Trainee hurt fleeing labour firm

Photo by: Heng Chivoan
A boy walks past the three-storey office of the VC Manpower recruitment agency in the capital’s Sen Sok district last month.

via CAAI

Monday, 06 September 2010 15:03 Mom Kunthear

A 30-YEAR-OLD woman training to work as a domestic servant suffered light injuries early yesterday morning after she fashioned a rope out of various pieces of clothing and tried to rappel down the side of a three-storey training centre in the capital’s Sen Sok district, officials said.

Pen Thol, the police chief in Toek Thla commune, said Battambang native Vann Synoun was trying to escape from the facility, operated by the VC Manpower Company, because she missed her family.

He said, though, that VC Manpower had not detained her at the centre. Instead, he said, Vann Synoun decided to leave without asking for permission beforehand because she was convinced the company would say no.

“She told us that she wants to run from the company because she misses her husband and children very much and she could not control herself, so she decided to slide down at 4am on Sunday when the other people were asleep,” Pen Thol said.

He said company security guards found Vann Synoun shortly after her fall and took her to a private clinic for treatment. “She was not seriously injured,” he said.

However, Vann Synoun could not be reached for comment yesterday.

VC Manpower, which trains young women to work abroad as domestic servants, has been on the radar of local officials since July, when a woman fled one of its training centres and said she had been held there against her will. Days later, officials announced that they had found 24 underage workers being trained by the company.

The Labour Ministry briefly barred the firm from recruiting clients, but then absolved it of wrongdoing soon after, saying the girls had forged documents to demonstrate they were of age.

On August 2, Long Sakan filed a complaint against VC Manpower accusing staff members at a Phnom Penh training centre of abusing her daughter, who has since gone to work in Malaysia. Later that month, Phnom Penh Municipal Court issued a summons for company director Sen Ly. However, when police went to question him on August 16, Sen Ly was in Preah Vihear province, and police apparently did not follow up.

Yesterday, Pol Khemra, deputy director of the Department of Police at the Interior Ministry, said officials had opted to “suspend” the complaint against Sen Ly.

“We decided to suspend the complaint against him after we met with the company’s lawyer,” Pol Khemra said.

“The victims did not cooperate with us, and they would not stand to face the company representative.”

Pen Thol said yesterday that police would not launch a new investigation into the company’s operations in response to the escape attempt of Vann Synoun.

He said VC Manpower had told Vann Synoun she was welcome to return to Battambang, and that it had also paid US$200 for her treatment at the private clinic.

“The company did not take any money back from her for her fee because she is poor,” he said.

Sen Ly said that Vann Synoun’s injuries were minor.

“She just got a slight injury on her chin, and we have instructed her family to come and bring her back home,” he said.

Pen Thol offered the following message for prospective migrant workers: “If you think you will miss your family, you should not go to work in another country because you will create problems for the recruitment companies that spend a lot of money to get documents for you.”

There are 28 firms licenced by the Labour Ministry to train workers and send them abroad. The ministry is currently drafting a sub-decree establishing regulations that would prohibit recruitment centres from detaining trainees or loaning them money.

Officials accused in logging

via CAAI

Monday, 06 September 2010 15:03 Meas Sokchea

A LOCAL organisation has accused Kampong Speu’s provincial governor and top military commander of involvement in illegal logging and plans to file complaints with the Anticorruption Unit next week.

Chea Hean, director of the National Resource and Wildlife Preservation Organisation, a national watchdog, said he had evidence that governor Kang Heang and military commander Chhim Bunthoeun had approved illegal timber operations in Phnom Srouch and Oral districts. In particular, he cited correspondence between the two authorising the military to log 350 cubic metres of timber in the two districts.

In two letters sent to Kang Heang in December 2008, copies of which have been obtained by the Post, Chhim Bunthoen requested permission to harvest the wood in order to build a shelter at the provincial military headquarters.

“[Military officials] said this timber would be taken to build a shelter inside the military fort, but when I went to check in the fort, there was no timber there,” Chea Hean said.

“I am preparing the documents to file to the Anticorruption Unit in order to investigate [these claims].”

He said that he was “not scared” of legal retaliation from the officials because he had enough documentation to back up his claims.

Neither Kang Heang nor Chhim Bunthoeun could be reached for comment yesterday. Phnom Srouch district governor Tep Mean said he had seen Kang Heang’s letter authorising the logging, but that there was no wood in his district that would be suitable for building a military facility of that sort.

“Phnom Srouch does not have timber now. I don’t know where they cut it, I just heard that the province allowed logging to build the fort,” he said.

Military training: RCAF base slated for relocation

via CAAI

Monday, 06 September 2010 15:02 Tha Piseth

Military training

THE Cambodian army plans to relocate a major military base in Kampong Speu province’s Phnom Srouch district, fearing that live-fire training exercises by troops could pose a danger to local communities, a military official said.

Ith Sarath, deputy commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, said that the headquarters of Military Region 3 would soon be shifted from Prey Thnout commune to Prey Kmek commune in order to ensure the safety of local residents.

“They use real bullets.... We are afraid that their exercises will have an effect on people living nearby the exercise site,” he said yesterday.

Ith Sarath said the population had increased to a point at which RCAF could no longer guarantee the safety of those living close to the base.

“[Soldiers] normally exercise every day, and the site we are moving to is not inhabited by too many people,” he said. He said a date had not yet been set for the move, but promised it would happen “soon”.

Tep Mean, the governor of Phnom Srouch district, said he was not aware of the reason for the relocation of the base.

US intends to approve more deportations

via CAAI

Monday, 06 September 2010 15:02 Brooke Lewis and Mom Kunthear

THE United States plans to ramp up efforts to deport non-citizens who commit crimes, according to a statement released in the wake of a controversial operation last week involving the deportation of five Cambodians.

The five who arrived in the Kingdom on Thursday brought to 234 the number of Cambodians who have been deported from the US as the result of a bilateral repatriation agreement signed in 2002.

