Consumer Price Index sees stable inflation

via CAAI

Wednesday, 15 September 2010 15:00 Nguon Sovan

INFLATION remained near its lowest level this year in August as the National Bank of Cambodia’s measures to stabilise the riel took effect.

The Consumer Price Index rose slightly to an annual 1.8 percent in August, a slight increase on the year’s low of 1.6 percent in July, but still far below the 5.3 to 7.3 percent rates of the year’s first four months, according to National Institute of Statistics data released yesterday.

Kang Chandararot, president of Cambodia Institute for Development Study, said yesterday: “The good [stable] rate of inflation is due to the measures of the National Bank of Cambodia in stabilising the riel currency.

“We expect that the inflation rate will be stable throughout this year.”

So far this year, the NBC has bought US$48 million worth of riels on the foreign exchange market to stop the riel from depreciating too quickly.

The NIS report highlighted that the highest percentage increases among consumer goods were natural gas, sugar, jam, honey, chocolate and confectionery, and petrol prices, which respectively increased by 31.4 percent, 18.9 percent and 10.6 percent.

The International Monetary Fund forecast Friday that inflation would be 4 percent this year.

It is currently averaging 4.59 percent for the first eight months.

The index is made up of 259 items tracked in five different Phnom Penh markets.

Salt surplus stored to prevent short supply

via CAAI

Wednesday, 15 September 2010 15:00 Chun Sophal

THE Cambodian Salt Association has reserved 80,000 tonnes of salt for the domestic market in 2011 in case salt production drops, following a shortage last year.

Ly Seng, president of the Cambodian Salt Association, said yesterday that the organisation was storing the extra salt for the coming year in case producers failed to make enough to meet demand.

“We are not concerned about a shortfall of salt for the coming year because we already have enough in reserves to respond to the demands of our residents,” he said.

Cambodia, which has a population of around 14 million people, consumes between 90,000 and 120,000 tonnes of salt each year.

Heavy rainfall in 2009 saw the association members produce just 30,000 tonnes of salt, forcing it to request government permission to import salt from China to help meet needs.

Ly said that even if salt production was hampered by too much rain next year, there would be no repeat of the crisis because the association was preparing ahead by storing its surplus.

“We plan to produce 90,000 tonnes of salt next year, but even if we don’t reach this goal, we will still have enough for local consumption,” Ly Seng said.

The Cambodian Salt Association, which has 187 salt producers as its members in Kep and Kampot provinces, has harvested a total 174,000 tonnes of salt this year – 84,000 tonnes over its target.

According to its reported statistics, the association has already sold 50,000 tonnes this year to local consumers for US$41 per tonne.

$1.8bn corridor shortfall

via CAAI

Wednesday, 15 September 2010 15:00 Jeremy Mullins

THE Asian Development Bank has identified a US$1.8 billion funding gap for its plans to develop the Southern Economic Corridor, linking Cambodia and its three neighbours.

Aiming to improve infrastructure ties, cross-border trade, and boost private business within Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand, a framework plan released yesterday identified the need for $3.3 billion in project funding over the next five years. About 46 percent has been secured so far.

ADB senior country economist Peter Brimble said the shortfall was not unusual, and that he believed it would be addressed. “There are always funding gaps in the beginning,” he said.

The Southern Economic Corridor plan was formally endorsed at the 16th Greater Mekong Subregion Ministerial meeting in Hanoi last month, which was attended by Cambodia’s Minister of Commerce, Cham Prasidh.

The cost of three large regional projects – two large power plants and a road – together account for about $1.5 billion of the $1.8 billion gap, but were suitable for private-public partnerships, according to the report.

Brimble said that raising donor money had become difficult in the post-recession world economy, but said worthy projects still received financing and income streams could diversify.

“A compelling project with an impact on reducing poverty will attract funding,” he said, and the ADB was looking beyond donors to finance future development. “The private sector will play a much greater role over the next 10 years.”

About two-thirds of the corridor’s price tag involved infrastructure , such as Cambodia’s $165-million Neak Loueng bridge and road improvements on the route from Phnom Penh to Vietnam, and $73 million for rehabilitation of the Kingdom’s railways.

Scott Lewis, chief investment officer at equity fund Leopard Capital, said yesterday that infrastructure improvements were crucial for the Kingdom’s economic development.

He welcomed increased private-sector involvement in infrastructure projects – provided firms were experienced and operated with integrity.

Poor-quality infrastructure had been laid in Cambodia in the past, he said, and pointed to the expertise provided by Australian firm Toll Holdings in revamping the Kingdom’s railway as providing “a lot more comfort”.

Essien proves perfect pick in fantasy league

Photo by: AFP
Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien scored twice against West Ham to earn 15 points for fantasy teams during gameweek 4.

via CAAI

Wednesday, 15 September 2010 15:00 Dan Riley

A rather flat gameweek 4 saw many managers of our PPP/CTN Fantasy League struggling to scrape out a decent score. With a tasty total of 71 points, team Frankie Fatpard managed by the eponymous Special One devoured the competition with a delicious combination of Chelsea’s brace-bagging Michael Essien for 15 points, as well as a backline trio of Koscielny (8), Vidic (9) and Terry (6).

