Cambodian opposition leader seeks US case against PM

Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy is seen on a screen during a video conference

via CAAI

PHNOM PENH — Cambodia's opposition leader said Friday he had filed a criminal lawsuit in the United States against Prime Minister Hun Sen, accusing him of being behind a deadly 1997 attack on a political rally.

The move by Sam Rainsy, who lives in self-imposed exile abroad, comes a day after a court in the Cambodian capital sentenced him to 10 years in jail in absentia for forging and publishing a false map of the border with Vietnam.

The 60-year-old already had a two-year jail term hanging over his head for uprooting border posts with the neighbouring country.

Appearing via video link from France, Sam Rainsy said the premier was "a criminal" for his alleged involvement in the grenade attack on an opposition rally in Phnom Penh 13 years ago which killed at least 16 people and wounded dozens more, including a US citizen.

He said his lawyer had submitted a complaint in New York requesting a criminal investigation into Hun Sen's alleged role in the attack and cover-up attempts afterwards.

The announcement is the latest twist in an ongoing tit-for-tat row between the country's top two politicians.

It also coincides with Hun Sen's trip to New York, where he is due to meet US President Barack Obama and other leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

A spokesman for Cambodia's Council of Ministers dismissed Sam Rainsy's lawsuit as "an overreaction" to his latest prison sentence.

"He (Sam Rainsy) wants revenge," Phy Siphan told AFP, adding that the premier was not worried about the lawsuit because "he is still innocent".

It is not the first time that Sam Rainsy has accused Hun Sen and his elite bodyguard unit of orchestrating the attack.

In 2005, the opposition leader, seen as the main rival to Hun Sen, was sentenced in absentia to 18 months in prison for defaming the prime minister with the claims.

But he was granted a royal pardon in early 2006 after he took an uncharacteristically conciliatory stance, recanting the accusations.

An FBI investigation into the attack was never completed and Sam Rainsy alleges this is partly because of "cover-up efforts by Hun Sen and his direct subordinates."

Villagers in Kandal Land Dispute Pray to Buddha for Help

Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Friday, 24 September 2010

via CAAI
 

Photo: By Heng Reaksmey VOA, Khmer
The villagers, from seven communes in Takhao town, Kandal Stung district, have been in conflict with the Heng Development Co. since 2005.

“In the past, I sought the help of the law, but local authorities don’t help resolve people’s problems. I respect the law every minute, but the court and district and provincial authorities don’t respect their own laws.”

More than 400 villagers engaged in a land dispute with a Kandal province developer held a Buddhist ceremony on Friday, praying for protection of 450 hectares of land they expect to be pushed from next month.

The villagers, from seven communes in Takhao town, Kandal Stung district, have been in conflict with the Heng Development Co. since 2005. Representatives said Friday they have lived on the land since 1983.

“In the past, I sought the help of the law, but local authorities don’t help resolve people’s problems,” said Soa Rong, 60, who prayed to Buddha and her ancestors in Friday’s ceremony. “I respect the law every minute, but the court and district and provincial authorities don’t respect their own laws.”

Takhao resident Uong Sim, 48, said the company had taken two hectares of her land.

“I would like to pray to the ancestral spirits, Buddha, God and my late great grandparents to help protect my land and to take my land back for me for farming,” she said. “Every day the people suffer poverty and live in hope of farming. But now there’s no land.”

A company official said it was following a 2006 decision of the Kandal court that provided 210 hectares to the company. The remaining 240 hectares remain in dispute.

Men Makara, a coordinator for the rights group Adhoc, said the prayer ceremony followed several unsuccessful demonstrations.

“Finally, the people decided to seek Buddha and other gods to help them,” he said.

Demonstrations Planned for Hun Sen’s New York Visit

Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer

Washington, D.C Friday, 24 September 2010
 
via CAAI
 

Photo: AP

Preah Vihear temple of Cambodia.

A group of US Cambodians plans to stage a demonstration against the government on Friday, while Prime Minister Hun Sen is visiting New York for a US-Asean summit.

The protest comes as Hun Sen is expected to hold talks with Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva over an ongoing border dispute and while they and other Asean leaders are scheduled to meet with US President Barack Obama.

Michael Duong, the main organizer of the demonstration, said the government has failed to implement certain accords within the 1991 Paris Peace Agreement that would have shored up the border and prevented disputes.

Both sides have troops amassed along the border where each claims ownership of a 4.6-kilometer stretch of land west of Preah Vihear temple. And opposition lawmakers have said villagers have lost land in recent years to Vietnamese encroachment.

Demonstrators were expected from Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Philadelphia and New York, organizers said. The Cambodian Embassy in Washington declined to comment Friday.

Duong said demonstrators plan to protest other issues, including land grabs, evictions, deforestation, and corruption in oil and gas.

“Mostly, those in power make decisions within their group of a few people and share the benefits among themselves,” he said.

More Long-Term Thinking These Days: Economist

Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer

Washington, D.C Friday, 24 September 2010
 
via CAAI
 

Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS

Local and foreign tourists shop for jewelry and goods at central market in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

“In the year 2010, there is a great impression that long-term investment is the most important need for the economy, as well as local people.”

Cambodia may still be facing some challenges from the global financial crisis, but it has recently shown some good trends, especially in long-term investment, a leading economist said Thursday.

“In the year 2010, there is a great impression that long-term investment is the most important need for the economy, as well as local people,” said Kang Chandararoth, president of the Cambodia Institute for Development Study, as a guest on “Hello VOA.”

That would include investment in mining, power and infrastructure, he said.

Thinking has shifted away from a recent attitude of short-term investment and quick money, he said.

Cambodia’s main earners continue to be tourism, construction, agriculture and manufacturing. Earlier this year, the IMF predicted a 5 percent economic growth rate for 2010.

