Photos expose capital from the inside out

Photo by: Lim Sokchanlina

Lim Sokchanlina’s work Bathroom Mirror is from a group photographic exhibition by five new Khmer young shooters.

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Thursday, 01 October 2009 15:00 Roth Meas

In an upcoming photo exhibition called “Inside”, running throughout October at Sa Sa Gallery, five Cambodian photographers celebrate the quiet details of their lives in the homes and buildings where they live.

As a continuation of the “Outside” photo exhibition that was shown at Java Cafe, “Inside” features 28 40cm-x-60cm photographs, each focusing on the details of life within a home’s walls.

Twenty-five-year-old photographer Chhin Taingchheas’s black-and-white photographs, taken with a rudimentary pinhole camera, feature the structural work of renowned Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann as seen from the inside.

There are no people in the images, partly due to the extended exposure of the camera, but also as a commentary on the destructive impact of people on the classic buildings, he said.

Kong Vollak, the 26-year-old founder of Sa Sa Gallery who is also among the five photographers, spotlights the Cambodian kitchen, bedroom and living room in her photographs.

Heng Ravuth’s photos focus on everyday tools, while Lim Sokchanlina captures images reflected in the restroom mirrors shared by Cambodian families.

The exhibit, which opened Tuesday, can be seen at Sa Sa Gallery on Street 360 through October 29.

Fans react to S’pore drubbing

Photo by: Nick Sells (http://www.nicksellsphotography.com/)

Cambodian U23 national team players leave the field dejected after losing 6-0 to Singapore U23s Sunday.

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Thursday, 01 October 2009 15:00 Ken Gadaffi

Local football spectators were left bewildered after the U23 national team were dealt a 6-0 defeat by the Young Lions Sunday, while officials downplay concern.

FOOTBALL fans turned out in their thousands at Olympic Stadium on Sunday to see the international friendly between the U23 sides of Cambodia and Singapore, only to witness their home team humiliated 6-0 by the visitors. Many spectators left the stands early, distraught at the overwhelming scoreline, casting major doubts on Cambodia’s chances in the upcoming SEA Games in Laos in December.

“This is embarrassing. I think I have seen enough,” remarked Meas Thy as the Cambodian defence began to crumble in the second half.

“I am surprised we couldn’t even score a goal,” said 25-year-old Chy Samoeun, who had stayed til the end in the hope of a consolation effort. “This is really not good enough.”

Ouk Sokdara, who attended all the Cambodian matches in last year’s Suzuki Cup qualifying tournament played at Olympic Stadium, claimed the team now is worse than before. “They are not committed, and I don’t know what the coach is doing that we can lose like this,” he said. “The last team did well and won matches. If we can lose at home like this, then what will happen if we go abroad?”

Another local football enthusiast, Luy Seyha, said Cambodia has a long way to go to compete successfully at international level. “If we continue to lose like this at home, fans will not like to come to spend their time and money to watch our country embarrassed,” he noted.

However, Lor Samedy, an official of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia, said he believed that the team performed well and did not want to blame the players or the coaching staff. “The Singaporeans are stronger and bigger than our players,” he asserted. “Our boys tried and gave a good fight, but they have no power like the Singapore team. We need to train hard and condition our players well so they can be strong to compete with other countries.”

Meanwhile, former national team coach and current technical director of Preah Khan Reach, Prak Sovannara, commended the players for putting on a good show, considering 80 percent had taken part in the league playoff finals the previous day. “The players tried their best,” he stated. “They were obviously tired after the first 35 minutes, having played the day before.

“I cannot judge the team’s technical approach,” he continued. “It all depends on the coach’s strategies. As you can see, its only a friendly match, and so I think the coach wanted to test different players for the future, and this experience will be useful for them.”

Photo by: Nick Sells (http://www.nicksellsphotography.com/)

Fans brave the wet weather in the uncovered stands of Olympic Stadium to watch the Cambodia U23 national team play their Singaporean counterparts Sunday.

Prak Sovannara also refused to write off Cambodia in the near future. “I don’t think the team will do badly in the SEA Games. The team is made up of 80 percent of the players I took to the Suzuki cup in Indonesia. The Singapore side consists of foreign players from Nigeria and European clubs, which makes them stronger, but I am sure that [our] players will peak before the SEA Games, if they prepare well.”

Football federation spokesman May Tola shared the disappointment of the fans. “The result was not what we wanted,” he said. “The fans all came to support the team and were hoping for a better performance, but we will take the positives from the match and improve on them.

“We may not have expected to win Singapore. However, is was a surprising scoreline at the end of the day,” he added. “In the Suzuki Cup [Singapore] presented a much stronger team than this, but we played better against them, so we really didn’t expect to lose with such a wide margin.”

May Tola ruled out the effects of players playing the day before. “It’s obvious the players suffered from fatigue, but that shouldn’t be an excuse,” he stated. “Both teams were allowed to make several substitutions, and in fact the coach changed players at intervals of nearly 20 minutes.”

The federation official remained optimistic of the team’s future, despite their humbling to Singapore. “We will come good again soon,” he declared. “We have lined up a training programme for the team, and that will put them in shape for the SEA Games.”

PM Urges UNICEF Assistance for Help Cambodia

Written by DAP NEWS -- Thursday, 01 October 2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday urged the United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF) to promote development in Cambodia and build a closer relationship with Cambodia.

The premier on Wednesday met Kulchandra Gautan, deputy executive director of Unicef in Cambodia, for a discussion at the National Assembly.