Tragically, the Special One had not yet registered his team by email, so his prize of a US$20 Cellcard phone voucher and T-shirt passes to second-placed Steve Longley, who notched 66 points with his team Two Apples Please.

Other top picks for the week were the likes of Fulham’s double netter Dembele (13) and Blackpool’s superb value striker Adam (13).

With four clubs involved in midweek Champions League clashes, you’ll want to lay off making transfer decisions until Friday to avoid choosing an injured man.

Leander Paes joins TFC

via CAAI

Wednesday, 15 September 2010 15:00 H S Manjunath

The Tennis Federation of Cambodia has officially designated Indian Davis Cup star and multiple grand slam doubles and mixed doubles winner Leander Paes their Tennis Ambassador as the Kingdom steps up to the International stage by hosting two back-to-back Men’s Futures events early next year.

37-year-old Paes, the 1996 Atlanta Olympics doubles bronze medalist who is currently ranked No 3 in men’s doubles with his Czech partner Lukas Diouhny, will squeeze in a quick one-day trip to Siem Reap on September 29 - directly in the middle of his Bangkok Open doubles engagement - to feature in the filming of a special CNN programme on the TFC as part of their monthly tennis show Open Court.

The Association of Tennis Professionals is understood to have given Paes, who is only the second man in history after Rod Laver to win Wimbledon titles in three different decades, a day off to make this short visit possible. The TFC has chalked out a grand reception during which Leander would be formally welcomed to the fold as global representative.

“We are proudly privileged to have a player of Leander’s stature promoting Cambodia’s tennis cause as we enter the international arena with the Kingdom’s Davis Cup participation next year a near certainty,” said TFC Secretary General Tep Rithivit yesterday.

The federation will hold an hour long “Play with Leander” programme for as many as eight boys and girls presently involved in school mini tennis programmes in Phnom Penh. An astroturf mini court will be set up in front of Angkor Wat temple for the kids to enjoy a knock up with this year’s Australian Open and Wimbledon mixed doubles winner, who was honoured with India’s highest sports award, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, as far back as 1997.

“I am sure this will be a thrilling experience for the kids, and there is no better way of introducing Leander to Cambodia and its culture than a round of tennis against the backdrop of one of the wonders of the world,” added Tep Rithivit.

International news broadcaster CNN are sending reknowned producer Chris Chaundcer and cameraman Kit Swartz for this assignment. Apart from filming the September 29 Leander Paes show, the two man crew will capture images at Cambodia’s National Training Centre where local tennis veteran Yi Sarun, a killing fields survivor, will take on an ex-patriot player in an exhibition match. Interviews are also slated with Tep Rithivit and Cambodian Country Club president Van Sou Ieng, who donated a free lease of some of the club’s land for the National Training Centre.

Pictures of the Day

Members of the Indian community hold portraits of India's President Pratibha Patil (L), her husband Devisingh Ramsingh Shekhawat (C) and Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni while they wait for Patil's arrival at the royal palace in Phnom Penh September 14, 2010. Patil is in Cambodia for a five-day visit and is expected to sign two agreements, a memorandum of understanding for co-operation between two nations and a water resources development project, according to the Cambodian foreign ministry. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Cambodian schoolchildren hold portraits of India's President Pratibha Patil while they await her arrival at the royal palace in Phnom Penh September 14 , 2010. Patil is in Cambodia for a five-day visit and is expected to sign two agreements, a memorandum of understanding for co-operation between two nations and a water resources development project, according to the Cambodian foreign ministry. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

In this photo taken Sunday, July 18, 2010, monks look at Angkor Wat in Siem Reap province, about 143 miles (230 kilometers) northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. More than 1-million visitors come annually to see the ancient temple remains that dot the sprawling Angkor region. For Cambodians, the temples are nothing less than a symbol of their nation. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

In this photo taken Friday, July 16, 2010, a monk strolls through Angkor Wat in Siem Reap province, about 143 miles (230 kilometers) northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. More than 1-million visitors come annually to see the ancient temple remains that dot the sprawling Angkor region. For Cambodians, the temples are nothing less than a symbol of their nation. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

In this Friday, July 16, 2010 photo, a visitor walks through the corridor of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap province, about 143 miles (230 kilometers) northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. More than 1-million visitors come annually to see the ancient temple remains that dot the sprawling Angkor region. For Cambodians, the temples are nothing less than a symbol of their nation. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

In this photo taken Sunday, July 18, 2010, a young girl looks on at the Bayon in Siem Reap province, about 143 miles (230 kilometers) northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. More than 1-million visitors come annually to see the ancient temple remains that dot the sprawling Angkor region. For Cambodians, the temples are nothing less than a symbol of their nation. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

In this photo taken Sunday, July 18, 2010, monks walk around a pond where a part of Angkor Wat is reflected on the water in Siem Reap province, about 143 miles (230 kilometers) northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. More than 1-million visitors come annually to see the ancient temple remains that dot the sprawling Angkor region. For Cambodians, the temples are nothing less than a symbol of their nation. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