All the deportees are former legal permanent residents in the US who have served prison sentences or been given suspended sentences for aggravated felonies, a classification that was expanded in 1996 to include some crimes that were previously misdemeanours.

According to an article on the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement website on Friday, the five Cambodians were part of a group of 98 deported “immigration violators” who were transported to six Asian countries on a chartered flight.

“This year, ICE expects to remove a record number of criminal aliens from the country, and charter flights like this are a big part of making that happen,” ICE director John Morton was quoted as saying in the article.

“The United States welcomes law-abiding immigrants, but foreign nationals who violate our laws and commit crimes in our communities should be on notice that ICE is going to use all its resources to find you and send you home,” Morton said.

Activists decried the latest round of deportations, which sparked protests and a petition in the US last week, as well as concern from rights groups in Cambodia.

Loeuth Sim, a 43-year-old who arrived in the Kingdom on Thursday, said yesterday that although he had been deported for the seemingly minor crime of “fighting with people a little bit”, he was happy to be here. “I didn’t do time, they just gave me five years’ suspended and five years’ probation,” he said.

He said he had arrived in the US as a 12-year-old refugee and had not been back since. “I’m happy they sent me back,” he said. “This is my home.”

Exam protest: Arbitration candidates miss test

via CAAI

Monday, 06 September 2010 15:01 Sun Mesa

FIFTY-FOUR prospective arbitrators boycotted professional exams yesterday, saying the tests are not a legal requirement.

The Kingdom’s is setting up a National Arbitration Centre to allow businesses to resolve disagreements outside the court system.

However, the training of those set to work within the system has itself become subject to dispute.

The Ministry of Commerce had issued a letter asking candidate arbitrators to take exams ahead of their official appointment.

But candidates say the Ministry’s order does not comply with a previous government sub-decree, which informed candidates to apply for positions at the National Arbitration Centre directly after completing their training.

Prospective candidate Lim Chhen told the Post yesterday: “The examinations were just so-called boss pleasing. It is not legitimate."

"The boycott is an activity to strengthen the implementation and respect for the basic sub-decree,” he said, speaking to reporters on Monivong Boulevard, near to Phnom Penh's Royal University of Law and Economics.

Fellow candidate, 36-year-old Phan Panha, talked of a culture of top-down government leadership, and said that the candidates would take the test if set out in the sub-decree, “but it was not stated”.

He said that the would-be arbitrators would apply to the National Centre, as set out in article 52 of the sub-decree today.

The candidates have previously raised their concerns in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s office.

Mao Thora, secretary of state for the Commerce Ministry and director of preparation and recruitment for the Prime Arbitrator Committee, refused to answer requests for comment yesterday.

Other officials approached for comment at both the Ministry of Commerce and Cambodia's Chamber of Commerce referred questions back to Mao Thora.

State revenues double

via CAAI

Monday, 06 September 2010 15:00 Nguon Sovan

THE government earned the revenues of US$1.2 billion last year, and its expenses were $2 billion, Prime Minister Hun Sen said Saturday during the 2010 Asialink Dialogue in Phnom Penh. He said that after five years of public financial reform, state revenues had doubled and expenses had nearly tripled.

Doubts surround Oz mining tax

via CAAI

Monday, 06 September 2010 15:00 Madeleine Coorey

BILLIONS of dollars in potential revenue from Australia’s proposed mining tax remain in doubt, analysts say, with the future of the controversial levy in the balance amid a political stalemate.

Embattled Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard has vowed to introduce the tax if she breaks the deadlock to form a government, whereas her right-

leaning challenger Tony Abbott has promised to dump the initiative.

As Gillard and Abbott last week negotiated with the three independent lawmakers whose vote is vital to holding a majority in parliament, the resources tax was again put up for examination.

“It’s up for negotiation. It’s one of the decision metrics for the support of the independents because not all of them can agree on what it should look like,” UBS economist George Thanerou said.

“It is something which will evolve over the next couple of weeks until we get a decision on which side of politics is going to be in power.”

The mining tax was meant to be the money-spinner that gave Australians a “fair share” of their nation’s mineral resources.

But the proposal for a 40 percent tax on profits as announced by ex-prime minister Kevin Rudd enraged the country’s most important industry.

Within two months Rudd had been toppled by Gillard, with the war of words with the mining industry providing ammunition for his ouster, and prompting the new premier to negotiate a new tax with the miners as a priority.

The revised tax, which is projected to bring in A$10.5 billion (US$9.5 billion) within two years of its 2012 launch remains a key discussion point as Gillard struggles to form a minority government with the rural independents, one of whom has backed a proposal for a re-examination of the tax.

“The question mark really is, one, who forms government in the minority sense, and two, the ability to get through the legislation,” said Tim Schroeders, a portfolio manager at Pengana Capital in Melbourne.

“There is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding that.”

Schroeders said Gillard would be hesitant to dump the Mineral Resources Rent Tax, the watered-down version she negotiated with mining giants BHP Billiton, Xstrata and Rio Tinto which taxes profits at 30 percent.

“Clearly Labor will need it in terms of balancing the books for the [election] promises that they’ve made,” he said.

Senior ANZ economist Amber Rabinov agreed that the market was much more comfortable with the tax after the rate was dropped and restrictions meant it only applied to iron ore and coal.

“There hasn’t actually been a lot of talk about it, I guess because of the uncertainty around at the moment, who actually will end up leading the government,” she said.

“It was never a dead certainty because it always had to get passed through the proper parliamentary processes.”

Rio Tinto said this week that it was confident Gillard would honour the memorandum of understanding they signed with her in July if re-elected.

“The prime minister is the prime minister, and I accept her word on that,” Rio Tinto’s Sam Walsh told The Australian yesterday.

Yet the miners are reportedly deeply troubled by Gillard’s alliance with the Greens, after she secured the support of the party’s one representative in the lower house as she attempts to reach the 76 seats needed to form government after the August 21 polls ended in a hung parliament.

Two weeks into the political stalemate, the markets have not collapsed, nor has the Australian dollar crashed, and analysts say the mining sector has a positive outlook and is banking on strong investment in the coming year.