“Kulchandra told the premier about development, including health and education of the children,” Ieng Sophallet, adviser to the Prime Minister, told reporters following the discussion.

The UNICEF sub executive director also urged the premier to help Cambodian children and women. Kulchandra noted that there are still some issues such as child trafficking, but birth fatalities are down.

“In the response, the premier said that the Royal Government of Cambodia is very proud of its cooperation with UNICEF, which has helped children since 1979,” Ieng Sophallet added.

The premier apparently told the guests that “Cambodia cannot disconnect from UNICEF’s role,” claiming that “Cambodia nearly achieved its educational policy of building one secondary for every commune.”

Woman Convicted for Gunfire

Written by DAP NEWS -- Thursday, 01 October 2009
(Post by CAAI News Media)

Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Wednesday sentenced a young woman to 18 months in jail for the illegal firing of a handgun. She will be sent to Prey Sar prison for 18 months and fined CR1 million, a court official said.

Khe Dara, 30, who also goes by the name Keo Ratanak and nickname ‘Gech’, was found guilty by Municipal Judge Chaing Sinath. Prosecutor Heang Sopheak said the convicted girl seemed pale and shocked.

Khe Dara told the court that she fired her gun because a Honda CRV car blocked her in. “I was very afraid so I decided to shoot two bullets in the sky to attract local police to help me.”

She claimed that “Somebody of indefinite name used to follow me and arrest me to demand money.”

She claimed to have bought her pistol from Shanghai, China. “I am a housewife so I need a gun,” she added. Phnom Penh Municipal Judge Chaing Sinath asked her if she was aware that using the gun was illegal. She admitted she did understand.

The court apparently sent her to the prison “to warn all other gangster teenagers not to follow this girl’s action.”

A witness recalled seeing Khe Dara driving a Lexus with number plate 2H-2266. “She stopped in front the Sovannara clinic then she took a gun and shot four bullets in the sky. After that she left her car came into the clinic and insulted the clinic staffs.” Local police arrived soon after, the witness said.

Defense lawyer Dara Nach Try asked the court to merely fine her because “she is a weak lady.” But others told a different story, noting that Khe Dara had slung harsh insults at Cambodian journalists.

One lawyer, who declined to give his name, said that there was enough evidence for a prison sentence.

One woman present in the court told DAP News Cambodia that the verdict was a step in the right direction for Cambodia. “The court dared to convict this girl and fine money from her … I was very happy to see the court give a just ruling.”

Cambodian Prisoners in Thailand Must be Repatriated: Hor Namhong

Written by DAP NEWS -- Thursday, 01 October 2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Cambodians imprisoned in Thailand must be repatriated to serve their sentences in Cambodia as per an agreement between the two Govern-ments, according Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong’s remarks broadcast on Radio France International (RFI) on Tuesday.

“Our Foreign Affairs and Interna- tional Cooperation Ministry [MFAIC] is making efforts to help our citizens imprisoned in Thailand return to Cambodia, including released prisoners,” Hor Namhong told RFI.

Sixteen Cambodians were recently convicted by a Thai court of illegal deforestation. “Not only 16 Cambodian citizens, but also many other Cambodian prisoners are imprisoned in Thailand, and we are making efforts to negotiate with Thai authorities to return those prisoners to Cambodia, including two women,” the minister added.

Orm Sam Arth, an investigator for local rights organization Adhoc, on Wednesday told DAP News Cambodia that this is the first step to all prisoners returning to Cambodia, making it easier for family members to visit.

However, it is unclear how many Cambodians are imprisoned in Thailand.

Cambodia Vows to Continue ‘Pioneering Trade’ to EIF, WTO

Written by DAP NEWS -- Thursday, 01 October 2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

A round table meeting between Cambodia and representative of the 12 member countries of the WTO was organized by the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) and presided over by Minister Cham Prasidh.

Cambodian joined the project of Enhance Integrated Framework (EIF), 5 year program to boost all Least Developed Counties (LDCs), according to the round table meeting held at Phnom Penh’s Hotel Le Royale September 28-30.

An official statement said that present at the ceremony were Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh, MoC Secretary of State Pan Sorasak and EIF Focal Point, Dorothy Tembo Executive Director of EIF, Jo Scheuer Country Director of the UNDP, and representatives of donors to Cambodia.

The main purpose of the three-day meeting was the MoC’s access to financial resources under Tier 1 of the Enhance Integrated Framework (EIF). The EIF Executive Secretarial has officially notified Cambodia that the proposal it submitted in July 2009 was endorsed by consensus by the EIF Executive Board, the statement added. The EIF for trade-Related Technical Assistance to LDCs is a process that was first established in 1997 to support LDC governments in trade capacity building and integrating trade issue into overall national development strategies. The IF has two objectives: (1) to “mainstream” (integrate) trade into the national development plans such as the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) of LDCs and (2) to assist in the coordinated delivery of trade-related technical assistance in response to needs identified by the LDCs.

The EIF proposal was developed in the framework of the UNDP/MoC Trade project. It will provide US$ 1,694,600 over a 5 year period, starting from October 2009, of which US$ 1,493,900 is contributed by the EIF donors and US$200,700 by the Cambodian Government.

Cambodia Asks Japan not to Reduce Aid

Written by DAP NEWS -- Thursday, 01 October 2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday asked Japan not to reduce assistance to Cambodia, even if Japan cannot extend its current commitments due to the economic slowdown.

The PM also asked to provide more assistance to the sea port development and agricultural sector, Ieng Sophallet told reporters after talks between Hun Sen and Masafumi Kuroki, newly-appointed Japanese ambassador to Cambodia.