In this photo taken Sunday, July 18, 2010, a local child plays at Ta Prohm, a temple at Angkor where the movie 'Lara Croft:Tomb Raider' was filmed, inSiem Reap province, about 143 miles (230 kilometers) northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. More than 1-million visitors come annually to see the ancient temple remains that dot the sprawling Angkor region. For Cambodians, the temples are nothing less than a symbol of their nation. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

In this photo taken Tuesday, July 20, 2010, a man casts a net into a river to catch fish for his dinner in Siem Reap, about 143 miles (230 kilometers)northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

In this Sunday, July 18, 2010 photo, young artists perform a traditional shadow play at a restaurant in Siem Reap, about 143 miles (230 kilometers) northwestof Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

In this photo taken Sunday, July 18, 2010, local people pray near a Buddha statue in the Bayon, one of the most famous Khmer temples in Angkor Thom inSiem Reap province, about 143 miles (230 kilometers) northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. More than 1-million visitors come annually to see the ancient temple remains that dot the sprawling Angkor region. For Cambodians, the temples are nothing less than a symbol of their nation. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

In this photo taken Wednesday, July 21, 2010, local children walk near the temple of Banteay Srei in Siem Reap province, about 143 miles (230 kilometers) northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. More than 1-million visitors come annually to see the ancient temple remains that dot the sprawling Angkor region. For Cambodians, the temples are nothing less than a symbol of their nation. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

In this Saturday, July 17, 2010 photo, a Cambodian flag with a depiction of Angkor Wat in the center is hoisted near a construction site in Siem Reap,about 143 miles (230 kilometers) northwest of the capital, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. More than 1-million visitors come annually to see the ancient temple remains that dot the sprawling Angkor region. For Cambodians, the temples are nothing less than a symbol of their nation. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Mother Teresa enjoys limelight in Cambodia

via CAAI
Published Date: September 14, 2010

A documentary on Mother Teresa being shown in a Cambodian cinema hall

The Cambodian Church has hosted a film festival to mark the birth centenary of Blessed Teresa of Kolkata and to show Cambodians of all religions her service for the poor.

Two documentary films on the nun were shown in a cinema hall in Phnom Penh Sept. 10-12 for free. Around 400 people attended the screening on the first day. The films will be re-shown in Siem Reap on Sept. 14.

“The festival firstly aimed to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Mother Teresa and to express her testimony of love and charity,” said Ly Sovanna, director of the Catholic Social Communications that organized the festival. Signis-India, the Catholic audio-visual organization, produced the two films screened.

Monsignor Enrique Figaredo, apostolic prefect of Battembang, who presided at the opening of the event, said, “The film festival provides an awareness of Mother Teresa to the public.” He said the films were selected to help Catholics and others reflect on what it means to serve the poor.

Many among the audience said they appreciated the films.

Sin Sophea, a Catholic, said he was inspired by Mother Teresa’s faith in God and her many sacrifices to serve the poor.

Sin Seang Ey, a Buddhist, said the films helped her understand that love and non-violence were also Christian values.

Another Buddhist in the audience said, “I praise Mother Teresa for helping the poor.” She said Mother Teresa was brave for daring to “argue against Indian authorities to protect the poor.” After seeing the films she said she now realizes that love has no limits or religious boundaries.

Mother Teresa was born on Aug. 26, 1910, in what is now Macedonia. She went to Kolkata, India, in 1929 to become a Loreto nun but later left that congregation to start her own Missionaries of Charity congregation to serve the poor. She died in 1997 at the age of 87 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003.

About 20 Missionaries of Charity nuns, mostly from India, work in Cambodia.

80,000 Cambodian garment workers strike

via CAAI

Tuesday 14 September 2010

by Tom Mellen

Over 80,000 garment workers who produce branded clothing for Western transnationals such as Nike and Gap have stayed away from the production line, the second day of a week-long strike for fairer pay.

Inspired by the recent success of industrial action in China and Bangladesh, Cambodian unions expect that the huge stoppage which kicked off on Monday will focus ministers' minds on the need for a higher minimum wage in the sector.

Under a deal hammered out between the government and industry chiefs, bosses who employ Cambodia's 345,000 garment workers must pay at least $61 (£39) a month.

But Cambodian Labour Confederation president Ath Thun insisted that this was not enough to cover food, housing and travel expenses.

Unions are demanding that the minimum wage be set at $93 (£60).

Anti-poverty activist Moeun Tola said that many workers were employed by subcontractors for highly profitable Western transnationals such as Gap, Nike and Wal-Mart.

Mr Tola insisted that they should do more to end the sweatshop-style conditions endured by staff at many Cambodian factories.

"Big companies like Nike, Adidas and the Wal-Mart have a code of conduct when putting in orders in Cambodia and can make sure no workers are violated or get poor pay and that they can have contracts that last longer than just a few months," he said.

The rag trade is Cambodia's third-biggest foreign currency earner, employing an estimated 300,000 of Cambodia's 13.4 million people who send much of the cash back to their families in the countryside.

Many rural people manage to survive on less than $1 (64p) a day.

Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) boss Ken Loo lashed out at the strikers, declaring that their action for a fairer wage "will badly affect the reputation of the industry."