Kang Chandararoth advised farmers to not only cultivate for subsistence, but to consider the needs of the marketplace.

Cambodian monks power their pagoda with the sun

The Por Meas Pagoda, far from Cambodia's electric grid, is among the country's growing number of solar power producers.

Phok Ros poses near a solar-powered building.

Julie Masis

via CAAI

By Julie Masis, Correspondent / September 24, 2010

Kandal Province, Cambodia

On the roof where monks pray, a black panel faces the sun. The Por Meas Pagoda in this village about an hour from Cambodia’s capital is not connected to the electric grid, but this summer the eight monks and 10 orphans who live there got electricity for the first time – from solar panels.

It is not the only Cambodian pagoda that is using solar energy. A nongovernmental organization called Pico Sol Cambodia has installed panels at four rural pagodas since 2009, thanks to a Dutch philanthropist, according to the NGO’s chairman, Ly Senleap.

At Por Meas, monks used to pray before sunrise using incense sticks for light. Sometimes they would fall asleep and burn their books, says senior monk Phok Ros. Now the pagoda has eight lamps – in the meeting room, bedrooms, dining room, bathrooms, and outside.

Leader seeks US case against PM

via CAAI

Sep 24, 2010

PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIA'S opposition leader said on Friday he had filed a criminal lawsuit in the United States against Prime Minister Hun Sen, accusing him of being behind a deadly 1997 attack on a political rally.

The move by Sam Rainsy, who lives in self-imposed exile abroad, comes a day after a court in the Cambodian capital sentenced him to 10 years in jail in absentia for forging and publishing a false map of the border with Vietnam.

The 60-year-old already had a two-year jail term hanging over his head for uprooting border posts with the neighbouring country.

Appearing via video link from France, Sam Rainsy said the premier was 'a criminal' for his alleged involvement in the grenade attack on an opposition rally in Phnom Penh 13 years ago which killed at least 16 people and wounded dozens more, including a US citizen.

He said his lawyer had submitted a complaint in New York requesting a criminal investigation into Hun Sen's alleged role in the attack and cover-up attempts afterwards.

The announcement is the latest twist in an ongoing tit-for-tat row between the country's top two politicians. It also coincides with Hun Sen's trip to New York, where he is due to meet US President Barack Obama and other leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). -- AFP

Vietnam, Cambodian provinces share experiences in women’s issues

via CAAI

September 24, 2010

A delegation from the Cambodian Women for Peace and Development Association in Kampong Speu province, headed by its chairwoman Tim Savath, is working with the Women’s Association of the southern province of Vinh Long from September 22-24.

The visit aims to help the two associations increase the exchange of experiences in a wide range of activities and learn about each others programmes and policies in order to support women living in difficult circumstances and provide them better health care, while preventing social evils such as human trafficking.

The Cambodian side spoke highly of achievements made by the Vinh Long provincial Women’s Association (VLWA) to assist women in running a household business while caring for their families. The province was also praised for vocational training and other effective club models.

Le Thanh Xuan, Vice Chairwoman of the Vinh Long provincial People’s Committee, said both Vietnam and Cambodia recognise the significance of families, in which women play an important role.

The proportion of women in Vietnam and in Vinh Long province assuming leadership roles is increasing, she said.

During its stay in Vietnam, the Cambodian delegation also made fact-finding tours of several craft manufacturing centres and resorts in the province where a large number of women work.(VNA)

AIPA-31 General Assembly successfully concludes

via CAAI

09/24/2010

After five sessions, the 31st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-31) successfully concluded in Hanoi on September 24.

At the closing ceremony, Chairman of Vietnam’s National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Phu Trong said that the conference had completed its agenda.

AIPA-31 adopted important resolutions concerning security and politics, the economy, social and cultural cooperation, female parliamentarians’ activities, and issues related to AIPA’s organizational structure.

Delegates agreed that AIPA should improve the quality of its operation to contribute to the development of the ASEAN community. They also stressed the importance of strengthening the AIPA-ASEAN relationship and proposed holding an annual meeting between AIPA and ASEAN leaders.

Mr. Trong, who is also the chairman of AIPA-31, said Vietnam successfully organised this year’s event, themed “Solidarity for the sustainable development of the ASEAN Community”, and fulfilled its AIPA-31 chairmanship.

On behalf of Vietnam’s NA, chairman Trong expressed his thanks to delegations from AIPA delegates and observers for their contribution to the success of the General Assembly.

After the closing, a ceremony was held to hand over the chairmanship of AIPA – 32 to Cambodia. Chairman of the Parliament of Cambodia Heng Samrin who is also AIPA-32’s chairman, said AIPA will contribute to creating a peaceful and politically stable ASEAN region. He said Cambodia will be well-prepared for the 32nd General Assembly.

At a press conference following the ceremony, Mr. Trong officially announced the results of the General Assembly. Heads of AIPA delegations also answered reporters’ questions about AIPA’s contribution to promoting solidarity, cooperation, and development in the region.

Prior to the closing ceremony, AIPA-31 held a second plenary session during which heads of AIPA delegations signed a joint communiqué and AIPA announced its decision to name India an AIPA observer and to hold the 32nd General Assembly in Cambodia’s city of Sihanoukville in September, 2011.

Cambodia's courts deal blow to opposition

http://www.atimes.com/

via CAAI

By Irwin Loy

PHNOM PENH - Questions hover over the future of Cambodia's political opposition, as well as room for dissent, in the wake of the conviction and sentencing of the exiled leader of the country's largest opposition party to 10 years in prison.

On September 23, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court convicted opposition leader Sam Rainsy on charges of disinformation and falsifying public documents. He was accused of fabricating maps that he claimed showed neighboring Vietnam had encroached on Cambodian soil - a politically charged subject in a country whose government has close ties to Vietnamese authorities, yet where centuries-old antipathy among the population also lingers.