They also said the market is more concerned with whether the United States might suffer a double-dip recession or how China’s slowdown is being managed.

“[The resource tax] is important, there is no question about that, but it’s been superseded in my view by probably more important near-term issues,” Schroeders said.

Nexbis spared after 'challenging' results; Posco rise short-lived

via CAAI

Monday, 06 September 2010 15:01 Catherine James

THE share price of Australian telecommunications security supplier Nexbis Ltd was surprisingly spared from further depletion despite the company’s reporting a net loss for the 2010 financial year, ended June 30, of A$49.6 million (US$45.5 million).

The company reported the loss, down from a net profit of $45.9 million in 2009, as well as a 96 percent fall in revenue to $2.4 million from $65.7 million on Tuesday.

“The last financial year was without doubt one of the most challenging in our history for both the company and our shareholders,” chief executive Johann Young said in preliminary final results.

Its share price, which plummeted in May after it failed to immediately disclose negotiations with the Cambodian government over a US$700 million deal to improve national security systems in the Kingdom, opened lower on Wednesday at A$0.059.

But share value then climbed more than 33 percent over the following three days to close on Friday at $0.08.

However, the rebound is small relief for the company which has seen its share price plunge 84.6 percent from $0.52 since its listing on the Australian Stock Exchange on August 21, 2009.

Vimpelcom, the owner of Cambodian mobile-phone operator Beeline, released financial results Thursday, announcing a US$334.7 million net profit for the 2010 second quarter that ended June, a 52 percent fall compared to the same period last year. The Russian-Norwegian company, with interests in nine countries, said total sales increased 23 percent over the period to $2.64 billion.

Shares were little moved on the Nasdaq, closing only $0.06 higher at $14.94 from Thursday’s opening of $14.88, and dropped back to $14.91 by the end of the week.

Korea’s Posco agreed on Monday to buy control of fellow Korean resources firm Daewoo International Corporation for 3.37 trillion won (US$2.8 billion).

Posco operates an engineering and construction company in the Kingdom, Posco E&C, and has reportedly postponed its Star River development in Phnom Penh because of Cambodia’s slow real estate market.

It will acquire 68.15 percent of the steel and crude oil trader Daewoo as part of its $30 billion capacity expansion plan.

An analyst with Korean securities firm Meritz Securities, Shin Yoon Shik, explained the advantage for the world’s largest steelmaker: “Posco will benefit from Daewoo’s overseas sales networks as the steelmaker has to secure clients for its increasing output.”

Posco rose 2.6 percent from 489,500 won (US$417.39) to close at 497,000 won ($423.79) in Seoul trading on Monday, according to the company.Daewoo gained 0.9 percent to 32,300 won. But Posco’s gains were pared back by Friday with the price falling 4.3 percent to 475,500 won.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING FROM BLOOMBERG

Government acts to improve transparency in the labour market

via CAAI

Monday, 06 September 2010 15:01 May Kunmakara and Ellie Dyer

THE government has approved a sub-decree on the collection and compilation of labour-market information to help investors garner more information about Cambodia.

A sub-decree endorsed by prime minister Hun Sen during a council of ministers meeting Friday will allow the national careers agency, a body established in April 2009, to become a statistics unit, according to a statement.

“It will facilitate gathering information, data and documentation from ministries, governmental institutions, companies, associations, private industries, local and international NGOs and the public,” a statement said. The agency would also “make and promote labour market information publicly,” it said.

Om Mean, Secretary of State of Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, declined to comment further.

The announcement followed signs of increased cooperation from within the labour sector.

Late last week, the Cambodian Federation of Employers and Business Associations issued a press release after meeting with union leaders from seven trade federations in Phnom Penh’s Sunway Hotel.

Joint recommendations included the reduction in the labour-dispute resolution period, from 45 to 21 days, and the establishment of a Labour Court as soon as possible. Som Aun, president of the National Union Alliance Chamber of Cambodia, described the agreement as a “milestone” in the field of industrial relations.

CAMFEBA President Van Sou Ieng, said: “This shows how we can work together and improve our working relations in the future.”

Bad news beats no news

via CAAI

Monday, 06 September 2010 15:01 Steve Finch

CAMBODIA recorded mixed results recently in terms of improving the quality and quantity of economic information available to investors.

Prime Minister Hun Sen’s endorsement on Friday of a sub-decree that would lead to the pooling of information on the labour market represented a significant move to help investors learn more about the country’s employment situation.

But earlier in the week a business delegation complained the government had not done enough to promote the Kingdom’s largest export industry, garments.

The head of the delegation, Korea Federation of Textile Industries team manager Gue-bae Yeoum, noted that South Korean companies “are too scared to invest here” due to a lack of information.

But although South Korean companies have recently complained, recent examples show the Kingdom has made progress in supplying the private sector with reliable economic information.

Cambodia saw garment exports to other relatively small markets expand last year, suggesting promotion was effective. In the first half of last year, when the garment downturn was at its worst, the Kingdom saw clothing exports to Japan nearly double year on year to US$9.6 million on the back of a major industry effort to link up with new markets to compensate for losses in countries such as the United States. Clearly Japanese firms have gained confidence in terms of doing business with Cambodia’s garment sector.

Still, the Kingdom has a long way to go in terms of keeping the business community fully informed. On Saturday, the prime minister again insisted that Cambodia had achieved GDP growth last year during a speech at the Asialink Conversations in Phnom Penh. It’s a line that correlates with the official government position that the economy grew 0.1 percent, but contradicts the International Monetary Fund and Economist Intelligence Unit, among others, which say the country went into recession last year, contracting between 1.5 percent and 2.5 percent.

Anecdotal and statistical evidence suggests that all major industries in the economy – garments, tourism and property – went into decline in 2009, with agriculture the only significant exception.

It therefore remains largely unclear whether the country experienced macroeconomic growth last year or not, let alone to what degree.

