Cambodian opposition leader accuses PM of stilling critical voices

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Asia News Network

Publication Date: 23-09-2009

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Cambodia's opposition leader Sam Rainsy accused Prime Minister Hun Sen of silencing critical voices in the country in the face of growing discontent among Cambodians induced by the government's corrupt practices and mismanagement of the economy and the effects of the worldwide financial crisis, according to Southeast Asian Press Alliance (Seapa).

Seapa is a regional organisation composed of different media groups suppporting media rights, press freedom and democracy.

Speaking before representatives of the international media in a panel discussion organised by Seapa in cooperation with the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) in Bangkok on September 23, Sam Rainsy said the Hun Sen administration has launched a crackdown, not only against journalists, but also legislators, civil society officers

and even their lawyers.

He said the government's corruption has further weakened the national economy. "Cambodia is losing US$500 million every year to corruption," he said.

Aside from this, Sam Rainsy, who heads the Sam Rainsy Party which in turn controls 26 out of 123 seats in Cambodia's parliament, accused the current government of mismanaging the economy, first selling off natural resources like timber and now leasing forested lands to foreign companies for up to 99 years, with the income allegedly going to corrupt officials' pockets.

Sam Rainsy also alleged that the government is not taking steps to mitigate the effects of the worldwide crisis. It has refused to inject money into the economy, he said, adding that taxes were instead raised, and the interest rates of banks shot up to 3 per cent per month.

To head off the discontent, Sam Rainsy said the Hun Sen government has targeted opposition members of parliament (MPs) and civil society groups, aside from journalists.

On June 26, 2009, Hang Chakra, the publisher and editor-in-chief of the Khmer Machas Srok was sentenced to one year in prison. He was tried in absentia, despite the fact that he never fled or left the country. He was also fined 9 million Riel or (about $2250), for "disinformation" and for "dishonouring public officials".

On July 8, charges against of "Moneaksika Khmer" (Khmer

Conscience) newspaper Sam Dith were dropped, after another formal letter of apology (this time addressed to PM Hun Sen) - along with a "voluntary" resolution to cease publication of his newspaper. A year earlier, Sam Dith had been slapped with criminal charges over an article that suggested links between Cambodian foreign minister

Hor Nam Hong and the past Khmer Rouge regime.

On June 22, the National Assembly controlled by the ruling

Cambodia People's Party suspended the parliamentary immunity of two members of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP). The move paved the way for defamation charges brought by PM Hun Sen and the Royal

Cambodian Armed Forces against opposition legislators Mu Sochua and Ho Vann.

Sam Raibnsy added that the government then also went after the oppositionists' lawyers.

Kong Sam Onn, the legal counsel who represented Mu Sochua and Ho Vann, was himself charged with defamation by the Prime Minister. He was also threatened with disbarment. Like the editor Sam Dith, Kong Sam Onn was forced to apologise to the Prime Minister, and then compelled to join the ruling party, in return for the withdrawal of the case against him.

Duong Hak Sam Rithy, vice president of the Cambodian Association for the protection of Journalists (CAPJ) claimed that some 10 journalists have been killed by government agents. Up to now, he said, police have not yet concluded their investigation in any of the cases.

Thai leaders close door on early elections

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Published: Sept. 23, 2009

BANGKOK, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- A general election at this time could lead to more social unrest, acting Thai Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said after weekend anti-government demonstrations in the capital.

"The House will be dissolved and a general election called only after rules acceptable to all parties have been put in place," Suthep told local media.

His statement comes after a tense weekend of largely peaceful demonstrations in Bangkok by supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. At the same time there was a health scare for the country's octogenarian monarch who remains in hospital, according to a report in the Bangkok Post newspaper.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 81, and the world's longest-reigning monarch, has been in Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital since Saturday night. Hospital officials said the king's health is not in danger, but he is fatigued and has had a fever and loss of appetite. No date has been set for his leaving hospital.

Among his visitors has been the former wife of the deposed Thaksin who was toppled in a coup in September 2006, media reported.

The constitutional monarch has reigned for 63 years, and many Thais view him as a unifying figure not adverse to criticizing coups and ordering the many military regimes in his time to end brutal repressions. The king warned in August that the country was in danger of total collapse unless the "feuding politicians" settle their differences.

However, Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, the leader of the 2006 coup against Thaksin, told Thai media that the people welcomed the military government takeover and the setting up of the Council for National Security. He said he would oppose any changes to the current constitution if they were done "to further the selfish interests of politicians."

Sonthi made his comments after Thaksin's supporters took to the streets Saturday night to demonstrate against the third anniversary of the coup.

Thaksin, who won two record election victories in 2001 and 2005, is often credited with improving the financial situation of the poor. More importantly, some analysts have claimed, he gave the poor, particularly the rural poor, a voice in national politics that they did not easily relinquish after the 2006 military coup.

But Thaksin, 61, remains in exile overseas, now believed to be in the United Arab Emirates, after being found guilty of corruption and sentenced to three years in jail. He spent some time in the United Kingdom where he was until last year owner of Britain's Manchester City football club. But he sold the team to Arab investors amid the club's financial collapse due to his millions of dollars worth of assets being frozen.

Thaksin's supporters in the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, the so-called red shirts, have in the past battled police and the army on the streets. Several people were injured and vehicles burned in Bangkok in April.

They have also clashed heavily with the yellow-shirted supporters of Thaksin's sworn enemies, the People's Alliance for Democracy led by Sondhi Limthongkul. Unidentified gunmen sprayed the chauffeur-driven car of Sondhi in an assassination attempt in April.

Demonstrations on the weekend by around 4,000 of the largely pro-government yellow shirts on the Thai border with Cambodia ended in clashes with Thai police, according to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation.

The protest surrounded a long-running sovereignty dispute over the 11th century Preah Vihear temple complex that straddles the boundary and has been the scene of deadly shootings between Cambodian and Thai troops in recent months. The temple is recognized internationally as being Cambodian.

