Swedish paedophile found guilty

Photo by: Pha lIna

A hearing in the case of accused American paedophile Harvey Alexander Johnson, 57, (centre) was delayed Tuesday for lack of an interpreter.

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Wednesday, 20 January 2010 15:03 Chrann Chamroeun

PHNOM Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday found a 62-year-old Swedish man guilty of two counts of committing indecent acts and having sex with children, and sentenced him to six-and-a-half years in prison.

Johan Brahim Escori was also ordered to pay a fine of 4 million riels (US$963).

Police arrested Escori last May at a hotel in Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh district, where he was sharing a room with a 9-year-old boy who he claimed was his adopted son.

The arrest followed nearly two years of surveillance by the child protection NGO Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE), which accused the Sihanoukville resident of regularly abusing three underage boys: the 9-year-old found in Escori’s hotel room and two children who sold souvenirs on the beach.

Presiding Judge Chhay Kong said one of the counts for which Escori was convicted was for crimes committed in Phnom Penh, whereas the other was for crimes committed in Sihanoukville.

“This man was convicted of regularly abusing underage boys beginning in 2007, both in Phnom Penh and Preah Sihanouk province,” he said, adding that Escori would be permanently expelled from Cambodia after serving out his prison term. Escori will be credited for the seven months he has already served.

Samleang Seila, APLE’s country director, said he welcomed the court’s decision, which he said “sends a clear, serious message: ‘Do not commit sex crimes in Cambodia’”.

“For this conviction, we must thank the Swedish authorities for sending over documents showing that as early as 1981, this man had already been accused of sexually abusing boys whom he misrepresented as adopted sons,” Samleang Seila said. “This evidence helped ensure that justice was delivered here in Cambodia.”

American’s hearing delayed

Also Tuesday, the first hearing in the case of a 57-year-old American charged with committing indecent acts against a 12-year-old girl was postponed until February 2 because the court could not find an interpreter.

Harvey Alexander Johnson was arrested on August 9 at his rented home in Phnom Penh’s Boeung Kak commune after APLE caseworkers presented authorities with statements by 10 underage girls accusing him of sexual abuse.

“Johnson built up his victims’ trust by giving free English lessons in his home and acting like a kind person,” said Keo Thea, chief of the municipal police’s Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau.

Johnson’s defence lawyer, Dun Vibol, criticised the court for the delay.

“The failure to find an interpreter for my client was the fault of court officials, who knew that my client was unable to afford one on his own,” he said. “It was also a waste of my time, as I am already well-prepared to seek justice on behalf of my client, who is innocent.”

Nobel laureate to push PM on school reform

Photo by: Rick Valenzuela

Economist and Nobel laureate Eric Maskin speaks at the Hotel Cambodiana on Tuesday.

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Wednesday, 20 January 2010 15:03 Ellie Dyer

A NOBEL Prize-winning economist said Tuesday that he intends to discuss the “critical” gap between rich and poor, and emphasise the importance of improving the national education system when he meets with Prime Minister Hun Sen later this week.

Professor Eric Maskin, who won the Nobel Prize for economics in 2007, is scheduled to meet with the premier on Thursday as part of the International Peace Foundation’s “Bridges for Peace” lecture programme.

In an interview Tuesday, he said he believed the rapid economic growth Cambodia experienced prior to the global economic downturn had left the country with a severe skills gap because the rich had disproportionately benefited from access to education.

It will be necessary to close the chasm that resulted in order to improve the Kingdom’s economic prospects, he said.

“I think education is critically important for Cambodia. I don’t think an economy can truly prosper when an equality gap is too high,” he said.

“It can be a socially and politically disruptive force if people are living in such different circumstances, and I’m afraid the gap between rich and poor will continue to grow.”

He added: “I’d like to raise this with Hun Sen. I feel strongly that on the basis of the evidence and the data that education has to be a priority of the government in development.”

Maskin will deliver a lecture titled “Why Global Markets Fail to Reduce Equality” at the University of Cambodia today at 2pm.

Court Protest: Villagers decry arrest of neighbour

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Wednesday, 20 January 2010 15:03 May Titthara

Court Protest

About 100 people gathered in front of Pursat provincial court on Tuesday to protest the detention of a man suspected of robbery, saying that all witnesses to the crime – even the victim – believed the court had wrongly detained him. District police arrested Hai Ol, 47, in Bakan district on January 16 and accused him of robbing a woman of US$500 worth of gold and 20,000 riels ($5) last week. “I dare say that Hai Ol is a good man in the village, and he has never done anything wrong to his neighbours,” said Kuon Yoeun, the chief of Samraong Prey Khiev village, where Hai Ol lives. “Police arrested him without confirming the reason.” Bakan district police chief Pen Tung said the case was no longer under his jurisdiction because it had been transferred to the court, though he defended the arrest. “What we have done is according to evidence found at the scene,” he said.

Mother seeks restitution for drowned son

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Wednesday, 20 January 2010 15:03 Khouth Sophak Chakrya and Tha Piseth

A MOTHER who says her only child drowned while fleeing military police in Kandal province during a raid on a cockfighting arena has demanded US$10,000 in compensation, accusing the officers of preventing bystanders from saving him.

Chan Sophea, 23, drowned when he jumped into a canal in Prek Phnau commune, Ponhea Lue district after police raided a cockfighting arena where he was engaged in illegal gambling last Wednesday.

At her son’s funeral in Photraing Sy pagoda on Monday, Chan Sopheap said she would file a complaint against local military police.

“I will file a complaint to the court against the military police next week demanding US$10,000 compensation,” she said.