The premier also urged the new ambassador to help attract Japanese tourists and investors, and assisting with human resources and culture, he added.

The PM thanked Japan for its help and role in seeking peace and the development of the country so far, Ieng said, noting that Japan is the top donor to Cambodia, with assistance on the construction of infrastructure and other fields such as health and the environment.

The economic growth of Cambo- dia could not be separated from the role of Japanese, he said, adding that the new Japanese ambassador visited Cambodia three times before he was appointed. Japan has provided many millions each year to improve the social affairs, clean water, irrigation and education in Cambodia.

Japan is strengthening the bilateral cooperation between the two countries even though Japan has recently elected a new Government after general elections. Japanese foreign policy toward Cambodia will not change, according to Japanese officials. A statement from the Japanese embassy here said that newly-appoi- nted Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada will visit Cambodia from October 2-4. He will attend the second Mekong-Japan Foreign Mini- sters’ Meeting to be held October 3 in Siem Reap province. In addition to Japan, the five countries of the Mekong region (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam) will also be participating in the meeting. “It will be chaired by Hor Nam Hong, Cambodian deputy prime minister and minister for foreign affairs and international cooperation,” the press release said, adding in the meeting, an exchange of opinions regarding the strengthening of Mekong-Japan relations is scheduled to take place and taking this opportunity, Minister Okada also plans to hold bilateral meeting with other countries foreign ministers in the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

Japan has been assisting the Mekong Region development and has been strengthening its relations with the Mekong region countries from the perspective of redressing the existing intra-region disparities, thereby promoting the ASEAN integration. 2009 is the ‘ Mekong Japan Exchange Year’, in which the exchange between the Japan and Mekong Region countries in promoted in various fields, the statement added.

Koy Kuong, MFA spokesman and undersecretary of state, said yesterday that the meeting at Siem Reap will be presided by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. “The Japanese Foreign Minister will pay a courtesy call on the Prime Minister,” he added.

According to an MFA press release, the Siem Reap meeting also focuses on the ‘Emerald Triangle’ region, the area between Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam (CLV). Besides providing millions of dollars both loan and grant aid to Cambodia, Japan has also provided millions of US dollars to the UN-Cambodian tribunal to seek justice for victims of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime.

Cambodian and Japanese trade volume in 2008 achieved over US$100 million with Cambodian importing nearly US$70 million of goods from Japan, according to a report from the Cambodian Commerce Ministry.

Investors Lose Interest in Cambodia, Vietnam

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

http://online.wsj.com

OCTOBER 1, 2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

By ELLEN SHENG

In the private equity world, Cambodia just isn't what it used to be.

At one point in early 2008, fund managers were expecting to raise as much as $500 million for investment in the country. Instead, interest from investors evaporated with the financial crisis, forcing several funds to shut down or scale back.

Frontier Investment and Development Partners, which once hoped to launch a $250 million Cambodia fund, is struggling to find seed investors. Another, Cambodia Emerald postponed fundraising for their planned $100 million fund last year.

In total, Cambodia funds raised only $23 million in 2008, the Centre for Asia Private Equity Research, or APER, says. So far this year they've raised $5.6 million.

In neighboring Vietnam, once one of Asia's hottest investments, investors have also lost interest. Last month Indochina Capital Vietnam Holdings -- a prominent fund that invested in both listed and private companies -- was liquidated.

More broadly, Vietnam focused managers have raised no funds this year, according to APER data, a stark drop from the $1.6 billion raised in 2007. ¶ Naturally, deal making has declined. Dealogic tallies $20 million worth of private-equity investments in the two markets so far this year -- less than a third of the investments made the first nine months of 2008.

For those still in the game, the fundraising drought presents an opportunity. With fewer competitors sniffing around for investments, terms are better for buyers.

Managers say being smaller has its benefits, since most opportunities are in startups anyway. The majority of businesses in Vietnam are less than 8 years old.

Expectations for deal sizes have certainly changed. Leopard Cambodia, which has raised $28.6 million out of a planned $100 million, is now targeting investments between $1 million and $2 million. It once expected deals to be between $5 million and $15 million.

Leopard is among those that's resumed fundraising efforts. Another, Mekong Capital, a Vietnam-focused private equity firm, is raising a $150 million fund, its fourth.

But they're certainly not getting the reception they once might have. Investors are showing an increased appetite for risk, but few are willing to extend themselves as far as Cambodia just yet.

Write to Ellen Sheng at ellen.sheng@dowjones.com

130 garments factories closed down in Cambodia this year

Thu, 01 Oct 2009

By : dpa

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Phnom Penh - The Cambodian government said 130 garment factories have closed so far this year as the global economic crisis continues to depress demand for the kingdom's key export earner, local media reported Thursday. The Labour Ministry said the closure rate of one factory every second day has cost more than 60,000 jobs so far in an industry that is one of the country's economic mainstays.

Ministry figures showed that 30,000 workers have lost their jobs this year following the permanent shuttering of 77 factories. The temporary closures of another 53 factories mean a further 30,000 workers are currently out of work.

Against that, 40 new factories opened this year creating almost 10,000 jobs.

A Labour Ministry official told the Phnom Penh Post newspaper that those factories which had suspended operations would resume if and when they received new orders.

"Only purchase orders can help garment factories in Cambodia resume their production and face the effects of the global economic crisis," the official said.

Kaing Monika, business development manager at the Garment Manufacturers' Association of Cambodia (GMAC), an industry body, said the closures had made 2009 a particularly difficult period.