Testimony Finishes At Cambodian Khmer Rouge Trial

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Testimony Concludes At UN-backed Tribunal In Cambodia For Khmer Rouge Prison Chief

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, Sep. 23, 2009; Testimony concluded Thursday in the first U.N.-backed trial of a high-ranking member of Cambodia's former Khmer Rouge regime.

The tribunal is trying Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, who commanded S-21 prison in Phnom Penh, where up to 16,000 people were tortured and then taken away to be killed. He is charged with crimes against humanity, war crimes, murder and torture.

Four other senior Khmer Rouge leaders are in custody awaiting trial.

The tribunal is seeking justice for an estimated 1.7 million people who died from execution, overwork, disease and malnutrition as a result of the ultra-communist group's policies while in power in 1975-79.

Pending rulings on the final submissions to the court, more courtroom questioning might be conducted, the tribunal said in a statement. Otherwise, closing arguments are set to start on Nov. 23.

Duch, pronounced DOIK, is the only one of the accused Khmer Rouge leaders to acknowledge responsibility for his actions. He faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Cambodia has no death penalty.

The tribunal said the trial had been in session for 72 working days since opening on March 30. It said nine expert witnesses, 17 witnesses on facts, seven character witnesses and 22 "civil parties" _ representing victims _ had testified.

It said more than 23,000 people had observed the trial from the public gallery in the courtroom.

On Wednesday, in his final testimony, Duch accepted responsibility for his role in overseeing the prison and asked for forgiveness from the families of the victims, gestures he has made several times during the trial. He also told the court that he was ready to accept heavy punishment for his actions.

He has denied personally killing or torturing the S-21 prisoners, and said he felt compelled by fear for his own life to follow the orders of senior Khmer Rouge leaders.

IMF says Cambodia's economy will contract 2.75 per cent this year

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Wed, 23 Sep 2009

By : Simon North

Phnom Penh - The International Monetary Fund revised down its forecast for Cambodia's economy Wednesday, predicting that gross domestic product (GDP) would contract 2.75 per cent in 2009. That is sharply lower than its previous forecast of a 0.5-per-cent drop.

The IMF figures follow the release of numbers Tuesday by the Asian Development Bank, which foresees Cambodia's economy contracting 1.5 per cent this year.

Speaking to reporters in Phnom Penh, IMF official David Cowen said the global economic crisis was having a more significant impact than previously expected on the kingdom's economy, which suffers from a narrow production base.

Cambodia's economy rests on four key pillars - agriculture, tourism, construction and garments. The last three have all been badly hit by the crisis.

The IMF noted in its press statement that agricultural production was "a bright spot with a good harvest expected" this year.

"Investment in rural roads and irrigation systems should raise productivity and reduce operating costs in the period ahead," the IMF stated.

But the three remaining pillars have performed worse than expected. Garment exports, for example, are expected to decline 15 per cent, a drop Cowen blamed in part on weak retail demand in the key US market, the destination for most Cambodian garments.

But he said the country also remains less competitive than other garment exporters in the region, and as a result has lost some market share to countries such as Bangladesh and Vietnam.

Tourism too has been disappointing if measured by spending rather than actual visitor numbers. The IMF said arrivals by air - typically indicating higher-spending tourists - had fallen "by double digits" due to the global economic crisis affecting visitor nations.

"As a consequence, overall tourism spending is sharply lower, despite the increase in same-day and land arrivals from neighbouring countries," the IMF said.

The remaining pillar - construction - has been hit hard with many projects shelved or put on hold following a property boom that ended abruptly last year.

"New project approvals are sharply lower, and imports of construction materials are down significantly compared to 2008, with bank lending to the property [sector] also down," the IMF noted.

Foreign direct investment is also expected to end the year sharply down, the IMF said, and is projected at 490 million US dollars this year versus an estimated 815 million US dollars last year.

The IMF expects a turnaround next year, with growth predicted at 4.25 per cent amid signs that the global downturn is bottoming out. However, it cautioned that the risks for Cambodia remain "tilted to the downside," a sharp reversal after a decade in which the nation regularly enjoyed annual double-digit growth.

Vietnam and Cambodia target 100,000 hectares of rubber

September 23, 2009

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Vietnam and Cambodia will strengthen co-operation in order to achieve 100,000 hectares of rubber trees in Cambodia by 2012.

The two countries reached the agreement during a recent visit to Cambodia by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat which concluded on September 22.

During his three-day stay in Cambodia, Minister Phat had a working session with Cambodian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Chan Sarun, who pledged that Cambodia would create the most favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses to speed up their rubber planting.

After the talks, the two ministers signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the two ministries’ co-operation in rubber planting in Cambodia. Under the MoU, Cambodia and Vietnam will create a favourable environment for rubber growing and processing in the country, especially in technological transfer, transport of materials and provision of equipment.

Minister Phat met Prime Minister Hun Sen to discuss measures to strengthen co-operation on developing agriculture, forestry and aquaculture.

He also visited and examined the implementation of rubber planting projects in Kompong Thom province. (VNA)

Belgian paedophile expelled from Cambodia

Wed, 23 Sep 2009

By : Jean Gerrard

CAAI News Media

Phnom Penh - A Belgian man convicted twice for child sex offences was expelled from Cambodia seven weeks after a coalition of child protection organizations petitioned authorities to expel him, a media report said Wednesday. Philippe Dessart, 49, was put on a plane to Thailand last week, the Cambodia Daily newspaper reported.

"We had enough legal grounds," the national police spokesman told the newspaper. "We didn't decide to deport him to Belgium; we just decided that he should be out of our country. Wherever he went to, it was his right."

Dessart was released from a Cambodian jail in April having spent three years in prison for sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy. On his release, he sparked outrage from child protection organizations by marrying the boy's mother after moving into her home in western Cambodia.

Dessart was previously convicted of child sex offences in his native Belgium, serving time there in the 1990s for child rape and torture.

Dessart's lawyer said his client's deportation was an abuse of his rights.

