European Parliament seeks inquiry into Rainsy incident

(Posted by CAAI News Media)

Thursday, 19 November 2009 15:03 Meas Sokchea

The European Parliament has called for a full investigation into an incident in which opposition leader Sam Rainsy uprooted wooden posts near the border with Vietnam last month, an action that saw the National Assembly strip him of his parliamentary immunity in a session on Monday, the SRP president said Wednesday.

Sam Rainsy addressed a special session of the Brussels-based parliament on Tuesday, raising his party’s concerns about issues such as human rights, judicial reform, the recent accelerated spate of land disputes and the suspension of his immunity earlier this week.

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[The European parliament] demands that there be a proper investigation.

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During a Buddhist ceremony in Svay Rieng province’s Chantrea district on October 26, Sam Rainsy helped uproot six wooden border posts that villagers said were placed illegally by Vietnamese authorities.

“As a matter of principle, [the European Parliament] demands that there be a proper investigation,” Sam Rainsy said by phone from Brussels on Wednesday.

“They want there to be an investigation that asks people who are victims [of Vietnamese encroachments] to act as witnesses to seek the truth.”

He said the European Union was monitoring the human rights situation in Cambodia closely, and that parliamentarians had expressed solidarity following the removal of his immunity, which has paved the way for legal action stemming from the border post incident in Svay Rieng.

The government should not take “such quick action”, he cited parliamentarians as saying, without a proper basis for its allegations.

“The European Parliament … said representatives must have the right to speak and the right to defend the people,” Sam Rainsy added.

The comments from European parliamentarians echo recent local criticism of the government over Sam Rainsy’s immunity. In a statement issued on Monday, four leading nongovernmental organisations said the action was “yet another blow to Cambodia’s faltering democracy”.

When contacted on Wednesday, Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan brushed off Sam Rainsy’s appeals to the European Parliament, saying he was well accustomed to the opposition leader’s appeals to overseas countries. “Sam Rainsy is Sam Rainsy.… He never changes,” Phay Siphan said. “He always gives wrong descriptions of the situation to foreigners.”

He said the government did not mind countries describing Cambodia’s shortcomings, but that they should also look at what was being done to solve problems.

“They should address the ways in which the nation is trying to address these problems. We are sorry that foreigners are misled by Sam Rainsy,” he said.

In a statement issued in the European Parliament on September 7, the European Commission expressed its concerns about “recent restrictions to political freedoms in Cambodia”, pledging to “closely” monitor the situation in connection with the embassies of EU member states.

Small developments to lead building approvals

Photo by: Nathan Green

A labourer works at Posco E&C's Star River development, which resumed construction in October after being put on hold in 2008. A further $70 million in construction approvals was signed in September.

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It is not like IT WAS last year when we had a lot of big projects.
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(Posted by CAAI News Media)

Thursday, 19 November 2009 15:01 Soeun Say

Construction Ministry greenlights 300 projects in September, more than in previous months, but value of development falls

MORE than 300 construction proposals worth a combined US$70 million were given the green light by the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction in September, official figures released late Tuesday show.

This compares with a combined 357 approvals in July and August. However, the indicative value of projects greenlighted in those two months dwarfs September at $470 million.

The latest round of approvals brings the number of projects cleared for construction to 1,805 for the first nine months of 2009, 15 percent up on the same period a year earlier.

However, the projects were earmarked to be worth just $1.68 billion to the economy, 22 percent down from the $2.16 billion indicative value of construction projects approved over the same period in 2008.

Lao Tip Seiha, director of the ministry’s Construction Department, said that developers had scaled back their ambitions in the wake of the global financial project and were seeking approval for more modest developments.

“It is not like it was last year when we had a lot of big projects,” he said.

According to the ministry’s figures, the average size of new building sites approved in the year to October was 313 square metres, compared with the 2008 average of 475 square metres.

National Valuers Association of Cambodia President Sung Bonna said the number of new approvals for small projects was up as developers began to take advantage of falling property prices, particularly outside the most central areas.

“The size of investments in the construction sector has decreased, and only small, family-owned residence projects have been submitted for approval,” he said.

“Real estate prices at present are still very low, though I think the prices will bottom out early next year and then begin to increase again.”

Key projects

Lao Tip Seiha identified several prominent developments among those approved in September.

These included the Battambang Shopping Mall Centre and Apartments, owned by Pung Sovan; mixed-use buildings owned by Ly Yongphat in Koh Kong province; a rice-milling development belonging to Duong Vibol in Kampong Thom province; several garment factories in Kandal province and Phnom Penh; and a monosodium glutamate factory belonging to Ajinomoto, and a shoe factory belonging to Tiger Wing, both in the Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone.

Back on track

Lao Tip Seiha also said work has resumed at several sites where construction had slowed in 2008, singling out the US$300 million, 237,500-square-metre Star River residential development being built by Korean company Posco E&C in Phnom Penh’s Tonle Bassac commune.

Work has also begun on Emario Shonan Marine Corporation’s development in Sihanoukville, Bellevue’s apartments, motor assembly factories belonging to Honda and Yamaha in Phnom Penh, and a garment factory being built by DK Inc, he said.

The Kingdom’s construction sector will continue growing in the coming years, he predicted, as the global financial crisis recedes, leaving a growing opportunity for real estate development in its wake.

Request to US to drop duties hits opposition

(Posted by CAAI News Media)

Thursday, 19 November 2009 15:01 Nathan Green

A Cambodian delegation in Washington seeking duty-free access to the US market for the country’s garment exports has met stiff resistance from 45 trade associations representing 29 garment-producing countries.

The groups, which include major exporters from North and South America, Africa and the Middle East, sent a letter to the house of representatives’ ways and means committee Tuesday urging it not to consider a proposal to extend duty-free status to apparel imports from Bangladesh and Cambodia as it held a hearing on trade preference reform.