GMAC has almost 300 member factories producing garments locally.

"Only those factories which are supported by significant international buyers have survived and managed to continue producing through this hard time," he said.

Weak international demand for garments in key Western markets is one reason Cambodia's economy is expected to shrink this year. The International Monetary Fund last week became the latest multilateral body to predict that the kingdom's economy will shrink when it forecast a contraction of 2.75 per cent for 2009.

That was even more pessimistic than the Asian Development Bank's prediction released in September of a 1.5-per-cent contraction.

Promoting investment in Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia

10/01/2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

The Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia International tourism investment conference opened in Ho Chi Minh City on September 30, providing information on tourism development policies and investment opportunities.

On the theme of “three countries, one destination”, more than 100 delegates from all three countries held discussions with regional and international investors.

The conference also talked about linking the three countries together into one tourist destination to realize their full potential.

Representatives from the three countries believe that international investors can find many business opportunities which will contribute to developing the region. They also focused on how to overcome obstacles, such as poor human resources, transport infrastructure, and access to tourism sites.

Many measures were proposed including developing a common legal framework issuing, one visa for all three countries, coordinating tourism promotion and advertising campaigns, training more staff and creating reasonable and cheaper tourist products.

The conference is under the framework of the Ho Chi Minh City International Tourism Exhibition, which was organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the HCM City People’s Committee, the HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the IIR Exhibition Company.

Long Beach Cambodians want to be counted

Sara Pol-Lim discusses a the census count during the Cambodian Complete Count committee s regular meeting in Long Beach on Tuesday. (Jeff Gritchen / Staff Photographer)

By Greg Mellen, Staff Writer

Posted: 09/30/2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Photo Gallery: Cambodian Complete Count Committee

LONG BEACH - On the day the U.S. Census released poverty numbers showing 21 percent of Asians in Long Beach lived at or below the poverty line, the Cambodian Complete Count Committee met determined to do something about it.

The bleak numbers underscored the importance of making sure the community is adequately represented.

Cambodians have typically been what's called an "underserved" community, in part because they, like many impoverished and ethnic communities, prefer anonymity.

Finding such invisible populations is a challenge, particularly in efforts such as the dicennial census, which ramps up in January.

This is important because the federal government distributes hundreds of billions of dollars each year to states and communities based on census numbers. Simply stated, the more people, the more money. The more money, the better the funding for programs, including those in so-called "underserved" communities.

Census monitoring and outreach groups estimate each uncounted person can cost a state between $1,000 to $2,000 per year in federal funds.

"We have been undercounted for the last three decades," says Sara Pol-Lim, executive director of the United Cambodian Community, talking about Cambodian refugees who began flooding into Long Beach in 1979 in the wake

of the genocide in her home country.

The 2000 U.S. Census placed the Long Beach Cambodian population at about 17,000, second among Asians to Filipinos. Pol-Lim says that figure is grossly low.

Informal estimates from local groups put the number closer to 50,000, although many say that is high.

Wherever the truth lies, it's worth 10s of millions of dollars to the community annually.

In the 2000 Census, Pricewaterhouse Coopers estimated more than 500,000 people in California were uncounted, including more than 175,000 in Los Angeles county.

Ron Sok puts pins a map showing where certain demographics are in a hard to count area during the Cambodian Complete Count committee s meeting on Tuesday. (Jeff Gritchen / Staff Photographer)

Pol-Lim and the seven other members of the committee who met Tuesday want to change that.

"It's about challenging our community (to respond to the survey)," she said. "I've said before, it's our community to lose, or to gain."

In past counts, Cambodians were notorious for not responding due to difficulties with language and heightened fear of government and authority.

The key to Pol-Lim is finding a message that resonates within the community.

"If you trigger the right message," she said, "they're going to come up." That message would include family and respect.

As part of its outreach, the count committee is considering slogans such at "Stand up and be counted," "Respect yourself, be counted," "Count me in" and "Yes, we can in 2010."

The group also wants to be sure the messages translate well into Khmer.

Chan Hopson, of the Khmer Parents Association, wanted to make sure that youth were consulted and that the message reach them as well.

The group also began work on an asset allocation map, that looks at community services in Long Beach and where they are located, particularly within areas the census says were grossly undercounted.

"We need to look at who we're missing on the map," said Lian Cheun, program director of Khmer Girls in Action and the committee chair. "The next step will be to identify an action plan."

greg.mellen@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1291

CAAI: Typhoon Ketsana hits Teuk Mileang village, in Sandan district, Kampong Thom province,

A Cambodian washes his motorbike in the flood in Ratanak Kiri province. Typhoon Ketsana extended its destructive rampage through Southeast Asia Wednesday, blowing away whole villages in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos as the regional death toll rose to 331. (AFP) (Post by CAAI News Media)

A Cambodian man saws through a tree which fell over his house following Typhoon Ketsana in Teuk Mileang village, Sandan district, Kampong Thom province, about 250 kilometers (155 miles), north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. Typhoon Ketsana swept into central Cambodia and toppled dozens of rickety homes, killing at least 11 people and injuring some 29others, disaster officials said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) (Post by CAAI News Media)

A Cambodian boy collects damaged roof titles after Typhoon Ketsana struck, in Teuk Mileang village, Sandan district, Kampong Thom province, about 250 kilometers (155 miles)north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. Typhoon Ketsana swept into central Cambodia and toppled dozens of rickety homes, killing at least 11 people and injuring some 29 others, disaster officials said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) (Post by CAAI News Media)