"He was with his wife; police came to invite him to a commune police station telling him that the national commissioner orders you to be expelled," Dun Vibol told the newspaper. "[On arrival in Thailand Dessart] called me saying he's got nothing with him and said they don't respect the law in Cambodia."

Rannariddh Appears in Phnom Penh Court

Written by DAP NEWS -- Wednesday, 23 September 2009

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Prince Ranariddh, ex-National Assembly president and now top advisor to Cambodia´s King Norodom Sihamoni and his former wife Princess Norodom Mary Ranariddh before they both ask for saperation.

Prince Norodom Rannariddh, a powerful and famous politician before his recent retirement, on Tuesday morning appeared in Phnom Penh Municipal Court in connection with a March 1, 2006 complaint against his ex-wife Princess Mary to ask for a separation, according to a court source.

“The Phnom Penh Municipal Court Chief recalled the prince to the court on September 22, 2009, for reconciliation by legal procedures before ruling,” the source told DAP News Cambodia on Tuesday.

However, only Prince Norodom Rannariddh appeared in the court, without his ex-wife, Princess Mary.

“A recall for princess Mary was issued on September 17, 2009 to ask her presence at court on Tuesday, but … [she] went to Thailand in September,” the source added.

“I am willing to separate with Prince Mary and the problem is very complicated, but at the moment, the court starts to discus and review the case,” Prince Rannariddh told DAP News Cambodia on Tuesday.

Rannariddh said his attendance was to demonstrate his willingness to cooperate.

The prince’s lawyer Ly Sovann told DAP News Cambodia that the prince’s ex wife went to Thailand on September 16, 2009, before she could be recalled to court.

Prince Rannariddh is apparently willing to sign over all shared property if the princess agrees to separate. The property shared by the former married couple includes a house in Kandal province, land at Vor Mountain in Kampot, and land in Siem Reap province.

Princess Mary could not be reached for comment.

P.P Court Finds Ho Vann Innocent, Convicts Foreign Editor

Written by DAP NEWS -- Wednesday, 23 September 2009

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Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday found Ho Vann, opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) lawmaker for Phnom Penh, innocent of defaming 22 high ranking Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) officers. The court instead found the internationally well-respected editor-in-chief of a local newspaper guilty of defamation and ordered him to pay CR4 million.

Ho Vann was sued earlier this year by RCAF officers after he allegedly made comments to local media NGO the Cambodia Daily about the officers’ academic degrees awarded by a Vietnamese military institute. The Cambodia Daily published the remarks in their daily newspaper. “The courts prosecutors declared to fine CR 4 Million from the Cambodia Daily editor and its reporter in continued defamation publishing,” a court source said on Tuesday.

Chea Poch, Prey Veng SRP lawmaker, welcomed the verdict. “This ruling is justice and I will write a letter calling for Ho Vann to return to Cambodia.”

Prosecutors sent a letter dated August 19 recalling Ho Vann to face the court over charges of the defama- tion of 22 senior RCAF officers.

Kevin Dolye, editor-in-chief of the Cambodia Daily, declined to comment on the Municipal Court’s ruling.

“I will appeal,” Doyle told DAP News Cambodia by phone.

On the morning of June 22, 2009, the National Assembly, controlled by the majority ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) approved the suspension of Ho Vann’s parliamentary immunity. The request for immunity suspen- sion came from a Phnom Penh Municipal Court prosecutor via the Ministry of Justice, to pave the way for the court to bring the RCAF lawsuits.

Recently one SRP lawmaker, Mu Sochua, lost a defamation case against Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Cambodia Publicly Debates Collateral Regulations

Written by DAP NEWS -- Wednesday, 23 September 2009

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The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) on Tuesday debated publicly collateral regulations for the first time before they are finalized and implemented.

The collateral business has become a very important sub-field in current situation and providing loans for collateral markets is becoming a popular market for the informal economy, which is present in almost all developing countries, Keat Chhon, deputy prime minister and MEF minister, said in remarks at the debate opening in Phnom Penh.

“Capital movement in collateral markets has helped to process regularly for business transactions and helped social affairs and culture,” he said, adding that the Cambodia must now reduce risks. “We are organizing the declaration from the MEF to allow all collateral businesspeople to apply for licenses from ministry. It will be legally regulated.”

The legislation has already made the rounds of the ministries many times and now ideas are being asked from experts, the private sector ad other interested parties, he added. “The collateral business will be better placed for competition and providing good quality services with low interest rates,” he said. “At the same time it also will help to push the economic development of the country. Finally, it will help contribute to poverty reduction and contribute to national income.”

“The collateral businesspeople will be legal and they will not fear … risks.”

According to My Van, director of the MEF’s Department of Finance Industry, all collateral businesspeople must have the capital of US$50,000 by law and must deposit 10 percent of this capital at the National Bank of Cambodia. This amount is higher than Singapore, the US, and Philippines, he claimed, “but we have to avoid cheating from the traders.”

The interest rate for will be less than 5 percent per month, “higher than other countries which we have studied,” he conceded. The price of an MEF license will be around US$250, he said, adding that all businesspeople must pay income tax of 15 percent per month.

Some collateral businesspeople who joined the seminar said that they do not support the legislation because the capital requirements and taxes are too high. Some who asked not to be named said they would continue business as usual without an MEF license.

ADB Hands Over US$37 for Development

Written by DAP NEWS -- Wednesday, 23 September 2009

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The Asian Development Bank (ADB) handed over US$37.26 million to Cambodia for two projects, the first, to provide drinking water, is worth around US$21 million and the second, credit for the construction of National Highway 6 from Sisaphon to Samrong is worth US$16.26 million, according the Ministry of Finance and Economy (MEF).

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Economy Keat Chhon cosigned an agreement with vice president of ADB for Cambodia Lawrence Greenwood Jr. at a ceremony on September 17 at the ministry, an MEF official said. Keat Chhon said that Cambodia would provide its own funds of US$3 million in addition to the ADB’s funding “as part of Cambodian people counterpart.”

The drinking water project, slated to finish in 2015, will have 377,000 participants and benefit about 290,000 people across 6 provinces, he added.