The countries depend on existing trade preferences and free-trade agreements for over US$30 billion in two-way trade and nearly 2 million jobs, according to a statement issued by the group.

The group includes nine least-developed countries as well as the powerful US National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO).

A delegation led by Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh and featuring representatives from the Garment Manufacturers’ Association of Cambodia and unions planned to ask the US to drop duties at a conference marking the tenth anniversary of the signing of the Bilateral Textile Agreement between the two countries today. The agreement links trade access to labour standards.

Cambodia’s garment exports fell 21.66 percent over the first nine months of the year to $1.78 billion. Exports to the US, which accounts for around 62 percent of the total, dropped 28.77 percent to $1.12 billion over the period.

ACLEDA ready to go mobile

Photo by: Sovan Philong

A man looks at an image of ACLEDA Bank over his mobile phone. From next year, he will be able to access bank services from anywhere with a phone signal, bank officials said.

(Posted by CAAI News Media)

Thursday, 19 November 2009 15:00 Nguon Sovan

Deal with US-based provider of mobile-banking solutions will let customers access services on mobile handsets from 2010

ACLEDA Bank has signed a deal with an international provider of mobile-banking solutions paving the way for the bank to offer banking services over mobile phones from next year.

ACLEDA President In Channy said Wednesday that Atlanta-based M-Com’s BankAnywhere technology must be integrated with the bank’s core systems before the services can be offered. “We will launch this solution early next year,” he said. “Not later than February.”

The system will be compatible with all mobile phone networks, though the bank has not yet discussed the service with operators in the Kingdom, In Channy said.

“With this BankAnywhere solution, wherever phone service coverage is available, customers will be able to use ACLEDA banking services,” he said

ACLEDA inked a deal with Electricite du Cambodge (EdC) in August allowing its customers to pay electricity bills at the bank’s automatic teller machines. The new system would allow users to make the same transaction over their mobile phone, circumventing the need to travel to the state utility provider or find an ATM, In Channy said.

He declined to reveal the cost of the service, citing an M-Com confidentiality agreement.

M-Com CEO and Founder Adam Clark said in a press release late Tuesday the company would work with

ACLEDA to deliver its customers “compelling mobile financial services that deliver convenience, control and more financial freedom”.

“We have invested years of focus and energy to understand the dynamics of banks in emerging markets like Cambodia, and have tailored our BankAnywhere platform to meet those needs effectively and economically,” he said.

“We will help the leading bank in Cambodia exploit the mobile channel to deliver clear commercial outcomes.”

In Channy said he was confident mobile-phone providers would sign up for the service. “There is a mutual benefit for customers, ACLEDA Bank and phone operators,” he said. “Because our bank has roughly 1 million customers, I don’t think that mobile phone operators will say no to this service.”

Mfone Marketing Manager Kom San said he was eager to work with ACLEDA, saying cooperation between the two would pave the way for the bank to reach out to the operator customers. “This will bring benefits for us and provide convenience for our customers,” he said.

Smart Mobile Chief Marketing Officer Kirill Mankovsky said his customers can already top up their accounts using ACLEDA’s ATMs, but that he was looking forward to exploring further possibilities.

“We, of course, will cooperate with ACLEDA Bank on this service,” he said.

The service will let ACLEDA customers make person-to-person payments, top up their accounts with mobile-phone providers, pay utility bills and manage their finances in both Khmer and English scripts. These services will be available through text messages, mobile-phone Internet browsers and downloadable application interfaces. They will support multiple currencies and language scripts, the press statement said.

RDB records jump in loan requests to $46m

(Posted by CAAI News Media)

Thursday, 19 November 2009 15:00 Chun Sophal

Business interests seek capital to buy and store paddy, maximising profit from upcoming harvest

State-run Rural Development Bank (RDB) reported Tuesday that the end of the dry season had been marked by a rash of requests for loans by rice miller associations and local companies.

The bank received applications for US$46 million in loans, Director General Sun Kunthor said, adding that the money was earmarked for building rice mills and drying kilns, and to buy raw paddy to process.

“We are now examining applications to see if they fulfill our requirements,” he said, adding that a final decision would be made early next month at the beginning of the rice-harvesting season.

The RDB requires its applicants to state their business case for the capital and provide collateral to secure the loan.

Sun Kunthor said $41 million had already been set aside to finance the requests – $31 million for short-term capital to buy unprocessed paddy, and another $10 million to be distributed as medium- and long-term loans to increase the capacity of rice mills and improve equipment.

The interest rates offered by the bank range from 6 to 10 percent per year.

“Our main purpose is to enable business interests and associations to buy and store paddy to process rice in order to bring additional income to farmers,” he said.

A request by Prime Minister Hun Sen for banks to extend financial aid to the RDB to support its loan programmes was met on November 14 when the Bank for Investment and Development of Cambodia, Canadia Bank and the Foreign Trade Bank combined to offer $33 million. The RDB predicted the capital will allow the purchase of an additional 150,000 to 200,000 tonnes of paddy during the harvest season, assuming paddy prices between $200 and $210 per tonne.

Last year, paddy averaged $US170 to $US230 per tonne.

According to reports from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Cambodia’s paddy production exceeded local demand last year by about 3.16 million tonnes.

Sun Kunthor said previously that local interests were formerly able to buy only leftover paddy, amounting to 10 percent of the total, because they lacked capital and infrastructure, and added he hoped the loans would increase the figure to 25 percent over the coming harvest season.

Traditional fighter wants to break resolute stranglehold

Photo by: Sovan Philong

Chan Rattana, 22, wearing a black T-shirt, practices yuthakun korm with Seng Sochan, 27, at Olympic Stadium.

(Posted by CAAI News Media)

Thursday, 19 November 2009 15:00 Ou Mom

Having trained in the discipline for 45 years, an exponent of yuthakun korm wants to see the martial art recognised by the Khmer Martial Art Federation

It is a widely held belief that bokator is the beginning, middle and end when it comes to Khmer martial arts.