A Cambodian man carries household items on a muddy road of a village hit by Typhoon Ketsana in Teuk Mileang village, Sandan district, Kampong Thom province, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. Typhoon Ketsana swept into central Cambodia and toppled dozens of rickety homes, killing at least 11 people and injuring some 29 others, disaster officials said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) (Post by CAAI News Media)

A Cambodian couple clean inside their damaged house after Typhoon Ketsana struck, in Teuk Mileang village, Sandan district, Kampong Thom province, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. Typhoon Ketsana swept into central Cambodia and toppled dozens of rickety homes, killing at least 11 people and injuring some 29 others, disaster officials said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) (Post by CAAI News Media)

Cambodian villagers carry coffins loaded with bodies of villagers who died during Typhoon Ketsana in Teuk Mileang village, Sandan district, Kampong Thom province, about 250 kilometers (155 miles), north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. Typhoon Ketsana swept into central Cambodia and toppled dozens of rickety homes, killing at least 11 people and injuring some 29 others, disaster officials said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) (Post by CAAI News Media)

Cambodians walk through a flooded road following Typhoon Ketsana in Teuk Mileang village, Sandan district, Kampong Thom province, about 250 kilometers (155 miles), north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. Typhoon Ketsana swept into central Cambodia and toppled dozens of rickety homes, killing at least 11 people and injuring some 29 others, disaster officials said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) (Post by CAAI News Media)

A Cambodian man saws through a tree which fell over his house following Typhoon Ketsana in Teuk Mileang village, Sandan district, Kampong Thom province, about 250 kilometers (155 miles), north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. Typhoon Ketsana swept into central Cambodia and toppled dozens of rickety homes, killing at least 11 people and injuring over two dozen others, disaster officials said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) (Post by CAAI News Media)

Villagers pass damaged houses after Typhoon Ketsana struck the area in Teuk Mileang village, Sandan district, Kampong Thom province, about 250 kilometers (155 miles), north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. Typhoon Ketsana swept into central Cambodia and toppled dozens of rickety homes, killing at least 11 people and injuring over two dozen others, disaster officials said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) (Post by CAAI News Media)

 

Cambodian villagers carry coffins loaded with bodies of villagers who died during Typhoon Ketsana at Teuk Mileang village, Sandan district, Kampong Thom province, about 250 kilometers (155 miles), north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. Typhoon Ketsana swept into central Cambodia and toppled dozens of rickety homes, killing at least 11 people and injuring 29, disaster officials said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) (Post by CAAI News Media)

Cambodian military police officers carry coffins loaded with bodies of villagers who died during Typhoon Ketsana at Teuk Mileang village, in Sandan district, Kampong Thom province, about 250 kilometers (155 miles), north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. Typhoon Ketsana swept into central Cambodia and toppled dozens of rickety homes, killing at least 11 people and injuring 29, disaster officials said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) (Post by CAAI News Media)

Cambodian villagers prepare loaded coffins of villagers who died during Typhoon Ketsana at Teuk Mileang village, Sandan district, Kampong Thom province, about 250 kilometers (155 miles), north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. Typhoon Ketsana swept into central Cambodia and toppled dozens of rickety homes, killing at least 11 people and injuring 29, disaster officials said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) (Post by CAAI News Media)

Pair of border gates between Vietnam and Cambodia open to traffic

09/30/2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

The Ministries of Transport from Vietnam and Cambodia held a ceremony on September 30 to open the border gates between Xa Mat in Vietnam’s Tay Ninh province and TrapeangPlong in Cambodia’s KamPongCham province.

The Xa Mat-TrapeangPlong border gates are only the second pair of its kind in Tay Ninh province after the Moc Bai-Ba Vet border gates were opened on September 30, 2006.

The opening of seven pairs of border gates has accelerated both trade, transport and tourism services between the two countries.

The trade turnover of both countries has increased annually by 40 percent on average. Vietnam and Cambodia are striving to raise two-way trade turnover to US$2 billion per year by 2010.

Monks' morality important to Cambodia

By Chak Sopheap

Guest Commentary

Published: September 30, 2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Niigata, Japan — In Cambodia Buddhism is the state religion, guaranteed by the Constitution, and about 95 percent of the people are Buddhists. However, in recent times, a gradual decline in moral standards among Buddhist monks and the political affiliations of some of their leaders have raised serious concerns.

The current Great Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia Tep Vong has been accused of favoritism toward the ruling Cambodian People’s Party. Some of his controversial orders include the February 2005 ban on the use of pagodas for public forums hosted by non-governmental organizations, particularly the Cambodian Center for Human Rights.

Instead of believing that public forums on human rights create chaos, Tep Vong should view them as a platform for people to voice their concerns and appeal to the government to look after their needs. Buddhism supports such a peaceful approach and nonviolent means to highlight problems and seek solutions.

Tep Vong usually makes speeches on political holidays – such as Liberation Day on Jan. 7, the day the former Khmer Rouge regime was toppled – to reaffirm his support to the ruling party. He rarely touches on issues such as moral standards or the role of monks in Cambodian society.

Several reports of monks having sex, watching pornographic materials and other social misconduct have largely gone unnoticed by the supreme patriarch. Recently a chief monk reportedly got drunk and beat some of his followers, who did not file a complaint out of fear for their safety.