In regards to GDP statistics, the likes of Singapore and

China release data quickly on a quarterly basis. This allows firms to make decisions on whether to invest, when to do so, and perhaps even how much based on projections of general economic activity. Similarly, existing investors get a rapid snapshot of where the economy stands and where it is heading.

Ultimately, when it comes to business information, even bad news is better than no news. With up-to-date, reliable and regular economic data available, Cambodia would become less of a risky frontier market. The country could become an investment destination offering stable, predictable growth, which would allow companies to react quickly to market conditions.

Of course, collecting and publishing timely and comprehensive economic data takes time and financial resources. It also requires a certain degree of political will, especially when the news is not good.

For a government that has overseen something of an economic miracle over the past decade, fuller disclosure should therefore provoke few fears.

Exam protest: Arbitration candidates miss test

via CAAI

Monday, 06 September 2010 15:01 Sun Mesa

FIFTY-FOUR prospective arbitrators boycotted professional exams yesterday, saying the tests are not a legal requirement.

The Kingdom’s is setting up a National Arbitration Centre to allow businesses to resolve disagreements outside the court system.

However, the training of those set to work within the system has itself become subject to dispute.

The Ministry of Commerce had issued a letter asking candidate arbitrators to take exams ahead of their official appointment.

But candidates say the Ministry’s order does not comply with a previous government sub-decree, which informed candidates to apply for positions at the National Arbitration Centre directly after completing their training.

Prospective candidate Lim Chhen told the Post yesterday: “The examinations were just so-called boss pleasing. It is not legitimate."

"The boycott is an activity to strengthen the implementation and respect for the basic sub-decree,” he said, speaking to reporters on Monivong Boulevard, near to Phnom Penh's Royal University of Law and Economics.

Fellow candidate, 36-year-old Phan Panha, talked of a culture of top-down government leadership, and said that the candidates would take the test if set out in the sub-decree, “but it was not stated”.

He said that the would-be arbitrators would apply to the National Centre, as set out in article 52 of the sub-decree today.

The candidates have previously raised their concerns in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s office.

Mao Thora, secretary of state for the Commerce Ministry and director of preparation and recruitment for the Prime Arbitrator Committee, refused to answer requests for comment yesterday.

Other officials approached for comment at both the Ministry of Commerce and Cambodia's Chamber of Commerce referred questions back to Mao Thora.

Sport : News in Brief

via CAAI

South Africa win Mock African Nations Cup

Monday, 06 September 2010 15:00 Ken Gadaffi

The inaugural edition of the Mock African Nations Cup came to a climax on Saturday at Phnom Penh’s National Sports Complex with South Africa emerging as champions after a 3-2 win in the final over Ivory Coast. Torrential rain had forced the final to be played a day late, while the third place playoff was also nearly washed out but saw Ghana come from behind twice to overcome Cameroon 3-2 and claim third.

TV3 light-welterweight title fight pushed back

Monday, 06 September 2010 15:00 Robert Starkweather

The light-welterweight title fight between Phon Phanna and Cheam Adam scheduled for Saturday at the TV3 boxing arena was cancelled due to illness, a TV3 spokesperson stated. Phon Phanna was said to be unable to fight due to an unspecified malady. The bout has been tentatively rescheduled for September 18.

Sarim Vonthon wins Super 8

Sarim Vonthon (red) beat Ung Borim, Tim San and Meas Socheat on Friday night at the CTN boxing arena to win the station’s first Super 8 tournament. Photo by: Robert Starkweather

via Khmer NZ

Monday, 06 September 2010 15:00 Robert Starkweather

Eight fighters. Seven fights. Only one winner.

The CTN boxing arena shook up its regular Friday night fight card with the introduction of a “Super 8” format on Friday. In the final, Sarim Vonthon caught Meas Socheat with a straight left in the second round to cap the night with a knockout.

“It couldn’t have ended any better,” said Paddy Carson, the card’s sponsor, sitting ringside.

Sarim Vonthon pocketed US$600 for a little more than seven rounds worth of work. Meas Socheat, who was still flat on the canvas when referee Meas Sokry counted ten, took home $500.

In Carson’s “Super 8” format, bouts comprise of three 3-minute rounds, with two-minute rests in between. Winners advance; losers are eliminated.

Meas Socheat’s night started out anything but auspicious, and he squeaked through the tournament’s opening fight largely by the grace of a bad decision.

Meas Socheat faced Vireak Sothy, formerly known as Phan Sothy, who scored a second-round knockdown with a series of devastating punches late in the round. Then, in the final seconds before the bell, Meas Socheat crumbled to the canvas under another flurry of punches to the head and knees to the body. Only the bell saved him.

But Meas Socheat had won the first round, and he came back to win the third, making for what should have been an even fight.

“But you can’t have a draw,” said Ma Serey, director of sports at CTN. And despite the knockdown, the tie went to the favourite.

Elsewhere, My Socheat scored a first-round knockdown with a straight right hand on his way toward beating Khon Reach, CTN’s current 63.5-kilogram champion. Sarim Vonthon earned the decision over Ung Borim, and Tim San, formerly known as Seung Kangsan, outpointed the hard-charging rising star Mun Seyla.

Ma Serey selected the eight pugilists, many of whom came from the upper ranks of the station’s reality television series Kun Khmer Champion.

In the semifinals, Sarim Vonthon beat Tim San, who under his previous name had placed second in the first season of KKC.

Meas Socheat, the second-place finisher in KKC III, defeated the heavy-handed My Socheat in his semifinal match.

The three-round, eight-man format is not new to Cambodia. Thai fight promoter Songchai Ratanasuban held an eight-man “S1” tournament in 2005, and another one a year later.

The shortened format surely makes for faster-paced fights. With so few minutes to work, fighters waste no time feeling each other out, or cruising through the final round.

“It was exciting all night,” Carson said. “I’m definitely going to do another one.”

Loeng Sophorn can kick it

Certified football coach Loeng Sophorn said she was inspired to take up coaching to help improve the standard of Cambodian girls. Photo by: Sreng Meng Srun

Monday, 06 September 2010 15:00 H S Manjunath

Neighbourhood taunts that girls were not cut out for a manly game like football only served to ignite Loeng Sophorn’s passion for the game when she was barely in her teens. Taking cue from her younger brother’s street football experience, she vigorously pursued a career in the game.