But Som Chan Bunthoeun thinks otherwise. He is a master and instructor of an alternative discipline called yuthakun korm, or kormayuth, which he claims is the truest traditional Khmer martial art form.

Ten years ago, the 60-year-old left his hometown of Battambang, and moved to Phnom Penh with his family to promote yuthakun korm. His ultimate aim is to have the style recognised by the Khmer Martial Art Federation.

Fighting for acceptance

Established in 2004, the federation currently classifies bokator as the pre-eminent fighting style in Cambodia, but Som Chan Bunthoeun has been fighting for his art’s acceptance for a number of years.

A lack of funding and sponsors has thus far thwarted his quest to found either a federation or association for yuthakun korm, although his passionate efforts have certainly ruffled a few feathers at the Khmer Martial Arts Federation. Its director, San Kim Sean, said he didn’t want to hear any more about Som Chan Bunthoeun.

“He has a different purpose to us, and we have already cancelled his membership of the federation. Technically, this means he has the right to do anything he wants,” he said.

Without legal expertise or funds to set up his own association, Som Chan Bunthoeun needs the help of the federation to make his dream a reality. He says this help has not been forthcoming, despite the fact that he has “filed all the relevant documents relating to Khmer martial arts”.

‘Purest form’ of combat

There are currently around 15 trainers in eight provinces who teach yuthakun korm. Som Chan Bunthoeun trains around 20 fighters at his club.

Pum Nar Kri works with students in Banteay Meanchey and shares Bunthoeun’s belief that it is the purest form of Khmer combat, even claiming that no instructors in Phnom Penh teach real Khmer forms.

“They all mix Khmer martial art with a number of different styles,” he said.

The farmer and fisherman also revealed he would be happy to accept a position in any prospective federation, as long as it doesn’t affect his family adversely.

“I want to promote this Khmer martial art, but only if the position can provide me and my family a livelihood on a par with my current career,” he explained.

Som Chan Bunthoeun, who was schooled from age 15 in yuthakun korm by his grandfather, is adamant his odyssey will bear fruit.

“It has been a long struggle. I will not give up because we also get a lot of support from the audience when we hold competitions,” he said.

Prom plans to bounce back

Photo by: Asian Tour

Thailand’s Prom Meesawat claims he enjoys playing at the Phokeethra golf course in Siem Reap as it has a “tinge of Thailand” to make him feel at home ahead of the 2009 Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open.

(Posted by CAAI News Media)

Thursday, 19 November 2009 15:00 THE ASIAN TOUR

Thai golf star Prom Meesawat is looking to reclaim his top form at this week’s 2009 Johnnie Walker Cambodia Open after recovering from a shoulder injury

SIEM REAP – Thailand’s Prom Meesawat is confident of returning to his best form and challenge for the Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open, which starts today.

Prom struggled with a shoulder injury during midseason but the 25-year-old is optimistic he can conjure his old magic which led him to his maiden Asian Tour title three years ago.

He will face tough opposition as a plethora of Asian Tour stars including Singapore’s Lam Chih Bing, 11-time Asian Tour winner Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand, Anthony Kang of the United States, who is third on the Order of Merit, and Australia’s in-form Marcus Both are in the field at this week’s US$300,000 tournament.

“I had an injury on my left shoulder, but it is now better and I am swinging better. I have more confidence now because I’m striking the ball well. It has been three years since my last win, but I feel I am closer to winning again,” Prom said Tuesday.

Prom, nicknamed the “Big Dolphin” due to his burly physique and the fact that he comes from the coastal town of Hua Hin, was delighted to be back at the highly rated par-72 Phokeethra course as it gives him a sense of being at home.

“I love to come here because there’s a tinge of Thailand here as the course owner is Thai and many Thai players are also playing. This course is good for me and I am confident of having a good week,” he said, adding that he hopes to improve on his tied third place in 2007 and tied 23rd place in 2008.

Lam, who finished second at the Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open last season, is hoping to repeat last year’s performance which subsequently led him to a maiden victory on the Asian Tour.

“Finishing second here was my best finish at that point so it really gave me the confidence to win my maiden title. It is definitely my plan to try and finish strongly again,” said Lam.

The Singaporean has made 11 cuts in 14 tournaments this year and will be determined to improve on his best finish at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open in Korea where he ended in tied eighth place.

“I played OK over the last few weeks but it seems like in every tournament one bad round will pull me down. I have to find consistency for all four days and hopefully it will be this week,” he said.

The immensely talented Thaworn knows he can equal compatriot Thongchai Jaidee’s record of 12 Asian Tour wins. He has endured an up-and-down season but will look to his victory at the Macau Open earlier this season to spur him on.

“My consistency is very unbalanced. Sometimes I play good golf and sometimes I just lose my form. I have been training very hard to remain consistent and it has been slowly paying off.

“Equalling Thongchai’s record is not in my mind but I feel very comfortable playing on this course as it is near Thailand and it reminds me of home. I am hoping to do well,” said Asia’s No 1 in 2005.

This year’s Cambodian Open field also includes local amateurs Seng Vanseiha and Ly Hong, the latter of who put in a sterling performance at last month’s FCC Nations Cup at Siem Reap’s Angkor Golf Resort.

PPCrown's 'Mr Left' in trials for Thai side

Photo by: NICK SELLS (http://www.nicksellsphotography.com/)

Phnom Penh Crown’s Chan Rithy is training in Thailand with Thai Premier League side Bangkok Glass in the hope of a permanent contract.

(Posted by CAAI News Media)

Thursday, 19 November 2009 15:00 Ung Chamroeun

CHAN Rithy, former Cambodian national team midfielder and left winger for Cambodian Premier League (CPL) team Phnom Penh Crown, is set to become the first Cambodian footballer of his generation to play in the Thai Premier League (TPL).