Several witnesses told her that police fired shots in the air and threatened to shoot them if they attempted to save her drowning son, she said.

She accused police of “cruel inhumanity” for standing by and watching as her son was drowning.

Sau Sokunthea, deputy chief of the provincial military police said he did not know the man had drowned and denied any wrongdoing by his officers.

“No one from the military police threatened people or authorities. Our job is to ensure the people’s security,” he said.

Tan Si Thon, a cousin of Chan Sophea who witnessed his death, said that police beat him with a metal pole and threatened to shoot him if he tried to save the victim. He also demanded compensation for Chan Sopheap.

Falling prices in December capped a year of deflation

Photo by: PHA LINA

A vendor sells seafood this month at a Phnom Penh market. Falling food prices prompted overall deflation in Cambodia last year.

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The continued month-on-month fall [in CPI] is more surprising."
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Wednesday, 20 January 2010 15:01 Steve Finch

Consumer prices fell 0.7pc, but rise in fuel costs will prompt inflation in 2010

CAMBODIA experienced full-year consumer price index (CPI) deflation of 0.7 percent in 2009, San Sy Than, director general of the National Institute of Statistics (NIS), said Tuesday.

December CPI capped an unusual year for price trends in the Kingdom, as the index fell 0.1 percent month-on-month but jumped 5.3 percent in December on prices a year earlier due to the low base at the end of 2008 – when the global economic crisis began to affect Cambodia, analysts said.

The rate matched a December projection by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which foresaw a 5 percent annual rise in prices year on year, “mainly as base effects from sharp declines in commodity prices fall out of the consumer price index”.

Still, overall inflation was sharply down on 2008, when prices rose in August and September at rates above 20 percent and the economy boomed, at least for the first three quarters.

Food prices – which dropped 1 percent – were again at the centre of the continued month-on-month fall in prices in December, the third month in a row that CPI declined, according to new NIS figures.

October was the only month last year in which month-on-month and year-on-year CPI moved in the same direction, falling 0.3 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively, highlighting the shift in base prices and larger effect of the economic crisis upon the Kingdom over the past year and a half.

“A weak base in late 2008, when global commodity prices fell sharply owing to the financial crisis, partly explains December’s year-on-year rise in Cambodian consumer prices,” Nick Owen, a Beijing-based Cambodia specialist at Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), said by email Tuesday. “The continued month-on-month fall is more surprising, but we’re not talking about large movements here.”

Although Owen downplayed the trend, he said “it may be a sign that demand-side pressures are still weak”.

Market dealers and consumers in Phnom Penh told the Post last month that although they had barely noticed falling food prices, the lack of activity was more tangible as demand had been hit by falling purchasing power.

Monthly versus yearly data paint a conflicting picture

In terms of inflation, 2009 became confusing - were we in a period of inflation or deflation? Overall last year, prices fell 0.7 percent – a year of deflation, but only in October was the annualised and month-on-month figure in the same territory - in the case both were negative. This trend was caused by the base figure, which fluctuated as inflation skyrocketed in August 2008 but slumped spectacularly as the crisis hit in Q4.

Source: National Institute of Statistics

Food prices at the farmer-to-wholesaler level have remained fairly stable since the start of the harvest in November.

“We don’t see [the dealers’ purchase] price changing up to now,” Phou Phuy, president of Cambodia Rice Millers Association, told the Post on Tuesday, referring to the start of the harvest two months ago until this week.

Farmers sold normal rice to dealers at US$214 per tonne in November 2008, he said, which had risen 12 percent to $240 per tonne in November, reflecting the year-on-year CPI increase that continued to the beginning of 2008. But prices have remained static since November, he added.

This month, petrol stations have raised both petrol and diesel prices because of price rises on global markets compared with the crash a year ago. That trend was briefly halted Monday in New York as crude oil fell to its lowest level of the year – at just over $77 a barrel – but many analysts say the blip may be temporary.

“Higher oil prices will put upward pressure on the cost of goods and services in Cambodia,” Owen said. “This additional cost will inevitably be passed on to consumers.”

The EIU said Tuesday it was maintaining its projection of 5.9 percent inflation rate for 2010. This is on par with the IMF, which forecast “mid-single digits” in a report last month, “… although upside risk remains, possibly stemming from a more expansionary fiscal stance, a sharper depreciation of the US dollar vis-a-vis other major currencies, and/or higher oil prices than currently envisaged,” it said.

San Sy Than said the NIS was forecasting a much lower rate – about 1 percent.

“According to our forecasts, [there will be] some price increases in January and February,” he said.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MAY KUNMAKARA

Mong Riththy fires up 'clean' charcoal brand

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Wednesday, 20 January 2010 15:01 Chun Sophal

MONG Riththy Group is preparing to put “cleaner” charcoal on the domestic market after a US$10 million investment, its president told the Post Tuesday.

In the coming two weeks, the company is set to introduce between 250 and 1,000 tonnes of Acacia charcoal on the domestic market each month at a price of 1,200 riels (US$0.30) per kilogram, said Mong Riththy.

The special charcoal is thought to be cleaner than the domestic charcoal used normally, as it burns at a high heat and does not produce as much smoke as other varieties.

It has been produced using wood from Acacia trees planted in 2005 on 3,200 hectares of land in the Keo Phos area of Stueng Hav district, Preah Sihanouk province, Mong Riththy said.

“We hope that our company will be successful in putting its clean charcoal into the market because the product is easy to use, burns well, and does not affect the health of users,” he explained Tuesday.