Mr Ken dismissed a $93-dollar minimum wage as "impossible" and called on factory owners facing disruption to seek a court injunction declaring the strikes illegal.

In July Bangladesh increased the minimum wage for garment workers from $25 (£16) a month to $43 (£28) following weeks of industrial action and militant street protests.

Unions had called for $73 (£47).

And in China Western transnationals have been quietly ramping up wages this year amid a wave of action by relatively low-paid organised workers.

Honda bosses recently agreed to bump up pay at their Chinese facilities by 24 per cent.

Mysteries of Angkor Wat

via CAAI

14th September 2010

AMID the splendour of the 12th-century temple at Angkor Wat, they stand and stare like silent sentinels, sensuous rather than erotic, carved with elegance and care.

But exactly who are these 1786 mysterious women and why, more than a century after Cambodia's famed Hindu temple was rediscovered by Western archaeologists, did it take the efforts of an amateur US researcher to push experts into trying to resolve the puzzle?

Though Kent Davis had lived in Southeast Asia during the 1990s, he did not see Angkor Wat until 2005.

Like most visitors to the huge complex, for many years cut off from the outside world because of the Khmer Rouge, he was mesmerised.

But he also left with a flurry of questions. "I went to Angkor as a tourist and I was startled when I got there to notice these women," said Davis, 54, a publisher and writer who now lives near Tampa, Florida.

"I was not prepared for it. The human element of them struck me and I wanted to know who they were. I asked one of the guides and he said they were there to serve the king after he went to heaven."

Davis vowed he would return to the US and investigate. Yet when he got home he found there was essentially nothing written about these women, who appear throughout the temple complex in full body carvings.

Indeed, the only study of the female carvings he could find had been made in the early 20th century by the daughter of Frenchman Henri Marchal, then the site's curator.

Five years and several trips to Angkor later, Davis has slowly begun to get some answers.

After turning to Michigan University computer experts for help, a team was able to conduct facial mapping experiments on digital photographs of the women, or devatas.

The team, whose findings were presented last month at the International Conference on Pattern Recognition, an academic convocation in Istanbul, concluded there were at least eight different facial types, perhaps reflecting a variety of ethnicities in the Khmer kingdom.

The results are to be examined further by archaeologists and more computer mapping is planned. But despite all the mapping, the results of which were published in DatAsia magazine, many questions about the women remain unanswered.

"There are almost 1800 women's faces there," said Davis, who is now trying to use 65 separate characteristics to place the faces in a database.

"It's a Facebook of the 12th century, but no one had ever heard of them. This was the biggest temple the Khmer people ever built and it must have been important to them because they threw everything into it.

"They would have put important things in it; these women must have been important to the kingdom."

Davis wrote to universities, pestered experts, and sought the opinions of people from around the globe who had worked at Angkor.

Dr Peter Sharrock, an expert on Southeast Asia at London's School of African and Oriental Studies, has studied the temples around Angkor for years. "We understand [the female carvings] little but they play a major role in the architectural sculpture of these temples, which must imply a major role in the beliefs of the ancient Khmers and in the rituals in their temples," he said.

"Khmer descent was primarily matrilineal, and Khmer women were literate and powerful. Many were queens, and most kings base their genealogies and claims to the throne on their female ancestors."

Davis said analysing the images was like "being the first person to get a map to the British Museum and the keys to the front door".

"Once we define facial types more thoroughly, [by] using facial pattern recognition on people living in this area ... we could actually find the descendants of some of the sacred women in the temple."

ANGKOR WAT

What: A sprawling temple complex.

Where: Located amid dense jungle and close to the city of Siem Reap.

History: It was built in the early 12th century and is one of a series of stunning palaces built over a 400-year period by the Khmer Kingdom. Angkor Wat, the most impressive and best-preserved of the complexes, was built for King Suryavarman II and is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu.

Khmer Rouge: For many years the remarkable buildings were unknown to the West, which only "rediscovered" them in the 19th century. During the 1970s and 1980s they were off-limits as a result of the presence of the Khmer Rouge, the Maoist-inspired rebels who ruled Cambodia from 1975-79 and who then engaged in a bitter civil war for the next two decades.

Today: The temples attract up to a million tourists a year. Angkor Wat has become a symbol of Cambodia, even appearing on its national flag.

Prez Patil meets Cambodian PM, India extends 15 million dollar credit

via CAAI

Phnom Penh, Sep 14 (ANI): Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen today called on visiting Indian President Pratibha Devising Patil here which was followed by signing of agreements between the two countries.

Hun Sen is one of the longest serving leader in South East Asia and is one of the longest serving prime ministers in the world, having been in power through various coalitions since 1985.

After the meeting, EXIM bank director P. Dalal and Cambodia's Secretary of State in Ministry of Economy and Finance, Aun Porn Monirothe, signed an agreement to extend 15 million dollars credit for the Stung Tassal Water Development project.

Second agreement was signed by Indian Ambassador to Cambodia Rajesh Kr. Sachdeva and the Cambodian National Audit Authority in order to help the later in capacity building.

The agreements were signed to enhance economic engagements between the two countries. An Indian business delegation is also in Cambodia to achieve this objective.