Be Makara, manager of Phnom Penh Crown, told the Post by phone Tuesday that his No 11 is now training with Bangkok Glass, currently third place in the TPL. According to the manager, Chan Rithy will opt to stay in Thailand if Bangkok Glass think he is good enough. There, he will join former Crown teammate Samuel Ajayi, who moved to Bangkok in 2008.

The 26-year-old is a favourite among Cambodian football fans, who have nicknamed him “Mr Left” due to his impressive skills with his left peg. He is also the elder brother of Chan Dara, defender of Khemara Keila and member of the Cambodian U23 national team.

Bangkok Glass are familiar to Phnom Penh Crown, having beaten them by an aggregate score of 5-4 over two legs in the 2009 Singapore Cup quarterfinals. Chan Rithy scored a penalty against his new side in the second leg. The Thai outfit went on to make the finals of the competition, which they lost 1-0 to Singapore side Geylang United.

For Be Makara, it will be a big loss to his team, but he really supports the decision of Chan Rithy for the future of his footballing career.

Crown, 2008 CPL winners and reigning Hun Sen Cup champions, hope to return quickly to winning ways after finishing a disappointing fourth place in the 2009 CPL campaign.

“Our Cambodian players are strong, so for the 2010 Hun Sen Cup, we will try our best to defend the title,” said Be Makara, adding that Crown had already signed two new players, Ly Sokheng from Phouchung Neak and Chhun Sothearath from Build Bright United. Goalkeeper Sos Proshim, and players Touch Sokheng, Chea Kolboth and Chea Virath, have been let go by the club.

The Phnom Penh Post News in Brief

(Posted by CAAI News Media)

Aiding Bhutan trade

Thursday, 19 November 2009 15:00 May Kunmakara

Ministry of Commerce officials is to host a workshop for a Bhutanese delegation today to share information on Cambodia’s trade development experience. Bhutan, a least developed country, is a candidate for accession to the World Trade Organisation and has applied for funding from the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) fund, a multidonor initiative aimed at supporting LDCs in trade development. Cambodia has been at the forefront among LDCs in securing funds from the IF programme, the United Nations said.

Lightweight finals later

Thursday, 19 November 2009 15:00 Robert Starkweather

THE lightweight tournament finals scheduled for Sunday at the CTN boxing arena have been postponed until December 6. Kao Roomchang from Club Anlong Veng will face Van Chanvey from Club Preah Khan Reach in the bout for first and second place, and Long Sophy from Club Salavorn will face Vung Noy from Club Pailin for third and fourth. The first-place winner will then meet 60-kilogram titlist Lao Sinath from the Commando 911 Boxing Club early next year in a title fight.

NZ to sign auditing pact

Thursday, 19 November 2009 15:00 May Kunmakara

The National Audit Authority of Cambodia will sign a memorandum of understanding with its counterpart in New Zealand on peer auditing early next year, authority Secretary General Luk Nhib said Wednesday. The agreement follows a four-day visit of a delegation from the national audit office to Audit New Zealand last week. New Zealand will send two or three representatives to Cambodia next month to gather information and documents in preparation for an audit of the Cambodian authority’s efforts next year, Luk Nhib said. “It is very important for us to know about our misconduct or shortfalls in order to improve our capacity and systems,” he said.

Construction on Vietnam-Cambodia border landmark begins

11/18/2009

(Posted by CAAI news Media)

Vietnam’s southern province of Binh Phuoc and Cambodia’s province Kampongcham held a groundbreaking ceremony on November 18 to build landmark No 78 on the Vietnam-Camboida border.

Addressing the groundbreaking ceremony, leaders of both provinces affirmed that the construction of the first landmark on the borderline of the two provinces will help complete the demarcation and landmark planting between the two provinces.

They added that it will also contribute to meeting people’s aspirations in building a peaceful, soliarity, sustainable and long-term border between Vietnam and Cambodia.

The landmark is expected to be completed within 60 days.

FACTBOX: Khmer Rouge casts lingering shadow over Cambodia

Wed Nov 18, 2009

(Posted by CAAI News Media)

(Reuters) - Closing arguments begin next Monday in the trial of chief Khmer Rouge interrogator Duch, the first senior Pol Pot cadre to face a U.N.-backed "Killing Fields" tribunal investigating Cambodia's genocide.

Here are some facts about the Khmer Rouge and how Cambodia is dealing with its legacy:

THE KILLING FIELDS

- Pol Pot's ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge guerrillas launched a bloody agrarian revolution in 1975, five years after King Norodom Sihanouk was overthrown in a right-wing coup.

- An estimated 1.7 million people -- 21 percent of the population -- were executed or died of disease, starvation or overwork over the next four years in rural labor camps that became known as the "Killing Fields."

THE FALL OF THE KHMER ROUGE

- Vietnamese troops invaded in late 1978 and installed a communist government made up mostly of former Khmer Rouge cadres, including current Prime Minister Hun Sen. Hanoi withdrew in 1989.

- Fighting continued between the government and Khmer Rouge remnants between 1979 and 1991. Millions of Cambodians remained in refugee camps during the unrest.

SLOW ROAD TO JUSTICE

- A 1991 U.N.-brokered peace pact led to elections in 1993 and the restoration of Sihanouk as a constitutional monarch.

- In August 1999, two years after Cambodia asked the United Nations and the international community to help set up a Khmer Rouge genocide tribunal, the government said it wanted to maintain overall control of the court.

- The plan languished for years. Draft laws flew back and forth between Cambodia and the United Nations. The tribunal's legitimacy was questioned in Cambodia and there were calls for world leaders -- from former U.N. leaders to Jimmy Carter, Margaret Thatcher and Henry Kissinger -- to be subpoenaed over their support for Pol Pot's regime.

CRUNCH TIME

- The United Nations gave the go-ahead for a $56.3 million, three-year trial in April 2005, but officials disagreed over the legalities of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, as the joint tribunal is known.