He added that a grinding plant and 50 charcoal kilns have been built to process the wood, which is mixed with palm oil shells to produce the charcoal.

Mong Riththy said he hopes to encourage people to grow Acacia trees to avoid cutting down the Kingdom’s natural forests. One hectare of the crop, which takes five years to mature, could earn about $500 per year, he added.

Government officials welcomed the move to produce cleaner fuel.

Ty Sokun, director general of the Department of Forestry Administration, said Tuesday that people throughout the country cut down around 3.5 million tonnes of wood to use as cooking charcoal each year.

According to a report from the Department of Forest Administration, 70 percent of the firewood people use to cook in Cambodia is cut from natural forest. The other 30 percent is cut from fruit trees.

“We believe that it is a good idea to produce clean charcoal because it will help reduce the demand for firewood from natural forests,” said Ty Sokun.

Women see Facebook as a recipe for business success

Photo by: SOVAN PHILONG

A female worker takes a look at the Cambodia Women in Business page on Facebook Tuesday. The group reached 100 members Monday, a figure that is still rising.

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Helping women in business have access to information is a good thing."
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via CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 20 January 2010 15:01 Ellie Dyer

Networking site a new forum for Cambodian businesswomen

UNDERREPRESENTED female entrepreneurs in the Kingdom are utilising the Internet in a bid to discuss their problems and encourage business growth.

A group called Cambodia Women in Business has set up on social-networking site Facebook to act as a forum for businesswomen.

It was started by female participants in the Government-Private Sector Forum (G-PSF), a group that facilitates business discussions between the public and private sectors. They found that only 10 percent of participants were women, despite a 2009 study by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Asia Foundation which found that 55 percent of private businesses in Cambodia were owned by females.

A spokeswoman for the IFC Coordination Bureau, which organises the forum, explained that participation by women in formal associations and forums may be lower, as many operate small and informal enterprises.

The IFC hopes that for some, the forum will provide an accessible place where gender-related issues can be discussed.

Julie Brickell of the IFC explained in an email Tuesday: “Two things happened to start this off. Women participating in the forum wanted to come together to discuss problems they face as entrepreneurs, and to help each other. They also wanted to reach other women who are not participating in the forum and draw them in.

“Since these women were all using the Internet, they thought setting up a Facebook page would be a good means of facilitating dialogue on this topic.”

Since its launch in November, over 100 women and men have become members of the site. They post links to academic studies, newspaper articles and discussions on gender equality in Cambodia.

The IFC reports the reaction has “been very enthusiastic” so far. It hopes that by promoting women’s empowerment, they can fuel economic growth within the business community and so reduce poverty.

Former women’s minister Mu Sochua of the Sam Rainsy Party welcomed the move, but said she believes that underlying issues causing gender inequality need to be addressed in Cambodia, and that the Internet is an inaccessible resource in much of the country.

She pointed to a lack of education, the pressures for women as carers, societal values and poverty – as well as considerations such as micro-finance interest rates – as factors holding women back in developing small businesses such as tailors, grocery stores and wedding outfitters.

Scholars from the Shinawatra International University in Thailand and Preston University in Cambodia interviewed 61 female entrepreneurs in Phnom Penh in 2009 and reported that 47.5 percent of respondents had a problem balancing work with being a housewife, 14.8 percent reported resistance from their husband’s family and 9.8 percent spoke of the indifferent or hostile attitude of society towards female entrepreneurs.

“Anything that is helping women in business have access to information is a good thing. If women were more educated, they’d be able to use computers and the Internet. In turn, that would help advance their businesses,” said Mu Sochua.

However, she said, gender relations in the Kingdom are changing as female role models – such as radio presenters – reach the public eye.

“But women themselves have to be more confident. Women’s empowerment in all sectors is so important.”

Police Blotter: 20 Jan 2010

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Wednesday, 20 January 2010 15:03 Phak Seangly

CONVICTION UPHELD IN WIFE-KILLING

The Court of Appeal on Tuesday upheld the conviction of a 35-year-old man found guilty of killing his wife in a guesthouse in Takeo’s Kirivong district in October 2008. Chhey Mao was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in prison by Takeo provincial court in March 2009. Police said he was arrested a few days after he killed his wife, 30-year-old Nath Saroeun.

RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

DOCTOR ACCUSED IN PATIENT'S DEATH

A doctor’s lack of experience may have doomed a 55-year-old Chinese man who died in a private clinic in 7 Makara district on Monday, police said. The doctor says the man died of a heart attack, but the victim’s family said he might not have died if the clinic had sent him to Calmette Hospital immediately. Three doctors have been questioned by police in relation to the death.

DEUM AMPIL

STREET VENDOR KILLED IN BATTAMBANG

Police in Battambang province’s Koakrala district said a 35-year-old female street vendor was killed on Sunday. Right before the killing, a customer had wanted to buy some salt from the victim. When the vendor did not return from retrieving the salt inside her house, the customer pushed the door open and saw that the victim had been stabbed to death. Her body was found lying on a bed. Police have no suspects.

DEUM AMPIL

FOUR ARRESTED FOR SELLING DRUGS

Four people were detained in Sen Sok district, Phnom Penh, Monday after police accused them of selling and using drugs. Police said the accused are known for selling drugs to kids in the community, and that neighbours had expressed concerns about their children beginning to use drugs instead of going to school. The four suspects will be sent to provincial court, police said.