Kampong Chhnang, Pursat, Battambong, Siem Reap, Kampong Thom, and Banteay Meanchey provinces will see improvements in human wellbeing, hygiene, public health, pure water systems, development planning and capacity building, the minister said.

The construction of 11 kilometers of National Highway 56 from Sisaphon to Oddar Meanchey province will apparently cost a total f US$47.89 million, with US$16.26 million provided by the ADB, US$25.58 million supplied by South Korea, and US$6.05 million by the Cambodian government.

The road is part of a planned GMS East-West Economic Corridor that will better link Cambodia with other countries around the region.

FM Leaves for UN Assembly

Written by DAP NEWS -- Wednesday, 23 September 2009

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Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong on Tuesday left for US to attend an annual summit of the UN Assembly. He will have a special talk with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to strengthen bilateral cooperation, according to a Tuesday statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFAIC).

“The Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong led a delegation to participate in the General Debate of the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly to be held from 23 to 30 September 2009 in New York,” said the statement.

“On the sideline of the said meeting, Deputy PM Hor Namhong is also scheduled to have some bilateral meetings, including with the [US] Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,” the statement added.

Koy Kuong, MFAIC spokesman, said that cooperation between Cambodia and USwill be deepened. However, criticism from the Tom Lantos Human Right Commission would not affect the cooperation among the two countries, he stressed. “Deputy PM Hor Namhong will have a special discussion with Hillary Clinton on September 28, 2009 in New York,” he confirmed.

“I will leave for the US on September 22, but the date for talks with Hillary Clinton is undecided as the two parties are considering selec- ting a suitable time for the meeting,” Hor Namhong told reporters recently at the MFAIC.

“The bilateral talks are mainly to promote and push for more cooperation between the two parties,” he confirmed. Hor Namhong told US Ambassador to Cambodia Carol A. Rodley that Cambodia and US cooperation is developing. “Especially, the US Government decided to withdraw Cambodia out of its trade black list in June,” he said.

ADB Lowers Cambodia Economic Foecast

Written by DAP NEWS -- Wednesday, 23 September 2009

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Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2009 Update on Tuesday revised the GDP growth forecasts for countries in Asia, including Cambodia, with the Cambodian economy now predicted to see a 1.5 percent contraction.

According to an ADB press release, a sharper than expected downturn in clothing exports, construction activity, and tourism arrivals has prompted a downward revision in the GDP forecast. The economy is now expected to contract by 1.5 percent in 2009, rather than record slight growth as anticipated in an earlier ADO. US Department of Commerce data show that Cambodian clothing exports to the US dropped by 27 percent in the first 5 months of 2009 from the corresponding period of 2008. Order books for clothing in May were significantly lower than a year earlier. Tourist arrivals fell by 3 percent in the first 4 months of 2009. The decline in construction activity was a consequence of falling FDI, notably from Korea. Growth is projected to resume in 2010 at about 3.5 percent, as a gradual recovery in the global economy stimulates clothing exports and tourism. That should provide support for growth in incomes and consumption. Inflation has decelerated faster than expected, owing to lower international oil and food prices and weaker domestic demand as the economy contracts. The inflation rate for 2009 is now forecast at just 0.8 percent, revised down from ADO 2009. It is expected to quicken to about 5 percent in 2010, reflecting higher prices for imported oil and the improvement in domestic demand.

In the external accounts, imports fell by 18.1 percent in the first half of 2009, a sharper decline than that recorded for exports (10.3 percent) Tourism arrivals are expected to pick up in the second half of 2009 and the rate of decline in exports may well slow. The current account deficit will be narrower than forecast in March, at about 5 percent of GDP this year and 7 percent in 2010. Gross international reserves edged up to US$2.18 billion at mid-year, from US$2.16 billion at end-2008.

Traffic Accidents Down for This Year’s P’chum Ben

Written by DAP NEWS -- Wednesday, 23 September 2009

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There were 6 less traffic accidents during this year’s P’chum Ben holiday compared with last year, various provincial authorities reported on Tuesday. The holiday is a very busy time as Cambodians leave Phnom Penh to return to their homelands.

Phnom Penh Municipal police spokesperson Keat Chan Thirith told DAP News Cambodia that over the three days, “there were 125 cases of traffic accidents, but if we compare to 2008, it decreased 6 cases.”

This year’s crashes resulted in 18 fatalities, compared to 28 in 2008. But injuries were up, with 148 persons injured, compared to 117 in 2008. “We make recommendations to Cambodian people so the accidents will continue to decrease,” Thearith said.

But there was some discrepancy with the figures. Vice Municipal Police Chief El Narin told DAP News Cambodia that “From September 5-21, 2009, there were 30 traffic accidents, 15 fatalities, and 28 persons were seriously injured, and another 16 persons non-seriously injured.”

There were 8 cases of drunk driving, 16 cases of speeding, two cases of careless driving and “a few cases” where drivers did not obey rules, he added.

Siem Reap province, police chief Thong Sokun told DAP News Cambodia that he saw 11 traffic accidents.

Preah Sihanouk province saw 4 crashes with one death, 16 seriously injured and another 12 persons injured, according to local police.

Cambodia has become notorious in the region for its treacherous roads.

Ratha Chau and Angelo Sosa Talk Authenticity and Empire-Building

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Inside this sandwich lurks a corporate entity.

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By Rebecca Marx in Featured, Restaurant

Tuesday, Sep. 22 2009

As part of its International Chefs Congress, StarChefs held a panel earlier today to discuss the "Rise of the Asian Concept Restaurant." Num Pang's Ratha Chau and Xie Xie's Angelo Sosa were on hand to talk about their respective concepts; the third panelist, Michael "Bao" Huynh, was MIA, presumably off somewhere hatching more Baoguettes.

Both Chau and Sosa talked about their backgrounds and influences, and pondered the place of authenticity in their food. "What is authentic?" Chau asked. "That's a word that's going around a lot. Do I have to cook like your mother? You're telling me every French restaurant in the city is authentic?"