They finally agreed on the basic rules of the court in June 2007, allowing the tribunal to proceed in earnest. Full trials are expected to start next year, but prosecutors say they need more time and cash.

ON TRIAL:

- Five senior Khmer Rouge cadres have been arrested and charged variously with crimes against humanity and war crimes.

They are ex-president Khieu Samphan, former foreign minister Ieng Sary and his wife Khieu Thirith, "Brother Number Two" Nuon Chea, and Duch, who ran Phnom Penh's "S-21" torture and interrogation center.

- Pol Pot, architect of the Khmer Rouge's "Year Zero" peasant revolution, was captured in 1997 and died in April 1998. The one-legged military chief Ta Mok died in 2006.

LIVING LEGACY:

- Thirty years after the regime fell, more than 20,000 ex-Khmer Rouge soldiers and workers live freely in the country.

- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has blasted the tribunal after acting international co-prosecutor, William Smith of Australia, recommended five more suspects be investigated. Hun Sen said arresting more suspects could spark a civil war.

- While there is no evidence linking him to any atrocities, his government includes many former cadres.

Sources: Reuters, Cambodian Genocide Project ( www.yale.edu/cgp/chron_v3.html )

(Writing by Gill Murdoch; Editing by Martin Petty and Jason Szep)

Thailand's Fading Smiles

Luke Hunt | Bio | 18 Nov 2009
World Politics Review

(Posted by CAAI News Media)

Gripped by simmering cross-border tensions, a dysfunctional democracy and collective unease over the health of the monarchy, Thailand has seen its status as a major power in Southeast Asia and its influence in the wider region cast under a harsh light recently.

The most recent political shockwaves to roll through the Bangkok establishment emanated from ousted Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra, who having fled a jail term for corruption, continues to goad his enemies from exile -- this time by accepting a job offer from the Cambodian government as an economic adviser.

At a carefully stage-managed press conference last week, with the rest of the region looking on, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen refused an extradition request from Bangkok authorities for Thaksin, offered him a home and a job, and hailed him as a great friend and economist.

But Hun Sen's stunt was also seen as a personal attack, designed to embarrass the English-born Thai leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and his government ahead of a series of major international conferences, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summits.

Gavin Greenwood, an analyst with Hong Kong-based Allan & Associates, said Hun Sen likes to style himself as an old revolutionary fighter among soft-handed courtiers. "His contempt for Abhisit -- who he apparently views as a metropolitan, Western acolyte with no business in the neighborhood -- may have colored his judgment."

Bangkok recalled its ambassador as a result of Thaksin's appointment, Cambodia responded in kind, and in a tit-for-tat display of sand-pit diplomacy, hard-won agreements on oil exploration in the Gulf of Siam were torn up by the Thais, while troops at the disputed temple of Preah Vihear on the border went on full alert.

Chheang Vannarith, executive director of the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP) sees Abhisit -- who came to power after anti-Thaksin protesters effectively pushed the People's Power Party (PPP) from office last year -- as a short-term leader. "I'm still optimistic about bilateral relations between Cambodia and Thailand," he said, adding that "the PPP will win the next election and that means Thaksin and his supporters will be returned."

The elections are not the only reason that 2010 is shaping up to be a turbulent year for Thailand. Concern for the health of King Bhumibol Adulyadjej, who has ruled since 1946, is also paramount. In early November, looking frail and confined to a wheel chair, the revered monarch made his first public appearance since being hospitalized with a lung infection two months ago.

Crown Prince Vajiralongkom remains the heir apparent. His sister, Princess Sirindhorn, is next in line, while his fifth son, 4-year-old Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti from his third and current wife is also a contender. Discussing succession, however, is problematic. Any public comment that can be interpreted as an offense against the dignity of the monarchy risks charges of lèse Majesté, punishable by a three- to-15-year jail term.

"The monarchy is in turmoil and the future is uncertain, some people have even suggested a republic," Chheang of the CICP said. "And Thailand has a conflict going on with every one of its neighbors."

Analysts said that by appointing Thaksin as his government adviser, Hun Sen was attempting to acquire leverage in relations with Thailand -- a risky gambit based on three calculations.

Hun Sen intends to use Thaksin's business acumen to attract foreign investment to Cambodia, while at the same time sharpening the political rifts and divisions that exist within the Thai government. Finally, by shifting the focus of Thai-Cambodian relations from the territorial dispute at Preah Vihear to political issues, he hopes to force a rethink in Bangkok on bilateral relations.

However, analysts warned that Hun Sen and Thaksin may have miscalculated, and that the excessive goading might prove a winner for Abhisit at the ballot box.

"Hun Sen is moving strongly against his neighbor, which of course has been a sworn enemy of Cambodia for centuries," said Keith Loveard, a regional security analyst with Jakarta-based Concord Consulting. But he added that "the move could be counterproductive . . . possibly tipping the scales toward the conservatives in Thai politics and away from Thaksin, simply because of animosity against Cambodia."

Those sentiments were echoed by Greenwood. "If Hun Sen sees Thaksin's return to power in Thailand as a reason to offer him work and sanctuary, then I think he is either delusional or extremely badly informed," he said. "Thaksin has absolutely no chance, in my view, of recovering his political mantle in Thailand."

Luke Hunt is a Hong Kong-based correspondent and a World Politics Review contributing editor.

Photo: Monument to King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) of Thailand, Phitsanulok, Thailand (photo by Wikimedia user ChrisO, placed in the public domain).

Samart builds Cambodian empire without Thaksin's help

By Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation

Published on November 19, 2009

(Posted by CAAI News Media)

While rumours fly that Samart's ties with ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen are close enough to fake the arrest of its employee, an investigation by The Nation tells a different story.

Samart embarked on expansion into the neighbouring country through Charoenrath Vilailuck's personal connection to Cambodian politician-cum-businessman Sun Chanthol.