Total trade between India and Cambodia in 2008-09 was 49.61 dollars. Major exports to Cambodia are drugs, pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, cotton, staple fibres, rubber articles, precious metals, etc.

Earlier in the day, President Patil was accorded a traditional welcome by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni at the Silver Pagoda Royal Palace here.

The Indian President arrived on Monday on a six-day state visit to Cambodia from September 13 to 18 with the objective of strengthening enduring partnerships with countries of the ASEAN region as part of India's Look-East policy.

India has "warm and cordial relations" with Cambodia, one of the important countries in the ASEAN region, which has supported New Delhi's bid for permanent membership of the UN Security Council.

Apart from visiting Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, President Patil would be travelling with the delegation to Siem Reap where the world famous temples of Angkor Vat are located. India and Cambodia enjoy a long standing and shared historical affinity and close cultural ties. Cambodia is an important partner of India among the ASEAN countries. resident Patil's visit to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap will provide

an opportunity for reaffirming and strengthening multifaceted bilateral ties, including commercial and investment relations. By Praful Kumar Singh (ANI)

Group Wants More Government Control Over Labor Agencies

Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh
Tuesday, 14 September 2010

via CAAI

Photo: By Taing Sarada
The Cambodian government has promoted migrant work abroad as one way to ease unemployment.

“The labor recruitment agencies must open an opportunity for the concerned government ministries and non-governmental organizations to observe in the places where the workers are staying before leaving for jobs abroad.”

The rights group Adhoc on Tuesday called for more government control of labor agencies, which it says have been responsible for abuses against migrant workers abroad.

There are more than 30 labor recruitment agencies with licenses from the Ministry of Labor, the group said, but some of the businesses operate more like human traffickers than helpful recruiters.

Adhoc has so far this year received 28 reports of worker violations from employers in Malaysia, including non-stop work, beatings, food deprivation and rape. It has also documented 23 violations of labor rights.

The Cambodian government has promoted migrant work abroad as one way to ease unemployment.

“We want to have a special legal instrument for managing Cambodian migrant workers, as they've suffered from different violations from local labor recruitment agencies and their bosses in Malaysia,” Kea Sophal, an Adhoc attorney, told reporters Tuesday.

Adhoc is recommending a monitoring mechanism to oversee working conditions, legal documentation and contracts between agencies and workers.

“The labor recruitment agencies must open an opportunity for the concerned government ministries and non-governmental organizations to observe in the places where the workers are staying before leaving for jobs abroad,” the group said in a statement.

Sok Chanpheakdey, secretary-general for the Association of Cambodian Recruitment Agencies, which has 16 company members, said he also encouraged a better government mechanism to protect workers.

Nhem Kimhouy, director of the employment office for the Ministry of Labor, said the ministry does counsel recruitment agencies in an effort to prevent worker violations.

According to a circular, the ministry now prohibits agencies from providing loans to workers' families and also seeks to control the spread of agent networks.

Sok Chanpheakdey said that the 16 agencies in his association will respect the ministry guidelines. But he acknowledged that other businesses may not.

“Some labor recruitment agencies provide loans to recruited workers, and when they've asked not to go abroad to work, the agencies pressure them to pay back [the loan],” he said. “If we depend on the law, that loan provision is an act of human trafficking.”

Population of Asia's rarest waterbird 30% higher than previously thought

via CAAI

mongabay.com

September 13, 2010

A record-breaking 429 White-shouldered Ibis (Pseudibis davisoni) were recorded in a new survey in Cambodia, dramatically expanding the known global population of the critically endangered bird species, reports BirdLife International.

The discovery, which exceeds the previous estimate of 330 birds by 30 percent, was welcomed by conservationists.

"Discovering so many White-shouldered Ibis really improves our chances of saving the species," said Hugh Wright, a doctoral student at University of East Anglia and an expert on the species, in a statement. "During this record-breaking count, one of our main sites actually had far fewer birds than in previous surveys. I don’t believe these birds move very far and they were probably still present at that site. Considering previous counts, this means that the actual population could even exceed 500 birds."

White-shouldered Ibis. Photo: Hugh Wright/UEA

However despite the positive news, the species—which is considered the most endangered waterbird in Southeast Asia due to habitat loss and hunting—is still in dire need of help.

"The species is still very close to extinction so we are continuing our efforts to understand and protect the ibis," said Sum Phearun of the People Resources and Conservation Foundation, which together with the Cambodian Forestry Administration and General Department for Administration of Nature Conservation and Protection, BirdLife International in Indochina, the Wildlife Conservation Society and Worldwide Fund for Nature, conducted the survey.

NGOs question democracy

Photo by: David Boyle
President of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, Ou Virak, discusses democratic principles of government during an interview earlier this year.

via CAAI

Tuesday, 14 September 2010 19:17 Cameron Wells

A coalition of 16 human rights NGOs has released a report that accuses the Cambodian Peoples party of stifling freedom of expression and restraining democracy and urges the international community to act on what it deems a deterioration of rights in the Kingdom.

Ou Virak, president of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, who commissioned the report, read a statement to reporters on Tuesday expressing fears that Cambodia was at risk of becoming a “de-facto one party state”.