Upon tasting his cooking at Kampuchea, Chau said, his own mother asked him if he was sure he was Cambodian. The difference between what he and more "old-school Cambodians" cook, he said, is that "they're so used to having food in a third world country, where you kill and cook anything" to survive, and meat is overcooked "for safety, not flavor." But the idea, Chau said, is "not pigeonhole ourselves to staying old-world Cambodian: what can we do with new flavors?"

While Chau and Sosa may have similar concepts, their business strategies seem almost diametrically opposed. Asked if he had any plans to open more Num Pangs, Chau replied, "I don't have plans -- I never do. There is no master plan of opening Num Pangs all over the city...right now I believe in quality versus quantity. We haven't even been open for a year...Would I love to [open more locations]? Yes. But you put one tire a time on a car." The idea for Num Pang, Chau added, came about because he was "tired of eating the same thing at every store." Did he know there would be an Asian sandwich boom? "Not at all." And he's happy with what he's got: "I always wanted something a little small and manageable in terms of cost."

Sosa, on the other hand, had different ideas from Day One. "I set up Xie Xie to be a corporate entity," he said. While he's currently focused on his Ninth Avenue restaurant, he wants to "go global": think "Xie Xie Beijing, Xie Xie Shanghai."

However, there "is no time frame" for the brand's proliferation; right now, overseeing the daily operations and ensuring consistency of the existing Xie Xie is difficult enough. (That said, the restaurant's publicist tells us that the opening target for the St. Marks Xie Xie is "likely November.")

Sosa also revealed a bit about how he prices his five types of sandwiches, which start at $8.50. His food costs are 25.6 percent, as opposed to the 15 to 18 percent that's more typical of sandwich shops. That's a percentage more in line with a fine dining establishment's, and it's intentional. "I want to be associated with quality ingredients," Sosa explained. "We could use shrimp instead of lobster, but that would be kind of a cop-out. We're more boutique-ish;" higher food costs "fit our identity. We're not really about the sell; we're about the experience."

To cover the cost of that "experience," Sosa has to do about 150 covers a day, which seems paltry when compared to Num Pang, which does 700 covers a day. It's that volume, Chau said, which covers his food costs. And while he didn't talk about his vision for customer experience, he did shed a bit of light on the experience of working at Num Pang: "We have seven people in a 250-square foot kitchen," he said with a laugh. "We're all friends."

Cambodia Criticized for Curtailing Freedom of Expression

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September 23, 2009

Cambodia has been accused of silencing critics with lawsuits, jail time, and assassinations. Cambodia's opposition leader says the crackdown is the government's attempt to deal with what he claims is a growing discontent over the economy and who benefits from economic growth.

At a panel discussion Tuesday at the Bangkok press club, the Cambodian government was accused of doing everything in its power to muzzle voices critical of its policies.

Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy says grassroots activists, politicians, and village leaders have been killed, jailed, and forced into hiding for disagreeing with the ruling party.

He says the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen is attempting to silence growing discontent over land confiscation and most Cambodians not benefiting from the growing economy.

Sam Rainsy says part of the problem is that many of Cambodia's leaders like Hun Sen are former Khmer Rouge, the brutal communist government that ruled in the 1970s and was responsible for the deaths of up to two million Cambodians.

"They still have the Khmer Rouge mentality," he said. "They do not tolerate critics and they are paranoid. They see enemies everywhere around them and they take preemptive moves to eliminate their enemies or potential enemies by killing them, by silencing them."

Cambodian Association for the Protection of Journalists Vice President Duong Hak Samrithy says recent defamation lawsuits against outspoken media by Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party shows a clear pattern of intolerance. He says journalists have also been targets of violence that he linked to the government.

"Until now, about, around 10 journalists have been assassinated," said Samrithy. "But, there is no clue, no lead has been declared by the police, even a single case. So, you can say this is a clear attempt of the CPP to silence the opposition press."

Duong Hak Samrithy says international donors, who keep Cambodia's government running, should use their leverage to pressure the government on rights issues.

But a lecturer in International Relations at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, Puangthong Pawakapan, says major donors like Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are showing little willingness to pressure Phnom Penh.

"The task, while we cannot hope much from the governments of these countries, the donors and ASEAN, and the major investors, I think, the task will be left on the international NGOs and local NGOs inside Cambodia," said Puangthong.

The panel was organized by the Southeast Asian Press Alliance, a non-profit rights group based in Bangkok that campaigns for press freedom in Southeast Asia.

Cambodian FM flies to New York to attend UN General Assembly

CAAI News Media

September 23, 2009

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hor Namhong left here on Tuesday for New York to attend the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly to be held from Sept. 23 to 30.

Koy Kuong, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said Tuesday that as planned Hor Namhongwill deliver a speech to the session with focuses on world economic crisis, millennium development goals, climate change, Doha Round, food and energy security and the reform of the United Nations Security Council.

Also, on the sidelines of the U.N forum, Koy Kuong said, Hor Namhong plans to have bilateral meetings with other foreign ministers including the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

For the meeting with Hillary Clinton which is planned on Sept. 28, Hor Namhong will discuss the issues on bilateral cooperation, freedom of expression, the U.S. trade act, ASEAN-U.S. relations and the U.S. assistance to Cambodia, Koy Kuong added.

It will be the first time for Hor Namhong to meet bilaterally with Hillary Clinton, according to Koy Kuong.

Source: Xinhua

Violent, Drunken Monk is Untouchable

Photo by: DAP
Kiet Chan Thouch, 76, an adviser to Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong, has been accused of biting his fellow monks and nuns during a drunken rampage in Preah Sihanouk’s main pagoda during the weekend.

CAAI News Media

09/23/2009

Kiet Chan Thouch, abbot and adviser to Great Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong in Preah Sihanouk, Cambodia, was said to have gone on a violent drinking binge over the weekend, attacking 4 monks, 2 clergymen and a nun.

Kao Suon, 76, is a monk at the same temple, and he claims "He ordered me to come out of my room or he would shoot me and lock me in the room forever." Kao claims the drunken abbot bit him.