Chanthol, a Harvard University graduate, was known for his business smarts. He was the public-works and transport minister until last year.

Charoenrath is the older brother of Watchai, CEO of Samart.

Through the connection with Charoenrath, Cambodia handed the company a concession for the nascent mobile-phone market, and Cambodia Samart Communications was born in 1992.

The following year, Cambodia Shinawatra was set up as a subsidiary of Shin Satellite to penetrate the mobile-phone market in the neighbouring country.

Telecom insiders recall Chanthol was a close aide to Prince Norodom Ranariddh, who was prime minister before Hun Sen took power.

"The connection led to the air-traffic-control concession going to Samart in 2001," a source said. "Samart indeed entered the country before Thaksin."

In that year, Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS) was formed to run the 22-year concession. Thaksin was present at the ceremony when Cambodia extended the concession from 15 years to 22.

Back then, Shin Corp, Thaksin's family business, faced troubles in expanding there when the mobile-phone concession was shortened.

From CATS, Samart moved to building a power plant to support the Siam Cement Group's new plant there.

The Vilailuck family also won a 99-year concession to open a museum in Siem Reap, but it has performed badly financially, because visitors tend to flock to a South Korean museum nearby.

This explains why Watchai was in the hot seat and cried for help when his business was tampered with by the Cambodian government. Without any political involvement now, he is seeking to further distance Samart from politics.

School in Cambodia memorializes L-S students who died too soon

CourtesyStudents at the L-S Memorial School on the first day of class.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/

By Staff reports
Wed Nov 18, 2009

(Posted by CAAI News Media)

SUDBURY - In an act of remembrance heard round the world, the Lincoln-Sudbury Memorial School opened its doors on October 1, in the rural Battambang Province of Cambodia, almost 9,000 miles from the high school on Lincoln Rd.

The new school was the result of a busy year planning and fundraising by L-S alum Mira Vale, ‘09, who sought to create a living memorial to all of the students and alumni that "we lost too soon" during Lincoln-Sudbury’s first half-century.

According to Vale, she first conceived of the idea for the Memorial School Project in the winter of 2007, her sophomore year at L-S. She recalls that it was a difficult time for anyone connected to the school. In the aftermath of tragically losing several members of the community, she began to wonder, "What could I possibly do to make this situation a little better?"

She recalled a December 2006 column by Nicholas Kristof in the New York Times detailing efforts to build schools in rural Cambodia, where war, genocide, poverty and the sex slave trade had destroyed the lives of many youth. She wondered, "What if L-S could help build a school as a means of healing our own?"

In her senior year, Vale - now a student at Yale - initiated an ambitious effort to raise the required $13,000. She and a small circle of friends and faculty organized t-shirt and bake sales, a roller-skating event, several benefit concerts, a community yard sale, and Facebook appeals. With contributions from students, staff, and alumni, a generous grant from the LSPO, and a gift from the Class of 2009, the goal was finally reached last spring. Construction on the school then began under the aegis of "American Assistance for Cambodia" (AAfC), which has helped build over 400 schools in that country.

Last month, the Lincoln-Sudbury Memorial School opened and the first photographs arrived shortly thereafter.

"After more than two and-a-half years, this project was suddenly so real," says Vale. "It amazes me that thousands of miles away, there is a school with our name on it, one that our love and community built, which is providing opportunities for a better life for people who wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to go to school.

"I’m proud of the efforts of the Lincoln-Sudbury Memorial School Project, and I’m profoundly grateful to the support we’ve received along the way. Thanks especially to Bill Schechter, John Ritchie, and Ann Kramer for helping to move this project to action, to the L-S students and alumni who baked cookies, played music, and fell down on roller skates for a good cause, to my parents for their support in so many different ways, and of course to the L-S community for their contributions to this project."

Schechter, a retired L-S history teacher, noted that the two Lincoln-Sudburys are very different in scale, but that "the hopeful looks on the faces of the Cambodian students are the very same as those I saw every year on the first day of school in Sudbury.

"Everyone who has seen the memorial list is shocked by how long it is. But alumni have also said how good they feel that their friends are being remembered in a way that will help other young people who have suffered so much.."

The story of the new school and the names of those to whom it is dedicated will be preserved on the new Lincoln-Sudbury Memorial School Web site, which is located at: //LincolnSudburyMemorialSchool.Org. Names can be added to the "virtual plaque" and corrections made through a link on the page. The Web site will soon accessible through the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional H.S. home page.

Presently, there is no easy way to contact the Cambodian school, because the remote area does not receive regular mail service. If additional funds can be raised, it would be possible to supply the school with an English/computer teacher, solar panels, and a low-power computer capable of sending and receiving email. Contributions can be sent to L-S English teacher Ann Kramer. Checks should be made payable to "American Assistance for Cambodia (AAfC)."

Defensive preparations made in Thai border towns

By Channel NewsAsia's IndoChina Correspondent Anasuya Sanyal

18 November 2009

(Posted by CAAI News Media)

THAILAND-CAMBODIA BORDER: Defensive preparations are being made in some Thai border towns, just kilometres away from where the two countries meet – with bunkers set up in recent months as a part of Thai villagers' defence strategy.

Such anti-artillery bunkers reflect the rising tension between Thailand and Cambodia, especially along the border. Relations are at an all-time low for a variety of reasons.

A 4.6-kilometre parcel of land near Preah Vihear temple is still disputed.

Fugitive former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra was recently welcomed by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to advise the government. And the arrest of a Thai national in Phnom Penh accused of spying has resulted in a diplomatic deadlock.

But most agree that it is a government spat and not likely to turn violent.

"The conflict that (has) arisen at this moment is not between people. The Cambodian people and Thai people are still good friends together and they have good relationship, even the soldiers. No one wants any fight, but in case we have to do it, we are ready to win," said Thai Justice Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga.

In addition to evacuation plans, governments in Thai border towns have built 340 concrete and sandbag bunkers at a cost of over US$2 million. They said people feel more secure with them around.