“With the continued use of intimidation, harassment, threats, and spurious legal charges to silence dissenting voices and criticism of government policies, we fear that the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) is moving away from the democratic principles enshrined in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia to a defacto one-party state; a closed society in which laws, systems and actions of the ruling party prevent free opinion and criticism,” he said.

The report, titled “Cambodia Gagged: Democracy at Risk?” accuses the government of using the courts to silence anti-governmental comment relating to land grabbing, corruption and territorial disputes.

But senior CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap said yesterday that while he had not seen the report, it lacked balance and was biased against the government.

“I think NGO’s have exercised their rights and freedom of expression with this report, but the ruling party cannot accept the criticisms leveled at it,” he said. “It is not fair to the government.”...read the full story in tomorrow’s Phnom Penh Post or see the updated story online from 3PM UTC/GMT +7 hours.

Taking stock: Cambodia's exchange

via CAAI

Tuesday, 14 September 2010 21:15 Nguon Sovan

The government has said Cambodia’s first stock exchange will launch next July “at any cost”. As the country readies itself for the much-delayed bourse Inpyo Lee, project director of Korean Exchange, which holds a 45 percent stake in the Cambodian Securities Exchange, holds an interview with Nguon Sovan.

What still needs to be done for CSX to launch in July?

Our project is now running to the finish line. We have almost completed our information technology system development and are now in the final stage of testing.

We are about to ship all the IT equipment and materials from Korea to Cambodia.

In the meantime, the first CSX board members meeting will be held soon. Then we will decide when we will apply to SECC to get a licence for CSX.

However, we need to develop more macrostructure - such as a balanced banking and financial sector, and an advanced accounting system.

Moreover, potential companies for listing must be carefully examined. Another major issue is the education of potential investors, but CSX is preparing for that.

What have you observed about companies in Cambodia in terms of adherence to accounting standards, management systems and transparency? Are they qualified enough for listing?

For many companies, I think there is a long way to go to meet CSX requirements.

However, there are good, qualified companies that can be listed in the CSX next year – some companies already practice international

standards.

If many firms see the advantages of being listed on the exchange, then they will automatically follow the system...read the full interview in tomorrow’s Phnom Penh Post or see the updated interview online from 3PM UTC/GMT +7 hours.

It's a wrap

Photo by: Mariam Arthur
David Bradley with KMY Films CEO Mariam Arthur in the actor's home town in Texas, 2006.

via CAAI

Tuesday, 14 September 2010 21:57 Brooke Lewis

A Hollywood talent cancelled acting classes scheduled to start Monday because Cambodian stars were too arrogant to concede that they needed to hone their craft, an organiser said yesterday.

The three-week method acting course was to be taught by American actor David Bradley, an ex-Karate champion who in 1989 “became a star after becoming the 2nd American Ninja in The American Ninja Part 3”, according to the Internet Movie Database.

But Marian Arthur, CEO of KMY Films, a Cambodian-based film distribution company, said yesterday that Bradley had cancelled his flight to the Kingdom because of low rates of enrolment in the classes.

“Many of the current actors did not sign up because they said they already know how to act,” she said in an email yesterday.

“Several others said they don’t care about learning how to act because they just used acting jobs to become celebrities and they if they learn to act they will have to actually work. They have lost my respect.”

She said she had approached Bradley, a personal friend, and asked him to teach the classes because she believed that Khmer actors would respond well to him.

“He really has that Asian Zen-like attitude,” she said. “He’s very quiet and very strong.”...read the full story in tomorrow’s Phnom Penh Post or see the updated story online from 3PM UTC/GMT +7 hours.

Lakeside residents report scare tactics

Photo by: Will Baxter
Residents of Srah Chak commune pull down a home yesterday

via CAAI

Tuesday, 14 September 2010 22:27 Khouth Sophakchakrya

RESIDENTS of Srah Chak commune near Boeung Kak lake said yesterday that local authorities and masked employees of Shukaku Inc had resorted to using scare tactics in a bid to force them to accept inadequate compensation packages and leave their homes.

Kong Chan Tha, a 41-year-old resident of Village 24 in Srah Chak commune, located in Daun Penh district, said village chief Pong Heng and four masked women she believed worked for local developer Shukaku Inc had threatened residents on Monday, warning them that they needed to accept a standing compensation offer of US$8,500 and move away from the lakeside.

“They said we would not receive any compensation at all if we did not agree to move now,” she said. Five families agreed to move following the incident, she said.

Pong Heng “always urges us to accept the money and relocate”, said Ing Navy, a representative of Village 24. “We suspect that he might have received some bribes from the company’s owner.”

Yesterday, Pong Heng denied having accepted bribes from Shukaku Inc and having tried to scare families away. “The five families volunteered to move,” he said. “I have never received even one-quarter of a cent from the company.”...read the full story in tomorrow’s Phnom Penh Post or see the updated story online from 3PM UTC/GMT +7 hours.

Workers cry abuse

Photo by: Sovan Philong
Buth Synoun, 31, of Kampot province, yesterday describes her lot in Malaysia. As a domestic servant, she said, she cleaned from 5am to midnight daily and was fed leftovers.

via CAAI

Tuesday, 14 September 2010 22:59 Mom Kunthear

THE rights group Adhoc announced yesterday that it had received 28 complaints from women who claim to have been abused while working as domestic servants in Malaysia, a figure that it said marked a sharp increase over previous years.