The court's decision comes after a separate January conviction that saw Sam Rainsy sentenced to two years in prison after he uprooted a marker along a stretch of the border with Vietnam. He was convicted in absentia in both cases, living in self-imposed exile in France.

In an e-mailed response to questions on Thursday, Sam Rainsy said the charges against him were "of a strictly political nature".

"Only a kangaroo court can issue the type of verdict we saw today," he wrote. "Everybody rightly says that the judiciary in this country is everything but independent, being only a political tool for the authoritarian ruling party to silence any critical voices."

Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the Sam Rainsy Party, said the court ruling was an alarming sign that the government had grown increasingly intolerant of criticism. "The courts are being used as a political tool to crack down on the opposition party," he said. "It's a big step backward for democracy in Cambodia."

Thursday's ruling adds to lingering questions over whether Sam Rainsy will even be allowed to stand in the next parliamentary elections, scheduled for 2013. If the convictions are upheld, it would leave the Cambodian opposition without its leader and one of its most prominent members.

"The court issued a verdict to sentence Sam Rainsy. But it's not just Sam Rainsy. It sentences the whole country," Yim said. "The younger generation sees that when you stand up to protect your country, they will be tried like this. It sets a bad example."

If the court ruling means that Cambodia's opposition leader could not run in the coming election, it would cast doubt over the state of democracy in the country, said Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections.

"Cambodia endorses liberal, pluralist democracies," Koul said. "So the freedom to have different political opinions is very important. But now the case shows there are some political differences that are not tolerated. This will affect the full participation of the opposition parties."

He said he believed the court decision showed Cambodia's democracy was still "immature", 17 years after its first post-war elections. He said that while there had been a sharp decrease in political violence in recent years, battles were instead being played through the courts.

Authorities, however, reject accusations of political interference in the judicial system.

"This was a decision of the court," government spokesman Phay Siphan said of the ruling against Sam Rainsy. "We encourage the courts to do whatever the courts feel is just. We respect their sovereignty. Nobody influences them."

Instead, Phay said any blame for Sam Rainsy's predicament lay squarely on the opposition leader himself. "When you commit wrongdoings, you have to respect the rule of law," he said. "Like everyone, political opposition parties have to abide by the rule of law."

Rights groups, however, say the courts have increasingly been used as a means to silence opposition to the ruling Cambodian People's Party. Villagers protesting land disputes, rights workers, journalists and politicians have all faced problems with the legal system in recent years.

Parliamentarian Mu Sochua, a Sam Rainsy Party member, was convicted of defaming Prime Minster Hun Sen in 2009 after she had earlier accused him of insulting her.

Sam Rainsy has previously faced legal problems; he fled the country in 2005 after was stripped of his parliamentary immunity in relation to a defamation lawsuit. A court later sentenced him in absentia, but he returned after receiving a royal pardon and led his party to opposition status in the following election.

But it remains to be seen if he will be able to find a similar resolution to his current problems.

Ou Virak, president of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said it appeared the government was intent on trying to end Sam Rainsy's political career. "I think this government believes it can effectively stop Sam Rainsy from returning to Cambodia for good," Ou said. "It's a very clear, political move by the government to prevent Sam Rainsy from coming back and effectively weakening the opposition altogether."

Ou said he believed the government knew that international reaction to its jailing of a key opposition figure could be harsh.

By keeping Sam Rainsy outside Cambodia, any condemnation may be less severe than if he were imprisoned, Ou said. "The fact is he's out of the country. It's not like you have somebody in jail," he explained. "The government understands this. As long as Sam Rainsy remains outside, you're not going to hear too harsh criticisms from all sides."

(Inter Press Service)

Cambodia needs a true democratic government

via CAAI

Friday, 24 September 2010 15:00 Ou Virak

Dear Editor,

Today is Constitution Day in Cambodia, a public holiday that gives Cambodians a chance to celebrate and reflect on the enactment of the 1993 Constitution.

Article 1 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia states that Cambodia shall be ruled according to the principles of liberal democracy and pluralism.

This Constitution Day the Cambodian Center for Human Rights encourages Cambodians to reflect on the unique potential of liberal democratic systems to both uphold civil and political rights and promote equitable economic growth.

In 2010, the liberal democratic system guaranteed in Cambodian’s Constitution is in a fragile state. A recent report issued jointly by 17 NGOs – Cambodia Gagged: Democracy at Risk – raises concerns that the Royal Government of Cambodia, led by the Cambodian People’s Party, is dismantling the fundamental pillars of democracy and gradually moving Cambodia towards a one-party political system.

The report documents the use of state power against parliamentarians, media, lawyers, human rights activists and other citizens to silence debate and close the space for pluralism and diversity of opinion within Cambodia. Given the emergence in Cambodia of an autocratic, authoritarian political system at the expense of liberal democracy, we should examine whether this new system is an effective political model to promote the interests of Cambodian citizens.

The CPP-led RGC has promoted similar priorities to those espoused by the “Beijing Consensus,” emphasising Cambodia’s achievement of high levels of economic growth over the past decade and promoting the CPP as the only political force capable of maintaining peace and stability in Cambodia.

The RGC presided over economic growth in double digits between 2004 and 2007 prior to the global economic slowdown. However, much of this growth resulted from crony capitalism benefiting a few well-connected businessmen, CPP senators and foreign investors.

The RGC has also promoted its ability to maintain stability. However, the price of such a trade-off can include the violent suppression of those promoting alternative solutions to a country’s problems, such as the 1997 grenade attack, and the 2004 assassination of labour leader Chea Vichea in Cambodia, or on a larger scale, brutality such as the Tiananmen Square massacre in China in 1989.