Unlike the case of Tim Sakhorn – a monk who was charged with misconduct and defrocked in 2007 for allegedly destabilizing relations between Cambodia and Vietnam – the supreme patriarch has not reacted to the recent issue involving the drunken monk. This shows that the decision to defrock Sakhorn was politically motivated, and that the Buddhist leader is unconcerned about the decline of morality among the monks under his charge.

If such abuses continue, Buddhism will be less respected in the Cambodian community. This will affect other monks who devotedly follow and respect Buddhist principles. Besides, it would create a dangerous society if citizens were to lose faith in their religion, which contributes to people’s behavior and social conduct.

Buddhism has also played a significant role in national reconciliation and peace for survivors of the former dreaded Khmer Rouge regime. Cambodian people are likely to advise their children to apply Buddhist teachings as a way to solve conflicts in a peaceful manner and also to attain inner peace.

Therefore, the supreme patriarch and other monks need to maintain their gracious role and morality so that the religion is respected and valued. Monks should look back on their past roles in developing the community and the country.

Throughout history, pagodas and monks have contributed immensely to Cambodia’s cultural and educational sustainability, despite civil conflicts. However, their roles and contributions are diminishing in present times.

There are many issues like poverty reduction, corruption, social injustice, land disputes and social conflicts that confront Cambodia’s government as well as civil society. Monks should play a greater leadership role by introducing peaceful mechanisms to solve problems. This would go a long way toward helping Cambodians build a better society and future.

--

(Chak Sopheap is a graduate student of peace studies at the International University of Japan. She runs a blog, www.sopheapfocus.com, in which she shares her impressions of both Japan and her homeland, Cambodia. She was previously advocacy officer of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights.)

Chinese and Cambodian youths jointly hold art performance in Phnom Penh

http://www.chinaview.cn/
2009-09-30
Editor: An
(Post by CAAI News Media)

Political Counselor of Chinese Embassy in Cambodia He Yueping delivers a speech before a performance in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Sept. 29, 2009. The Hand-in-Hand art troupe of China's Shanghai Youth Center and Cambodian Duan Hua Chinese School jointly held an art performance here on Tuesday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. (Xinhua/Lei Bosong)

Chinese youths present instrumental ensemble during a performance , Cambodia, on Sept. 29, 2009. The Hand-in-Hand art troupe of China's Shanghai Youth Center and Cambodian Duan Hua Chinese School jointly held an art performance here on Tuesday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. (Xinhua/Lei Bosong)

Representatives from China and Cambodia present gifts to each other during a performance in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Sept. 29, 2009. The Hand-in-Hand art troupe of China's Shanghai Youth Center and Cambodian Duan Hua Chinese School jointly held an art performance here on Tuesday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. (Xinhua/Lei Bosong)

Cambodian students present a dance during a performance in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Sept. 29, 2009. The Hand-in-Hand art troupe of China's Shanghai Youth Center and Cambodian Duan Hua Chinese School jointly held an art performance here on Tuesday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. (Xinhua/Lei Bosong)

Cambodian students present a dance during a performance in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Sept. 29, 2009. The Hand-in-Hand art troupe of China's Shanghai Youth Center and Cambodian Duan Hua Chinese School jointly held an art performance here on Tuesday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. (Xinhua/Lei Bosong)

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Most Journalists Mentioned the Right to Keep Information Sources Confidential, but the Courts Do Not Accept It – Wednesday, 30.9.2009

Posted on 1 October 2009

The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 632

http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com/

(Post by CAAI News Media)

“Phnom Penh: Many organizations and associations cooperated to hold a workshop about a network of persons and institutions to provide legal protection for journalists, where also representatives from civil society, government officials, and legal experts attended.

“The director of the Department to Defend the Poor of the Cambodian Defenders Project, Mr. Yong Phanit, said during the workshop in the morning of 28 September 2009 that the freedom of the press in Cambodia is guaranteed by the Constitution, by the press law, and by other relevant laws. Looking at the press law, it provides many kinds of rights for the press, and it speaks also about the responsibility of the press. Those rights include the right to seek information and the right to receive all kinds of information, including information controlled by the Royal Government, except for information affecting national security and public order.

“Mr. Yong Phanit added that these rights are fully guaranteed, by law, for the press. Another right is the right to keep information sources confidential. This is an absolute right of journalists by which they can keep information about sources of information confidential. Also, journalists have the right to publish information without pre-checking. Thus, when they have received information, they can publish it as they want to without checking. He added that journalists have also the right to create organizations or associations.

“He went on to say that at the same time, the law requires the journalists to be responsible for what they publish. If journalists break the law, they have to take responsibility for it. Based on the press law, the courts have the right to fine them, and the courts can also order them to publish corrections later, or to pay compensation to victims. But practically, at present, the [UNTAC time] criminal law is sometimes used to prosecute journalists who have done something which is considered to relate to articles of that law [the UNTAC criminal law], while by law, if somebody is under the control of a special law, they must be treated according to that special law, if they have violated anything under this law. Besides this, they are under the general laws like everybody else.

“Presiding over the workshop, a secretary of state of Ministry of Information, Mr. Nov Sovathero, said that, looking at the whole situation, we see that some journalists who have been jailed or fined are mostly accused of disinformation and defamation, affecting other people’s reputation. When courts requested them to provide information or documents to prove their reporting, journalists always mention the right to keep their sources of information confidential, an argument that the courts cannot accept. This is the root of the problem, and the reason for what is happening with regard to journalists in their profession life at present.

“Mr. Nov Sovathero added that journalists are really free to select the information to be published for their readers – they have to decide carefully whether to publish or not to publish something. They have to consider whom a publication would affect, or whether or not it will affect them in turn, if the information they would publish is not true.