And though the government said the military situation is normal on the border, the media is denied access and told it is for their own safety.

Some analysts said Thais will put aside political divisions to unite against a perceived external threat, but this corner of the Kingdom still supports the former prime minister.

"Local people here like Thaksin. We are proud that a Thai become an advisor (to another country)," said Nirandon Lumthaisong, official, Sao Thongchai sub-district.

An escalation of the row may include sealing the border between the two countries.

However, locals here said this would hurt trade and their livelihoods and make the situation much worse for the people who have already borne much of the brunt of this conflict.

- CNA/sc

Cambodia, RP to have direct air flights early next year

(philstar.com) Updated November 18, 2009

(Posted by CAAI news Media)

PHNOM PENH (Xinhua) - Cambodia and Philippines have already signed deal to have direct air links between the two countries and hoped the direct flights will be commenced early next year, a government official said Wednesday.

Soy Sokhan, undersecretary of state of Cambodia's Civil Aviation Secretariat said that both countries signed memorandum of understanding on the matter last September, aimed at boosting tourism sector.

He said according to the MoU, seven flights per week are expected to fly directly from Manila and another seven flights from other cities in the Philippines to Cambodia.

Cebu Air of the Philippines and Cambodia Angkor Air are eligible to this MoU.

He added that Cambodia at present has three international airports: Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville.

Philippines is one of the regional tourist destinations among the ten member states of Association of South East Asian Nations.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has announced an open sky policy in order to attract more foreign tourists visiting his country.

Thai minister hopes to recover Cambodian temple

http://www.etaiwannews.com/

By CHRIS BLAKE

Associated Press

2009-11-18

(Posted by CAAI news Media)

Thailand hopes some day to prove its claim to a historic border temple awarded to Cambodia by the World Court almost half a century ago, its justice minister says.

Justice Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga expressed his opinion on the controversy over the 11th century Preah Vihear temple as Thailand's relations with its neighbor have become badly strained.

The temple sits on a cliff in a disputed zone between Thailand and Cambodia. It has been a source of tension and fueled nationalist sentiments on both sides of the border for decades.

On Wednesday, Cambodian villagers stabbed straw effigies of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, saying his policies caused border tensions that hurt their livelihoods.

The Thai government is carrying out delicate diplomatic maneuvering with Cambodia to try to obtain the release of a Thai citizen accused of spying. Relations with Cambodia have worsened lately because it hosted a visit by former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by a 2006 military coup and is now a fugitive from justice.

Pirapan on Tuesday led foreign journalists on a tour to the northeastern province of Sri Saket, adjacent to the Cambodian area where the temple is located.

Thai nationalists consider the 1962 ruling on the temple an injustice. Last year, Thai-Cambodian relations soured when Bangkok first backed, then opposed Cambodia's bid to have the temple declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Some Thais believe the designation undermines their claims to a small area of surrounding land, despite denials by UNESCO.

Since then, both countries have beefed up their forces at the border, leading to several skirmishes that left at least seven soldiers dead.

"We respect the court ruling but hope to one day have the evidence to prove the temple itself is ours," Pirapan told The Associated Press.

Pirapan incorrectly claimed that the court ruled only that the temple itself belonged to Cambodia, but not the land it stands on.

The official summary of the court's judgment says it "found that the Temple of Preah Vihear was situated in territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia."

Asked why Thailand was willing to fight over the disputed land near the temple, Pirapan responded: "because it's ours. Even if it is only one square inch, it is ours."

On the Cambodian side of the border, villagers Wednesday vented their anger by beating and stabbing straw effigies with signs carrying Abhisit's name.

"Abhisit is the man who created a war with us and makes our villagers lose their houses and property in the fighting," Try Piseth, one of the villagers who took part, said by phone.

The temple is easier to reach from the Thai side of the border, and a market has sprouted up on the Cambodian side that serves many Thai customers. But because of the unrest, the Thai army has blocked access to the temple much of the time in recent months so no one can visit the market from the Thai side.

Cambodia this month named Thaksin an adviser on economic affairs. The appointment, and a subsequent visit by Thaksin, set off a diplomatic row in which the two countries recalled their ambassadors. A Thai court last year sentenced Thaksin in absentia to two years in prison on a corruption charge.

Relations were strained further when Cambodia rejected a formal request from Bangkok to extradite Thaksin. The situation worsened when Cambodia expelled a Thai diplomat and arrested a Thai man on spying charges for allegedly passing secret information on Thaksin's flight schedule to the Thai Embassy.

___

Associated Press writer Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh contributed to this report

Long road to IPR

(Posted by CAAI news Media)

Wednesday, 18 November 2009 15:00 RANN REUY

SIEM REAP – Ministry of Commerce Undersecretary of State Dith Tina told a regional meeting on intellectual property rights (IPR) in Siem Reap on Monday that Cambodia “still has a long journey ahead” and “faces many challenges” in meeting its IPR commitments. He also called for a regional policy for IP registration, the strengthening of institutions to enforce rights, public awareness campaigns and human resource development at the 32nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation.

Hanoi theater to perform ‘Stereo Man’ at Cambodian festival

A scene in the play "Stereo man"

Wednesday,Nov 18,2009

(Posted by CAAI news Media)

The Hanoi-based Youth Theater will present its mime “Stereo Man” at the Mekong Arts and Media Festival to be held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from November 23 to 27.

The play, with a cast including Nhu Lai, Hoai Nam, Cong Dung, and Hoang Tung, was staged for the first time at the 2007 Mekong Experimental Theater Festival.

The play talks about the feelings and aspirations of a man with HIV and analyzes social issues like gender, sex, HIV/AIDS, homoeroticism, and violence.

It has been staged more than 50 times at universities and colleges in Vietnam as well as Thailand and India in the last three years.