The political system in operation in Cambodia today carries the veil of democracy, but this is a charade. In a true liberal democracy, opposition politicians are able to speak and present policy proposals in parliament, citizens are able to organise protests and strikes without being charged with incitement, and the courts are respected by citizens as an independent arbiter of conflicts.

This Constitution Day, the Cambodian Center for Human Rights calls on members of all political parties to reflect on the democratic values enshrined in Cambodia’s supreme law and consider how they can work together with dignity and respect to build a truly democratic system capable of benefiting all Cambodians.

Ou Virak

Cambodian Center for Human Rights

Cyclists take on mountainous challenge

Cambodian Mountain Bike Association riders battled the terrain at Phnom Baset in August – Phnom Khulen is now on the agenda. Photo by: DOUGLAS LONG

via CAAI

Friday, 24 September 2010 15:00 Nicky Hosford

THE Khmer Cycling Club and the Comin Khmer company are hosting the very first mountain bike race around the top of beautiful Phnom Kulen this Sunday.

Registration will be open until the race starts at 7:30am, so there’s still time to get on your bike and sign up. Registration will be $8 for Cambodians and $35 for foreigners, increasing to $45 for registration on the day.

The fee includes the standard entry fee for Phnom Kulen, a.k.a. Mount Lychee.

For those registering on time, it also includes an overnight camping trip on Kulen, a beautiful mountain about 40 kilometres outside Siem Reap that has long been a popular picnic site for Cambodians.

The race, over a four-kilometre course, caters for four different levels of experience, from five-lap experts to novices who do three laps of a shorter course, with the difficult bit cut out.

The challenging ride takes competitors through jungle, over rocks and alongside the famed underwater lingas and includes some tough terrain, strong right angles and U-turns and some fast downhill sections.

Rasmey Prum, from the Khmer Cycling Club, says the organisers are keen to stage more races at Phnom Kulen. “We want to develop Cambodian cycling as much as we can on behalf of the Cambodian cycling generation and small clubs here. If we don’t do it, nobody will,” said Rasmey Prum.

Almost 100 participants are already registered for the event. Most are Cambodian, say the organisers, and this is a sign of the growing local interest in this sport.

For more information about the Khmer Cycling Club contact Rasmey Prum on 012 555 123, or at smey@khmercycling.com  

ADB to Help Cambodia Improve Rural Roads, Address Safety, Climate Concerns

via CAAI

24/09/2010

The FINANCIAL -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is to help finance a major upgrade of rural roads in some of Cambodia’s poorest provinces as part of a project that will also address growing road safety and climate change challenges.

"A loan of $35 million equivalent for the Rural Roads Improvement Project will be used to help pave over 500 kilometers of roads in seven provinces located mostly around the Tonle Sap Basin, where a large number of the country’s rural poor live. Cofinancing is being provided by Korea Eximbank, owned by the Government of Korea, and the Nordic Development Fund, which is supporting climate change adaptation measures," ADB informs.

“This initiative will provide reliable all-year road access from provincial towns and agricultural rural areas to markets, employment centers and social services, benefiting about 560,000 people,” said Shihiru Date, Senior Transport Specialist in ADB’s Southeast Asia Department.

Cambodia, with support from development partners, including ADB, has been steadily building or upgrading its roads since the early 1990s, following years of conflict, with about a quarter of its total national and provincial road network now paved. However, in recent years rural roads have been deteriorating because of a steady rise in traffic, a lack of maintenance funds, weak management capacity, design deficiencies and other problems. Overloading of cargo trucks has become a serious problem, while the country has the unenviable reputation of having one of the highest incidences of road accidents in the world.

To address these issues, the project will provide community-based road safety awareness programs, and training and capacity building support for staff and agencies engaged in planning, managing and maintaining the roads. Given the country’s vulnerability to floods and other severe weather-related events, climate change, adaptation measures are also included, such as mapping, and planning systems to evaluate threats, and to improve flood and drought management. The project will also aim to develop pilot programs for early warning and emergency management planning systems, as well as water capture and storage systems to cope with an expected increase in floods and droughts.

The project has a strong labor and gender mainstreaming plan which will ensure that local residents get priority for road construction work, and that men and women receive equal pay for equal work.

“With paved rural roads and improved access to social services, girls will have a better chance of attending secondary school, markets will be easier to reach, ‘buy and sell’ opportunities for women will increase, and it will also be safer for women and girls to travel further from home,” said Mr. Date.

ADB’s loan, from its concessional Asian Development Fund will make up about 52% of the total project cost of $67 million. It will have a 32-year term, including an 8-year grace period carrying a 1% per annum interest charge, rising to 1.5% a year for the balance of the term. Korea Eximbank is extending a $19.35 million loan to finance civil works and consulting costs, the Nordic Development Fund is providing a $5.4 million grant, and the Government of Cambodia is supplying the remaining $7.25 million.

The Ministry of Rural Development is the executing agency for the project, which is due for completion in December 2015.

Bin Hammam in visit to Cambodia and Myanmar

http://www.the-afc.com/

via CAAI

Friday, 24 September 2010

AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam faces a busy weekend schedule when he visits Asean countries Cambodia and Myanmar.

Bin Hammam will have discussions with top football officials in both countries as well as attend the final of the AFC President’s Cup in Yangon, Myanmar.

The AFC President arrived in the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, on Friday.

He will be visiting the FIFA GOAL Project II site, followed by the meeting with Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC) President, Sokha Sao, at the Intercontinental hotel. Bin Hammam is chairman of the FIFA Goal Project.

On Saturday, Bin Hammam will leave for Yangon. There, he will pay a courtesy visit to the Football Federation of Myanmar (MFF) headquarters, which is also the first FIFA GOAL Project Building.