Now the 24-year-old Prey Veng born Loeng Sophorn, now based in Siem Reap and known as Srey Mom among friends, is an official C-licenced coach. Along with batchmate Leng Chanthay, they are currently the only two women in the Kingdom to carry the distinction.

“I was really offended when people dissuaded me from taking up football,” said Loeng Sophorn. “I loved the game a lot, and I used to see my brother play with his friends near our home. I kept asking ‘why not me?’

“I learnt the game quickly and played for a while, but my driving ambition had always been to teach girls and make them play better than we were. That drove me towards coaching.”

Moderate grades in her schooling blended well with her intense interest in football, and a job as a physical education teacher in Siem Reap’s Svay Thom secondary school has now given her a safe shelter to pursue her footballing desires.

“I coach about a dozen girls. My aim is to climb higher and seek the next grade in coaching,” said Loeng Sophorn, who was among the 33 coaches attending a crash course conducted by FIFA grassroots instructor Fritz Schmid during the recent Festival of Football in Phnom Penh.

At 24, she could still be kicking the ball around the pitch, but her philosophy is refreshingly different. “If I play, I am playing for myself and my team but if I am coaching I am doing it for the entire community. My ambition is to bring out the best in our girls and help them form a good women’s team in the country.”

Loeng Sophorn’s triumph over adversity echoes that of friend Leng Chanthy, whose rise from a menial job as a cleaner to be a well regarded coach showed that anything is possible with determination.

Two women from different backgrounds converging in a common purpose have given Cambodian football fans good reason to smile, with the hope that more will follow in the footsteps of these pioneers.

Diplomacy set to pay dividend in Cambodia

Thailand seeks lead role in investment

Published: 6/09/2010

via Khmer NZ

Thailand hopes to regain its leadership in foreign investment in Cambodia over the next five years now that the two countries have resumed diplomatic ties after months of strained relations.

Thai investment in Cambodia has fallen dramatically over the past seven years.

The relationship between the two soured notably in 2003 when the Thai embassy and some Thai businesses were heavily damaged by rioters in Phnom Penh. They had been reacting to fabricated reports quoting a Thai actress as saying that Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand.

Relations subsequently improved but became strained again last year as the two countries feuded over the Preah Vihear temple, leading to their ambassadors being recalled. Both envoys last month returned to their jobs, and Premier Abhisit Vejjajiva and Prime Minister Hun Sen are expected to hold talks later this month.

Thailand's investments based on approvals by the Cambodia Investment Board totalled only five projects worth US$15.5 million last year. The country ranked sixth in project numbers and third in project value, behind China ( $42.3 million) and Vietnam ($24.7 million).

Over the past 16 years, Thai investments in Cambodia totalled 81 projects worth $362.35 million. Most were in hotels, agro-industry, wood processing, food processing, telecoms, medical services, electricity, mining, garments and shoes.

Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot said Thailand had potential to resume its leadership in foreign investment in Cambodia, if it can capitalise on the potential of National Road No. 5 as the land transport gateway to Vietnam and China.

The 407-kilometre highway connects Phnom Penh with Aranyaprathet in the Thai border province of Sa Kaeo. From Phnom Penh the road links to the Moc Bai-Bavet border crossing with Vietnam.

Mr Alongkorn and a group of Thai businesspeople recently travelled the road through Cambodia to Vietnam to explore the potential.

He said the Thai government planned to set up a special economic zone in Ban Pa Rai in Aranyaprathet to promote ties with Cambodia. It would offer comprehensive import-export services, distribution centres, customer services and an industrial estate covering about 1,000 rai.

The zone would be linked with Cambodia's Poipet O'Neang Special Economic Zone which occupies 2,000 rai opposite Ban Pa Rai.

Mr Alongkorn said the zone would be proposed to economic ministers and the cabinet in the new two weeks.

The special economic zone would be the second with a neighbouring country after the one that straddles Mae Sot district in Tak and Myawaddy in Burma. A special economic zone gives entrepreneurs more investment flexibility through such things as relaxed labour rules.

Thailand is currently the fifth largest trading partner of Cambodia behind the United States, Vietnam, China and Hong Kong. Bilateral trade between the two countries totalled $492.8 million last year, $477.2 million of which came from Thai exports.

Pictures of the Day

People fish on the Mekong River in Phnom Penh as the sun rises on September 05, 2010. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

A boat navigates the Mekong River near Phnom Penh as the sun rises on September 05, 2010.REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

សិក្ខាកាម​មជ្ឈត្តករ​មិន​ចូល​ប្រឡង : Abitrator Trainees Boycott Examination

EDITORIAL Welcome overtures

via Khmer NZ

Published: 5/09/2010

The news released by Prime Minister's Office Minister Ong-art Klampaibul on Friday that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva would meet his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept 24 is most welcome, and shows a strengthening of the recent trend that has seen diplomatic relations thawing between the two countries. Mr Ong-art made the announcement upon his return from Cambodia, where he reportedly met and had talks with Hun Sen for about an hour.

The news of the PM's upcoming face-to-face follows on the heels of the reinstatement of the ambassadors for both countries and the normalisation of diplomatic ties.

The ambassadors had been recalled in a tit-for-tat fashion following the appointment of fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra as Hun Sen's economic adviser last November. The reinstatement was a consequence of Thaksin's decision to quit the post.

Although the current state of relations is not quite jovial, it is a big improvement from the low point reached in late July after the contention over Cambodia's management plan for the Preah Vihear temple proposed to the World Heritage Committee at the WHC's annual meeting, held in Brasilia this year. Even before this the back and forth between the two countries was quite honestly making both sides look petulant and even childish.