RASMEY KAMPUCHEA

SIBLINGS DROWN IN PURSAT LAKE

Two siblings, a 7-year-old and a 9-year-old from Pursat province’s Kandeang district, drowned in a lake on Monday, according to their parents. Their mother said that the two children swam out into deep water, and that no one had been around to save them. Their bodies were found by the mother and have since been sent to the local pagoda.

KOH SANTEHEAP

Bank assets rose 13.6pc in 2009 on new entries

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Wednesday, 20 January 2010 15:01 Nguon Sovan

THE TOTAL assets of Cambodia’s commercial banks increased by an annualised 13.6 percent last year, according to the annual report of the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), released Monday.

The study states that assets increased to $4.74 billion at the end of 2009, compared to $4.17 billion in 2008.

Central bank Governor Chea Chanto told the Post Tuesday that Cambodia’s banking industry had developed in both its scope and operational capacity.

In 2009, three new banks launched in the Kingdom. That move brought the total number of commercial banks in Cambodia to 27.

Tal Nay Im, NBC’s director general, added Tuesday that the new arrivals in the sector had pushed total assets up.

“When new banks come to the country, they normally bring in both current assets and fixed assets,” she said.

According to the report, the number of loans paid out last year increased by 3.2 percent to $2.42 billion from $2.34 billion in 2008. The number of borrowers recorded nationally increased by 15.7 percent to 266,299 from 230,114 in 2008.

Deposits rose by 32.7 percent to $3.28 billion from $2.47 billion in 2008, and the number of depositors rose by 38.4 percent to 968,472 from 699,987.

In Channy, president and CEO of ACLEDA, told the Post Tuesday that an increase in deposits had boosted his company’s assets. They increased by a third to $922 million last year, from only $692.8 million in 2008.

“We predict the same growth in assets at our bank this year,” he added.

How do you do?

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Wednesday, 20 January 2010 15:00 Post Staff

Lift is expanding, and we need you to be a part of it! This week we are ramping up our efforts to build an online community of upwardly-mobile young Cambodians. Look on the back page of this issue for details on how you can help lift our magazine online.

We will also be distributing 2,000 extra copies of Lift to universities across the country, making our total distribution of free copies 6,000. If you still can’t find a copy, all of our content can be seen online as well. You can also buy the Khmer or English edition of The Phnom Penh Post every Wednesday with Lift inside.

This week’s issue is about tourism, because we are proud of our country and we want to share it with the world. The Kingdom of Cambodia is home to some of the most beautiful places and beautiful people in the world, making it an ideal tourist destination.

Everything that we need to attract tourists is already here; sandy beaches, untouched islands, pristine jungles and a fascinating history. However, we must build a supporting infrastructure.

We are beginning a discussion of tourism in this issue, but we desperately want you to join in the conversation. Send your reactions to this issue to lift@phnompenhpost.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or through our online groups, and we will print them in our next issue.

Taking off in tourism

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Wednesday, 20 January 2010 15:00 Rann Reuy and Chan Sovannara

When young people think about jobs in tourism, it tends to evoke images of hotel receptionists and tour guides. However, there are thousands of different jobs related to tourism for students or young professionals in just about every field.

As the tourism industry develops and expands within Cambodia, doors will be opening for capable people to build and manage the supporting infrastructure.

IT skills will be necessary, as the service industry will increasingly rely on computers and the Internet to attract tourists and conduct transactions when they arrive. Language skills and soft-skills are in high demand for any job that involves daily interactions with folks from abroad. Tourism also provides a wealth of opportunities for entrepreneurs with aspirations of starting a business, since tourists are generally an affluent group anxious to spend money.

There are an infinite number of opportunities within tourism. But in order to attract foreigners from developed countries such as South Korea, Japan, Europe an nations and the US, it is necessary for Cambodia to build a supporting infrastructure to take care of these visitors while they are here.

This means more jobs for professionals in areas like health care, law enforcement, construction and urban planning.

As the world economy turns around, there will be many more tourism opportunities around the corner in Cambodia. But in order to capitalise on future opportunities schools must engage students in real world situations to prepare them for employment [see bright idea sidebar].

Touch Sopheak, a recent graduate from the National University of Management, said her university focused more on theory, but she had little real-world practice through internships or training programmes. “Students can reach their potential skills in tourism only if they have a chance to practice or intern.”

Kim Sitha

Freelance tour guide and director of sales, Angkor Vacation Travel & Tours.

“Gold and diamonds can vanish one day, but the temples are here to stay,” said Kim Sitha, who has been a tour guide since 2000. “I think that in coming years, visitors will increase.”

“There are some minor problems with being a guide, such as battling the heat under the sunshine all day, but I think the life of a guide is relatively easy and we can continually improve our knowledge of the tourism sector. We can also learn from foreign tourists and experience a different social life.”

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Sem Sokhorn

Manager, Banquet of Angkor Centrury Hotel.

“It is difficult to get this position because I need to work hard and continuously learn about food and beverages,” said Sem Sokhorn, who has more than 10 years of experience in the hotel industry, adding that English language is a key to realising success because it is necessary to communicate with foreigners. “Training courses allowed me to improve but also help me to improve the service in my department as I continue to try my best and work hard.”

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Kim Sitha

Managing director of sales and tour operations, Travel Loops.

“Everytime I meet a new guest I learn about new ideas,” said Seng Phalkun, who has been involved in the tourism industry since 1996, when he was a driver for three years before becoming a tour guide in 1999. “That’s why I am so interested in tourism sector and the field inspires me to upgrade myself. I will try to expand my service to neighboring countries. Cambodia’s tourism sector is still struggling because there are not many direct flights from overseas,” he explained. “If there are more direct flights, it will mean more visitors and cheaper flights into the country.”