“The aim of the workshop was to identify those who could be involved to take the responsibility for establishing a press freedom network, to promote the support for affected journalists, and to allow everybody to identify areas of problems.”

Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.8, #2059, 30.9.2009

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Wednesday, 30 September 2009

Rattan Association Aims To Boost Export

By Ros Sothea, VOA Khmer

Original report from Phnom Penh

30 September 2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Opened with cooperation from a wildlife conservation group and an artisan organization, the Rattan Association of Cambodia hopes to fill a gap in international demand for the material.

“If we want to export, we need a large amount of rattan,” said Ou Ratanak, head of the World Wildlife Fund’s rattan project. “So the association can deal with it. Moreover, [members] can share their experiences regarding design and quality.”

The association would take care natural rattan is not destroyed and new rattan is grown for sustainable use. It would also provide knowledge and new experiences in technical assistance, trade, and international market searches.

More than 20 species of rattan grow naturally in Cambodia. The vine has a small leaf and sharp thorns and grows on mountainsides. Much of the country’s natural rattan, however, has been depleted for export to Vietnam and Thailand.

From 1998 to 2006, an estimated 3,000 tons of rattan were illegally exported to Vietnam, and another 12,000 tons to Thailand, according to the WWF.

In 2008, the WWF created a community project to protect rattan in Kampot province, with the project expanding into Preah Sihanouk, Koh Kong, Kampong Thom and Preah Vihear provinces. Prek Tnorth, in Kampot, is growing rattan on 25 hectares of land.

Rattan is used in the production of furniture popular in Europe, the US and Canada, with production and trade valued at $4 billion a year, Ou Ratanak said. Indonesia is responsible for 80 percent of world export; Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam also export rattan products.

Cambodia has yet to find an international market, and only 800 families in Kampot benefit from planting the vine and producing furniture from it for markets in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. The community harvests more than half a ton of rattan per month, producing around 50 table and chairs.

“The quality is still poor, lacking in design skill, and we always produce the same model,” said Men Sineoun, president of the Artisan Association of Cambodia, which is also supporting the project. “We have no skill in marketing and communication, and we have no skill in exporting.”

Tep Asnarith, a spokesman for the WWF, said rattan furniture producers in Cambodia don’t yet follow an environmental policy required by international buyers. However, it is hoped the new association can help ensure high-quality production and other competitive advantages.

Kun Thorn, president of Kun Bun Lang Furniture, said he believed the association can boost exports, and the WWF hopes to export half the rattan produced in Cambodia to Europe, the US and Japan by 2015.

Lao Sethalphal, deputy director for the legal department of the Ministry of Agriculture’s forestry administration, said the success of rattan on the international market will improve the economies of rural communities and provide a better living to rural people.

Choreographer Accepts $25,000 Art Award

By Im Sothearith, VOA Khmer

Original report from Washington

30 September 2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Khmer choreographer Sophiline Cheam Shapiro was given an award by the National Endowment for the Arts, after co-founding the Khmer Arts Academy in California.

The National Heritage Fellowship is the highest form of federal recognition for folk and traditional arts. Shapiro and 10 others were awarded this year.

“The reason why I think her award today is so important is that it gives her the ability to continue the art,” Laura Richardson, a Democratic congresswoman from California who joined the Sept. 22 ceremony, told VOA Khmer.

“Art is so powerful because art doesn’t judge men, women, boys, and girls,” she said. “It’s preserving our cultures. By being able to show the art, it teaches young people to respect their elders. It teaches young people something special that they have and that no one has. So, I am hoping by her continuing to teach the art, we can help more kids in learning, rather than being out in the streets doing something negative, and she has been doing it for a long time and we value her and love her in our community.”

Shapiro said she felt honored to be given the award, which includes a grant of $25,000.

“It is important that I use this fellowship to support and continue to teach art at our Khmer Art Academy,” she said.

Shapiro began training in Khmer art form in 1981. Two years after moving to Long Beach in 2002, she co-founded Khmer Arts Academy in the hopes of preventing the loss of the art form in the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge.

Barry Bergey, the NEA’s director for Folk and Traditional Arts, told VOA Khmer that in any year, the endowment gets 250 or so nominations. Only 10 or 11 are selected.

“Sophiline, of course, was recognized not only for her artistic skills and choreography, but for the fact that she teaches and makes such a commitment to the art form, and the panel recognized that,” Bergey said. “There’s no requirement in any way in terms of using the money, but we know these artists are committed to their traditions [and] that they are most likely to carry on what they are doing.

“That is what we want them to do, to continue just what they do, make art, teach about the art form and interact with the public,” he said. “Sophiline has done that both in the United States and in Cambodia, and that makes her special.”

Assembly Unable to Watch Over Police: Group

By Pin Sisovann, VOA Khmer

Original report from Washington

30 September 2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Cambodia needs an independent body to oversee police performance, a Hong Kong-based right group recommends, claiming the National Assembly’s traditional oversight duties are failing because the police and Assembly are stacked with ruling party members.

“In other countries, there are independent committees to oversee police performance,” said Lao Monghay, a researcher for the Asian Human Rights Commission. “If police officers abuse citizens, people can file complaints to the body. Right now there is a chance, because Cambodia is drafting a bill for police, in which such an independent body could be included.”

The National Assembly is “politically implicated” and “controlled by the ruling party,” he said, making an independent body more important.