While both sides deserve blame for the lack of diplomatic maturity, it was clearly the Cambodian PM's ill-advised appointment of Thaksin that set the stage for the worst of it. He could not have been unaware that taking on a fugitive from the Thai justice system, and one who is still greatly admired by the opposition to the present government, would provoke hostility from the Abhisit government. The fact that he announced his plan to appoint Thaksin as his economic adviser with great fanfare to a media horde as soon as he arrived at the Hua Hin airport to attend the 15th Asean summit, the first hosted by Thailand, is proof that provocation was his intent.

It can only be assumed that the reason for these actions was that Hun Sen was expecting Thaksin to regain power. The recent formal disassociation with Thaksin shows that he has reassessed the political situation in Thailand.

Mr Ong-art reported on Friday that the Cambodian prime minister said that Mr Abhisit should not be discouraged by criticism about his early rise to become prime minister.

''He has voiced confidence that Mr Abhisit will stay in the post for a long time and that the prime minister has grown stronger and proved his leadership skills,'' Mr Ong-art said.

Now is the time for Mr Abhisit to display these leadership skills. It might be tempting for him to hold a grudge against the Cambodian PM for the obvious attempts to humiliate his government, but Mr Abhisit would do much better to accept Hun Sen's peace offering and make moves to strengthen the natural ties between the two countries.

This, of course, will have to start with a negotiated agreement over the Preah Vihear temple. Indications are that this will be a prime topic between the two men in New York.

Mr Ong-art said he explained the legal requirements of the Thai side in the bilateral Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) to Hun Sen. A boundary agreement is key to resolving the dispute over the Preah Vihear buffer zone. A JBC meeting is scheduled for the coming week in Bangkok, but there is speculation it will be postponed until after the two leaders meet in New York.

Mr Abhisit may well also need to show his leadership skills in dealing with the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD). The PAD has capitalised on the Preah Vihear issue by stoking nationalist sentiments and adding unnecessary tension to the situation. If the PAD persists in this course and creates obstacles to a fair settlement, then Mr Abhisit must show he can act independently and in the best interests of the country.

These interests very much include good relations with Cambodia. It is important that cooperative frameworks are put in place in many areas, especially economic and environmental, as Cambodia opens itself up to tourism and foreign investment. The two countries share a long border that will be getting busier and busier in the coming years. They also share the Gulf of Thailand, which besides having some of the world's best beaches, is also reported to have large undersea oil reserves.

Cambodians Take First Chinese Language Test

via Khmer NZ

2010-09-05 18:04:12

Xinhua

Web Editor: Zhang Xu

More than 80 students on Sunday took the first Chinese Proficiency test known as HSK in Cambodia.

The test was held in two examination places, one was in Confucius Institute of the Royal Academy of Cambodia in capital Phnom Penh and the other was in a university in Banteay Meanchey Province, about 360 km northwest from the capital of Phnom Penh.

These exam students were from all walks of life in the country, including government officials, university students and members of the public.

Dr. Khlot Thyda, rector of the Royal Academy of Cambodia and the Confucius Institute, presented at exam hall and encouraged students to have a self-confidence and a good test.

A student called Zhou Shengli told reporter that he has learn Chinese language in local Chinese-language school when he was very young, and now he works in a Chinese-funded enterprises. "I want to know which level I have achieved in learning Chinese, so I came here and sat for the test today," he said with full confidence.

Another student, Hu Yongqiang, said that he learned Chinese language from local Duanhua School and have worked for three years. "When I learned there was a Chinese language test, I signed up at once. I want to improve my Chinese language level through the examination."

The growing number of learners for Chinese language over the past decade in Cambodia was attributed to the development of the friendly relationship between China and Cambodia, especially to the further strengthening of the economic and trade relations in recent years.

The Confucius Institute in Cambodia was established on Dec. 22, 2009 and was jointly run by the Royal Academy of Cambodia and China's Jiujiang University in Jiangxi Province.

On Dec. 22, 2009, Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping unveiled the first Confucius Institute in Cambodia during his visit in Phnom Penh.

HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) is a national-level test of Chinese proficiency for non-native speakers. HSK is seen by many people as an equivalent to TOEFL in the worldwide.

Cambodia's Tourism Up as Neighbours Languish

Some 1,423,505 tourists entered the Kingdom this year to the end of July, up an annualised 13.85 percent. It joins Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Laos as the only ASEAN countries with tourism figures on the rise, according to Ministry statistics.

via Khmer NZ

05.09.2010 | news Newsdesk

Cambodia has seen over 13 percent more tourists during the first seven months of this year, becoming one of five ASEAN countries to see an increase in 2010, according to a Ministry of Tourism report.

Some 1,423,505 tourists entered the Kingdom this year to the end of July, up an annualised 13.85 percent. It joins Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Laos as the only ASEAN countries with tourism figures on the rise, according to Ministry statistics.

Tourism Minister Thong Khon said the Kingdom had the potential to become an even larger draw for regional visitors.

“We have the potential of a huge and great culture which can be used to attract an increasing number of tourists in the future,” he said, and announced the 2011 ASEAN Tourism Forum would be held in Phnom Penh in January.

ASEAN was an important destination for foreign tourists, and Cambodia was becoming increasingly attractive for international tourists, he said.

“We will win the competition, and we need to develop the sector as much as we can,” he said.

Minister of the Council of Ministers Sok An said the government places exceptional emphasis on promoting and developing tourism.

“Daughters of Cambodia” Frees Girls from Sex Industry

via Khmer NZ

Sunday, September 5, 2010

by Marshall Ramsey II, Worthy News US Correspondent

Phnom Phen, Cambodia (Worthy News)-- Daughters of Cambodia, a Christian outreach and rehabilitation program started by British missionary Ruth Elliott, is working to free girls sold into the sex slave industry, Worthy News has learned.

Ruth Elliott has been working in Cambodia for six years to bring girls sold as sex slaves out of the trade. Since 2004, Elliott has worked near the red light district, confronting the practitioners of prostitution head-on, trying to bring them out of the sex trade into a new career and a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

LAUNCHING OUT

According to Elliott, God called her from the time she was 14 for this work. "The Lord began to speak to me," she told CBN. "He wanted me to go into the places that were worst and to facilitate healing the brokehearted and setting the captives free."