Using tourism to build our future and preserve our past

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Wednesday, 20 January 2010 15:00 Kounila Keo

The past year has been a rough one for tourism in Cambodia, as vacation destinations around the world have been suffering from a lack of visitors due to the world financial crisis. But despite the temporary downturn, tourism remains one of the most promising sectors for development, as the Asian Development Bank predicts that Cambodia’s gross domestic product will grow by 4 percent this year.

As is the case with development in all sectors, tourism projects in Cambodia are often funded by foreign investments, meaning a lot of the profits do not stay in Cambodia. But, by bringing tourists with money into the country, the benefits of tourism investment indirectly benefit everyone. For people who work in the service industry, the benefits are obvious; they have more potential customers with more money. However, more financial resources for tourism can benefit all of Cambodia through an improved physical and social infrastructure.

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While tourism has opened exciting opportunities for development in Cambodia, it also has also provided a unique opportunity for the preservation of the Kingdom’s culture and history.

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These infrastructures include physical structures such as roads, hospitals and airports, but also societal infrastructures such as better law enforcement. While tourists might provide the economic incentive to create these things, the benefits are shared by native populations as well. Better roads for tourists are better roads for Cambodians and improved law enforcement makes everyone safer.

Cambodia has many of the natural wonders and idyllic locales that attract tourists, and according to Kuch Sopha, general manager of Cambodian Wonders Travel&Tours, the challenge is managing tourist hot spots.

“Cambodian students might have to think again when they overlook tourism, because I am sure that it will bring in lots of money and prosperity to the country,” Kuch Sopha said. “Especially if we know how to manage them well.”

While tourism has opened exciting opportunities for development in Cambodia , it also has also provided a unique opportunity for the preservation of the Kingdom’s culture and history.

The preservation of the forests and temples in Siem Reap has been made possible largely through foreign visitors and foreign aid. Many projects to maintain traditional culture, such as Apsara dancing and puppet shows, have also been undertaken with foreign audiences in mind.

Siem Reap is the most obvious example of how tourism can contribute to cultural preservation. In addition, it can also offer alternative employment for populations in rural areas who are engaging in environmentally-damaging industries such as logging.

Tourism development that integrates native populations into the creation and maintenance of a destination is called community-based ecotourism, and according to the Ministry of Tourism, 30 such organisations have formed in recent years. Ideally, these organisations try to build a tourism infrastructure that capitalises on natural beauty without damaging it, and also returns a maximum amount of the profits back to the community.

In the last two years, the government has begun to market Cambodia to TV viewing audiences around the world as the “Kingdom of Wonder”, helping to build up Cambodia’s international profile.

However, much still needs to be done in the country to make it tourist-friendly. The foundation for a tourism industry has existed for centuries, we just need to build upon it without knocking it down.

Postcard paradise

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Wednesday, 20 January 2010 15:00 Post Staff

Name: Phay Lina (female)

Age: 18

Education: Student at Wat Kosh High School (Grade 12)

From: Phnom Penh

Since I started grade 12 I have been studying a lot to prepare for my high school exit exam. Sometimes I feel want to go on holiday but I don’t know where to go and with who.

On a recent national holiday, my friend asked me take a bus with them to Kirirom Mountain and you know what, when I arrived there I loved it so much. The sight seeing and water falls were fantastic.

I was only there for 4 or 5 hours but it made me feel so good, refreshed and relaxed. And it’s not so far from Phnom Penh, just 70 to 80 Km away.

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Name: Chea Mean (male)

Age: 22

Education: Student at Wat Kosh High School (Grade 12)

From: Phnom Penh

I normally go on vacation with my family and friends. I’ve been to a few resorts and tourist places like Siem Reap, Kep and Sihanoukville, but my favorite place is Sihanoukville. I’ve been there 3 or 4 times. It’s a wonderful place to go on holiday. It gives you many choices.

+ The girls are beautiful on the beach

+ The seafood is yummy

+ The sight seeing is nice and beautiful

+ Swimming and relaxing down on the beach is comfortable.

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Name: Suy Sovanna (female)

Age: 22

Education: Studying tourism in her third year at Norton University

From: Kompong Thom

On vacation last year, I went to Kep and Veal Puok village with my friends. They are beautiful places.

We swam a lot in Kep. I like the natural sightseeing, and the sea was beautiful. We spent one day in Keb and Veal Puok is not far from Kep. There is a mountain that you can only walk up. There is just a very small path with many kinds of trees. I think it’s an adventure trip but I liked it. We have to bring food along because nobody sells food there. We still wanted to go because the view of mountain and trees is so beautiful. We went by bus with four of us, and we only spent about US$70 to $80 all together.

Climbing the ladder

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Wednesday, 20 January 2010 15:00 Virak Bonnarath

Virak Bonnarath studies tourism purely for the love of it. She said she became interested in tourism when she realised the significance of the sector in Cambodia.

“Tourism is one of the sectors that has the potential to improve Cambodia’s economy. Working in tourism does not mean you’ll work just as a tour guide or in hotels, but you can also work on the development of tourism, such as how to establish tourism plans and policy,” Virak Bonnarath said.

As a student of tourism, Virak Bonnarath thinks that a lack of study materials, English language skills, and computer and Internet competency are holding students back from getting jobs in the tourism industry. At first, she said, she was challenged by courses in which all materials were written in English, and it also took her more time to adopt computer and Internet skills. She explained that Cambodia is filled with tourism resources, but still lacks in human resources.