An official dinner hosted by MFF President Zaw Zaw will be held in the evening at the Sedona Hotel.

It will be a hectic Sunday for the AFC President. He is scheduled to attend the AFC Organising Committee for AFC President’s Cup/AFC Challenge Cup, chaired by Ganesh Thapa, of Nepal and also witness the final of the AFC President's Cup 2010 at the Youth Training Centre.

Bin Hammam will leave the Myanmar capital later in the same day.

ADB, and IFAD Help Food Security Concerns in ASIA and Pacific Region

via CAAI

Friday, 24 September 2010 05:20 DAP NEWS / VISOTH

CAMBODIA, PHNOM PENH, SEPTEMBER 24, 2010-The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing loans, grants and technical assistance of nearly $34 million to help Cambodia improve the management of its water resources and to upgrade irrigation services to strengthen food security and cut poverty, the statement from ADB here obtained on Friday said.

It added that ADB’s Board of Directors has approved the funds for the $63 million Water Resources Management Sector Development Program, which includes measures to strengthen national waterregulations and to improve the management of river basin resources. It also will help the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology rehabilitate small- and medium-sized irrigation systems within the Tonle Sap Basin. ADB will also administer a loan from the OPECC Fund for International Development, and technical assistance grants from the Government of Australia and Nordic Development Fund to support program implementation.

Cambodia’s economy is highly dependent on water, and sustaining the water cycles in the Tonle Sap Lake and Lower Mekong delta is critical to the country’s agriculture and fisheries. With the onset of climate change, more frequent extreme weather events are likely, along with potentially worse seasonal water shortages and floods. To promote more effective water management, the Program will seek to strengthen existing legal and institutional frameworks.

“The activities will result in improved management of water resources and more efficient and sustainable irrigation services, which will ultimately enhance food security and support government efforts to reduce poverty and stimulate economic development,” said Christopher Wensley, Lead Professional (Water Resources) in ADB’s Southeast Asia Department.

It noted: the program component will support the government’s Strategy on Agriculture and Water, with outputs to include strengthening the policy, regulatory and institutional environment to improve coordination and collaboration on water resources among government agencies. It will also build the capacity of the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology to manage irrigation services.

The statement added that ADB will finance these activities through a program loan of $20 million equivalent from its concessional Asian Development Fund, which will be released in two tranches over a 24-month period. The loan has a 24-year term, including a grace period of 8 years. Annual interest is charged at 1% during the grace period, rising to 1.5% a year for the balance of the term.

The project component will rehabilitate and upgrade about 15,000 hectares of small- and medium-sized irrigation schemes within the Tonle-Sap basin provinces of Kampong Thom, Banteay Meanchey and Siem Reap. ADB will provide a loan of $10 million equivalent and a grant of $2.8 million from the Asian Development Fund. The project loan has a 32-year term, with the grace period and interest on a par with the program loan.

The OPEC Fund for International Development is extending a $12 million loan, along with $6.36 million from the Government of Cambodia, and $760,000 from beneficiaries, for a total project investment cost of almost $32 million. The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology is the executing agency for the project, which is expected to be completed by December 2017.

The technical assistance package of $11.2 million, including $1 million from ADB’s Technical Assistance Special Fund, and grant contributions from Australia and the Nordic Development Fund, will be used to help implement agreed policy actions, to support training in water resources management and provide capacity building in target institutions.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.

Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region. In 2009, it approved a total of $16.1 billion in financing operations through loans, grants, guarantees, a trade finance facilitation program, equity investments, and technical assistance projects. ADB also mobilized co-financing amounting to $3.2 billion.

Demolished house in Boeung Kak area

via CAAI

Friday, 24 September 2010 15:02 CONOR WALL

A woman and her daughter stand in their home alongside the railway track in Phnom Penh’s Boeung Kak area. Their house and others are to be demolished. Find out why and how they are coping in 7DAYS.

Police Blotter: 24 Sep 2010

via CAAI

Friday, 24 September 2010 15:01 Sen David

Girls in fisticuffs over two-timing boyfriends

Six girls were detained by police after an argument over boys turned into a full-blown scuffle in Koh Kong town on Wednesday. Police said two groups of girls were fighting over boyfriends who were double-dipping among them. Neighbours were aghast at the behaviour of the girls, who were fighting on a public road. They said Khmer women should be a little more reserved and not fight over something so petty. Police said one of the girls claimed the arguments over boyfriends had lasted for over a year. KOH SANTEPHEAP

Twentieth time unlucky for persistent thieves

Police arrested two men accused of habitually stealing from a particular house in Sihanoukville on Tuesday. The two suspects confessed to police that they had robbed the house at least 20 times when the owner was at work or travelling, stealing such items as phones, computers and cash. Police were staking out the house on Tuesday when the thieves predictably appeared to break into the house once more, and were immediately arrested. Neighbours said they were happy with the arrest. KOH SANTEPHEAP

Students detained for wagging with narcotics

Two students were arrested in Kampong Thom’s Stung Sen district on Tuesday because they were addicted to drugs. Police received a complaint from the boy’s parents who had accused them of wagging school in order to shoot up. Following a raid on the guesthouse that the boys were staying at to get high, the two recalcitrant truants were sent to an NGO to be educated about the dangers of drug use. One of the boys said they did drugs so they didn’t have to go to school. KAMPUCHEA THMEY

Trip to buy fire-water leads to rape allegation

A 43-year-old widow filed a complaint to police accusing a teenage boy of sexually assaulting her while she was sleeping in Kandal’s Lvea Em district on Tuesday. When questioned by police, the 17-year-old said he had no idea why the woman had accused him of raping her, and that on the day in question he was only near the woman’s house because he was purchasing booze. However, the woman said the assault had occurred at night. Police sent the case to court for further investigation. KAMPUCHEA THMEY

Lorry driver wanted after fatal collision

A motorbike driver died after a collision with a lorry in Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district on Monday. Police said the truck driver collided with the motorbike, which caused it to roll into a pond. The motorbike driver was pronounced dead, but the truck driver managed to escape. Police impounded the truck and are now on the hunt for the driver. KOH SANTEPHEAP

Sunset strip

Sebastian Strangio

via CAAI

Friday, 24 September 2010 15:00 Sebastian Strangio

Residents catch the late-afternoon breeze along the Mekong riverfront in Kampong Cham town.