Speaking at a press conference in the capital, Lim Mony, deputy director of Adhoc’s Women’s and Children’s Rights Programme, said the reports were indicative of a “lack of attention from the government and the Labour Ministry”, and that the recruitment firms that sent them abroad were also at fault.

“We see that the recruitment firms have never cared or followed up on the situation of the workers after they left to work in Malaysia,” she said.

Chan Krisna Sawada, the head of the Women’s and Children’s Rights Programme, said most complaints had been filed against the recruitment agencies after the women had returned from Malaysia.

She speculated this was likely because of concerns among the women that it would be difficult to pursue complaints against foreign employers.

“There is only one case that was filed against a Malaysian employer among the 28 cases that we got,” she said.

She added that the number of such complaints had risen dramatically this past year, but could not provide comparison figures from previous years.

Heng Bunnaren, a 27-year-old former domestic servant who appeared at the press conference, said she was sent to Malaysia in March after completing a training programme at Philimore, a local recruitment firm. She lasted for just three months of her two-year contract...read the full story in tomorrow’s Phnom Penh Post or see the updated story online from 3PM UTC/GMT +7 hours

President says India will cooperate with Cambodia in infrastructural projects

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NetIndian News Network
New Delhi, September 14, 2010

President Pratibha Patil speaking at a reception hosted by the Indian Ambassador in Cambodia, Rajesh K. Sachdeva, at Phnom Phen, Cambodia on September 13, 2010

President Pratibha Patil has said that India was happy to cooperate with Cambodia in infrastructural projects as well as in projects related to conservation and preservation of historical monuments.

Speaking at a reception last night for the Indian community in Phnom Penh at the start of a State Visit to the country, Ms Patil noted that human resource development and capacity building had been the primary focus of bilateral relations between the two countries.

The President reached Phnom Penh yesterday after a four-day visit to Laos and is due to return home on September 18.

She said most of the historical and cultural monuments spread all over Cambodia spoke of the close Indian association made possible as a result of continuous interaction between navigators, merchants and intellectuals of the two countries over a period of two thousand years.

"One has heard so much about the grandeur of the world famous Angkor Wat and many astonishing architectural marvels such as Ta Prohm, Bayon and Banteay Srey. I and my delegation would be visiting Siem Reap where all these magnificent cultural monuments, which are glorious testimony to our common cultural heritage, are located," she said.

Ms Patil said she was informed that there were many commonalities in the day-to-day life of the people of Cambodia with Indians, such as language, customs and rituals. "This must be a product of our ancestors' willingness to learn from each other and is an indication of the everlasting bonds of friendship," she said.

She expressed happiness that the Governments of the two countries had strived to regain old historical bonds.

"In the 1950s, India was associated with the International Control Commission on Indo-China and our role as Co-Chairman was well appreciated. There were numerous high level exchanges between our two countries," she said.

She also spoke of the close friendly ties that existed between Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and King Norodom Sihanouk, which paved the way for not only excellent bilateral ties, but also offered opportunities to the two leaders to exchange views on the role of newly liberated countries in the development of a peaceful world.

Ms Patil said everyone was aware of India's unwavering support to Cambodia not only in good times but also during the difficult period of its history.

"After the collapse of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, India was among the first countries to recognize President Heng Samrin's government and re-open its diplomatic mission in 1981. Since then, the Governments of India and Cambodia have worked together to expand and deepen our bilateral ties, through high level bilateral exchanges, as well as through interactions at regional and international fora," she noted.

She said that, over the years, the two countries had signed numerous agreements to enhance bilateral cooperation, and had also established mechanisms to exchange views and to review the status of ongoing projects.

The President appreciated the role played by the Government of Cambodia in India's engagement with the South-East Asian region. She recalled that India attained Summit level partnership with ASEAN under Cambodia's Chairmanship of the ASEAN in 2002, and a forthcoming Commemorative Summit in India to mark India's 20-year association with ASEAN too will be organized, during Cambodia's Chairmanship in 2012.

"India is satisfied with its friendly and cooperative ties with Cambodia and would continue to work for strengthening of these ties," she said.

Ms Patil had a special word of praise for people of Indian origin and non-resident Indians, saying they were amongst the best educated and most successful communities in the world.

She said India had the second largest diaspora, estimated at over 25 million, present in every major region of the world.

"We are proud of you, and aware of the important role the diaspora plays as a 'bridge' to access knowledge, expertise, resources and markets for the development of the country of their origin," she added.

India to help Cambodia build human resources

cia CAAI

Calcutta News.Net

Tuesday 14th September, 2010 (ANI)

Visiting President Pratibha Devising Patil today said that human resource development and capacity building are the primary focus of India-Cambodia bilateral cooperation for the last many years.

Earlier in the day, President Patil met Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni at the Silver Pagoda Royal Palace here.

King Sihamohi sought India's help in the field of sustainable development, agriculture, water resources and information and technology.