“In order to succeed in studying tourism, we have to stand on three main points, the major of tourism, the English ability and the volunteer work,” she said, adding that some students give effort in their class, but disregard the importance of English and volunteer work. Virak Bonnarath is involved with volunteer work now at Citizen Action Net for Social Development.

She always tries to join social activities because they make her feel confident and they will help towards receiving scholarships, she said.

After she finishes her undergraduate degree in tourism, she wants to pursue a masters degree in the same subject, with the ultimate aim of working at the Tourism Ministry, focusing on tourism development in Cambodia.

She says the Kingdom’s tourism continues to grow “step-by-step”, despite the crippling effects of the global economic crisis, which saw tourist numbers in Cambodia plunge over the last year.

“I think even now, while facing this crisis, tourism can work. Cambodia is famous as a tourist destination and has many resources for visitors, so it is not a problem,” Virak Bonnarath said.

The Phnom Penh Post News in Brief

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PKR play Korea visitors

Wednesday, 20 January 2010 15:00 Dan Riley

Cambodian Premier League club Preah Khan Reach will play a friendly match against South Korean side Ulsan University that kicks off at 3pm Thursday at Olympic Stadium. The visiting side will also play the Cambodian national team Saturday, with both games screened live on TVK. Tickets cost 1,000 riels (US$0.24) for access to the outside stand and 2,000 riels for covered stand access.

Forex reserves up 25pc

Wednesday, 20 January 2010 15:00 Nguon Sovan

FOREIGN reserves increased 25.2 percent to US$2.6 billion in 2009, from $2.07 billion in 2008, according to Monday’s central bank annual report. The reserves now held could fund four months of imports into the Kingdom, it added. According to an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report released in December, gross official reserves were thought to have stayed broadly stable in 2009, compared to 2008. But the IMF predicted reserves would fall modestly in 2010, as loose fiscal policy and a widening current account deficit more than offset both official and foreign direct investment flows.

Investment slid 35pc

Wednesday, 20 January 2010 15:00 Nguon Sovan

THE flow of direct foreign investment into Cambodia declined 35.2 percent last year, according to the central bank’s annual report released late Monday. FDI fell to US$514.7 million last year, from $794.7 million in 2008, the report said. Garment factories, the tourism industry and the telecoms sector saw notable investment falls in FDI, the report added. The study follows data, released by the Council for the Development of Cambodia last week, which noted that the total amount of approved investment coming into the Kingdom fell an annualised 46.18 percent from $10.88 billion in 2008 to $5.85 billion in 2009.

Swede jailed for child sex

via CAAI News Media

Jan 19, 2010

PHNOM PENH (Cambodia) - A CAMBODIAN court has sentenced a Swedish man to six-and-a-half years in prison for having sex with three underaged boys including his adopted son.

Judge Chhay Kong says Johan Brahim Escori, 62, was convicted Tuesday on charges of illegal sexual intercourse with his 9-year-old adopted son and indecent acts with two other boys.

He also ordered Escori to pay a four million riel (S$1,336) fine and be expelled from Cambodia after serving his sentence.

Lax law enforcement and poverty have made Cambodia a prime destination for foreigners seeking sex with minors.

But police working with social activists have stepped up efforts to fight the crime, and several foreigners are serving lengthy prison terms. -- AP

UN human rights envoy meets Cambodian leader

via CAAI News Media

2010-01-19

A United Nations envoy said discussions on human rights with Cambodia's prime minister made progress Tuesday after years of animosity between the two sides over the thorny issue.

U.N. special rapporteur Surya Subedi said he held wide-ranging discussions on human rights issues with Prime Minister Hun Sen, and talks were amiable.

Yash Ghai, the former U.N. envoy, constantly clashed with Hun Sen's government over human rights. Ghai had reported that many Cambodians lived in constant fear of having their land stolen by real estate developers and had no recourse because of a corrupt judiciary.

Hun Sen once described Ghai as "unfit," saying he was sent to Cambodia to "curse" his government.

"I am very pleased with the meeting and the progress we have made this morning," Subedi told reporters. "It was a meeting of substance; we discussed a wide range of issues, and we have made progress here for the betterment of the people of Cambodia."

Om Yentieng, head of the government's human rights committee, told reporters the two sides agreed to bury their differences and cooperate in the future. How long such cooperation lasts depends upon the U.N. human rights office in Cambodia, he said.

Subedi arrived Monday on a two-week mission to examine if state institutions were properly addressing human rights violations. The issue of alleged forced land evictions was discussed with Hun Sen, he said.

Last October, Subedi told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva that freedom of speech was deteriorating in Cambodia after several government critics were convicted of defamation.

Samdech Dekchor Hun Sen Vowed to Support Development and Modernization of the Defense Sector – Tuesday, 19.1.2010

http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com/

Posted on 19 January 2010

The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 648

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“Samdech Akkak Moha Senapadei Dekchor Hun Sen said on 18 January 2010 that the Royal Government firmly vowed to continue any necessary support to develop and to modernize the national defense sector of Cambodia, so that it has the sufficient, full, and appropriate capacity to comply with the progress and development of the country and the world, in order to promote our Royal Cambodian Armed Forces to be able to fulfill their role and obligation effectively.

“During his speech at the inauguration of the naval base in the Chroy Chongva commune, Russey Keo, Phnom Penh, he said that the Royal Government has carried out reforms which are considered as life-and-death tasks of Cambodia, and it has strengthened the capacity of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces to fulfill their duties more effectively as fully professional and expert forces, so that it can participate in various missions.