Sam Rainsy gets 10 years

Photo courtesy of the Sam Rainsy Party
Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy (centre, in white shirt) helps villagers in Svay Rieng province's Chantrea district pull up border markers that he claims have been placed illegally by the Vietnamese. The incident, which took place on October 25, 2009, sparked a series of court actions that have resulted in Sam Rainsy being sentenced to a total of 12 years in prison.

via CAAI

Thursday, 23 September 2010 12:32 Meas Sokchea

EMBATTLED opposition leader Sam Rainsy was sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison yesterday on charges of disinformation and falsifying public documents, a ruling that critics described as a blow to democracy in Cambodia.

Phnom Penh Municipal Court judge Ke Sakhan also ordered the Sam Rainsy Party president to pay 5 million riels (US$1,190) in fines and 60 million riels in compensation to the state, saying he had “seriously affected” the government’s reputation.

“The accused’s activity has affected the relationship between Cambodia and Vietnam,” Ke Sakhan said.

Yesterday’s verdict marked the latest turn in a protracted legal wrangle complicated by the government’s relationship with its eastern neighbour and former political patron.

Photo courtesy of the Sam Rainsy Party
Above: A map produced by the Sam Rainsy Party allegedly showing illegal border posts placed inside Cambodian territory by the Vietnamese. Below: A google map of the disputed area.

Sam Rainsy, who fled into exile last year and lives in Europe, was convicted in January by the Svay Rieng provincial court and sentenced to two years in prison in connection with a protest last October in which he uprooted several border markers in Svay Rieng’s Chantrea district.

In the aftermath of the conviction, he publicised evidence of alleged Vietnamese encroachment on Cambodian territory in video press conferences and on the SRP’s website, drawing government ire and the new charges on which he was convicted yesterday.

Police maintained a heavy security presence outside the courtroom yesterday morning, though the hearing was sparsely attended, save for a few observers and local journalists.

In a statement yesterday from London, Sam Rainsy dismissed the latest charges against him as “totally baseless”.

“Today’s verdict from a kangaroo court reflects Phnom Penh’s subservience to Hanoi,” Sam Rainsy said.

“Today’s verdict ... reflects the Vietnamese government’s anger against, and worry about, me because I dared, as a Cambodian member of parliament, defend Cambodian farmers, who are my constituents, against continuous border encroachments by Vietnam.”

But Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, urged Sam Rainsy to respect “the principle of rule of law”.

“We have to maintain rule of law in Cambodia,” Phay Siphan said.

“Who’s in the right position to say who’s wrong, who’s right? Only a judge in the court of law.”

Forgive the debt

Photo by: AFP
Foreign Minister Hor Namhong addresses the Millennium Development Goals Summit at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday.

Thursday, 23 September 2010 19:21 Brooke Lewis

FOREIGN Minister Hor Namhong has called on developed countries to cancel the debts of poorer nations in order to improve the prospects of achieving a Millennium Development Goal to reduce worldwide poverty by half by 2015.

Speaking on the second day of an international MDG summit at United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday, Hor Namhong said that the “burden of debt reimbursement” presented a “major hurdle” for less developed countries seeking to meet MDG targets. He said their ability to fund development projects, “especially in the social sectors”, was severely curtailed by such debts.

“More serious consideration should ... be given to relieving poor countries of their debt burden, thus increasing their financial resources to fund essential development projects to meet the MDGs,” he said.

Prime Minister Hun Sen, who is scheduled to meet with US President Barack Obama today at the ASEAN-US Leaders’ Meeting in New York, said last week that he intended to ask Obama to cancel an estimated US$317 million in debts accrued by the Lon Nol regime in the 1970s.

US officials have indicated that America is unlikely to cancel the debt.

Hor Namhong said Tuesday that, despite the challenges it faces as a less developed country, Cambodia is on track to meet targets to reduce poverty, lower child mortality rates and combat HIV/AIDS.

“According to the recent study made by the Overseas Development Institute and the UN Millennium Campaigns, Cambodia is listed among 20 countries making the most absolute progress on MDGs and on track to meet the target of halving poverty by 2015,” he said.

Earlier this week, the government released a statement that the number of people living under the poverty line had dropped from 50 percent in 1993 to 27.3 percent in 2010.

According to the statement, Cambodia expects to exceed the international target and instead achieve a national goal to reduce the number of people living in poverty to 19.5 percent by 2015.

Talks off, talks on

via CAAI

Thursday, 23 September 2010 20:35 Cheang Sokha

GOVERNMENT officials said yesterday that the anticipated meeting between Prime Minister Hun Sen and Thai counterpart Abhisit Vejjajiva in New York would go ahead as planned, despite Thai media reports quoting Abhisit as saying he may be too busy.

Hun Sen and Abhisit are scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the second ASEAN-US Leaders’ Meeting in New York on Friday to discuss the ongoing border tensions between the two nations.

But the Bangkok Post yesterday quoted Abhisit as saying there might not be enough time to discuss the border spat with Hun Sen, with the meeting between United States President Barack Obama and leaders of the 10-member ASEAN bloc slated to discuss various regional economic and environmental issues.