Police have put out suggestion boxes in recent months, but critics say these have not been used. However, Lt. Gen. Keat Chantharith, a spokesman for the national police, said not many police mistakes had been reported because not many police abuse their positions.

After his appointment to national police chief last year, Gen. Neth Savoeun has worked to improve the image of Cambodian police, who are often criticized as corrupt or involved in the crimes they are supposed to fight.

Hotlines and suggestion boxes are fine but people are likely afraid to use the boxes properly, because it is 'only and internal measure', Lao Monghay said.

Nhuon Nhil, first deputy president of the National Assembly, said Cambodia law allows only the Assembly and its commissions to oversee national security and defense, including police.

“The law doesn’t authorize NGOs to do the work instead of the National Assembly commissions,” he said. “People didn’t vote for NGOs to do so.”

The Assembly can also gather ministers and other government leaders to solve complicated matters, he said.

Yim Sovann, a lawmaker for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said that in order to enforce security and gain the public’s participation, security work needs to be transparent and responsible.

“To get more inputs, transparency, I think human rights groups, NGOs that have watched government performance should be allowed to review these problems,” he said.

“The term ‘the secrecy of interior security, national security’ refers to absolute secrecy for the whole national security, war,” he said. “The term doesn’t refer to social order, abuses by police, human rights worker’s safety. These issues have nothing so confidential that civil society shouldn’t take part.”

He also pointed out that the National Assembly’s nine commissions are all controlled by the Cambodian People’s Party, which controls the executive branch, creating a demand for people to be allowed to oversee government through civil society.

“Experience proves that the commissions didn’t oversee the government of their own party effectively,” he said. They “indentify the problems only to ignore them.”

Nguon Nhil called such criticism “groundless.”

National Authority Claims Drug Use Declining

By Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer

Original report from Phnom Penh

30 September 2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Illicit drug use has decreased over the past four years, officials said Tuesday, following crackdowns on manufacturing facilities inside the country.

“If our law enforcement agencies had not suppressed in time manufacturing locations, hundreds of thousands of people inside and outside Cambodia could have suffered,” Ke Kim Yan, head of the National Authority for Combating Drugs, said on Tuesday, opening an Asean conference on drugs.

The number of illicit drug users decreased from more than 7,000 in 2005 to nearly 6,000 last year, according to report released by the authority during the meeting.

In the first half of 2009, the authority investigated 140 drug-related cases, leading to 287 arrests and the confiscation of more than 70,000 methamphetamine tablets, more than 1,000 grams of methamphetamine called ice, and more than 10,000 liters of saffron-rich oils, which are used in methamphetamine production, the report says.

Despite these numbers, officials from non-governmental organizations working with drug addicts say the number of users is actually on the rise.

Chhoeung Reut, a coordinator for the group Korsang, which works with drug users, said there are between 50 to 100 new users every three months.

“Illicit drug use is increasing at the moment because of the availability of imported drugs such as ‘yama’ [methamphetamine pills], ice and heroine,” he said.

“These days, we also see between 10 and 20 new users every month, in addition to the more than 1,000 drug users we are working with,” said Pin Sokum, drug program coordinator at Friends, which works with street children addicted to drugs.

Many drugs come to Cambodia via the Golden Triangle, an opium-producing region in Southeast Asia, though local drug producers also produce some. Cambodia has 14 private and state-owned treatment centers, but the national drug authority said these often only separate addicts from the drugs temporarily.

US Ambassador Warns of Energy Crunch

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer

Original report from Phnom Penh

30 September 2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

In the coming years, Cambodia will face some of the most expensive energy prices in the region and will suffer from a lack of energy that could hurt economic growth, US Ambassador Carol Rodley said Wednesday.

Rodley was speaking at a conference in Phnom Penh on energy development for the Greater Mekong sub-region, which ended Wednesday.

A number of energy companies, including General Electric and Chevron, as well as ConocoPhillips, AES, Schlumberger, Dupont and Rockwell Automation warn that Cambodia continues to suffer from the lack of energy resources and needs energy supplies for promoting economic growth.

“Energy prices here are amongst the highest in Asia, and connectivity is one of the lowest,” Rodely said.

The Greater Mekong subregion includes Burma, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam and the Chinese provinces of Guangxi and Yunnan.

“GMS energy infrastructure will require billions of dollars of investment if energy supply is to keep pace with energy demand,” Rodley said. “In the next decade, the demand for energy at national levels is expected to continue to rise between 7 percent and 16 percent per annum. The challenges facing the GMS in the energy sector are not unique: high economic growth of the region is driving the demand for energy, whereas almost 50 million people in the GMS lack access to electricity.”

Phalla Phan, undersecretary-general of the Supreme National Economic Council, recognized that energy prices in Cambodia are very high compared to its neighbors.

The average energy price in Cambodia is $0.16 per kilowatt-hour, but that price can rise as high as $0.90 per in rural areas.

“The government must rethink its energy policies to reduce energy price, just like its neighbors,” said Yim Sovann, spokesman for Sam Rainsy Party. “It affects our economic growth and the living of people, if the government does not reduce energy price.”

Ty Norin, head of the Electricite du Cambodge said the government has many plans to develop the energy sector and achieve the right price.

“We have a major goal to develop more than enough in an improved and effective energy sector compared to the past,” he said.

Rodley said the development of the energy sector in one country would benefit the development of all in the region, adding Cambodia “has ambitious plans to expand the country’s electrical production and connectivity.”

“The GMS economies are undergoing multiple transitions: from agriculture to industry and services, and rural to urban migration,” she said. “These transitions will drive energy demand growth in coming decades.”