“Samdech Dekchor Hun Sen said that the implementation of these reforms aims at making the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces to have real skills and full capacity to continue to actively cooperate with the international community to prevent and combat terrorisms and other turmoil in the country and abroad, by being committed to implement all necessary measures to effectively prevent and suppress all types of crimes, such as drug smuggling and drug abuse, the trafficking of women and children, robbery, rape, and other offenses that trigger fear in the society and that create instability in Cambodia.

“Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen added that the Royal Government continues to encourage the thorough implementation of various reforms that have been planned so that they become more intensive and fundamental, including the careful and accurate checking of the number of soldiers, and the promotion of their capacity and solidarity, aiming to strengthen the quality and loyalty towards the nation, and to ensure that discipline and clean ethics are respected, with professionalism, and in order to fulfill their duties to protect the territorial integrity of land, sea, and air space, to guarantee national security, national independence, and sovereignty, so as to maintain public order and to protect all achievements of the nation under whatever the circumstances may be.

“As part of caring for the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, the Royal Government of Cambodia has set up various policies to strengthen a sustainable social safety net, attempting to improve the livelihood of the military personnel and to help them to live happily as civil servants with their families and in their communities. Those measures include vocational training, addressing the problems of the livelihood for discharged soldiers, retired soldiers, soldiers who are not able to continue to work, or handicapped soldiers, and the families of soldiers who offered to sacrifice their lives, now offering them social concession land so that those veterans as well as their families have land to build houses, to create other jobs, and to do land cultivation to support their families and to be able to contribute to national productivity, to promote a stable basis for their lives.

[...]

“Samdech Hun Sen said that in the meantime, the Royal Government always adheres to the policy to consolidate security, stability, and public order for the country in a sustainable way.”

Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.9, #2154, 19.1.2010

Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:

Tuesday, 19 January 2010

UN rapporteur sees progress in Cambodian rights

Surya Subedi (R), The United Nations special rapporteur for human rights to Cambodia, talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (L) at the National Assembly building in Phnom Penh on January 19, 2010. (Photo courtesy: AFP)

PHNOM PENH, Jan 19 (AFP) - The UN special rapporteur for human rights to Cambodia said he held "constructive" talks with Prime Minister Hun Sen Tuesday in his controversial position.

Surya Subedi, who was appointed to the job last year after his predecessor Yash Ghai resigned under a war of words with the Cambodian government, said he discussed a wide range of rights issues in a two-hour meeting with the premier.

"It was very constructive dialogue," Surya, who arrived in the country on Monday for a 13-day visit to the kingdom, told reporters after the meeting.

"I discussed the issue of land evictions, freedom of expression and better cooperation between the civil society sector and the government," Surya said.

"We are looking at the total picture of human rights situation in Cambodia," he added. "I think some progress has been made even this morning. So I am very pleased with the outcome."

Om Yentieng, a top adviser to Hun Sen and the chief of government's human rights committee, urged UN officials to give up "old ways" criticising the Cambodian government on rights issues.

"We are not a hell, like UN reports have mentioned, and we have not yet become a heaven of human rights," Om Yentieng told reporters.

Yash Ghai, a Kenyan lawyer, resigned as special representative for human rights to Cambodia in September in 2008 after government officials refused to meet him and Hun Sen called the envoy rude, stupid and a "god without virtue".

Last month UN rights experts called Cambodia's expulsion of 20 Chinese Muslim Uighur asylum seekers "a blatant violation" of anti-torture rules.

The Cambodian government has faced mounting criticism for a spate of forced evictions throughout the country over the past few years at the hands of army and police.

The Cambodian administration has also been heavily criticised by rights groups over the past year for launching a number of defamation and disinformation lawsuits against critics and opposition members.

Cambodia's Foreign Reserve in 2009 over 2.6 Bln USD

http://english.cri.cn/

2010-01-19

Xinhua

Web Editor: Hu Weiwei

via CAAI News Media

Cambodia's foreign reserve capital in 2009 was more than 2,600 million U.S. dollars, an increase of 25.2 percent as compared to 2008, official news agency AKP reported on Tuesday, citing the figure from the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC).

NBC Governor Chea Chanto announced the figure at the annual conference which reviews all achievements gained by the NBC in 2009 and set its objectives for 2010.

Chea Chanto said that in 2009, Cambodia's total assets were up 20.52 percent, bank deposits up 32.67 percent, bank depositors up 38.36 percent and private sector credits up 3.18 percent, compared respectively to those in 2008.

In 2009, NBC maintained its macro-economic situation in spite of a little decrease of the growth rate and a little increase of inflation rate, he said.

The governor of NBC attributed the decline of Cambodia's exports to foreign markets to the world economic crisis.

He said Cambodia's economic growth was 2.1 percent in 2009, down from 6.7 percent in 2008.

Earlier, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted that Cambodia's economic growth would be 2.7 percent in 2009, while World Bank suggested 2.5 percent, and the Asian Development Bank predicted at 1.5 percent.

Cambodia gets tough with sexual tourism

Cambodia. Archive photo: EFE

AP - 01/19/2010 | Phnon Penh, Cambodia

via CAAI News Media

0The poor Asian state has become a hot spot for tourists seeking sex with minors and several are now serving lengthy prison terms

A Swedish man will serve six and a half years in prison for sex with three underage boys, a Cambodian court ruled on Tuesday.

Chhay Kong, the presiding judge at Phnom Penh Municipal Court, said 62-year-old Johan Brahim Escori was convicted and sentenced Tuesday on charges of illegal sexual intercourse with a 9-year-old boy he had adopted and indecent acts with two other boys under 15 years old.