“I am not sure whether there will be enough time for talks on the border row around Preah Vihear temple, and it is not easy to get down to the details,” he was quoted as saying. “But I can assure you that both countries want to solve the problems between them peacefully since they are good neighbours.

“The border row is a bilateral issue, and it will not be necessary to seek assistance from other ASEAN member states.”

Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said yesterday that the schedule for the meeting between the two Prime Ministers “is unchanged”.

“But maybe there will not be enough time for the two leaders to discuss some issues,” he said.

He said the two premiers are also scheduled to meet at the upcoming Asia-Europe meeting in Belgium in October, as well as at the ASEAN leaders meeting in Vietnam later that month, and during the Ayeyarwaddy-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy meeting in Cambodia in November.

The border dispute between the neighbouring countries has simmered since July 2008, when Preah Vihear temple was inscribed on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites.

Ten-year-old reports incest-rape

via CAAI

Thursday, 23 September 2010 20:59 Mom Kunthear

RIGHTS officials said yesterday that they have begun investigations in Svay Rieng province after a 10-year-old girl said she was raped her uncle, brother, and cousin more than 10 times over the course of two months.

Yi Chandara, provincial case manager for Cosecam, a coalition of NGOs working to combat sexual exploitation of children, said yesterday that an investigation had been launched after the victim reported the abuse to a military official whom she met by chance on Monday.

“The girl told us that three people raped her many times, but she did not know who to tell,” he said.

He said that the military official had taken the girl to the provincial Department of Social Affairs, who had placed her in a local shelter pending more inquiries.

Va Saren, director of the department, said that the girl had been sent to hospital for a medical examination, and that an initial examination had not shown any evidence of rape.

“We suspect that she was just the victim of indecent acts,” he said, and added that he was waiting for the results of further tests before deciding how to proceed with the case.

“If we find out she was really raped, then we will file the complaint to the court in order to get an arrest warrant for the offenders,” he said.

Provincial police chief Prach Rim could not be reached for comment yesterday, nor could members of the girl’s family.

Mom Lida, provincial monitor for rights group Licadho, said yesterday that rape cases in the province appeared to be on the rise.

“I think it is because people lack knowledge of how to protect themselves, and because of [the influence of] sex videos,” he said.

He added that victims of abuse often did not know how to seek help.

“Government officials do not broadcast enough information to them to find legal aid when they have a problem,” he said.

Yi Chandara said that his organisation had recorded 13 rape cases in the province so far this year. The victims of the crimes were aged between five and 21, he said.

Ecotourism in spotlight

Photo by: Ellie Dyer
Villagers boat across the river in Chi Pat, Koh Kong province, the location of a community-based tourism project. The importance of responsible tourism was emphasised at a conference yesterday.

via CAAI

Thursday, 23 September 2010 19:52 Catherine James and May Kunmakara

CAMBODIA’S tourism sector needs to increase its focus on “responsible tourism” to keep up with foreign travellers and capture a growing market, according to officials from Dutch-backed development agency SNV.

But domestic firms warned against relying too much on sustainable travel to fuel sector growth at the launch of SNV’s Responsible Travel Cambodia pilot project, attended by 70 tourist operators at Phnom Penh’s Intercontinental Hotel yesterday.

The SNV scheme is to provide business mentoring to six tourism companies for six months with the goal of increasing opportunities to capture the burgeoning “responsible” market.

“We don’t want to just eliminate the negative impacts [of tourism] but rather also introduce positive impacts,” said SNV Cambodia sector leader Trevor Piper yesterday.

Responsible tourism aims at maximising economic, social and environmental benefits of tourism, according to the organisation.

Although local operators at yesterday’s event welcomed a potential shift to responsible travel, some cautioned that the movement had not yet become a big player in Cambodia’s tourist market.

“Not a lot of people ask about ecotourism,” said Peau Vanchanphal, manager’s assistant at inbound tour operator Abercrombie and Kent.

“Most tourists just want cultural tourism, like Angkor Wat.”

Kan Lak, manager at domestic firm Nanco Travel, said he agreed that responsible tourism was further down the list of many international visitors’ priorities.

“Responsible tourism is something we want to look at, but at the moment the main demand is for [visits to] Siem Reap, then Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, and then last ecotourism,” he said.

However, Alexis de Suremain, owner of Phnom Penh hotel The Pavilion, said responsible tourism encompassed more than just eco-friendly destinations, and that an increasing number of tourists prioritised sustainable practices in their travels.

“You have to be aware that this [trend] is something that is happening and it’s happening quickly,” he said, and added that overseas tour operators had asked the hotel about the origin of the timber used to make its furniture to ensure it was eco-friendly.

SNV studies showed demands from the key European and North American markets are changing, Trevor Piper said.

“[Tourists want] more meaningful connections with local people and greater understanding of the local cultural, social and environmental issues”, he said.

Seventy percent of British and North American tourists surveyed by SNV said they would be willing to pay up to $150 more for a two-week stay in a hotel that had a “responsible environmental attitude”.

Tourism is the second largest sector in Cambodia’s economy, contributing US$1.29 billion – up to 15 percent of the country’s total GDP in 2008, according to SNV.

The organisation expects tourism could be worth up to US$1.5 billion by the end of this year.

Ministry of Tourism figures also weighed in to support sustainability at yesterday’s forum. Secretary of state Kousoum Saroeuth said the World Travel Market 2009 survey found that about 71 percent of tourists thought that their travel plans should benefit the local community, and 85 percent thought that trips should have a low environmental impact.

“I would like to encourage all concerned parties, especially the private sector ... to join in with responsible tourism in the context of community development, protection of ecotourism and biodiversity,” he said.