Kiet has a reputation for getting drunk and beating nuns and priests in the past, but because of his position, everyone is too afraid to file official complaints against him, out of fear of repercussions.

Related story : The Phnom Penh Post

Viettel becomes largest telecom service provider in Cambodia

09/23/2009

CAAI News Media

Vietnam’s Military Telecom Corporation (Viettel) has become the largest telecommunication service provider in Cambodia after launching the Metfone mobile service network in the Kingdom six months ago.

Metfone currently accounts for 60 percent of the ADSL service and 50 percent of fixed phone markets. It has two million mobile subscribers, ranking second among nine mobile service providers in Cambodia.

To facilitate the Cambodian people’s access to fundamental telecommunication services, Metfone has reduced its mobile service charge from 11 cent per minute to 9 cent per minute and expects to adjust it down in the near future.

Additionally, Metfone is the sole provider of all telecommunication services in Cambodia with its product distribution network covering even remote and isolated communes. It is also the sole provider of wireless fixed phone service with nearly 20,000 subscribers in the country.

Along with business development in Cambodia, Viettel has invested US$5 million in carrying out a three-year programme to introduce the internet in schools, subsidized 50 percent of wireless fixed and mobile phone charges for poor people and sponsored an online television system, connecting the government management to localities.

Metfone is expected to earn a revenue of US$50 million this year and provide 3G services in Cambodia early next year.

Metfone is also expected to have 2.55 million mobile subscribers, 3,000 transceiver stations covering all 24 provinces and cities of Cambodia, and provide affordable, high-quality services for customers by 2010.

VNA/VOVNews

Belgian paedophile expelled from Cambodia

Submitted by Sahil Nagpal

Wed, 09/23/2009

CAAI News Media

Phnom Penh - A Belgian man convicted twice for child sex offences was expelled from Cambodia seven weeks after a coalition of child protection organizations petitioned authorities to expel him, a media report said Wednesday.

Philippe Dessart, 49, was put on a plane to Thailand last week, the Cambodia Daily newspaper reported.

"We had enough legal grounds," the national police spokesman told the newspaper. "We didn't decide to deport him to Belgium; we just decided that he should be out of our country. Wherever he went to, it was his right."

Dessart was released from a Cambodian jail in April having spent three years in prison for sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy. On his release, he sparked outrage from child protection organizations by marrying the boy's mother after moving into her home in western Cambodia.

Dessart was previously convicted of child sex offences in his native Belgium, serving time there in the 1990s for child rape and torture.

Dessart's lawyer said his client's deportation was an abuse of his rights.

"He was with his wife; police came to invite him to a commune police station telling him that the national commissioner orders you to be expelled," Dun Vibol told the newspaper. "[On arrival in Thailand Dessart] called me saying he's got nothing with him and said they don't respect the law in Cambodia." (dpa)

New bird on the block

Photo by: Sam Rith

CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 15:02 Sam Rith

Turkeys primp and preen for the camera in Kampong Chhnang province’s Tuol K’sach village, where locals have turned to raising the North American birds, known in Khmer as moan barang, as a hardier and more disease-resistant alternative to chickens.

Police Blotter: 23 Sep 2009

CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 15:02 Mom Kunthear

$50 BLACKMAIL PLOT LEADS TO ARRESTS

Police in Memorng commune in Kampong Cham province detained two Khmer reporters for allegedly blackmailing the wife of a local official. Last week, Chea Sophea, 41, and Srun Sokea, 24, reporters from Kampuchea Sachak newspaper, reportedly approached the wife of Memorng commune chief in Memot district and threatened to publish a story that would damage the reputation of her husband if she did not give them US$50.

KAMPUCHEA THMEY

CONCEALED BOMB KILLS PURSAT MAN

A young man was killed by a small bomb in Bakan district, Pursat province on September 17. According to police, the man found a black plastic bag in a rice field. The bag contained a small box. The man was trying to open the parcel to examine its contents when it suddenly exploded and immediately killed him. Police do not believe that it was a planned attack, but that it was an isolated incident. Local authorities are continuing their investigation to ensure that it will not happen again.

KAMPUCHEA THMEY

FIFTH TIME UNLUCKY FOR JEWEL THIEVES

Four young men have been arrested for a string of jewellery snatchings in Battambang province’s Svay Por district. They were arrested on September 13 while they were trying to snatch a necklace from a woman’s neck as they were driving away on motorcycles. The men told police that they had committed the same crime on five different occasions but were only successful twice. They were arrested on their fifth and last attempt. Police said: “We have tried to arrest the men before, but their cleverness in evading capture made it difficult. This time, they cannot escape from us anymore.” The men were sent to the provincial police court to be charged.

KOH SANTEPHEAP

K CHHNANG WOMAN TURN IN HER SON

A man in Phsar Chhnang district in Kampong Chhnang province was arrested on September 15 after being accused of trying to kill his mother. Police said that an old woman who came to the police station demanded that her son be arrested after he got drunk and used a stick to beat her, but that her neighbours who heard the commotion were able to intervene. Police added that after they arrested him, the offender cried and begged his mother not to make complaints against him, promising not to beat her anymore, but that his mother did not agree because she was afraid he would just do it again when he returned home.

KOH SANTEPHEAP

Blinded by the light

Photo by: Heng Chivoan

CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 15:04 Heng Chivoan

A rare break in the clouds illuminates the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh last week before heavy rains returned to pummel the capital again on Tuesday.

Court exonerates Ho Vann

CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 15:04 Meas Sokchea and James O’toole

IN a surprise verdict, Phnom Penh Municipal Court acquitted Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) parliamentarian Ho Vann of defamation on Tuesday, but his co-defendants Neou Vannarin and Kevin Doyle of The Cambodia Daily newspaper were ordered to pay four million riels (US$1,000) each on related charges.

The charges stemmed from an April 2009 article published in the Daily in which Ho Vann was quoted as saying that academic degrees awarded to 22 officers of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces by a Vietnamese military institute were “worthless”.