The Mekong Arts and Media Festival 2009, organized by the Philippines Educational Theater Association, will feature a series of cultural activities to mark PETA’s activities in the last three years in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam, and China.

This year’s event focuses on social issues.

Source: TT&VH – Translated by Kim Khanh

Cambodia installs tech-system to manage national secret information

November 18, 2009

(Posted by CAAI News Media)

Cambodian government has installed the high-tech system for managing national secret information and recommended the local government agencies to send their reports to Interior Ministry for keeping those reports, the statement from Ministry of Interior said on Wednesday.

Ministry of Interior is strengthening the work of Department of Falsifying Literature Character and installed the system to guarantee the safety of national secret documents, Sar Kheng, deputy prime minister and minister of interior said in the statement.

Cambodia has now developed for all fields, especially in the areas of information technology, telecommunication which moved a step forward with providing advanced qualification and huge benefit for the society, but at the same time, it also provided much faults especially not being able to keep secrets for the work of the government or governmental ministries and local governmental agencies to provinces, he noted.

The interior ministry has seen the importance of the work of national security and secret that we aim at defending that reports without interfering from other hostilities, he said.

To make the work proceeding smoothly, the Interior Ministry would like to appeal all governmental agencies to provide all data of the report to the department for management, it said. "We hope all governmental agencies will cooperate with high responsibility for keeping national secret," Sar Kheng noted.

Source: Xinhua

Thai Mother to Visit Son Arrested in Cambodia

http://english.cri.cn/

2009-11-18
Xinhua
Web Editor: Zhang Zhang

(Posted by CAAI News Media)

A Thai mother is preparing to travel to Cambodia to visit her son, who has been arrested in Cambodia since last week.

Mrs. Simaluck Na Nakhon Panom, a teacher, asked her educational institution for leave due to being stressed and weak, Thai News Agency reported.

However, she has been with senior officials from the Thai Foreign Ministry as by Thursday the ministry will coordinate with Cambodia asking it to allow her to go to Cambodia to visit her detained son.

Simaluck's son, Mr. Siwarak Chothipong, 31, worked as engineer at Cambodia Air Traffic Services Co Ltd, was arrested on Nov. 11 according to the arrest warrant of prosecutor of Phnom Penh Municipality Court.

According to a news report by the Khmer language newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea, Siwarak spied through copying the letters of flights of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in Cambodia and Prime Minister Hun Sen from CATS - Cambodia Air Traffic Services Co Ltd which has duties to control all flights in country...and he sent those reports to Thailand.

Siwarak has been detained in a prison in Phnom Penh, according to the Thai Foreign Ministry, as on Tuesday a Thai envoy was allowed by the Cambodian government to visit him in the prison.

Thailand and Cambodia have downgraded their diplomatic relations due to conflict over an appointment of Thaksin as an economic advisor to Cambodia's government and Prime Minister Hun Sen on Nov. 4.

A day after the appointment of Thaksin, the Cambodian government announced recall of its ambassador to Thailand in a move to respond to the Thai government's recall of its ambassador to Cambodia.

Thaksin was ousted by the military coup in September 2006, in accusation of corruption, and has been kept in exile since then.

He returned to Thailand in February 2008 to face corruption charges, but he later fled into exile again and was convicted in absentia.

Thaksin to help detained Thai engineer in Cambodia

http://enews.mcot.net/

(Posted by CAAI News Media)

BANGKOK, Nov 18 (TNA) - Fugitive ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is willing to help the Thai engineer detained in a Cambodian prison as his mother has earlier asked, Thaksin legal adviser Noppadon Pattama affirmed Wednesday.

Mr Noppadon commented after the mother of Siwarak Chothipong, detained by Cambodian authorities on spying charges, said through a media interview that she wanted Mr Thaksin to help her son to get out of jail there.

The Thaksin aide said that the former premier has acknowledged her demand and is willing to help on humanitarian grounds, but that it should wait for the Cambodian legal process to unfold first.

"Mr Thaksin reaffirmed that Mr Siwarak will be treated fairly without any prejudice," the attorney said. "Currently he is considered innocent, but if he is found guilty, the former premier hopes that the Cambodian court will give him mercy."

Mr Noppadon said that Mr Siwarak's mother told him to pass her gratitude to Mr Thaksin after being informed about his reaction to the matter.

"It is hard to lean on the government during this period due to diplomatic spat," said Mr Noppadon, while reaffirming that the former Thai premier is willing to help, but only after the Cambodian court's ruling.

Mr Noppadon however denied to specify what kind of "humanitarian" help would be extended and how it would help Mr Siwarak, saying only that the detained Thai national will be given mercy by Cambodia despite court ruling.

Ex-premier Thaksin's legal adviser also refused to give details of the charges but said that he believes the Cambodian authorities had clear evidence before arresting Mr Siwarak.

Some Thai media reported that Mr Thaksin had contacted Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen asking him to free Mr Siwarak and that opposition Puea Thai Party chairman Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyuth will fly to accompany him back to Thailand.

Mr Siwarak, 31, an employee of Cambodia Air Traffic Service (CATS), was arrested last week after being accused of giving information about Mr Thaksin’s flight schedule to a Thai embassy official in Phnom Penh. (TNA)

Jatuporn claims Cambodia has audio clip of Kasit's seeking Thaksin's flight schedule

November 18, 2009

(Posted by CAAI news Media)

Pheu Thai Party MP Jatuporn Promphan claimed Wednesday that the Cambodian government has an audio clip of Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya ordering the first secretary of the Thai embassy in Cambodia to seek flight schedule of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Jatuporn said the first secretary, Khamrob Parnwatwichai, in turn told Siwarak Chutipong, an engineer of Cambodia Air Traffic Services, to steal the information for him.

Jatuporn said the Cambodian government retaliated by expelling the first secretary and arresting Siwarak.

Jatuporn warned Kasit could be embarrassed soon when the Cambodian government released the audio clip.

The Nation