In Cambodia, 90% of the prostitutes in the sex trade industry are sold into it by their parents. A number of the girls say their families depend on them for support so they feel obligated to stay.

"They live in the pit of Hell. It's the truth," Ruth said, speaking on the victims' situation. "And they experience horrendous trauma when they come out."

A NEW BEGINNING

Daughters of Cambodia is a day-center started by Elliott that is located near the brothels. They make their own clothing, fashion accessories, and home furnishings and market them locally and overseas.

"We had to start small businesses, which are fair trade businesses, in order for the girls to exit the sex industry," she said. "For without another job, it is just impossible for them to leave the sex industry."

The Daughters of Cambodia center teaches the girls not only new work skills, they also learn valuable lessons for establishing a healthy family and home. "Things like domestic violence prevention, conflict resolution skills, budgeting skills, this kind of thing," Elliott explained. "[Also] drug prevention." Up to 60 girls at a time participate in the program, earning money for rent, food, and other needs.

BRINGING IN JESUS

In addition to teaching the girls how to survive without using their bodies to make money, Elliott also introduces the girls to Jesus Christ. And not to them only, but also to the brothel owners.

"We do build a relationship with the brothel owners and they are welcome in our church program," she said. "We want brothel owners to come. We want pimps to come. We want everyone in the sex industry to come to our church because we believe in the power of Jesus to change everyone's life."

"This involves going directly into the brothels and inviting sex workers who are in the sex industry in Cambodia to change their lives, if they are interested in doing that," she explained.

The message of unconditional love from Jesus Christ is producing great results, especially among the girls. "They respond very quickly to the gospel because they have never in their lives experienced love -- unconditional love and acceptance," Elliott said. "And many of them become Christians as a result of this."

GOD'S POWER AT WORK

The work is not easy. And while it can be dangerous, God's power to protect them is evident in a mighty way. "I have to say we have never, ever, not even one day, had any problems, any brothel owners turn up at our door demanding a girl back or threatening us in any way," she proclaimed. "We have never had a single threat against us. And I can't explain that to you except I believe the grace of God is on us."

The goal of Elliott is to have her girls graduate from the program and live successfully on their own. She hopes to have other Daughters of Cambodia-style centers in other countries with similar needs.

Information for this report was provided by CBN News.

Breaking the chains of addiction in Cambodia

http://www.inspiremagazine.org.uk/

via Khmer NZ

Freedom Cambodia (FC), a partner project of the UK charity Life For The World Trust (LFTW) is working hard with Phnom Penh churches and other ministries to launch Cambodia's first Christian addictions conference.

FC has, under the name Christian Response to Addictions in Cambodia, trained hundreds of workers and volunteers in Christian ministries and churches since 2005. Now FC is setting up a drop in centre for young people who are not only poor but also abusing drugs and solvents.

The conference entitled 'Breaking the Chains' (18 November 2010) is aimed at pastors and church leaders, many of whom face daily the challenge of church families affected by addictions. The conference programme will include a range of workshops on the pastoral issues raised by drug and alcohol abuse and gambling and ways in which churches can provide support for people with addictions.

Organizations Partner to Help Poor Children Prepare For a Better Life

U.S. based Child Rescue, Inc. and Goodwill Community Foundation have partnered to prepare children living in the poor villages of Cambodia’s interior for a better future by teaching them English and basic computer skills.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) September 4, 2010

via Khmer NZ

U.S. based Child Rescue, Inc. and Goodwill Community Foundation have partnered to prepare children living in the poor villages of Cambodia’s interior for a better future.

The endeavor to help children in Cambodia began for the two organizations in 2003 when Child Rescue, Inc. was established to provide a home for orphans living in and around the rural village of Krang Lovea. Since then, the non-profit has cared for over 40 homeless children. Children at the orphanage are taught to speak English as well as reading, writing and arithmetic. Learning English was and is still considered essential for the children who wish to move to large cities like Phnom Penh after they leave the orphanage.

Because speaking English is so important to a child’s future wellbeing, Child Rescue sought other organizations to partner with them to help with the costs of teaching additional, non-orphaned children living in other nearby villages.

In 2007, Dennis McClain, of Goodwill Community Foundation (GCF) met with the Child Rescue Board of Directors and agreed to fund a total of 10 schools to not only teach English but the skills required to operate a personal computer and utilize the Internet. In March of this year the two groups saw the first fruits of their combined efforts when eighty children graduated from the first computer training classes that began in December of 2009. A twelfth school teaching English opened in August of 2010 bringing the total number of students enrolled in the English program to approximately two thousand. 94 of the students have opted to take advantage of the computer training.

The English program is spearheaded by Child Rescue, but funding comes primarily from Goodwill so the schools are officially called––GCF Training Centers. Goodwill funding has paid for computers, satellite dishes for the Internet and even generators to produce the required electricity.

Child Rescue also works and raises funds to place young adults who have grown up at the orphanage into colleges or vocational training schools in Phnom Penh.

For additional information contact:

Ken Armstrong–President

Child Rescue, Inc.

303-360-7515

email: ken(at)childrescueinc(dot)org

http://www.childrescueinc.org/

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi adopt little girl

http://www.thespoof.com/

via Khmer NZ

Saturday, 4 September 2010

Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Ellen De Generes and her wife Portia de Rossi were in Cambodia to pick up the orphaned girl she is adopting, an official said Thursday.

The couple have refused to speak to the Press about the adoption.

Khut Sophal, manager of the New Adventure agency, which arranged the adoption, said the exact cause of death of the parents isn't clear, but he suspects they died of suicide.

DeGeneres visited the Asian nation last week to file her adoption request, accompanied by Portia de Rossi, an official said Wednesday.

"The paperwork has gone through. Ellen DeGeneres' request was accepted last week," Aki Ra, head of the country's state-run adoption agency, told The Gay Press.

The child "is fourteen years old and came from a brothel in Phnom Penh," Ra said, refusing to elaborate. The actress filed her request through a private adoption agency.