Sam Rainsy raps ‘kangaroo court’

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy talks to reporters during a press conference in December 2008. Photo by: Heng Chivoan

via CAAI

Friday, 24 September 2010 15:02 James O’Toole and Meas Sokchea

SAM Rainsy’s conviction yesterday at Phnom Penh Municipal Court has struck a blow both to the opposition and the prospects for pluralism in Cambodia, observers said yesterday.

The 10-year sentence Sam Rainsy received follows a two-year term handed down in January by the Svay Rieng provincial court in connection with a protest last year in which he uprooted border markers to protest alleged Vietnamese encroachment.

Yesterday’s conviction for disinformation and falsifying public documents stems from the opposition leader’s attempts to vindicate his border claims by publicising maps of the territory in question in press conferences and on the SRP website.

In a statement yesterday from Europe, where he has lived since fleeing the Kingdom last year, Sam Rainsy dismissed yesterday’s ruling as that of a “kangaroo court” in the thrall of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party. “Only a kangaroo court can issue the type of verdict we saw today,” Sam Rainsy said.

“Everybody, from independent human rights organisations to the United Nations special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Cambodia, rightly says that the judiciary in this country is everything but independent, being only a political tool for the authoritarian ruling party to silence any critical voices.”

In a report published last week, special rapporteur Surya Subedi said laws on disinformation and defamation had been used “selectively and in a biased manner against journalists, human rights activists and political leaders”.

“Public figures should be prepared to tolerate more criticism and avoid using the courts to silence critics,” the report said.

In an email yesterday, Subedi said he was “concerned” about Sam Rainsy’s conviction.

“There is a worrying trend of cases involving parliamentarians in Cambodia, as I have highlighted in my report,” Subedi said. “I will be raising this case when I address the [UN] Human Rights Council next week.”

Aside from Subedi’s comments, however, the conviction drew a muted response from the diplomatic community.

Officials at the British, French and Australian embassies did not respond to requests for comment, and the United States Embassy declined to comment. Yesterday’s hearing was lightly attended save for a few observers and local journalists who gathered outside the court.

Sam Rainsy’s conviction follows recent summonses by the Municipal Court for opposition politicians Chea Poch, an SRP parliamentarian, and Kem Sokha, president of the Human Rights Party. In both instances, the summonses related to cases that were several years old.

Sam Rainsy also received a summons earlier this month in relation to a two-year-old defamation lawsuit brought by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong.

“This is going to become a de facto one-party state if we continue this trend,” said Ou Virak, president of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights.

Thun Saray, president of the local rights group Adhoc, and Yeng Virak, executive director of the Community Legal Education Centre, said they hoped see the SRP and CPP work together to broker a political settlement that would help preserve pluralism in Cambodian politics. Sam Rainsy was able to return from exile following a 2005 defamation conviction thanks to a Royal pardon requested by Hun Sen.

“In a democratic society, the majority also has to give tolerance to the minority,” Thun Saray said. “Both of them, they need to coexist.”

Such a compromise may be slow in coming, however. Senate President Chea Sim rejected a request from the SRP last week that he intervene in Sam Rainsy’s case, and Hun Sen said Monday that there was no room for negotiation.

“If you don’t come to jail, the prison will go to take you,” Hun Sen said.

__________________

KEY DATES: the Sam Rainsy saga

February 2005

Sam Rainsy flees into exile after losing his parliamentary immunity in connection with a defamation complaint by Prince Norodom Ranariddh. In December, he is sentenced to 18 months’ jail.

February 2006

The SRP leader returns to Cambodia after a political settlement paved the way for a Royal pardon from King Norodom Sihamoni absolving him of the defamation charge. October 25, 2009

Sam Rainsy travels to Svay Rieng province’s Chantrea district and joins villagers in uprooting wooden border markers along the Vietnamese frontier to protest alleged encroachments.

January 24, 2010

The SRP releases what it says is “unprecedented evidence” of Vietnamese border incursions. The evidence includes maps showing border markers 300 to 500 metres inside Cambodian territory.

January 27, 2010

Svay Rieng provincial court sentences Sam Rainsy to two years in prison over the incident. The next month, he is charged with falsifying public documents and disinformation.

September 9, 2010

Sam Rainsy is summoned to appear in court on September 28 in connection with a defamation case filed by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong in 2008.

September 20, 2010

Prime Minister Hun Sen warns that he will not intervene to allow Sam Rainsy’s return to Cambodia, saying he should serve his full sentence.

September 23, 2010

Phnom Penh Municipal Court convicts Sam Rainsy on both charges and sentences him to an 10 additional years in prison.

Major RCAF exercise tests new technology

via CAAI

Friday, 24 September 2010 15:02 Vong Sokheng

ROYAL Cambodian Armed Forces soldiers participated yesterday in military exercises close to the Cambodian-Thai border in Battambang and Pailin provinces as part of routine training that included live heavy ammunition, senior military officials said.

Chhum Socheat, spokesman for the Ministry of Defence, said the exercises topped off a three-month training programme for around 1,000 RCAF troops, and that it was the second-largest military exercise held this year after a similar exercises in Kampong Chhnang in March.

Chhum Socheat said that the exercises were part of a regular training regimen designed to “strengthen the defence sector and modernise military

technology”.

“We are not showing military muscle with this operation,” he said.

The soldiers hit their targets “100 percent” of the time, he said, using anti-aircraft weapons and mortars.

Chea Vannath, a Phnom Penh-based political analyst, said the Ministry of Defence had neglected the military following the 1997 factional fighting, but that it has started to pay more attention to the army following the border tensions that have developed with Thailand since 2008.

Chea Vannath said the government needs to strengthen and modernise its defenses “to protect the sovereign territory” of Cambodia, but “not to spark war with a neighbouring country”.

The military received a shipment of 100 tanks and armoured personnel carriers from Ukraine in Sihanoukville on Tuesday.