In a subsequent clarification statement, Ho Vann claimed that the article, written by Neou Vannarin, had misquoted him. At a Municipal Court hearing on September 9, however, Daily Editor in Chief Kevin Doyle maintained that Ho Vann had been quoted accurately.

Ho Vann and Neou Vannarin were not present for the verdict and were tried in absentia, though Doyle appeared, flipping through a copy of his newspaper as he waited for the proceedings to begin.

“After listening to the case, [the court] understood that Ho Vann said nothing wrong in the interview, but that Kevin Doyle and Neou Vannarin issued a defamatory story in their newspaper,” Municipal Court Judge Sin Visal said. Ho Vann’s clarification letter, the judge added, demonstrated that the SRP parliamentarian had been misquoted.

“The verdict is correct because Ho Vann did not say what was published in the newspaper,” said SRP parliamentarian Chea Poch, who attended the hearing. “Khmer people need to stop suing one another and concentrate on working together to develop the country.”

Observers from the civil society community expressed surprise at Ho Vann’s acquittal, which was greeted with smiles and handshakes by a number of spectators in the courtroom.

Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR) president Ou Virak cast the verdict against the spate of government lawsuits against opposition critics in the last few months, calling it “a little light in this darkness”. He speculated that the decision may have been influenced by next week’s meeting of the Cambodian Development Cooperation Forum, a gathering of Cambodian government officials and international donors.

The verdict against Kevin Doyle and Neou Vannarin was less encouraging, however. Pa Nguon Teang, the president of Voice of Democracy Radio, condemned the decision, saying that the judiciary’s acquiesence to political pressure “is an obstacle to freedom of the press in Cambodia”.

CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap said that Ho Vann’s parliamentary immunity, which had been revoked pending a verdict in his case, could be restored with a two-thirds vote in the National Assembly. Local rights group Licadho said, however, that Ho Vann’s immunity should be automatically restored based on Cambodian law.

Regional grants target biodiversity

Photo by: Photo Supplied
The Srepok River flows through northeastern Cambodia.

CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 15:04 Irwin Loy

Cambodia to receive eight grants to help preserve river ecosystems and endangered fauna.

CAMBODIAN groups are among several organisations around the region slated to receive more than US$2 million in grants aimed at conserving threatened biodiversity.

The money will come from the Indochina-based section of the internationally funded Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), which calls the region one of the most threatened biodiversity hot spots in the world.

“Freshwater habitats are particularly threatened in Indochina, so we’re very happy to have already funded local organisations,” John Pilgrim, a manager with NGO Birdlife International, said in a press release. The NGO is responsible for implementing CEPF grants in the region.

The fund approved 19 grants out of 166 applications received from Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. Of these, Cambodia received eight.

One of the grants, worth just under $20,000, will go to the local 3S Rivers Protection Network, which will use the funds to raise local awareness about the potential impact of dams on the Srepok, Sesan and Sekong rivers in northeastern Cambodia.

Other Cambodian grants are aimed at conserving threatened species in the country.

According to CEPF, only 5 percent of the region’s natural habitats remain in “relatively pristine condition”. The group sees poverty alleviation and biodiversity conservation as closely linked, as a large portion of the rural population is dependent on natural resources.

Seven men charged in girl’s rape and murder to face trial in K Cham

CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 15:04 Mom Kunthear

THE trial of seven men charged with the gang rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl last Saturday in Kampong Cham province is set to begin today. The men, all from Vihear Loung district, Soung village, have been held at the Soung police station since their arrest on Sunday, one day after the alleged attack took place.

Soung village police Chief Leang Eng told the Post on Tuesday that the victim lived in the same neighbourhood as her attackers. One of the men in custody had apparently fallen in love with the girl, Leang Eng said, but felt he was unable to marry her because he was too poor. On the day of the attack, the man asked her to accompany him for a walk in the woods. It was there, only 200 metres from her home, Leang Eng said, that the six additional men sprung upon her.

“They raped her one by one at the time until she fell unconscious. Then they killed her by stabbing her with a knife 12 times in the back before finally slitting her throat,” Leang Eng said, adding that the girl’s body was found by her own family a day later.

“This is truly the cruellest case I have ever seen. I never thought anyone was capable of this. They must not feel any pity in their heart. They treated her like an animal that could be killed at any time.”

Leang Eng said the victims’ parents were grief-stricken at the loss of their only daughter and seeking harsh punishments for those responsible.

Thov Chenda, a provincial monitor for local rights group Adhoc, voiced concern about the increasing incidence of rape in Kampong Cham. “The government should educate people in rural areas about law and morality,” she said. According to a recent Adhoc report, there have been 15 cases of rape in Kampong Cham province so far this year.

Thais seek cooperation

CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 15:04 Cheang Sokha

Officials deny troops killed Cambodian boy but seek help in inquiry.

THAILAND has asked for Cambodian assistance in its investigations into the case of a Cambodian boy allegedly burned alive by Thai border troops this month, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, despite denying the involvement of Thai border troops in the affair.

Koy Kuong, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that a letter from the Thai Foreign Ministry on Thursday said that Thai authorities have not received enough evidence to substantiate Cambodian claims but that they appeared to welcome Cambodian input in the case.

“They have asked Cambodia for further joint investigations into the case to find more evidence, so that they can apprehend the perpetrators and punish them,” he said, adding that the ministry has asked the Cambodian consul in Srah Keo province and Oddar Meanchey provincial authorities to investigate the case further and gather more evidence.

The Thai government also stated in the letter that the black-clad Thai army unit 2608 had denied being on the scene on the day of the alleged incident, Koy Kuong said.

Evaluating the evidence

On September 11, the burning corpse of 16-year-old Yon Rith was found by villagers after he and his friend Mao Kleung were said to have been shot by Thai soldiers while cutting down trees close to the border with Cambodia.

Other villagers in the group, escaped unharmed from their confrontation with the Thai soldiers. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a diplomatic note to Thailand on September 15 demanding an explanation of the matter.