In a posting on a Web site, DeGeneres is quoted as saying the child's name is Marley DeGeneres and that she and Portia de Rossi are "very happy to have a new addition to our family."

Ellen DeGeneres has often talked of adopting a girl from Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

She just recently bought a 45 million dollar estate in Phnom Penh, Cambodia where she will live with her family.

For months, rumors have been circulating about the extent of her relationship with Portia de Rossi. Photos published in the July 11 issue of Gay Girl Magazine show DeGeneres standing near several teen girls in Phnom Penh, Cambodia near a rustic store front. The Cambodian girls, all aged 8 to 10, sat in a circle as they ate sweets bought by DeGeneres.

DeGeneres said she has never had sex with a man and is only attracted to females.

Ra said DeGeneres had met the 10 conditions for adopting a child from Cambodia. "The two most important are economic capabilities and caring parents," Ra said. "Although she is a television star, she still has to meet the same requirements as everybody else."

Caring for the orphans costs $115 million a month in a country whose annual health budget is only $140 million. Because of that, Cambodia has gone out of its way to make adoption easier.

Vietnamese naval ship visits Cambodia

via Khmer NZ

09/04/2010

The two Vietnamese naval ships HQ375 and HQ376 docked at a port in Sihanouk city, Preah Sihanouk province, Cambodia to begin an official friendship visit on September 3-6.

This first visit by the Vietnam People’s Navy aims to strengthen the traditional friendship between the two countries.

Vietnam’s delegation met with leaders of Preah Sihanouk province and the two sides agreed that the event marked a new phase in the Vietnam-Cambodia relationship.

Later, the ships reached Phnom Penh to meet with the Cambodian Minister of National Defense and visited Ream navy base to take part in friendship sports events.

Increase in Cambodia's vultures gives hope to imperilled scavengers

via Khmer NZ

Science Centric | 4 September 2010

While vultures across Asia teeter on the brink of extinction, the vultures of Cambodia are increasing in number, providing a beacon of hope for these threatened scavengers, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and other members of the Cambodia Vulture Conservation Project.

Researchers report that record numbers of vultures have been counted in Cambodia's annual vulture census, with 296 birds of three species found at multiple sites across the Northern and Eastern Plains of Cambodia by the Cambodia Vulture Conservation Project, a partnership of conservationists led by the Wildlife Conservation Society.

The record count means that Cambodia is home to the only increasing population of vultures in Asia. Specifically, the census indicates that the country's population of white-rumped vultures is increasing; populations of red-headed and slender billed vultures were found to be stable. All three of Cambodia's vulture species are listed as 'Critically Endangered' by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).

Vulture populations in Southeast Asia are primarily threatened by the declining number of large herbivores in the region, but have been largely unaffected by a far greater threat to Asia's vultures: the veterinary drug diclofenac. Widely used as an anti-inflammatory drug for cattle in South Asia, diclofenac is toxic to vultures, causing death through renal failure and visceral gout to birds that feed on the cattle carcasses and has led to global population declines higher than 99 percent in some vulture species.

The census success follows a record breeding season for vultures in Cambodia. This year, a total of 36 vulture chicks fledged from colonies across the north and east of the country, an increase from last year's total of 19 chicks.

Vulture conservation efforts in Cambodia are the result of a number of activities promoted by the Cambodia Vulture Conservation Project. For instance, vulture nests are protected by local community members who are paid a small fee for their support. This ensures that vulture nesting success is greatly improved and also benefits local community members who often have few other sources of income during the dry season, which coincides with the vulture breeding season. Vulture food sources are supplemented by 'vulture restaurants,' feeding stations that also give visitors the opportunity to see these huge birds up close.

'By protecting nests and supplementing food supplies, we are saving some of the world's largest and most charismatic birds,' stated Dr Hugo Rainey, WCS technical advisor to the Cambodia Vulture Conservation Project. 'Nowhere else in Asia do vultures have such a promising future.'

While conservationists can point to recent successes in the conservation of Cambodia's vultures, they also warn of the rising threat of agricultural pesticides to the birds. Since December 2008, more than 20 vultures are known to have died from consuming domestic animals that had been poisoned accidentally by the inappropriate use of pesticides. This practice may also present a risk to human health.

Song Chansocheat, Ministry of Environment and WCS Vulture Project Manager, commented that 'Cambodia is the only Asian country where diclofenac is rarely used and vulture populations are managed. We have been monitoring vultures since 2004 and there have been increasing numbers of poisoned birds recently. Educating people about the risk to wildlife and people from incorrect use of poisons is important.'

'Cambodia has become a critical source site for vultures, one that we need to protect as a means of saving these ecologically valuable birds,' said Joe Walston, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Asia Program.

Source: Wildlife Conservation Society

Iranian Envoy, Cambodian Officials Confer on Expansion of Ties

http://english.farsnews.com/

via Khmer NZ

2010-09-04

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran's Accredited Ambassador to Cambodia Seyed Javad Qavam Shahidi met with senior Cambodian officials and discussed ways to boost mutual cooperation.

Commenting on the details of his meeting, Qavam Shahidi said on Saturday that Cambodia is keen on fostering bilateral ties with Iran in various fields.

The Iranian diplomat added that he met with Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Namhong, Minister of the Office of the Council of Ministers Sok An and Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Suy Sem.

During the meetings, he state, the two sides conferred on ways to raise the level of trade cooperation, increase investments and promote cooperation in oil, gas, technical, engineering and political fields.

Earlier in August, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki announced that Iran and Cambodia plan to further boost their political, economic and diplomatic cooperation.

"As regards trade, we agreed to bring Tehran-Phnom Penn relations into a new era through holding national fairs in each other's countries, active participation in the two countries' international fairs, and reciprocal meetings between the two counties' chambers of commerce and ministries of commerce," Mottaki stated, speaking at a press conference after his meeting Namhong here in Tehran on August 10.

Mottaki said that he and his Cambodian counterpart had also agreed to work on tourism as a main agenda for the expansion of ties.