Speaking at the State banquet hosted in her honour, President Patil said: "Human resource development and capacity building have been the primary focus of India-Cambodia bilateral cooperation for the last many years."

"India is cooperating with Cambodia in infrastructural projects, considered priority projects for the development of Cambodia, under concessional lines of credit. Today, we have signed an additional line of credit of 15 million dollars for the Stung Tassal Water Development Project in Cambodia," she said.

"As both our countries have large agrarian sectors, there is tremendous scope for co-operation in agriculture. Initiatives have also been undertaken to enhance economic engagement between our two countries. We need to encourage private sectors to pro-actively explore trade and investment opportunities," President Patil added.

The agreement was signed between EXIM bank director P. Dalal and Cambodia's Secretary of State in Ministry of Economy and Finance, Aun Porn Monirothe, to extend 15 million dollars credit for the Stung Tassal Water Development project.

Second agreement was signed by Indian Ambassador to Cambodia Rajesh Kr. Sachdeva and the Cambodian National Audit Authority in order to help the later in capacity building.

The agreements were signed to enhance economic engagements between the two countries. An Indian business delegation is also in Cambodia to achieve this objective.

Total trade between India and Cambodia in 2008-09 was 49.61 dollars. Major exports to Cambodia are drugs, pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, cotton, staple fibres, rubber articles, precious metals, etc. By Praful Kumar Singh (ANI)

Ancient temple ruins dot Cambodia's countryside

In this photo taken Friday, July 16, 2010, Buddhist monks stroll through Angkor Wat in Siem Reap province, about 143 miles (230 kilometers) northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. More than 1-million visitors come annually to see the ancient temple remains that dot the sprawling Angkor region. For Cambodians, the temples are nothing less than a symbol of their nation. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

via CAAI

9/14/2010

SIEM REAP, Cambodia — Tourists gather every day before dawn to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat, a 12th-century temple and the grandest legacy of Cambodia's once mighty Khmer empire. Even at 5 a.m., the heat and humidity is enough to make the visitors break into a sweat.

More than 1 million people come annually to see the remains of the Khmer temples that dot the sprawling Angkor region, 145 miles (230 kilometers) northwest of the country's capital, Phnom Penh.

For Cambodians, the temples are nothing less than a symbol of their nation; an outline of Angkor Wat adorns the national flag.

A nearby temple, Wat Thmei, also includes a reminder of a dark chapter in recent Cambodian history. A memorial stupa houses bones and skulls from the victims of the "killing fields," who were executed by the brutal Khmer Rouge regime that ruled in the late 1970s.

Today, Angkor is a vital contributor to the poor nation's economy, with almost all visitors to the country traveling to the ruins. After a hot day visiting the temples, tourists head to the bars and Western-style air-conditioned restaurants in the nearby town of Siem Reap.

Chinese company plans to invest in Cambodia's rice mill

via CAAI

September 14, 2010

A Chinese Company from China' s Guangxi Province is planning to invest in Cambodia's rice mill, a government official said Tuesday.

Eang Sophaleth, spokesperson to Prime Minister Hun Sen told reporters that during a meeting with Hun Sen on Tuesday afternoon, Song Zhenxiong, president of Guangxi Guohong Development Company said that for the first step, his company will invest 5 million U. S. dollars for rice mill and the investment scale will be upgraded in the following steps.

Song Zhenxiong was quoted as saying that he had already found a location for his rice mill in Kompong Chhnang province, some 80 kilometers northwest of Phnom Penh.

He said, as planned, his rice mill will be able to produce about 100 tons of processed rice per day.

Eang Sophaleth said Prime Minister Hun Sen welcomed the investment plan and encouraged Song to work closely with local people who are farmers in order to secure sufficient rice for process and exports.

Hun Sen has earlier set year 2015 as a year to export at least one million tons of rice to the world markets.

Some 80 percent of the country's 14 million populations are living in rural areas and are farmers.

Source: Xinhua

Cambodia has no plan to build nuclear power plant: MP

via CAAI

PHNOM PENH, Sep. 14, 2010 (Xinhua News Agency) -- Cambodia assured Tuesday that it has had no plan to build a nuclear power plant fearing it is harmful to environment and the shortfall of budget and human resource.

Cheam Yeap, chairman of committee for economy, finance, banking and auditing of the National Assembly told local reporters on Tuesday that Cambodia has had no plan to build a nuclear power plant, saying the plant might be harmful to environment while at the same time the plant might need huge budget and human resource.

He said, as of now, no plan of signing any agreement with any foreign countries to build such nuclear power plant.

It is the second time that Cambodia has assured that such plan will not be exercised in the country.

Late last month, Koy Kuong, spokesman of foreign ministry said Cambodia had not made any deal with Iran on anything related to nuclear power plant.

Koy Kuong made the statement following media report that suggested during the visit to Iran early August, Hor Namhong, deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs might have discussed any issue on nuclear power plant.

Koy Kuong said, during the visit, there were only three documents were signed: cooperation in petroleum, economic cooperation and visa exemption.

According to the government statistic, Cambodia increased 16 percent of its power supply per year; however, the price is still higher compared to its neighboring countries of Vietnam and Thailand.

(Source: iStockAnalyst )