge regime's chief torturer Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch.REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Media officer of the Extraordinary Chamber in the Court of Cambodia (ECCC) Dim Sovannarom (obscured) explains the ECCC booklet to Pol Nip, 84-year-old, youngest brother of the democratic leader Kampuchea Pol Pot, at his house in Okanthor commune in Kampong Thom, about 165km (103 miles) northeast of Phnom Penh July 15, 2009. The ECCC invited all Cambodians to attend the trial of Khmer Rouge regime's chief torturer Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch.REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Pol Nip, 84-year-old, youngest brother of the democratic leader Kampuchea Pol Pot, reads a paper at his house in Okanthor commune in Kampong Thom, about 165km (103 miles) northeast of Phnom Penh July 15, 2009.REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Pol Nip, 84-year-old, youngest brother of the democratic leader Kampuchea Pol Pot, speaks on the phone at his house in Okanthor commune in Kampong Thom, about 165km (103 miles) northeast of Phnom Penh July 15, 2009.REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

A politician prays in front of skulls displayed at the Choeung Ek centre, built on the site of the 'Killing Fields' in Phnom Penh. 76-year-old Mam Nai, the former deputy head of the notorious Khmer Rouge detention centre S-21, has denied he was minimizing his role in the late 1970s regime during testimony at Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes court.(AFP/File/Tang Chhin Sothy)

Loeung Lanh, 71, a Cambodian cleaner describes the history of this small shrine which loaded human bones and skulls, alleged victims of the Khmer Rouge, at Phnom Batheay village, Kampong Cham province, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, July 15, 2009. Up to 16,000 people were tortured under the command of Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch and later taken away to be killed during the Khmer Rouge's 1975-1979 rule. Only a handful survived.(AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Loeung Lanh, 71, a Cambodian cleaner describes the history of this small shrine which loaded human bones and skulls, alleged victims of the Khmer Rouge, at Phnom Batheay village, Kampong Cham province, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, July 15, 2009. Up to 16,000 people were tortured under the command of Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch and later taken away to be killed during the Khmer Rouge's 1975-1979 rule. Only a handful survived.(AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Loeung Lanh, 71, a Cambodian cleaner, tells stories of this small shrine which contains human bones and skulls, alleged victims of the Khmer Rouge, at Phnom Batheay village, Kampong Cham province, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, July 15, 2009. Up to 16,000 people were tortured under the command by Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, who headed the S-21 prison in Phnom Penh, and later taken away to be killed during the Khmer Rouge's 1975-1979 rule. Only a handful survived.(AP Photo/Heng Sinith)