Thon Nol, governor of Oddar Meanchey province’s Samroang district, said Tuesday that he had already collected photos of Yon Rith’s body after the alleged burning and other documents relating to the case.

“I am prepared to cooperate on this case,” he said.

“We have evidence and believe that the boy was burned by Thai soldiers.”

Tea Banh pays US official visit

Photo by: AFP

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates (right) welcomes Cambodian Defence Minister General Tea Banh on Monday at the Pentagon in Washington, DC.

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... THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE RCAF AND THE US MILITARY WILL MOVE CLOSE TOGETHER.

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CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 15:03 Jacob Gold and Vong Sokheng

Meeting with the US defence secretary addresses greater military cooperation, though concerns linger about alleged rights violations by Cambodian soldiers.

CAMBODIAN Defence Minister Tea Banh met with US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates at the Pentagon in Washington during an official visit on Monday, Defence Ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat told the Post on Wednesday.

The agenda included improving military cooperation during humanitarian assistance scenarios and strengthening the capacity of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. The discussion also focused on regional security issues and cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

“We expect that the relationship between the RCAF and the US military will move close together after this high-level visit by the Cambodian defence delegation,” Chhum Socheat said.

The US has promised to sponsor Cambodia’s role in defence exercises scheduled for July 2010 and slated to involve more than 2,000 military personnel from countries across the Asia-Pacific region, he said.

Tea Banh is expected to arrive back in Cambodia today. The US embassy declined to comment further on the outcome of the meeting pending an official statement due to be released today.

US-Cambodian military relations have come under scrutiny from US congressmen following testimony by Human Rights Watch to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hearing in Washington earlier this month.

The NGO reported that since 2006 the US has provided training and material assistance totalling approximately US$4.5 million to Cambodian military units such as Prime Minister Hun Sen’s personal bodyguard unit, Brigade 70, Special Airborne Brigade 911 and Brigade 31 of the RCAF. Eight congressmen sent a letter last Friday to Gates inquiring about the connection between and US military aid and these units’ alleged human rights abuses, which the Cambodian military denied.

The meeting of the two nations’ defence chiefs comes ahead of a bilateral agreement, due to be signed by the US and Cambodia today, under which the US Agency for International Development (USAID) will provide Cambodia with US$7.79 million to help stimulate broader economic growth.

The additional funding will finance an expansion of USAID’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises 2 and Business Enabling Environment programme, aimed at alleviating rural poverty by making family-owned businesses more productive, the organisation said in a statement released to the media on Tuesday. USAID expects to commit a total of $61.8 million in assistance to Cambodia this year.

American men plead not guilty in sex cases

CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 15:03 Laura Snook

THREE Americans charged with travelling to Cambodia to have sex with children have pleaded not guilty in a US court, it has been reported.

Ronald Boyajian, 49, and Erik Peeters, 41, both from California, and Jack Sporich, 75, of Arizona, entered their pleas on Monday in US federal court. They are being held without bail, and their trials are to begin on November 10, according to The Associated Press.

The men were removed from Cambodia last month under a new international law-enforcement operation dubbed Operation Twisted Traveller, which targets American nationals who travel abroad to engage in illegal sexual activity with children.

According to court affidavits, Boyajian is suspected of molesting a 10-year-old Vietnamese girl, and Peeters is accused of sexually abusing at least three Cambodian boys. Sporich is suspected of molesting at least one underage Cambodian boy.

If convicted, the men face up to 30 years in prison for each of their victims.

Probe of shooting at Chi Kraeng hits snag

CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 15:03 Chrann Chamroeun

Critics charge police with holding up investigation, while court officials say villagers are uncooperative.

RIGHTS activists and villagers in Siem Reap province’s Chi Kraeng commune say local officials are dragging their feet in investigating the shooting of four villagers during violent clashes with police in March, despite the court prosecutor claiming local officials have been summoned for questioning.

SRP lawmaker Ke Sovannaroth told the Post on Tuesday that six months after police opened fire on villagers, the provincial authorities had failed to arrest those responsible, despite arresting nine villagers in relation to the clashes.

“I keep urging court officials to conduct their investigation in a thorough and just way to bring the real perpetrators to be prosecuted as soon as possible, and not to put the blame on innocent people,” she said.

“I feel very upset that it has taken such a long time, almost six months, for the court to hunt for the real perpetrators.”

Villagers from Chi Kraeng and Anlong Samnor communes have been fighting over a 92-hectare swath of farmland in Chi Kraeng district since 2005. Siem Reap provincial Governor Sou Phirin ruled that the land belonged to villagers from Anlong Samnor, and in March offered the Chi Kraeng villagers a social land concession, an offer they rejected.

The dispute turned violent on March 22 when Chi Kraeng villagers attempted to harvest crops they had planted on the land, with officers opening fire on demonstrators who refused to disperse.

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I FEEL VERY UPSET THAT IT HAS TAKEN SUCH A LONG TIME, ALMOST SIX MONTHS....
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Am Sam Ath, a technical supervisor for local rights group Licadho, said that the arrest of the police was taking much longer than the arrest of nine Chi Kraeng farmers involved in the dispute, who are still being held on robbery charges.

“It is extending the time for the victims, who have waited for justice for more than six months,” he said.

According to the law, he said, it should not have taken so long for the court to investigate because Siem Reap provincial prosecutor Ty Soveinthal was present during the clashes and had enough awareness of the event to conduct swift primary investigations.

Kao Soupha, the lawyer who brought the complaint against the police on behalf of the Chi Kraeng villagers in June, claims that since Ty Soveinthal is one of those named in the complaint, he is holding up the case to deflect responsibility for his role in the clashes.

When contacted on Tuesday, Ty Soveinthal said he had already summoned district governor Kao Sophoan and district deputy police Chief Srey Sam Ol to testify about the shooting, but that villagers had been hard to track down for questioning.

“It is very hard for us to summon some of the complainants to testify ... about their complaints against the police officials,” he said, adding that several complainants had failed to appear at court. “They must provide credible evidence and point out the shooter. If they [provide] improper testimony, they will face charges of falsifying testimony.”