He also ordered Escori to pay a four million riel (US$960) fine, and to be expelled from Cambodia after serving his sentence.

Lax law enforcement and poverty have made Cambodia a prime destination for foreigners seeking sex with minors. But police working with social activists have stepped up efforts to fight the crime, and several foreigners are serving lengthy prison terms for underage sex.

Cambodia Takes to the Roads in Building Spree

By THOMAS FULLER

Published: January 18, 2010

via CAAI News Media

SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA — Bullet by bullet, workers removed the detritus of Cambodia’s past. They pulled 300 land mines and 30,000 rounds of ammunition from the red dirt and then laid down a thick layer of asphalt. Today, what would pass for a very ordinary road in wealthier parts of the world is precious pavement for a country motoring toward prosperity and trying to leave its bloody past behind.

Last month, the government inaugurated the newly refurbished Routes 5 and 6, both built during the French colonial era to connect the capital, Phnom Penh, with the Thai border.

Western Cambodia was the last holdout of the Khmer Rouge, the brutal regime toppled three decades ago. Rebel units held onto remote areas into the 1990s, skirmishing periodically with government forces and leaving the roads in total disrepair, a moonscape of potholes and mud that gave travelers sore backs and made for a crater-dodging, head-bumping ride.

Now enjoying the dividends of peace, Cambodia is halfway through a road-building spree with 10 projects totaling 1,173 kilometers, or 730 miles, of pavement still under way, said Prime Minister Hun Sen, who presided over the ceremony on Dec. 28. A further 11 major roads are under negotiation, he said.

The new roads make the storied temples of Angkor Wat a comfortable drive from the Thai border — and a short day’s drive from Bangkok. The roads also put more remote historic sites — in a country filled with them — within easy reach for tourists.

Roads are a big deal in Cambodia, and more than 5,000 villagers were summoned to attend the road’s official inauguration — farmers who arrived by bicycle, monks with freshly shaved heads, children in school uniforms. Organizers stenciled messages onto large banners strung across the canopy that gave shade from the searing sun: “Where there are bridges and roads there is hope.”

Cambodia’s road-building program is now taking “elephant steps, not mouse steps,” Mr. Hun Sen told the crowd.

Like the North-South Expressway in peninsular Malaysia, the American-built Friendship Road across Thailand’s northeast and the vast network of roads built by China over the past decade, roads are a key milestone of development in Asia.

For Cambodia, in particular, good roads help bring together a country fractured by civil war.

“This section was a very heavy battlefield,” said Pheng Sovicheano, the project manager of the road to the Thai border.

Mr. Pheng Sovicheano, who is also Cambodia’s deputy director general for public works, knows firsthand how bad the road was. During construction his driver drove into what looked like a large muddy pothole but turned out to be a small pond, flooding the car up to his chest.

Now, as a measure of Cambodia’s national reconciliation, some of the 360 workers Mr. Pheng Sovicheano hired to build the road were former Khmer Rouge soldiers.

Roads are expensive — $350,000 per kilometer for the road to the Thai border. But with many countries jockeying for influence in Cambodia the government appears to have no trouble finding financing. China is building a number of roads here, including one that passes through the former Khmer Rouge stronghold of Pailin.

Route 5 and Route 6 were financed with a low-interest, 32-year loan by the Asian Development Bank in Manila, an institution whose largest shareholders are Japan and the United States. South Korea is financing other road projects.

Mr. Hun Sen seems to enjoy playing these donors off each other. In his speech he chided the Asian Development Bank for its sluggish and bureaucratic two-year bidding process and praised the speed of Chinese projects.

“I compliment the way the Chinese companies work — very fast,” Mr. Hun Sen said, pointedly glancing over at the representative from the Asian Development Bank.

Political ties between Thailand and Cambodia have been strained by a territorial dispute near a 900-year-old mountaintop temple, Preah Vihear, but officials made no mention of the troubles.

Economic ties endure: By the end of this year western Cambodia will have three good roads leading to Thailand, connections that the government hopes will increase trade and investment. Western Cambodia gets most of its electricity from Thailand, and the company that built the road to the border, S.P.T. Civil Group, is based in Thailand. (The company has ties to Thaksin Shinawatra, the Thai prime minister deposed in the military coup of 2006 who last year was named Mr. Hun Sen’s economic adviser.)

The new roads will make it easier for Thai companies to sell more cement, instant noodles and other products across the border. For Japanese companies, the roads will link the supply chains of factories in Bangkok and in Ho Chi Minh City.

And for villagers in western Cambodia, it may help lift rock-bottom incomes.

Yong Da, a 39-year-old deliveryman in the town of Kralanh, has more than doubled his income because of the new road. “The road was bumpy, and I could not take much stuff on my motorcycle,” he said. He now makes $2.50 a day, up from a dollar a day.

The sheets of dust that enveloped the roadside are also gone, and villagers say their children no longer have trouble breathing.

Good roads and the end of the civil war have allowed villagers to take back the night. Travel after dark was discouraged two decades ago because of poor security and the perils of bad pavement.

But with modernity comes another type of danger. Mr. Pheng Sovicheano says he was driving to Phnom Penh one night recently when he came upon a road accident.

A young man had been killed on his motorcycle when he rammed into the back of a poorly lighted truck. The boy’s distraught mother blamed the good road, Mr. Pheng Sovicheano remembers.

“She said, ‘Before, when there were bad roads, he never drove this fast.”’